roses

it is the best time of the year
when all the roses are in bloom
this year the rain was very good
and so the air is not too bad

it is the best time of the year
a cyclone and an earthquake too
and everything that went before
it is the best time of the year

MW  May 2008

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

rosen

es ist die schoenste zeit im jahr
wenn ueberall die rosen bluehen
der regen ist ja richtig gut
ich weiss nicht was noch alles kommt

es ist die schoenste zeit im jahr
ein erdbeben und ein zyklon
und alles was noch vorher war
es ist die schoenste zeit im jahr

MW   Mai 2008

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ketika itu, saya belum lagi tahu membezakan di antara: apa yang saya dapat lakukan tetapi memilih untuk tidak melakukannya, dengan apa yang saya rasa saya patut lakukan tetapi tidak dapat saya lakukan. Sebahagian daripada masalah ini timbul kerana bahasa yang kita gunakan apabila kita bercakap mengenai kepercayaan kita. Kita mudah sekali memikirkan bahawa kepercayaan adalah satu perjuangan di mana kita telah memberikan komitmen, dan lupa bahawa nadi kepercayaan kita adalah ajaran mengenai “Rahmat” – peranan Tuhan di dalam perjalanan hidup kita.

Saya ingat satu ceramah, beberapa tahun lalu, mengenai “komitmen” yang diberikan oleh Ketua Biara dari Worth. Beliau berkata, sehingga zaman Revolusi Perancis, istilah ‘komitmen’ hanya digunakan di dalam konteks “menyerahkan badan kepada bumi” – pengebumian – dan idea mengenai “komitmen diri kepada sesuatu perjuangan” hanya muncul kemudian. Sekarang ia digunakan dengan meluas, termasuk dalam lingkungan agama, dan kita bercakap mengenai “orang-orang Kristian yang komited”. Tetapi, kata Ketua Biara berkenaan, memahami panggilan Kristian sebagai satu “komitmen” boleh mengaburi makna sebenar seorang Kristian.

Tradisi Kristian bermula dengan Abraham dan Perjanjian Tuhan dengannya: Kejadian 15:1-20. Di sini, kita dapat melihat bahawa Perjanjian itu “diberikan” oleh Tuhan kepada Abraham – dan bukan sesuatu di mana Abraham telah memberikan komitmen untuk mewujudkannya. Peranan Abraham adalah untuk mempercayai bahawa janji itu akan ditunaikan. Menjadi Kristian bermakna mempercayakan diri ke dalam tangan Tuhan, semoga Dia dapat membentuk kita sebagai putera-puteri Tuhan. Selepas itu, selagi kerja-Nya selesai, barulah kita dapat hidup sebagai putera-puteri Tuhan – bukan sebelum!

Sebaliknya, istilah ‘komitmen’ membawa idea bahawa apa sahaja yang akan berlaku adalah hasil daripada usaha saya. Wawasan kehidupan Kristian sedemikian mengeluarkan Tuhan daripada gambaran sepenuhnya, kecuali mungkin sebagai inspirasi. Kita dapat melihat perbezaan di antara kedua-dua pendekatan ini menerusi pemahaman mengenai “perkahwinan”. Sekarang, perkahwinan sering dianggap sudah wujud apabila pasangan suami isteri memberikan “komitmen”. Namun demikian, apabila perkahwinan disebut di dalam Al-Kitab, ia dilihat sebagai satu “penerimaan” cinta – bila kita dengan rendah hati menerima cinta pasangan kita, cinta kita kepada pasangan kita akan berkembang. Penerimaan cinta yang rendah hati inilah yang mewujudkan perkahwinan – bukannya janji perkahwinan!

Ini juga dapat difahami dengan berkesan sekali begini: sementara kita dapat “melakukan dosa” (commit a sin), kita tidak dapat “melakukan sifat baik” (commit a virtue) – dan terutama sekali, kita tidak dapat “melakukan cinta” (commit love)!

