SAINTS ASSIST US ON OUR JOURNEY TO HEAVEN

The Solemnity of All Saints Day is celebrated on November 1^st, every year, as the day for commemorating all the Saints. It is a Holy Day of Obligation, and Catholics are required to attend Mass.  On this solemnity, we honour, pray and celebrate all saints those persons whom are known and unknown, and they are multitude in numbers (cf. Rev 7:9), enjoying the beatific vision who “remain connected and part of the One Body of Christ” in Heaven.  All of them lived earthly lives like us and faithful to Christ's teaching and His Church. 

These Saints give us inspirations and encouragement for our preparation to share with them the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Eucharistic preface for All Saints Day, we can recall the imagery vision used from the Book of Revelation, “Today we keep the festival of Your holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother… gives us inspiration and strength as we hasten on our pilgrimage of faith eager to meet them.”

 

What must we do to join the company of the Saints in Heaven? The celebration of All Saints offers us a celebration of holiness - a universal call to attain holiness (Lumen Gentium, 40). This celebration invites us to grow in holiness in our lives taking the models of the life of Christ and follow in His footsteps.

 

Paul VI said, “holiness in the Church belongs to all parts of the world and to all periods of history and that all peoples and all faithful of every social rank are called to attain holiness.” Therefore, every individual should seek the intercession of the Heavenly Saints to assist us in our earthly journey, as we encounter challenges in life, that through the grace of God we may grow and glow in the Spirit of Christ.

 

ALL YOU HOLY MEN AND WOMEN, PRAY FOR US!

I WAS HIS ‘YOUNGEST’ SON

On the feast of Saints Simon and Jude (28^th Oct), we heard the sad news about the demise of Malaysia’s first Cardinal, His Eminence Anthony Soter Fernandez who passed away at 12.35pm. He was a strong man like Saint Simon Peter, who put his heart and soul to build and guide the Church in Peninsular Malaysia. It was mixed emotions for me. I wasn’t shocked to hear about his passing, but I felt happy for him that at least the Lord had prepared him gracefully to end this earthly journey after a prolonged physical pain and suffering these couple of months. As his life was deteriorating, he stayed cool, calm and cheerful.

I met Archbishop Soter, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur then, for the first time at his residence/office at Cardjin House, Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur in November 1992. Rev Fr Naden Anthony, the Vocation Director of KL Archdiocese then, and the late Rev Fr Leonard John, my Parish Priest, had made arrangements for me to meet him. I expressed my desire in wanting to be a priest. After an hour of conversation and sharing, he told me to take up an English course before entering the seminary. He also advised me to continue to pray and join the Parish Youth ministry. I just left silently, feeling a bit sad inside because at that time I thought he had already rejected me. I met him again in January 1995. This time he greeted me with a smile and gave me the acceptance letter to enter the seminary. Initially, I was reluctant to accept it but his words of affirmation and assurance had given me the confidence to join the seminary. 

After completing my formation in the seminary, during my first Clergy Recollection in January 2003, Archbishop Soter enquired of me, “Are you ready for your ordination to the priesthood?” I conveyed my hesitation and requested for a 6-month to one-year break before getting ordained. He held my hands in front of Rev Fr Gerard Theraviam, my Parish Priest then, and gave me the date of ordination (12 February 2003) and told me, “Go and prepare yourself for the ordination!” I was stunned and tongue-tied for a moment.

He again surprised me just a few minutes before my ordination Mass took place. While the other clergy were queuing up for the procession into the church, Archbishop Soter approached me, “Which Parish would you like to be posted to?” I was clueless. He just smiled at me without saying anything. My posting was only announced at the end of the ordination ceremony - that I would be posted as assistant to Rev Fr Eugene Benedict at the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (Kuantan and Terengganu). I only had the chance to serve as a priest under His Grace for just two months, before the announcement of his resignation as the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur in May 2003.

 

We became close friends over the years and even much friendlier when I moved to the Church of St Joseph, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. A few years back we both started to promote the “Sleeping Saint Joseph” statue and prayer cards and explained its spirituality which was introduced by Pope Francis. We were encouraging parishioners to pray to the Sleeping St Joseph for courage and protection. As the Holy Father said, “Saint Joseph is a man of silence and strength… and even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church.” Our beloved Cardinal Soter too had a great love for St Joseph. He, too was a man of silence and loved the Church very much till the end of his life. 

