HARMONY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

On Tuesday, 23 August 2022 (25 Muharram 1444H), the Sultan Ahmad I State Mosque in Kuantan organised a get-together among the city’s spiritual leaders. It was part of their “Program Merarau Harmoni” (Masjid Negeri’s Harmony Lunch). Merarau is a newly coined word by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) which means lunch gathering. Frederick Lim, the head of our Parish Inter-religious Dialogue and I, attended this program officially.

There were several other religious leaders and chairpersons in attendance, and among them were representatives from the Tamil Methodist Church of Kuantan, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and the Hindu Association of Kuantan.

We were greeted and welcomed by Dato Ustaz Haji Badli Shah Bin Haji Alauddin (Chief Imam and Chairman of the State Mosque), Tuan Mohd Affandi Bin Abdul Rani (Chairman of JAIS), Imam Muhammad Izzan Idris and En Muhammad Hafizuddin Bin Tajuddin, as well as other committee members of the Mosque.

In his speech, Dato Ustaz Badli Shah mentioned that the objective of the program was to create harmony among all religions and enhance community living, especially in Kuantan. He also emphasised the need for us to have a better perspective of religious understanding and its teachings in a multi-racial and multi-religious nation and a desire to strive towards building a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood. According to him, it was the first meeting among all the religious leaders at the mosque, and he hopes there will be many more such gatherings on a regular basis in the future.

Tuan Mohd Affandi, who is a Board Director of the State Mosque, encouraged us to engage in more inter-religious dialogues in our places of worship, to exchange ideas and build harmonious integration among religions. He expressed feelings of disappointment and being disheartened amid tension and misunderstanding between religions in our nation.

After the various speeches, there was a video presentation on the Mosque’s organisation structure and board members, followed by lunch. Dato Ustaz Badli Shah then led us on a tour of the mosque. They showed us some of the facilities available – the administration office, wedding hall, dining hall, formation rooms, etc. The most fascinating of all was their main prayer hall, which had two sections – one for men and another for women – with separate entrances for each section. The men are seated right in-front after the Imam, while the women are seated behind the men, at prayer time.

All guests were invited to sign the guestbook. A photo session followed by a gift presentation session by Dato Ustaz Badli Shah ended the programme for the day. I found the event to be a pleasant, friendly and memorable one. 

Here are brief details about Pahang’s State Mosque which is located in Kuantan. The mosque is named after His Royal Highness Sultan Ahmad I (1836-1914). The state mosque was initially based in Kuala Lipis, which was the capital of Pahang from 1898 to 1953. A new state mosque was initiated after the relocation of the state capital of Pahang from Kuala Lipis to Kuantan on 27 August 1955. The initial existing wooden mosque was reconstructed, renovated, refurbished and redesigned over the years and finally, it came to completion with the official grand reopening on 21 October 1994.

Image credit: Masjid Negeri Sultan Ahmad 1 Kuantan

GROW IN PRAYER AND FAMILY-LIFE

After Easter 2022, our Parish’s Prayer Group Ministry started praise and worship gatherings in their respective languages (English, Mandarin and Tamil), followed by fellowship. These small prayer groups have put effort into planning, restructuring and recruiting members to enable a face-to-face comeback. The central focus of the Prayer Group Ministry is to help us grow in the knowledge of God, mature in faith, know God in a deeper way and endure all challenges of life, (cf. Col 1:9-14). 

The committee members of the respective prayer groups carry out their duties and responsibilities faithfully. They pray for the spirit of grace and forgiveness from God and also for one another. Each member comes enthusiastically, creating an atmosphere of prayer and praise, relying on the Spirit of God to guide them. Their prayers are simple, honest, authentic and from deep within their hearts.

 

The Prayer Group Ministry encourages and welcomes newcomers to experience spiritual gifts and to create opportunities to be more intimate with God. They are united “in Christ” like the vine to bear fruit in plenty, (cf. John 15). When coming together in these small prayer groups, we recognise that we are in the Hands of God, not our own, and that we are doing His will, and not ours. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will provide direction and guidance to the Prayer Group Ministry to establish God’s will and plan for us and our parish.

 

The 10th World Meeting of Families (WMOF) 2022 took place in Rome, Italy from 22-26 June 2022 with the theme, “Family Love: A Vocation and A Path To Holiness.” Pope Francis “reaffirmed the beauty of families,” and reiterated that families need “to defend themselves from the poisons of selfishness, individualism, the culture of indifference and discarding” and not to lose “the spirit of acceptance and service within the family.”

 

This Sunday, the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur will officially launch and dedicate August 2022- July 2023 as a celebration of family love. We need families in our Parish to welcome one another and share their joys and sorrows, as we strengthen our family-life while facing and overcoming difficulties. For the next 12 months, we will focus on family-life by bringing families together for more programs, formations, prayers and fellowships. Let us not regret the life of the past and the freedom that we have abused, but instead let us renew and refresh our enthusiasm in our family-life and grow in holiness to bear witness to the world, as we persevere in all our challenges, difficulties and trials.

