COME HOLY SPIRIT

On this Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit puts light and fire into us once again. The Spirit is perpetually present in us to assist us living our Christian way of life.

The Holy Spirit is the oxygen of our faith. We get a new gust of air or wind when we need it if we pay attention and yield to it. The Spirit fills the void in our heart. The Spirit responds to our deepest aspirations. We need the power of the Holy Spirit if we are to deal with our lives so that we are kept in the way that leads to the truth.

At Pentecost, the Spirit made the Apostles to go forth from themselves and turned them into proclaimers of God’s wondrous deeds with boldness to every corner of the world.

Let the fire of the Holy Spirit burn in our hearts and stir the enthusiasm to be the fruit of a life lived in the Holy Spirit while serving God for the sake of the world.

“Send forth your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.” (Psalm 103).

THE SPECIAL GRACE OF CONFIRMATION

We have 53 confirmation candidates (28 of them are Form 5 students, 20 of them are Myanmaris and 5 from RCIA) who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, 7 July 2019 during Mass at 6.00pm. Through this sacrament, our candidates receive a special grace by which their faith is deepened and strengthened, so that it will be strong enough not only for their own needs but for the needs of others, with whom they shall try to share it.

Over the past 4 days, I met with the Form 5 students individually, at my office. I called it a “pre-confirmation chit-chat” to basically get to know them, to find out about their faith journey and to ascertain their understanding and readiness for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Prior to the session, each student was asked to write a 50-word reflection about their expectation, their faith journey and their relationship with God - and during our chats, I listened to them express their feelings of excitement and trepidation as they journeyed forward in faith. The chit-chat sessions were a prelude to their upcoming confirmation spiritual retreat (camp) which will be held on Friday, 7 June to Sunday, 9 June 2019 at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

These Form 5 students have attended Catechism since preschool, and soon their formal religious education will come to an end. But before that happens, I wanted to highlight some important details:

First, I talked about the upcoming Confirmation Retreat at which activities, games, fellowship, prayers and spiritual guidance takes place. I reminded them that this spiritual retreat allows them to set aside time to be with God and to nurture their personal integration of what they have learnt in catechism over the years.

Second, was to remind them that they need to make a sincere and genuine confession before receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. During the Sacrament of Confirmation, they will be sealed with the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord (Isaiah11:1-2). I explained about these gifts and what Confirmation is all about:

Like Baptism, Confirmation is given only once, for it imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the ‘character,’ which is the sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the sealof the Holy Spirit and complete the Sacrament of Initiation, and empowers us to be witnesses to Christ, (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1302-1305). 

During the chit-chat, I showed to them the oil of Chrism (Sacrum Chrisma– Sacred Chrism) which was consecrated during the Chrism Mass. This oil of Chrism is reserved only for Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. It is also used for the consecration of New Church.

Third, I reminded them about their duty and responsibility of coming for Sunday Mass faithfully to fulfil their obligation, even after their Confirmation. I also spoke about the importance of commitment by being involved in Church activities and ministries.

Fourth, I shared the important of the Education. In a few months, these Form 5 students will sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations. Therefore, they need to put in extra effort and increase their study hours to prepare for it, in order to attain good results and achieve their ambitions.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a spiritual “growing up” as it gives us a special grace, and the Form 5 Confirmation candidates are well on their way to a grace-filled chapter of their lives. I hope that they continue to read their Bible, in order to grow spiritually, and I pray that ALL our candidates continue to learn and live their faith daily, sharing it will everyone they meet.

BUILD A UNITY

The prayer of Jesus (Jn 17: 20-26) is part of the Priestly Prayer which Jesus offered at the Last Supper. In this Priestly Prayer, we find Christ prays for the unity of the Church. Jesus gives us the Spirit of unity and we are united by the glory given to us by Christ.

The Catholic Church always prays for the ecumenical dialogue and unity in our Christian Churches. The glory of the Church is supposed to be unity and is to build a unity of faith and communion among people.

