A MENTOR AND SPIRITUAL GUIDE

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On Sunday, 9 July 2023, Pope Francis announced the appointment of 21 new cardinals from the window of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. Out of these newly appointed cardinals, 18 are electors. Electors are individuals who are under the age of 80 and have the right to vote in a conclave when selecting a new Pope. The Pontiff has carried out this action nine times since he was elected in 2013.

 

The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is truly fascinating, especially when it comes to the rank of “cardinal.”Cardinals are the senior members of the clergy within the Catholic Church. The Pope appoints cardinals for a lifetime. It is the responsibility of the Pope to name cardinals, and the longer he serves, the more he appoints to replace retiring cardinals through the conclave. Over the centuries, the Roman Pontiff appoints regional bishops as cardinals to help in administering various offices of the Universal Church. At present, there are 137 cardinal electors in the College of Cardinals. The minimum quorum required by the regulations is 120.

The Most Reverend Dato Seri Sebastian Francis, DD, who serves as the Bishop of Penang, was named a Cardinal-Elect on 9 July 2023. Pope Francis will officially elevate him to the cardinalate during the 9th consistory, which will take place on 30 September 2023. Sebastian Francis, who is now a Cardinal-Elect, has been serving the Diocese of Penang since 2012. He has been the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei since 2016.

 

After the passing of Cardinal Soter Fernandez, Cardinal-Elect Sebastian will be the second cardinal from our country. When I first heard the announcement about his appointment as announced by the Vatican, I was filled with excitement. I first met him back in 1993, when I was among the three individuals who sat for psychological evaluation exams known as Parisi Test, as a requirement for admission into the seminary. He was a priest moderator or person-in-charge of the examination.

 

In 1995, the late Cardinal Soter Fernandez, who was the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur at the time, accepted me into the seminary in Penang. During my Initiation Year, I had the privilege of being taught Vatican Council by Cardinal-Elect Sebastian and from 1996 to 1997, he was my Spiritual Director and Confessor.

Once his term as a lecturer and formator in the seminary was over, he returned to serve in the Diocese of Johor-Malacca - his place of origin. I would seek spiritual guidance and advice, especially when I was discerning becoming a priest. He gave me good advice, which then pointed me in the right direction. Before being ordained, I went to him for my personal 5-day retreat to prepare for my significant milestone. Cardinal-Elect Sebastian has played an instrumental role in guiding me throughout my seminary life and priesthood. Even during the initial stage of my ministry, he has been a wonderful mentor and spiritual guide.

Cardinal-Elect Sebastian… as you wear your scarlet robes and as the Pope places the biretta (a hat) on your head to symbolise your elevation to the cardinalate, may you enthusiastically act with courage to strengthen the Christian faith and promote peace among the people.

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SERVICE TO GOD, CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

On Sunday, 9 July 2023, Archbishop Julian Leow will officiate the Sacrament of Confirmation for 26 candidates from our Parish. Among them, 7 are migrants from Indonesia who work in the plantations near Maran in Pahang and 3 are from Kampung Asli. Following their Confirmation Camp two weeks ago, all candidates participated in the Sacrament of Confession.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a very special sacrament for our confirmands. Receiving the sacrament is a crucial step in their journey towards becoming a mature Christian. As with all of us, the Sacrament of Confirmation is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives and leads us through personal growth and development. When we take ownership of our faith responsibilities and fulfil our commitments, we ignite a new fire within us. We must witness Christ’s teachings through our actions and utilise our given talents and gifts for the growth of the Church. Living our faith strengthens our relationship with the Church and deepens our connection to our beliefs and values.

Before being confirmed, the bishop asks candidates a set of questions, also known as the Renewal of Baptismal Promises. The first question asks us whether we renounce Satan, his works, and all of his materialistic manifestations. The second question is centred on our faith in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the resurrection of Christ and the promise of eternal life. When we respond “I do”, we seal and solidify our commitment and loyalty to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

Experiencing Confirmation is a significant moment in our life’s journey. The bishop extends his hands over the confirmands and invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words:

 

“All-Powerful, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit, you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgement and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence...” (CCC #1299, cf. Isaiah 11: 1-3)

 

During Anointing, the Archbishop anoints the confirmands with Chrism Oil and says the words, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit,” which represents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and signifies their consecration to God’s service. Chrism represents the strength and healing of the confirmands being confirmed.

