Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto

Ever since I started my ministry in your parish I  noticed that not many of you really look or stop by the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes which is facing the Convent and Tamil schools. However I have seen many Hindu  devotees who pass the grotto, taking the trouble to stop and pray to Our Lady. Some of them even come closer to the grotto and light  candles and place garlands around the fence. That is why I have asked the liturgical coordinating team to coordinate a Rosary  recitation on Sundays at the 7am and 9 am Masses. Every  Saturday at 7.00 am about 10 men and women  come together to pray the Rosary at the grotto.

Just to let you know, that with the help of Karijo and Protus ( our  general workers) the grotto area has been cleaned up and Railway sleepers (pieces of wood) placed as a walk path from the bell tower to the grotto. The reason I chose the railway sleepers is basically  because Sentul is known historically as a railway town complete with railway tracks and railway workers in the early 1900s. We also have plans to do some works within the sanctuary of the grotto and some landscaping around grotto.

I would like to encourage everyone to take this opportunity to frequently visit our Lady at our very own SJC grotto. You may light candles at the  appropriate place allocated for this and say a little prayer asking our Blessed Mother to intercede and pray for you. If you happen to be at the grotto just look at our Lady and you will notice her smiling face. If you don’t   believe me, just take a closer look at her. I have seen her  smiling face and I am sure you will see what I have seen.

Parishioners of the Church of the Risen Christ, please note that the statue of Our Lady at your grotto has been sent for  repainting and will be returned soon.

This coming Monday, 8th September, 2014, we shall be celebrating our Lady’s birthday at our SJC grotto. We shall have the recitation of the Rosary and Mass at the grotto. Do join us and we shall make Mother Mary’s birthday a special one.

Catechetical Sunday

This Sunday we celebrate Catechetical Sunday with the theme: "Be Courageous, I Have Conquered the World," (Jn16:33).

It is really heart-breaking to see reports in the newspapers, and listening to the radio and  watching  TV clips about helpless children and infants suffering and dying and the horrors being committed against Catholics and other Christians in the Middle East. Churches, people and symbols of our Christian faith are under siege. Many babies, children and innocent women and men have become refugees in their own land.

Our hearts are bleeding for the countless innocent  children and women and men who are suffering and dying. How can we not respond?

Even in our country, after celebrating 57 years of Independence and 51 years as the Federation of Malaysia, there still  exists  threats to our faith especially religious extremism, Islamisation, the unethical means of conversion, racial polarisation, injustices, political instability, the increase of social crimes, etc. The news we receive each day is alarming. It is heart-breaking. This is happening right now, during our lifetime.

On this Catechetical Sunday I encourage all parents and catechism teachers to conduct prayers with your kids during your respective classes and during your family prayers. Pray for the victims and survivors in order to bring spiritual comfort to them. My children, your prayers and support are urgently needed and your prayers are a form of bearing witness to their suffering.

Please pray to Our Lady to grant the children courage in their faith and the ability to confront the evils and to conquer them through endurance, patience, peace and love. May our Guardian Angels protect and watch over the helpless children in the Middle East and also in our country as well.

October: The Month of the Rosary

“The Rosary is my favourite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth… Thus, the simple prayer of the Rosary marks the rhythm of human life,” (St John Paul II and YouCat nos. 480 & 481).

We should not put curses on our enemies, but instead plead for  God’s graces through prayer. The Rosary is both a form of prayer and a specific sacrament that aids in prayer.  Praying the rosary involves recitation of common prayers while meditating on various events, called mysteries, associated with the life of Christ.

Our Lady has repeatedly asked , through the prayer of the Rosary and by  meditative prayer over the mysteries of Scripture, that we learn our faith “by getting down on our knees” and call on the peace of God. Mary is always in an attitude of prayer before God in heaven. The regular recitation of the Rosary, is a joining with Mary in Her prayer and asking for Her assistance.

The  Rosary can be a wonderful prayer of intercession. It can be prayed for a particular intention such as world peace or the needs of a family member and community. As we begin this month of the rosary in our homes and community, we ask Mary to continue to bring Jesus and His message into our lives.

We invite all to unite in prayer in your respective BECs,  families or individually and have a special Rosary for Peace especially in response to the tensions in war torn countries for the whole month of October, the month of the Rosary. Ave Maria!

Mother Mary Prayer for us. St Joseph, Pray for us.

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MAKE TIME FOR THE ROSARY

This is not an article on how to better pray the Rosary. These past two weeks I am just writing something on Rosary to basically encourage all of you to make an effort to pray the Rosary. I have come to know there are many Catholic families with a deep devotion to the Rosary. The liturgical ministry has introduced  recitation of Rosary before the Tamil Mass at 6.35 am and before English Mass on Sunday at 8.35 am. I have noticed that some of you make it a point to join this recitation of Rosary in the Church.

