PERSEVERANCE IN SERVICE, CONSTANT IN PRAYER

The month of October is traditionally dedicated by Catholics as the month of the Rosary. Once again, we are invited to seek the intercession of Our Lady, as we face challenges together, especially with the rise in COVID-19 cases in our country.

On Tuesday, 6 October 2020, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, His Grace Most Reverend Julian Leow, suspended all Public Masses in Catholic Churches located within Kuala Lumpur and the State of Selangor, as a safety measure in order to prevent the risk of transmission of the virus. This temporary suspension will be reviewed before 20 October 2020, and as to whether it will be an extension of the suspension or a retraction, will all depend on the COVID-19 situation in our country, at that time.

 

As we see a record-high rise of new cases, we turn to Our Lady of the Rosary seeking her assistance and intercession to flatten the curve, and to fight against this virus. We desperately need her maternal care and strength. In troubled times like this, Mother Mary is our source of comfort and hope, in both good times and difficult times. She will assist our families and communities, especially during this current pandemic, as she offers hope and comfort to all who need her motherly care and protection.

Being a loving Mother, she responds to those who are sick and dying, bringing comfort and healing from her Son, Jesus Christ. She also offers us courage when we feel frightened during times of trial. When we continuously pray the Rosary, she reassures us that we are not alone and that we will never be alone in this fight against COVID-19. As our Spiritual Mother, she gives perseverance and determination, as she stands close to us, providing protection when we are at great risk.

 

When facing fear, anxiety and uncertainty, we should turn to Mother Mary with faith and hope. During these difficult times, we may sometimes lose patience, and panic easily, but Mother Mary inspires us to stay close to one another spiritually and emotionally, through prayer.

 

On the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (7 October 2020), at the end of his Wednesday audience at the Vatican, Pope Francis said that we should “rediscover the beauty of the prayer of the Rosary” in October. He invites us “to pray the Rosary, and to carry it in your hands or in your pockets” as we face the threat that is looming all over the world. 

 

It is a crucial month for us to say the Rosary with family, at least once before we end our day. Surely, Mother Mary will turn her merciful eyes towards us, amid this pandemic. Catholics should make a special request while praying the Rosary, for an end to this pandemic. Let’s be united in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, as we seek Mary’s intercession and assistance during this pandemic, and grow “stronger in faith, persevering in service and constant in prayer.”

HERE I AM, SEND ME!

In light of the new Covid19 clusters that have emerged throughout the country following the return of people to the Peninsular after the Sabah polls, our Parish has decided to put on hold all activities and programs scheduled for October 2020. The recent spike in the number of cases in Peninsular Malaysia is alarming, with the daily toll of new cases breaching the 3-digit mark.

 

Activities that will be put on hold include our Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) meeting, the resumption of in-person Catechism classes which was scheduled to start this weekend (4 October) as well as the ALPHA program. 

 

On 13 September, the Form 5 students preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, participated in an online course on the Theology of the Body (TOB). They have also been actively participating in a Spiritual Recollection, theme: “A Call to Translate Faith into Action.” These recollections, conducted in-person by Ms Cheryle Lee over two Sundays thus far (20 and 27 September) have been beneficial to the students, as they journey towards receiving their Sacrament of Confirmation on 11 October 2020 at 2.00 pm. A third session scheduled to be held on 4 October 2020 has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 situation. The Parish has scheduled a Post-Confirmation session, with the theme, “Success and Significance of Life” to be held on the day when we present them with their certificates.

The month of October is also referred to as the month of Rosary and Mission. During this month, Catholics are invited to dedicate ourselves in praying the Rosary and to recommit ourselves on a mission of sharing the Good News of Christ Jesus with those around us. We invite BECs, families and individuals to pray the rosary together or individually. For your information, the weekday morning Mass participants recite the Rosary immediately after Mass at 7.10am, before leaving for home or office, and you are welcome to join this session. All parishioners are encouraged to keep the spirit of praying the Rosary throughout this month, especially for the COVID-19 pandemic to end. If everything goes well and as planned, we will have a Thanksgiving Mass on 31 October to honour of the Month of Rosary.

