Don’t take God for granted

Dec 26, 2014

By Bernard Anthony
The small Bahasa Malaysia speaking community, mainly from Sabah and Sarawak, who are parishioners of the Chapel of St Francis Xavier celebrated their chapel’s feastday on Dec 6. Fr Justin Joannis SJ from Sabah, who is now based in Selangor was the celebrant for the evening Mass.

“By virtue of our baptism, we, too, become missionaries in this country,” said Fr Justin.

In his homily, Fr Justin highlighted that the Readings in the Season of Advent speak about the end times — telling us that our lives here have an end. We can’t live forever. During Advent, God waits for us; we are called to repent, to return to God, and God shows His patience with us. Fr Justin said, “God is calling us, don’t be afraid, the door is open for us.”

“We need to read the Word of God to know God’s will.There is only forgiveness in our God, as compared to other gods. Only our God forgives, when we truly repent of our sins.”

Fr Justin asked the assembly to be courageous like John the Baptist. Believe in God and turn back to Him. One cannot be a lukewarm Christian, he stressed. We are either for God or against Him. We must pray always and go for regular Confessions (Sacrament of Reconciliation).

He stressed that a threat to our faith is internet pornography. The evil of pornography causes addiction that can destroy spiritual lives. Fr Justin advised the people to overcome it. “Struggle you must but come to the Lord for strength to overcome it and pray earnestly.”

At the end of Mass, Fr Andrew Kooi, the Chapel’s Administrator, thanked all those who assisted in the preparation for this feast and those who had come from far and near to celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier and the chapel’s 61st anniversary. The small chapel was fillled to capacity. The diocesan priest, who is also the parish priest in Bentong and Raub parishes, also thanked Fr Justin for presiding at the celebration.

Dinner fellowship concluded the joyous event.