BINDING TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD

There has been large devastation in various parts of Kerala, India due to floods in the state, and many people have lost their lives and thousands have been left stranded. The rain, which started early August 2018, was recorded as the highest rainfall in 90 years. About 223 deaths have been reported and 10 million people are stranded and homeless in 3274 relief camps. However, there hasn’t been rain this week and the floodwaters have started receding in some parts. People from flood-affected areas are slowly returning to their homes.

His Grace, Archbishop Julian Leow has immediately released RM50,000 from the Natural Disaster Fund of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur in aid of the relief work to support the flood victims in Kerala. All parishes in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur will take a second collection at all Masses on 8 - 9 September 2018, for the flood victims. In the meantime, we shall continue to pray for all those who are affected by the floods and for those who are engaged in the rescue and relief missions.

Two months ago, our government started a donation campaign for Tabung Harapan Malaysia, to help the government tackle the RM1 trillion national debt. Many Malaysians contributed generously and the total collection went up more than RM170 million. The Catholic Church in Malaysia has collected a sum of RM1,143,635.10 for Tabung Harapan Malaysia. This was the collective amount from various parishes throughout Malaysia during the Masses of 22 - 24 June 2018.

The end-of-year brings about our usual campaigns: one is school uniforms for poor students and the other is a provision of grocery for poor families. The St Joseph Parish Integral of Human Development (PIHD) committee will start collecting funds during the weekend Masses from the end of September 2018 onwards. We should give our strong support for these two campaigns, and we should not fail in reaching out to the poor and marginalised families in our vicinity. In the past years, we have done a good job and this year we expect to be more successful in this outreach program. Each parishioner should make a commitment in assisting the poor children and their families to lessen their financial burden. It is part of bringing our Christmas joy to their homes.

On 18 November 2018, we shall be celebrating the 2^nd World Day of the Poor with the theme, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,” (Ps 34:6). Last year we had a great celebration with lots of fun, games and meals together. This year we shall be celebrating the 2^nd World Day of the Poor in conjunction with the 110 years of establishment of the parish of St. Joseph. We are expecting at least 2000 people to come together in celebrating our faith in Jesus and the joy of the establishment of our parish. It is also a time for us to evangelise the poor through our outreach, and celebrate in a spirit of joy with them.

As Church members, we should bind together for the common good and for peace in the world regardless of nationality, religion and ethnic differences. A sense of solidarity and Christian values is necessary to create and sustain a truly good Christian community and society. Your generous contribution towards any project will ensure that we are able to continue our commitment in caring for the poor and marginalised living in our midst. “How good and pleasant it is when people of God live together in unity!” (Ps 133:1).

"TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?"

For the last five consecutive weeks, our gospel readings have come from Chapter 6 of the Gospel according to St John. We have heard about the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus, the Bread of Life comes down from heaven, and Jesus has the words of eternal life. This lengthy discussion that Jesus described is about the sacrament of the Eucharist, the Holy Communion.

The Roman Catholic beliefs that the substance of bread and wine change completely into the actual Body and Blood of the Christ. The word “Transubstantiation” (transformed forever), which is the proper theological term for this change. We believe in the true and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist which becomes spiritual food and drink for us.


“To Whom shall we go?” (Jn 6:67). To whom can we go in times of such frustration and despair? Do we remain in Jesus or simply walk away? Do we really committed to Jesus, or is our Christianity just a social thing? 

Today, many people no longer follow Jesus. However, we must go to Jesus who is the Way, Truth and Life and the One who has the true answers to life’s eternal questions.

RESTORING OF THE ICON OF OMPH

Last Saturday, 11 August 2018, we had a blessing of the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (OMPH) at our Church. It was held during the novena prayer to Our Lady at 6.00 pm, before the Sunset Mass. It was also the day our 24 candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation. About 800 parishioners, including those from other parishes, witnessed the blessing.

Many of our parishioners still remember the image of OMPH, which was placed at a prominent location in Church’s sanctuary. After a major renovation six years ago, the icon was removed. When I newly moved to this parish, I was doing some spring-cleaning and found two images of OMPH in the parish store room. One with a frame and the other, craved in wood. I was just waiting for a right time to bring the framed image back to the Church sanctuary but that didn't seem to happen – probably because I was procrastinating. Finally, I decided to hang both images in the parochial house. Sometime last year, I have found a small painting of OMPH on wood, which someone had discarded in the Church’s compound. It was still intact and I believe it is more than 50 years old. The image is a beautiful green colour and I keep it on my office table. To me, it is precious and unique.

 

In June 2018, when I went on retreat to Chiangmai, Thailand, I happened to visit an old Thai friend, whom I first met in 1998 in Penang. He is an iconographer (a maker of sacred images or icons or drawings). In his little factory, I was shown an icon of OMPH and I was fascinated by it. I managed to have the icon commissioned for our church, and it was transported to our parish within a month. I opened the parcel 3 weeks later and found one of the angel’s wings broken and the icon of OMPH cracked. I immediately took them to Seremban for repair, and managed to have it fixed and ready before the blessing last Saturday.

