These past couple
of months I noticed a tremendous drop in the number of people attending the
weekend Masses. I don’t know it’s because you find my sermons boring or whether
it’s because of the holidays or due to some other reason. Whatever it is, I
hope that after so many years of being a Catholic, you have not begun to ask “Why
do I need a Church and why do I need to attend Mass?” You and your families may
have your own agendas and commitments during the weekends but I strongly urge
you to observe closely your Sunday obligations by coming and participating in
the Eucharist. The Church law insists that every baptised Catholic must worship
God on Sunday and Holy Days by participating in the Holy Mass.
There are almost few
main Parishes in and around the Klang Valley and if you cannot make it to our
Church for certain reasons I hope that you make it a point to go any of the parishes
in KL or PJ for your Sunday Mass. Perhaps you are travelling on vacation within
the country or to any neighbouring country but make sure you find out about the
closest church within the vicinity and the Mass times before you leave for your
holiday. If you go to any part of the world definitely you will find a Catholic
Church. You can always goggle and get the necessary church locations and Mass
times and not give excuses like work, busyness and other business matters just for
not attending the Mass. Every Catholic should avoid making unnecessary excuses that would
obstruct them from observing the Day of the Lord.
In our parish
itself we have four to five Masses over the weekend. I have made the schedule
as such for your benefit and I hope you will make an effort to attend one of
the Masses. When I see so many of you at the weekend Mass, it makes me a happy
priest. You should not skip Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation unless
it is a “grave cause” like childcare, personal sickness or the care of the
sick, necessary travel, etc., which would excuse you on a particular occasions.
An individual should not give same reasons continually just for not attending
any of the Masses during the evening.
I do appreciate
some of our family members or individuals who take a lot of effort to bring the
home bound for weekend Masses to our parish. Our Eucharistic Communion
Ministers too make it a point to bring the Holy Communion to the home bound in
their respective BECs who are unable to make it for the Mass.
Last Sunday we celebrated
the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This feast day reminds us that
we should continue to come to receive our Eucharistic Lord every Sunday so that
we live our lives with God’s presence with us always, holding on to us till the
very end. His Eucharistic presence is all about
setting us free from sin, selfishness, worries, bad habits and all things that
hinder our freedom from becoming what God wants us to be. Jesus’ real and true
presence in the Eucharist mysteriously nourishes and strengthens us with His
own body and blood so that we can overcome all things and journey to the very
end with Him in our lives. Jesus comes to us in
every Eucharistic celebration.
One of our mission commitments this year is celebrating Jesus in the
Sacraments particularly in the Eucharist as a touch of God. He comes to give us
what we need most – which is His presence with us. Let Jesus, our Eucharistic
Lord, be ever present in our lives to free us, to guide us, and to strengthen
us with His Body and Blood always.
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