Kembali kepada St Mungo – bagaimanakah reaksi saya apabila saya menghadapi keadaan seperti itu sekarang? Sekarang saya berpaling kepada Tuhan dan berkata, “Jika kekuatan untuk melakukan perkara ini ada di dalam diriku, ya Tuhan, aku tidak tahu di mana kekuatan itu. Maka itu, aku menyerahkan diri dan cabaran ini ke dalam tangan-Mu. Jika aku ada kekuatan untuk melakukannya, maka bimbinglah aku untuk melakukannya bersama-Mu; tetapi jika aku tidak memiliki kekuatan, maka berikanlah kedamaian hati kepadaku, sehingga Engkau menyelesaikan kerja-Mu di dalam aku dan aku bersedia mengambil tempatku di sisi-Mu.” Jika saya sudah berkata demikian, saya sudah melakukan segala yang termampu bagi saya – selainnya adalah Rahmat.

Fr Terry Burke

(Terjemahan)

SIBU – Msgr Joseph Hii Teck Kwong was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Sibu on 1 May in a solemn High Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Msgr Hii was ordained by the Apostolic Delegate to Malaysia, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio. Assisting him were Bishop Dominic Su and Archbishop John Ha. Eleven other Archbishops/Bishops joined in the ordination Mass together with over 50 priests.

The Mass was attended by over 5000 Catholics who had come from far and near. A CCTV was set up to allow the thousands who were seated outside to participate more meaningfully in the ordination Mass.

After the singing of the ancient hymn ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’ invoking the Holy Spirit, the rite of ordination began with the reading of the Papal Bull (mandate from the Pope) by Fr Alphonsus Tang. The congregation gave their consent with a thunderous applause.

This was followed by the homily of Archbishop Pennacchio who reminded the Bishop-elect that the title of Bishop is one of service, not of honour, and to love all whom God has placed under his care.

The examination of the Bishop-elect on matters of the faith was followed by the Litany of the Saints. The Archbishops and Bishops then laid their hands on the Bishop-elect followed by the prayer of ordination. This action is a sign of the admittance of Msgr Hii into the College of Bishops.

The newly-ordained Bishop was then anointed with chrism and presented with the Book of the Gospel. This was followed by the handing over of the ring, the mitre and the staff. The ring signifies the Bishop’s fidelity to the Church, the mitre signifies his resolve to pursue holiness, and the staff signifies his duty to watch over the whole flock.

Then the newly-ordained Bishop was led to his chair and the ordination rite concluded with the kiss of peace by all the Archbishops and Bishops present.

Before the final blessing, Bishop Hii spoke and thanked everyone for their presence, prayers and support. He also asked the Apostolic Delegate to convey the love and support of the Church of Sibu to the Holy Father.

The celebrations continued with a grand dinner in the evening at the Sacred Heart School Hall in which the different parishes and groups presented items of entertainment. The Apostolic Delegate also presented a token of appreciation to Teresa Wong, the mother of the new Bishop. His father, Paul Hii, had passed away in 2003.

Bishop Hii comes from a big family of eight. After his schooling, he entered St Peter’s College in 1986 and was ordained priest on 25 March 1993 together with Fr Alphonsus Tang and Fr Andrew Tan.

He served in two parishes before being sent to Rome for further studies in 1997. After successfully obtaining a licentiate in spiritual theology, he returned two years later and was posted to Kapit where he worked diligently for eight years. He was also responsible for building the new church in Kapit. On 25 January 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Sibu.

The Diocese of Sibu was erected in 1987. It is made up of 11 parishes with over 100,000 Catholics, 18 priests and five seminarians.

Bishop Hii is the second Bishop to be ordained from St Peter’s College, Kuching. The first was Bishop Julius Dusin of Sandakan. Bishop Hii is currently serving in St Francis Xavier’s Parish, Kanowit.

Here are some comments about the ordination:

“It was definitely a proud and happy moment for me! It reflects the continuing growth of our diocese which currently has more than 100,000 Catholics served by 11 parishes.” Bishop Dominic Su

“I am very touched by this occasion. I experienced the joy of God’s love for us. I am also proud that Bishop Hii is the parish priest of St Francis Xavier, Kanowit.”

Tony Benjamin, parishioner from Kanowit

“For the past eight and a half years that he has served us in Kapit, Apai Hii, as he is better known, has brought about lots of positive changes. I am happy to hear that in his maiden speech, the new Bishop promised humble service to the people of God.  In this manner, he will be able to serve the people well and be a loving and caring spiritual father to all of us.” Jacky Ling, parishioner from Kapit

Fr Richard Ng

Description of the Coat of Arms

of Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong

1 The “chief” of the shield is in blue (Azure) which symbolises the separation from the worldly values and the ascent of the soul towards God; therefore the run of the Celestial Virtues which raise themselves from the things of the earth towards the sky from where the Holy Spirit (the dove) comes to us. The dove is sided by the Morning Star, symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary and by the fleur de lis (the lily in heraldic shape) symbol of St Joseph; this to emphasise the marriage and the family.

