STAY GROUNDED IN YOUR VALUES AND FAITH

Since the feast of St Thomas on 3rd July 2022, we have been praying for Pope Francis’ intention for the elderly - our ageing parents, grandparents, the sick and the dying. We, as family members, have the duty and responsibility to care for these elderly people, especially for those who struggle with loneliness, depression, frailty and isolation due to old age.

Last Sunday (24 July), the Universal Church celebrated the 2nd World Day for Grandparents and the Elderlyand this was followed by the feast of two famous saints - Joachim and Anne on Tuesday, 26 July 2022. Although they are the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, they are not made known in Scripture. They, however, remind us about the paramount role of grandparents. Like Saints Joachim and Anne, many grandparents and the elderly have put their entire hearts into raising children and grandchildren and leading them to God.

Children should be brought up with positive family values in a safe and loving environment. When our family is grounded with values and faith, then our children will be steadfast and more confident in their growth. Every Christian family should strive to grow in the fear of the Lord, in religious sentiments and in holiness. When worldly values are imbued in the hearts of our children, they may be swayed towards immoral values.

A great example we see in scripture is the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is found to be pure, holy, strong and humble. Therefore, God has decided to take flesh in her womb. She was brought up by strong and prayerful parents - St Joachim and St Anne. They both nurtured Mary to become truly blessed among all women (cf. LK 1: 42) and both Mary and her parents live on for all successive generations (cf. Eccl 44: 1) and their good works are not forgotten. St Joachim and St Anne didn’t neglect their duties as parents and they ensured that their child, Blessed Virgin Mary, grew pure in heart.

For the whole month of July, we have been praying, reflecting and carrying out the intention of the Holy Father. We must give spiritual and practical support to grandparents and elderly people whenever needed. May they too continue to provide love, care and support to their younger generation with their prayers, wisdom, holiness and faith. Whenever possible, try to increase contact between grandparents and their grandchildren, in order to develop ongoing closeness and a loving bond. This relationship connects the dots which join one generation to the other.

The Minor Basilica of St Anne in Bukit Mertajam and churches in Port Klang and Alor Gajah will be celebrating the Feast of Sts Joachim and Anne this weekend. We seek their intercession for our grandparents and the elderly, especially those who are sick, abandoned and lonely. May the Lord grant you His blessings forever.

LIVING SIGNS OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD

On Sunday, 24 July 2022, we celebrate the second World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. It was inaugurated by Pope Francis as an annual celebration in 2021, and every year it is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July, which is also coincidentally the Feast of Saints Anne and Joachim (July 26). The Universal Church recognises both St Anne and St Joachim as Patron Saints of grandparents. This year, the Holy Father has chosen the theme: “In old age, they will still bear fruits,” (Psalms 92:15).

Pope Francis “intends to emphasise how grandparents and the elderly are a value and gifts both for society and for ecclesial communities.” There is so much we could learn from them of their rich life experiences, faith and wisdom which could transform societies and communities. They are not a “throw-away culture” or “outcasts to be shunned” but they are “different from the poor and vulnerable.” 

HOLY IN ALL ACTIVITY

The world has become more globalised, and networks are expanding tremendously. Social media platforms can be reliable and at times, not so. Many tend to trust and believe what we read on social media. Now and then, we encounter false and misleading information on social media and in the past month, we were confronted with two fake news within the Catholic Church.

On 4 July 2022, rumours circulated that Pope Francis would be resigning as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the Holy Father discredited this rumour when he told Reuters that he “dismissed the idea of resignation” and that it “never entered” his mind. Another fake news - circulated on social media on 11 July 2022 - caused a stir, as it reported the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He is still alive in Vatican City at age 95!

 

It seems that fake news travels faster than any other news, so for goodness’ sake, please stop spreading them! Such unverified and untrue messages are detrimental, as it can cause anxiety and stress. This can lead to a deteriorating quality of life and may prevent us from simply seeking out the truth before jumping to conclusions. Adding to the anxiety of rumours and fake news in our daily lives, can be exhausting.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest,” (Matt 11: 28)

. At times, we may want to give up due to fatigue and tiredness. However, amid our daily struggles, we should turn to Him for consolation, joy, strength and hope. Jesus never felt tired when fulfilling His Father’s will and mission on earth. He did everything with obedience and humility. What is lacking in our lives is the virtue of humility and strength to go on in our service for others.

