SERVING CHRIST THROUGH THE POOR

The Catholic Church celebrates the 5^th World Day of the Poor on 14 November 2021, with the theme – “The poor you will always have with you” (Mark 14:7). These words were uttered when Jesus visited the house of Bethany, and a woman there came in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment. She poured the precious ointment on Jesus’ head. Pope Francis interpreted it in two different ways. First, he said that few people would spend on the ointment when instead it could be spent for the poor, but the woman has done a wonderful act for Jesus. Second, it reminds us that Jesus is “the first poor, poorest of the poor, because He represents all of them.” We remember this nameless woman’s act of empathy and understanding of Jesus’ mission.

The poor have so much to teach us. First and foremost, they are “always and everywhere”, and they give us an opportunity to evangelise them. The Holy Father reminds us that we should make every opportunity to express our kindness to the poor wherever they may be. The Holy Father invites us to open our hearts “recognising the many different forms of poverty,” “constantly care for the poor” and “desire for more relations in the community.”

There is widespread poverty, injustice, isolation, loneliness, homelessness, trafficking, violence and abuse happening around us, but the Gospel calls us to conversion and to live the message of Christ, by serving Him through the poor with love, respect, dignity and justice.

The Holy Father says that the poor are a Sacrament of Christ, represents Christ and points to Him. We need to discover the true face of Christ in the poor. The poor are neither strangers nor outside of our communities. We must make them part of our lives and take every opportunity to lift them up from all their sufferings and difficulties, in order “to restore their lost dignity” and to include them in our communities. Our sharing and caring “generates fraternity” and “strengthens solidarity” among the poor.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of people have been impacted. Poverty has increased, and countries are facing difficulties in combating the virus. Many people have come forward to spend time and effort to contribute towards helping the poor, especially those who have been physically, economically and financially affected.

Everyone needs to find a new way of being evangelisers during this global crisis in order to “respond to the new form of poverty experienced by humanity today.” We should not hesitate in reaching out to them in their homes, hospitals, nursing homes or on the streets. The “poor are always present in our midst - let’s recognise them and make them part of our lives and an instrument of our salvation.”

(AN EXTRACT FROM THE FIFTH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR 2021)

PARTICIPATION DIRECTED TO MISSION

The Universal Church inaugurated Synodal 2023 - journey together - at every diocese level throughout the world with the theme: “For a Synodal Church - in Communion, Participation and Mission.” We are now in the first Diocesan / National Phase (October 2021 - April 2022) and this will be followed by the Continental Phase (September 2022 - March 2023) and the Universal Phase - Synod of Bishops in the Vatican City (October 2023).

Our Parish Synod Team (PST) consists of 9 members. They attended a briefing session with the Archdiocese Synod Team a week ago, and this week they presented the synodal process to our BEC leaders and other parish ministries. Our Parish of St Joseph is already onboard, and getting into momentum of the Synodal Church 2023 orientation. We are now in the phase of briefing the respective groups and will soon start distributing questionnaires in November 2021. Certainly, we will familiarise ourselves with certain terminology of the Synodal process and the 10 fundamental questions for our reflections and discussions. We invite every individual - BECs members, ministries and all parishioners - to participate fully in this discussion.

 

At this initial phase we would like everyone to listen and discern their Synodal journey till early December 2021. There are a few steps that parishioners should take into consideration before putting their thoughts, insights and reflections onto paper. First and foremost, we invoke the Holy Spirit to come upon us so that we may tune ourselves to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Hence, we need to vigorously pray as we “walk together” during this period of listening and discerning, mainly on these 10 important fundamental questions of Synodality. Our PST hopes that all parishioners will take part, and answer the questionnaires according to the given guidelines.

 

As we “walk together” at this first phase at our Parish level, we are invited to pray, listen, analyse, dialogue, discuss, discern, articulate and respond to the fundamental questions which are profoundly interrelated with the theme - “communion, participation and mission”.

 

Here are the 10 fundamental questions for us to recall our experiences (Communion), re-read the experiences (Participation) and gather the fruits to share (Mission). 

