STRENGTHENING FAITH OF OUR COMMUNITY

Time flies by so quickly! A year has gone by since I was posted to the Church of St Thomas, Kuantan. I feel so grateful and thankful to God for His guidance throughout my ministry here this past year. We have done our best over the year in organising formations and activities to keep our Parish alive.

From the time I started my ministry here, there has been some difficulty and challenges in attracting new committee members to take the lead. Although there have been opportunities and invitations extended to Parishioners to step up, not many are willing to come forward. So, we must ask ourselves – what exactly is holding us back from greater participation in the life of the Church? We should not give excuses or grumble, but instead, we must move forward without hesitation. We must do what we can at the given opportunity, and not wait for circumstances to be favourable. It is time for us to share the talents and gifts that we have gained over the years with our faith community!

Currently, we have a handful of dedicated Parishioners involved in the various Parish ministries. With this handful of people, our Parish has organised formations, activities and events marvellously and successfully. Without qualms, committee members have carried out commitments faithfully. However, we would like to once again invite more Parishioners to come forward and serve in our Parish “for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” (Eph 2:10) for these works are done not in our own strength and for our own benefit, but by the grace of God and in obedience to Him – led by the Holy Spirit, to God’s glory.

During our first PPC and PCC councils’ meeting (7 January 2023), each Parish ministry presented its half-year and yearly plan in line with the synodal Church – journeying together as a synodal parish. We also set our Parish Vision and Mission statements for the year 2023, which will be officially announced at the upcoming Parish Pastoral Assembly (PPA). We will also then address areas of concern which will pave the way towards strengthening our faith in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Together we will strive to improve our faith by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. During this PPA, we shall renew our commitment and trust in the Lord, as we journey together humbly with Him, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, discerning His will and forming ourselves in a synodal way – in Communion, Participation and Mission to be a more inclusive community.

Our Parish Vision: Strengthening Faith of Our Community.

Our Mission: We commit ourselves to grow stronger in our faith community and live the faith and its values more effectively as we become authentic disciples of Christ through prayers, worship, service and outreach.

Our Areas of Concern:

·      To deepen our prayer life.

·      To be firmly rooted in the riches of God’s Word.

·      To promote ongoing faith formation.

·      To stay close to our families and BECs.

·      To continue experiencing Jesus in the Eucharist.

·      To commit ourselves in evangelising Jesus as Our Lord and Our God in today’s world.

We continue to seek the intercession of Mother Mary and our Patron Saint, St Thomas to be our companions in times of uncertainty, and to keep our faith alive.

WHOLENESS THROUGH HIS WORD

On the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time of every year since 2019, the Church observes Sunday of the Word of God and this year, it falls on the first day of the Chinese Lunar Year. Pope Francis reminds us to understand, grow in knowledge and love the scriptures (Aperuit Illis - AL, Apostolic Letter, no. 1 and 8, 2019) so that we “can speak from the heart and thus reach out to the hearts of those who hear us, conveying what is essential and capable of bearing fruits,” (AL, no. 5).

The Holy Father also reminds us “to stimulate all Christians,  not just place the Bible on a shelf as one of many books, perhaps filled with dust – but as an instrument that awakes our faith, (AL, no. 4). The Bible is not privileged to a selected number of people but, we are all encouraged to read the Word of God regularly and prayerfully – chapter to chapter, book to book – attentively.

Just as the Samaritan woman came seeking to draw from the well, Jesus offers us living water – a spring of water welling up to eternal life (cf. John 4: 1-42). Jesus will never turn us away dry or dissatisfy us, because He is the Source of Living Water that quenches our thirst and our desires. This “water of the Word” is life-sustaining and has the refreshing ability to sanctify us. We are to search, long and thirst for Jesus through His Living Word, and He will satisfy our souls and spirits.

Bishop Richard Ng, President of the Regional Biblical Commission, encourages us “to prepare the readings before Mass, for a worthy and fruitful participation in the Eucharistic celebration.” He calls us to cultivate a culture of listening and dialogue with each other. The Word of God will help us to discern what the Holy Spirit speaks to us and eventually lead us to the synodal church, especially when we gather for the Eucharistic celebration and live the Eucharist outside Mass – and carry out His mission to the world.

We need to give importance to reading the Word of God daily and have a deeper appreciation and love for it. When we truthfully and reverently read the Word of God on a regular basis, it opens, transforms our hearts and changes our outlook. It will become a source of strength in our lives and will constantly renew our commitment to become more effective in our Christian living and evangelisation.

How do we spend time reading and reflecting on the Word of God so that it makes a difference in our daily lives? Are we really empowered and revitalised by reading, studying and contemplating the Word of God? When we are spiritually dry, do we encounter the living person in the Word of God, who quenches our spiritual thirst through His Living Word? Jesus, the perfector of our faith (Heb 12:2) brings nourishment, healing, wholeness and holiness through His Word.

On this first day of the Chinese New Year and for the rest of the year, let us give more prominence to the Word of God by cultivating the habit of reading, reflecting and meditating on it - to lead us towards greater spiritual growth.

MAY THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT BRING JOY, PROSPERITY, GOOD HEALTH AND ABUNDANT BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. GONG XI FA CAI!

STRENGTHENING OUR FAITH COMMUNITY

The Christmas and holiday seasons have ended with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which was celebrated on Monday, 9 January 2023. We also celebrated the New Year with expectations and hopes for a brighter year ahead. We now move forward towards Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Year, until the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (19 February 2023) after which we enter the Season of Lent.