 

Archbishop Julian Leow will inaugurate the WMOF at our Archdiocese level at the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 21 August 2022. The Inauguration Mass will be streamed live at 6.00 pm. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/WAGCoDAL8VM

 

May the Lord bless and keep our families together as well as all the families of the world, and grant unto us the “fruits of the Holy Spirit” (Gal 2: 22-23 / CCC # 1832) in our family life.

UNDERSTANDING OUR CHRISTIAN HISTORY

On Wednesday, 10 August 2022, we had our Parish’s monthly BECCOT meeting. After the Vespers (Evening Prayer), we divided into groups - to share and discuss the BEC reflection paper. The topic for August’s BEC reflection paper was the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, which falls on 15 August. What caught my attention was a statement from St Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem (422–458) and the first Patriarch of Jerusalem, who told the Emperor that “Mary died in the presence of all the apostles, but that the tomb, when opened upon the request of St Thomas was found empty; the apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven.” 

I wondered why St Thomas our Patron Saint, had the privilege of witnessing the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. Ms Anna Thong, a parishioner sent two articles on St Thomas and his witness of Mary’s empty tomb entitled, “Assumption: The Virgin Mary’s Parting Gift to Saint Thomas.” Through the internet, I came across another article entitled “The Passing of Blessed Virgin Mary” or “De Transitu Virginis” which was written in the fifth century. All these articles are available online.

 

After the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary continued praying day and night. Before she passed away, an angel appeared to her and said, “Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord be with you” and she responded, “Thanks be to God.” The angel told her that she would be assumed into heaven on the third day of her death.

 

The Blessed Virgin Mary then assembled all the disciples who had gone to preach throughout the world. She announced her departure to them and to her relatives. All the apostles were present, except Thomas who was on mission in India. She invited the apostles to watch and pray with her the whole night until Lord Jesus appeared and received the soul of His beloved mother into heavenly glory. The apostles then laid her body in a tomb.

SEEK COMFORT IN THE MOTHER OF GOD

We had the blessing of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (OMPH)’s icon at our Church on Saturday, 23 July 2022. It was held before the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Novena prayer to Our Lady. We placed the images of both OMPH and Divine Mercy side by side, on the right wing of the Church. 

On 31 July 2022, our Adoration Room, which is situated next to the Parish Office, was officiated and blessed by His Grace Archbishop Julian Leow. The Blessed Sacrament is currently exposed in the temporary tabernacle while waiting for the completion of the construction of the Minangkabau-designed Tabernacle – which is expected to be soon.

 

We restored and replaced the icon of OMPH, which was previously in the sanctuary with a framed OMPH image. Both the old-framed images of OMPH and the Divine Mercy, which were hanging on the church’s wall, are now in our Adoration Room. 

 

This icon of OMPH came from Chiangmai in Thailand, along with the 4-foot statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. The ivory-coloured statue being appropriate for the outdoors, will be placed at the grotto, to replace the worn-out existing one. The statue is scheduled to be blessed on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15 August at 7:30 pm, when we gather at the grotto for Rosary before Mass.

Here is a little explanation about the iconography of OMPH, which is also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour: it represents the Mother of God, holding the Divine Child aged around 2-3 years old, seated in his mother’s left hand. The Child Jesus holds his mother’s hand tightly and seeks comfort from His mother, as He visualises the instruments of passion. 

Hovering on the upper corners, we have two Archangels - Michael and Gabriel - who symbolise instruments of passion. The Archangel Michael is in the left corner, holding a spear with the wine-soaked sponge and the crown of thorns. Whereas, the Archangel Gabriel is in the right corner, holding the cross and the nails. It is an expression of the vision of Jesus’ future passion and death. That passion and agony trigged Him and caused the loss of grip on His right sandal. If you see a portrayal of OMPH, you will notice that the background is coloured in gold. It symbolises the triumph of Christ over sin and death, and the sign of the glory of the resurrection.

 

The Child Jesus and Mother Mary have golden halos, but Christ’s halo is decorated with a cross as a sign of His divinity. Our Lady and Child Jesus are clothed in colours of royalty. The Greek initials ‘MP OV’ (left and right) next to Our Lady represents “Mother of God” whereas the “ic xc” is an abbreviation for “Jesus Christ”. The eight-pointed Star on Our Lady’s veil symbolises that she is the Star of the Sea, the star that leads us to Jesus Christ. A small, decorated cross to the left of the star highlights that the Star leads to Jesus.

 

Let us always devote ourselves to the novena prayer to OMPH every Saturday, as she plays a role in the plan of salvation as Mother of God and our Spiritual Mother. She guides us to her Son Jesus Christ, and she is our interceding help. She grants us her maternal care and protection from all evil, all danger and all distress.