CATHOLIC today’s
A monthly publication of the Archdiocese of Kuching, Sarawak
Permit No PPK 148/01/2013(031378)
Vol 29 No 1 April 2017
Inside... World meeting of families 21-26 Aug 2018
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Who put Christ on the cross?
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Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mt 27:46
今日教友 第十六至二十二頁
A new shepherd for the Archdiocese of Kuching KUCHING — Newlyinstalled Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kuching, Archbishop Simon Poh, invited all faithful to discern God's vision and to plan the direction of the archdiocese together. “As the Archdiocese of Kuching embarks on the process we call ‘3R’, Review, Reassess and Renew... we are seeking a vision of what we want our Church to be, and seek ways to live out this mission in our parishes,” said Archbishop Simon during his homily. In 2012, the Archdiocese of Kuching held the Archdiocesan Pastoral Congress to assist the-then Archbishop of Kuching, Archbishop John Ha in crafting the direction of the archdiocese. The result of the Congress was the “ACTS of the Congress”, a set of action plans for the pastoral direction of the archdiocese. This year, the local church reviews and reassesses the ACTS. Survey questionnaire forms are made available for this purpose. The findings of the review will be brought to the archdiocesan assembly scheduled on 18 - 20 August. “Bring the questionnaire forms to all corners of the parishes. Let the voice of the Lord speak to us through single mothers, broken families, the farmers, the poor and the needy, the sick and housebound... so that we can respond with mercy and love, especially the least, the lost and the last. “So I invite you, join me, together with your priests, parish councils and leaders, we review, reassess, renew
and seek God’s vision and our mission in the Archdiocese of Kuching,” he said. Archbishop Simon Poh, 53, who succeeded Archbishop John Ha as the third Archbishop of Kuching, took canonical possession of the archdiocese on 20 March with a Holy Mass attended by more than 3000 and in the presence of about 80 priests, nine arch/bishops, dignitaries and representatives from other faiths. The occasion coincided with the celebration of the solemnity of St Joseph, Husband of Mary, the patron of the archdiocese and St Joseph’s Cathedral. The installation ceremony began with Archbishop Simon Poh venerating the crucifix at the entrance of the Cathedral. Archbishop Joseph Marino, the Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, then read the Decree of the Apostolic Nunciature certifying the appointment of the new archbishop of Kuching. Prior to that, the prelate explained that the Apostolic Letter by Pope Francis, which was supposed to be read, did not arrive in time. Therefore the Decree was read instead. The Decree was then shown to the College of Consultors. Archbishop Simon Poh then affirmed his appointment by saying: “Trusting in the Lord, I accept the ministry entrusted to me ... and so thereby, I take canonical possession of my Archdiocese.” With that, he was led to and seated in the Cathedra. The Cathedra (“chair” in Latin) is a sign of the bishop’s teaching office and the place from which he leads the faithful in prayer.
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Newly installed Archbishop of Kuching, Archbishop Simon Poh, holding the Crosier in his hand. (Photo: Danison Manium)
Contact us at 082-231164 (Tel), 082-425724 (Fax), todaycat@gmail.com (E-mail), P O Box 940, 93718 Kuching (Post)
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Think on these things (Phil 4:8)...
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od is not now so long-suffering in putting up with you that He will fail to be just in punishing. Do not say then: ‘Tomorrow I shall be converted, tomorrow I shall please God, and all that I shall have done today and yesterday will be forgiven me.’ What you say is true: God has promised forgiveness if you turn back to Him. But what He has not promised is that you will have tomorrow in which to achieve your conversion.
— St Augustine of Hippo (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 144,11)
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
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) James Lo (Chinese) Victoria Faye Lim (English Children’s Section) Margaret Bong (Chinese Children’s Section) STAFF Audrey Yu
Endangered Species in the Digital Age
KUCHING — On 12 March 2017 in St Joseph’s Private School, a talk entitled “Endangered Species in the Digital Age: Challenges to Catholic Teachers” was given by Fr Johnny Go, SJ, a Jesuit priest from Manila who is in charge of Jesuit Basic Education in the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific. Virtual reality is considered real because it has real effects in people’s lives, either positive or negative. For example, cyber-bullying can cause pain in young people’s lives, sometimes even to the point of suicide. Another question asked was “How virtuous is virtual reality?” People can live double lives because of the Internet even though they do not have the psychological problem of split personality. Using many digital slides, Fr Johnny stressed the phenomenon of the usage of digital media where certain values are being chipped away and on the road to extinction.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ... Fr Johnny Go speaking to teachers on the lost values in the modern world The so-called five endangered Fr Johnny came to Kuching species he meant are ethical upon the invitation of St Joseph’s and human values, thought Private School. He generously and truth, personal human agreed to give this other relationship, self-worth, silence session to our wider Catholic and the sense of the sacred. He community in Kuching. About asked the participants to reflect 75 turned up for this talk which on how we as parents and ended with a Sunday Mass teachers can create sanctuaries in the school chapel presided for these endangered species in over by Fr Francis Lim, SJ and our spaces in order to protect concelebrated by Fr Johnny. and help them to flourish. Fr Francis Lim
A LENTEN PILGRIMAGE ... On 18 March, about 200 Sunday School students, teachers, families and friends, and their Rector, Fr Felix Au ascended Mt Singai on an annual pilgrimage. Making their way up, the students led the praying of the Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy and singing of hymns. This was followed by Mass and lunch. The day ended with the recitation of the Rosary at the Grotto after which all the pilgrims made their way down; full of joy and thankful for the journey.
Lenten Holy Walk completed SERIAN — A big crowd of participants gathered at St Theresa’s church hall in the evening of 17 March to get ready for the 22 km Holy Walk. They started off at 9.30 pm and arrived safely at St Petrus Chapel at Kpg Pridan the next morning at 6.30 am. A Holy Mass presided over by Fr Paul Herry and Fr Arokyaraj, CMF ended the Lenten pilgrimage. The Holy Walk started with Fr Arokyaraj leading the procession while the rector of St Theresa’s Church Fr Paul Herry followed closely behind. Along the way the participants recited the Divine Mercy prayer and the Rosary on their own.
WALK BY FAITH ... Participants for the Holy Walk walking in the dark with torchlights The participants took short Sangai Mpani before reaching breaks to rest at the checkpoints the destination. at Kpg Sorak Sumpang and Kpg Joseph Then
PILGRIMAGE FOR JUNIOR LEGIONARIES ... On 18 March, a group of junior legionaries accompanied by teachers, parents and senior legionaries made a half-day pilgrimage to St Gerard Chapel, Padawan. The pilgrimage started with the Way of the Cross from the foothill of Kpg Sentah up to the chapel, led by the junior legionaries. At the chapel, Fr Patrick Heng, spiritual director of the Comitium gave a talk themed “Love, forgiveness and prayers”. The pilgrimage ended with Holy Mass.
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
NEWS
Archdiocese of Kuching welcomes her new Archbishop
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Ladies’ Guild at Women’s World Day of Prayer
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PRAYING TOGETHER ... Archdiocese of Kuching Ladies Guild played host to this year’s Association of Churches Sarawak Women’s World Day of Prayer held on 3 March at the Archdiocesan Curia and Cathedral Pastoral Centre (ACCPC). Themed “Am I Being Unfair to You?” the prayers intention centred on the Women of the Philippines. Fr Alvin Ng, SJ gave the homily and meditation, which was well received and had many of the participants in tears. Tea fellowship preceded the Prayer Service and the audience numbered around 200, represented by Catholics, Anglicans, The Salvation Army, Methodists, Seven Days Adventists, BEM and Baptists.
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5 1. Archbishop Simon Poh venerates the Crucifix after the welcoming dance at the beginning of the Mass. 2. After Apostolic Nuncio has read the Decree, it is shown to the College of Consultors. 3. Archbishop Emeritus John Ha hands over the Crosier to the new Archbishop of Kuching as he sits on the Cathedra. 4. Chairperson of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Perpetual Phang, pledges loyalty to Archbishop Simon Poh on behalf of all the laity. 5. Archbishop Simon Poh at a photo call with religious leaders from various interfaith groups. • Continued from p1 Archbishop John Ha then handed him the crosier (or the shepherd’s staff), which symbolises the bishop’s office of governing. The two archbishop emereti, John and Peter, rectors of the parishes in the archdiocese, representatives of men and women religious, the chairperson of Archdiocesan Pastoral Council representing the lay faithful welcomed and pledged their loyalty to the newly installed Archbishop Simon. Drawing on the role of St Joseph as an educator for Jesus, the new Archbishop said that one of the missions of his ministry is to ensure a holistic education for life. The prelate also pledged to work together with all people of goodwill and the State Government for “the common good of all, to respect human dignity and the value of labour and towards building a better society together”. “We will
stand with our State against the implementation of the hudud bill,” he said. The new Archbishop of Kuching also requested the congregation to pray for him and his priests. “I humbly ask for your prayers for me, for the grace to be a good father to my priests. Pray for me to give the archdiocese and the parishes good pastors,” he said. In his address after the installation Mass, Archbishop Emeritus John Ha, 70, whose resignation was announced on 4 March, shared the reason of his resignation from the Archbishop’s Office ahead of the canonical age of 75. “Over the last few years, I have been increasingly feeling my age as it gradually manifested its symptoms – brevity of attention, frequent lapses of memory, quick mental exhaustion at meetings. “In addition, I gradually felt worn out by challenges from within and from without myself personally as well as
the Church. At times, I felt rather discouraged if not totally helpless. Administrative work also started to take its toll on me, so much so, that I began to feel it more as a burden than as a joyful ministry,” said the Archbishop Emeritus, which was why he felt the need for an auxiliary bishop. On 24 September 2015, Bishop Simon Poh was appointed and ordained. “I am very glad that Bishop Simon has been appointed to succeed me. His appointment assures continuity as well as progress of the Archdiocese,” said Archbishop Ha. Prior to the Mass, the new Archbishop of Kuching held a dinner reception for Arch/ bishops, priests, together with representatives from the State Government, invited guests from Association of Churches of Sarawak and the religious leaders from various Inter Faith Groups. See p6 for the statement of Archbishop Emeritus John Ha on his resignation.
OUTREACH TO KRUSEN MAWANG ... The prayer service for Women’s World Day of Prayer was brought to Kpg Krusen Mawang, a 19-door longhouse where the 398 registered participants were warmly welcomed on 11-12 March. Another 500 residents from the three longhouses from Krusen also joined the service. Fr Paul Herry led the Bible Enthronement ceremony and also gave a homily. Included in the programme was giving of school bags and stationeries to three needy students (see photo above) and presentation of entertainment items from women of each denomination present. It was an enriching and good ecumenical outing, as there were many friendships renewed and new ones made over tea, dinner and breakfast fellowship.
A PRAYER WORKSHOP ... Carmel Missionaries of Prayer (CMP) concluded a one and half day Lenten Prayer Workshop entitled “By his wounds we are healed” on 26 March. It was facilitated by Cynthia Lim, a Carmelite. Participants learnt how to build a closer relationship with God through prayer and by uniting their burdens with the wounds of Christ through the Way of the Cross. A participant has this to say: “I learnt how to carry my daily cross more easily now knowing that Jesus had been through what I am going through. This gives me comfort and courage to carry on.”
NEWS
PAGE 4 Faith in the Resurrection of Jesus says that there is a future for every human being; the cry for unending life which is a part of the person is indeed answered. - Pope Benedict XVI
A blessed Easter! From Today’s Catholic Editorial Board
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
Legionaries renew their promise to Our Lady KUCHING — Legionaries from the Archdiocese of Kuching came together to consecrate themselves to the service of the Legion and Mother Mary declaring “I am all Yours, My Queen, My Mother and All that I have is Yours”. This is anything but a solemn promise. More than 600 legionaries both active and auxiliary members participated in this ceremony at St Peter’s Church on 12 March. Fr Patrick Heng, Spiritual Director of Kuching Comitium used his address at the Acies to reflect on the act of Consecration to our Blessed Mother. He told the members that Saint Pope John Paul II’s motto “Totus tuus” was taken from St Louis de Montfort’s work, “True Devotion to Mary”. “Totus tuus” is an abbreviated form of one of St Louis’s formula, “Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt”, meaning “I am all yours, and all that I have is yours” (True Devotion, 233). “In the Comitium meeting, we are reading St Louis’s book
ALL YOURS ... Legionaries making their annual promise to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Acies ceremony ‘True Devotion to Mary’, but perhaps, the task before us is to enter into the spirituality of St Louis, which calls us to be special disciples of Jesus after the example of our Mother Mary,” said Fr Patrick. “This afternoon, we are repeating St Louis de Montfort’s motto, ‘I am all yours, my Queen, my Mother, and all I have is yours’. This is the Legion’s
Promise that we make and renew each year at our Acies. Let this occasion be also a time for us to reflect on how we have been faithful disciples of Jesus after the example of Mary,” he continued. The Acies ceremony ended with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Cindy Teo
Delegates challenged to answer the call to care for Creation
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT ... Bishop Joseph Hii (seated, third right), Clare (seated, centre) with the delegates of the workshop. PENANG — Bishop of our common home. Commission who attended the Sibu, Bishop Joseph Hii led a Clare Westwood, the workshop reached a consensus group of eight laity from the facilitator of the workshop, to change the name of the Diocese of Sibu and Father Oniz has had extensive experience commission from Justice to attend the 5th Justice and working in the area of food, and Peace Commission to Peace Commission Workshop agriculture, food sovereignty, Creation Justice Commission. held at Stella Maris Retreat biosafety and climate change. Bishop Joseph Hii, Centre, Penang. She presented related topics President of the Justice and Seven priests and twelve such as “State of the World and Peace Commission was very laity from the dioceses of the Global Climate Emergency”, happy with the outcome of the Brunei, Kuala Lumpur, Kota “Resilience and Creation workshop. The commission’s Kinabalu, Kuching, Miri, Justice” and “Key Calls of the vision always focuses on “in Sibu and Penang attended the Laudato Si’” respectively. She communion with creation” workshop on 20-23 February. also guided the group on how and he could see that this It centred on the Holy Father’s to strategically respond to the workshop has given the encyclical “Laudato Si’”, which calls. Subsequently, Clare led dioceses a clearer direction reflects Pope Francis’ concern to the reconciliation ritual and towards the care of Mother bring the whole human family the commitment ritual on two Earth and how to advance together to seek a sustainable consecutive evenings. creation justice. and integral development for The members of the • Continued on p7
CLASSIFIED
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
COME and EXPERIENCE the GOOD NEWS of JESUS’ LOVE & POWER
PAGE 5 4TH ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of
Brother Stephen Bong from the Holy Cross Ministry of Deliverance & Healing will be giving the first of two teachings for this year on “Jesus’ Love and Power”. The teaching will be followed by a deliverance and healing session.
