Today's Catholic Vol.27 No.5 August 2015 issue

CATHOLIC today’s

A monthly publication of the Archdiocese of Kuching, Sarawak

Permit No PPK 148/01/2013(031378)

Vol 27 No 5 August 2015

Inside...

Letter to the people of God for Merdeka Day

P6

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”

Jn 6:48

今日教友 第十六至二十二頁

Pope Francis appoints

Fr Simon Poh

as Auxiliary Bishop of Kuching

KUCHING — On 9 July, the Holy Father Pope Francis appointed Fr Simon Poh Hoon Seng, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Kuching, assigning him the titular see of Sfasferia.

Fr Simon Poh was born on 15 April 1963 in Sri Aman and subsequently baptised on 13 November 1979 in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching. He received his seminary training at St Peter’s College Major Seminary, Kuching and was ordained a priest on 31 July 1988, and incardinated in the Archdiocese of Kuching.

Since his ordination he has served the following academic and pastoral roles: 1988-1991: Assistant priest of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Sri Aman 1991-1993: Assistant priest of St Stephen’s Church, Bau 1993-1994: Assistant parish priest of St Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching 1994-1996: Obtained his Licentiate in Missiology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy 1997-2000: Parish priest of St Ann’s Mission, Kota Padawan 1997-present:External Lecturer for Missiology, Evangelisation in Asia, Pastoral Ministry and Social Communications in St Peter’s College, Kuching 2001: Studied Chinese in Fu Ren University, Taiwan (6 months) 2001-2006: Vocations Director and full-time in youth and campus ministries 2002-2013: Spiritual Director for seminarians in St Peter’s College, Kuching 2003-present: Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Kuching, Member of the Council of Consultors and Archdiocesan Finance Council 2006-present: Chairman of Commission for Mission & Human Development 2007-present: Director of Pontifical Mission Societies in Kuching Archdiocese 2012-present: Parish Priest of St Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching May 2015: Obtained his Doctorate degree in Ministry at the Graduate Theological Foundation, Indiana, USA

When contacted by the local newspaper, Bishop Elect Simon Poh said that he accepted this appointment in a spirit of obedience and in humble service for the local church.

He offered his thanks to God, quoting the verses of St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 3:20-21 “Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by His power at work within us; Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always.”

Holy Mass for the Episcopal Ordination will be celebrated on 24 September, 10.00 am at the Perpaduan Indoor Stadium, Petra Jaya. More than 5000 Catholics from both the rural and city parishes in the Archdiocese, about 100 Arch/bishops and priests are expected to be present to welcome the new bishop for the Archdiocese.

The Ordination Mass will also be broadcasted live in YouTube by the Archdiocesan Social Communications Committee. Information on the live broadcast will be made available in the Archdiocesan website (http://www.kuchingcatholic.org) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/arch.kuching) at a later time.

A dinner in thanksgiving for the gift of the new Bishop will be held on the same evening at the Dewan Masyarakat, Jalan Padungan.

Laudato sì a “universal voice” in defense of creation Laudato si (‘Praised Be’) is the second encyclical letter by Pope Francis which was published on 18 June. He calls the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of the environmental challenges and to join him in embarking on a new path.

Photo: CNS

Visit us at http://www.todayscatholic.com.my

SINGAPORE — “By addressing Laudato Si’ to a universal audience, Pope Francis continues the tradition of Pacem in Terris (1963), which was the first papal encyclical addressed not only to Catholics, but to “all people of goodwill” says Franciscan friar Fr John Wong, head of the Custody of St Anthony that covers Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

The priest was commenting on the encyclical of Pope Francis “Laudato sì”, dedicated to the environment and creation, our “common home”.

The religious says the document is a “universal voice of conscience”, which focuses on three essential elements of existence: “Faith, hope and charity”.

Continued on p5

Contact us at 082-231164 (Tel), 082-230196 (Fax), todaycat@gmail.com (E-mail), P O Box 940, 93718 Kuching (Post)

NEWS

PAGE 2

EDITORIAL

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

A new auxiliary Bishop for Kuching!

Congratulations and God’s abundant blessings to Bishop Elect Simon Poh on his recent appointment by the Holy Father.

Our Archdiocese rejoices and looks forward to his wise shepherding.

Especially at a time when we are feeling discouraged by the state of affairs in our country, we need more than ever godly men and women who will help us stay on the right track.

The episcopal installation ceremony will be on 24 September, 10 am at the Perpaduan Indoor Stadium Kuching. Let us rally around and show up in solidarity and faith to pray for him.

CATHOLIC today’s THE TEAM PUBLISHER The Archbishop of Kuching ADVISOR Fr Felix Au EDITOR Stella Chin ASSOCIATE EDITOR (Chinese) Magdalene Yeo EDITORIAL TEAM Freddy Bohari (BM) Martha Ngui (English) Victoria J Lim

(English Children’s Section) James Lo (Chinese) Margaret Bong

(Chinese Children’s Section) YOUTH PAGE Benedict Lo STAFF Audrey Yu

Anniversary and end of Gawai celebrations MUKAH — On 28 June, about 300 Catholics attended the 110th Anniversary Community Gathering and Ngiling Bidai 2015 at St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Mukah.

The rector, Fr Joseph Sebastian and Fr Simon Lau, parish priest of St Bernard’s Church, Dalat graced the auspicious occasion and partook in the potluck dinner.

In his speech, Fr Joseph invited the Catholics in the area to join him in serving the Catholic community in Mukah.

“It is the responsibility of each one of us to develop the spiritual and religious aspects of the Catholic community in the area,” he said.

The middle-aged priest, also called upon the

parishioners to be with him especially in reaching out to the colourful community of the area.

“As we live in the colourful society, we have to maintain and preserve the existing cordial relationship with those from other religious backgrounds in the area,” he added.

Among the activities lined up for the evening were the karaoke singing and poco-poco dance.

The cutting of anniversary cake

by Fr Joseph and Fr Simon was the highlight of the programme.

During the Ngiling Bidai session the priests and others joined in the Ngajat Dance including Iban song karaoke.

As usual, the rolling of the mat or ngiling tikar followed, symbolising the closing of the Parish’s Gawai Dayak Festival.

JOYOUS CELEBRATION ... Fr Joseph blowing out the candles on the anniversary cake while Fr Simon (to the left of Fr Joseph) and other guests look on.

Among those present at the function were the St Peter & St Paul’s Church

Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Chairman, Dominic Aseng Edal, St Bernard’s Church PPC

Chairman, Peter Lai Sakul, and the members of the PPC. Harapi Charles

St Ann’s feast day grandly celebrated KOTA PADAWAN — The feast day of St Ann was celebrated with joy and excitement in St Ann’s Parish, Kota Padawan.

The celebration began with the novena to St Ann, which started on 15 July at St Ann’s Church and ended on 24 July in Kpg Begu.

In addition, every respective Zones under the jurisdiction of St Ann’s Parish had various activities arranged, leading up to the grand celebration on 25-26 July. These activities included St Ann’s Feast Day Pre-Sale and colouring contest by the Children Liturgy group, to mention a few.

The Thanksgiving Mass on 26 July was the climax of the celebration. His Grace Archbishop John Ha presided over the Mass together with Fr

THANKSGIVING ... (Left) Archbishop John Ha presiding at the Mass with Fr Gerard Victor and Fr John Wong; (Right) A warm welcome with traditional dance for the Archbishop and the priests to the Feast Day Sale Gerard Victor OFM and Fr John Wong OFM. During the Mass, the two thousand strong parishioners witnessed 365 prayer leaders renewing their promises before Archbishop John Ha. 73 guests from Singapore and Kuala

Lumpur were also present.

Before the Mass concluded, the Archbishop launched the project ‘My Junior Contribution’, a project for school children to contribute towards raising funds for the new church building. The prelate

urged parents to encourage their children to save up for the new church.

The parish hoped to raise RM200,000.00 through ‘My Junior Contribution’ project by 31 December.

After Mass, Archbishop

John Ha joined the crowd in the Sale which was held in the compound of St Lukas Centre.

89 stalls were set up where food, drinks, vegetables, local delicacies as well as religious articles were on sale.

Grace Amy (Translated)

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

NEWS

PAGE 3

Carmelite Prioress: Mother Mary was responsible for my vocation

MIRI — “I entered the Order of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in 1987, after working for five years as a primary school teacher” said Mother Mary Philomena, prioress of the Carmelite Monastery in Miri.

The Carmelite Monastery held an election on 29 July and Mother Philomena was re-elected prioress for a threeyear term. This is her second term.

“Since I was very young, even when I was attending Cardinal Vaughan Primary School in Song, I had experienced a deep desire within me to become a Sister,” said the soft-spoken and demure Mother Philomena.

“At that time I didn’t even know the word ‘religious Sister’ and its meaning. I used to pray alone in St Herbert Church, in front of the statue of Mother Mary. So with confidence I say, Mother Mary was the one greatly responsible for my vocation”.

Mother Philomena grew up in Song, the youngest daughter of John Imak ak Tuloi and Anna Jerama ak Jemat who were farmers. “I have five sisters and I am the youngest” said Mother Philomena. “They

(Top) Mother Mary Philomena, newly elected prioress of the Carmelite Monastery, Miri love me very much even before I became a Carmelite Nun. And now their love for me is doubled”.

Being a prioress comes with great responsibilities. Mother Philomena is responsible not only for the Sisters’ physical well-being but also for their spiritual need and growth. “This is of course beyond my ability to know and to tackle, but I entrust each and every one of them totally to Mother Mary’s loving

Mother Mary Philomena (second left) with the Bishop of Miri Richard Ng and her Carmelite community

care,” said Mother Philomena modestly. “She knows each one of them and since she is full of grace, she would guide them with her unfailing help”.

As a Carmelite community spiritual growth is strengthened through participation of annual retreat and monthly community retreat.

“Community life is a great paradox. You get your sanctification within the community, if you surrender and

Finding God in a hectic life: The two ways of St Ignatius KUCHING — On 19 July, the talk on “Finding God in a hectic life” by Jesuit Father Paul Pollock from Seven Fountains Retreat Centre, Chiang Mai, attracted about 300 people, almost filling the Carmelite Chapel to full capacity.

This talk for the lay people was organised in conjunction with the Year of Consecrated Life. Prior to that, Fr Paul gave a seminar and recollection for the religious in the archdiocese.

Fr Paul spoke on how to discover God in the ordinary and hectic life of people.

He began by briefly recounting the life and conversion of St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Through the Godexperience of St Ignatius, Ignatius wrote the Spiritual Exercises which became the basis for Ignatian spirituality.

Fr Paul then explained the first of the two ways which is the Examen that can be practised simply by anyone to find God every day. Quoting from Jesuit paleontologist,

GOOD TURNOUT ... Jesuit Fr Paul Pollock (inset) giving tips to 300 people on how to find God in their hectic lives Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, “For those who know how to look, God can be found even in the profane,” he clarified that if we can put into practice the Examen, God can be found everywhere.

Fr Paul elaborated on the prayer using five steps which can be easily followed.

The second of the two ways is Ignatian contemplation. It is a method of prayer made famous

by Ignatius of Loyola using the imagination to pray a scripture passage.

This kind of prayer is personal because God speaks to each one

of us in our own situation and time. By putting ourselves in the scene of the Bible passage, we make ourselves present to God in our individual way too.

Fr Paul also gave the method to pray using Ignatian contemplation in easy to follow steps, namely, three preludes, three points or sides of a prism, and three conversations (with Mary, Jesus and God the Father).

It is hoped that through this talk, more people in Kuching will be exposed to Ignatian spirituality.

Fr Francis Lim, SJ

accommodate yourself to the Carmelite ways and customs of each community. If you are not able to do so, you won’t be able to withstand the community life,” said Mother Philomena.

“We shared the joy and sorrows of each other”.

“Our mission is to pray for the Church, for the Pope, the Bishops, the priests, all the faithful and also for those who haven’t got any knowledge of religion or God,” said the

Prioress.

Lack of vocation is one of the challenges faced by the newly re-elected prioress.

She hoped that through prayer God would bring in more vocations. To the new vocations she encouraged them to submit willingly and to take instruction readily for she believed “when you submit to simple thing, God will use you for greater thing”.

Sophia Soo

Dual anniversary celebration

Fr Paul Herry (3rd from right, front row) and Fr Arockyaraj (4th from right, front row) posing with some guests SERIAN — A dinner was as Fr Raj, is a Claretian priest held on 8 July to celebrate from India. He was ordained on two anniversaries: the 12th 8 July 2002 in Kumbakonam, anniversary of priestly Tamil Nadu. He has served in ordination of Fr Paul Herry and various parishes in India.

Fr Raj began his ministry the 13th anniversary of Claretian in Serian since April 2014 and Fr Arockyaraj CMF. About 60 members and their has been very well received spouses from the Parish Council by the local community. He is and the parish lay organisations currently the spiritual director of the parish Legion of Mary, attended the auspicious event.

Fr Paul Herry, who hailed Parish Youth Ministry and the from Kpg Mapu, Mongkos, was Vocation Team.

The two jubilarians thanked ordained priest on 5 July 2003.

Before his appointment as the everyone for the dinner, rector of St Theresa’s Parish, the love and support shown Serian in 2014, he served in Bau towards them. and Sri Aman.

Joseph Then Fr Arockyaraj, fondly known

PAGE 4

NEWS

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

CWS Lenten Appeal report KUCHING — The Catholic Welfare Services Council Sarawak (CWS) is pleased to report a total collection of RM584,042.38 for its Annual ITEM

Lenten Appeal this year.

The amount is a two percent (2%) increase from last year’s collection of RM569,510.91.

