MOTHERS ARE A BLESSING

One of the most beautiful thing that God ever created is the love of a mother. Since mothers are so important to the family and society, the secular world annually celebrates her - and this year it falls on Sunday, 12 May. Mother’s Day is important as it reminds us to appreciate and thank our mothers - not only once a year but everyday.Whether we are grateful or indifferent to our own mothers - on a day like Mother’s Day we are invited to be thankful, to acknowledge and appreciate them for their love and care.

Mothers do wonderful and amazing things in their lives. It is difficult and tough to understand the pain a mother undergoes for nine months. It reminds me of a wonderful reading from St John’s Gospel (16:21), which says that when a woman is about to give birth, she is in great pain and anguish because her hour of labour has come. After it is all over, she forgets the pain and what remains is joy and happiness because she has brought a new born child into the world. Only a mother can understand another mother’s pain and joy. It is the joy that comes in knowing that the Spirit rests on every mother and they share that joy with us all the time.No one can ever take the place of a mother.

Mothers are a blessing to our home. Strong and nurturing mothers make a happy home and they hold the family together. All of us have a highest respect and admiration for all those who are blessed to be called mothers. Not forgetting the women who desire to be mothers and are looking to adopt, while millions of children are aborted each year. If you do not know what to say to your mother on Mother’s Day, at least you can say one thing, “Thank you, Mum for wanting me and loving me.” We honor and thank the woman who gave birth to us, and nurtured us throughout her entire life.

In my encounter with many mothers, only few mothers have shared that their children really care for them. A mother sacrifices her body, time and energy for her family 24 hours a day. Our mothers bring us into the world - they nurture us, raise us, teach us, instruct us, support us, protect us, provide for us, discipline us and most of all, they love us. They clean the house, prepare the meals, wash the clothes and oversees the family without much thanks from anyone. Today, we shall say to them, “Thank you for being my mother.”

On this Mother’s Day, we can learn wonderful lessons from Mother Mary, our Spiritual Mother, as we take once again her words of prayer and make them our own – “let it be done to me according to your word,” (Lk 1:38). Even as Mother Mary experienced pain and suffering in her life, “she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart,” (Lk 2:19). She was so obedient to the will of God and fulfilled it without any hesitation or fear and brought the Saviour into the world. She gave her heart and soul to raise Jesus. She is a great example for all of us, especially to all mothers in the world.

Jesus Christ sets a great example for us about how to honour our mother at the various stages of life. So today, let’s consider how Jesus honoured His Mother on several different occasions so that we too can follow in His steps. Jesus teaches us that we need to respect and honour our elderly parents and that it is our responsibility to take care of them at their old age. We not only respect and honour our parents on Mother’s Day, but every day of our lives.

These are the thoughts I shared with 40 prisoners in one of the cells at the Kajang Prison on Thursday, 9 May 2019, to remind them of the importance and significance of mothers in their lives and celebrated Mass with them.

Thank you for looking after us so well. We love you! Have a lovely Mother’s Day!

JESUS IS OUR MODEL SHEPHERD

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as a “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Jesus tells us the importance of knowing who is the Shepherd and recognising his voice follow Him.

Jesus uses this parable (John 10: 27-30) about shepherds because the people in his day knew the kind of life that a shepherd lived – it was a difficult life and a hard life. 

Jesus being the Good shepherd of our lives, the model shepherd and we should reflect what is so good about Him and why He is the “model shepherd”.

Jesus says that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He wasn’t in it for the money or the glory but sacrifice his life for his sheep so that we may gain favour and life.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd loves us enough, cares about us enough, and to die for us. He chose to struggle, to die, so that we may live forever.

As we go out to world after Mass, God’s spirit will go with us, helping us with life, giving us direction, courage, peace to cope with all the brokenness of in our lives.

 “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall not want.” (Ps 23)

http://www.stjosephsentul.org/mothers-are-a-blessing/

A GREAT CELEBRATION IN HONOUR OF ST. JOSEPH

A week after the Easter Triduum, we celebrated a 3-days Novena (from 28 – 30 April) and a Thanksgiving Mass to St Joseph, the Worker on 1 May 2019. Our celebrations went on well as planned and the Lord gave us success to the work of our hands, (cf. Psalm 89). Through the intercession of St Joseph, the Risen Lord has given us ample of blessings for our efforts to bring our celebrations into accomplishment once again this year.

In our nation, Churches like Sts. Anne, Anthony, Jude and Our Lady of Lourdes are known to be the most popular and crowds throng for their feasts. Whereas, for St Joseph, it is not really the same and it remained as a small scale celebration at parish levels. Over the years, we, the parishioners of St Joseph, have made known our Parish patron’s devotion in many hearts of the people through our personal and communal journey of growth and transformation. This year we had a wonderful feast day celebration at KL North District level. The parishes in our district gave their full support by coming together to celebrate our parish feast.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had declared St Joseph, as the Father of New Evangelisationin his message on the feast of St Joseph, the Husband of Mary on 19 March 2012. We chose his sentiment as the theme for our Parish’s Feast Day celebrations this year. We had great celebrants and preachers throughout our novenas and Feast Day celebrations. They spoke mainly of St Joseph’s obedience, his integrity, honesty, virtues, loyalty, wisdom, etc. These characteristics are to be practiced and to be lived out in our lives as we imitate St Joseph and take the task of evangelisation and mission in our families, Church and the world.