 

·      Companions on the Journey

·      Listening

·      Speaking Out

·      Celebration

·      Sharing Responsibly for Common Mission

·      Authority and Participation

·      Discerning and Deciding 

·      Forming Ourselves in Synodality

·      Dialoguing in Church and Society

·      Ecumenism

 

The PST is also ready to brief and facilitate workshops from time to time to various groups or ministries pertaining to the synodal process. We want everyone to feel at home,  responsibly participate and engage themselves in dialogues, discussions and interactions within the community. After much listening and discerning, all the collated answers and findings will be compiled and submitted to the Archdiocese Synod Team.

 

As we responsibly undertake this task, let us be reminded that by listening and discerning as a community, we are building up our faith in the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” The Holy Father stressed that the synodal process be “a process of becoming, a process that involves the local Churches, in different phases and from the bottom up, in an exciting and engaging effort that can forge a style of communion and participation directed to mission.”

JOURNEYING AS A PEOPLE OF GOD

After the Feast of St Joseph, the Worker in May 2021, we closed our Church to Public Masses for almost 5 months. However, the last Chancery Notice from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur dated 25 October 2021 was received with overwhelming joy, as it allows for an increase in capacity for the Eucharistic celebrations and for the resumption of other Sacraments in our Churches!

We are finally able to welcome all our parishioners once again for the Eucharistic celebration, as a People of God. We want our parishioners to return to Church and participate in the celebration of the Sacraments, especially encountering the real and true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It is part of our community of faith. 

 

We are in the midst of preparing for the Synodal Church 2021-2023 and some of our leaders have already attended briefing sessions with regards to this. Soon we will be disseminating a questionnaire in line with the Synodal Church, to every member of our Parish. When you receive the questionnaire, first and foremost we want you to go through it, to allow yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit, before responding.

 

Each member of our Parish is invited to give a reflection on how they have been using and sharing their gifts, while journeying together as a Church. Let’s look at the many opportunities and efforts which we have undertaken to strengthen our faith in order to build “One Body of Christ” while being in “Communion, Participation and Mission” and growing with a sense of belonging in the Church. We need your response, cooperation and support to work on the preparation for the Synodal Church 2021-2023 - journeying as People of God.

 

We have dedicated the Month of the Rosary to our dear Blessed Virgin Mary by praying the Rosary as individuals and families for various intentions. We urge you to continue your devotion in praying the Rosary during this Year of Plenary Indulgence, as we do penances for our own spiritual growth, for other greater intentions and not forgetting to pray for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also include our Pope’s intention for the month of November for the “people who suffer from various depression or burn-out, to find support and a light that opens them up to life and peace.” Praying the Rosary authentically will help us to imitate the footsteps of Mary and our roles in the service of families, communities and the Church.

We are stepping into the month of November, a month of remembering and dedicating our prayers to all the known and unknown Saints of the Church. We also pray for all the faithful departed souls of our loved ones and for the forgotten souls in purgatory at home or in the Church. (Do avoid large gatherings at the cemeteries due to the COVID-19 pandemic). 

 

Two weeks ago, we circulated a link to our parishioners for submission of names of their dearly departed. We received more than 6500 emails and we have collected more than 55,000 names. We have compiled these names into a booklet and will place this booklet at the altar, for offertory during all Masses throughout the month of November.

 

We are encouraged to pray always for the dead - not only during the wake or memorial service, but to remember them always in our prayers. Pope Francis says, “Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.” The Church always offers them collectively, during every Eucharistic celebration throughout the world. The Holy Souls need our prayers, and in return, they will pray for us once their souls are purified from all sin and have attained eternal life in Communion with all saints in Heaven, (cf. CCC 1032).

 

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

ENGAGING OURSELVES WITH EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE

This year, the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday on 24 October 2021 and the theme

chosen by the Holy Father is:

 “We cannot but speak what we have seen and heard,” (Act 4:20). Pope Francis reminds us that we cannot remain silent by keeping Jesus’ love, compassion, mercy and His teachings to ourselves, but instead, we must go forth and proclaim His message of hope to everyone, everywhere. We must speak what we have seen and heard in order to be His witnesses, as how the apostles were the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ entire ministry and His resurrection. The Holy Father invites individuals and communities to engage in the Church’s mission, which is to “Go, therefore to the highways and byways, and invite everyone you find,” (MT 22: 9) by sharing our experiences and encounters of God’s love to one and all.