SOURCES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

FROM CHURCHES St Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching St Peter’s Church, Padungan Holy Trinity Church, Kenyalang St Stephen’s Church, Bau St Theresa’s Church, Serian Blessed Sacrament Church, BDC St Ann’s Mission, Kota Padawan St Mark’s Church, Batu Kawa Sacred Heart Church, Kota Sentosa Holy Spirit Church, Lundu St Jude’s Church, Bunan Gega Chapel of Mother Mary, Stutong Carmelite Chapel, Kuching Queen of Peace, Sri Aman St Peter’s College

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

FROM SCHOOLS St Joseph’s Private Secondary School St Joseph’s Private Primary School St Jude’s Kindergarten SMK St Joseph Secondary School SK St Teresa Primary School, Kuching Catholic English Primary School, Kuching SMK Sg Tapang, Kota Sentosa Lodge Group of Schools SJK Sam Hap Hin, Kota Sentosa SMK St Teresa Secondary School, Kuching St Theresa’s Kindergarten, Kuching SK St Joseph Primary School SK Batu Lintang SK St Paul, Kuching TOTAL

AMOUNT 2014

AMOUNT 2015

119,703.00 95,929.40 65,353.00 70,000.00 37,032.00 38,032.00 28,359.00 15,963.00 14,004.00 18,233.00 13,000.00 6,910.00 11,307.54 4,152.65 619.16 538,599.75

114,307.85 73,643.90 71,590.80 70,000.00 44,802.00 43,714.90 33,190.35 23,790.00 14,394.65 13,422.00 13,305.00 12,963.38 12,829.82 4,350.00 773.00 547,077.65

7,713.00 1,521.15 1,370.10 4,281.00 1,910.00 2,969.00 1,460.00 2,469.00 2,804.91 497.00 830.00 2,112.00 318.00 653.00 30,911.16

9,025.00 8,066.00 2,563.00 2,461.90 2,379.00 2,310.00 2,095.00 2,085.00 1,636.40 1,424.43 1,406.00 1,163.00 350.00 0 36,964.73

569,510.91

584,042.38

CWS would like to thank all the contributors for their generosity and support in caring for the poor and needy.

To-date, a sum of RM140,000.00 has been disbursed for the running of Home of Peace and another amount of RM264,630.00 channeled to the poor and needy through the five Conferences of St Vincent de Paul namely, St Ann’s Kota Padawan (RM35,000.00), Holy Spirit Lundu (RM30,000.00), CWS committee for 2015 – 2016 with Archbishop of Kuching (seated 3rd right), Bishop of Miri (seated 2nd left) and St Joseph’s Kuching MsgrWilliam (seated extreme right) (RM50,000.00), St Stephen’s Bau (RM92,330.00) and St Theresa’s Serian William Sabang as their Spiritual Director.

(RM57,300.00). It is expected the other parishes The new committee line-up is as the following: will be submitting their requests for welfare grants Chairman: Dominic Ng Kim Thong later this year.

Vice-Chairman: Danice Endawie Ita For the past two years, the Lenten Appeal Honorary Secretary: Lydia Chin collection was barely enough to cover the number Asst. Honorary Secretary: Lee Siew Hoon of appeals for financial aid. However, CWS had Honorary Treasurer: Jacob Wong Wu Hing been able to provide for all the requests, thanks to Committee Members: Alice Sim the generosity of individuals and companies.

Edgar Voong This year, 10% of the total Lenten Appeal

Germaine Tan Moh Leng collection would be set aside for disaster relief

James Ting following the request by the Archbishop of

Joanna Lau Kuching that a portion of the annual collection be

John Wong Kee Sing allocated for disaster relief during the recent CWS

Valentine Harry AGM on 16 May. Co-opted Member: Dennis Sung Archbishop John Ha and Bishop Richard Ng

Denni Johiem attended the CWS AGM at ACCPC and witnessed

Peter Rusip the election of the new committee, with Msgr CWS

CLASSIFIED

PAGE 5

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015 4TH ANNIVERSARY In ever-loving memory of

HILDA LIM

who was called to be with the Lord on 22 August 2011

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord And let perpetual light shine upon her, may her soul rest in peace.

Amen Deeply missed by son, Stephen, daughter-in-law, Shirley and grandson, Isaac

12TH ANNIVERSARY

11TH ANNIVERSARY

In ever loving memory of

FRANCIS RINGOS AK RAKIP CECILIA JU’OU AK NAIN whom the Lord called to rest on 21 August 2003

whom the Lord called to rest on 7 July 2004

Sadly missed by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

14TH ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of

God, who sees everything, rewards at their proper value not only our actions but also our voluntary thoughts and purposes.

HELENA GOPAL PANJALI Born: 28 August 1931 Departed: 19 July 2002 Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace.

Amen.

Always remembered and dearly missed by children, grandchildren and all loved ones.

~ St Mark the Ascetic

12TH ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of CECELIA DENGGI AK DADAM 1931-2003

Deeply missed and always remembered by beloved husband, daughters, sons, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)

In loving memory of MICHAEL WONG NENG YUNG

20TH ANNIVERSARY

Departed on 15 June 1985

In ever-loving memory of

30 years have passed; you are still remembered by the family.

FR PETER AICHNER MHM Born: 6 July 1914 Departed: 6 August 1995 Age: 81 years

"I am the resurrection and the life."

- Jn 11:25

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

Missed by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

49TH & 13TH ANNIVERSARIES In loving memory of our beloved parents

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Deeply & lovingly remembered by the family of Theresa Yeo, Chua Boon Kwang Children: Charles, Caroline & Claudia

20TH & 13TH ANNIVERSARIES In memory of our beloved parents, grand/great-grandparents

IGNATIUS AUGUSTINE TAN ECK GEOK Departed: 17 August 1966

ETHNEA KHOO KUI GIOK Departed: 14 August 2002

PETER YEO LAI POO

Departed: 10 August 1995

ANNA SIM SIAM CHOO

Departed: 11 February 2002

Deeply missed by Maria’s & Theresa’s families and loved ones.

NEWS

PAGE 6

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

Letter to the people of God - Diocese of Melaka-Johor in view of the coming Merdeka Day [Urgent prayer needed for Malaysia]

Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change. (Laudato Si, #202)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As Christians, we cannot stand by the road side and watch things go by. We are in an unprecedented moment in our Malaysian history where all forms of decency, respect, integrity, honesty and transparency have all been pushed aside.

What prevails is unaccountability, falsehood and fear that is being promoted. Corruption and disrespect fot the Federal Constitution are being trampled upon by people who are in leadership in our government. We are sliding down the slope of morality and not acting according to principles that our country has been upholding.

As Malaysian Christians, we have to respond.

Firstly, let us all pray daily for our country.

We can come together as communities e.g.

BEC, Prayer Meetings, Rosary Devotion totally dedicated to Malaysia, etc. I would strongly recommend we organise a gathering of all language groups on our National Day 31 August.

Have a special Mass, or Adoration of Blessed Sacrament, etc. Make our National Day a day of

prayer and fasting.

Secondly, we must be aware of our rights as concerned citizens of this country. No one must doubt our total loyalty and love for King and Country. Organise awareness talks and forums with political leaders of all colours, or with NGOs (non-government organisations) who are active in helping our society to be more integrated and who promote unity and nation building.

Thirdly, let us all be prudent in words and actions. Let us always have the mind of Christ.

Our response is always to give our love and friendship, to give blessings and to be agents of unity.

Let us never forget that God is in control and he knows all, the most hidden things. Let us stand up for justice and truth, reconciliation and peace, knowing that God is with us. We stand on the promises of God. Yours in Christ, + Rt Rev Paul Tan Chee Ing, SJ 4 August 2015

A seminar and recollection for the Religious KUCHING — On 17-18 July, members of the various religious congregations in the Archdiocese of Kuching gathered at the Carmelite Chapel for a seminar and recollection in conjunction with the Year of Consecrated Life 2015.

Both events were animated by a Jesuit Father Paul Pollock from Seven Fountains Retreat Centre, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

On the first day, Fr Paul gave a seminar based on the letter from Pope Francis concerning the Year of Consecrated Life.

Religious are called to look back into their past history with gratitude, live their present with passion, and look forward with hope in spite of falling numbers.

Group sharing was done among the religious, including with the Carmelite nuns.

On the second day, besides enlightening the religious on the aims of the Year, Fr Paul also

TO LIVE WITH PASSION ... The religious at a photo call with Fr Paul Pollock, SJ gave a beautiful and meaningful each day.

A delicious lunch enjoyed sharing on the evangelical by the different communities counsels of poverty, chastity brought the two-day seminar and obedience that all religious and recollection to an end. profess.

Food was also placed at the An hour of adoration before entrance to the chapel and at the Blessed Sacrament followed. the parlour of the Carmelite The religious spent one hour of silent prayer using the pointers nuns so that they could enjoy the fellowship as well. given by Fr Paul.

Fr Francis Lim, SJ A concelebrated Mass ended

Programme line up for Ladies Guild With Compliments PALM-SPIRIT SDN BHD (668356-U)

Yoshi Square, Blk A, Unit A4-3F, No 4, Jalan Pelabuhan, Pending, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia Tel: +6 082 484789 Fax: +6 082 483789 Email: jklrufus@yahoo.co.uk

KUCHING — The Committe members of the Archdiocese of Kuching Ladies Guild for 2015-2017, led by Chairlady Mildred Yii and Advisors, Catherine Liom and Elizabeth Law made a courtesy call to the Archbishop John Ha at his office on 11 July. A light fellowship lunch followed.

The next coordinated activitiy of the Guild will be a Day Recollection at Our Lady Queen of Peace church, Sri Aman.

Guide members from nine parishes, namely St Joseph’s Cathedral, St Peter’s Church (Padungan), St Mark’s Church (Batu Kawa), St Ann’s Church (Padawan), St Stephen’s Church

FOR THE ALBUM ... Committee members of the Archdiocesan Ladies Guild with Archbishop John Ha (centre) (Bau), St Theresa’s Church (Serian), St Jude (Bunan), Holy Spirit (Lundu) and Our Lady Queen of Peace (Sri Aman) will be participating.

Fr Alvin Ng, SJ will speak on Women’s Role in Faith Formation.

Janet Brodie

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

NEWS

PAGE 7

How to be a formator : Carmelite Fr Kenneth KUCHING — “A formator is a person who is gentle, kind, understanding, forgiving, patient and willing to nurture others”, said Fr Kenneth Gopal, OCD. He said that to 45 members of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS) from Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur who attended the formation course held at Archdiocesan Curia and Cathedral Pastoral Centre from 17-18 July. The course themed ‘Rediscovering our Carmelite Identity’ was organised by the Malaysia OCDS National Council.

Fr Kenneth is the superior and novice master of the Carmelite formation house in Ponggol, Singapore. He is also the Taiwan-Singapore OCD provincial delegate to OCDS Malaysia.

As the main speaker, he gave pointers to the Secular

Carmelites on the qualities of an effective formator.

“Not everyone can be a formator,” said the Carmelite friar from Singapore. “He (or she) does not necessarily be intelligent, but need to be someone who has a gift of teaching and is able to communicate well on a personal level.”

Fr Kenneth’s talks on the origin, lifestyle, community and prayer for the Teresian Carmelite had enlightened the Secular Carmelites and deepened their understanding of its charism.

The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, or more commonly known as Secular Carmelites, is an integral part of the Discalced Carmelite Order (OCD). They share the same charism with the friars and cloistered nuns, each to his or her state of life, forming a single family of the same spirituality.

Like the friars and nuns, they

FORMATORS IN THE MAKING ... Secular Carmelites attending the formation course given

by Fr Kenneth Gopal, OCD (inset) respond to God’s call to holiness charism and spirituality of Catherine Sim at 012-8866514 and share in the mission of the Carmel in their daily life as they (Kuching), Simon Yiek at 019Church. follow Christ.

8541311 (Miri & Sibu), Steven Formation for the Secular For further information Kutai at 019-8513099 (Kota Carmelites is an ongoing about the Secular Carmelites Kinabalu) and Indra Anthony process to help them live the in Malaysia, please contact at 012-234 8243 (KL).

Jesuits provide assistance for women refugees ‘Focus on the Family’ continues victims of violence and human trafficking BANGKOK — Women refugees from Asian and African countries such as Pakistan or Somalia, reach Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. They have experienced situations of war, sexual abuse and systematic oppression. They are forced to flee, forced to pay smugglers, and very often, robbed of their few belongings are abandoned. These are the women who receive help at the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) centre in Bangkok, which runs a specific service of psychological and material assistance for women refugees. The project, Fides

learned, provides support and counselling for unaccompanied Somali and Pakistani women and girls.

“Refugee women are extremely vulnerable and most suffer sexual abuse. We try to make them feel less alone,” says Jennifer Martin, JRS psychosocial counsellor.

“After such a terrifying experience we offer them the chance to talk through the trauma. This helps to build a sense of solidarity and sharing.

The shock of being in a different culture can be overwhelming and a cause of tension, especially among older women.

Moreover women and girls face

the challenge of finding a way to make a living, for the country of arrival they are illegal immigrants, ” Martin reminds Fides in her report.

The JRS aims to build a long-term protective factor, unity among the women, awareness that being exploited by human trafficking criminals is a shared experience. Juridical difficulties are hard to solve and it is not easy for the girls and women involved to adapt to the new environment says JRS, but gradually socialisation and human relations can restore dignity and confidence.

Agenzia Fides

Representatives who made up of the Pastoral Outreach Team SERIAN — On July 9, representatives from various lay organisations of St Theresa’s parish, led by Fr Joseph Liew, unanimously adopted the idea of setting up Pastoral Outreach Team (POT).