Five years ago we purchased a 6-foot height statue of St Joseph, the Worker and we erected its shrine just next to the parochial house. Year after year the colours of the statue began to fade away. There was once when someone even threw a stone at the statue, which left a few scars on its face and neck. We also have another statue of St Joseph, which is 4 feet high, which we placed at the Grotto. It needed to be repainted as well. Three weeks ago I sent them to an iconographer to repair and repaint the statue. He repaired both the statues well, but personally I am not happy with the last finishing works. The colours are a bit distorted.

On Friday, 26 April, 2019, about 350 of our parishioners gathered at the Shrine of St Joseph after the evening Mass and Holy Hour. We had a re-blessing of the statues just two days before we began our novena to St Joseph. Many of our parishioners as well outsiders have learnt about this great saint and ask for his intercession to live a holy life.

Some of our old parishioners probably still remember that there was a statue of St Joseph made of marble and it was placed at the little fountain which was located in the middle of our church car park area. I still remember seeing it while I was a seminarian doing pastoral work for a month in this parish in 1996 when the late Fr Edward Soosay was parish priest. To my knowledge it existed more than 35-40 years on the fountain but it was removed more than 10 years ago and was kept in storage. Just recently after we completed the set up of St Joseph’s Adoration Room, I sent this marble statue for polishing and set a base for it. This marble statue is now placed in a most prominent place in the Adoration Room. 

During this month of the Rosary, as we gather in your BECs for the Rosary, I encourage you to include the novena to St Joseph, ask him to intercede for yourself and others. O Glorious Saint Joseph, hear our prayers and keep us under your continual protection so that by your help and example, we may lead a holy life.

"LORD, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU"

Jesus appeared at the third time to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberius after being raised from the dead (John 21: 1-19).

It was a fruitless night of work; they caught nothing. At dawn, “Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not realise” that it was Him. The apostles have trouble recognising Him.

Three times Peter had openly denied the Lord, and three times Jesus drew from him the assurance of his love and loyalty. Three times he was restored when he said – “Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus gave him another chance to prove himself. Jesus was not looking at Peter’s past. He was looking at what Peter could do for the future. Peter’s failures and his defeat turned into victory, not because of his own initiative, but because of divine intervention.

We may be experiencing some kind of failures in our life but whatever failures, regardless of how many times we have experienced it, Christ is able to turn those failures into victory. Our love for Jesus is able to breakthrough all the failures and roadblocks that come along in our lives. 

All who trust in Him can sing today: “I will praise You, Lord, for You have rescued me,” (Ps 30).

http://www.stjosephsentul.org/a-great-celebration-in-honour-of-st-joseph/

FAITH IN THE RISEN LORD WILL LEAD US ON

We had a wonderful Easter Triduum celebration in our Church. The weather was pleasant, and the turnout for Masses and services was overwhelming this year. Lent season preparations and Easter Triduum celebrations have brought spiritual renewal to most of us. Our past weeks journey through Lent and Holy Week were not in vain, but instead, brought life to our faith as we raised our eyes to the Risen Lord as we sang, “This is the day the Lord has made, we rejoice and are glad,”(Psalms 118: 24).

I would like to share with you some insights into what is presently going on in our hearts and in the Catholic Church itself. I realise that every time as we approach Easter (Feast of all feast), there will be some kind of issues that will arise, either attacking our priests, our Catholic Church or our faith itself in Christ. When we hear all these we experience frustrations, sadness and anger.

These past few months, the Catholic Church has been under attack with scandals and sexual abuses. The priesthood and the Catholic Church have been under attack from within and without too.The Catholic Church is going through issues of responsibility, accountability and transparency.The never-ending news reports of abuse scandals involving the highest levels of hierarchy in the Catholic Church has been an agonising and upsetting year for the Church. As a result of this, many Catholics are losing their faith and are contemplating leaving the Catholic Church.

On Monday, 15 April, the first day of Holy Week, a terrible fire occurred at the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The world was horrified. The Cathedral , named after Our Lady of Paris, is a beautiful Cathedral with beautiful Art Works. The fire that ravaged across this Cathedral broke the hearts of Catholics all over the world especially the hearts of the French people. After the fire, the Cathedral could not be used for Holy Week and Easter Tridium. Here we are so fortunate to have a church building at St Joseph’s in Sentul, where we could celebrate Holy Week and Easter Triduum.

On Easter Sunday, 21 April 2019, the multiple blasts that hit churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, without a doubt, caused a great deal of anxiety and agony to our people’s hearts. Today, it said that 253 people have been killed so far and almost 500 of them were injured badly. It is the worst violence in Sri Lanka since her civil war which ended a decade ago.

Although these are the saddest incidents that took place this Easter, which left gaping holes in our hearts, yet these cannot and will not consume our faith in Christ and the Catholic Church. We are very sure that the Risen Lord will continue to find ways to challenge us and the world through His presence in our hearts and in the Church itself.

Faith is not a building. The worship and prayers and the belief of the people of the church makes faith alive. This year we are celebrating 111 years of the establishment of the parish of St. Joseph. We have come to this church hundreds of times to pray and worship with faith. Our regular presence in the church, in worship and prayer, rebuilds and renews our faith in Christ and the Catholic Church. In order to deepen our faith we take every opportunity to come together in worship and in prayer.

St Paul says that knowing Christ is supreme advantage – I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Knowing Christ is far more important and valuable than anything else in this world,(Phil 3:1-11).Our faith in Christ is priceless. Our faith should be more valuablebecause the Lord has risen as He promised. If Christ has not risen there is no forgiveness, no new birth in the spirit, no heaven and no hope. 

Our faith in the Risen Christ gives us a priceless value knowing Him, and also priceless values to our faith, and as such there is no need to be fearful or anxious. Today, He is alive!