2 The key and the sword recall St Peter and St Paul and the stand on a red (gules) background; this is because red is the colour of the blood of martyrdom.

3 The enflamed spear recalls St Theresa d’Avila and comes from the words said by her during the mystical ecstacy with the Angel while the tongue of fire symbolises St John of the Cross these two Saints, both Doctors of Spirituality, underline the spiritual life of the Church, the vocation to Holiness.

4 In the saints’ iconography, the rose stands for St Theresa of Lisieux and the gold (or) and black (sable) checker field comes from the coat of arms of St Francis Xavier; these two saints emphasise the missionary aspect of the Church.

Motto:

ECCLESIA SPONSA CHRISTI

‘CHURCH, BRIDE OF CHRIST’

I have a suspicion it’s a little like how Mother Mary feels each time any of us ‘sings’. We may not even be singing to her necessarily but surely the mere sound of our childish attempts to articulate a prayer brings warmth to her heart too.

It’s the month of May. Mothers are celebrated. Motherhood is held in high esteem. It was also World Communications Day on 4 May. Communication is all about human connections, initiating, maintaining and conveying messages. The little girl’s voice communicates her innocence, purity and sheer joy of living. Whatever we choose to say, do or sing in life, may it be from a heart that’s that pure.

Stella Chin

KUCHING – The construction of the Mother Mary Home and Chapel for retired priests which started in May 2007 was recently completed. Situated in Stutong at Lorong Setia Raja 14 (Off Jalan Setia Raja), the complex includes a chapel, 16 units of ground floor and upper floor apartments, a multi-purpose room and an open courtyard.

In conjunction with the completion of the Home, the Apostolic Delegate to Malaysia, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, was invited to officiate the blessing of the complex on 12 April. He was assisted by Archbishop John Ha and Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung.

The liturgy of blessing was within a Mass in which 12 priests concelebrated with the three Archbishops. About 120 people were present. The Polish Ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Mr Eugeniusz Sawicki, who providentially was in Kuching for an official function was also present on the invitation of Archbishop Ha. After the blessing, he presented a gift to the Archbishop.

In his homily, Archbishop Ha disclosed that the Home and the Chapel are a gift from a generous anonymous benefactor. The architectural design, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering plans and quantity surveying were also offered free-of-charge. He expressed his deep gratitude to the donors and to others who coordinated and oversaw the construction works also gratis.

Relating to the exercise of their ministry, Archbishop Ha asked all the priests in the Archdiocese to have the courage to leave their needs, present and future, to God’s providence.

He said, “Divine providence has certainly been at work in the life of every priest in the Archdiocese of Kuching. All are able to testify to this from their experience. Today, divine providence is visible to all of us here. The gift of the Home for retired priests cannot be more timely than at this time when we are beginning to have priests reaching retirement age. It is through the very generous people he has placed in our midst and around us that God takes care of this need the Archdiocese of Kuching is beginning to feel.”

The Archbishop added, “In today’s concrete experience of divine providence, priests are reassured of God’s care and concern for them – practically always exercised through good and generous people.”

Archbishop Ha also announced the dedication of the Home and Chapel to Mother May and named the complex ‘The Mother Mary Home and Chapel for Retired Priests’.

William Chong

KUCHING – Archbishop John Ha together with Dr Jeffrey Goh and Mrs Angie Goh conducted The Prodigal Son Retreat at Blessed Sacrament Parish (Stampin) the weekend of 4-6 April. This retreat was attended by over 60 participants from various parishes.

The three Retreat masters were superb as always not only because they have given this retreat in many other centres and even outside Kuching but mainly because they were very authentic in baring their hearts and convictions. Their love for God and for the people was palpable and sincere, thereby lending conviction to what they had to share.

All the participants were clearly moved and uplifted. At the end of the retreat every participant without exception confirmed that they were very happy that they had taken the time to be at this retreat.  All came away convinced that this retreat should continue to be made available to the faithful in Kuching as it is a powerful instrument to discover our identity on our pilgrimage from realising we are prodigals to assuming our identity to be like the Father.