The establishment of the team is to build up and strengthen families beset with difficult struggles in life, inline with the vision of the Archbishop of Kuching based on the ‘Pastoral Letter on the Pastoral Focus on the Family’.

To meet these needs POT has identified three main missions: to create a caring community effective in providing assistance and support to the needy; to increase cohesion of various lay ministries in the parish guided by the principles of collaboration and accompaniment; and to promote Christian discipleship as a way of life to serve God and His people through active and generous service in our community thereby transmitting and witnessing the values of the Gospel.

On this platform, POT hopes that they ‘can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples’ as Mother Teresa said. Contributed

Tomb Maker

A peaceful man does more good than a learned one.

Simon Sim See Huat 15 Nanas Road 93150 Kuching, Sarawak Tel: 082-617616 / 0138117616 Fax: 082-627616 BLESSING THE MISSION VAN ... Fr Joseph Sebastian blessed the new van of St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Mukah after the Sunday Mass on 28 June. The van is to be used for transporting members of the Prayer Group, Divine Mercy Group or the Parish Pastoral Council for their outreach to the chapels in the villages. Thereafter ten widows and widowers were taken around on the maiden ride in the van driven by Fr Joseph himself. The event was witnessed by thousands of parishioners who attended the Mass that morning.

Specialise in: Construction & Cleaning of Grave Monuments Manufacturing Gravestones imported from China, Italy

- Pope John XXIII

MMS

Education Placement

(since 1981)

Market Management Services Sdn Bhd No. E32 (2nd Floor) Taman Sri Sarawak Mall Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman 93100 Kuching Tel: 082-246 795 / 012-808 5112 Email: market@mms.com.my Website: www.mms.com.my

NEWS

PAGE 8

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

World Youth Day registration begins; Pope is first person to sign up VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis was the first pilgrim to sign up for World Youth Day to be held in Krakow, Poland, launching the opening of registration.

Accompanied by two Polish teenagers who wore World Youth Day 2016 T-shirts, the pope had to make a couple of attempts pressing the screen of a tablet before his online registration went through.

“There. With this electronic device I have signed up for the day as a pilgrim,” he told thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square on 26 July for his Angelus address.

The Pope said, “I wanted to be the one to open registration” in front of everyone gathered for the Angelus and in the company of two teens on the day sign-ups began.

The celebrations on 26-31 July 2016 will come during the Holy Year of Mercy, which Pope Francis proclaimed to invite people to follow the merciful example of God, the Father.

World Youth Day “will be, in a certain sense, a jubilee of youth” during the holy year, as its theme is also about being merciful toward others, the Pope

said.

God’s merciful power through Jesus “heals every ill of body and spirit,” the Pope said before praying the Angelus.

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading, St John's account of the multiplication of loaves and fish, Pope Francis said the story shows how the disciples tried to find a “market”-based solution by calculating how much money they would need to feed the large, hungry crowd that had gathered by the Sea of Galilee.

“But Jesus substitutes the logic of buying with another logic, the logic of giving” when he points to the generous gift offered by the boy, Andrew, who offered to give all that he had: five small loaves and two fish.

Even though people could not see how such a small contribution could make a difference, “God is able to multiply our tiny gestures of solidarity and let us participate in his gift,” the Pope said.

Jesus offers “fullness of life for those who hunger. He satisfies not only material hunger, but also that deeper hunger – the hunger for meaning in life, the hunger for God,” Pope Francis said.

Complaining does nothing to solve

the many problems in life, “but we can offer that little we have like the boy in the Gospel,” he said.

Everyone has some kind of talent or skill as well as time, he said. “If we are willing to put them in the Lord’s hands they will be enough so that there will be

a little bit more love, peace, justice and above all joy in the world.” — CNS Registration for World Youth Day Krakow 2016 can be made at the official website: www.krakow2016.com

Continued from p1

Laudato sì a “universal voice” in defense of creation

Residing in Johor Bahru, Malaysia and the capital city of the State of Johor, Fr John Wong operates in the three countries of South-East Asia.

In particular, in Singapore he is active against human trafficking and the protection of women sex slaves.

Previously he studied architecture, but he abandoned his career preferring to become – as he likes to say – a builder “of people and communities in the Church.”

Fr Wong says the papal encyclical incorporates “modern political realities and business practices, the rights of the poor, social media and travel, consumerism and technology, genetic modification, and trafficking of human and endangered species. The encyclical

“We are inter-related, and we are called to lives of deeper communion and of fuller harmony” - Fr John Wong, OFM views these areas and more, through the lenses of philosophy, theology, spirituality and moral reason”.

Fr Wong says the Pope’s message “has a relevance greater than just the loss of plant and animal biodiversity in our primary rainforests and in our oceans. It is a reminder that as human beings, we are more interdependent on each other than we may care to admit”.

“This profoundly resonates with the core Franciscan value of universal

fraternity. St Francis of Assisi recognised that if there is only one God, who is Creator and Father of us all, then every human being and every creature is in fact brother and sister. We are inter-related, and we are called to lives of deeper communion and of fuller harmony”.

Analyzing the text, the cleric said that “the recognition of the goodness and beauty” are “an integral part” of creation. “We live in a world – he says – where everyone and everything bears the

imprint of the Divine Word, through whom everything that exists was called into being”. The teachings present in the encyclical, can be applied “to how each of us lives and to the daily choices we make, including the ways in which we relate to each other within the family of God”.

Finally, the priest recalls the passages in which Bergoglio cites the catechesis of St John Paul II (2002) and references to St Bonaventure, a Franciscan theologian. In the act of creation, says Fr Wong, God has written a precious book, “through which we can meet God and his love in the mystery of the Incarnation.”

AsiaNews

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

FEATURE

PAGE 9

Year of Consecrated Life

This is the fifth of the series on the religious congregations in the Archdiocese of Kuching in conjunction with the Year of Consecrated Life 2015, 30 November 2014 - 2 February 2016. The first was on the Franciscan Sisters of Sarawak in the February 2015 issue, the second on the La Salle Brothers in the March 2015 issue, the third on the Carmelite nuns in the April issue, and the fourth on the Claretians in May issue.

THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS Some priests, all brothers (Part 3)

On A Mission: The Parish Ministry of the Friars in Kuching Recently, the Sacrament of Confirmation was celebrated twice in the parish, with Archbishop of Kuching administering the sacrament to more than 300 candidates!

The Friars Arrive In the period between 1999 and 2000, Friars Arul Sagayaraj and Joseph Nasanathan, OFM arrived in Kuching in response to the invitation which the then Archbishop of Kuching, Dato’ Sri Peter Chung had extended to the Custody. They assisted Fr Simon Poh in his ministry. In the early part of 2000, Fr Joseph Lee OFM joined the band, followed shortly by Friar Joseph Goh OFM, both of whom are Sarawakians. These friars worked in the parish on a ‘trial’ basis, in order to allow the friars and the Archdiocese to further understand and respect each other’s needs.

Thereafter, Friars Anthoni Selvaraj, Kenny Anthonysamy and Michael Goh OFM also arrived, and though not officially appointed to the parish, they proved invaluable in assisting the parish in great and little ways. Fr Alban Mitchell OFM, a well-known and much-loved Australian friar from the Province of the Holy Spirit, who was in Singapore in the 1980s, was also a member of the community from 2001 to 2004.

It was only in 2001 that an official contract was signed between the friars and the Archdiocese of Kuching.

A Special Moment On the feast of the Epiphany, the 7th of January 2001, the Franciscan Friars of the Custody of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei were entrusted with the pastoral care of the parish of St Ann, Kota Padawan, a semi-rural parish situated 10 miles away from the city of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. At a Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, in the presence of the then Auxillary Bishop Rt Rev John Ha and the Minister Provincial of the Province of the Holy Spirit, Friar Stephen Bliss OFM, Fr Simon Poh, the rector of St Ann’s handed the care of the parish to Friar Arul Sagayaraj OFM, the first Franciscan rector of St Ann’s. In his homily, the Auxillary Bishop mused that “the handing over of the parish to the friars will be an ongoing process of pastoral care of the friars for the parishioners of St Ann.” It was an historical moment for the Custody, for it was the first time that the friars branched out from Singapore and accepted an offer by the Archdiocese of Kuching to care for some 16,000 parishioners.

A Little History St Ann began as an outstation mission of St Joseph’s Church (at present St Joseph’s Cathedral) in the late 1940s. The Archdiocese of Kuching had not yet existed. The first pioneer to start this mission was Fr Harry Van Erp, a Mill Hill Missionary who began his work of evangelisation to villages such as Semeba, Seratau, Tijirak and Simpok. His initial efforts to these villages have borne much fruit, as they now boast hundreds of Catholic families. Fr Harry also saw to the education of poor children, who became future evangelisers of their own villagers. By then, mission sponsored schools were also built.

In 1963, another Mill Hill by the name of Fr Tepstra engineered the idea of building a parish house or a presbytery, based at “10th Mile” — a bazaar with a sprinkling of settlements — which would serve as a base for the priests to work. There was no church built, as the structure would act mainly as a working base. A chapel was constructed within the presbytery, which met with the needs of the priests to pray and conduct small-scaled weddings. Thus, St Ann’s Mission was born.

By the 1970s, 30 outstations had been established, and by the 1980s, the number increased to 40. By the 1990s, the Catholic population around the Mission had grown so rapidly that a hall had to be constructed to cater to Sunday Masses which were celebrated once a month due to the shortage of priests. An open-air prayer hall in the style of a Bidayûh Meeting House was built. Locally known as a ‘baruk’, it now serves as a make-shift Church to an ever-growing population. To date, St Ann’s Mission cares for 45 villages, 14 schools and more than 10 housing estates, with a population of 18,167 Catholics. An average attendance at Sunday Masses in the ‘baruk’ clocks at approximately 2500 people.

At Present The friars are actively engaged in different ministries in Kuching. At St Ann’s, the majority of the faithful whom the friars serve are Bidayûhs and Ibans, with some Chinese and Indian parishioners. The main languages used for the celebration of the Eucharist, devotional prayers and the administration of the Sacraments range from English and Bahasa Malaysia to Bidayûh Biatah and Iban… no small feat! While six Masses are celebrated over every weekend in 3 mass centres, with St Ann as the main centre (with Sunset Mass in English and two Sunday Masses in Bahasa Malaysia and a Chinese Mass in the evening), the friars travel most days of the week to the villages and schools to celebrate the Eucharist.

Apart from the celebration of Masses and the Sacraments, the parish friars are also involved in many faith formation activities, as well as contributing to the Archdiocese of Kuching and the local congregation of Franciscan sisters.

Contact the Franciscan Friars in Kuching: Gereja Katolik St Ann Pasar Batu 10, Kota Padawan 93250 Kuching Sarawak Tel: 082-611757 / 082-610308

or

St Francis of Assisi Friary PO Box 1291 93726 Kuching Sarawak Tel: 082-613929 End

FOCUS

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TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

Message for Bible Sunday 2015

How

do we INTERPRET the Bible as Catholics today? (Part II)

Each year, the Church gives special emphasis to the Word of God by celebrating Bible Sunday.

This year, Bible Sunday falls on 12 July. Today’s Catholic presents a two-part reflection by Regional Biblical Commission. Part I was published in the July 2015 issue of Today’s Catholic.

The following article is based on the section entitled The Interpretation of Sacred Scripture in the Church from VERBUM DOMINI, the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI on THE WORD OF GOD IN THE LIFE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH and is offered for your reflection, prayer and action for BIBLE SUNDAY 2015 by the Regional Biblical Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei.

An authentic process of interpretation is never purely an intellectual process but also a lived one, requiring full involvement in the life of the Church, which is life “according to the Spirit” (Gal 5:16)

O

DANGERS ne danger that the Bible is seen only as a historical book, dealing with the past without recognising that it is just as valid today. It has a message for our own time!

Another danger is looking at it with a secularised mentality without the eyes of faith. For example, when a divine element is present, it is explained away and reduced to the human element. In this way, it denies the historicity of the divine element. This can be harmful to the life of the Church because it casts doubt over fundamental mysteries of Christianity and their historicity.

However it is important that we remember that biblical interpretation or exegesis “is truly faithful to the proper intention of biblical texts when it goes not only to the heart of their formulation to find the reality of faith there expressed, but also seeks to link this reality to the experience of faith in our present world” (Verbum Domini 37). The Word of God is active and alive. It is addressed to each of us in the here and now of our lives.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENTS We should also consider the relationship between the Old and the New Testaments.

The New Testament itself acknowledges the Old Testament as the Word of God and thus accepts the authority of the Sacred Scriptures of the Jewish people. The New Testament often uses the same language and frequently refers to passages from the Old. It explicitly acknowledges them by citing many parts of them as a basis for argument. The New Testament is seen as fulfilling the Old Testament but this must be seen in the following terms: • a basic aspect of continuity, as seen in the New Testament use of typology.

Hebrews 11:17-19 which concerns the sacrifice of Isaac leading to God receiving him back. In the light of v. 19: “God was able to raise men from the dead”, God raising Isaac to life is a typology of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection from the dead.

• an aspect of discontinuity, with regard to the institutions of the Old Testament.

For instance, the High Priesthood of Christ in the Letter to the Hebrews is seen as being radically different from the Old Testament priesthood.

• an aspect of fulfilment and transcendence. We see this in Jesus quoting Isaiah as he sets out his mission in Luke 4:18-19.