This weekend and the next, we have two upcoming important cultural celebrations – Ponggal (harvest festival) and Chinese Lunar Year. Both the Tamil and Chinese Apostolates are busy preparing for these events. The Church will also be celebrating Sunday of the Word of God (22 January) with the theme – “Synodality and the Word of God” and, the following Sunday (29 January) we will be having our Parish Pastoral Assembly 2023, with Archbishop Julian Leow, in attendance. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will commence from Wednesday, 18 January, until the following Wednesday, 25 January 2023. It is 8-days of prayer, inviting the Church to join other Christians around the world in promoting Christian unity as we endeavour to “do good and seek justice” (Is 1:17) together.

Our Parish has invited a Pilgrimage Choir from the Church of Holy Trinity, Hshin Chu in Taiwan. This choir is led by Rev Fr Chin Sin Wee, OCD. This will be their third visit to Malaysia and this time, they have expressed interest in performing here in the East Coast. They will sing alongside our Parish choir for the Chinese New Year celebration and will join us for the Chinese New Year fellowship on Wednesday, 1 February.

Apart from that, we are also in the midst of preparing for the Parish Lenten Retreat 2023 which will be led by Rev Fr. Michael Payyapilly and Rev Fr Joseph Kannampally from the Divine Retreat Center in Sri Lanka. We are expecting at least 400 participants for this retreat. All are welcome!

Our Parish Catechetical Ministry has already requested parents to register their children for Catechism, as classes will resume soon. Registration must be done online. We will officially begin Catechism classes for 2023 with a spiritual orientation for catechism students and their parents on Sunday, 12 February 2022. Pope Francis, in his prayer intention for the month of January 2023, focuses on Educators and proposes to add new content “Fraternity” to their teachings. Hence, all educators – parents, teachers, catechists, clergy and religious – “not only impart their mental knowledge but also their convictions, their commitment to life” with gentle patience to those who are “youngest and vulnerable.” 

We hope that all Parishioners take the opportunity in glorifying and praising God by getting involved in our Parish events, activities and celebrations. Let us follow Jesus wholeheartedly so that these first six weeks of Ordinary Time will be something great for everyone!

Our Parish leaders from various ministries have drafted their yearly plans and activities and presented them during the PPC and PCC meeting held last Saturday (7 January). There are many exciting events lined up for our Parish this year, and we hope to make it more engaging than in previous years. Let our every word, deed and action bring life to our Parish once again. We shall keep our spirits up with aspirations to strengthen our faith community.

May our loving Saint Thomas the Apostle and patron, pray for our community to grow spiritually.

DANKE PAPST BENEDIKT!

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away on New Year’s Eve at the age of 95. We, the Parishioners of St Thomas, held a 7th-day memorial prayer and Mass for him on Friday, 6 January 2023 at 7.30 pm, followed by Vespers (Evening Prayer), Holy Hour and Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

We have never heard of a Pope resigning or retiring. It was a shock to us all when Pope Benedict XVI resigned as head of the Universal Church in 2013. He was the first ever Pope to resign during his reign, 600 years since Pope Gregory XII’s resignation in 1415. He was known as a “very gentle” and “humble” man, but Pope Benedict was also a controversial man. His papacy faced several challenges, including the scandal of sexual abuses by the cleric. Pope Benedict reiterated his predecessors stand on matters of priestly celibacy, ecclesiastical organisation, liturgy and its solemnity.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s funeral which was presided over by Pope Francis, took place on Thursday, 5 January 2023 at St Peter’s Square, Vatican City. For the first time, we had seen a living Pope (Pope Francis) preside over another Pope’s funeral. When Pope John Paul II passed away, the Dean of the College of Cardinals – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger presided over the funeral.

It is a tradition for the reigning Pope to write his first “encyclical” letter the moment he becomes a Pope - to be circulated to the Universal Church and the World. After his election in 2005, Pope Benedict’s first encyclical was on “Deus Caritas Est” (God’s Love for Humanity) on 25 December 2005 and followed by two other encyclicals - “Spe Salvi” (Saved in Hope, 2007) and “Caritas in Veritate” (Love in Truth, 2009).

As a Priest, I have served three Popes - Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and now Pope Francis. I didn’t have a chance to meet them face to face, but I saw them in the Wednesday audience, at St Peter’s Square during my pilgrimages. In my early years of priesthood, I enjoyed reading Pope Benedict’s encyclicals, exhortations and homilies, and I admired all his works and his style of writing. His works have profound knowledge and insights. He was very intelligent and a great theologian. Now with Pope Francis, I find myself loving his writings and messages more, because they are down-to-earth, especially his concern for the underprivileged, the poor and migrants.

Each Pope writes a “Spiritual Testament” which will only be made known to the public after his death. Pope Emeritus wrote his spiritual testament on 29 August 2006. He thanked God, his parents, friends and collaborators who had journeyed through his life. The most important point he highlighted was “the centrality of faith in God”, and inviting us to “stand firm in the faith!”

We thank God for the gift of Pope Emeritus. During his short period of ruling the Catholic Church, he “offered us living intellectual tools” for today’s world. Pope Francis has written a preface for a book on the Spiritual Reflection of Pope Emeritus entitled “God is Always New” edited by Luca Caruso which will be published on 14 January 2023. Pope Francis expressed that the theology of Benedict was Passion Steeped in the Gospel, Magisterium (Church) and Vision of Faith – “God is always New, God is never repetitive, God surprises us, and God brings newness.”

Danke Papst Benedikt! (Thank you Pope Benedict) and Santo Subito! (A Saint Right Away)