The Apostles had experienced the first encounters of Jesus’ ministry and His resurrection. Their experiences and encounters prompted them to enter into dialogue with everyone, in every part of the world. When we read the Acts of the Apostles and of the lives of the first Christians, we are awakened to their endurance, hardships and the many conflicts which they had encountered in proclaiming the message of the Gospel to various communities. However, their witness and testimonies initiated and inspired the faith of those communities.

The Holy Father stresses that there is “an urgent need for the mission of compassion” for what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20) during this pandemic. Pope Francis wants us to be “missionaries of hope.” He expects us to share Christ, who is truly alive in us, in order to bring “transformation to our world and in the care of creation.”

In the present age, we face a lot of difficulties, obstacles, injustices, poverty, brokenness and divisions which cause “discouragement, disillusionment and fatigue” in carrying the mission of Christ. However, we have “to rise up and seek with creativity, every possible way to show compassion” and “Sacramental closeness of God to us” so that others may experience God’s touch too. As Christians, we cannot keep Jesus to ourselves, but we need to commit to being apostles of the Gospel of hope, and to become “messengers and agents of compassion,” in supporting the Pope’s missions.

Mission Sunday 2021 reminds us that everyone must be in “Communion, Participation and Mission” as we “journey together” for a Synodal Church. Let’s be in the spirit of mission always, keeping our faith and our Church alive, by engaging ourselves with everyone, everywhere. As we join the Holy Father’s mission, we pray that we will be “generous and joyful apostles of the Gospel of hope” and be “true missionary disciples” to our communities and to our nation.

(AN EXTRACT FROM THE MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER FOR WORLD MISSION SUNDAY 2021)

A JOURNEY TOGTHER: ENCOUNTERING, LISTENING AND DISCERNING

On 10 October 2021, the Holy Father solemnly officiated the Synod of Bishop 2021-2023, with a Eucharistic celebration at the Basilica of St Peter, Vatican City. In his homily, he stressed on 3 key verbs – Encounter, Listen and Discern.

As we begin the “celebration of Synod” – which means – “walking on the same road together” with the theme, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission” The Holy Father desires the people of God, to “have a good journey together” and to journey as “pilgrims in love with the Gospel and open to the surprises of the Spirit,” over the next 2 years. I would like to share a little insight on these 3 key verbs, before we get involved in the discussion on a Synodal Church in our Parish.

 

Encounter: Encountering God is an essential element of each Christian. Self-revelation of God is made known to us in various ways, particularly through the reading of the Sacred Scripture and Sacred Traditions, celebrating Jesus in the Sacraments and in all our daily activity. How have we been praying and reflecting God’s presence in the Word, Sacraments and Events. How has this encounter with God and with others changed our spiritual and personal life? 

 

Listen: Studies have found that an average person can speak 125 words per minute and that most people have poor listening skills. An effective listener needs deep concentration in hearing and listening. We go through many hardships and trials in this life journey that leave us wondering - Does God listen to our cries and the cries of others. We realise His response is delayed. 

 

We should not harden our hearts (cf. 95: 8) but instead, we need to allow ourselves to open our hearts and listen to His voice. In this process of being in communion with the Church, participating in the various ministries and taking part in the mission of Church, we need to soften our hearts and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and to the cries of the people. Let’s listen to the challenges and changes that take place in our spiritual life and in the life of the Church. How can we be the hope of our Church in the future?

 

Discern: King Solomon asked God, “… give your servant a heart to understand how to govern your people, how to discern between good and evil…? (1 Kings 3: 9). Discernment is a special gift that comes from God. Before I joined the seminary, and during my eight years of study in the seminary, I was sent a few spiritual discernments in order to decide to be a priest. Even after being a priest, I continued my discernment so that I may be able to totally dedicate my ministry in serving God and His people.

God has given us various gifts and charisms in our ministries in the Church. Do we discern them? Do we utilise them for the mission of the Church and going forth, become missionary Disciples?

 

In this first level, the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur invites us to discuss, consult and answer the questions which have been given to us in order to draft a document for our Malaysian, Singapore and Brunei Bishops’ Conference. These three aspects - encountering, listening and discerning - will take place until April 2022.

 

Let’s together enter in prayer and engage ourselves in dialogue with God and with one another. The Holy Spirit invites us to take every step courageously, in order to grow in our journey together.