FINDING A PIECE OF OUR CHURCH HISTORY

Last Thursday, 23rd March, I met Mr Alston Perianayagam and 2 of his friends after our 6.45am Mass. He and his friends are originally from Jaffna, Sri Lanka and presently residing in Toronto, Canada for more than 20 years. During the war in Sri Lanka, Alston left to Toronto for studies and settled there. He came for few days visit to Malaysia in memory of his grandfather.

I had earlier, in 16^th March, received an email from Alston mentioning about his arrival to Malaysia to trace back his grandfather’s heritage in Bukit Mertajam and Kuala Lumpur. His grandfather is Mr Santhiappillai Soosaipillai and his grandmother Mrs Soosaipillai Mariapillai. Late Santhiapillai was a Malaya Railway Station Master in Bukit Mertajam and Kuala Lumpur. He was transferred before the World War II from Bukit Mertajam to Sentul. He commuted from Sentul to Kuala Lumpur Station every day then. He was the Station Master in Kuala Lumpur and residing in Sentul during the period of the Japanese occupation in 1944-1946. He was passed away during the bombing in 1946.

Ever since he was transferred to KL Railway Station he became actively involved in the Church activities and he was a very respectable person in our Church then. That was the reason probably that when he died, he was buried at the same place where the priests and nuns were buried (at the church backyard) and now presently where the school is located. The authorities had later exhumed all the deceased persons’ remains and reburied them all in one plot at the Christian Cemetery, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

After Santhiapillai’s passing, his wife Mariapillai, left to Sri Lanka with his children. One of the children was Soosaipillai Perianayagam who was born in Malaysia and passed away in Sri Lanka in 2013. His son is Alston and grandson of late Santhiapillai, who resides in Canada and made a visit to Malaysia lately.

After morning Mass on last Thursday, I had a chat with him and took him for a tour around the Church and school compounds. We met the Principal of SMK Convent, Sentul, Puan Debbie Yeong and fortunately, she gave permission to visit her school archives. There, we detected Alston’s aunty, Agnes Gomez, who started schooling on 8 January 1940 at Convent School. His aunty had visited our church and school in 1980s. With the photographs and other details which was brought by Alston we succeeded in locating his grandfather’s previous burial site, his aunt’s school registration date and her classroom. On our way returning to the parish office, we also met Puan Valarmathi, the Principal of St Joseph Tamil School.

After almost a two-hour tour around the church and school compound I contacted Bishop Emeritus Selvanayagam who is staying temporarily with Rev Fr Stanislaus at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Desa Jaya, Kepong. Alston came to know Bishop Selva through his aunty, Agnes Gomez. After meeting me he left to Desa Jaya to meet Bishop Selva and then to Christian Cemetery at Cheras to pay his last tribute to his late grandfather before leaving to Canada.

Mr Alston’s visit has enlightened me a bit about our own Church history. I shared about Alston’s grandparents with a few of our senior citizens and I am sharing this amazing history with you now. If you have more of this kind of information please do share with us - at least our coming generations may treasure our history and the growth of the Church in Sentul.

THE BLIND MAN RECEIVES SIGHT AND INSIGHT

Our Gospel (Jn 9:1-41) reading speaks about a man who has been physically blind from birth. He has not seen his parents. He is never seen a sunrise or a sunset all his life and the beauty of the universe. Most of his life he spent begging on the streets of Jerusalem.

Jesus heals the blind man. He is indeed the light of the world. Without Jesus we would all live in darkness.

These religious Pharisees were leading people into the darkness, not into the light. They were not able to recognise the power and goodness of Jesus.

Most of us have blind spots that we don’t even think about changing them. These blind spots have blocked off God, from others and ourselves as well. These have become our major obstacles in our spiritual journey.

Sin is a major cause of much of our spiritual blindness. Only conversion works to see people as God sees us. Our conversion opens to receiving new sight. Prayer is the first step towards this new sight.

What keep us blind to the needs of others and to knowing God?

GROWING IN OUR FAITH LIFE DURING LENT

How’s your Lent going? I believe you are making the most awesome Lent this year. These past three Saturdays about 200 of our parishioners have been attending Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS). These parishioners of ours have chosen to participate in the LSS as a part of their spiritual preparation and renewal of their faith. Praying that all the LSS participants grow in your faith life through the presenters’ insights, sharing and testimonies.

The ultimate goal of Lent is to create pure hearts and steadfast spirit so that we can joyfully celebrate the resurrection of our Lord at Easter on 16 April. In my own spiritual journey in the past I have experienced a lot of transformation and renewal particularly during the season of Lent in terms of attitude and behavior. Like you I too often begin with the best of intentions, fasting and praying but as I journey through I do face my weakness and I lose all my plans, intentions and disciplines of Lent. When I fail in my Lenten aspirations, I grow discouraged and give up gradually. This is a victory for Satan. Somehow, I remind myself of the importance of prayers and good works in order to build myself up spiritually and mentally.

