KUALA LUMPUR : Two Capuchin priests, Fr Michael Raymond OFM Cap and Fr John Anandan OFM Cap, were the preachers on the Mass Explained for the parishioners of Christ the Light.

Fr John began by stating that the Holy Spirit does not live outside of us, rather the Holy Spirit takes residence in our hearts as we ourselves are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is our responsibility to ensure that we keep the Spirit alive within us. We need to make the Spirit the President of our lives.

He questioned our awareness of the divine presence of the Holy Spirit within us. Are we actually aware of this divine presence and the power which can transform our lives? We need to allow the Spirit to guide us by giving ourselves to the Lord, just as Paul was touched by the Spirit of Christ on the road to Damascus. Our Christian life is so much more than we imagine it to be. It is not enough for us just to attend Mass on Sundays and be Sunday Catholics, we need to deepen our Christian lives.

Both Fr John and Fr Michael were engaged everyday during the two weeks to ensure all BECs of Christ the Light truly understand the significance of the Holy Mass. In one BEC, Fr Michael Raymond began by stating that we will not understand the Eucharist if we first do not fall in love with the Eucharist. An example given is when in love, we will somehow find the time for the person, all our energy and time is spent in trying to get to know the person.

Our relationship with God must also be built in the same intense bond. God must be present in everything we do. We cannot begin the Eucharist without having this intense relationship with God. The routines we do in church were then explained by Fr Michael.

As we enter the church the Holy Water signifies that we are a member of the universal Church as we enter into the community of Christ.

When we kneel we are paying homage to the Lord. We adore and honour our Lord Jesus.

We sit before Mass in silence to prepare ourselves for God. God speaks to us in silence.

The Penitential Rite is said as Jesus cannot enter our hearts if we are not cleansed. It is therefore good to have confession before mass to prepare ourselves that Jesus may enter into our hearts.

-Word of God and Gospel. There is a difference in listening and hearing the Word of God. Sometimes we only say with our lips, however our hearts are distant and often we do not mean what we say.

A Mass should be an experience, not an event. An event is something you attend. An experience on the other hand is something that has touched your heart. It cannot be taken away as it is part of your life. Every Mass should be an experience in our lives.

At the final blessing, the priest sends us out to spread what we have experienced and received in Mass. To share the love we have received with someone else we meet. “You are the light of the world as you socialize with people in the outside world. When people see you, they must be able to see the energy of the Holy Spirit dwelling within you which makes you different from others. Just as salt makes a difference to our food, our presence must make a difference to those around us. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to brighten our lives and make a difference to those around us.”

Our goal in life is all about going to heaven, continued Fr Michael Raymond. Time flies and we soon realize that our lives are very short. The seeds we sow are down here on earth but the fruits are in heaven. The closer we come to God the clearer we will see the kingdom of heaven.