Deeply missed by father, mother, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and all loved ones.
Entry is free. All are welcome. For more information please contact: The Holy Cross Centre No 681, Lorong 1, Jalan Bayor Bukit, Tabuan Jaya, 93350 Kuching. Tel: 082-363945 Fax: 082-364923 Email address: holycross.deliverance@gmail.com Website: www.holycross-ministry.org
ANNOUNCEMENT
ORDINATION TO DIACONATE OF Galvin Richard Ngumbang
Venue: St Jude’s Church, Bunan Gega *Dinner will be served after Mass
Come celebrate with and pray for Galvin!
Tomb Maker Simon Sim See Huat 15 Nanas Road 93150 Kuching, Sarawak Tel: 082-617616 / 0138117616 Fax: 082-627616 Specialise in: Construction & Cleaning of Grave Monuments Manufacturing Gravestones imported from China, Italy
In loving memory of
HELENA LEMBA AK DUNGKONG
3 February 1943 - 27 April 2012
Because I live, you also will live. - Jn 14:19
3RD ANNIVERSARY In ever-loving memory of
CATHERINE RANDU AK CHANDANG
called home to be with the Lord on 9 April 2014
Lovingly remembered by Alban, Affendy, Alleson, Assonny, Awwennia, Ayyensia, Esther, Noreen, Catherine, all relatives and friends.
Time: 4.00 pm
5TH ANNIVERSARY
*Note: For non-Muslims only
Just like a special angel, God wrapped you in his care, and took you off to heaven, to live with him there. Your love will light our way, your memory will forever be with us.
Date: 23 April (Sunday)
Departed: 21 April 2013
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him May he rest in peace. Amen
Date: Friday, 26 May 2017 Time: 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Place: Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre, Lot 2500, Block 10, Jalan Stampin, KCLD, Kuching
TERRY ANAK ADRIAN
3RD ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of
CHARLES AUGUSTINE ZEHNDER (3 August 1952 – 30 April 2014)
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live even though he dies.” John 11:25
Gone from our lives, one so dear But in our hearts, forever near To us his name will ever be
Always remembered by all loved ones.
IN LOVING MEMORY
CHARLES BANGUH AK AUR
7 March 1967 - 6 July 2012
RICHARD DICKY AK AUR
2 Sept 1969 - 8 Nov 2014
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Deeply and sadly missed and lovingly remembered by: Mrs Charles Banguh & 5 sons, Brendan, Clearence, Damian, Dunstant and Emanuel
Daughters of Richard Dicky, Armanda & Cassandra Debbe and son Darren Chris
Both their parents, brothers, sisters and all loved ones.
In ever loving memory of 27TH ANNIVERSARY
5TH ANNIVERSARY
ANDREW BONG YONG TECK
MARGARET CHIA CHIEW TIANG
Departed: 23 April 1990
Departed: 3 May 2012
The key that unlocks memories Of a dear on gone but cherished yet A beloved face we’ll never forget. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father’s shouse are many rooms. (Jn 14:1-3)
Deeply missed and forever remembered by beloved wife, son, brothers, sisters and all loved ones.
8TH ANNIVERSARY In ever-loving memory of
HUBERT CHUA KIM SONG (13.12.1925 - 6.4.2009)
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believe in me will live even though he dies.” Jn 11:25
Gone are the faces we loved so dear, Silent are the voices we loved to hear. Too far away from sight and speech, But not too far from our thoughts to reach. Gone from our sight, gone from our home, Gone to the Father’s home above. Days brought sorrow, months brought sorrow, Years brought the loving memories which no heart can speak.
Time changes many things but not the memory this day brings Till now you are still in our minds and hearts.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls rest in peace. Amen.
Deeply loved and missed by sons, daughter, daughters-in-laws, grandchildren, great grandchildren and all loved ones.
Forever in our hearts and minds, Bibiana & Willie, Stephen & Teresa, grandchildren, great grandchildren and all loved ones.
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Archbishop Emeritus John Ha’s Statement on his retirement as Archbishop of Kuching With my successor found, the Most Reverend Simon Poh Hoon Seng, I am now able to retire with peace of mind and heart. I certainly feel a profound relief and joy deep within me. To me this sense of relief and joy are an affirmation that I have made the right decision to request the Holy Father’s approval for my resignation from the Archbishop’s Office ahead of the canonical age. On hearing the official announcement of my “resignation”, many have asked “WHY?” I guess the term “resignation” which is the canonical term carries some negative connotations like ill health, inappropriate conduct, disillusionment. To clear the air, I now share my reason for my decision to request for early retirement. The Holy Father’s acceptance of my request for stepping down prematurely from the Archbishop’s Office was announced on 4 March 2017, deliberately timed to coincide with my 70th birthday. My reason for this timing was that I thought the age of 70 would be readily accepted as grounds for early retirement. Thinking back, I suppose I could say that at the rock bottom my reason for requesting for early retirement is my love for the Church, though this may not have been so explicit in my mind. I have been deeply inspired and encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI who resigned from the papacy a few years ago primarily because he had realised that in his condition then he would not be able to lead the Church as effectively as the Church deserved. Over the last few years, I have been increasingly feeling my age as it gradually manifested its symptoms – brevity of attention, frequent lapses of memory, quick mental exhaustion at meetings. In addition, I gradually felt worn out by challenges from within and from without myself personally as well as the Church. At times, I felt rather discouraged if not totally helpless. Administrative work also started to take its toll on me, so much so, that I began to feel it more as a burden than as a joyful ministry. I felt that these gradually
debilitating realities of mine must not be allowed to hamper the growth of the Archdiocese of Kuching. I saw the need for an Auxiliary Bishop – one who is obviously younger, but also more capable, more energetic, more resilient and even more charismatic than myself. I therefore took a considered decision to write to Cardinal Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Holy See, to request for an Auxiliary. Bishop Simon was appointed and ordained in September 2015. With him as my Auxiliary, I was able to share several administrative and pastoral responsibilities with Bishop Simon. In the process, I saw his aptitude and capability. I also looked at the other two Bishops (Bishop Joseph Hii of Sibu and Bishop Richard Ng of Miri). Any one of these three Bishops could easily take over from me as the Archbishop of Kuching. Thus, in September last year, I confidently and courageously submitted another request to the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples – this time for a successor. Acting on my request, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Joseph Marino, conducted an extensive consultation. The appointment of Bishop Simon as my successor resulted from this consultation. Of course I am very glad that Bishop Simon has been appointed to succeed me. This is because he has been very actively involved in the pastoral care of the Archdiocese. As a result of this involvement of his, he truly knows the ins and outs of the Archdiocese. His appointment assures continuity as well as progress of the Archdiocese. Archbishop Simon Poh has taken canonical possession of the Archdiocese of Kuching. To him I say, “Congratulations and thank you, Simon.” To all the Catholics of the Archdiocese, I say: “Archbishop Simon Poh is now your Archbishop. We thank God for him and I am sure you will give him full support and keep him in your prayers. May God make him the shepherd we need and deserve – a shepherd after Christ’s own heart.” 20 March 2017
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
Annual Retreat for Parish Councillors
FOR THE ALBUM ... Parish councillors at a photo call with Fr Jerry (seated, fifth from left), Fr Patrick Heng, Archbishop Emeritus John Ha and Archbishop Simon Poh KUCHING — About 145 parish councillors from different parishes in the Archdiocese of Kuching gathered at Holy Trinity Church, Kenyalang Park on Friday, 3 March to attend a 3-day retreat organised by the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. The Retreat Master was a renowned barefoot Jesuit Priest from India, Fr Jerry Rosario, SJ. The retreat was conducted in a series of analysis starting with self, societal, ecclesial, Jesus and Gospel, challenging the retreatants to discover who he or she is before God and who Jesus is to him or her and
to analyse the position of the church in society. Touching on the Gospel values of justice, freedom and love, he said these values are given to all peoples of goodwill. He added that from a constitutional standpoint, where the constitution of the country guarantees its citizens equality before the law, liberty and fraternity, these would constitute Gospel values. Fr Jerry was able to capture the attention of participants very well through his vibrant way of preaching. The structured sessions were changed accordingly during the
retreat to meet the needs of the participants. Lay leaders were called to embrace the spirituality of simplicity, solidarity and spontaneity in their way of service to others and to be deeply rooted in their faith. Fr Jerry is a priest, a lawyer and a professor who travels around the world to preach the Gospel through his way of life and by walking the talk. He lives a simple life and he chooses not to wear shoes for the past thirty plus years to be in solidarity with the poor. Nancy Ong
Serian parish helps fire victims SERIAN — The 11-door longhouse with 15 families in Kpg Sekendu near Simunjan town was gutted by fire at about 11:30 pm on 29 March. The newly harvested rice, motorbikes and many other household items were reduced to ashes. However, no casualty was reported. Fr Joseph Chai of St Theresa’s Church who received the message from a member of the Catholic Youth Ministry living in the area, immediately informed Dennis Sung, Parish Council chairman who got food and clothing ready early the next morning. Fr Paul Herry, rector of the parish, was accompanied to the scene on the morning of 30 March by Fr Joseph Chai and
Rector of St Theresa’s Parish, Fr Paul Herry (seventh right) handing over food staff and clothings to the Chairman of the Village Chapel (KGK) William Liam for the fire victims. the parish councillors to send foodstuff and clothing to the victims.
Fr Paul Herry appealed for kind donations for the victims. Joseph Then
Pope Francis’ Prayer intentions for March
Young people That young people may respond generously to their vocations and seriously consider offering themselves to God in the priesthood or consecrated life.
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
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Pope Francis says Catholic shrines are a key place for evangelisation
VATICAN CITY — On Saturday, Pope Francis moved the responsibility for Catholic shrines to be under the Congregation for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation, stating that shrines, as sacred places, are especially suitable to conversion and the strengthening of faith. On 1 April the Pope issued the edict – called a motu proprio – formally moving the competency of shrines from the Congregation for Clergy to the Vatican department on the New Evangelization. “The large influx of pilgrims, the humble and simple prayer of God's people alternating in the liturgical celebrations, the fulfilment of so many graces that many believers certify that they have received and the natural beauty of these places allow you to see how the shrines…express an irreplaceable opportunity
for evangelisation in our time,” Francis states in the letter. According to the document, titled “Ecclesia in Sanctuarium,” the tasks of the congregation will include: the establishment of new national and international shrines, studying and implementing measures for promoting their role in evangelization, and promoting systematic pastoral care of the shrines and specific training for those who operate them. They will also be in charge of the promotion of national and international meetings to promote communal pastoral renewal and pilgrimages to various shrines, spiritual guidance for pilgrims, and “cultural and artistic enhancement of the Shrines according to the via pulchritudinis (way of beauty) as a particular mode of evangelization of the Church,” Pope Francis said.
“... shrines can be a real refuge to rediscover themselves [pilgrims] and regain the necessary strength for their conversion.” - Pope Francis
Knock Shrine, Ireland Shrines and other places of pilgrimage “despite the crisis of faith that invests the contemporary world, are still perceived as sacred spaces to which pilgrims go to find a moment of rest, silence and contemplation in the often hectic life of today,” the letter continues. “A hidden desire creates
for many a nostalgia for God; and shrines can be a real refuge to rediscover themselves and regain the necessary strength for their conversion.” People have made pilgrimages to holy sites since the first century, the Pope said, and even today, in every part of the world, they remain “a distinctive sign of the simple
and humble faith of believers.” The shrine is a “sacred place,” where the celebration of the sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist, as well as the witness of charity, “express the great commitment of the Church for evangelization; and therefore it stands as a genuine place of evangelization…” he stated. The proclamation, which was signed by Pope Francis on 11 February, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, goes into effect 15 days from its publication. CNA/EWTN News
Coming soon: A new kindergarten by Sisters of St Francis of Sarawak
Architect’s perspective drawing of St Joseph’s Kindergarten KUCHING — The Sisters of St Francis, Sarawak (SSFS) will be setting up a new kindergarten in Kuching. The kindergarten, named St Joseph’s Kindergarten, will commence operation in January 2018. It will be a coed kindergarten. For its first intake in January 2018, the kindergarten will take in 4 and 5 year olds only. St Joseph’s Kindergarten will be located at Jalan Taman Budaya – the same location as St Jude’s Kindergarten which was closed at the end of 2016. St Joseph’s Kindergarten is affiliated to St Joseph’s Private School, Kuching. Students from St Joseph’s Kindergarten will gain direct admission to Primary 1 at St Joseph’s Private Primary School duly without having to sit for
the assessment test subject to certain criteria. However, admission to St Joseph’s Private Primary School is not obligatory. Parents are free to send their children to any other schools to continue their primary education. The Kindergarten will follow the Malaysian PreSchool syllabus. The medium of instruction will be in both Bahasa Malaysia and English. There will be enrichment curriculum with the inclusion of teaching materials used by established kindergartens in Singapore and West Malaysia. The school fee will range from RM2,400 to RM3,600 per year depending on the level. In addition to the school fee, there will also be a registration of RM200 (refundable if the child is not given a place) and
miscellaneous fee of RM400 per year. Normal school hours will be from 8.00 am to 12.00 noon, Monday to Friday. For the convenience of parents, we are exploring the possibility of providing after school care from 12.00 noon to 5.00 pm. This can only be done if we have a reasonable number of students enrolling for the after school care. The fee for after school care is estimated at RM300 per month per student. Parents interested to send their children to St Joseph’s Kindergarten can enquire at St Joseph’s Private School, Jalan Nagor, Off Jalan Satok, Kuching (tel. 082-414575 / 420575). Registration will close on 31 July.