DIFFICULT PASSAGES There are “dark” or difficult passages of the Bible that we have to contend with – some of these contain violence and immorality. What we have to remember here is that biblical revelation is progressive; God’s plan is manifested progressively and it is accomplished slowly, in successive stages. Despite their weaknesses, God chose the people of Israel and patiently worked to guide and educate them. We must understand the cultural and moral level of a very different period from our own where instances of violence and massacre were not denounced. Here we need to allow qualified experts to help us understand the different contexts and look beyond to see the underlying message of God. ECUMENISM Interpreting the Bible also involves our relations with other Christians. The unity of God’s people, which the ecumenical movement seeks to restore, is profoundly based in Scripture. By listening, sharing and meditating together on the Scriptures, we experience a real, albeit incomplete communion. This spurs us on towards the dialogue of charity and enables growth in the dialogue of truth.

CONCLUSION In conclusion, the saints stand out as the best examples to us today as persons who have truly lived the word of God. They let themselves be shaped by the Word of God through listening, reading and meditation, allowing themselves to be “good soil” in which the divine sower planted the Word.

May the Word bear within us fruits of holiness, “thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold” (Mk 4:20).

The full text of Verbum Domini may be seen at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_benxvi_exh_20100930_verbum-domini.html

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTIONS 1. How does being a Catholic affect the way I interpret the Bible?

2. Look at the readings this Sunday. What is the connection between the First Reading and the Gospel? Can you see: a) continuity, b) discontinuity, c) fulfillment?

3. How do I approach difficult passages in the Bible?

End

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

FOCUS

PADI SEEDS

Give thanks!

I climbed Mt Singai, the spiritual home of the Singai Bidayuh in Borneo.

I had climbed it twice before, some years previously, but, this time the 1007 steps were almost too much for me and, at one point, I felt I might have to give up. However, my two seminarian companions urged me to stop and rest awhile and then together we finished the rest of the climb and reached the top. We were not alone in climbing the Singai – there were up to a thousand people altogether climbing with us – for we were climbing to remember and celebrate the 130th anniversary of the first Mill Hill Father to climb the mountain and begin the long process of bringing the Gospel to the Bidayuh, who lived there. As the Society Representative of Mill Hill in Malaysia, I was expected to take part, and so, drenched with sweat and out of breath as I was when I arrived, I was given a great welcome and was pleased to be there with them all at the place where the Gospel was first preached in that region.

I cannot say that we actually followed in the footsteps of Father Felix Westerwout or those other early Mill Hill men, because we climbed a fairly recent wooden plank-walk of 1007 steps, whereas, 130 years ago, those first missionaries scrambled up the earthen face of the mountain – but, at each step I took, I marvelled at the love and service, in the hearts of those early Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM), which prompted and sustained them and the Sisters, the Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph (FMSJ), who later joined them in their mission. They came, they climbed that very steep mountain and despite the rather hostile reception they received, they stayed – not only for a day, like me, but for years. They built a place to live, they started a small school and sought to reach out, in any way they could, to help improve the life of the Bidayuh – for the Gospel is a message

Mt Singai of “life” and we preach it by whatever helps people live more richly.

The Mass was presided over by Fr Sepp Schmolzer, a Mill Hill Father, who had worked in that area for ten years and had helped inspire the construction of the Catholic Pilgrimage and Memorial Centre. He now works in Rome, but during the Mass, Mr Vincent Eddy, the Chairman of the Committee of Memorial Centre, welcomed him “home” and then went on to speak of what the coming of the missionaries

PAGE 11

Fr Terry Burke is a Mill Hill Missionary, who has served in Sarawak, Indonesia, India and England.

Currently, he is a resident lecturer at St Peter’s College and also assigned to do formation work in the Archdiocese.

Today’s Catholic thanks him for sharing his rich pastoral reflections in his column ‘Padi Seeds’.

Fr Sepp Schmolzer MHM (centre) presiding at the celebration Mass for the 130th anniversary of Christianity in Singai meant to the Bidayuh. He spoke of the suffocating paganism that enveloped the Bidayuh, in those days; a paganism, which held the people enslaved through a fear of black magic and prevented any advance in education, medicine or farming. It was the coming of the missionaries and the faith in Jesus Christ they brought, which gave the people the courage to reject the beliefs that had held them enthralled for so long and embrace the Gospel and the education and new life that it brought them. Those small schools begun by the Fathers, and continued by the Sisters, began to open up the people to new ways of living, ways freed from fear, ways which have now led, as Vincent Eddy said, to the Bidayuh nation being among the most educated of the peoples of Sarawak, with many professional men, doctors, lawyers, teachers and priests among them. They are a people, who through the Gospel, have learnt to live; a people who are now themselves helping bring life to others.

The Memorial Mass had a wonderful atmosphere of celebration – celebration of the Christianity that the people hold dear and the possibilities of living which that brought them, but it was also a celebration of deep gratitude for the courage and determination of those missionaries, who brought them that gift of life. This was almost tangible, when the congregation sang, as a thanksgiving hymn after communion: “Give thanks with a grateful heart”. They sang it with joy, they sang it with gratitude and also some with tears in their eyes – and as the words of the hymn rose up among the great trees that still cover the Singai, I imagined them being carried by the Lord back through time to the day when that first young priest was struggling to climb the hill. I imagined the Lord using the fervour of that hymn

and the gratitude it embodied to touch the heart of that young priest – tired and frightened as he must have been – urging him to go on. I imagined the singers calling out to him: “Go on, we need you to climb! Don’t give up; we need the faith you are bringing us. You will not see the fruit of your labours, but we now have a freedom that we would never have had if you not had the courage to climb. So – go

He sends out a blog each week.

If you would like to receive it, please email him at terrylburke@gmail.com. the prayers and thanksgiving of future generations do reach out backwards across time urging us to do those things which will bring them the Gospel, bring them life. The memory of that great hymn of thanksgiving that rose up from the congregation on Mt Singai on that Sunday inspires me to listen for “the

It was the coming of the missionaries and the faith in Jesus Christ they brought, which gave the [Bidayuh] people the courage to reject the beliefs that had held them enthralled for so long... on, climb and ‘Thank you!’”

I know that that young priest would not have been aware that it was the Christians of the future, who were calling out to him, encouraging him not to give up. All he would have been aware of was that something was urging him on, urging him to climb that hill in the face of the fear and uncertainty, which must have filled his heart. It is because of our faith in “the Communion of Saints” that I think it possible that that was how the Lord gave him the inspiration and grace to climb.

That train of thought led me on to think about the inspirations and thoughts that sometimes fill our hearts today, thoughts which gently urge us on to some love and service, the results of which we may never see. All we are aware of is the prompting, but maybe that “urging” is someone from the future whispering in our hearts – “Go on, dare to do it, we need you!” Maybe,

angel voices” calling me to climb the mountain I see before me now, no matter how hopeless it may seem. He did it on the Singai, I must believe that he is also doing it now!

Fr Terry Burke

PAGE 12

FEATURE TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015 Forgiveness and grace in tragedy

by Effie Caldarola

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart gave us a memorable quote about pornography. He couldn’t define it, he said in 1964, “but I know it when I see it.”

In an entirely different realm, I feel the same way about grace. It’s impossible to explain grace, (although the Catechism of the Catholic Church gives a try), but we know it when we experience it.

Americans experienced grace this past June. When nine South Carolinians were gunned down at a Bible study grace was made manifest in the forgiveness offered to the killer by the victims’ families.

College student Chris Singleton said he forgave Dylann Roof, his mother’s alleged killer, just a day after Sharonda Coleman-Singleton was fatally shot.

Families of the others murdered at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church followed suit, saying they would pray for Roof.

What could explain this generosity besides grace? Roof later made the heartbreaking comment that he almost didn’t follow through with the killings because everyone at the Bible study group was so nice to him.

In 2006, we saw a similar outpouring of grace when 10 girls were murdered in an Amish school in Pennsylvania, and the Amish community found it in their hearts to forgive.

Not coincidentally, both tragedies occurred within strong faith communities. It’s certainly possible

Q&A

Q A

for a single person to forgive, but how much more does the grace of community sustain and inspire us as we forgive? It’s a lesson for our society. We need each other. Faith lives in community and is often where grace manifests.

Forgiveness isn’t easy. I struggle with forgiveness. In light of the South Carolina killings, I’m embarrassed to think of the petty things I fail to forgive.

I can conjure up old injustices from years back and let them poison an otherwise beautiful day. I can seethe about the person who cuts into line ahead of me, or dwell on an insult.

Forgiveness isn’t a magic bullet to make hurt and anger disappear, but the grace that brings forgiveness offers us a way toward healing.

In my work for death penalty repeal, I meet people who have grappled with forgiving large hurts.

For some, Jesus – who looked down from the brutality and pain of the cross and asked God to forgive his tormentors – is the model to follow. That act of love bestowed grace not only on his executioners but provided Jesus himself with release and consolation.

In the wake of the massacre in Charleston,

Forgiveness isn’t a magic bullet to make hurt and anger disappear, but the grace that brings forgiveness offers us a way toward healing. the Rev Jonathan Newton, an AME pastor in Washington, said anger is a natural response.

“It makes some of us want to explode,” he told The Associated Press.

But forgiveness “is not about that person, it’s about you. In order for you to be free, you’ve got to let it out.”

We pray for grace as we struggle to forgive. Writer Anne Lamott says this about grace: “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”

CNS

New Testament and homosexual acts

by Fr Kenneth Doyle

I have a daughter and son-in-law who are practicing Catholics. They are in favour of gay marriage, and my son-in-law says that there is no place in the New Testament where Jesus condemns homosexual acts. So, he says, while homosexual activity may have been prohibited in the Old Testament, it is permissible in the New. Please help me to answer him.

There are several New Testament passages that speak to the immorality of homosexual acts. Among the most explicit is Romans 1:26-28, where Paul says: “God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 2357) concludes that sacred Scripture “presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity” and that “under no circumstances can they be approved.”

The fact that Jesus himself did not directly address the specific question of homosexual acts carries little weight. His intent was not to publish a compendium of moral theology; rarely does Christ address particular moral issues but focuses instead on the broader goals of love of God and love of neighbour.

As a faithful and practising Jew, Jesus accepted and lived by the moral code passed down through Hebrew tradition. Among its tenets (Leviticus 20:13) was that “if a man lies with a male as with a woman, they have committed an abomination; the two of them shall be put to death.”

In any discussion, though, of the biblical view of homosexual acts, it must always be pointed out (almost in the same breath) what the catechism is quick to add (No. 2358): “Men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies ... must

The Catechism of the Catholic Church concludes that sacred Scripture “presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity” and that “under no circumstances can they be approved.”

be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”

CNS

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

CHILDREN

PAGE 13

The Assumption

Hi Kids!

This month we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mother Mary into heaven. Wouldn’t it be nice to be in heaven with Jesus like our blessed mother? Let’s ask Mother Mary to teach us to be faithful disciples of Jesus, like she was, so we can be where she is now next time!

Aunty Jo

Looking for a sign Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

On this feast of Mary, we celebrate a special favour that God gave to Mary, our Mother.

The Assumption means that Mary was taken up into the glory of heaven not only with her soul, but also with her body.

Jesus, the Son of God was born from Mary’s pure womb.

So when Mary died, God the Father and Jesus, would not let the body of the Mother of God be spoilt. This was her reward for her love of God and her years of faithful prayers and

suffering.

Now Mary is in heaven. She is queen of heaven and earth. She is the Mother of Jesus’ Church and queen of apostles. Every time Mary asks Jesus to give us graces, he listens to her request.

After the resurrection from the dead, we, too, can go to heaven with our bodies. Our bodies will be perfect. They will not suffer illness any more. They will not need any more food and drink to keep alive. They will be beautiful and splendid!

If we use our bodies now to do good, those bodies will share in our heavenly reward.

As we celebrate the feast day of Mary on 15 August, we can ask our Blessed Mother Mary to guide, protect and care for us.

JOHN

6:35 Read John 6:24-35 Complete this wordsearch puzzle.

Then, colour the picture below.

A word to the wise

Be careful then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16

LIFE ETERNAL SIGNS RABBI

HEAVEN TRUE FILL BELIEVE

LOAVES MANNA THIRSTY LIFE

TRUTH DESERT LAKE HUNGRY

FATHER MOSES BREAD FOOD

I am the living bread Read John 6:41-51.

Find the words from the passage in this crossword puzzle.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world.”

JOHN

6:51

Can you find your way to God’s word in the Bible?

God’s protective gear

ACROSS 5. To gain knowledge through experience or study 7. To make an effort to hear something; to pay attention 8. A person who speaks for God; Isaiah, for example DOWN 1. To accept as true or real 2. For everlasting time; eternally 3. The earth with its inhabitants 4. The son of God 6. To continue to be alive

Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:11

LIVE LEARN BELIEVE LISTEN

FOREVER WORLD PROPHET JESUS

YOUTH

PAGE 14

KUCHING — About 30 students from different campuses in Kuching convened at St Joseph’s Cathedral to participate in the Carwash Fundraising on 4 - 5 July.

The students washed a total of 54 cars. The event was organised to raise funds to

cover the expenses of Malaysian Catholic Campus Students’ Day (MCCSD), which was held in Kuching from 1420 July.

The Kuching Campus Ministry (KCM) would like to thank all who have in one way or the other supported this cause.

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

KUCHING — 14-21 July saw 162 campus students all over Malaysia convened at Kuching to participate in the camp themed ‘Be witnesses of Christ in your Campus Life - Called, Chosen and Sent’ (Acts 22:15). Four priests, three religious sisters, 13 Youth Ministers and nine volunteers from different dioceses were also present.