Christina Eng

FAMILIES ENLIGHTENED… Four half-day Mini Family Seminars were conducted in St Stephen’s Parish (Bau) in Kpg Skibang and Sebobog on 19 April and in Kpg Padang Pan and Kpg Serasot on 27 April respectively.

In all these seminars, two talks on the Archbishop's Pastoral Letter on the Family were presented by the Catechists while the priests informed the parishioners on the use of the family year folders. These Mini Seminars were well attended by the parishioners.

BANGKOK – Spiritual Director Fr Augustine Jepy and 26 members and friends of the Bread of Life Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community enjoyed themselves during a retreat on ‘The Eucharist and the Family’ conducted by Archbishop John Ha at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Centre (Bangkok) from 7-10 April.

It was a very significant retreat because this is the Family Year of Hope for the Archdiocese and the Covenant Community is called ‘Bread of Life’.

Archbishop Ha explained in great detail the Eucharistic Spirituality of Marriage and the Family. He first pointed out the mounting pressures on the family today and how to overcome these pressures by living the image of God. Because Jesus Christ restored our lost image of God, we are able to face up to the negative aspects of globalisation, individualism and loss of sense of God.

“Jesus Christ sealed the new covenant of love. Marriage is the covenant of love between a man and a woman sealed in Christ,” said the Archbishop.

All the retreatants were urged to put into practise Jesus’ commandment of love, thus living the image of God.

“A good marriage and family with the fruit of love, modelled on Christ’s love for the Church is a memorial of Christ crucified, risen and made present. It is a domestic church worshipping God in love and in truth,” the Archbishop added.

The retreat was accompanied by signs and wonders. There was no reference to the daily readings when the theme and dates were selected. The Community was pleasantly surprised that all the Gospel readings of the week were on the ‘Bread of Life’ (Jn 6). A brother left his sling bag on the chair of the public gallery of the Bangkok airport for two hours. When he returned it was still there with passports and money all intact. Another brother had a high fever at midnight one day. After prayers he completely recovered in the morning.

Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Centre belongs to the Archdiocese of Bangkok. It has about 200 rooms, six fully-equipped conference rooms, two chapels and fine dining facilities. It can be reached at +662 429 0124 on telephone, +0662 429 0120 on fax or email phuwaan@yahoo.com.

Peter Wong

BUNDU TUHAN, Sabah – On 13 April, Sr Irmina Peter, Sr Natasia Tay and Novice Jovita Michael of the Sisters of St Francis of Sarawak (SSFS) gave their vocation sharing in Bundu Tuhan. This was part of a vocation camp was organised by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC) of Sabah in conjunction with Vocation Sunday.

About 200 youths from Bundu Tuhan were present. A majority of the participants were secondary school students.

The camp kicked off with songs and dances. It was then followed by sharing from novices of FSIC and SSFS on God’s love and the calling into religious life as well as their life testimonials. There was also a briefing on the history and background of FSIC and SSFS by their respective representatives.

Sr Natasia Tay

KUCHING – From 2 February-13 April, the Archdiocese of Kuching organised six parish-level celebrations in the spirit of the World Youth Day (WYD), which culminated with an Archdiocesan-level celebration at the Catholic Memorial and Pilgrimage Centre (CMPC) at Mount Singai (Bau).

Realising that only 50 youths from Kuching would participate in the WYD celebration in Sydney, Archbishop John Ha called the youth leaders and the Archdiocesan Youth Commission to bring the pilgrim experience of the WYD to the young people here.

The organisers patterned the celebrations after previous WYDs. The aim of the celebration was to bring the youths of diverse backgrounds and ethnic groups to experience solidarity not only with their peers in the local Church but also with young Catholics of the Universal Church, as well as to help them encounter the love of God through deeper appreciation of their Catholic identity. All the events included catechesis on the Sacraments, with emphasis on the Eucharist and Reconciliation.

Adopting the same theme as WYD 2008 in Sydney, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses’ (Acts 1:8), the Kuching celebrations challenged young people to be authentic and courageous witnesses of the Gospel, opening their hearts to God’s vocation for them. Special sessions were devoted to help young men and women consider and discern the vocation to the priestly and religious life.