MEET AND LEARN ... On 5 March, the Sarawak Catholic Teacher’s Guild had its Annual General Meeting at St Joseph’s Private School. There was no election to the main committee this time round because the committee members hold their posts for two years. After the meeting, a talk on the psychological complexities of students in the classroom was given by Fr Varghese Lopez, SJ. Sunday Mass followed in the school chapel, Sedes Sapientiae Chapel, presided over by Fr Francis Lim, SJ and concelebrated by Fr Varghese. To end the morning, lunch was served in the school canteen.
Delegates challenged to answer the call to care for Creation • Continued from p4 Bishop Joseph Hii is indeed passionate about ecological issues. He had “A prayer for the earth” and “A Christian prayer in union with creation”, two very meaningful prayers from Laudato Si’ printed onto cards for the use of Sibu Diocese. The most impressive are the words EVANGELISATION: IN
UNION WITH CREATION, “EGO Centred to ECO-Christ Centred” printed on the cards. A vote of thanks and appreciation is extended to the Penang Diocese especially Bishop Sebastian Francis and Fr Andrew Stephen for graciously hosting the workshop. Harapi Charles
NEWS
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
Loving families are central to bringing joy, mercy to world, pope says
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis urges families to discover God's love and be generous, forgiving, patient, helpful and respectful. Family life will be better if people use the words “please”, “thank you”, and “I’m sorry” every day, he said, and the world will be a better place if the church reaches out to the imperfect and the wounded. The Pope’s reflection was part of a letter to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which is helping plan the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, 21-26 August 2018. The Vatican released the text of the Pope’s letter on 30 March. When asked about the Pope’s plans to attend the event next year, Cardinal Farrell told reporters at a Vatican news conference, “We hope. I can’t say absolutely” since it depends on the Pope’s schedule, but the Pope has expressed his desire to go. The letter was meant to help Catholic families and parishes around the world prepare for the gathering, which will focus on the theme, “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World.” The Pope said he hoped the event would help families reflect on and share his apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia”. “Does the Gospel continue to be a joy for the world? And also, does the
A promotional image for World Meeting of Families to be held on 21-26 Aug 2018 in Dublin. (Photo: CNS) family continue to be good news for oneself, forgiving, not losing patience, today’s world?” the Pope asked. anticipating the other, and respecting. The answer is, “yes”, he said, because How much better family life would be God’s love is his “yes” to all of creation if every day we lived according to the and a “‘yes’ to the union between man words, ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘I’m and woman, in openness and service to sorry’.” life in all its phases; it is God’s ‘yes’ Every day, people experience fragility and his commitment to a humanity and weakness, Pope Francis said. All that is often wounded, mistreated and families and pastors need humility so dominated by a lack of love.” they will become better disciples and “Only starting from love can the teachers, better at helping and being family manifest, spread and regenerate helped, and able to accompany and God’s love in the world. Without love, embrace all people of goodwill. we cannot live as children of God, as “I dream of an outbound church, not couples, parents and brothers,” he said. a self-referential one, a church that does Making sure family life is “based on not pass by far from man’s wounds, a love, for love and in love” means “giving merciful church that proclaims the heart
Pope recognises miracle attributed to Fatima visionaries
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has approved the recognition of a miracle attributed to the intercession of two of the shepherd children who saw Our Lady of Fatima in 1917, thus paving the way for their canonisation. Francis signed the decree for the causes of Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta Marto during a meeting on 23 March with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, the Vatican said. The recognition of the miracle makes it likely that the canonisation ceremony for the two children will be scheduled soon. The cardinals and bishops who are members of the congregation must vote to recommend their canonisation and then the Pope would convene the cardinals resident in Rome for a consistory to approve the sainthood. Many people are hoping Francis will preside over the canonisation ceremony during his visit to Fatima on 12 - 13 May. The pilgrimage will mark the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions, which began on 13 May 1917, when 9-year-old Francisco and 7-year-old Jacinta, along with their cousin Lucia dos Santos, reported seeing the Virgin Mary. The apparitions continued once a month until 13 October 1917, and later
of the revelation of God as love, which is mercy,” he said. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin told reporters that the Pope’s letter shows the clear, central role families have in the Pope’s great dream of renewal of the church and society. “The family is called to be a place of encounter with that divine mercy which heals and liberates,” he said. The family is where spouses learn to love “not in vague romantic terms but in terms of their everyday realities and difficulties.” “The Pope’s vision of the mission of the family does not attempt to hide the fact that families experience challenges, weakness, fragility and even breakdown,” the archbishop said. “Families need a church which is with them, accompanying them in a process of discernment and integration through helping them to respond with a ‘yes’ to the divine love.” Happy, loving families should be recognised and be a resource for the renewal of the church and world, he said. But the church, Archbishop Martin said, also must be “a place where those who have failed can experience not harsh judgment, but the strong embrace of the Lord which can lift them up to begin again to realise their own dream even if only imperfectly.” CNS
‘Hidden Figures’, ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ among Christopher Award winners
Andrew Garfield stars in a scene in the movie “Hacksaw Ridge”
Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto were declared worthy of belief by the Catholic Church. A year after the apparitions, both of the Marto children became ill during an influenza epidemic that plagued Europe. Francisco died on 4 April 1919, at the age of 10, while Jacinta succumbed to her illness on 20 February 1920, at the age of 9. Francisco and Jacinta's cause for canonisation was stalled for decades due to a debate on whether non-martyred children have the capacity to understand heroic virtues at a young age. However, in 1979, St John Paul II allowed their cause to proceed; he declared them venerable in 1989 and beatified them in 2000. National Catholic Reporter
NEW YORK — The films “Hidden Figures” and “Hacksaw Ridge”, both of which were Best Picture nominees at this year’s Academy Awards, are both winners in the 68th annual Christopher Awards. Winners in movies, television and books were announced on 28 March by the Christophers, who started the awards in 1949 to honour writers, producers, directors, authors and illustrators whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit”. The Christophers’ motto, taken from the ancient Chinese proverb “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness”, guides the organisation’s awards, publishing and radio initiatives. “Hidden Figures”, which tells the story of three African-American women hired as “computers” in the early days of the manned space flight programme, is the second Christopher Award for writer-
director Ted Melfi, who also won in 2014 for the movie “St Vincent”. “Hacksaw Ridge”, based on the story of World War II conscientious objector Desmond Doss, who was awarded a Medal of Honour by Congress for saving 75 lives without firing a shot in the Battle of Okinawa, was directed by actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson, a Catholic who has stirred controversy over the years, including with his film “The Passion of the Christ”. “Hacksaw Ridge” is the first film he has directed in 10 years. Other movies that won Christophers are “Queen of Katwe”, about a poor Ugandan girl whose talent for chess is discovered and cultivated so that she becomes an international champion, and “The Hollars”, about the loving and complex dynamics between parents and their children when a medical crisis exposes their vulnerabilities. — CNS
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
FEATURE
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ON APOLOGETICS
Is Jesus really God? by Deacon Dr Sherman Kuek, OFS
(Part II)
In the past article, I began discussing this topic of the divinity of Jesus by presenting, first of all, facts about how our Muslim friends view the person of Jesus Christ. A basic understanding of this view is necessary before we move on to evaluate the bases for which we believe that our Lord Jesus is indeed in the Son of God. However, for the purpose of brevity, the discussion on the Muslim view of Jesus was divided into two halves. In this article, therefore, I wish to continue the discussion on this issue by sharing more information on what our Muslim friends believe to be true about Jesus. I hasten to remind our readers that the purpose of sharing this information is not to berate or belittle people of other faiths. I present this information with much reverence. But I shall also move on to present how we, as Christians, have solid grounds upon which we base our beliefs in the divinity of Jesus Christ. HOW MUSLIMS VIEW THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST (CONTINUED) The Quran says that it was Jesus who foretold the coming of Muhammad (whose other name was Ahmad): “And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: ‘O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of an Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.’” (Al-Saff, 61:6, Yusuf Ali’s translation) Jesus is recorded in the Quran as denying that he is God. He is called a Word from God, a Word of God, or a Spirit from God, but he is not God himself and neither is he God’s Son. “And behold! Allah will say: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah?” He will say: “Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. “Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, ‘worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord’…” (Al-Ma’idah, 5:116117, Yusuf Ali’s Translation) “Behold! the angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.’” (Al-Imran, 3:45, Yusuf Ali’s Translation) “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His apostles. Say not ‘Trinity’: desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah. Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” (Al-Nisa, 4:171, Yusuf Ali’s Translation) “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; he begetteth not, nor is he begotten; and there is none like unto him.” (Al-Ikhlas, 112, Yusuf Ali’s Translation)
“They do blaspheme who say: ‘(Allah) is Christ the son of Mary.’ But said Christ: ‘O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’” (AlMa’idah, 5:72, Yusuf Ali’s Translation) “The Jews call ‘Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah. there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).” (Al-Tawbah, 9:30-31, Yusuf Ali’s Translation) Despite the great dignity seemingly accorded to Jesus in the above key Quranic passages referring to him, the Quran gives greater emphasis to Abraham and to Moses. After all, in the Muslim faith, it is deemed that the attributes of Jesus such as his conception without a human father, his miracles, and the special titles accorded to him are normal for a prophet. Fundamentally, Jesus was nothing more than a created being, a man devoid of divinity: “The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: ‘Be.’ And he was.” (Al-Imran, 3:59, Yusuf Ali’s Translation). In fact, Muhammad is seen as a prophet even greater than Jesus because he is “the Seal of the Prophets” (Al-Ahzab, 33:40). Jesus, therefore, does not play a significant role in the beliefs of the Muslims. It is believed that his role has been greatly exaggerated by the Christians to the point of blasphemy. With all that has been said, in our next article, we shall expound the bases upon which Christians believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ.
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
Who put Christ on the cross? by Carolyn Woo The crucifixion of Our Lord is almost always depicted in art showing the torture from asphyxiation on the cross, the nails, the wound made by the spear, the crown of thorns or the beating on the way to Calvary. While these are indeed the implements that took the life of Jesus, they are not the initiators. These did not put Jesus on the cross. People did. If the art were to depict the back story, an exposé in today’s media parlance, what would it show? Whispering among community leaders? Soliciting and counting support from one’s friends? Formal and informal meetings on how to protect good people from the menace, Jesus? Arriving at the inevitable conclusion that “something must be done”? Strategising about when, where, how? Or devising incentives to get the collaboration of power brokers like the government? All seems so benign, routine and respectable. But, as we know, it was evil. It wasn’t the machinations themselves that are unholy, but the motivations and emotions that led ordinary, maybe even well-meaning people, to bring everything they had to humiliate a man, crush his life and serve him up as a public spectacle. Religious leaders were threatened even though Jesus had stated plainly he was not there to undo the law, but to put
the spirit of love into their practice. They could lose relevance, influence and be called to a different level of accountability in their actions and service. How could they let a “nobody,” without proper credentials, who did not earn his membership card, show the way of God, which was their business and profession? And the crowd that earlier had cheered Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem simply forgot and later joined in the mass hysteria, giving in to the intoxication of being part of the power base, if only for an afternoon, and then tuned in to a blood sport to break the monotony of an otherwise uneventful day. I am sure few of us could identify with the cruelty of the crucifixion, but I hope that we can recognise the occasions when we have perceived others as a threat, when competitiveness drove our desire to win and fight for the dominant position, and when jealousy, cynicism and fear caused us to delegitimise and keep out the other. Our pragmatic calculus could lead us to disengagement because the costs outweigh the gains. Our failings are not that we can be small-minded, rivalrous, self-righteous. Rather, we sin when we are blind to these in ourselves, when we dismiss “the other” as having no claim on our compassion and responsibilities, and when we disown the consequences of our decisions and actions on the well-being
of others. In the suffering that I have seen – starvation; displacement of people, be they refugees or farmers or indigenous populations who lost their land; loss of livelihoods because of climate warming; or lack of care for the mentally ill – I always wonder how we get here. It would be so much more comforting if the source were the devil with horns and a pitchfork. But the source, unfortunately, looks unremarkably ordinary: indifference, self-centeredness, clannishness, selfrighteousness, pride, moralism. More than I like, I see these in the mirror. On this Good Friday, as we venerate the cross, can we call into view one person or one group who carries a cross for which our own actions or lack of actions may have played a role? Can we recognise these as the sins for which Christ dies to purchase our redemption? CNS
How could they let a “nobody,” without proper credentials, show the way of God, which was their business and profession?
The sins we ignore by Effie Caldarola When I was a young woman, I saved my money from my first year of teaching and left for Ireland the following summer. Young and a bit naive, I simply purchased a one-way ticket for my lifelong dream and flew to Shannon. My ace in the hole, although I didn’t realize it at the time, was a remote contact. A nun on my school’s staff knew an Irish nun in Florida who had a sister in the west of Ireland. Armed with her phone number, I headed off. The Irish are known for hospitality, and this young woman became my big sister for my summer adventure, handing me her apartment key in Limerick while she went off to her parents’ farm, guiding me, even introducing me to her sister with whom I ferried off to London. In the decades since, we’ve remained friends and correspondents. Inevitably, our chat turns to politics, from the earlier “troubles” in Northern Ireland to the election of Donald Trump. Sadly, this spring there is this: Ireland is embroiled in yet another tragic scandal that casts a shadow on its revered Catholic past. A mass grave with baby and child remains has been discovered at a former Catholic mother and baby home in western Ireland. A local historian had located almost 800 death certificates for children who had died at the home between 1925 and
its closing in 1961, but no proper burial sites. A government commission is investigating what had been longstanding rumours. This follows in the wake of the welldocumented revelations of the Magdalene laundries – facilities run by religious orders where “loose” girls or women were confined to hard labor and prisonlike conditions. “Loose” could mean anything from prostitution to unwed motherhood to mere flirtatiousness. And then there was the 2013 film “Philomena,” based on a book that
chronicled one woman’s struggle to find the child who had been taken from her in an Irish mother and child home and adopted out to wealthy Americans without her consent. “We are all so horrified and ashamed,” wrote my Irish friend, a devoted St. Vincent de Paul volunteer now in her 80s. In a March entry in the daily devotional “Living Faith,” Eve Tushnet writes, although not referring to the Irish scandal, words that strike me as appropriate here: “Every age has the sins it notices and the sins it chooses to ignore.”