However, there are also many people who come   under the “not Rosary people” category.  Don’t give up.  Pray the Rosary, at least once in a while. Say it at random when you find yourself feeling  overwhelmed and in need of prayers. Say one or two decades a night if you can’t  manage five. It’s so much more than nothing.

In this month of the Holy Rosary give it a try.  Every night for a month if you can!  Kneeling or sitting, with kids or without. There is probably the best way to pray. There are definitely some ways that are better than others but there are many ways that will strengthen and nourish your soul and your family more than none at all. Be a family that prays the Rosary. Give Our Lady a foothold in your family.

Mother Mary Intercede for us!

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Mary is depending on your Rosaries to help Her achieve Her plans to obtain peace for the world. In so many apparitions in so many places She has asked us to pray the Rosary every day.

Saint Pope John Paul II in his Angelus Address on 29th   October 1978, shortly after his elevation as Pope, stated, “The Rosary is my favourite prayer.  A marvellous prayer!  Marvellous in its simplicity and in its depth.”

Do you know that Our Lady is depending on you to help Her? For all who love Our Lady, praying the   Rosary is a most beautiful gift to give to Her every day. In that sense we could say that every Hail Mary of the Rosary is a rose being given to Our Lady.  I do encourage you to pray the Rosary every day. Give a bouquet of roses to your Heavenly Mother every day by praying the Rosary. The bouquet of roses will then be transformed by Our Lady so that She can help people around the world.

“Call on Mary with devotion, and She will not leave your needs unattended since She is merciful, indeed, the Mother of Mercy,” (St Bernard of Clairvaux).

Christ’s Death and New Life

THE EASTER SEASON
Christ’s Death and New Life - Our Salvation

Starting from Palm Sunday, we experience the ups and downs, the highs and lows of our faith and in our own personal life. Were there times  ‘... when sorrow fills us to the brim, and courage grows dim ...’?  There were so many things to accomplish, deadlines to meet, frantic efforts to do  the best we can. Yet, Mother Church in Her wisdom prompts us to “... be still and know that I am God”, to slow down, to read sacred scripture and to sink into the Life, Passion and Death of Jesus - the last week of Lent and the most sacred time of the liturgical year.

During this time, we re-enact in the liturgy, the sufferings and death of Christ, taking part in them as much as possible, so that we can bear our sufferings and put aside our sins which are the cause of all suffering. What does the death of Jesus mean to me?  What does it mean to “Glory in the Cross?  When the ‘enemy’ faces you in the eye, who do you turn to? Shut your eyes and ears and shout ‘Ghostbusters’?  Or do you ...“Turn your eyes upon Jesus”?

Then comes the “Easter Triduum” of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil where we celebrate the heart of our Catholic Faith. The great events of these days, each with special services, leads up the climax of the Church year and of human history – the Salvation.

Celebration of the Triumphal Resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter. Easter is the Feast of feasts, the greatest, as we behold Jesus “born of a tomb” so that we may rise unto God’s Life.  Easter means – redemption obtained – sin destroyed, death overcome, and new life brought back to us. “Indeed, He is risen!”

“So let us run the race that is before us and never give up.... let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect”. (Hebrews 12: 1-2)

May you experience the joy of new life in your own way this Easter Season and may you carry on the Resurrection story to others. 

               HAVE A HOLY AND BLESSED EASTER!

Godparents

As Catholic parents you have an enormous responsibility in ensuring the faith life of your child. I am sure you want to give the best to your child. When it comes to choosing Godparents or Sponsors, the Church gives you the liberty to do so.

But, here at SJC and RCC we are concerned for you as to who you choose to become your child’s godparent. We want to ensure that the spiritual growth and faith life of our children are guided and formed according to the Sacred Magisterium of the Church.

Hence, we strongly urge that only practicing Catholic  couples  be appointed as godparents. If either one of them does not practice the faith by regularly attending or participating at Mass or is in an irregular marriage, this disqualifies the relevant persons from being godparents.

As enshrined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “godparents must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized on the road of Christian life” (CCC #1255). In infant baptism, the godparents together with parents, presents the child for baptism and helps the  baptised to live the Christian life, and to fulfill duties arising from baptism. Technically, godparents, you are representing the Catholic Church, the community of faith, into which the child is being baptised.

Finally, godparents play an invaluable role in the life of the newly baptised. I hope and pray that parents when choosing godparents will not only consider the blood relationship or friendship, but rather, most importantly, the faith and witness giving life of the godparents who are to undertake this faith journey in leading the child to salvation. Godparents should also be persons of deep faith and prayer. They are to strife to become a role model with the grace of God to help the baptised to be close to the heart of Jesus, who is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.