The camp started with an Opening Mass presided over by His Grace Archbishop John Ha of the Archdiocese of Kuching. Worth a mention was on 18 July, the students were sent to Cheshire Home, Sentosa Hospital, Sarawak General Hospital, SK St Andrew, Home of Peace (HOPE) and Kpg Seratau for mission.

During the Solidarity Night on 19 July, the students presented some items for entertainment. His Grace Archbishop Julian Leow, Fr Felix Au, Fr Sunny Chung, Fr Gregory Chan, Fr Larry Tan, SJ and some seminarians were present to show their support for the students.

His Grace Archbishop Julian Leow from Kuala Lumpur presided over the Concluding Mass on the last day. The camp ended after the photo session with the priests, Sisters and volunters.

The Malaysian Catholic Campus Students’ Day was a platform where campus students

KUCHING — 18 July saw the Young Christian Students (YCS) having fun in their annual telematch in SMK St Joseph.

The event was held to promote the KYCS initiative among students from various schools. Instilling leadership and teamwork was also one of the objectives of the telematch.

The teacher-in-charge Madam Sii Siaw Zin supervised the event. The seniors, previous YCS members from all over Kuching also contributed towards the success of the telematch.

gathered and shared experiences, concerns in their campuses and built networks among them. In addition, the students were made aware of their religious rights in their respective campuses through AUKU, college / university constitution and the Malaysian Constitution.

Dina Firuana

A total of 79 participants took part. They were from SMK St Joseph, St Joseph’s Private School, SMK Batu Lintang, SMK Batu Kawa, MRSM Kuching, SM Lodge, SMK Green Road, SMK Jalan Arang and SMK Kuching High respectively.

A total of four Game Stations were set up for the first half of the telematch. A manhunt was conducted for the second half. A photography session followed. The water balloon war ended the fun-filled event.

Jordan Ku (SMK St Joseph)

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

BETONG — The 6th KAYD 2015 Roadshow was held at Holy Family Chapel, Betong on 2526 July. 27 from Kuching comprising the Promotion and Marketing team and Parish Youth Ministers and 17 persons from St Jude Bunan, Gega joined the roadshow.

For the first evening, they joined the Betong youth in the Taizé prayer led by Deacon Robert Jissem. The programme ended at 9.30 pm with a final blessing by Fr Martin Wong.

The KAYD Roadshow started the next day at 8.00 am with a Morning Prayer led by Nina Gordon, one of the KAYD coordinators. The programme continued with an ice breaking session led by the Promotion and Marketing team.

Cyril, another KAYD coordinator, introduced KAYD to all present.

Lucy Gumek presented a short video about Faith to more than 30 youth with the parents.

She then led them to reflect on their faith; on how firm they have been in their faith and how they have put Jesus in their lives.

YOUTH

The roadshow ended with a Youth Mass at 10.30 am presided over by Fr Martin Wong and assisted by Deacon Robert Jissem. During the entrance procession, PYM St Jude Bunan handed over the KAYD 2015 cross to PYM Our Lady Queen of Peace, Sri Aman.

This KAYD roadshow was held at Holy Family Chapel, Betong so that all the youth from Skrang and Seratok could congregate in Betong.

If the roadshow were held in Sri Aman, youths from Skrang and Seratok would face logistics and transport problems.

The upcoming roadshow will be held at St Joseph’s Cathedral on 9 August at 1.30 pm. The KAYD cross will be handed over by PYM Our Lady Queen of Peace, Sri Aman to the city parishes. It is the last roadshow before the actual Youth Day celebration begins.

Be Blessed!

Vallencia Mae Laweng KAYD’15 Promo & Marketing Team

KUCHING — A Minister’s Retreat was organised by the Empowered Ministry from 17 - 19 July at the Borneo Tribal Village, Kpg Apar, Bau. It was attended by about 80 youths who are a part of the Empowered Ministry service teams.

The 3 day 2 night Minister’s Retreat provided a time away from the distractions in life; It created the opportunity for the ministers to pause, discern and nurture their spiritual life and their relationships with those around them.

The ministers were recharged through a fruitful time spent with God and cherished the time spent with the community. Blessed with speakers from the teaching team, the ministers were encouraged on the importance of having a good relationship with one another and most importantly with God when they are called to serve His Kingdom.

Throughout the retreat, the ministers discovered themselves and one another’s love languages so that they can come to understand themselves and one another better. They also practiced being truthful and genuinely affirmed one another, which helped to form better relationships in the community. On Saturday evening, the ministers enjoyed each other’s

PAGE 15

company over barbeque and spent an intimate time sharing their encounters with God as they testified God’s greatness through their life stories.

God has indeed touched many ministers’ lives at this retreat. It was a great gateway where closer relationships were built through the sessions, games, leisure mingling and through teamwork as teams took turns to prepare and serve meals as well as clean up thereafter. Praise God for such a wonderful opportunity where everyone is blessed in their own ways.

Here are some of the ministers’ experience at the Minister’s Retreat: “Most of all, I really felt loved! So much love that I was happy all the time. Thought it was tiring but the joy was just so overwhelming, being with friends, sharing, singing, enjoying God's wonderful creations like the stars.” – Flora Mujan Jaya “Everyone presented that same act of selfless love towards one another that accommodated the ever growing family of Empowered.” – Iain Bong "If God can create something so beautiful like this night sky, imagine what He can do in your life. We all agreed on that". That is when my love for God got deeper. – Gabriel Chong Kelvin Chan & Catherine Lee

PAGE 22

FOKUS

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

Pesanan Hari Minggu Alkitab 2015 (Bahagian II)

Sebagai seorang Katolik

Bagaimanakah

kita mentafsir Alkitab pada masa ini?

Artikel berikut adalah berdasarkan kepada seksyen yang bertajuk Tafsiran Kitab Suci di dalam Gereja dari VERBUM DOMINI, Gesaan Apostolik Pasca Sinode Paus Benedict XVI tentang FIRMAN ALLAH DALAM HIDUP DAN MISI GEREJA dan diberikan untuk renungan, doa dan tindakan anda pada HARI MINGGU ALKITAB 2015 oleh Komisi Alkitab Serantau Konferensi Para Uskup Malaysia-Singapura-Brunei.

S

BAHAYA alah satu bahaya ialah Alkitab dilihat hanya sebagai buku sejarah, berkaitan dengan masa lampau tanpa menyedari bahawa ia juga berguna pada hari ini.

Ia juga mempunyai mesejnya yang tersendiri untuk masa kini!

Satu lagi bahaya ialah mengkajinya dengan pemikiran duniawi tanpa mata iman.

Sebagai contoh, apabila unsur ilahi hadir, ia dijelaskan secara terkeluar makna dan direndahkan hanya kepada unsur manusia. Dengan cara ini, ia menafikan sejarahannya dalam unsur ilahi. Ini boleh membahayakan kehidupan Gereja kerana ia membawa keraguan ke atas asas misteri Kristianiti dan kesejarahannya.

Walau bagaimanapun, adalah penting untuk kita ingat bahawa tafsiran Alkitab atau eksegesis “benar-benar setia dengan makna sebenar teks-teks alkitab bila ia bergerak bukan sahaja ke pusat formulasi mereka untuk mencari realiti iman yang dinyatakan, tetapi juga bertujuan untuk mengaitkan realiti ini kepada pengalaman iman dalam dunia kita sekarang” (Verbum Domini 37). Firman Allah adalah aktif dan hidup. Ia ditujukan kepada kehidupan kita di sini dan pada masa ini.

KAITAN ANTARA PERJANJIAN LAMA DAN BARU Kita juga perlu mengambil kira kaitan antara Perjanjian Lama dan Baru.

Perjanjian Baru itu sendiri mengakui Perjanjian Lama sebagai Firman Tuhan dan dengan itu menerima wewenang Kitab Suci bangsa Yahudi. Perjanjian Baru sering menggunakan bahasa yang sama dan sering merujuk pada petikan dari Perjanjian Lama. Ia dengan jelas mengakuinya dengan memetik banyak bahagian darinya sebagai asas untuk berhujah. Perjanjian Baru dilihat sebagai memenuhi Perjanjian Lama tetapi ini perlu dilihat dalam syarat-syarat berikut: • Aspek kesinambungan asas, seperti yang dilihat dalam penggunaan tipologi Perjanjian Baru. Ibrani 11:17-19 berkenaan dengan korban Ishak yang membawa kepada Allah menerima dia kembali dalam terang ayat 19:. “Allah berkuasa membangkitkan orang-orang sekalipun dari antara orang mati”, Allah mengangkat Ishak kepada kehidupan adalah tipologi pengorbanan Yesus dan kebangkitan dari antara orang mati.

• Aspek ketidaksinambungan, berkenaan dengan institusi dalam Perjanjian Lama. Sebagai contoh, Keimamatan Agung Kristus dalam Surat kepada orang Ibrani dilihat sebagai berbeza dari keimamatan Perjanjian Lama.

• Aspek pemenuhan dan transenden. Kita melihat ini dalam Yesus memetik Yesaya ketika Dia memulakan misi-Nya dalam Lukas 4:18-19.

PETIKAN YANG SUKAR Terdapat petikan “gelap” atau sukar dalam Alkitab yang kita terpaksa hadapi - beberapa darinya mengandungi unsur keganasan dan tidak bermoral. Apa yang kita perlu ingat di sini ialah wahyu Alkitab adalah progresif; Rancangan Tuhan dimanifestasikan secara progresif dan ia disempurnakan secara perlahan-lahan, secara berperingkat-peringkat dengan berturut-turut. Walaupun terdapat kelemahan, Allah memilih bangsa Israel dan sabar berkarya untuk membimbing dan mendidik

mereka. Kita mesti memahami tahap budaya dan moral dizaman yang sangat berbeza daripada masa kita sendiri di mana kejadian keganasan dan pembunuhan beramai-ramai tidak dikecam. Di sini kita perlu membenarkan pakar-pakar yang berkelayakan untuk membantu kita memahami konteks yang berbeza dan melihat jauh untuk melihat apa yang mendasari mesej Allah.

EKUMENSIME Mentafsirkan Alkitab juga melibatkan hubungan kita dengan umat Kristian lain.

Kesatuan umat Allah, yang mana mahu dipulihkan oleh gerakan ekumenikal, secara mendalam berasaskan Kitab Suci. Dengan mendengar, berkongsi dan bermeditasi bersama-sama pada Kitab Suci, kita mengalami persekutuan sebenar, walaupun persekutuan yang tidak sempurna. Ini mendorong kita ke arah dialog kasih dan membolehkan pertumbuhan dalam dialog akan kebenaran.

KESIMPULAN Kesimpulannya, orang-orang kudus menonjol sebagai contoh terbaik bagi kita hari ini sebagai orang-orang yang telah benar-benar menghidupi Firman Allah.

Mereka membiarkan diri mereka dibentuk oleh Firman Allah melalui mendengar, membaca dan meditasi, membenarrkan diri mereka menjadi “tanah yang baik” di mana penabur ilahi menanam Firman.

Semoga Firman menghasilkan dalam diri kita buah-buah kekudusan, “ada yang tiga puluh kali ganda, ada yang enam puluh kali ganda, ada yang seratus kali ganda” (Markus 4:20).

Teks penuh Verbum Domini boleh dilihat di: http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_benxvi_exh_20100930_verbum-domini.html

SOALAN UNTUK REFLEKSI: 1. Bagaimanakah kita sebagai seorang Katolik mempengaruhi cara kita mentafsir Alkitab?

2. Lihatlah bacaan Hari Minggu ini. Apakah kaitan antara Bacaan Pertama dengan Injil? Bolehkah anda melihat a) kesinambungan, b) ketidaksinambungan, c) kepenuhan?

3. Apakah pendekatan saya terhadap petikan-petikan yang sulit dalam Alkitab?

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

IMAN DAN HIDUP

PAGE 23

Peranan kita dalam membentuk biografi insan lain Oleh Bill Dodds Sejak beberapa bulan yang lalu, saya mula membaca pelbagai jenis biografi dan buku bukan fiksyen.

Saya telah membaca tentang Jeneral Tentera Amerika Syarikat pada zaman Perang Dunia Kedua Lucian Truscott dan pelakon ‘Animal House’ John Belushi.

Ia adalah menarik untuk melihat bagaimana ibu atau bapa atau datuk atau nenek selalunya begitu mempengaruhi kehidupan seseorang walaupun selepas ahli keluarga yang lebih tua itu sudah meninggal dunia.

Batu asas yang diletak, benih yang disemai memberi impak yang menakjubkan bagi kebaikan dan kadang-kadang bagi perkara yang tidak begitu baik.

Semua kita sudah tentulah tahu perkara ini pada peringkat tertentu. Kita sudah melihatnya dalam kehidupan kita atau bermain dalam kehidupan seorang ahli keluarga atau rakan.

Walaupun demikian, ia mungkin membantu untuk diingatkan mengenainya dari masa ke semasa.

Kita perlu ingat iaitu sama seperti bayi yang seakan-akan mempelajari bahasa menerus “osmosis”, mereka juga dapat menyerap sikap dan nilai.

Mereka meniru pendapat dan cara kita melakukan sesuatu. Mereka dapat meniru kepercayaan, titik buta, etika dan pendekatan kita kepada kehidupan.

Beberapa perkara yang kita buat memberi dorongan kepada mereka; ada juga di antaranya yang merencat mereka.

Dalam satu segi, mereka melihat diri seperti kita melihat mereka dan dapat

Lebih daripada sekadar membawa watak dalam cerita seseorang, kita membantu insan lain membentuk ceritanya sendiri.

menyayangi diri mereka sendiri seperti kita menyayangi mereka.