Ireland in the early-to-mid 20th century was obsessed by chastity. The sins that consumed “Holy Ireland,” overwhelmingly, were sexual. The sins it chose to ignore now seem obvious. It ignored sins against mercy and forgiveness. It ignored a mother’s right to her own child. It sometimes ignored, apparently, the rights of a child to a proper burial if that child were conceived outside the rules. It sinned by tarring women exclusively for behaviour that included men. As an Irish observer wryly commented, “There were no fathers in the Magdalene laundries.” Catholic Ireland carried this obsession with sex to great heights, but it wasn’t completely alone. Many of us who grew up in the US in the ‘60s or ‘70s remember a friend being quietly spirited away during the school year, while a boyfriend remained behind. In my public high school, a pregnant teen was expelled from school while her boyfriend became homecoming king. Ireland, the land of my greatgrandparents, remains a wonderful, beloved place. But its latest shame should remind us all to examine the sins we notice and the sins we choose to ignore. It should prompt some soulsearching in all of us. Where am I blind to society’s sin and my own? CNS
FEATURE “Leave your home and your father’s house…” (Gen 12:1)
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An important part of our Catholic way of life is to learn about the truths and traditions of our Faith. We do this in catechism classes, if we are children, or in RCIA classes, if we are older, and wish to prepare for baptism, confirmation or reception into the Church. This is a good and important practice, for we need to know what our Church teaches and holds to be true. But it can also cause problems, because there are two types of religious “knowing” – first, there is the catechism “knowing” which tells us about what the Church believes and teaches, but there is also a much deeper kind of “knowing”, which comes from our unique, personal experience of God in our hearts and our lives, but while this second kind of “knowing” is very real, it is so deep that often we are not really conscious of it – and this can lead us to understand our spiritual lives in terms of catechism truth, which, in many cases, does not suit our need! For instance, if I ask churchgoers why they come to Mass on a Sunday, they will often answer, “Because it is a sin not to.” This is something they learnt in their catechism classes and while it is true, it is not the deepest or even the real reason why most people come to Mass – as I hear so clearly when I sit in the confessional listening to people telling of their struggles to be faithful to the Lord. I remember an elderly lady once confessing that she had missed Mass twice and when I asked her, “Why?” she said that she lived some way from the church and had no transport and on those two days it had been raining heavily. So, I told her, that there was no sin if she stayed home on such days, but she answered, “Oh no, Father, but I want to come!” This was
not her catechism classes speaking, but her deeper “knowing” – which comes from having felt the touch of the Lord and his loving call to walk with him – a call she wanted to answer and did so in the ways she knew – which included coming to Mass on a Sunday. We are helped to appreciate this deeper “knowing”, when we hear the story of how God spoke to Abraham, “Leave your home and your father’s house and go to the land I will show you” (Gen 12:1). In answer, Abraham left his homeland and set out on a journey that would take all his life and beyond. We are taught this in our catechism classes, because his story helps us to realise that this also happens to us – each one of us – in our own encounters with God. In various ways, God speaks to us deep in our hearts, inviting us to leave our homes and go with him to the land he will show us – a land of kindness, a land of friendship, a land of love – and we want to go, so we choose to go. Our attempts at living the Christian life are the ways in which we try to answer that call and as I sit in the confessional I hear so clearly that you are not just trying to keep the rules learnt in catechism, but are trying to live up to that love for Christ in your hearts – and I also see the tears and feel the pain, when you think you have failed him. As I sit listening to you, I am also made aware of my own failures, but you also show me what we so often forget – that the important thing is not that we fail, but that he calls each one of us by name and in that call is the promise that he will never let us go – but will eventually bring us to our home. This is why we need the story of Abraham – not because we need to believe in him, but because we need to believe in ourselves – believe that God
has truly spoken to each one of us, just as he spoke to Abraham. I also see this deeper “knowing” revealed on Good Fridays; when the celebrant sits down, after having unveiled and kissed the Cross, it is one of my great privileges, as a priest, to watch the faces of the people coming up to kiss the Cross, something the congregation cannot see, for the people have their backs to them as they approach the Cross. I see the tears on some faces, I see the concern on others as they lift up their children to kiss the Cross and I see traces of the love and hope on the faces of all. Each person comes because somehow Jesus has met with them deeply in their hearts – that same Jesus who died to set them free and who rose that we might live and live life to the full (Jn 10:10). Their faces reveal that deeper “knowing” that the God who calls them is a God who can be trusted – and so they come to show that trust by kissing the cross. This deeper “knowing” is vital for our spiritual lives, because it is only there that we “know” that God speaks to each one of us personally. Catechism knowledge speaks in generalities; it speaks of the truths that all should accept and the laws that all should obey and if we only had that type of knowledge, we would tend to think that only the heroes of the Faith – the great saints – are God’s special people, “but not “me”; I fail too often!” This deeper “knowing”, however, tells us that each one of us is special, and that each of us has a special task, a mission given personally by God, a mission that only “I” can perform and that if I fail to do so it will never be done. When Abraham answered God by leaving his home, he began the story of our Family’s great Journey with God, but our own
PADI SEEDS
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’. He sends out a blog each week. If you would like to receive it, please email him at terrylburke@gmail.com. personal answer to God’s call is just as important as Abraham’s, for we each begin a new stage of the journey and we will profoundly affect the lives of those we meet on our journey. We are all equally important, because together we form the one mosaic of faith and love. Our answer to God’s call is made real, if, like Abraham, each morning I dare to entrust myself into his hands, by asking, “Father, what is your Will for me today?” If I do this, I am probing that deep “knowing” of my heart, which is far more profound than those truths I learn in catechism, because it brings me face to face with my God – that God who rose on Easter Day to bring us into the fullness of life.
Did Jesus feel abandoned?
Q&A
by Fr Kenneth Doyle
Q
When Jesus was dying on the cross, according to the Gospel, he cried out, “My God, why have you abandoned me?” Why was he saying this? Did he really feel that his Father had abandoned him?
A
Half a century ago, when I first began to think about the meaning of scriptural verses, the conventional explanation was this: The passage you quote is only the first verse of Psalm 22, a prayer well-known to Jews of Christ’s time. That psalm, which begins as a cry of abandonment, actually ends up to be a prayer of hope and praise, a vote of confidence in God’s saving love. Verse 25 of that psalm, for example, reads: “For (God) has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out”. This explanation was meant to assure the questioner that Jesus, the divine Son of God, could never have felt distanced from his Father.
In the midst of his excruciating torture, all but one of his friends had fled in fear, their leader had denied even knowing Jesus, and Judas had betrayed him to his captors. For me, to be honest, that explanation never rang true. Jesus did not “pretend” to be a human being. He really was one of us, subject to all the vulnerabilities that we ourselves experience. How could he not have felt isolated, even abandoned by God? In the midst of his excruciating torture, all but one of his friends had fled in fear, their leader had denied even knowing Jesus, and Judas had betrayed him to his captors. Fortunately, more than 20 years ago, Scripture scholarship caught up with what our instinct was telling us to be true. In the 1990s, Fr Raymond Brown, then the world’s most noted Catholic New Testament scholar, argued that Jesus did truly feel abandoned as he hung on the cross. Fr Brown pointed to the fact that, while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before, Jesus had addressed his Father with the Aramaic word “Abba”, a term of filial intimacy best rendered by our own word “Daddy”. But here on the cross, just moments before his death, Jesus now uses the word “Eloi”, a much more formal term for “Lord”, indicating a greater sense of separation. Personally, I feel much more attracted to this very real human being — and much more confident that he understands us in our own moments of loneliness. CNS
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
Chin Min Festival in the Catholic context by Fr Stephen Chin
Introduction Chin Min Festival is a Godgiven festival. It is a very good festival like the Christian Feast of All Souls celebrated on 2 November yearly. Chin Min Festival is usually celebrated on two dates, 4 April or 6 April yearly according to the Solar Calendar. The Chinese tradition, custom and belief Chin Min is a sign of filial piety. In this feast, the devotees believe that the soul is alive in the other world – life after death. During this time, the devotees would clean the tombs of their loved ones and offer food as a sacrifice to the souls of the living in the other world. To show respect and honour, they would wish them well and perform acts of charity for them and on their behalf. Chinese believe that there is a cause and effect in life. Whether the human person receives reward or punishment, it depends on how much good
or bad the person has done. Hence, devotees see the need for purification from sin and the effects of sins committed by man. This they believe is achieved in the Chin Min festival by offering sacrifices and doing good works for their loved ones who have passed on. The Christian understanding of Chin Min The Chin Min festival is akin to our Christian Tradition of the filial piety, respect and honour of the dead and belief in the next life. It is a very beautiful feast. On 2 November, Christians celebrate the Feast of All Souls, offering three Masses for the dead. Whenever we recite the Creed, we say “I believe in the resurrection of the dead”. Therefore in every Mass, we pray for the dead. We also offer up sacrifices and good works for them to help them get out of Purgatory – where all sins and temporary punishments due to sins must be cleansed before they can go to heaven. The Old Testament gives a
few examples of belief in the next life and the Resurrection. The Book of the Prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak of the sound of the cracking of bones of the dead, the bones joined together, enfleshed and became alive, which showed faith in the resurrection. In the first book of Maccabees, Judas Maccabees made a collection for the dead who have used amulets and died, to be sent to Jerusalem so the priest could pray for the forgiveness of their sins; proving that the people of the Old Testament believed in the afterlife. The New Testament promises Resurrection and eternal life in Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. He became man, born of the Virgin Mary two thousand years ago to give us life and teach us the way to salvation. He gave us his love and forgave our sins. He died on the cross for us and rose on the third day from death, conquering sin, death and Satan. He also gave us the Holy Spirit to help us in our life on earth.
The Chin Min festival is akin to our Christian Tradition of the filial piety, respect and honour of the dead and belief in the next life. It is a very beautiful feast.
Conclusion The Chin Min Festival is a beautiful feast akin to the Christian Tradition, particularly 2 November and the entire month of November when the Church prays for all departed souls. We offer prayers, good works and sacrifice for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Let us abound in good works for the living and the dead, and especially for ourselves when we are still alive. Fr Stephen Chin Rector, Sacred Heart Church Kuching
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
CHILDREN
PAGE 13
The triumphal entry Read Matthew 21:1, 6-9. Complete the paragraph by filling in the blanks with the correct words from the word bank at the bottom of the story.
Hi Kids!
Easter is just around the corner. We will celebrate this glorious day on 16 April. This is the day we remember that Jesus, who died to save us from our sins, has risen from the dead! Alleluia!
Jesus sent two ________________________________, saying Aunty Jo
Easter Colouring Contest 2017
to them, “Go to the ________________________________ ahead of you, and at once you will find a ___________________ tied there, with her ________________________________ by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large ___________________________ spread their ________________________________ on the road, while others cut ________________________________ from the trees and spread them on the ____________________________. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed _________________________, “_________________________ to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” branches cloaks colt crowd disciples
donkey Hosanna road shouted village
Jesus heals a blind man On the Sunday that Jesus rose from the grave, he appeared to a group of his disciples. Colour this Easter picture and send your entries to: (Sila kemukakan ke:) Today’s Catholic, P O Box 940, 93718 Kuching, Sarawak Closing date: (Tarikh tutup:) 3 May 2017 Name/Nama: ____________________________________________________________________ Age/Umur: (12 and below) _________________ Tel No: _________________________________ Address/Alamat: _________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead
So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. John 9:7 Read John 9:1-34. Complete this crossword puzzle. ACROSS 2. Brightness that comes from the sun, candles, or electrical devices that allows things to be seen 4. An adult male human being 6. The two organs in your face which are used to see 7. To make someone well from a sickness or injury DOWN 1. Unable to see 3. Great admiration, honour and praise, especially as given to God 4. A sticky mixture of dirt and water 5. To clean something using water
Help Lazarus find the way to Jesus.
Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus came out, bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. John 11:43-44
BLIND EYES GLORY HEAL
LIGHT MAN MUD WASH
YOUTH
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
Move and Express Your Heart Out For The LORD! KUCHING — The EMPOWERED Dance and Drama Ministry (EDDM) organised its first Dance & Drama Workshop from 18 to 19 March. It was attended by 43 youth participants with interest in dance and drama. Animated by four senior members of EDDM namely Kelvin Chan, Iain Bong, Alistair Yeo and Timothy Marimuthu, the workshop was held in preparation for Easter Rally 2017 (ER2017) to form, equip and provide exposure of various dance genres to the participants. On the first day, the participants were formed through a series of topics, namely Faith & Worship, Communication, Passion and Media. The topic Faith & Worship reminded the participants to keep Jesus in the centre of every action and movement in dance and drama. Participants were taught that drama is an inevitable part of living and worship where the liturgy itself has a dramatic quality that features a dialogue between God and his people. Dance is also a metaphor for understanding the relationship between God and humankind. It heightens the worshipper’s awareness of God’s presence and expresses strong feelings that words alone cannot capture. The speakers also spoke of key
values to adopt: respect, accountability, better communication, passion and commitment. The participants were encouraged to be respectful, accountable and supportive of one another through better communication. Humility and willingness to learn with an open heart is also important. For any production, passion and commitment to practices are essential. Passion and techniques are two elements that come hand in hand in striving for the spirit of excellence. All these values are key to producing a dance or drama production that speaks God’s message.