The event was launched in Kuching city on 2 February with the blessing of the World Youth Day and Vocation Celebrations (WYDVC) cross and icon at a Mass in Blessed Sacrament Church (Stampin) presided by Archbishop John Ha. These symbols of God’s love, travelled through the parishes of Blessed Sacrament, St Theresa (Serian), St Jude (Bunan Gega), St Ann (Kota Padawan), Our Lady Queen of Peace (Sri Aman), and St Stephen (Bau), before ascending Mount Singai to CMPC.

12 April saw 1,400 youths gathering in CMPC for praise and worship, a youth festival, catecheses, a vocation expo and an evening of silent meditation with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The following Sunday morning (13 April), the Apostolic Delegate for the region, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, and Archbishop John Ha arrived at CMPC celebrate Mass for the youth delegates.  Truly meaningful was the presence of the Archbishop Pennacchio for he represented the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, who would be in Sydney for the WYD in July. The Catholics of the surrounding area swelled the number at the Mass to about 1,700.

Incidentally, 13 April was also the 110^th anniversary of the passing of Fr Felix Westerwoudt who was the Mill Hill Missionary instrumental in the founding of the mission in Singai, Bau. Today, St Stephen’s Parish in Bau boasts 33,000 Catholics. Indeed the memory of the heroic sacrifice of the Mill Hill priest inspired the young people to be witnesses of the Lord.

Archbishop Pennacchio was invited to plant a belian (iron wood) seedling to commemorate his presence at CMPC. He said this would mean he had to ascend Singai again in the future to see how the tree would have grown. However, he expressed his greater hope and desire to visit the Archdiocese to see the faith of the young people grow and flower.

More pictures in the Youth Section (pages 13-14).

Fr Felix Au

JERUSALEM – On 29 March, a group of 32 pilgrims led by spiritual director and leader, Fr Patrick Heng, left Kuala Lumpur to begin a ten-day spiritual journey together to the Holy Land. The pilgrims were from Kuching, Bau, Miri, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Oman, and Australia, and were a good mix of old and young, professionals, and non-professionals but the majority were retirees.

The pilgrimage started from Jordan, through Israel onto the Sinai Peninsula and into Egypt. The pilgrims were blessed with an opportunity to re-live scenes from the Old and New Testaments, particularly in tracing the footsteps of Jesus.

Some of the pilgrims shared their feelings about the experience:

“This is a journey of enrichment, affirmation and fulfillment.

‘Enriching’ because we now understand the traditions, cultures and life-styles of the people in the time of Jesus and his disciples. We can now better appreciate their struggles and sacrifices in their harsh environment.

‘Affirming’ because all that we read in the Scriptures has been authenticated.

‘Fulfilling’ because our Christian faith is strengthened to help us live a better Christian life and be a witness and light to the world around us.

To me, the most touching moments were when Fr Heng recited Psalm 88 about Jesus’ feeling when he was imprisoned and tortured for a night in a darkened chamber. How could anyone not feel guilty of their sins! This experience is simply beyond any description!”

– Titus Chuo

“I feel that my spiritual life is deeper now after I climbed Mount Sinai. I nearly gave up because my leg was very painful and I had a headache, but I prayed and trusted in the Lord and he helped me up the mountain. Now, the pain has gone! Praise God!”

– Anna Binsin

“The Lord wants me to know him and be close to him. I felt his closeness especially during the Mass celebrated in the open space beside the Sea of Galilee in the Capernaum. Truly, I am very blessed … and I want to thank the Lord for calling me home!”

– Faith Lim, new convert

“The pilgrimage taught me how to pray and to love and to accept one another as a big family of God. There was joy and laughter; sorrow and tears.”

– Doris Ting,

baptised in May 2007

“I got to know a great sister in-Christ. My room-mate lost her luggage, but she was such a cool and patient and caring lady. Little was mentioned about her luggage for she had surrendered everything to the Lord.”

– Jennifer Goh

“This pilgrimage showed us the importance to be more like Christ and follow him; to be Christ-centred and Other-centred and not to be self-centred.”

– James and Clare Kong

“The pilgrimage reinforced my faith. I felt the presence of the Lord.”          – Andrew Goh

The group is grateful to God and all who prayed to make their pilgrimage enriching in all ways.

Florence Chye