A MORE INTEGRATED AND HOLISTIC LIFE

Monsoon rains can be very destructive here in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Following last week’s incessant rain, Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Serok in Pahang (150kms from Kuantan city) was badly affected by floods. Residents living in the area have been moved to temporary relief centres as flood waters reached their rooftops. Our Parish PIHDM made a visit to the kampung on Tuesday, 7 March 2023, and we identified approximately 30 families - including 17 Catholic families from our Parish - who have been badly affected by this catastrophe.

We will be supplying them with mattresses, pillows, towels, blankets, stoves, rice cookers, kettles, kitchen utensils and other household items within the next few days, as we are still in the midst of purchasing and collating them. We will respond to their needs and give our assistance to these Orang Asli as soon as we can. Volunteer Parishioners have been sorting the necessary items and packing them at our Church breakfast corner. A big thank you to the Archdiocese Office for Human Development as well as the Parishioners of St Thomas, Kuantan for all their generous support, tireless assistance and continuous service.

We hosted a Lenten Spiritual Retreat last weekend! It was a successful and enjoyable programme for all the attendees. It was a remarkable spirit-filled event, with terrific participation and excellent organisation. The graces were abundant, and everyone had their own unique experiences. We thank and give praise to God for enriching us, and making a difference in our lives. Certainly, we have gained more insight into our faith and received healing from within. From now on, He will use us as His instruments to be more committed disciples - so let’s share His light with the world!

Faith to Greater Heights

In today’s Gospel, Peter says to Jesus, “it is wonderful for us to be here!” You may say the same thing Peter has said. But I would say it is not going to be wonderful for you to be here. We cannot be on the high mountain all the time. After all the spiritual experiences and insights we have gained during these past three days, it will be wonderful for you to arise and to be out there, shine forth His light, and share His light with the world around you and with those in need of Christ’s light. 

As we come to the end of our three days Retreat, on behalf of the Parish of St Thomas, Kuantan, I would like to thank you for your participation and your cooperation in making this spiritual retreat a successful and significant one. 

 

I would like to thank the committee members and sub committee for their hard work and dedication in ensuring the smooth flow of events during this spiritual retreat. 

We would also like to thank Fr Michael Payyapilly V.C. and Fr Joseph kallampally V.C. for sharing their spiritual insights, reflections, prayers, healing services and Masses. Fathers, you have brought our faith to greater heights. Thank you. 

 

Once again, we wish both of you a safe journey back. Be assured of our humble prayers for you and your preaching and healing ministry. Take care till we meet again. 

 

God bless you and all of you are present here. 

SHINE FORTH HIS LIGHT

We have chosen a special theme to focus on this Lent season - “Arise and Shine” – and it comes from the Book of Isaiah (60:1) – “Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you”. We will use this theme for our Parish Lenten Retreat 2023 and for other formations, including Mandarin, Tamil and Bahasa Malaysia throughout this Lent season.

The Lenten Retreat committee has been organising, planning and preparing for this since April 2022. They have been communicating with Rev Fr Michael Payapilly and his team since then, and we are grateful to him for accepting our invitation to conduct this retreat. Fr Michael is somewhat of a celebrity priest, and most Catholics in Malaysia have come to know him since the pandemic when he celebrated Holy Mass via live streaming. Each committee member worked around the clock, and so far, everything is going according to plan, despite the rainy weather condition.

The Catechetical team has started preparing for the Catechism Camp, which will be held on Saturday, 18 March 2023. This year’s theme - “The Light of Christ” - was chosen by the Archdiocesan Office for Human Development (AOHD). However, due to the long school holiday break, we haven’t had catechism classes during this important season in our liturgical calendar. We realise it is a missed opportunity not to spend time with our students - teaching them about the season of Lent, the Way of the Cross and the Lenten observances of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

In this season of Lent, we should arise from our spiritual slumber, and let His light shine in our lives. We must make the effort to grow in our relationship with God in a more profound way, so that this light may shine brighter. We should also stand up, get out of our comfort zone and radiate His light on those who are in darkness. Our reaching out should create an impact on the lives of others. 

During Lent, we are asked to rise up by turning from our wicked ways and from worldly attachments. We are asked to put our trust in the one, true and ever-living God. Many of us have the habit of using unhealthy words, disrespecting the elderly, condemning one another, cheating, blaming, cursing, etc. We use mobile devices and the internet for wrongdoings as we are engrossed and addicted to the negative influence of the internet and other forms of media. Instead, I urge you now to be more concerned about the well-being of your faith.

We still have a few more weeks before we celebrate Easter, so it will be good if we start to amend our ways gradually from now on. Lent shouldn’t be a time for feeling down and out. In fact, it is the right time for us all to arise and begin to shine by letting our faith lead us forward to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.

Allow the transfigured Christ to transform our lives gradually during this Lent. May His light radiate in our lives so that we can share His light with the world around us.