Before the end of the first day, another speaker shared how Media relates to dance and drama, that choreography, music and movement contribute towards the entire dance or drama production. The speaker also explained ways to examine the hidden undertones of music to further enhance one’s choreography. The elements and fundamentals of theatre and drama were also discussed, from idea formulation to dramatic structure, character, language, music, spectacle and human relatability. To better understand methods to enhance one’s effectiveness in drama
production, the physical, spiritual and emotions of actors and actresses in the creation of characters were discussed, including stage etiquettes, script analysis, openness, creative improvisation and authenticity in delivery. On the second day, the youths were split into groups to experience different types of dance genre through three streaming sessions, each lasting 1 hour 30 minutes. The first session was Afro Beats/Dance Hall, House and Locking, followed by the second session on Expression and Modern Hip-hop and lastly, the third session on Improvisation – Urban Choreography & Lyrical. The participants had an enriching weekend filled with fun while learning and sharing each other's experiences. The coordinators and animators were also very encouraged by the heart-warming smiles and joy over the weekend. EDDM prays and hope that the passion will not end at ER2017 but may it continue to inspire both youths and adults to ‘let loose’ and move together as pieces of God’s masterpiece to showcase how wonderful God is, and how great God uses us to reach out and move hearts. (see page 15 for testimonies)
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
YOUTH
Program Pra-Paska Belia: “Selamatkan jiwa anda”
BUNAN — Seramai 38 orang pelajar Tingkatan 4 dan 5 dari SMK Tebakang telah mengikuti program ziarah rohani yang diadakan pada 22–24 Mac lalu bertemakan ‘Selamatkan Jiwa Anda’ (Save Your Soul) sempena Musim Lent. Program tersebut bermula dengan sesi persediaan rohani peserta yang diadakan di Pusat Peringatan Leopold, Bunan. Sakramen Pengakuan Dosa dan Misa Kudus dirayakan oleh Father Berchmans Rayar, Rektor Paroki St Jude, Bunan. Semasa sesi tersebut, Brother Galvin Richard Ngumbang berkongsi berkenaan ‘Apakah Doa dan Kepentingan Doa’. Peserta didedahkan kepada cara berdoa dan juga jenis doa yang ada menurut ajaran Gereja. Pada hari kedua, ziarah rohani ini diteruskan dengan ziarah ke Pusat Peringatan dan Ziarah Katolik (CMPC) di Singai. Peserta menyertai sembahyang Jalan Salib di mana peserta diajak memahami kesengsaraan Tuhan Yesus yang wafat di (continued from page 14)
Salib demi cinta kasihNya kepada umat manusia. Program ini kemudiannya diteruskan dengan perjalanan ke Siar Beach Resort di mana peserta didedahkan kepada isu-isu pengislaman dan juga cabaran bersekolah ataupun bekerja di Semenanjung Malaysia oleh Alban Bong. Peserta juga berkesempatan untuk bersukan di tepi pantai pada sebelah petang. Pada sebelah malam, Brother Galvin berkongsi mengenai bagaimana beliau mengenali dan menyahut panggilan Tuhan dalam hidupnya, manakala Sisiter Chennisia Siting SSFS pula menceritakan tentang kehidupannya di dalam Rumah Pembentukan SSFS. Hari kedua diakhiri dengan doa Taizé yang dibimbing oleh fasilitator. Pada hari terakhir, peserta diberikan masa untuk beriadah dan bersantai sebelum berangkat balik ke Bunan. Sumbangan
TE ST IM O N IE S
Big THANKS to the workshop animators. It has been an amazing weekend of fellowship and dance. Definitely very different from what I’m usually comfortable with and this workshop made me come out from my comfort zone. Thank you for organizing and taking your time to do this. I hope there’ll be more workshops to look forward to in the future. – Jessamine Yong (working adult)
today, the workshop has really helped me to be more open. – Jasmine Ingan (high school student) Thanks for such a tiring yet amazing day. It was eye opening to learn different types of dance and I think I know where my weaknesses are. Excited to journey more with you. – Amanda Suling (high school student)
I really learnt a lot of things throughout this weekend. After I joined the workshop, I have a wider perspective. It is not just about one’s talents or technique, but it’s about our passion and another way of praising and worshiping God through dance. Thanks for the lessons and talks. They are remarkable! Such a blessing to be there with everyone and to learn lots of new things! – Faustina (High school student)
I really had a blast in this workshop. Never would I have thought I got such an opportunity to share whatever I’ve learnt from the past and share it with these passionate youths who are excited to dance for God. I also got to experience the spirit of teamwork. Sometimes it is good to be reminded that it's ok to ask for help. Thank you to those who prayed for us. Definitely something we needed! – Kelvin Chan (Workshop Speakers Team)
Really feel grateful for being able to rediscover my old self. I want to try to bring myself out more. Thank you so much! When I was younger, I used to be more daring. As I turned 11 or 12 years old, I became shy, scared and all the negative things that would stop me from doing new things. But
Thank you so much for the workshop despite being so tired after a run, but the energy for dancing was there. The passion was there. It started to grow from a small fire to a bigger fire. Every dance from the three streaming sessions were so eye opening. – Brian Chin (college student)
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FOKUS
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
MENGENAI APOLOGETIK
Adakah Yesus sebenarnya Tuhan? Oleh Diakon Dr Sherman Kuek, OFS
Dalam artikel yang lalu, saya mula membincangkan topik ini mengenai keilahian Yesus dengan membentangkan, pertama sekali, fakta tentang bagaimana rakan-rakan Muslim kita memandang diri Yesus Kristus. Pemahaman asas bagi pandangan ini adalah perlu sebelum kita menilai asas-asas agama kita bahawa Tuhan kita Yesus sememangnya Putera Allah. Walau bagaimanapun, demi tujuan ringkasan, perbincangan tentang pandangan orang Islam terhadap Yesus dibahagikan kepada dua bahagian. Oleh itu, dalam artikel ini, saya ingin meneruskan perbincangan mengenai isu ini dengan membahagikan lebih banyak maklumat tentang perkara yang dipercayai oleh rakan-rakan Muslim sebagai benar tentang Yesus. Dengan sepantasnya, saya ingin mengingatkan pembaca kita bahawa tujuan perkongsian maklumat ini bukanlah untuk mencaci atau merendah-rendahkan orang yang berlainan agama. Saya mengemukakan maklumat ini dengan penuh hormat. Namun saya juga akan menunjukkan bagaimana kita, sebagai orang Kristian, mempunyai asas yang kukuh untuk mendasarkan kepercayaan kita kepada keilahian Yesus Kristus.
(Bahagian II) Dalam agama Islam, sifat-sifat Yesus seperti kelahiran-Nya tanpa bapa kandung, mukjizat-Nya, dan gelaran istimewa yang diberikan kepadaNya dianggap normal bagi seorang nabi. Secara asasnya, Yesus tidak lebih daripada mahkluk ciptaan, seorang manusia tanpa keilahian
APA PENDAPAT ORANG ISLAM MENGENAI PERIBADI YESUS KRISTUS? (SAMBUNGAN) Al-Quran menyatakan bahawa Yesus telah bernubuat tentang kedatangan Muhammad (yang juga bernama Ahmad): “Dan ingat, Isa ibni Maryam berkata: “Wahai Bani Israel! Sesungguhnya aku ini Pesuruh Allah kepada kamu, untuk mengesahkan Hukum (yang telah dating) sebelum aku, dan memberi berita gembira mengenai seorang Rasul yang akan datang selepas aku, yang bernama Ahmad.’” (Al-Saff, 61:6) Yesus juga dicatatkan di dalam Al-Quran sebagai menafikan bahawa Dia adalah Allah. Dia dipanggil Firman dari Allah, iaitu Firman Allah, atau Roh dari Allah, tetapi Dia bukanlah Allah mahupun Putera Allah. “Dan lihatlah! Allah akan berkata: ‘Wahai Isa ibni Maryam! Adakah kamu berkata kepada manusia, sembahlah aku dan ibuku sebagai dewadewi selain daripada Allah?’ Dia akan berkata: ‘Kemuliaan kepadaMu! Aku tidak akan menyebut apa yang aku tidak ada hak untuk nyatakan. Jika saya ada menyebut perkara sedemikian, Engkau sesungguhnya akan tahu. Engkau tahu isi hatiku, Engkau aku tidak tahu apa isi hatiMu. Kerana Engkau tahu sepenuhnya segalanya yang tersembunyi. ‘Tidak pernah kata aku kepda mereka kecuali apa yang Engkau perintahkan kepadaku untuk katakan iaitu ‘sembah Allah, Tuhanku dan Tuhanmu.” (Al-Ma’idah, 5:116-117) “Lihatlah! Kata malaikat: Wahai Maryam! Allah memberi kamu berita gembira tentang Firman dariNya: namanya adalah Isa Al-Masih, anak Maryam, yang disanjungi di dunia ini dan di akhirat dan oleh mereka yang paling dekat dengan Allah.’” (Al-Imran, 3:45) “Wahai Umat Kitab! Jangan melakukan keterlanjurn dalam agamamu: jangan sebut tentang Allah kecuali kebenaran. Isa Almasih ibni Maryam tidak lebih daripada seorang rasul Allah, dan FirmanNya, yang Dia berikan ke atas Maryam, dan roh yang datang daripadaNya: maka itu percaya kepada Allah dan rasul-rasulNya. Jangan sebut ‘Triniti’: berhenti, ia adalah lebih baik untuk kamu: kerana Allah adalah satu. Kemuliaan kepadaNya: Dia jauh lebih tinggi daripada memiliki seorang anak. KepadaNya milik segalanya di langit dan di bumi. Dan cukuplah Allah sebagai Penentu hal ehwal.” (Al-Nisa, 4:171) “Katakanlah: Dia adalah Allah, Yang Satu-satunya; Allah, Yang Kekal Abadi, Mutlak; Dia tidak melahirkan, dan Dia tdak dilahirkan; dan tiada yang sepertiNya.” (Al-Ikhlas, 112) “Mereka kufur yang berkata: ‘Allah adalah Isa Al-Masih ibni Mariam’. Namun kata Isa Al-Masih: ‘Wahai Bani Israel! Sembah Allah, Tuhanku dan Tuhanmu.” (Al-Ma’idah, 5:72) “Orang Yahudi memanggil ‘Uzair anak Allah, dan orang Kristuan memanggil Isa Al-Masih anak Allah. Itu adalah kata-kata dari mulut mereka; dalam ini mereka meniru apa yang pernah disebut oleh kafir pada zaman silam. Semoga mereka dilaknati Allah: betapa mereka dikelirukan dari Kebenaran! Mereka mengambil paderi mereka dan pihak berkuasa mereka sebagai tuhan mereka selain Allah, dan mereka mengambil sebagai
Tuhan mereka) Isa Al-Masih ibni Maryam; namun mereka diperintah untuk menyembah Allah Yang Esa. Tiada allah melainkanNya. Pujian dan kemuliaan kepadaNya: (Dia jauh sekali) daripada memiliki teman yang mereka kaitkan denganNya.” (Al-Tawbah 9:30-31) Walaupun penghormatan yang agung seakan-akan diberikan kepada Yesus dalam petikan-petikan utama Al-Quran tersebut yang merujuk kepada-Nya, Al-Quran juga memberikan penekanan yang tinggi kepada Ibrahim dan Musa. Lagipun, dalam agama Islam, sifat-sifat Yesus seperti kelahiran-Nya tanpa bapa kandung, mukjizatNya, dan gelaran istimewa yang diberikan kepada-Nya dianggap normal bagi seorang nabi. Secara asasnya, Yesus tidak lebih daripada mahkluk ciptaan, seorang manusia tanpa keilahian: “Isa di hadapan Allah adalah sama seperti Adam; Dia menciptanya dari tanah, kemudian berkata kepadanya: ‘Jadilah’. Dan dia pun jadilah.” (Al-Imran, 3:59). Muhammad dilihat sebagai seorang nabi yang lebih hebat daripada Yesus kerana Baginda adalah “kesudahan segala Nabi” (Al-Ahzab, 33:40). Yesus, dengan itu, tidak memainkan peranan yang bermakna menurut kepercayaan Islam. Ia dipercayai bahawa perananNya telah diperbesarkan dengan hebat oleh orang Kristian sehingga ke tahap kekufuran. Dengan semua yang telah diperkatakan, dalam artikel seterusnya, kita akan menghuraikan asas-asas kepercayaan orang Kristian kepada keilahian Yesus Kristus. Diakon Dr Sherman Kuek OFS adalah seorang Diakon Tetap yang ditugaskan ke Keuskupan Melaka-Johor, Malaysia. Beliau juga seorang Fransiskan Sekular dan ahli teologi. Beliau akan menulis untuk Today’s Catholic tentang Gereja, ajaran-ajarannya dan pelbagai topik yang berkaitan dengan iman.
