PREPARING FOR LENT

We are coming to end of the second month of the year, which is also the shortest month of the year. We have already kicked-start our first meeting for the Nine-Day Novena and Feast of our Patron saint, St Joseph, the Worker. The Feast Day committee has already set the dates starting from 22 April till 1 May 2017. We will be inviting some of our local priests to celebrate and concelebrate the Novena and Feast Day Masses.

These past few weeks, the Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) committee has been working hard to recruit our parishioners to join the session. The LSS will be held during the season of Lent commencing 8 March till 2 April 2017. It will be held every Saturday after the Sunset Mass and one on a weekend. Thus far, we have almost 60 people who have signed up for this LSS. We expect more of our parishioners to register by this weekend.

Last weekend there was a Parish Recollection for the month of February presented by Tomson on prayer life and the important of reading the Scripture. At the same time, our Parish Youth organised a Youth rally with a total of 56 participants including 15 members from the KASIH Ministry. Our youth ministry had shared this programme with our neighbouring parishes. It was a very great spiritual experience for many of our young people. I hope they will return to their respective Parishes to be more involved in the Church and to find the Real Jesus in their lives.

We had a pleasant surprise when Archbishop Julian Leow showed up at the rally just before at the opening session, without any prior notice. His Grace addressed the youth about the preparatory document on the upcoming Synod of Bishops to be held on 6 October 2018, which will focus on Youths. Archbishop Julian added that the Bishops in Malaysia would present the preparatory document of the pastoral care of the Church for the young people in Malaysia on “Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment” at the Synod assembly.

Meanwhile, the Parish Retreat committee will be meeting for the first time on 28 February 2017 (Tuesday) before the Lent Season begins. The committee wants to brainstorm about the process of the retreat and responsibilities of each committee member. According to our year planner for this year, we have planned to organise our Parish Retreat from 11-13 August 2017 and the venue will be announced after Easter.

The Ash Wednesday marks the Lenten season and this year it falls on 1 March 2017. The Holy Father invites us to journey through Lent on the theme, “The Word is a Gift, Other Persons are a Gift.” We are called “to hear and ponder more deeply” the word and “find an inspiration on the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus” (LK 16: 19-31). May this parable assist us to make a good preparation for the coming Easter on 16 April 2017.

I hope this Lent will be a time of renewal and transformation Following the Way of Christ and live a life that is centred on Him.