This year, World Mission Sunday will be celebrated on 18 October 2020. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has chosen a theme in response to God’s question, “Whom Shall I Send” and expects us to respond with a generous and convincing heart: “Here am I, send me,” (Is 6: 8). Starting this month, we invite our children to participate in the works of mission – “Children Helping Children” by creating a special collection box at home. We encourage them to start saving their daily pocket money, to help poor children who are in need of help. The boxes may be returned to the Church during the Christmas season or on the Feast of the Solemnity of Epiphany 2021. Last year we collected approximately RM2500 from our children. We encourage all the children in our Parish to fully participate in this act of kindness and generosity.

 

Just to remind you once again, our Parish’s vision theme for the years 1998-2020 is Committing Ourselves into New Evangelisation, and the mission theme for this year is Embracing the 5Ls (Last, Lost, Least, Little and Lonely). Since the start of the MCO, we have not done much, however as missionary disciples of Christ, we must somehow strive to carry out our mission with zeal, in any little way possible.

 

Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who was a missionary disciple of her Son, Jesus Christ, will continue to pray for us as we fully commit ourselves in the work of mission in our home and work place. We also pray to St Theresa of Lisieux - who is a Patroness of all Missionaries and whose feast day we celebrated on 1 October 2020 – that she will intercede for our mission works throughout this month. Let us respond with a generous and convincing heart to the message of Christ in words and actions, “Here I am, Lord, send me!”

ANSWER THE CALL TO GOD’S VINEYARD

(26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Homily)

Many years ago I was doing an exposure programme for a month at the drug addict rehabilitation centre. During my stay in the centre I came to know them better after hearing their life stories and how they were involved in substance abuse. They had shared with me the reasons for their relapses and some of their reasons were due to family difficulties, relationship crisis with their spouses, stress issues, etc. Many of them were struggling in overcoming the challenges of addiction. One guy was sharing with me that he had return for the fourth time into the rehab centre in order to get a help from the drug addiction. Each time when he was leaving the rehab centre, he left with a very strong will power of saying “no” to drugs. He told me that he had resisted many times and he had repented and turned completely around but still found himself falling for the substance and relapsed. He always cried to himself, “Can I change myself?”

 

In the Gospel (Matt 21: 28-32) today, Jesus illustrates on repentance. He begins with a parable about a man who had two sons. The first son, who has a strong will power, at first he says, “I will not go” and he rejects his father’s request but after giving much thought, he changes his mind and heart and he went to work in the vineyard. This son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes, who repented and did what was right.

 

The second son, who says, “Certainly, sir” but he doesn’t go and work in the vineyard that day. He has no intention to fulfil his father’s request. The second son represents Israel’s leaders who showed the way of uprightness but refuse to believe in repentance. This is what Israel’s leaders – the Jewish, Pharisees and Sadducees were lacking. They thought they were superior and they had no further need to hear God’s Word or obey to God’s will.

 

The question arises from the Gospel that Jesus wants to know “Which of the two did the will of his father?” The one who repents and does the will of his father that is the first son who obeyed to his father and he went to the field to work, or the second son who replied to his father with a “yes”, but he never went to work in the vineyard.

 

This reminded me of the guy whom I encountered in the rehab centre. He had relapsed a few times. Each time he left the rehab centre with repentance heart from his wickedness as the Gospel passage says, “Yes sir, I will go” but he still didn’t go. This is short of saying that he had failed to keep his promises.

 

In both scenarios, the sons need to repent.  

Therefore, we need to have a change of hearts and minds. God promises us that nothing can prevent us from saying “yes” to God’s call or invitation to be a part in the Kingdom of God but our “yes” responses must be made with that open mind and a change of heart.

 

In the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel, it explains that everyone has an opportunity to repent. It appears that the Israelites spent time grieving and complaining that “our ancestors” for generations disobeyed Torah (the Law) and worshipped false gods and did awful things. But Ezekiel holds out a ray of hope for the likes of the first son in the Gospel, who “repents of your wickedness and do what is just and right, and you will live,” (Ez 18: 28). Ezekiel tells us that each of us responsible for his/her own sin. Here, we are required to always empty ourselves, and seek forgiveness for our sins and believe even more fully that Jesus is the Lord and we will live in the Spirit of the Lord.