 

Everyone remembers him as a very humble and simple man – which he truly was. A few days after my ordination I met him in his office and he immediately knelt before me and asked me to bless him. I was shocked that he, an archbishop was humble enough to kneel before me. Then he kissed both my anointed palms and hugged me. I count myself blessed as I am the last “son” ordained by him before his retirement. He always acknowledged me saying, “You are my youngest son.” I am proud to be his youngest son. He was a wise father figure and loving man.

 

The late Cardinal Soter had a very special place in his heart for the sick and the elderly. When I was based in Kuantan/Terengganu during his visits there, he would ask me to take him to visit the sick and the elderly. In fact, two years ago (2018), he requested me to drive him to Klang to visit a few sick people including my late mum. I was really touched by his gesture towards the sick and the dying. He truly cared for and showed great concern for the sick people and the least.

 

October is the month of the Rosary and the late Cardinal Soter had a great affection for our Lady. Back in 1992, during my first meeting with him and when he ‘rejected’ my initial desire to be a priest, he had given me a Rosary made of wooden beads and strongly encouraged me to pray to Our Lady daily for a strong vocation. I still keep and pray with that Rosary beads which he gave me 28 years ago. He passed on in the month of the Rosary and will be buried on the last day of the month of the Rosary. I believe he will continue to pray for us and he will ask Mother Mary to pray for all of us and for the Church in Malaysia. Be assured of our prayers and my humble pray for you - “May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you into the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.”

 

Let us ceaselessly pray the Rosary daily taking the example of the Cardinal Soter a man of prayer. I would like to end here with a quote from St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153): “In danger, in distress, in uncertainty, think of Mary, call upon her. She never leaves your lips; and she never departs from your heart; and so that you may obtain the help of her prayers, never forget the example of her life. If you follow her, you cannot falter; if you pray to her, you cannot despair; if you think of her, you cannot err. If she sustains you, you have nothing to fear; if she guides you, you will never grow weary; if she shows you favour, you will attain your goal.” (The Priest, August 2020, vol. 76. No.8, pp. 14-18).

TO LOVE GOD AND NEIGHBOURS

(30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020 - Homily)

How much should I be eating in a day or how much weight should I lose in a week or month? How can I lose my body weight? One group of researchers said that we can lose weight through dieting whereas another group exclaimed that we can lose weight drastically by physical exercising. We cannot lose our body weight only through diet without exercises or vice versa. Both dieting and physical exercising are equally essential to balance our physical fitness. Therefore, we can say that the key to successful weight loss is developing healthy diet and exercise regularly. Now, what does this have anything to do with the readings today?  

 

Jesus makes reference to two greatest commandments that is not part of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:1-7). In today’s Gospel, Jesus was questioned by the Pharisee, “which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus responded that the greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” (Deut. 6: 5) and the second is “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” (Lev. 19:18).

 

We cannot love God without loving or neighbour. 

We cannot love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all mind and neglect the second commandment, “love of neighbours.” Both are equally important in our Christian way of life. It is like the example I have provided in the beginning. Weight loss require both having good diet and regular exercise. It is same on these 2 commandments that we must be able to do even better.

When we love one another, we will not do any evil to fellow brothers and sisters. We must love our enemies and love those who hate us and persecute us. We must pray for those who mistreat us. We must also forgive (and forget) those who have hurt us and harmed us. Whoever does not love our brothers and sisters, does not love God. God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

 

As we keep dieting and exercising abreast in our lives when it comes to losing weight, we too keep these two greatest commandments close in our lives. We pray today that we will help one another and encourage one another to carry the sacred duty to love others and give honour and serve one another.

 

 “I love You, LORD, my strength.” (Ps 18)

 

https://www.stjosephsentul.org/totus-tuus-1/

TOTUS TUUS

Catholics are devoted to praying the Rosary and contemplating Jesus with Mother Mary, especially in May and October, since these two months are dedicated as the months of the Rosary. Our devotion to Mary invites us to consecrate ourselves to her, by saying wholeheartedly - “I am completely yours” (Totus tuus). October is also known as the missionary month, and we pray with Mother Mary, as we grow together in friendship with Christ Jesus and become missionary disciples, bringing Jesus into the lives of others.

The Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur has suspended Masses in Churches in the Klang Valley and the State of Selangor until further notice due to the increase in numbers of COVID-19 cases here. This whole month, many of us have been praying the Rosary as individuals and families ceaselessly. Do you know that each week we pray 35 decades of the Rosary from 4 mysteries - The Glorious, Joyful, Sorrowful and Luminous Mysteries. Ever since the Coronavirus started to spread and surge in numbers in our land, each day I compose an intention pertaining to the COVID-19 infection for everyone – praying for security, protection, healing, and for those who died of COVID-19. I have been inviting people and parishioners to pray for this pandemic to end, since the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March 2020. I forward these intentions to those in my contact list, inviting them to offer these intentions when they pray the Rosary. We have seen an increase in COVID-19 positive cases in this current third wave of infections, following the Sabah Elections in September 2020. As such, I encourage everyone to continue praying the Rosary daily, until the end of this pandemic.

In the past years, we would place a “Book of Remembrance” at our Parish Office in October and invite Parishioners to write down the names of departed souls and loved ones in the book. Throughout the month of November, the Book of Remembrance would be placed at the sanctuary of the Church, and we would collectively offer our prayers for all the departed souls during Mass. Also, during this time, we would kneel down and meditatively listen to the “Requiems” during the weekend Masses. 

We should not forget our loved ones, our closest ones - parents, children, siblings, friends, etc. Unfortunately, due to the current pandemic, this year you will not have the opportunity to list down the names of your departed loved ones in the Book of Remembrance, and it will not be placed at the Sanctuary as done in the past. However, we will instead forward a prayer to everyone, so that you may pray for them. We invite you to continuously dedicate at least a decade of the Rosary to those who have gone before us, including all those who have died of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading worldwide for almost a year now, and many people are undergoing “emotional anxiety” such as stress, panic, fear and also anger caused by financial and social factors. We continue to seek the intercession of Our Lady, our spiritual Mother and Saint Joseph, Our Patron - so that all families will stay positive, remain calm and maintain a prayerful spirit at home as we combat COVID-19 together.

GIVE TO GOD WHAT IS GOD'S

(29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020 - HOMILY)

We hear in the Gospel (Matt 22: 15-21) today, “Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and God what belongs to God.”  Both the Pharisees and the Herodians are trying to ask Jesus’ opinion, “Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus knew through and through what was in their minds.  Jesus asks for a coin and He questions the Pharisees and Herodians - “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” Once they identify the coin is belonging to Caesar, then, He answers their question saying, “Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God.” 

A couple from a foreign land was enquiring with me to be married in St. Joseph Church. They just wanted to do a church wedding without getting married, civilly, for their own personal reasons. Today’s Gospel let me to reflect on their enquiry, on the questions of Pharisees and Herodians, “Is it permissible to pay taxes to the Caesar or not?” The couple’s enquiry was of in the same nature, “Is it permissible to marry in the Church without marrying in the civil registration office?” Then, I explained to the couple.

 

In Malaysia, the National Registration Department (Jababtan Pendaftaran Negara - JPN) had made it compulsory for all non-Muslims couples to be registered under the ACT 1976 (Act 164) in 1 March 1982. It is a requirement and mandate of the JPN. If any Catholic couple desires to get married in the Catholic Church, first and foremost they need to do their Registration of Marriage (ROM), before their Church wedding. If the couple only did the ROM, they are still not married, in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Therefore, after the civil marriage in JPN, the couple will still need to prepare themselves both physically and spiritually for their Church Marriage.

 

Jesus never compromises his integrity and makes a very clear distinction between civil authority and religious authority, and He invites us to fulfil our duties and commitments both to the government and God. Jesus avoids the trap by asserting God’s sovereignty, which must be acknowledged and repaid to God on what belongs to God, and at the same time to hold the human laws legitimately.

 

Society must be governed by the authority to direct their action towards a common good. Paying the government’s tax represents paying back what the government has done in the terms of service. The government and its leaders should rule and direct the society justly according to the law for the well-being of everyone.  Whereas the society has to be obedient and cooperate with the government’s law.

 

Likewise, the people of God should follow the way of God in accordance with the TRUTH from the Scripture. We need to live our lives according to God’s purpose set for us, and not of human’s. Therefore, what we have to repay to the government is to be obedient to the Laws and to pay God what we owe to God. Real living is to give God what belongs to God. We give ourselves to God every moment of our lives. We owe God our very lives. “Give the Lord glory and honour, He is the King and He governs His people in fairness,” (cf. Ps 95).