During Lent I usually practice the examination of conscience. Besides this, I do go and meet my spiritual director for spiritual guidance and also make a confession. During this Lenten season, all the parishes in the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese are having the Penitential Service. So, it is a great time for you to go and make a good confession before you celebrate Easter. I also use this time to constantly read good spiritual books and scripture readings.

Lent is a great time to discipline ourselves in our daily prayer that can guide us for the rest of our lives. We should focus our prayers on repentance and contrition for our sins. Lent is a very good time to refocus our efforts and renew our commitment as true disciples of Christ. We should also minimise our ‘sins’ by not criticising others and fast from making negative speeches.

During Lent do remember to be more charitable and merciful to others. Do see others especially the poor and those in need. Please do reach out to them and find a way to help them. Remember the promise of Jesus, “And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward,” (Mt 10: 42).

This Lent, do your best. Strive to root out sin and nurture holiness for that is the true heart of Lent. May you continuously have a good Lent by focusing and disciplining yourselves.

                                                                                                                              Fr George P

Novena and Feast day

We have exactly a month to begin our Novenas and Feast Day celebration of our Patron, St Joseph, the Worker, which will commence on 22nd April till 1st May. The committee members have already decided the themes and confirmed the celebrants of the day. In one or two weeks’ time, they will start distributing the flyers and posters. I personally invite all our parishioners to get involved and participate in the novena to our Patron Saint and our feast day celebration.

LIFE GIVING GRACE

In the Gospel today, the Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water (Jn 4:5-42). When her water runs out and she is thirsty, she must go back to the well again. She comes to the well so often, wants to find a source of living water. Jesus meets her and offers her living water, life-giving grace.

The Samaritan woman tried the first husband, the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth husbands and she was not satisfied. She desired the peace and the happiness that the things of this world cannot provide.

We can go through life just like this woman, searching for the little things in life that satisfy our thirst – perhaps pleasure (sex, alcohol or substance, etc), an interesting job or a friendship. All these things satisfy, but their satisfaction is limited and we must return to them again and again.

Jesus said, “everyone that drinks of this well will thirst again”. He states that the water from the well will leave one thirsty again. Jesus insists that doing the will God is in itself sustaining. With all our past, let us look for love at the right places and turn to Him in faith and trust.

FINDING CONSOLATION IN THE LORD IN OUR TIME OF GRIEF

The 40 days of Lent is one of the most significant periods for Catholics. It is a time of reflecting on the passion of Christ and keeping the Lenten observances – Prayer, Fasting (penance) and Almsgiving. We have completed the 1^st week of Lent and we have about another 6 more weeks before we celebrate Easter.

We begin Lent with the best of intentions to have a fruitful Lent by keeping ourselves closer to God and our neighbours. We often set our minds to prepare for a good Lent on what we are going to do or what we are going to give up. We want to have a right attitude about prayer by firmly committing ourselves for at least 20-30 minutes each day. Do you have the right attitude about Lent? How are you preparing for this Lent season? 

Having observed Ash Wednesday more than a week ago, I thought of spending more time in prayer and penance. After my dad’s passing, I thought of spending time with my family members for at least 7 days at home but I ended up traveling to and fro my house in Klang to our parish at Sentul for funeral Masses. Over a stretch of 8 days (since last week Tuesday till this week Wednesday) I have celebrated 7 funeral Masses including my dad’s funeral. Practically, every day I encountered a death and an increase of death in our parish. Throughout my ministry as a priest I have celebrated a maximum of three funeral Masses in a row, but these past days I celebrated seven deaths in a row.

A few days ago, one of our parishioners had a massive heart attack in the morning. I was driving from Klang to Sentul for a funeral Mass that morning and when I heard that this person was in a critical condition in the hospital, instead of driving straight for the funeral Mass at our Church, I diverted my direction to the hospital. Unfortunately, I could not administer the last rites for her as she passed away just a few minutes before my arrival. I could only watch helplessly as her family cried over their sudden and unexpected loss.

Looking at all these deaths, I feel so disturbed, upset, frustrated, irritable and impatient these past days. I realise that the Lord is not only adding more work for me to do but also adding more grieving for me. I am depressed over all these recent deaths and also sympathise with the families who have lost their loved ones.

Due to my personal loss and having to face the loss of so many parishioners in a short period of time, it has been difficult for me to talk about death. How do we grow stronger in our faith and how do we overcome our grief? I did share my difficulty with some of my friends on how could I assist the deceased members to cope with grief for their loss. Death and dying are realities of life. Those who are terminally ill know roughly when their death will occur. They can gradually adjust and make peace with death as much as possible but not everyone has this chance. Many deaths occur suddenly and often strike without warning.

Let’s stop all our doubts in our faith and questions on death and dying because the real answer is with God who says, “I am the resurrection and the life, anyone who believes in Me has eternal life,” (John 11: 25).