Bahagian sebelah pada duit syiling ini ialah memiliki anak atau cucu dapat mendorong kita untuk menjadi orang yang lebih baik disebabkan oleh matamata kecil yang melihat kita itu dan mendapat petunjuk daripada kita.

Suara hati dan minda yang masih berbentuk itu sedang menyerap apa yang kita buat dan cara kita melakukannya.

Dalam biografi yang saya telah baca, peranan yang amat penting itu tidak terbatas kepada ibu atau bapa atau datuk atau nenek. Peranan itu boleh ditetapkan oleh contoh seorang abang atau kakak, ibu saudara atau bapa saudara, guru,

Hati ke hati...

dari pena penulis jemputan,

Fr Lazarus Swinie

GPS adalah salah satu teknologi terkini yang digunakan untuk mencari arah ketika di bandar. Walaupun demikian iannya tidak semestinya tepat. Ianya perlu dikemaskini dari masa ke semasa. Itulah sebabnya ada yang mengatakan bahawa GPS – guna pun sesat. Papan tanda juga memainkan peranan yang penting untuk menunjukkan arah dan keadaan pada tempat tersebut.

Namun bertanya adalah cara yang terbaik untuk mencari tempat yang kita ingin lawati sebab bak kata pepatah, “malu bertanya sesat jalan”.

Setiap orang daripada kita

adalah pengembara. Kita samasama mengembara di bumi ini.

Tempat kediaman kita yang kekal adalah di syurga. Sebagai pengembara tentunya kita akan berhadapan dengan pelbagai peristiwa pahit dan manis. Kita juga memerlukan bekalan yang secukupnya untuk sampai ke destinasi yang dituju. Kekuatan iman mengatasi kekuatan jasmani dalam mengharungi pengembaraan ini.

Godaan duniawi sangatlah mencabar.

Kekayaan dan pangkat menjadi alat penentu kedudukan seseorang di dalam masyarakat. Kerja keras bukan lagi bekalan untuk mencapai kejayaan. Penipuan sudah

jurulatih atau mentor. Ia mungkin seorang rakan tersayang yang mendekati kita pada hujung kehidupan kita.

Dalam begitu banyak cara, baik disedari mahupun tidak, lebih daripada sekadar membawa watak dalam cerita seseorang, kita membantu insan lain membentuk ceritanya sendiri.

Dalam beberapa kehidupan itu, kita bukan memberi kesan hanya pada satu waktu yang khusus tetapi tindakan sepanjang hidup.

Tindakan ini mungkin akan dilanjutkan lewat kehidupan seorang insan. Bagi sebahagian orang, kita mungkin jawapan kepada doa yang disebut atau tidak disebut.

Sepanjang masa kita di bumi, Tuhan menghantar orang ke dalam kehidupan kita, dan Tuhan menghantar kita ke dalam kehidupan orang lain.

Tuhan memberi peluang kepada kita untuk membantu mengisi kekosongan, untuk memupuk nilai atau bakat, untuk memberi kata-kata perangsang, dorongan atau bijaksana, berdasarkan pengalaman kita.

Tuhan mempelawa kita untuk menerima bantuan daripada orang lain dan untuk memberi bantuan kepada orang lain juga. Dengan berbuat demikian, setiap daripada kita meneruskan perjalanan pulang itu kepada Bapa kita di Syurga. — CNS (Terjemahan)

Yesuslah penunjuk arah dalam kehidupan kita.

menjadi lumrah.

Pangkat dapat dibeli. Manusia menjadi bahan dagangan.

Institusi kekeluargaan terhakis dengan adanya perkahwinan sesama jentina di sesetengah negara.

Itulah antara isu-isu semasa yang sering terpapar pada surat khabar, TV dan didengar di radio dan cerita di kedai kopi.

Kita boleh memainkan peranan penting dalam menangani isu-isu tersebut. Kata rasul Paulus, “Janganlah ikut kebiasaan dunia, tetapi biarlah Allah membaharui cara kamu berfikir, sehingga kamu dapat mengetahui kehendak Allah – iaitu apa yang baik dan yang menyenangkan hati-Nya, serta yang sempurna” (Roma 12:2).

Pengembaraan kita perlulah diteruskan. Menutup mata dan telinga bukanlah jalan

penyelasaian untuk isuisu tersebut. Ianya adalah satu kenyataan yang perlu kita hadapi. Kita tidak perlu ‘menekan butang kecemasan’.

Kita cuma perlukan petunjuk arah. Yesuslah penunjuk arah dalam kehidupan kita. KataNya, “Akulah jalan untuk mengenal Allah dan untuk mendapat hidup. Tidak seorang pun dapat dapat datang kepada Bapa kecuali melalui Aku” (Yoh. 14:6).

Yesus seringkali menegur mereka yang meminta petanda yang menandakan bahawa Dia adalah benar-benar Mesias.

Mereka telah menyaksikan mukjizat-mukjizat yang telah dilakukan-Nya – orang yang sakit disembuhkan dan yang mati dibangkitkan. Seperti mereka juga, segelintir daripada

kita seringkali mencari-cari tanda di langit dan di bumi.

Mereka mencari tanda-tanda Yesus di merata tempat sedangkan ianya sudah diberikan kepada kita melalui sakramen. Iman adalah satusatunya jawapan kepada pencarian kita. Kata Yesus, “Bertaubatlah daripada dosa kamu dan percayalah kepada Berita Baik ini!” (Mk. 1:15) ataupun ”kamu semua akan binasa seperti mereka” (Lk 13:5).

“Akulah cahaya bagi dunia. Orang yang mengikut Aku tidak akan berjalan dalam kegelapan, tetapi beroleh cahaya yang memberikan hidup” kata Yesus (Yoh. 8:12).

Marilah kita mengikut Yesus agar kita dapat sampai ke destinasi kita dengan selamat.

BERITA

PAGE 24

Paus: Keluarga memerlukan doa, belas kasihan, keberanian, termasuk daripada sinod GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — Jika pun saranan pastoral untuk membantu keluarga Katolik yang bermasalah kelihatan seperti menimbulkan skandal pada mulanya, ada kemungkinan Tuhan dapat menggunakan saranan itu untuk membawa penyembuhan dan kekudusan, kata Pope Francis.

Ketika menggalakkan dan meraikan kehidupan keluarga di satu ibadat Misa pada 6 Julai lalu di Guayaquil, Pope Francis meminta jemaat berdoa untuk Sinod Uskup-uskup mengenai keluarga pada Oktober, dan beliau mengaitkan sinod tersebut dengan Jubli Belas Kasihan, satu perayaan sepanjang tahun yang akan bermula pada Disember.

Sinod itu adalah waktu bagi Gereja untuk “memperdalamkan kearifan rohaninya dan menimbang penyelesaian konkrit kepada banyak cabaran sukar dan signifikan yang dihadapi keluarga pada zaman kita”, kata paus.

Merayakan Misa bersama sejuta orang yang berhimpun di bawah matahari panas di Taman Los Samanes, Pope Francis meminta mereka “berdoa dengan tekun untuk hasrat ini, supaya Kristus dapat mengambil apa yang malah mungkin kelihatan tidak suci, menimbulkan skandal atau mengancam kita, dan mengubahnya – dengan menjadikannya sebahagian daripada ‘waktu’ Tuhan – menjadi mukjizat. Keluarga pada hari ini memerlukan

mukjizat ini!”

Paderi Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi selaku jurucakap Vatikan memberitahu pemberita Pope Francis tidak merujuk kepada mana-mana saranan khusus yang dibincangkan menjelang sinod; antara cadangan pastoral yang paling kerap dibahaskan – dan yang paling biasa – adalah untuk membentuk satu proses atau “laluan pertaubatan” bagi orang Katolik yang sudah bercerai dan berkahwin semula secara sivil dan mahu menerima Komuni tetapi belum menerima pembatalan perkahwinan.

Paus, kata Father Lombardi, berharap sinod itu “akan mencari jalan untuk membantu orang beralih daripada situasi dosa kepada situasi rahmat”.

Pope Francis mengakui tentang penderitaan dan harapan orang muda yang tidak mengalami kebahagiaan dan kasih sayang di rumah, “ramai wanita, sedih dan sepi”, yang tertanya-tanya bagaimana kasih sayang mereka “terlepas”, dan warga emas yang rasa tersisih.

Dalam sebuah keluarga, “tiada yang ditolak; semua ada nilai yang sama”, katanya, dan memberitahu hadirin iaitu apabila beliau bertanya kepada ibunya sendiri mengenai anak yang mana satu di antara lima orang anaknya yang ibunya paling sayangi, ibunya akan berkata mereka umpama lima jarinya: semua adalah penting dan jika satu jari cedera, kesakitan adalah sama seakanakan jari lain juga cedera.

CNS (Terjemahan)

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

Indonesia membuat kemajuan dalam isu kebebasan beragama ROM — Indonesia, negara dengan penduduk majoriti Islam paling ramai di dunia, kini mengalami tempoh kemajuan berkat usaha kerajaan Presiden Joko Widodo; musim keterbukaan dan kemajuan dalam isu-isu hak asasi manusia dan kebebasan beragama.

Walaupun berlaku beberapa insiden keganasan yang dikaitkan dengan kumpulan pelampau Islam yang “kecil tetapi begitu bising” – gambaran yang diberikan kepada Vatican Insider oleh Uskup Agung Bandung, Johannes Pujasumarta bagi mereka – kemajuan yang nyata sudah dicapai dari segi pendekatan global oleh institusi awam dalam usaha memupuk iklim keharmonian dan toleransi.

Maka itu adegan-adegan yang telah menggegarkan beberapa tempat di negara itu sejak beberapa hari lalu boleh mengelirukan.

Seperti apa yang dijelaskan oleh Nunsio Apostolik ke Indonesia, Msgr Antonio Guido Filipazzi, dalam satu wawancara dengan Vatican Radio, ketika beliau mengulas mengenai siri keganasan yang didorong oleh sentimen keagamaan baru-baru ini (sumber tempatan bercakap mengenai satu kematian dan kerosakan yang berlaku kepada dua bangunan gereja dan sebuah masjid), ini adalah episod-episod yang dramatik tetapi terpencil, dan iklim toleransi mengatasi segalanya”.

Amaran yang dikeluarkan oleh kerajaan semalam bertujuan untuk mencegah keganasan selanjutnya, jelas Msgr Filipazzi.

Hakikat pada umumnya

sejak setahun lalu, harapan sudah meningkat di kalangan masyarakat agama minoriti di Indonesia bagi kawalan keselamatan yang lebih ketat dan iklim toleransi yang lebih baik.

Di bawah kepimpinan sederhana Joko Widodo, masyarakat seperti komuniti Ahmadi dan komuniti Kristian telah mengalu-alukan rang undang-undang baharu yang melindungi semua masyarakat beragama.

Rang undang-undang itu dikemukakan oleh menteri hal ehwal agama baharu, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, yang telah dipuji bagi pendekatannya yang inklusif dan pluralistik dan berhasrat untuk “memastikan masyarakat agama minoriti dilindungi daripada penindasan”.

Satu lagi peruntukan yang sudah diluluskan dan disahkan oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri Tjahjo Kumolo mempunyai matlamat yang sama.

Peruntukan itu memansuhkan syarat bagi kad pengenalan kerakyatan untuk menyatakan agama seseorang itu.

Bukan sahaja warga negara dapat mengosongkan bahagian ini tetapi pengikut agama peribumi dapat menyatakan kepercayaan mereka dengan terbuka di dalam kad pengenalan

mereka. Perkara yang di belakang itu adalah signifikan.

Pegawai tempatan tidak perlu memaksa warga negara – seperti apa yang berlaku pada masa lalu – untuk menganuti satu daripada enam agama yang diiktiraf secara rasmi: Islam, Katolik, Protestan, Hindu, Buddha dan Confucius.

Menteri berkenaan memaklumkan sebuah pejabat khusus akan diwujudkan untuk memastikan dasar ini dilaksanakan sepenuhnya.

Walaupun ia dikemukakan sebagai “peruntukan pentadbiran”, langkah kerajaan itu merupakan satu langkah ke depan bagi kebebasan beragama di Indonesia.

Seperti apa yang diperhatikan oleh beberapa sarjana, kewajiban untuk memilih di antara enam agama rasmi telah bertahun-tahun mendorong jutaan warga Indonesia untuk memanggil diri mereka sebagai “Muslim” di atas kertas tetapi mengikuti kultus tradisional dalam amalan.

Menghapuskan kewajiban ini dapat mengubah dengan radikal wajah landskap keagamaan di Indonesia pada hari ini.

Vatican Insider (Terjemahan)

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6.00 pm 7.00 pm

7.30 pm 10.30 pm 11.30 pm

Pendaftaran Tayangan Layar (Slideshow) Perkongsian (Sharing) Misa Kudus (Bahasa Inggeris) oleh Fr Gerard Victor OFM Makan malam Puji & Sembah Tarian Pembukaan Live with the Spirit Concert Cabutan tiket bertuah Tamat

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TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

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PAGE 25

Uskup Auksilier baharu untuk Kuching!

Tahniah dan berkat Tuhan yang melimpah bagi Bakal Uskup Simon Poh di atas pelantikannya baru-baru ini oleh Bapa Suci.

Keuskupan agung kita bersukacita dan mengalu-alukan penggembalaannya yang bijaksana.

Terutamanya pada waktu kita rasa gundah dengan keadaan hal-ehwal negara, kita memerlukan lebih daripada

selama ini lelaki dan wanita salih yang akan membantu kita untuk sentiasa berada di landasan yang betul.