My dear Confirmands, be proud and grateful to be living ambassadors of Christ through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Give thanks to God and to your faith community - especially to your family, teachers, friends, sponsors, godparents, parishioners and priests - who have worked tirelessly in helping you complete this important milestone. Remember your faith community plays a significant role in shaping you into the person you are today, and as you progress forward, don’t forget to live your life in service to God and the Church.

STRIVE TO LIVE OUR FAITH IN CHRIST

The celebration of the 9-day Novena Masses in honour of Saint Thomas, the Apostle, was truly remarkable. It was great seeing most of you participate enthusiastically in the celebrations. The weather was wonderful, even though it was hot and humid. We were fortunate to have both local and foreign priests celebrate the Masses for us, and they were all wonderful. The Parish Feast Committee members, Liturgical Committee, BEC Coordinators, and many others who worked behind the scenes did an excellent job making the celebrations meaningful for us.

 

The celebration of the Feast of St. Thomas came to a close with a Thanksgiving Mass, today. During these days, Saint Thomas has been praying for our different needs and requests. We humbly ask for his intercessions to guide us on our spiritual journey as we seek to recognise and embrace the presence of the Risen Lord in the Scriptures, Sacraments, and every aspect of our lives.

 

Since I started serving at St. Thomas’ Parish in Kuantan, I always refer to our Parish as Saint Thomas, the Apostle, who walked with Jesus during His public ministry. The reason for this is that there are two well-known saints named Thomas, namely, Saint Thomas Aquinas who lived in the 13^th Century, and Thomas More in the 16^th Century, while the remaining five are from the Orthodox Church. It is most likely that their names were inspired by Saint Thomas the Apostle. I have also taken Saint Thomas as my Patron Saint. He now holds a prominent place in my heart. I often pray to him, even for minor things like finding a parking spot, and he always fulfils my requests immediately.

 

Our main theme for this year centred around “St. Thomas, A Saint for Our Times.” We had been developing this theme since last year. We plan to maintain this main theme for the upcoming year too. Saint Thomas is highly relevant in our present time, particularly with regard to our faith. Despite his initial doubt, he eventually became a believer.

 

Recently, a comment was made on our parish website praising the themes taken from the Litany Prayer to St Thomas, the Apostle. That’s correct! This year, our themes revolved around the Litany Prayer, which we composed last year. We chose themes for this year that were drawn from the first half of the Litany Prayer and we plan to focus on the second half of the Litany Prayer for next year. When we recite the Litany to St. Thomas, the Apostle, we can gain a better understanding of its significance and meaning.

 

Whenever we preach of St Thomas, we tend to focus on the post-Resurrection event and his proclamation and acknowledgement of the Risen Lord – “My Lord and My God”. In John Gospel, Chapter 14: 1-6, which I frequently use for funeral Mass, Thomas asked Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” Eventually, Thomas discovered that Jesus is the One who leads the way to the Father, the truth, and life.

 

Throughout our journey of life, we encounter many challenges and struggles. It is important to keep our faith in Jesus and make Him the centre of our lives. When we face uncertainties, it is common to struggle with faith. In the face of uncertainties, it’s crucial to maintain our faith in Jesus and prioritise Him in our lives. Overcoming challenges requires faith and a willingness to fight, but with God’s assistance, we can achieve anything through our unwavering belief.

 

Life can be full of troubles, uncertainties, doubts, and scepticism. However, in those moments, it’s important to remember that Jesus is Our Lord and Our God, even if we don't know where our life is heading. He will guide us towards fulfilment by showing us His Way, Truth, and Life.

 

Let us strive to live our faith in Christ Jesus and show our people that Jesus is not only Our Lord and Our God but also Our Way, Our Truth, and Our Life; through Him, we can attain salvation.

SHOWING REVERENCE FOR SAINT THOMAS

Ever since I was posted here, in St. Thomas’ Parish, I have added Saint Thomas as my patron saint too. He now holds a special place in my heart alongside Saint George and Saint Joseph. I look up to him as a friend and companion, and I make it a habit to pray to and communicate with him regularly. His proclamation – “My Lord and My God” – has become the early Church’s central belief and is now at the centre of our hearts.

In today’s modern times, we face numerous challenges and threats that can negatively affect our marriages, families, children, work, and finances. To combat these challenges, we can seek the intercession of the saints in heaven, particularly St. Thomas, our Patron. By doing so, we can be protected from evil deception and find guidance in our daily lives, and by emulating his virtues, we can strive towards holiness.