 

We have the choice to either be like the first son or the second, sometimes both in different scenarios.  What is more important in life, as the follower of Christ Jesus, is to realise that we are weak and can be broken at times. We need that change of hearts and minds, for better holiness. If the change of heart and mind happens in our lives, we will live better. Humility and warm kindness to each other, our neighbours, and constantly seek to be forgiving makes us closer to be true followers of Christ Jesus.

 

https://www.stjosephsentul.org/responding-to-the-challenges-of-the-displaced/

RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE DISPLACED

Every year, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) falls on the last Sunday of September. This year, it will be celebrated on 27 September. The Holy Father Pope Francis, has chosen the theme: “Like Jesus Christ, Forced to Flee,” with a special “focus on the need for pastoral care of internally displaced persons.” They are numbered over 41 million worldwide. The WDMR is a day that we are called to remember those who are struggling with conflict, persecution, violence, poverty, hopelessness and life of fear. The WDMR is always an occasion of expressing concern for “many different vulnerable people on the move, to pray for their challenges and to increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.”

The Origin of the WDMR:

The WDMR originated in the beginning of the 20th century, before the outbreak of World War I, where millions of Italians migrated abroad. Pope Pius X called all Christians to pray for migrants. In 1914, his successor Pope Benedict XV, instituted the Day of the Migrant to support pastoral work for Italian migrants - spiritually and economically. In 1952, Migrant Day has been celebrated in the liturgical year. St John Paul II was the first pontiff to release a message each year concerning the realities and difficulties of migrants, inviting the Church to pray and to take action. In 2004, Saint John Paul II extended his pastoral care to the refugees, calling it World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Initially, it was celebrated on the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany.  However, in January 2018 Pope Francis announced that the WDMR would be celebrated on the last Sunday of September.    

Here is the summary of the Holy Father’s message for the 106th WDMR for the year 2020. 

We, Christians are called to see the face of Christ in the faces of migrants and refugees. We need to respond to their challenges - spiritually and pastorally, with four verbs which Pope Francis indicated in his message during WDMR 2018: “Welcome, Protect, Promote and Integrate.” To these words, he developed his theme with six sub-themes for WDMR 2020:

     a) TO KNOW IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND: Whenever we deal with them, we should not remain just knowing them at statistics level, but we should encounter them by knowing their real-life stories to be able to understand them better.

    b) TO BE CLOSE IN ORDER TO SERVE: Our fears and prejudices keep us distant from them and prevent us from serving them with love as our true neighbours.

     c) TO BE RECONCILED, WE NEED TO LISTEN: A lot of issues arise among them and we need to have humility and attentiveness in listening to the plea of the vulnerable and displaced persons. Listening gives us an opportunity to be reconciled with them, ourselves and God.

      d)  IN ORDER TO GROW, IT IS NECESSARY TO SHARE: All the resources of this planet should be benefitted by all and not few. We have to learn to share, in order to grow truly and grow together, leaving none behind.

      e) TO BE INVOLVED IN ORDER TO PROMOTE: We must make them involved and be responsible in promoting “new forms of hospitality, fraternity and solidarity.”

     f) TO COOPERATE IN ORDER TO BUILD: It is our duty to cooperate together in all challenges, to preserve our common home. We too must “commit ourselves to ensuring international cooperation, global solidarity and local commitment, leaving no one behind” in building the Kingdom of God.

The Holy father concluded his message with a prayer that reflects on the theme for WDMR 2020. He said it draws inspiration from the example of St Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary - at the time he was forced to flee to Egypt, to save the child Jesus.

Father, you entrusted to Saint Joseph what you held most precious: the child Jesus and his Mother, in order to protect them from the dangers and threats of the wicked.

