FASTING AND ABSTINENCE

Easter Sunday can fall any time from March 22 to April 25. This year Easter comes early (April 5), so Lent, which always begins 47 days before Easter Sunday, begins on   February 18. The period of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, during which many churches mark  believers with ashes from the previous year’s palms.

FASTING AND ABSTINENCE IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Ash Wednesday, a day of strict fasting and abstinence, is the first day of Lent. Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and above must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. Sundays are typically excluded from fasting, since these are celebrations of the Risen Christ. Fasting is an appropriate means of spiritual identification with Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Many fast from something during Lent. Some give up coffee or chocolate; others restrict their travel or use of gadgets, etc. There are various forms of  sacrifices, such as     controlling one’s outbursts of angry words, etc. Ash Wednesday is the day many Catholics focus their attention on three practices: fasting, praying and alms giving. 

Lent is one of the most important seasons of the Christian faith. The joy of the Risen Lord Jesus at Easter time depends on how well we live out the holy season of Lent.

Why 40 days?  Because Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert, and laid 40 hours in the tomb; the Hebrews wandered for 40 years in the wilderness; the world was flooded for 40 days in the time of Noah.  Each was a period of preparation for what was to follow. So it was that early Christians began setting aside time before Easter to prepare for their celebration of the Resurrection.

Let us always rejoice in the season of Lent, which is a gift and blessing for us every Church year.  Let us truly enter into this season of Lent with true generosity of heart. Let us die to sin and rise to new life!

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY HONOURS HUSBAND AND WIFE
AS THE FOUNDATION OF THE FAMILY

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled…”
 (Heb 13: 4).

Each year World Marriage Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of February. It salutes the beauty of the faithfulness of married couples, their sacrifices and their joys.  Are you and your spouse soul mates? Where are you in your marriage? Do you  still embrace that zeal and interest to improve your own marriage?

Couples, you would have heard a number of sermons about marriage. How many of those sermons on marriage really challenge married people?  In our Church, we hear a lot about marriage. Praise for those who have been married a long time. But we empathise with those with troubled marriages. The Church prays with you and encourages you to keep on going!

Being a Catholic priest for 13 years and single, I don’t feel lonely but indeed am blessed because I am surrounded by many families and married couples. In terms of ministry, I feel  I always have something of myself to offer the Church; especially in addressing the pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization, in raising children and in  carrying out the responsibility of the home.

This weekend, the Catholic Church invites spouses to have a renewed understanding of marriage and to strengthen their marriages. The Church teaches couples to re-learn that    marriage is a sacrament of self-sacrifice and that it is only through this self-sacrifice that they should find true self-fulfillment.  As the M.E. saying goes: “Love Is A Decision”!

Couples, I invite you to exchange your renewal of promises once again as follows:-

“I (name) take you (name) to be my wife/husband. I    promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life”.

Lord Jesus, graciously grant us the courage and wisdom to discern light from darkness and preserve sacramental marriage according to Your divine will. Amen.

IS THERE A CATHOLIC WAY TO PARENT?

This weekend (24/25 Jan) 80 of our forms 4 and 5 students (from RCC and SJC) are attending a 2-day formation on the THEOLOGY OF THE BODY (TOB) at SJC Community Hall. TOB is the topic of a series of 129 lectures given by the late Pope John Paul II between 5 September, 1979 and 28      November, 1984.

IS THERE A CATHOLIC WAY TO PARENT?

“Is there an approved list of parenting methods the Church requires that we use for child rearing?”  “Certainly not!”

Does the Church tell parents exactly how many activities to let their kids participate in, or what discipline methods to choose, or how much time parents and kids need together? Of course not.

The Church never says to parents, “Parent this way.” Instead, the Church does say, As Catholic parents, you may have a unique vision of family life, and please keep that vision in mind when making decisions about parenting ,so, that vision may be fulfilled and you can be the witness the Church calls you to be.

In fact, the parenting methods we choose are actually a kind-of catechism. The way we interact with our children – even more than what we say to them – teaches them how to think about relationship, life, faith, priorities, and morality.

God gives moms and dads bodies so they can hug and hold and carry and cuddle their children so that their children can feel God’s immense love in real and tangible ways. Our children first encounter the reality of God’s love through our loving touch. The more physical we are with our kids, the more they develop the capacity to feel love and be loving.

TOB teaches that God gave us our bodies so that we could express love for one another. It isn’t enough to have warm feelings for someone. To be truly meaningful, love must be expressed with our body and experienced by another body through words, and acts of service, presence, and affection. The more bodily an expression of love is, the more senses it uses to communicate itself, the more intimate that expression of love is.

The entire point of the Gospel is loving, intimate, eternal union with God and the Communion of Saints. Think of intimacy as a unit of measure for love. TOB tells us that families are to be “Schools of Love” that help us experience, as much aspossible, the ocean of love God has for us. Catholic families are encouraged to choose those styles of relating, organising their priorities, and disciplining their children that foster the deepest level of intimacy possible.

"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.