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
IMAN DAN HIDUP
PAGE 23
Siapakah yang meletak Kristus di atas salib? Oleh Carolyn Woo
Penyaliban Tuhan kita hampir sentiasa digambarkan dalam kesenian yang menunjukkan penyeksaan akibat kelemasan di atas salib, paku, luka yang disebabkan oleh lembing, mahkota duri atau pemukulan dalam perjalanan ke Kalvari. Walaupun ini sememangnya peralatan yang mencabut nyawa Yesus, ia bukan pemulanya. Benda-benda ini tidak meletakkan Yesus di atas salib. Manusia yang meletakkanNya. Jika kesenian menggambarkan cerita latar, exposé dalam istilah media pada hari ini, apakah yang akan ditunjukkannya? Ketua-ketua masyarakat yang berbisik sesama mereka? Mendapatkan dan mengira sokongan daripada rakan-rakan kita? Pertemuan rasmi dan tidak rasmi mengenai cara untuk melindungi orang baik daripada Yesus? Sampai kepada kesimpulan yang tidak dapat dielekkan bahawa “sesuatu mesti dilakukan”? Mengatur strategi tentang bila, di mana, bagaimana? Atau mencipta insentif untuk mendapatkan kerjasama broker kuasa seperti kerajaan? Semua kelihatan begitu tenang, rutin dan penuh hormat. Namun, seperti yang kita ketahui, ia adalah jahat. Bukan muslihat itu yang tidak suci, tetapi motivasi dan emosi yang mendorong orang biasa, malah mungkin berniat baik, untuk membawa segalanya yang mereka miliki untuk mengaibkan seorang lelaki, menghancurkan kehidupannya dan menyajikannya sebagai tontonan umum. Ketua-ketua agama rasa terancam walaupun Yesus telah menyatakan
Bagaimanakah mereka dapat membiarkan “orang yang tidak ada apa-apa”, tanpa tauliah yang tulen, yang tidak ada kad keahlian, menunjukkan jalan Allah, yang merupakan profesion dan urusan mereka? dengan jelas bahawa Dia di sana bukan untuk membubarkan undang-undang, tetapi meletakkan roh kasih ke dalam amalan mereka. Mereka dapat kehilangan kerelevanan, pengaruh dan dipanggil ke tahap akauntabiliti yang berlainan dalam khidmat dan tindakan mereka. Bagaimanakah mereka dapat membiarkan “orang yang tidak ada apaapa”, tanpa tauliah yang tulen, yang tidak ada kad keahlian, menunjukkan jalan Allah, yang merupakan profesion dan urusan mereka? Dan orang ramai yang sebelum itu bersorak ketika Yesus memasuki Yerusalem lupa begitu sahaja dan kemudian menyertai histeria beramairamai, tunduk kepada kemabukan sebagai
Hati ke hati...
dari pena penulis jemputan,
Fr Lazarus Swinie
Liturgi gereja kita penuh dengan drama. Setiap musim atau perayaan mempunyai tema yang berbeza namun membawa tujuan yang sama iaitu rencana penebusan Tuhan untuk umat-Nya. Kita telah menuju ke penghujung musim prapaska. Prapaska dimulakan dengan hari Rabu Abu. Dalam perayaan tersebut kita bukan sahaja dipanggil untuk bertaubat dan percaya kepada Injil tetapi juga diingatkan tentang asal usul kita. Hanya apabila kita menyedari kelemahan dan kekurangan di dalam kehidupan, kita dapat
melihat dan menghargai rahmat dan belas kasih Tuhan. Minggu suci – Khamis Putih, Jumaat Agung dan Malam Paska menjadi kemuncak musim Prapaska kita. Pada perayaanperayaan ini “Gereja merayakan misteri agung penebusan kita, sambil mengenangkan sengsara, wafat dan kebangkitan Tuhan” (Misa Hari Minggu dan Hari Raya). Pada keluaran kali ini saya akan menyentuh tentang Jumaat Agung dan Malam Paska. Ramai yang mendapati bahawa mesej Jumaat Agung adalah lebih mudah untuk diikuti dan difahami berbanding
sebahagian daripada golongan berkuasa, walaupun hanya untuk satu petang sahaja, dan kemudian menyaksikan sukan berdarah untuk memecah kebosanan hari yang biasanya rutin. Saya pasti tidak ramai daripada kita yang dapat memahami kekejaman penyaliban, tetapi saya harap kita dapat mengenali waktu di mana kita telah menanggapi orang lain sebagai ancaman, apabila persaingan mendorong keinginan kita untuk menang dan bertarung untuk posisi dominan, dan apabila iri hati, kesinisan dan ketakutan menyebabkan kita untuk mengharamkan dan mengasingkan orang lain. Kalkulus kita yang pragmatik boleh mendorong kita untuk memutuskan hubungan kerana
dengan Paska. Mungkin juga kerana kita sudah biasa dengan doa jalan salib pada setiap hari Jumaat sepanjang musim prapaska dan melihat salib dalam pelbagai bentuk maka mesej Jumaat Agung secara tidak langsung sudah tertanam dalam fikiran kita, sedangkan Paska adalah berkaitan dengan kebangkitan Kristus dan harapan pada masa akan datang. Walaupun demikian, tanpa kebangkitan pada pagi Paska, Hari Jumaat iaitu hari kewafatan Yesus tidak akan dinamakan Jumaat Agung. Pagi Paskalah yang telah mengupas maksud disebalik kesengsaraan di bukit Golgota. Cahaya pagi Paska telah menerangi kegelapan di Kalvari. Pada perayaan Jumaat Agung kita diseru untuk menghormati salib Kristus. Kita mengarahkan fikiran dan hati kita kepada kesengsaraan yang ditanggung oleh Kristus untuk menebus kita dari kuasa maut dan kegelapan. Pada pandangan saya seruan Yesus “Aku haus” ketika tergantung pada kayu salib bukan kerana haus dari segi jasmani tetapi membayangkan keinginan-Nya yang mendalam untuk mencurahkan ‘air hidup’
kerugian melebihi keuntungan. Kegagalan kita bukan hakikat bahawa kita boleh jadi berfikiran cetek, suka bermusuh, menganggap diri lebih mulia. Sebaliknya, kita berdosa apabila kita tidak dapat perkara ini dalam diri kita sendiri, apabila kita menepis “orang lain” sebagai orang yang tidak ada tuntutan ke atas tanggungjawab dan belaskasihan kita, dan apabila kita menolak akibat daripada keputusan dan tindakan kita ke atas kesejahteraan orang lain. Dalam penderitaan yang saya telah lihat – kebuluran; orang yang hilang tempat tinggal, sama ada pelarian atau petani atau penduduk peribumi yang hilang tanah mereka; hilang punca pendapatan disebabkan oleh pemanasan iklim; atau kurang prihatin terhadap golongan yang sakit mental – saya selalu tertanya-tanya bagaimana kita sampai ke sini. Ia pasti jauh lebih menyenangkan hati jika puncanya adalah syaitan bertanduk dengan serampang tiga mata. Namun puncanya, malangnya, kelihatan amat biasa sekali: sikap acuh tak acuh, penumpuan diri, sikap suka berpuak, menganggap diri mulia, kesombongan, moralisme. Lebih daripada apa yang saya suka, saya melihat ini dalam cermin. Pada Jumaat Baik akan dating, apabila kita member penghormatan kepada salib, dapatkah kita melihat seorang individu atau satu peranan? Dapatkah kita mengenali ini sebagai dosa yang memerlukan kewafatan Kristus untuk membeli penebusan kita? CNS (Terjemahan)
kepada mereka yang benarbenar mencari-Nya dalam iman. Ketika ditusuk dengan tombak oleh seorang askar darah dan air mengalir keluar dari luka pada rusuk Yesus. Setelah mendekati tahta rahmat dan belas kasih Tuhan; minum dengan sepuas-puasnya dari telaga penebusan, kita dipanggil untuk meniru iman pengikut yang disayangi Yesus di dalam Alkitab (Yoh. 19:2627). Ketika di kaki salib Yesus dia telah mengambil Maria sebagai ibu, Yesus sebagai saudara dan Allah sebagai Bapa. Dia telah mengenal Yesus ketika di pantai dan menjadi saksi Kristus kepada murid-murid yang lain. Begitu juga dengan kita. Kita dipanggil untuk membuka hati kepada cintakasih Yesus, menyintai Yesus dan menyintai sesama manusia. Air hidup iaitu Roh Allah (Yoh. 7:39) yang dicurahkan kepada kita pada hari pembaptisan menjadi jaminan penebusan kita. Pada malam Paska kita mengulangi janjijanji pembaptisan kita sebagai tanda kesungguhan kita untuk mengikuti Kristus Yesus. Kita berkumpul bukan sahaja sebagai umat Kristian yang merayakan
kemenangan Kristus iaitu Tuhan dan Juruselamat ke atas kuasa kegelapan dan maut tetapi juga yang haus akan rahmat dan belas kasih Allah. Yesus berpesan, “Sesiapa yang dahaga hendaklah datang kepada-Ku untuk minum” (Yoh. 7:37). Paska bukan hanya sekadar air pembaptisan, api dari lilin paska dan telur ayam rebus sahaja. Paska adalah tentang cara kehidupan yang berlandaskan harapan akan kehidupan abadi dan sempurna. Oleh yang demikian, air pembaptisan kita hendaklah sentiasa mengalir dan cahaya Kristus haruslah sentiasa menerangi kehidupan kita dan orang lain. Kata-kata paderi ketika menyalakan lilin Paska pada perayaan Malam Paska, “Semoga cahaya Kristus, yang telah bangkit mulia, menghalau kegelapan hati dan budi” dijadikan pedoman iman kita. Marilah kita dengan satu suara pada perayaan malam Paska mengulangi janji-janji pembaptisan kita dengan sepenuh hati agar cahaya Kristus sentiasa menerangi jalan kehidupan kita.
PAGE 24
BERITA
Keuskupan Agung Kuching alualukan uskup agung baharu
Kenyataan Uskup Agung Emeritus John Ha mengenai Persaraan beliau Sebagai Uskup Agung Kuching
D TAHNIAH ... Uskup Agung Simon Poh menyapa jemaat paroki dan bergambar dengan mereka selepas Misa Kudus • Bersambung dari ms 28 “Kerja pentadbiran juga mula menjejaskan saya, sehinggakan saya mula merasakan ia lebih seperti beban daripada pelayanan yang menggembirakan,” kata Uskup Agung Emeritus, dan inilah sebabnya kenapa beliau merasai keperluan bagi seorang uskup auksiliari. Pada 24 September 2015, Uskup Simon telah dilantik dan ditahbis. “Saya sangat gembira kerana Uskup Simon telah dilantik untuk menggantikan saya. Perlantikan beliau menjamin kesinambungan serta
kemajuan Keuskupan Agung,” kata Uskup Agung Emeritus Ha. Sebelum Misa, Uskup Agung baharu Kuching mengadakan majlis makan malam untuk pembesar, paderi dan wakil pelbagai kumpulan kepercayaan di Kuching. Audrey Yu (Terjemahan) Kenyataan lengkap Uskup Agung Emeritus John Ha mengenai perletakan beliau adalah di sebelah kanan.
Borang pendaftaran dapat diperolehi di pintu masuk Gereja atau di pejabat paroki. Sila hantar borang pendaftaran anda ke pejabat paroki masing-masing pada atau sebelum 30 April.
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
engan penemuan pengganti saya, Most Reverend Simon Poh Hoon Seng, saya sekarang dapat bersara dengan fikiran dan hati yang tenang. Saya ternyata rasa amat lega dan gembira sekali jauh di dalam diri saya. Bagi saya, rasa lega dan gembira ini adalah pengesahan bahawa saya telah membuat keputusan yang tepat untuk memohon kebenaran Bapa Suci bagi perletakan saya daripada Jawatan Uskup Agung sebelum usia kanun. Apabila mendengar pengumuman rasmi tentang “perletakan” saya, ramai telah bertanya “KENAPA?” Saya agak istilah “perletakan” yang merupakan istilah kanun membawa beberapa konotasi negatif seperti keuzuran, kelakuan tidak sewajarnya, perasaan terkilan. Untuk menjernihkan keadaan, saya sekarang berkongsi sebab bagi keputusan saya untuk memohon bagi persaraan awal. Penerimaan permohonan saya oleh Bapa Suci untuk berundur lebih awal daripada Jawatan Uskup Agung diumumkan pada 4 Mac 2017, sengaja dibuat pada harijadi saya yang ke-70. Sebab saya bagi masa ini ialah saya berpendapat usia 70 tahun akan diterima dengan baik sebagai alas an bagi persaraan awal. Mengimbau balik, saya agak saya boleh katakan bahawa pada asasnya, sebab saya memohon untuk persaraan awal adalah kasih saya bagi Gereja, walaupun ini mungkin tidak begitu jelas dalam minda saya. Saya amat digalakkan dan mendapat inspirasi daripada Pope Benedict XVI yang meletak jawatan daripada jawatan kepausan beberapa tahun yang lalu pada asasnya kerana beliau menyedari bahawa dalam keadaan beliau ketika itu, beliau tidak akan dapat memimpin Gereja dengan berkesan seperti yang sewajarnya bagi Gereja. Sejak beberapa tahun yang lalu, saya semakin merasai usia saya apabila ia perlahan-lahan mempamerkan symptomsimptomnya – perhatian yang singkat, kerap hilang ingatan, keletihan mental yang cepat di mesyuarat. Selain itu, saya perlahan-lahan rasa lesu disebabkan oleh cabaran-cabaran dari dalam dan dari luar diri saya sendiri serta Gereja. Kadangkadang, saya rasa agak lemah semangat jika tidak langsung tidak berdaya. Kerja pentadbiran juga mula menjejaskan saya dengan begitu serius sehinggakan saya mula merasainya lebih sebagai beban daripada sebagai satu pelayanan yang menggembirakan. Saya merasakan reality saya yang semakin melemahkan ini tidak
boleh dibiarkan untuk menghambat pertumbuhan Keuskupan Agung Kuching. Saya melihat keperluan bagi seorang Uskup Auksiliari – seseorang yang sudah tentulah muda, tetapi juga lebih berupaya, lebih bertenaga, lebih cekal dan malah lebih berkarisam daripada saya sendiri. Maka itu saya membuat keputusan yang telah dipertimbangkan untuk menulis kepada Kardinal Filoni, Pengawas Kongregasi bagi Penginjilan Bangsa, Takhta Suci, untuk memohon bagi seorang Auksiliari. Uskup Simon dilantik dan ditahbis pada September 2915. Dengan beliau sebagai Auksiliari saya, saya dapat berkongsi beberapa tanggungjawab pentadbiran dan pastoral dengan Uskup Simon. Dalam proses tersebut, saya melihat kewibawaan dan keupayaan beliau. Saya juga melihat dua Uskup lain (Uskup Joseph Hii di Sibu dan Uskup Richard Ng di Miri). Manamana daripada tiga orang Uskup ini dapat dengan mudah menggantikan tempat saya sebagai Uskup Agung Kuching. Maka itu, pada September tahun lepas, saya dengan yakin dan berani mengemukakan satu lagi permintaan kepada Pengawas Kongregasi bagi Penginjilan Bangsa – kali ini untuk seorang pengganti. Duta Apostolik, Uskup Agung Joseph Marino, bertindak terhadap permohonan saya dengan menjalankan konsultasi yang meluas. Perlantikan Uskup Simon sebagai pengganti saya adalah hasil daripada konsultasi ini. Sudah tentulah saya sangat gembira kerana Uskup Simon telah dilantik untuk menggantikan saya. Ini adalah kerana beliau telah terbabit secara aktif dalam penjagaan pastoral Keuskupan Agung. Hasil daripada pembabitan beliau ini, beliau benar-benar tahu selok-belok dalam Keuskupan Agung. Perlantikan beliau menjamin kesinambungan serta kemajuan Keuskupan Agung. Uskup Agung Simon Poh sudah mengambil pemilikan kanun ke atas Keuskupan Agung Kuching. Kepada beliau saya berkata, “Tahniah dan terima kasih, Simon.” Kepada semua jemaat Katolik dalam Keuskupan Agung, saya berkata: “Uskup Agung Simon Poh adalah Uskup Agung anda sekarang. Kita bersyukur kepada Allah bagi beliau dan saya pasti anda akan memberi beliau sokongan sepenuhnya dan selalu mendoakan beliau. Semoga Allah menjadikan beliau gembala yang kita perlukan dan sewajarnya bagi kita – seorang gembala menurut hati Kristus sendiri.” (Terjemahan)
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
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CATHOLIC today’s THE TEAM
Fikirkanlah perkara ini (Phil 4:8)...