Faith makes us appreciate the human relationships and friendships because it grasps their ultimate foundation in God and in His love for a service of the common good. 

Faith in the Church is capable of enhancing the richness of human relations, their ability to endure, to be trustworthy, to enrich our life together. Faith helps us to build our communities and leads us towards a future of hope. What a joy to be engaged and united with one another in prayers.

“The Lord is King, most high above all the earth,” (Psalm 96)

http://www.stjosephsentul.org/the-special-grace-of-confirmation/

BUILDING A LIVING RELATIONSHIP

On Thursday, 16 May 2019, there was a breaking of fast (buka puasa) occasion with Muslim officials and Christian pastors and their communities at Royale Chulan Hotel Damansara in Kuala Lumpur. It was organised by Global Unity Network (UNITY) and Christians for Peace and Harmony in Malaysia (CPHM). The event was graced by more than 100 people, including representatives from various Muslims and Malay NGOs such as Imams, PERKASA, IKRAM, Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) and the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM). From our Parish – Gabriel (PPC Chairman), Eleanor (Chairperson of PMEIA) and I were invited by Ms Caroline Soon, who is a trustee from CPHM. This buka puasaevent has been organised by these organisations for the past 5 years and this was the first time we have attended, on behalf of the Catholic Church.

After hearing the azancall to prayer at 7.20pm by one of the members from UNITY, the guests started breaking their fast. While everyone was enjoying their meal, one of the heads of CPHM, Pastor Lee Min Chong delivered his speech, expressing the beauty of creation and seeing the goodness of all things. When the nation lives in peace, harmony and unity it is a beautiful sight in the eyes of God.

Then, the organising committee invited Encik Shah Kirit, the chairman of UNITY to say a few words, and he emphasised that his organisation is making every effort in promoting peace, harmony and unity among people of other faiths. He added that every one of us - regardless of race or religion, should return to God Almighty and pay attention to their spiritual life rather than focusing on the materialistic world.

Apart from speeches, there were also a few activities coordinated by the organising committee. Among them were quizzes pertaining to Islam and Christianity and individual sharing about their faith experiences, their relationships with Muslims and Christians and the challenges in the multi-racial country. Muslims and Christians are relatively two major religions in the world and we need to practice our faith freely, without creating tension with each other.

On my part, I shared my personal childhood experience with my Muslims school friends. When I was in primary and secondary school, I was very close to my Muslim friends – we studied together, played football together, cycled our bikes together and had meals together. On many occasions, I experienced buka puasawith my Muslim friends in their homes. Now, after more than 40 years, I have once again experienced buka puasaand it has brought back some good old memories. 

I still remember the national slogan – “Spirit of Muhibbah” (Spirit of Togetherness) to respect each other’s rights and feelings, and to enhance inter-religious relationships in Malaysia’s pluralistic society. Over the years we have lost this wonderful spirit in our nation. Whatever differences we may have, we should continue to engage with one another, building friendships and building our nation with peace, harmony and unity.

The aim of the Church in Malaysia is to promote religious dialogue among faith organisations and foster understanding, mutual respect and cooperation between people of different religions. Today we can see people dialoguing and engaging, to build a living relationship with those of other faiths, in a healthier manner.

Let us make every effort in promoting peace, harmony and unity “through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love…” (The Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions - Nostra Aetate, no. 2, 1965).

PEACE THAT THE WORLD CANNOT GIVE

Jesus concludes the long sermon at the Last Supper, He is going to His arrest, trial, torture and execution. But the last words He shares with His disciples is “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift…” (Jn 14:27).

Without peace we will not find joy in our journey of life. We need “Peace” in our neighbourhoods, work places, schools, governments, churches and most of all in our families. 

We look at the world and there seems to be little peace everywhere and few people find peace in their lives. We may face moments of panic, anxiety or fear. Fear and peace are basic realities that we all live with.

God’s peace is offered to everyone who wants it. As Christians, we must make more efforts to bring peace rather than fear. May each of us have the willingness and courage to offer peace.

“O God, let all the nations praise You!” (Ps 67)