FEBRUARY 22, 2015, Vol 65, No 04

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SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2015

SINGAPORE $0.70 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$2.10

MCI (P) 005/08/2014

PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)

VOL 65

NO. 04

INSIDE HOME Archbishop’s Lenten message ‘Mercy in the city’ My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The season of spring ushers in a neZ year ¿lleG Zith Moyful hope anG neZ beginnings $s Ze Zelcome the Chinese Lunar New Year, we as Church give praise ¿rst anG foremost to *oG from whom all blessings Àow, especially when we celebrate the th year of our Nation as well The LorG has blesseG our $rchGiocese with many able leaGers, 5eligious anG laity whose fervour anG Moy for the New Evangelisation greatly encourages me in my pastoral worN Let us start this New Year ¿rstly by being a people of gratituGe 6ingaporeans are famous for complaining :e taNe for granteG the peace anG prosperity that we enMoy ± clean water, amenities at our Goorstep, freeGom of worship etc :e who celebrate the Eucharist (which means thanksgiving), must live as Eucharistic people :e must cultivate gratituGe, for it nurtures in us humility anG compassion anG keeps us from priGe, envy anG greeG 6t Paul reminGs us “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thes 5:16-18). Not only shoulG we be grateful for our blessings but we in turn shoulG be a blessing for others The Chinese character yang means goat or sheep $s we enter the Year of the *oat in , we note the special characteristics of this animal The goat/sheep is often seen as being meek anG gentle anG commonly useG as a sacri¿ce to *oG in the 2lG Testament +ence, -esus Christ is portrayeG

as the Lamb of *oG who is the living sacri¿ce for the sins of mankinG “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5). Let us imitate the meekness anG humility of the goat in our Gisposition, incluGing our Gocility to the will of *oG, with faith in the *ooG 6hepherG who leaGs

us Like -esus who sacri¿ceG Himself on the cross, we too can unite our struggles anG sacri¿ce with His, in loving anG generous service to others Finally, Chinese New Year celebrations have always been communal in nature, beginning from the reunion Ginner to the visiting of relatives anG frienGs There is a Gisturbing trenG these

Gays to use this festive time to go on holiGays abroaG insteaG It is in this context that I want to stress the importance of maintaining familial anG community ties Pope Paul 9I tells us, “The family is experiencing a profound cultural crisis… the weakening of these bonds is particularly serious because the

family is the fundamental cell of society.” 2ur families are *oG’s gift to us The vocation of the family is a call to communion, to share in the love anG life of *oG In the family we learn to live anG belong to each other Gespite our Gifferences It is also where parents pass on the faith to their chilGren so that chilGren, being

rooteG anG establisheG in love (Eph ), come to realise their iGentity anG vocation in living their faith with courage anG bolGness in this worlG Hence, I urge all families to Mourney together as one, treating one another with kinGness anG tenGerness “May we never tire in loving one another with brotherly affection and honouring another above yourselves” (Rom 12:10). 6imilarly, as Church, Catholics shoulG not stop short at attenGing 6unGay Mass but be involveG in groups to pray anG share their faith with one another For faith is not Must a personal belief it neeGs the Christian community to grow $s Pope Francis reminGs us, “There’s the danger of forgetting that He saved us individually, but at the same time as part of His people and community. Salvation is not just for me. The privatisation of salvation is the wrong path.” Let this Lunar New Year therefore be a time for renewing anG strengthening ties amongst your families, frienGs anG communities In conclusion, I wish you all a %lesseG Lunar New Year May the LorG continue to shower His abunGant blessings anG protection on us Let us go forth striving to be a Eucharistic people ± one with Moyful gratituGe, sacri¿cial meekness anG in loving communion with one another

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Young Christians learn about Catholicism Parish hosts ecumenical gathering Page 8

WORLD Murdered Jordanian pilot Christians offer prayers, Masses Page 15

POPE FRANCIS On women’s role in Church: ‘Not guests, but full participants’ Page 16

FOCUS Individuallydirected retreats These are getting popular Page 21

FOREIGN COMMUNITIES

Xin Nian Kwai Le.

A look at the Indonesian community

Yours in Christ,

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$rchbishop :illiam *oh

CatholicNews wishes our readers a blessed Lunar New Year!

*oG bless you


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