 

The Patron Saint we celebrate was a great missionary and successfully carried out Christ’s mission in Persia and India. We should strive to imitate the Apostle, Saint Thomas, who followed the footsteps of Jesus in his life. Today, the Church encourages us to spread the message of Jesus within our families and community. Our families and our community need to rediscover the importance of faith in Christ. With the help of Saint Thomas’ constant prayers and guidance, we can become a shining example of faith to those around us.

 

After listening and contemplating the homilies of the respective Presiders over the past few days, particularly on the intentions from the Litany Prayer to St Thomas, now it’s the perfect time to dedicate and devote ourselves to St. Thomas. Those who are devoted to him will receive his affectionate care, protection, and guidance. 

Since last year, we have composed our own Litany Prayer to Saint Thomas, and we are proud of it. The Litany clearly presents his titles, privileges and heroic virtues. It would be great if the Parishioners of St. Thomas Parish would recite the Litany Prayer to St. Thomas every day. This would help us in our spiritual improvement as we come to realise the importance of having a spiritual companion besides Mother Mary and other saints. Therefore, we can develop a more profound understanding and admiration for St. Thomas and become more ready to devote ourselves to Christ Jesus.

 

Although we are imperfect, God is perfect and is still able to accomplish his perfect plan through our imperfect actions. A common saying goes, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” When things seem crooked and out of control, God challenges us to deepen our faithfulness and follow the path of Christ throughout our lives. We can draw nearer to God with Saint Thomas as our spiritual companion and friend. God has the power to rewrite the mess we find ourselves in, to repair our lives.

 

God helps to straighten our paths, even when they seem crooked. God has a way of making things work out, even when they don’t seem to be going smoothly at first. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3: 5-6).

LIVING OUR FAITH TRUTHFULLY AND WITH INTEGRITY

We will be commemorating our Patron Saint, Thomas, the Apostle, through a series of daily novenas and feast day celebrations from Saturday, 24 June till 3 July 2023, culminating with a Thanksgiving Mass. The 9-day novena to St Thomas will comprise recitation of the Rosary, litany and novena prayer to Saint Thomas as well as Eucharistic celebrations. Our feast will centre around the theme: “A Saint for Our Times” with sub-themes that focus on each intention from the Litany of Saint Thomas, the Apostle. 

The word “Novena” comes from the Latin word “Novem”, which means nine. Once again, this year, as we honour Saint Thomas, we continue to seek God’s guidance through the intercession of our Patron Saint. The Novena celebrations provide a great opportunity to explore, discover and rediscover ourselves through the life of Saint Thomas while also inspiring us to deepen our faith by following his example.

 

For each day of the novena, we have invited celebrants who will celebrate Masses and deliver homilies based on the chosen theme. The focus will be on our Patron and his values, which will help us to live a courageous life in accordance with the Gospel. This will allow us to embrace a pure and virtuous faith life and strive towards saintliness, and ultimately lead us to good lives. Throughout the celebrations, our presiders will share their insights to aid us in fostering authentic relationships with Saint Thomas and deepen our understanding on how to live our faith in the midst of life’s challenges and discouragements. As we endeavour to follow in his footsteps, we shall seek his heavenly intercession for us to live our faith truthfully and with integrity.

 

As we honour Saint Thomas, we hope to have our Patron become a dear and authentic friend who brings us closer to Jesus Christ - to witness Him as Our Lord and Our God in this earthly life. Eventually, we will be able to be in communion with all saints in heaven, and this brings us great joy. In this journey of faith, we hope to remain connected to our Patron Saint by taking part in novena prayers and Eucharistic celebrations.

 

We turn to Saint Thomas, the Apostle, our great proclaimer, to help us deepen our understanding of our faith and beliefs. May he inspire and guide us towards a sense of spirituality, and help us earn a special place in his heart. We pay our tribute to Saint Thomas as a way of showing our affection, love and reverence to Jesus Christ. As we celebrate our feast day, it is important to remember that as baptised Catholics, we should always keep in mind that we have a crucial obligation and responsibility to evangelise Christ Jesus as “Our Lord and Our God” to those we encounter every day in our lives.

 

We warmly invite parishioners and visitors from far and near to join us in the Novena-Masses at our Parish. For additional information about the celebration's program and schedule, click the link below:https://www.stthomaskuantan.org/feastday