What we choose on earth determines where we go

Nov 17, 2017

By Bernard Anthony
“Welcome to this celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints. The Church triumphant asks all the saints in heaven to pray for us here on earth, to journey towards heaven to be like the saints.”

Archbishop Julian Leow said this at the 7.30pm Mass on November 1, 2017 at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Parish priest, Fr Edwin Peter concelebrated the multi-lingual Mass, which was presided by the prelate, with 900 parishioners present.

The Gospel on the Beatitudes, (Matthew 5: 1-12), was proclaimed by Fr Edwin.

In his homily, preached in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin, Archbishop Leow asked the assembly, “What is this Solemnity?

What is the Church’s purpose in giving us this All Saints feast?” He said the purpose is so that we all can become saints for God; that we will know where our permanent (eternal) home is, which is in heaven, our final destination.

“Where we are going depends on our choices. We should transform our lives and conduct for the better while we are alive. Once we breathe our last, we cannot change.”

Archbishop Julian Leow added that we need to follow the Beatitudes in the Gospel. Despite our many challenges in life, we must follow Jesus, keep the Commandments and observe Church laws to be able to live with God in heaven one day.

“What we choose while on earth will determine where we go; either to heaven, hell or purgatory, where we will undergo cleansing.”

He continued that, as we celebrate the saints, the Church in heaven, on November 2, (All Souls’ Day), we remember the souls in purgatory and pray for them. The prelate said if the souls are in hell, there is no point in praying for them as they are far away from God. During All Souls’ Day, we pray for the souls in purgatory so that they will undergo the process of cleansing.

“As the Church on earth, we must pray for those souls in purgatory, as well as for those in the world, so that they will be transformed.”

After Mass, Fr Edwin thanked the prelate for coming to celebrate the Mass.