ARISE AND SHINE

Greetings to all of you and a warm welcome to our humble Parish of St Thomas, the Apostle, Kuantan. I welcome you in Jesus' name!

We have been waiting for this moment for a long time, and we want to express our gratitude to God for His guidance and blessings and, most of all, an opportunity to meet each other to exchange our gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit in this Retreat.

 

Thank you for participating in this Lenten Retreat 2023. We have 338 participants have registered for this Retreat– 190 are from our own Parish, and 148 are from various Parishes throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

 

We would like to welcome Fr Michael Payapilly and Fr Joseph Kalampally, and brother Vincent (Musician) for accepting our invitation to conduct our Lenten Retreat in our Parish. Both of them are from Vincentian Congregation. Fr Michael is a director of the Divine Retreat Center, Colombo, Sri Lanka whereas Fr Joseph is from Hyderabad. Both are priests for 17 years. Fr Michael is a celebrity priest and almost every English-speaking Catholic in Malaysia knows of him. He has captured the hearts of these people since the early pandemic. Fr Michael and Fr Joseph, we pray that you will grow and glow in the Spirit through your preaching and healing ministry. 

 

The chair persons, Sheila Fernandez and Anna Thong, and all the committee members have been doing the groundwork and preparation since April 2022. Hats off to my committee members for working around the clock to make this Lenten Retreat possible for all of us today. 

 

The theme we have chosen for this retreat is – “Arise and Shine.” We hope and pray that this retreat will make you arise from your spiritual slumber and His light shine on your face and in your life. We are to stand up, get out of our comfort zone and radiate the light to those in darkness. 

 

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, in his message for this year's Lent, reflected on the story of the Transfiguration of the Lord, inviting us to listen to the voice of Jesus and not to be afraid to arise and witness Christ in our lives. Do listen attentively to the speakers and pay attention to the working of the Holy Spirit.

 

My best wishes and prayers go with you for these three days retreat (3-5 March) that you will be transformed and transfigured in Christ. Be open to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and I am sure all the impossibilities will be made possible by Jesus. 

 

God bless you with a new heart, new spirit, new hope, and new enthusiasm as you arise and shine forth. 

A TIME OF GRACE

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has chosen the theme for this year's Lent: “Lenten Penance and Synodal Journey.” His Lenten message reflects on the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus at Mount Tabor, which can be read in three Gospel accounts - (Mt 17:1-13, Mk 9:2-13 and Lk 9:28-36).

He highlights that Lent is a journey that is “synodal” - climbing of Jesus with three of His disciples - Peter, John and James - to Mount Tabor. During this Lent, we will make a “synodal journey” in ascending “a high mountain” with Jesus to accompany us “to experience spiritual discipline.” Therefore, our Lenten journey is like going on an uphill mountain track which requires “effort, sacrifice and concentration.” As we climb the mountain, we should fix our eyes on our path, and once we reach the mountain top, we will be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views. 

“Lent is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcome our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus and the way of the cross.” The Holy Father proposes two ways to reflect on experiencing the Lord’s passion and cross with faith, hope and love as we arrive at Easter.

a)      Listening - Lent is a favourable time - a time of grace – that we should “Listen to Him!” (Mt 17:5) as He speaks to us. Jesus speaks to us through the Scriptures. We take the initiative daily to read the Word of God, which occurs in the liturgy throughout this season and study the Bible through various sources. Jesus also speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, especially in the face of all kinds of challenges and in need of others.

b)      Jesus affirmed his disciples, saying, “rise and do not be afraid”. We shouldn’t fear anything in facing the reality of the world and daily struggles and hardships. He realises that the journey of Lent and the Church’s ongoing Synod on Synodality may be arduous and challenging, but we should be focused on our goals and stay committed always. Our synodal journey towards Easter may help us “to understand better God’s will and our mission in the service of His Kingdom.”

May the Holy Spirit inspire and sustain us this Lent as we ascend with Jesus to experience His divine light and deeper faith. 

(An Abstract from the Lenten Message of the Holy Father for the year 2023)

Lent is an opportunity to make our inner selves more beautiful by allowing Jesus Christ to rise and shine forth in us. This Lent, we shall focus on the theme chosen for our Lenten Retreat 2023 - “Arise and Shine” - which will take place from 3-5 March 2023. Thus far, we have 260 participants registered for this 3-day retreat. It will be conducted by Rev Frs Michael Payyapilly and Joseph Kannampally from the Vincentian Congregation (VC).

As we make the synodal journey this Lent, we take the initiative to listen to His voice and experience His light, as how the three disciples experienced “seeing and hearing” Him at Mount Tabor. We pray that Jesus will slowly and steadily transform and transfigure our minds, hearts and souls into a more beautiful and spiritual state of life. May the Glory of the Lord rise among us and shine in our lives.