Every time when it comes to the season of
Lent and Advent, we Catholic priests take the opportunity to visit the home bound
or the sick members of our parish. As usual, in this season of Advent as we
prepare for the coming of Christ, I had the privilege of visiting these
people who are staying in Sri Gombak and
Sentul.
I have total of 69 names of elderly and sick
people during this time of Advent who need the blessings and prayers of the
priest. It is a time for me to meet them as I administer the Sacraments of Holy
Anointing, Holy Communion and Penance. My visits to the homebound and the sick,
either at home or hospital or old folks’ home, is a sign of the support and
concern of the church as a whole.
These sick members
of our parish who are unable to get out from their homes due to their age or
illness need our companionship, our visits and our time to engage in
conversation with them. We priests
are called to
care for the elderly and the sick in order to bring comfort and show our concern
for their physical and spiritual welfare.
through our prayers and our presence. It is also a time for us to listen
to their feelings of loneliness, depression and rejection.
“Is anyone among
you suffering? Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
church, and let them pray over him, anointing him or her with oil in the name
of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the
Lord will raise him or her up. And if he or she has committed sins, he or she
will be forgiven,” (James 5:13-15). St James emphasises that the Church has
always cared for her sick and dying and always rejoice with the gifts of
healing and forgiveness.
Many of us in our
daily lives deal with the care of family members and friends who are undergoing
illness, injury, who are elderly or in the stage of dying. As Christians and as
family members we should always be in contact with our doctors and our priests
and the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) so that these elderly and sick members
may have our immediate, spiritual and physical assistance in times of their
need. We can help them to experience God’s compassionate love and mercy as we serve their
needs.
Next Sunday on
18 December 2016 we shall be celebrating “2016 Christmas Get Together”. I
invite our BEC (Basic Ecclesial Community) leaders and family members not
to lose sight of our elderly parents,
sick, lonely, grieving and marginal members in our BECs and families. It will
be more rewarding if we could bring them for this occasion so that they may
experience the sharing of Christmas joy and love with one another. Let’s
remember these elderly, sick and dying members of our parish in a special way
as we celebrate this year’s Christmas Get Together. May Jesus be born in
the depths of our heart this Christmas!
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