T
uhan sekarang bukannya menderita lama apabila Dia bersabar dengan kita untuk Dia bersikap adil dengan menghukum. Maka itu jangan berkata: “Esok saya akan berubah hati, esok saya akan menggembirakan Tuhan, dan saya akan diampuni bagi segalanya yang saya akan buat pada hari ini dan esok.” Apa yang anda katakan adalah benar: Tuhan telah menjanjikan pengampunan jika kita kembali kepadaNya. Namun apa yang Dia tidak janjikan ialah anda akan ada esok untuk mencapai perubahan hati anda. — St Augustine dari Hippo
(Petikan dari Komentari mengenai Masmur 144, II)
Ladies Guild St Martin De Porres bersedia menyambut Paska
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) STAF Audrey Yu
Majlis pembaptisan dan pemberkatan perkahwinan
(Gambar atas) Monsignor Francis Kulleh memberkati satu pasangan yang berkahwin.
BAU — Ladies Guild St Martin De Porres dari Kampung Sira telah menganjurkan Lawatan Lent ke Pusat Peringatan dan Ziarah Katolik atau Catholic Memorial Pilgrimage Centre (CMPC), Mt Singai, Bau pada Ahad 2 April lepas. Lawatan Lent itu disertai seramai 138 orang terdiri daripada pelbagai peringkat umur. Peserta terdiri daripada 89 jemaat Kpg Sira dan 49 orang dari Kpg Krian yang turut dijemput untuk samasama menyertai program ini. Program ini turut disertai Pengerusi Komiti Gereja
Kampung (KGK) Gereja St Martin de Porres, Steven Dadi Juul dan diketuai Pengerusi Ladies Guild, Flora Rangeb. Tujuan program diadakan adalah sebagai salah satu pengisian program sempena musim Lent di samping mengeratkan hubungan persaudaraan di antara jemaat kedua-dua buah kampung. Rombongan singgah di Gereja St Stephen, Bau untuk menyertai Perayaan Misa Kudus sebelum meneruskan perjalanan ke CMPC Singai Bau. Perjalanan naik gunung dimulakan kira-kira jam 11.15 pagi dengan Doa Jalan Salib dan
rombongan dibahagikan kepada tiga kumpulan. Perjalanan ini sesungguhnya memberikan keinsafan dan sebagai renungan yang berguna untuk peserta menghayati kesengsaraan Tuhan Yesus Penyelamat kita yang memikul kayu salib yang berat demi menanggung dosa kita manusia. Semua peserta selesai berdoa Jalan Salib pada jam 12.40 tengah hari dan aktiviti disambung dengan nyanyian bersama dan sesi bergambar. Rombongan mula bergerak turun pada jam 1.30 petang. Mas Nyapus
NIAT DOA POPE FRANCIS BAGI APRIL
Orang Muda Agar orang muda menyahut panggilan hidup mereka dengan murah hati dan menimbang dengan serius untuk memberi diri kepada Allah dalam kepaderian atau kehidupan konsekrasi.
(Gambar kiri) Seorang budak lelaki menerima pembaptisan dari Monsignore Francis Kulleh MIRI — Pada 25 Februari, Gereja All Saints, Ladang 3 bersama dengan Gereja St Michael, Batu Niah telah mengadakan program pembaptisan dan pemberkatan perkahwinan bagi jemaat di sekitar Ladang 3, Bekelit, Pakut Luar, Pakut Dalam, Kilang Kelapa Sawit Niah, Sungai Tangit, Ladang Kosa dan Subis 2. Pemberkatan dilakukan oleh Monsignor Francis Kulleh dan dibantu oleh Katekis Steward Ajol dan Katekis Dominic Majid. Seramai 100 orang menerima pembaptisan dan 17 pasangan berkahwin telah diberkati oleh Monsignor Francis. Ini merupakan sejarah bagi Gereja All Saints Ladang 3 yang berjaya mengadakan program seperti ini. Dengan adanya program ini maka bertambahlah jemaat Katolik di
sekitar Ladang 3 dan dengan harapan agar saudara-saudari baharu ini dapat bersama-sama membangunkan Gereja dan jemaat di sekitar Ladang 3. Dengan kesempatan ini, pihak Gereja All Saints, Ladang 3 merakamkan berbanyak terima kasih kepada Ahli Jawatankuasa Gereja yang telah berusaha keras menjayakan program ini. Tidak lupa juga kepada pihak Gereja St Michael, Batu Niah yang telah mengajar saudara-saudari baharu tentang kehidupan sebagai seorang Kristian Katolik selain bagi pemberkatan oleh Monsignor Francis Kulleh. Joachim Muan Ak Pudai
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
“Tinggalkan kampung halaman kamu dan rumah bapa kamu” (Kej 12:1) Satu bahagian penting dalam cara hidup Katolik adalah untuk belajar tentang kebenaran dan tradisi Kepercayaan kita. Kita melakukan ini dalam kelas katekisme kalau kita kanakkanak, atau dalam kelas RCIA jika kita lebih dewasa dan ingin bersiap sedia untuk pembaptisan, penguatan atau penerimaan ke dalam Gereja. Ini adalah satu amalan yang baik dan penting, kerana kita perlu tahu apa yang diajar dan dipegang oleh Gereja sebagai benar. Namun ia juga boleh menimbulkan masalah kerana terdapat dua jenis “pengetahuan” dalam agama – pertama, terdapat “pengetahuan” katekisme yang memberitahu kita tentang apa yang dipercayai dan diajar oleh Gereja, tetapi terdapat juga sejenis “pengetahuan” yang jauh lebih mendalam, yang datang daripada pengalaman kita sendiri yang unik akan Allah di dalam hati dan kehidupan kita, tetapi sementara jenis “pengetahuan” kedua ini adalah sangat benar, ia begitu mendalam sekali sehinggakan selalunya kita sebenarnya tidak menyedarinya – dan ini boleh menyebabkan kita untuk memahami kehidupan rohani kita dari segi kebenaran katekisme yang, dalam kebanyakan kes, tidak sesuai dengan keperluan kita! Contohnya, jika saya bertanya kepada jemaat yang pergi ke gereja kenapa mereka datang ke Misa pada hari Ahad, mereka selalunya akan menjawab, “Kerana ia adalah satu dosa untuk tidak datang.” Ini adalah sesuatu yang mereka pelajari dalam kelas katekisme mereka dan walaupun ia benar, ia bukanlah sebab paling mendalam atau malah sebab sebenar kenapa kebanyakan orang datang ke Misa – seperti apa yang saya dengar dengan begitu
jelas sekali apabila saya duduk dalam bilik pengakuan dosa dan mendengar jemaat bercerita tentang kesukaran mereka untuk setia kepada Tuhan. Saya ingat seorang wanita warga emas yang pernah mengaku dia tidak menghadiri Misa sebanyak dua kali dan apabila saya bertanya kepadanya “Kenapa?”, dia berkata dia tinggal agak jauh dari gereja dan tidak ada pengangkutan dan pada dua hari tersebut, hujan telah turun dengan lebat. Lalu saya memberitahunya bahawa dia tidak berdosa jika dia duduk di rumah pada harihari sedemikian, tetapi dia menjawab, “Oh tidak, Father, saya mahu datang!” Ini bukan kelas katekismenya yang bercakap, tetapi “pengetahuannya” yang lebih mendalam – yang datang daripada merasai sentuhan Tuhan dan panggilanNya yang penyayang untuk berjalan bersamaNya – satu seruan yang dia mahu jawab dan dia berbuat demikian dengan cara yang dia tahu – termasuk datang ke Misa pada hari Ahad. Kita dibantu untuk menghargai “pengetahuan” yang lebih mendalam ini apabila kita mendengar cerita tentang bagaimana Allah berfirman kepada Abraham, “Tinggalkan kampung halaman kamu dan rumah bapa kamu dan pergilah ke bumi yang akan Aku tunjukkan kepada kamu.”(Kejadian 12:1) Sebagai jawapan, Abraham meninggalkan tanah air beliau dan memulakan perjalanan yang akan memakan masa sepanjang hayat beliau dan selepas itu. Kita diajar perkara ini dalam kelas katekisme kita, kerana cerita beliau membantu kita menyedari bahawa ini juga berlaku kepada kita – setiap daripada kita – dalam pengalaman kita sendiri dengan Allah. Dalam pelbagai cara, Allah bercakap kepada kita jauh di dalam hati kita, mempelawa kita untuk meninggalkan
kampung halaman kita dan pergi bersamaNya ke bumi yang Dia akan tunjukkan kepada kita – bumi kebaikan hati, bumi persahabatan, bumi kasih sayang – dan kita mahu pergi, jadi kita memilih untuk pergi. Usaha kita untuk menjalani kehidupan Kristian adalah cara di mana kita cuba menjawab seruan itu dan ketika saya duduk dalam bilik pengakuan dosa, saya mendengar dengan begitu jelas bahawa anda bukan sahaja cuba mematuhi peraturan yang dipelajari dalam katekisme, tetapi cuba menghidupkan kasih itu bagi Kristus di dalam hati anda – dan saya juga melihat air mata dan merasai kesakitan apabila anda fikir anda sudah mengecewakanNya. Ketika saya duduk sambil mendengar anda, saya juga sedar akan kegagalan saya sendiri, tetapi anda juga menunjukkan kepada saya apa yang kita sering lupa – bahawa perkara penting bukanlah hakikat bahawa kita gagal, tetapi hakikat bahawa Dia memanggil setiap daripada kita dengan nama dan dalam panggilan itu adalah janji bahawa Dia tidak akan pernah melepaskan kita – tetapi akan lambat-laun membawa kita ke kampung halaman kita. Inilah sebabnya kenapa kita memerlukan cerita Abraham – bukan kerana kita perlu percaya kepadaNya, tetapi kerana kita perlu percaya kepada diri kita sendiri – percaya bahawa Allah benar-benar telah bercakap kepada setiap daripada kita, sama seperti Dia bercakap kepada Abraham. Saya juga melihat “pengetahuan” yang lebih mendalam ini ditunjukkan pada Jumaat Baik; apabila paderi duduk selepas mempamerkan dan mencium Salib, ia adalah salah satu keistimewaan saya, sebagai seorang paderi, untuk melihat wajah jemaat yang tampil untuk mencium Salib, sesuatu yang tidak dapat dilihat oleh kongregasi kerana jemaat
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.
membelakangkan kongregasi apabila mereka mendekati Salib. Saya melihat air mata pada beberapa wajah, saya melihat kebimbangan pada wajah lain ketika mereka mengangkat anak-anak mereka untuk mencium Salib dan saya melihat tanda kasih sayang dan harapan pada wajah semua. Setiap orang datang kerana Yesus sudah bertemu dengan mereka dengan mendalam dalam hati mereka – Yesus sama yang wafat untuk membebaskan mereka dan bangkit supaya kita beroleh kehidupan dan menjalani kehidupan sepenuhnya. (Yohanes 10:10) Wajah mereka menunjukkan “pengetahuan” mendalam itu bahawa Allah yang memanggil mereka adalah Allah yang boleh dipercayai – dan oleh itu mereka datang untuk menunjukkan kepercayaan itu dengan mencium salib. Pengetahuan lebih mendalam ini amat penting untuk kehidupan rohani kita, kerana hanya di sanalah kita “tahu” Allah bercakap kepada setiap daripada kita secara peribadi. Ilmu pengetahuan katekisme bercakap secara umum; ia bercakap mengenai kebenaran yang harus diterima semua dan hukum-hukum yang semua kita harus patuhi dan jika kita hanya memiliki ilmu pengetahuan seperti itu, kita akan cenderung memikirkan bahawa hanya wirawira Kepercayaan – santo-santa agung – adalah orang istimewa Tuhan, “tetapi bukan ‘aku’; aku terlalu kerap gagal!” B a g a i m a n a p u n , “pengetahuan” lebih mendalam
ini memberitahu kita bahawa setiap daripada kita adalah istimewa, dan setiap daripada kita mempunyai tugasan khas, misi yang diberi sendiri oleh Allah, misi yang hanya “saya” dapat laksanakan, dan jika saya gagal berbuat demikian, ia tidak akan dilaksanakan. Apabila Abraham menjawab Allah dengan meninggalkan kampung halaman beliau, beliau memulakan kisah perjalanan hebat Keluarga kita bersama Allah, tetapi jawapan kita sendiri secara peribadi kepada panggilan Allah juga sama penting seperti jawapan Abraham, kerana setiap daripada kita memulakan peringkat perjalanan baharu dan kita akan menjejaskan dengan mendalam kehidupan orang yang kita jumpai dalam perjalanan kita. Semua kita sama penting kerana kita samasama membentuk satu mozek kepercayaan dan kasih sayang. Jawapan kita kepada panggilan Allah direalisasikan jika, seperti Abraham, setiap pagi saya berani mempercayakan diri ke dalam tanganNya, dengan bertanya, “Bapa, apakah Kehendakmu untuk aku pada hari ini?”’ Jika saya melakukan ini, saya menerokai “pengetahuan” mendalam di dalam hati saya, yang jauh lebih mendalam daripada kebenaran yang saya pelajari dalam katekisme, kerana ia membawa saya berdepan dengan Allah saya – Allah yang bangkit pada Hari Paska untuk membawa kita ke dalam kepenuhan hidup. (Terjemahan)
Belia Bunan merenung kesengsaraan Tuhan BUNAN — Pada 18 Mac lalu, Pelayanan Belia Paroki atau Parish Youth Ministry (PYM) St Jude Bunan-Tebedu telah mengadakan Ziarah Lent ke Pusat Peringatan dan Ziarah Katolik (CMPC) di Singai, Bau. Seramai 391 belia Katolik dari 36 buah kampung dalam Paroki St Jude Bunan-Tebedu menyertai program tersebut. Aktiviti ziarah itu diadakan bagi member peluang kepada belia untuk merasai, mengalami, merenung dan menghayati
kesengsaraan Tuhan Yesus di Bukit Golgota. Perjalanan dimulakan dengan doa Jalan Salib yang diadakan dalam kumpula kecil dan diteruskan dengan Misa Kudus di panggung udara bersama Father Peter Liston. Selepas makan tengah hari, aktiviti diteruskan dengan perkongsian mengenai “Dosa dan Pertobatan” yang disampaikan oleh Brother Galvin Richard Ngumbang dan doa Kerahiman Ilahi. — Cinderella Sio
TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
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Misa Hari Polis Di PULAPOL
PUNCAK BORNEO — Hari Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) disambut pada 25 Mac setiap tahun dan pada tahun ini PDRM menyambut Ulang Tahun Ke-210. Polis beragama Kristian di Pusat Latihan PDRM (PULAPOL) Kuching telah menganjurkan Sembahyang Peringatan Hari Polis di Gereja All Saints PULAPOL Kuching, di Jalan Puncak Borneo. Upacara sembahyang pada kali ini dikendalikan oleh Gereja Katolik. Perayaan Misa Kudus dirayakan oleh Father Don Don OFM dari Paroki St Ann, Kota Padawan. Ruang Gereja penuh dengan anggota polis yang hadir bersama ahli keluarga mereka. Terdapat juga pesara Polis, pelatih Polis Bantuan dan
jemaat dari kampung berdekatan yang turut dijemput hadir ke Misa ini. Fr Don Don dalam homilinya berkata beliau rasa bertuah kerana dapat merayakan Misa untuk anggota polis. Beliau mengaitkan bacaan Mazmur 34 pada hari itu; “Tuhan dekat kepada orang-orang yang patah hati” dengan pengalamannya yang pernah bekerjasama dengan polis ketika di Singapura. Sebelum Misa berakhir, Upacara ‘Last Post’ diadakan dengan tiupan ‘Bugle’ berkumandang bagi memperingati anggota polis yang sudah meninggal dunia. DSP Lepi Anak Awan, Pegawai Kanan Polis yang merupakan Penaung Badan Kebajikan Kristian PULAPOL Kuching turut menyampaikan ucapan beliau.