All stress, troubles and hardships should drive us back into the arms of our Lord Jesus. He is in control of our lives, and He can comfort, console and strengthen us. Each experience will deepen our faith in Jesus, who holds all things in His hands and help us to grow closer to Him. When we endure - “Your endurance will win you your lives,” (Lk 21:19) and He will form us, mould us and bring us to greater life in Him.

Many of us have been serving in the Church for many years and sometimes, we may find it difficult and tiring. Perhaps we have thought about giving up, but the Lord says, “do not get tired” (2 Thessalonians 3: 13) but “put yourselves at the service of others” (1 Peter 4: 10) and “be yourselves holy in all your activity” (1 Peter 1:15) “so that in everything, God may receive the glory through Jesus Christ,”  (1 Peter 4: 11).

FAITH LEADS US TO DEVOTION AND PRAYER

Our Parish Feast Day is over, and we are grateful for the many blessings! I would like to thank the Feast Day committee members for their hard work and dedication in making our 9-days Novena Masses to St Thomas, as well as the thanksgiving celebration, a successful and meaningful experience for everyone. I know the workload was heavy for a small community, but together we made it possible! I truly admire and appreciate your dedication and contributions throughout the celebrations.

On Sunday, 3 July 2022, just before we began our 8.30 am Mass, we unveiled and blessed the image of the Divine Mercy near the sanctuary. Many people pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet since its inauguration in the year 2000 by Saint John Paul II, who then announced that the Second Sunday of Easter would also be known as Divine Mercy Sunday. It is an appropriate dedication, as the Gospel reading during that week speaks about St Thomas’ encounter with the Risen Lord eight days after the first apparition (cf. John 20:26ff). We are grateful to Miss Amie Tan Ai Mei who painted this Divine Mercy image.

Miss Amie has also painted and completed portraits of our parish priests, who have previously served and ministered at St Thomas Church, Kuantan since the 1950s, as well as a portrait of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. These portraits are displayed in the canteen recreation area so that we, the Parishioners, as well as visitors, can remember them with gratitude and prayer.

It is common to see the statues of Mother Mary and St Joseph on the left and right wings respectively, of the sanctuary in many churches. There is no hard and fast rule about this, and therefore we recently decided to relocate the carved wooden statues of Our Lady and St Joseph the Worker, by placing them side-by-side. It is to remind us that they are models of married life. We seek their intercessions for all young married couples to take each other as life-long partners by following the example of Mary and Joseph and be faithful and truthful in their marriages.

Traditionally, churches place the statue of their respective Parish’s patron saint either above the tabernacle or within the sanctuary. We have also seen that some churches have removed statues of their patron saint from the main sanctuary to replace it in favour of a crucifix in the center. At our Parish, we have relocated the carved wooden statue of our patron saint - St Thomas, the Apostle - from the main entrance to a more prominent place on the right corner of the Church. This corner of our Parish is now known as St Thomas Shrine. At this shrine, we have also displayed another image of St Thomas’ encounter with the Risen Lord, as well as the newly composed litany to St Thomas, the Apostle.

The significance, beauty and dignity of images and statues of our faith leads us to devotion and prayer. Together, let us keep the traditional practices of our Catholic Church alive!

CONNECTED THROUGH MUTUAL LOVE AND RESPECT

The Pope’s prayer intention for the month of July 2022 focuses on the elderly. He invites us all to pray for them - “We pray for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people; may their experience and wisdom help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.” 

Elderly people can be anyone from our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, to our friends, neighbours and teachers. They have experienced a lot - hardship, pain, sorrow and joy - and their wisdom cannot be watered down or wiped away from our memory. Instead, we need to treasure them. The younger generation must care and be concerned about the well-being of the elderly, especially those within their family. They must not ignore or neglect them, despite their busy schedules and hectic lives.

 

Do youngsters give respect, honour and dignity to the elderly? Do they make it a point to sit with the elderly and pray with them or for them? Do they listen to their stories and enjoy their company? Or are the old people in our community neglected and lonely? We need to teach young people - especially our children - to respect and honour the elderly people in our family and community. We must show them love and support in every way, even with little things such as calling, visiting, helping with chores or assisting them in their pastoral needs.

 

During his General Audience (Wednesday, 23 February 2022) the Holy Father, Pope Francis reminded us that the elderly are not “throwaway material” but “they are a blessing for society.” We realise that there is a lack of encouragement and a lack of education amongst younger people to learn or to discern the meaning and value of old age. The younger generation should take every opportunity to learn from their elders, who have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with them.