Grant that we may experience his protection and help. May he, who shared in the sufferings of those who flee from the hatred of the powerful, console and protect all our brothers and sisters driven by war, poverty and necessity to leave their homes and their lands to set out as refugees for safer places.

 

Help them, through the intercession of Saint Joseph, to find the strength to persevere, give them comfort in sorrows and courage amid their trials.

Grant to those who welcome them, some of the tender love of this just and wise father, who loved Jesus as a true son and sustained Mary at every step of the way.

May he, who earned his bread by the work of his hands, watch over those who have seen everything in life taken away and obtain for them the dignity of a job and the serenity of a home.

 

We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, whom Saint Joseph saved by fleeing to Egypt, and trusting in the intercession of the Virgin Mary, whom he loved as a faithful husband in accordance with your will. Amen.

RETURN TO THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

It has been three months since we returned for the celebration of the Sacraments in-person in church and we have realised that “it is necessary and urgent to return to the normality of Christian life.” Even though churches have reopened for Weekend Masses and have permitted the elderly (70 years and above) and children (12 years and below) to attend Mass, the actual turnout is consistently lower than the numbers registered. Parishioners need to return to the celebration of the Eucharist in church “with a purified heart, with a renewed amazement, with an increased desire to meet the Lord, to be with Him, to receive Him and to bring Him to our brothers and sisters with the witness of a life full of faith, love and hope.”

I was reading a letter sent to bishop conferences around the world written by Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. In his letter entitled – “Let us Return to the Eucharist with Joy”, he urges us to return to the Church despite COVID-19 - with adherence to Standard Operating Procedures. We realise that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a change in social, economic, family, community and liturgical celebrations.

I would like to share a few points highlighted by Cardinal Robert Sarah in his letter:

·      We cannot live as Christians without the Word of the Lord in the celebration of the Mass.

·      We cannot live as Christians without participating in the sacrifice of the Lord who gives Himself unreservedly to save and lead us back to the Father.

·      We cannot live without the banquet of the Eucharist which we are invited to receive the Risen Lord who is “truly and really present in the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Bread of Heaven.”

·      We cannot be without Christian community, the family of the Lord, where we need to meet our fellow brothers and sisters and build our fraternity. In this Christian communities, we discover our charisms, vocations and search for holiness and salvation of our souls.

·      We cannot be without the house of the Lord, which is our home. In this house of God, our faith is born and we discover the presence of the Lord. In this God’s house, we receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation and, Matrimony and religious life are consecrated. In this holy ground, we pray and give thanks, rejoice and weep, and we say our final goodbye to our loved ones who have completed their earthly life.

·      We cannot be without the Day of the Lord, without Sunday which gives us a significance to our successions of days of work and to family and social responsibility.

We acknowledge that social media has performed a valued service in broadcasting the Holy Mass, particularly during the MCO, and it will continue to provide this necessary service, particularly to the sick and elderly, who are unable to go to Church. These broadcasts of Holy Mass should not “risk distancing us from a personal and intimate encounter with the Lord in the Eucharist” in the house of the Lord. Our “physical contact with the Lord is vital, indispensable and irreplaceable.” It is time for us to safely return to the house of the Lord in-person, celebrating Jesus in our lives.

Last weekend (12 & 13 September) our Form 5 students, who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Conformation on 11 October 2020, attended an online Theology of the Body (TOB) session, conducted by the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute Catechetical Team. The next program will be recollections in-person, presented at St Joseph’s Formation House. The theme of the recollection will be “A Call To Make A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.” It will be held over three consecutive Sundays (20 & 27 September and 4 October) as part of their final preparation, before receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, 11 October 2020 at 2pm.

From 4 October 2020 onwards, we will resume our Catechism classes for primary and secondary students every Sunday for an hour (1030am -1130am). We hope parents will cooperate and allow their children to return to lessons in-person.

Gradually, we encourage our Parishioners to safely return to the life of the Church, and get involved in Church activities, as we continue to value our faith in Christ Jesus with great responsibility and commitment in the New Evangelisation.

Photo: Cardinal Robert Sarah

Sunday Mass at SJC Sentul