Pope Francis “intends to emphasise how grandparents and the elderly are a value and gifts both for society and for ecclesial communities.” There is so much we could learn from them of their rich life experiences, faith and wisdom which could transform societies and communities. They are not a “throw-away culture” or “outcasts to be shunned” but they are “different from the poor and vulnerable.”
The world has become more globalised, and networks are expanding tremendously. Social media platforms can be reliable and at times, not so. Many tend to trust and believe what we read on social media. Now and then, we encounter false and misleading information on social media and in the past month, we were confronted with two fake news within the Catholic Church.On 4 July 2022, rumours circulated that Pope Francis would be resigning as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the Holy Father discredited this rumour when he told Reuters that he “dismissed the idea of resignation” and that it “never entered” his mind. Another fake news - circulated on social media on 11 July 2022 - caused a stir, as it reported the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He is still alive in Vatican City at age 95!
All stress, troubles and hardships should drive us back into the arms of our Lord Jesus. He is in control of our lives, and He can comfort, console and strengthen us. Each experience will deepen our faith in Jesus, who holds all things in His hands and help us to grow closer to Him. When we endure - “Your endurance will win you your lives,” (Lk 21:19) and He will form us, mould us and bring us to greater life in Him.
Many of us have been serving in the Church for many years and sometimes, we may find it difficult and tiring. Perhaps we have thought about giving up, but the Lord says, “do not get tired” (2 Thessalonians 3: 13) but “put yourselves at the service of others” (1 Peter 4: 10) and “be yourselves holy in all your activity” (1 Peter 1:15) “so that in everything, God may receive the glory through Jesus Christ,” (1 Peter 4: 11).
Miss Amie has also painted and completed portraits of our parish priests, who have previously served and ministered at St Thomas Church, Kuantan since the 1950s, as well as a portrait of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. These portraits are displayed in the canteen recreation area so that we, the Parishioners, as well as visitors, can remember them with gratitude and prayer.
Traditionally, churches place the statue of their respective Parish’s patron saint either above the tabernacle or within the sanctuary. We have also seen that some churches have removed statues of their patron saint from the main sanctuary to replace it in favour of a crucifix in the center. At our Parish, we have relocated the carved wooden statue of our patron saint - St Thomas, the Apostle - from the main entrance to a more prominent place on the right corner of the Church. This corner of our Parish is now known as St Thomas Shrine. At this shrine, we have also displayed another image of St Thomas’ encounter with the Risen Lord, as well as the newly composed litany to St Thomas, the Apostle.
The significance, beauty and dignity of images and statues of our faith leads us to devotion and prayer. Together, let us keep the traditional practices of our Catholic Church alive!
The Pope’s prayer intention for the month of July 2022 focuses on the elderly. He invites us all to pray for them - “We pray for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people; may their experience and wisdom help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.”
Elderly people can be anyone from our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, to our friends, neighbours and teachers. They have experienced a lot - hardship, pain, sorrow and joy - and their wisdom cannot be watered down or wiped away from our memory. Instead, we need to treasure them. The younger generation must care and be concerned about the well-being of the elderly, especially those within their family. They must not ignore or neglect them, despite their busy schedules and hectic lives.
Do youngsters give respect, honour and dignity to the elderly? Do they make it a point to sit with the elderly and pray with them or for them? Do they listen to their stories and enjoy their company? Or are the old people in our community neglected and lonely? We need to teach young people - especially our children - to respect and honour the elderly people in our family and community. We must show them love and support in every way, even with little things such as calling, visiting, helping with chores or assisting them in their pastoral needs.
During his General Audience (Wednesday, 23 February 2022) the Holy Father, Pope Francis reminded us that the elderly are not “throwaway material” but “they are a blessing for society.” We realise that there is a lack of encouragement and a lack of education amongst younger people to learn or to discern the meaning and value of old age. The younger generation should take every opportunity to learn from their elders, who have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with them.
For the past two years, our novenas and feast day celebrations were put on hold, but now we are privileged and happy to be able to gather and celebrate our faith. The feast of our Parish’s patron saint is an opportunity for us to deepen our devotion to St Thomas. It is a time for us to look beyond the here and now, and place God at the centre of our hearts in everything that we do.
The Universal Church commemorates various solemnities, feasts and memorials in the liturgical celebrations. This year, the Feast of St Thomas falls on Sunday, 3 July 2022 and as such, the Parish will celebrate the feast on Saturday, 2 July 2022 as Sunday remains a day of obligation, thus taking on the order of precedence in the liturgy.
I was surfing the internet for the Litany of St Thomas, the Apostle, but I was unable to find one. Therefore, for the celebrations this year, we have composed a very special Litany to St Thomas of our own. He is our friend in heaven, and his faith in the Risen Lord has become a witness to the reality of the resurrection. He sacrificed his life for the love of Jesus and led the unbelievers to Christ. He spread the light of Christ in their hearts.
We will pray the Litany throughout the novenas, and we shall add it into our daily prayer as well. The final three days of our Parish feast day celebrations will be live streamed on social media, and we hope that those who are unable to attend the celebrations in person, will join us online. For this and all other information pertaining to our Parish, please log on to our website: https://www.stthomaskuantan.org
We honour God the Father through St Thomas, who has a special place in our hearts. May St Thomas, who humbly confessed, “My Lord and My God” inspire our faith, protect us from all distress and intercede for all our needs, always. St Thomas, pray for us!