Bakal Uskup baharu akan ditabal secara rasmi pada 24 September jam 10.00 pagi di Stadium Perpaduan Kuching.

Marilah kita merapatkan barisan dan hadir dalam solidariti dan keimanan untuk mendoakannya. (Terjemahan)

CATHOLIC today’s THE TEAM PENERBIT Uskup Agung Kuching PENASIHAT Fr Felix Au EDITOR Stella Chin EDITOR BERSEKUTU (B Cina) Magdalene Yeo SIDANG EDITOR Freddy Bohari (BM) Martha Ngui (B Inggeris) Victoria J Lim (Halaman Kanak-kanak B Inggeris) James Lo (B Cina) Margaret Bong (Halaman Kanak-kanak B Cina) HALAMAN BELIA Benedict Lo STAF Audrey Yu

Katekis Sibu “bersantai bersama Ulang tahun kepaderian ke-17 Friar Gerard Tuhan”

SINGAI, Bau — Pada 6-10 Julai lalu, seramai 12 orang katekis dari Keuskupan Sibu berkampung di Pusat Peringatan dan Ziarah Katolik (CMPC) untuk menghadiri pemukiman atau retret tahunan mereka.

Tema pemukiman tersebut ialah “Bersantai bersama Tuhan”.

Seperti di kebanyakan retret, ia bertujuan untuk membangkitkan semula tenaga dan semangat juang para katekis bagi menyampaikan Firman Tuhan kepada umatNya. Di retret tersebut, para katekis disarankan untuk mencermin diri masingmasing dengan pengalaman para nabi di dalam Perjanjian Lama kerana suka-duka yang merekat tempuhi sekarang pernah dialami para nabi.

Setelah berakhirnya retret, para katekis menyatakan betapa puasnya hati mereka kerana mereka merasakan benar-benar telah bersantai

Victor OFM

PENDAKIAN YANG BERBALOI ... Para katekis dari Keuskupan Sibu yang menghadiri retret tahunan meraka di CMPC merakamkan rasa terima kasih dengan Tuhan. kepada pihak Jawatankuasa Dengan penyampaian CMPC Singai dan Kesukupan yang mudah dan diselitkan Agung Kuching kerana dengan pengalaman paderi membenarkan mereka untuk pembimbing, retret tersebut menggunakan tempat tersebut ternyata amat berharga. dan menyediakan paderi Penat lelah mendaki Gunung pembimbing bagi mereka.

Singai amat berbaloi.

Sumbangan Para katekis juga ingin

Kaunseling Krisis Kehamilan Kumpulan Pro-Life menyediakan: + Kaunseling Krisis Kehamilan - Secara peribadi atau melalui telefon - Sulit dan rahsia + Maklumat berkenaan kehamilan dan jahat pengguguran + Tempat berteduh + Sokongan satu dengan satu semasa dan selepas kehamilan + Bantu mengatur pengambilan anak angkat sebagai satu alternatif kepada pengguguran Hubungan kami Telefon: 082-413454

E-mel: kprolife@gmail.com

Atau datang ke Pejabat Pro-Life: Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre, 1st Floor, Lot 2500, Jalan Stampin, 93350 Kuching Laman web: http://www.prolifegroupkuching.org

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT ULANGTAHUN! ... Fr Gerard Victor OFM memotong kek ulang tahun bersama komiti Pesta Anna KOTA PADAWAN — Pada Turut hadir adalah jemaat 23 Julai lalu, Rektor Paroki St dari Kpg Seratau serta Ann, Friar Gerard Victor OFM kampung berdekatan dan juga telah menyambut ulang tahun ahli-ahli jawatankuasa Pesta pentahbisannya yang ke-17 Santa Anna yang diketuai sebagai paderi. pengerusinya Patrick Lomas.

Majlis untuk meraikan ulang Doa Novena kepada Santa tahun beliau diadakan selepas Anna diadakan sebelum Misa beliau merayakan Misa Kudus Kudus sebagai persediaan di Chapel St Francis Xavier, untuk menyambut Pesta Santa Kpg Seratau pada sebelah Anna 2015 oleh Paroki St Ann. malam hari berkenaan.

Sumbangan

Banyak perkara yang perlu mengubah haluan, tetapi lebih daripada semuanya, kita manusia yang perlu berubah.

(Laudato Si, #202)

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Panjatkan Kesyukuran!

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

BENIH-BENIH PADI Fr Terry Burke ialah seorang mubaligh Mill Hill yang pernah berkhidmat di Sarawak, Indonesia, India dan England. Buat masa sekarang, beliau adalah pensyarah di Kolej St Peter selain ditugaskan kepada kerja pembentukan di Keuskupan Kuching.

Today’s Catholic ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Fr Burke kerana membahagikan renungan dan pengalaman pastoral yang kaya di dalam ruangan ini yang bertajuk Benihbenih Padi.

Gunung Singai

Fr Sepp Schmolzer MHM (tengah) merayakan Misa sempena ulang tahun ke - 30 agama Kristian di Singai Saya telah mendaki Gunung Singai, tempat asal rohani bagi suku kaum Bidayuh Singai di Borneo.

Saya pernah mendakinya sebanyak dua kali pada masa lalu, beberapa tahun sebelum ini, tetapi kali ini 1007 anak tangga di sana hampir terlalu sukar bagi saya dan, pada satu detik, saya rasa saya mungkin perlu berhenti.

Bagaimanapun dua teman seminarian saya menggesa agar saya berhenti dan berehat seketika dan kemudian kami sama-sama menamatkan pendakian dan sampai ke puncak.

Bukan kami sahaja yang mendaki Gunung Singai – seramai seribu orang pada keseluruhannya mendaki bersama kami – kerana kami mendaki untuk memperingati dan meraikan ulang tahun ke130 Paderi Mill Hill pertama yang mendaki gunung tersebut dan memulakan proses yang lama untuk membawa Injil kepada orang Bidayuh yang tinggal di sana.

Sebagai Wakil Persatuan Mill Hill di Malaysia, saya memang dijangka mengambil bahagian, dan oleh yang demikian, dalam keadaan basah kuyup kerana peluh dan tercungap-cungap ketika saya tiba, saya diberi sambutan yang hangat dan saya gembira kerana berada di sana bersama semua mereka di tempat di mana Injil pertama kali diwartakan di daerah tersebut.

Saya tidak dapat mengatakan kami benar-benar mengikuti jejak langkah Paderi Felix Westerwout atau lelakilelaki Mill Hill awal yang lain, kerana kami menaiki 1007 anak tangga yang diperbuat daripada kayu yang agak baharu, sedangkan 130 tahun yang lalu, mubaligh-mubaligh

yang pertama mendaki lereng gunung yang curam – tetapi, dengan setiap langkah yang saya ambil, saya kagum dengan kasih dan khidmat, di dalam hati paderi MHM awal, yang mendorong dan memelihara mereka dan golongan Sister, iaitu perkumpulan FMSJ, yang kemudian menyertai mereka dalam misi mereka.

Mereka datang, mereka mendaki gunung yang sangat curam dan walaupun menerima sambutan yang tidak mesra, mereka tinggal di sana – bukan hanya untuk sehari sahaja, seperti saya, tetapi selama bertahun-tahun.

Mereka membina tempat tinggal, mereka memulakan sebuah sekolah kecil dan cuba menjalin hubungan, dengan apa jua cara yang mereka dapat, untuk membantu memperbaiki kehidupan penduduk Bidayuh – kerana Injil adalah pesan “kehidupan” dan kita mewartakannya dengan apa jua yang membantu orang untuk hidup dengan lebih kaya lagi.

Ibadat Misa dipimpin oleh Paderi Sepp Schmolzer, seorang Paderi Mill Hill, yang pernah bekerja di kawasan itu selama 10 tahun dan membantu mengilhamkan pembinaan Pusat Peringatan dan Ziarah Katolik (Catholic Pilgrimage and Memorial Centre).

Beliau sekarang bekerja di Rom, tetapi semasa ibadat Misa, Vincent Eddy selaku Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pusat Peringatan, mengalu-alukan “kepulangan” beliau dan kemudian bercakap mengenai makna kedatangan golongan mubaligh berkenaan kepada masyarakat Bidayuh.

Beliau bercakap mengenai fahaman jahiliah yang menyelubungi masyarakat Bidayuh pada zaman itu; fahaman pagan, yang membelenggu orang menerusi

ketakutan kepada ilmu hitam dan menghalang sebarang kemajuan dalam pendidikan, perubatan atau pertanian.

Kedatangan mubaligh dan kepercayaan kepada Yesus Kristus yang mereka bawa memberikan masyarakat di sana keberanian untuk menolak kepercayaan yang sudah memukau mereka sekian lama lalu menerima Injil serta pendidikan dan kehidupan baharu yang dibawanya kepada mereka.

Sekolah-sekolah kecil yang dimulakan oleh golongan Paderi terbabit, dan diteruskan oleh golongan Sister, mula membuka masyarakat di sana kepada cara hidup baharu, cara yang bebas daripada ketakutan, cara yang kini sudah menjadikan kaum Bidayuh, seperti apa yang disebut oleh Vincent Eddy, antara kaum-kaum paling berpendidikan di Sarawak, dengan ramai golongan profesional, doktor, peguam, guru dan paderi di kalangan mereka.

Mereka adalah kaum yang sudah belajar untuk hidup menerusi Injil; kaum yang sekarang membantu memberikan kehidupan kepada orang lain.

Misa Peringatan itu diselubungi suasana perayaan yang indah sekali – meraikan agama Kristian yang amat disayangi masyarakat di sana serta kemungkinan dalam kehidupan yang dibawanya kepada mereka, tetapi juga meraikan kesyukuran yang mendalam di atas keberanian dan keazaman mubalighmubaligh tersebut, yang membawa anugerah kehidupan kepada mereka.

Ini hampir dapat dirasai, ketika jemaat bernyanyi, sebagai lagu kesyukuran selepas komuni: “Give thanks with

a grateful heart” (Panjatkan kesyukuran dengan hati yang berterima kasih).

Mereka menyanyikannya dengan sukacita, mereka menyanyikannya dengan kesyukuran dan ada juga mata yang bergenangan air mata – dan apabila kata-kata lagu itu naik di tengah-tengah pokokpokok tinggi yang masih merimbuni Gunung Singai, saya membayangkan mereka dibawa oleh Tuhan ke masa silam kepada hari ketika paderi muda pertama bertungkus-lumus mendaki gunung itu.

Saya membayangkan Tuhan menggunakan semangat lagu itu dan kesyukuran yang dilambangkannya untuk menyentuh hati paderi muda itu – dalam keadaannya yang pasti letih dan takut – dan menggesanya untuk meneruskan perjalanan.

Saya membayangkan para penyanyi menyeru kepadanya: “Teruskan, kami memerlukan kamu untuk mendaki! Jangan berputus asa; kami memerlukan kepercayaan yang kamu bawa kepada kami. Kamu tidak akan melihat hasil kerja kamu tetapi kami sekarang memiliki kebebasan yang kami tidak mungkin miliki jika kamu tidak ada keberanian untuk mendaki.

Maka itu – teruskan, daki dan ‘Terima kasih!’”

Saya tahu paderi muda itu tidak mungkin sedar bahawa ia adalah jemaat Kristian pada masa depan yang berseru kepadanya dan menggalakkannya untuk tidak berputus asa.

Apa yang beliau sedari ialah ada sesuatu yang mendorongnya untuk terus maju, yang mendorongnya untuk mendaki gunung itu walaupun berdepan dengan ketakutan dan ketidakpastian yang pasti

memenuhi hatinya.

Ia adalah kerana kepercayaan kita kepada “Persekutuan Para Kudus” yang membuatkan saya merasai bahawa itu adalah cara Tuhan memberikan inspirasi dan rahmat kepadanya untuk mendaki.

Pola pemikiran itu membuatkan saya berfikir tentang inspirasi dan fikiran yang kadang-kadang memenuhi hati kita sekarang, fikiran yang dengan lemah lembut mendorong kita untuk mempamerkan kasih dan khidmat, dengan hasilnya yang kita mungkin tidak akan lihat.

Apa yang kita sedari adalah dorongan itu, tetapi mungkin “gesaan” itu adalah seseorang dari masa depan yang berbisik di dalam hati kita – “Teruskan, beranilah melakukanya, kami memerlukan kamu!”

Mungkin doa dan kesyukuran generasi pada masa depan tidak mengunjur ke belakang merentasi masa untuk menggesa kita agar melakukan perkara yang akan membawa Injil kepada mereka, yang membawa kehidupan kepada mereka.

Memori lagu kesyukuran yang hebat itu yang bangkit daripada jemaat di Gunung Singai pada hari Ahad berkenaan mendorong saya untuk mendengar “suarasuara malaikat” yang menyeru kepada saya untuk mendaki gunung yang saya lihat di hadapan saya sekarang, tidak kira betapa ia kelihatan tidak begitu berguna.

Beliau melakukannya di atas Gunung Singai, saya mesti percaya beliau juga sedang melakukannya sekarang!

(Terjemahan)

TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

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Paus lantik Father Simon Poh sebagai Uskup Auksilier Kuching KUCHING — Pada 9 July lalu, Bapa Suci Pope Francis telah melantik Father Simon Poh Hoon Seng untuk menjadi Uskup Auksilier bagi Keuskupan Agung Kuching, dan memberikannya takhta titular Sfasferia.

Father Simon Poh dilahirkan pada 15 April 1963 di Sri Aman dan seterusnya dibaptis pada 13 November 1979 di Katedral St Joseph, Kuching.