Kemudian, pesara Polis yang hadir turut diraikan dengan pemberian cenderahati kepada mereka. Lagu “Polis Sedia Berkhidmat” turut dinyanyikan sejurus selepas Misa tamat. Semua hadirin kemudiannya mengambil bahagian dalam jamuan makan malam yang telah disediakan. Gereja All Saints PULAPOL Kuching merupakan satusatunya Gereja yang terdapat di dalam sebuah Pusat Latihan Polis di Malaysia. Gereja di bawah seliaan PDRM ini merupakan Gereja Gabungan Mazhab yang menyatukan polispolis Kristian yang berkhidmat di PULAPOL. Layani Laman Facebook Gereja All Saints PULAPOL di “All Saints’ Church PULAPOL Kuching Sarawak”. — Sumbangan
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Ziarah ke Bung Mako
SERIAN — Pada 4 Mac lalu, Zon Bingarat telah mengadakan acara pendakian ke puncak sebuah gunung yang terletak di Kampung Seroban (Roban), Serian yang diberi nama Bung Mako. Puncak gunung tersebut dikenal pasti oleh Rektor St Theresa, Serian sebagai Pusat Ziaah bagi kawasan Serian. Pusat baharu ini bermula sejak 2015 dan masih memerlukan banyak usaha dan sokongan jemaat Katolik di kawasan Serian bagi memastikan cita-cita Bung Mako menjadi Pusat Ziarah dapat tercapai. Program Ziarah Bung Mako sudah pun disenaraikan dalam calendar tahunan Paroki St Theresa sebagai salah satu aktiviti wajib. Zon Bingarat
memecah rekod pendakian yang mencatat seramai lebih 500 jemaat dari pelbagai lapisan umur dan jantina yang turut menyertai pendakian. Pendakian bermula pada jam 8.00pagi dengan disertakan sembahyang Jalan Salib. Selepas selesai sembahyang Jalan Salib, acara disambung pula dengan sembahyang rosari manakala Misa Kudus dimulakan pada jam 11.00 pagi. Turut serta dalam program tersebut ialah Katekis Edward Nyingki selaku penyelaras Zon Bingarat, Leonard Alek selaku Pengerusi Zon Bingarat serta pengerusi-pengerusi KGK yang bernaung di bawah Zon Bingarat. Charles Roystan Lukas
Belia St Ignatius beriadah ke Lundu SARATOK — Pada 2022 Mac lalu, seramai 24 orang belia dan jemaat dari Pusat St Ignatius, Saratok mengikuti program ‘Youth Outing’ ke Holy Trinity Centre, Lundu. Rombongan itu diketuai Father Robert Jissem. Program mereka dirancang dan disusun atur bersama Father Lazarus Swinie dan belia dari Gereja Holy Trinity, Lundu. Tujuan program itu adalah untuk menghargai jasa semua belia St Ignatius, Saratok yang membantu dalam melancarkan aktiviti dan program gereja di samping beriadah semasa cuti sekolah. Rombongan bertolak pada jam 8.00 pagi dari Saratok ke Mount Hosanna untuk Misa Kudus dan makan tengah hari sebelum meneruskan perjalanan ke Holy Trinity Centre, Lundu. Pada hari kedua, di antara aktiviti yang telah diadakan adalah menghadiri Misa Kudus di Gereja Holy Trinity, beriadah di Air Terjun Sebat,
DERMA DARAH SELAMATKAN NYAWA ... Sebagai sebahagian daripada kegiatan Lent Tahunan Pelayanan Warden, Kempen Derma Darah telah dilancarkan dan menyaksikan 42 penderma darah menderma darah di Gereja St Peter, Kuching pada 12 Mac lalu. Penderma diberi beg hadiah selepas menderma darah. Rektor Gereja St Peter, Father Vincent Chin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua penaja dan penderma darah di atas sumbangan mereka kepada masyarakat bagi satu usaha yang murni untuk menyelamatkan nyawa. KENANGAN ... Belia St Ignatius mengambil gambar kenangan bersama Fr Lazarus Swinie and anggota paroki Lundu sukaneka di Pantai Pandan dan bersiar di pasar Sematan. Pada sebelah malam, aktiviti barbeku dan makan malam fellowship (silaturahim) bersama Fr Lazarus dan belia Holy Trinity dimeriahkan lagi dengan program ‘sing along’ dan penyampaian hadiah kepada pemenang acara sukaneka. Belia dan jemaat St Ignatius sangat berterima kasih kepada pihak Gereja Holy Trinity di atas sambutan dan layanan
baik yang diterima dan juga tempat penginapan yang telah disediakan. Diharap pada masa akan datang program yang sama dapat diadakan untuk mengeratkan lagi hubungan di samping memberi impak positif kepada semua peserta ke arah perkembangan iman dan semangat ikhlas untuk terus membantu dalam melancarkan aktiviti dan program gereja. Rossita Guang
Kita adalah umat Paska dan hallelujah adalah nyanyian kita. - St Pope John Paul II
Selamat menyambut Paska! Daripada sidang editor Today’s Catholic
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TODAY’S CATHOLIC APRIL 2017
Keuskupan Agung Kuching alu-alukan Uskup Agung baharu
1. Uskup Agung John Ha menyerahkan crosier (tongkat gembala) kepada Uskup Agung Simon Poh. 2. Puan Zabaria Matali, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) Pusat Maklumat Islam Kuching, menyampaikan hamper kepada Uskup Agung Simon Poh untuk mengucapkan tahniah kepada beliau di atas perlantikan beliau sebagai Uskup Agung baharu Kuching. 3. Sewaktu Pemberian Persembahan (Offertory), Uskup Agung Simon menerima roti dan wain dari keluarga beliau. 4. Father Michael Corcoran dan Uskup Agung Simon meneliti crosier yang digunakan oleh Uskup Mill Hill pertama, Uskup John Vos pada 1952. 5. Uskup dan paderi menghadiri taklumat sebelum perarakan ke Katedral. KUCHING — Uskup agung yang baharu dilantik di Keuskupan Agung Kuching, Uskup Agung Simon Poh, mempelawa semua jemaat untuk peka mengenai visi Allah dan sama-sama merancang hala tuju keuskupan agung. “Ketika Keuskupan Agung Kuching memulakan proses yang kita panggil ‘3R’, Review (Semak Semula), Reassess (Nilai Semula) dan Renew (Perbaharui), kita mencari visi bagi Gereja yang kita mahukan, dan mencari jalan untuk menjalani misi ini di paroki kita,” kata Uskup Agung Simon dalam homili beliau. Pada 2012, Keuskupan Agung Kuching mengadakan Kongres Pastoral Keuskupan Agung untuk membantu Uskup Agung Kuching ketika itu, Uskup Agung John Ha, merangka hala tuju keuskupan agung. Hasil Kongres tersebut adalah ‘ACTS of the Congress’, satu set pelan tindakan bagi hala tuju pastoral di keuskupan agung ini. Pada tahun ini, gereja tempatan menyemak dan menilai semula ACTS. Borang soal tinjauan disediakan bagi tujuan ini. Penemuan semakan semula itu akan dibawa ke perhimpunan keuskupan agung yang dijadualkan pada 18-20 Ogos. “Bawa borang soal selidik ke semua sudut paroki. Biarlah suara Tuhan bercakap kepada kita menerusi ibu tunggal, keluarga bermasalah, petani, golongan miskin dan golongan memerlukan bantuan, orang sakit dan
terlantar di rumah supaya kita dapat bertindak dengan belas kasihan dan kasih, terutamanya golongan paling kecil, golongan yang sesat dan golongan di tempat terakhir. “Maka itu saya mempelawa anda, sertailah saya, bersama dengan paderi, majlis paroki dan ketua anda, kita menyemak dan menilai semula, memperbaharui dan mencari visi Allah dan misi kita dalam Keuskupan Agung Kuching,” kata beliau. Uskup Agung Simon Poh, 53 tahun, yang menggantikan Uskup Agung John Ha sebagai Uskup Agung Kuching ketiga, mengambilalih pemilikan kanun keuskupan agung pada 20 Mac lalu dengan Misa Kudus yang dihadiri lebih 3,000 jemaat dan dengan kehadiran kirakira 80 orang paderi, sembilan uskup dan uskup agung, pembesar dan wakil dari kepercayaan lain. Misa tersebut diadakan ketika Gereja meraikan perayaan St Joseph, Suami Maria, penaung keuskupan agung dan Katedral St Joseph. Acara pertabalan bermula dengan penghormatan kepada salib oleh Uskup Agung Simon di pintu masuk Katedral. Uskup Agung Joseph Marino, Nunsio Apostolik (Duta Kepausan) ke Malaysia, kemudian membaca Dekri Nunsiatur Apostolik yang mengesahkan perlantikan uskup agung baharu Kuching. Sebelum itu, pemimpin gereja itu menjelaskan bahawa Surat Apostolik oleh Pope Francis, yang sepatutnya
dibaca, lambat tiba. Maka itu, Dekri dibaca sebaliknya. Dekri itu kemudian ditunjukkan kepada Kolejh Konsultor. Uskup Agung Simon Poh kemudian mengesahkan perlantikan beliau dengan berkata, “Dengan kepercayaan kepada Tuhan, saya menerima pelayanan yang diamanahkan kepada saya, dan dengan ini, saya mengambilalih pemilikan kanun ke atas Keuskupan Agung saya.” Selepas itu, beliau dibawa ke katedra (takhta uskup agung) di mana beliau duduk. Katedra (‘kerusi’ dalam Latin) adalah tanda tugas uskup sebagai pengajar dan tempat dari mana beliau memimpin jemaat dalam doa. Uskup Agung John Ha kemudian menyerahkan kepada beliau krosier (tongkat gembala) yang melambangkan tugas uskup sebagai pentadbir. Dua uskup agung emeritus, John dan Peter, rector paroki dalam keuskupan agung, wakil religious lelaki dan wanita, pengerusi Majlis Pastoral Keuskupan Agung yang mewakili jemaat awam mengalu-alukan dan menjanjikan taat setia mereka kepada Uskup Agung Simon yang baharu ditabal. Dengan menggunakan peranan St Joseph sebagai seorang pendidik bagi Yesus, Uskup Agung baharu berkata salah satu misi pelayanan beliau adalah memastikan pendidikan seumur hidup yang holistik. Pemimpin gereja itu juga berikrar untuk bekerja sama dengan semua orang
yang berniat baik dan Kerajaan Negeri demi “kebaikan semua yang umum, menghormati martabat manusia dan nilai kerja dan sama-sama membina masyarakat yang lebih baik”. Uskup Agung baharu Kuching juga meminta kongregasi berdoa untuk beliau dan paderi-paderi beliau. “Saya dengan rendah hati meminta doa anda untuk saya, untuk rahmat menjadi bapa yang baik kepada paderipaderi saya. Berdoalah bagi saya untuk memberi pastor yang baik kepada keuskupan agung dan paroki,” kata beliau. Dalam ucapan beliau selepas Misa Pertabalan, Uskup Agung Emeritus John Ha, 70 tahun, yang diumumkan meletak jawatan pada 4 Mac lalu, memberitahu sebab bagi perletakan beliau dari Jawatan Uskup Agung sebelum usia kanun 75 tahun. “Sejak beberapa tahun yang lalu, saya semakin merasai usia saya yang perlahan-lahan menunjukkan simptomsimptomnya – perhatian yang singkat, kerap hilang ingatan, keletihan mental yang cepat di mesyuarat. “Selain itu, saya perlahan-lahan rasa lesu disebabkan oleh cabaran dari dalam dan dari luar diri saya sendiri serta Gereja. Kadang-kadang, saya rasa agak lemah semangat jika tidak langsung tidak berdaya. • Bersambung di ms 24
Published by: The Archbishop of Kuching, Batu 1, Jln Tun Abang Haji Openg, 93000 Kuching. Printed by: Bahagia Press Sdn Bhd (86546-K), Lot 225, Section 49, Jalan Padungan Utara, 93100 Kuching. Tel: 082-238900