"Let the Little Children Come to Me..."

We conducted the Sunday school registration in our Community Hall. I was very pleased to have met most of the catechism students and their parents, as I could share with them pointers on how they, the parents, should engage with their children in Faith education.

Catechism classes commence from this week onwards. So parents, don’t forget your primary obligation. As the first educators of faith, you should, by your word and example, pave the way for the salvation of the children God has entrusted to you.

Every Sunday, bring your children to be with Jesus at every Eucharistic celebration and make sure they attend the catechism classes held after mass. Please note that we have approximately 35 weeks of faith classes only in a year and so we cannot afford to be complacent about the long standing problem of absenteeism!

Each week it is your responsibility and obligation as parents, to bring them to Church, to be with God, the Blessed Virgin Mary and to praise and thank God in the company of all the angels and saints in heaven. “Let the little children come to me because as such is the kingdom of heaven,” (Mt 19:14).

To be successful and good Catholic parents, it isn’t enough just to send your children for catechism classes; you should also work towards growing in your own faith in Jesus in the Eucharist. As parents, you should not only pray for your children but also pray with your children in order to teach them how to pray. You must also strive with all your heart, mind and soul to foster mutual respect, humility, love and harmony among the children.

God bless you and your children.

It is nice to see the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes placed at the grotto again. Just to recall:

In October, 2014 we brought down the statue of Mary and replaced it with a similar looking one (new statue). It was then kept in the parish house for 2 months. After Christmas day it was sent  to a factory for repainting and touch-up works, after which it was placed in the  sanctuary of our Church for two days (January 8th and 9th). Many had a closer look and came to pray, asking for our Lady’s intercession. 

On January 10th, we re-positioned her back to the grotto site where she now stands, watching round the clock. Her eyes are now ‘opened’ and she looks impressive, majestic and serene. Seeing the statue of Mary reminds us that we have not exactly been faithful in our prayer life and that we are overdue in   making our commitment to visit her and recite the rosary at the grotto.

Prayer requests:

We invite all parishioners to pray that the Church's application for review in the Herald case, (which is to be heard in the  Federal Court on January 21st, 2015), will find favour and bring about a constructive solution for the good of the nation.

Pray for the efforts of the Church in Malaysia in its pursuit of truth and justice. 

Pray for the panel of judges who will be hearing the Review Application, that they be loyal to their oath of office in upholding the constitution.

Pray for the many people of different religious groups in our country so that with them, we may take the bold step of   reaching out to each other in friendship and fraternal love.

May the Lord continue to guide us – the Church in Malaysia, as we carry out the mission He has entrusted to us all. God bless.

The Solemnity of Christ the King

The first reading from Ezekiel talks about God as the shepherd of Israel. “As a shepherd I am going to look after my flock myself… I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice (Ez 34:16).

That’s why God raised up prophets, like Ezekiel, to warn the kings. When they failed to listen, God decided to get rid of the bad leadership, royalty and nobility by sending them to exile. 

Who is the next? Finally, God has promised to rule His people Himself. We see that this promise is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ whose kingship we celebrate today. Jesus who is our Good Shepherd lays down His life for His people.” He looks after us even today with tender love and care. There are 6 specific actions mentioned in the Gospel (i) feeding the hungry, (ii) giving drink to the thirsty, (iii) clothing the naked, (iv) sheltering the homeless, (v) visiting those in prison, and (vi) taking care of the sick. And these are the works of mercy. 

Today, it is still to some extent these works of mercy, “Out of sight, out of mind”.

Well done, my good and faithful servant!

We all have so many fine qualities given freely to us by God. They are like the talents handed by the master to his servants before he left on his trip as in the parable today (MT 25:14-30). God expects us to develop the talents and gifts. He expects us to put them maximum use for God and for the entire humanity.

The art of loving and developing of any talent requires discipline, concentration, patience and supreme concern for the mastery of the particular talent. Growing and progressing with our talents are never easy. We make progress and then fall back. But we should never give up because the end is so very worthwhile. Tensions come from dull and monotonous routine of looking after family and earning our daily living may not bring much personal fulfillment and satisfaction. When we do with enthusiasm and willing heart and God will make a way for you. In this way we can offer back to God the Father the life given to us more fulfilled and more enriched.

We should not compare our gifts with others jealously and resentfully. Each of us receives God’s gifts in different measures. Each of us born into a different family and different situation and background. But God gave sufficient to all according to our ability. The way to preserve the faith, or any our talent that God has given us, is to put it to work and make it bear fruit.

You are God's Building!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of St John Lateran, the Pope’s own Cathedral, the Mother Church of all Christian churches. Jesus Christ came to form a people, a community of persons, in communion with him and among themselves. The churches, the temples, have always been important in our faith.  In the Gospel Jesus Himself shows us the respect and the prayerful attitude that we should show when we are in Church, (Jn2:13-22).

“You are God’s building,” (1 Cor 3:17). St. Paul explains that Jesus is the foundation of God’s building (the New Temple promised in the Gospel) and that the Spirit of God dwells in us making us “the Temple of God.” God dwells on earth in His city, the Church. A new Temple where all mankind can worship in spirit and truth, where the Holy Spirit bears fruit and healing, where God dwells on earth – these are all now realised in Jesus and all who live in Him through the living waters of baptism, the Church.

Read how the Catechism of the Catholic Church helps us understand today’s Feast. We are taking the time to remember the very first basilica dedicated in Rome (not in Jerusalem of the Jews but in Rome, the center of civilization at that time), now under the care of the Pope, successor to Peter whom Christ Himself appointed to care for His Church until He returns for us:

 “In its earthly state the Church needs places where the community can gather together. Our visible churches, holy places, are images of the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem, toward which we are making our way on pilgrimage. It is in these churches that the Church celebrates public worship to the glory of the Holy Trinity, hears the word of God and sings his praise, lifts up her prayer, and offers the sacrifice of Christ sacramentally present in the midst of the assembly.” (CCC nos, 1198-1199).