Beliau menerima latihan seminari di Seminari Utama Kolej St Peter, Kuching, ditahbis menjadi paderi pada 31 Julai 1988, dan diinkardinasikan di Keuskupan Agung Kuching.

Sejak pentadbisannya, beliau telah berkhidmat dengan memegang jawatanjawatan pastoral dan akademik seperti berikut: 1988-1991: Paderi Pembantu di Paroki Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Sri Aman 1991-1993: Paderi Pembantu di Paroki St Stephen, Bau 1993-1994: Paderi Pembantu Paroki di Katedral St Joseph, Kuching 1994-1996: Memperolehi Tauliah dalam Misiologi serta Diploma Komunikasi Sosial di Universiti Urbaniana Kepausan di Rom, Itali 1997-2000: Paderi Paroki di Misi St Ann, Kota Padawan 1997-sekarang: Pensyarah Luar bagi Misiologi, Penginjilan di Asia, Pelayanan Pastoral dan Komunikasi Sosial di Kolej St Peter, Kuching 2001: Belajar bahasa Cina di Universiti Fu Ren, Taiwan (enam bulan) 2001-2006: Pembimbing Panggilan dan bertugas sepenuh masa dalam pelayanan-pelayanan belia dan kampus 2002-2013: Pembimbing Rohani bagi seminarian di Kolej St Peter, Kuching 2003-present: Canselor Keuskupan Agung Kuching, Ahli Majlis Penasihat dan Majlis Kewangan Keuskupan Agung 2006-present: Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pembangunan Manusia dan Misi 2007-present: Pengarah Persatuan Misi Kepausan di Keuskupan Agung Kuching 2012-present: Paderi Paroki di Katedral St Joseph, Kuching

Jualan berjaya tetapi lebih banyak dana diperlukan

May 2015: Memperoleh ijazah Doktor Falsafah dalam Pelayanan di Graduate Theological Foundation, Indiana, USA. Ketika dihubungi akhbar tempatan, Bakal Uskup Simon Poh berkata beliau menerima pelantikan ini dalam semangat ketaatan dan khidmat yang rendah diri untuk gereja tempatan.

Beliau memanjatkan kesyukuran kepada Tuhan, dengan memetik ayat-ayat dari Surat St Paul kepada jemaat di Efesus 3:20-21 “Bagi Dialah, yang dapat melakukan jauh lebih banyak dari pada yang kita doakan atau fikirkan, seperti yang ternyata dari kuasa yang bekerja di dalam kita, bagi Dialah kemuliaan di dalam jemaat dan di dalam Kristus Yesus turun-temurun sampai selama-lamanya.”

Misa Kudus bagi Pentahbisan Keuskupan akan dirayakan pada 24 September jam 10.00 pagi di Stadium Perpaduan, Petra Jaya.

Lebih 5000 orang Katolik dari paroki-paroki bandar dan luar bandar dalam Keuskupan Agung, kira-kira 100 uskup dan uskup agung serta paderi dijangka hadir untuk meraikan uskup baharu bagi Keuskupan Agung ini.

Misa Pentahbisan itu juga akan disiarkan secara langsung dalam YouTube oleh Jawatankuasa Komunikasi Sosial Keuskupan Agung.

Maklumat mengenai siaran langsung itu akan disediakan di dalam laman sesawang Keuskupan Agung (http://www.kuchingcatholic.org) dan Facebook (www.facebook. com/arch.kuching).

Majlis makan malam kesyukuran bagi meraikan Uskup baharu akan diadakan pada petang hari yang sama di Dewan Masyarakat, Jalan Padungan.

Perayaan berganda bagi gereja di Mukah

UNTUK GEREJA ... Beberapa orang pengunjung di salah satu gerai yang menjual sayur-sayuran LUNDU — Pada 4 Julai lepas, Pada hari jualan, sebanyak Paroki Holy Spirit Lundu telah RM21,039.30 berjaya dikumpul hasil mengadakan Hari Jualan Tahunan di daripada jualan barangan oleh setiap Gereja Holy Spirit, Lundu. gerai.

Tema hari jualan tersebut adalah Pada acara yang sama, Ahli Dewan “Membeli dan Berhibur Sambil Undangan Negeri (ADUN) N2 Opar, Menderma”.

Ranum Mina turut memberi sumbangan Acara tersebut disertai seluruh selaku wakil rakyat sebanyak RM100,000 jemaat Paroki Holy Spirit dan kira- selain sumbangan peribadi sebanyak kira seribu orang telah datang untuk RM5,000 kepada dana pembangunan memeriahkannya. bangunan baru Gereja Holy Spirit, Acara dimulakan dengan doa Lundu. pembukaan oleh Rektor Paroki Father Menurut Fr Lazarus Swinie, jumlah Lazarus Swinie dan ucapan alu-aluan keseluruhan dana terkini adalah sebanyak oleh Sylvester Diaz.

RM1,762,779.35 dan kos keseluruhan Selain menyediakan gerai-gerai pembangunan gereja baharu adalah RM5 jualan barangan, nyanyian karaoke, juta. penyerahan sumbangan kewangan Sumbangan kewangan untuk dana daripada wakil rakyat serta penyerahan pembangunan gereja baru Paroki Holy kupon makan malam paroki kepada Spirit daripada umat amat dialu-alukan. wakil-wakil gereja juga telah diadakan pada acara tersebut.

Danison Manium

ULANG TAHUN ... Paderi Joseph mengetuai doa sebelum memotong Kek Ulang Tahun Gereja St Peter dan St Paul di Misa Kudus.

MUKAH — Lebih dua ribu anggota paroki menghadiri Misa Kudus yang diadakan di Gereja St Peter dan St Paul Mukah pada Ahad 28 Jun lalu.

Misa Ahad itu digabungkan dengan sambutan Hari Perayaan santo-santo penaung tersebut yang jatuh pada 29 Jun. Hari itu turut menandakan ulang tahun ke-110 gereja di Mukah.

Misa, yang bermula dengan pengiktirafan istimewa dan sejarah ringkas mengenai dua penaung gereja itu, Saint Peter dan Saint Paul, dipimpin oleh Rektor Paroki Paderi Joseph Sebastian.

Semasa Upacara Persembahan, pemberian roti dan wain diiringi tarian

tradisional oleh belia yang memakai kostum tradisional Melanau, Cina dan Dayak.

Kek ulang tahun dipotong pada hujung MIsa oleh paderi berkenaan diiringi Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Balingian Yussibnosh Balo, Pengerusi Majlis Paroki Pastoral St Peter dan St Paul, Dominic Aseng Edal,dan ahli-ahli majlis.

Ketika lagu terakhir dinyanyikan, anggota paroki mengucapkan tahniah kepada satu sama lain sempena ulang tahun gereja.

Harapi Charles (Terjemahan)

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TODAY’S CATHOLIC AUGUST 2015

Perayaan Santa Anna disambut dengan meriah

MERIAH SEKALI ... (Kiri) Uskup Agung John Ha meraikan Misa Kesyukuran bersama-sama Friar Gerald Victor dan Friar John Wong; (Atas) Uskup Agung turut melawat Pesta Jualan yang berlangsung di perkarangan Pusat Apostolik St Lukas.

KOTA PADAWAN — Pada 25 hingga 26 Julai lalu, Paroki Santa Anna telah menyambut Perayaan Santa Anna bagi tahun 2015 dengan meriahnya.

Perayaan Santa Anna bermula dengan Doa Novena kepada Santa Anna pada 15 Julai yang lalu di Gereja Paroki. Ia berakhir pada 24 Julai di Kampung Begu.

Di samping itu pelbagai aktiviti berlangsung di setiap zon yang berada di bawah naungan Paroki Santa Anna seperti Pra-Jualan Hari Perayaan Santa Anna serta Pertandingan Mewarna

oleh kumpulan Liturgi Kanak-kanak.

Pada hari kemuncak perayaan, Misa Kesyukuran diadakan pada 26 Julai yang dirayakan oleh Uskup Agung John Ha. Turut serta dalam perayaan adalah Rektor Paroki Santa Anna Friar Gerard Victor OFM, Friar John Wong OFM dan Diakon Oliver Tham OFM. Seramai 365 ketua sembahyang hadir untuk memperbaharui ikrar di hadapan Uskup Agung John Ha disaksikan lebih 2,000 jemaat termasuk 73 tetamu dari Singapura dan Kuala Lumpur.

Di akhir Misa Kesyukuran, Uskup Agung melancarkan projek terbaharu iaitu “My Junior Contribution”.

Projek ini diadakan dengan tujuan menggalakkan remaja terutamanya mereka yang masih di bangku sekolah untuk sama-sama membantu menyumbang kepada pembinaan kompleks Santa Anna.

Sasaran kutipan projek ini adalah RM200,000.00 dan akan diadakan sehingga 31 Disember 2015.

Uskup Agung menyeru agar ibu bapa membantu dan menyokong anak-anak

untuk menabung demi masa depan gereja baharu Santa Anna.

Selepas Misa Kesyukuran, Uskup Agung John Ha memeriahkan Pesta Jualan yang berlangsung di perkarangan Pusat Apostolik St Lukas, Kota Padawan.

Sebanyak 89 gerai dibuka kepada pengunjung dari sekitar Kuching dan menjual pelbagai juadah makanan, sayur-sayuran, kuih-muih dan barangan keagamaan.

Grace Amy

Laudatosì “suara sejagat” untuk membela penciptaan Laudatosi (‘Terpujilah’) merupakan surat ensiklik kedua oleh Pope Francis yang diterbitkan pada 18 Jun. Beliau menyeru kepada Gereja dan dunia agar mengiktiraf keseriusan cabaran-cabaran kepada alam sekitar dan menyertainya untuk memulakan perjalanan baharu.

SINGAPURA — Dengan menyampaikan ‘Laudato Si’ kepada audiens sejagat, Pope Francis meneruskan tradisi Pacem in Terris (1963), yang merupakan ensiklik kepausan pertama yang ditujukan bukan sahaja kepada umat Katolik, tetapi juga kepada “semua orang yang berjiwa baik”, kata Friar Franciscan, Fr John Wong, ketua Jagaan St Anthony yang meliputi Singapura, Malaysia dan Brunei.

Paderi itu mengulas mengenai ensiklik Pope Francis ‘Laudatosì’, khususnya berkaitan alam sekitar dan penciptaan, “tempat tinggal kita yang sama”.

Religius itu berkata dokumen tersebut adalah “suara naluri hati sejagat” yang memberi tumpuan kepada tiga unsur asas dalam kewujudan: “Iman, harapan dan kasih”.

Fr John Wong, yang tinggal di Johor Bahru, ibu kota negeri Johor, beroperasi di tiga negara Asia Tenggara tersebut.

Di Singapura khususnya beliau aktif membanteras pemerdagangan manusia dan melindungi hamba seks wanita.

Dahulu beliau belajar seni bina, tetapi meninggalkan kariernya kerana lebih suka menjadi – seperti apa yang beliau suka sebut – pembina “manusia dan jemaat dalam Gereja”.

Fr Wong berkata ensiklik kepausan itu bercakap mengenai “realiti politik moden dan amalan perniagaan, hak orang miskin, media sosial dan perjalanan, kepenggunaan dan teknologi, modifikasi genetik, serta pemerdagangan manusia dan spesies terancam. Ensiklik ini meneliti perkara-perkara ini dan banyak lagi, menerusi lensa falsafah, teologi, kerohanian dan sebab moral”.

Fr Wong berkata perutusan Paus “memiliki kerelevanan yang lebih tinggi berbanding sekadar kehilangan biodiversiti haiwan dan tumbuhan di dalam hutan hujan dara kita dan di dalam lautan kita. Ia adalah satu peringatan bahawa sebagai manusia, kita lebih bergantung kepada satu sama lain berbanding apa yang kita mungkin mahu akui”.

“Ini selaras sekali dengan nilai teras Fransiskan iaitu persaudaraan sejagat. St Francis di Assisi menyedari jika Tuhan itu Esa (Satu), yang juga Pencipta dan Bapa semua kita, maka setiap manusia dan setiap makhluk pada hakikatnya adalah saudara-saudari. Kita berhubung kait, dan kita dipanggil untuk menjalani kehidupan dengan kesatuan (komuni) yang lebih mendalam dan harmoni yang lebih lengkap.”

Ketika menganalisa teks itu, paderi itu berkata “mengiktiraf kebaikan dan

“Kita berhubung kait, dan kita dipanggil untuk menjalani kehidupan dengan kesatuan (komuni) yang lebih mendalam dan harmoni yang lebih lengkap.”

- Friar John Wong, OFM

kecantikan” merupakan “bahagian yang amat penting” dalam penciptaan.

“Kita tinggal di dalam dunia – katanya – di mana setiap orang dan segalanya mengandungi cap Firman Ilahi, yang menerusiNya segalanya yang wujud dipanggil untuk wujud”.

Ajaran-ajaran yang dikemukakan di dalam ensiklik itu dapat diguna pakai “kepada bagaimana setiap daripada kita hidup dan kepada pilihan harian yang kita buat, termasuk cara-cara di mana kita berhubung dengan satu sama lain dalam

keluarga Tuhan”.

Akhirnya paderi itu mengingati bacaan di mana Bergoglio memetik katekesis St John Paul II (2002) serta rujukan kepada St Bonaventure, seorang ahli teologi Fransiskan.

Dalam penciptaan, kata Fr Wong, Tuhan sudah menulis buku yang tidak ternilai, “dan menerusinya kita dapat bertemu dengan Tuhan dan kasihNya dalam misteri Inkarnasi”.

AsiaNews (Terjemahan)

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