The icon of OMPH has now been placed at the left wing of the Church’s sanctuary. It looks so majestic. Our Mother of Perpetual Help is also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, which represents the Mother of God, holding the Divine Child while Archangel Michael and Archangel Gabriel present before Him the instruments of His passion. Years ago, thousands of this Holy Picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was sent from St Alphonsos’ Church in Rome, to every part of the world.

Today, every Church has its icon or image or statue. In Malaysia, we have Churches dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Ipoh Garden, Perak and Mentakab, Pahang. I know many Catholic parishioners who strongly devote their novenas to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Let us always recall and learn how the Blessed Virgin Mary lived her life on earth by cooperating to the will of God, keeping the Word of God and pondering them in her heart by serving others especially her cousin, Elizabeth.

My dear parishioners, pray the rosary always so that our souls may join the Blessed Virgin Mary in magnifying Lord Jesus.

JESUS, THE LIVING BREAD

Jesus said, “I am the Living Bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live for ever,” (Jn 6:51). Christ is the Living Bread and offers eternal life to those who come to Him.

Bread is an essential need. Jesus is the source of our needs and He taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” There is also a spiritual hunger. This spiritual hunger desires for the life eternal that only Jesus Christ, the Living Bread and the source of eternal life, can give.

We need the Word of God and the Eucharist to renew our soul and to sustain our body in order to live on earth. A healthy body is important if we are to enjoy the quality of life that glorifies God. Christ came down from heaven to live with us so that we enable to live a Christ centered life. Christ centered life will impact the world and make us more readily to share His love, compassion, kindness and forgiveness.

Pope Francis said that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak,” (Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel, no. 47).

“Taste and see the Lord is good,” (PS 33).

AN EXTRACT FROM GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE

Gaudete et Exsultate or Rejoice and Be Glad, is the third apostolic exhortation of the Holy Father, Pope Francis after Evangelium Gadium (The Joy of the Gospel) and Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). This document (over 20,000 words, divided into five chapters and 177 paragraphs) addresses the universal call to holiness in today’s world by taking up an important theme of the Second Vatican Council (1963).

In the first chapter (#1-34), His Holiness emphasises that every Christian must discern how the Lord is calling us to holiness and it is the “most attractive face of the Church.” He also encourages and challenges each one of us to response to the call to holiness because holiness is necessary for our life happiness that the world cannot takes from us. He asserts us that we should not be afraid of living a life of holiness because it doesn't make us less human and take our energy, vitality and joy.

In the second chapter (#35-62), Pope Francis warns us about the danger that we face in our spiritual journey with two ancient heresies of Gnosticism (knowledge) and Pelagianism in false form of holiness in the present world. Gnosticism prefers “a God without Christ, a Christ without the Church and a Church without the people.” Whereas Pelagianism speaks of human will, human intellect and personal efforts rather than the grace of God.

There are tendencies that we fall into temptations at times, violence in our thoughts, digital communications, consumerism, greed and the real danger of Satan himself. Gnosticism and Pelagianism may bring the image of the Church down or block the progress of the Church to set her people to grow in holiness. All we need is correct intellect approach if not it will take our humility and leaves little room for grace.

Once the Holy Father cleared these confusion of Gnosticism and Pelagianism, he encourages every one of us to live out the Beatitudes, (Mt 5:3-12) in our own way of our lives in the third chapter (#63-94). He goes on to educate us about the nature of holiness by reflecting on the Beatitudes that “they are the key to unlocking the Christ-life within us.” Over the times all of us have watered down the Beautitudes and he wants us to give very practical ways of how to take on these challenges to make our life happy by living out the Beatitudes in our daily lives.

 

In the proceeding chapter four (#110-157), Pope Francis discusses on “Sign of holiness in Today’s World,” by offering five great expressions of love of God and of neighbour: Perseverance, Patience and Meekness; Joy and a Sense of Humour; Boldness and Passion; Community and Constant Prayer. At the end of this chapter on section on prayer, he stresses that our striving for holiness should be rooted in the prayerful reading scripture, spending time with the Lord in prayer, self-examination of conscience, helping others, maintaining and upholding human dignity in order to restore our humanity.

In the last chapter is about a Spiritual Combat (#158-177), where it deals on the reality of Satan and he points out that the phrase “deliver us from the evil” in the Our Father is more accurately translated as “deliver us from the evil one.” The Holy Father wants us to “stand against the wiles of the evil” (Eph 6:11) and to “quench all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph 6:16).

Finally, he explains on the discernment of the Spirit where we need to talk constantly with God and how we “can better accomplish the mission entrusted to us at our baptism,” (#174). The Holy Father concludes that when we are in distress or anxiety we should turn to Our Heavenly Mother Mary and whisper time and time again by praying the HAIL MARY.