Double celebration at St John’s Cathedral

Jan 23, 2015

By Bernard Anthony
“Welcome to the feast of this cathedral and the feast of St John the Evangelist. We have come, we have seen, gazed upon Jesus. Doubt no longer, but believe.” Archbishop Julian Leow said this at the double celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of St John and the parish feastday.

The Kuala Lumpur archbishop presided at the evening Mass on Jan 11, concelebrated with Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam, Msgr James Gnanapiragasam, Fr William Michael, Fr Stanislaus Soosaimariam, Fr Terrence Thomas and Fr Gregory Chan. Some 2,100 faithful came. The programme included Evening Vespers and Novena, prior to Mass.

In his homily, Archbishop Leow said we have heard from St John, making references to the Readings (1 John 1:1-4 & John 20:2-8) that had a message for people of his time (AD 100, about 70 years after Jesus died), when faith waned and people fell back to former habits as John exhorted them to live a moral Christian life. The prelate said that in the Early Church, people were willing to be martyred for the faith. Today, many young people are not so devoted, as compared to the early Christians. We too, are reminded and called to the values that Jesus created and John preached, and the need to follow them.

Archbishop Leow said Jesus became what we are (human), so that He can make us what He is (Divine). Therefore, John’s message to the people of his time was that Jesus is fully Man and fully God — One Person but two natures. The people of the Early Times were confused with the many heresies. Yet John, in his writing (1 John 1:1-4), gives his first hand encounters. “We have seen...touched the risen Jesus at the Upper Room and His apostles saw and believed.”

The prelate added that we, too, need to deepen our faith. Archbishop Leow shared on the Gospel (John 20:2-8) about the empty tomb. The missing Body of Jesus can have happened in two ways ie. stolen or risen from the dead. He spoke about the shroud that had wrapped Jesus’ body and another cloth that covered His face. When scientists tested both cloths, the blood type was the same, Type AB. The prelate added that John confirmed the discovery of the cloths, one of which was later named The Shroud of Turin. The Shroud is the evidence of the Resurrection. Yet still, there are people doubting that Jesus rose from the dead.

Touching on the Dedication of the Cathedral, Archbishop Leow said that the 60 year old (1955- 2015) cathedral was first a diocese, before being elevated to an archdiocese in 1972. The cathedral, the Mother Church of the Archdiocese, thus is also the seat of the metropolitan Archbishop. The prelate said this is where God dwells, and the glory of the Lord fills this Temple. He asked the assembly, “Do you experience God when you come here? Do you feel touched, and are you nourished by God’s Word and the Eucharist? Do you experience the presence of God at this sanctuary? Do you share your faith with the needy and people from other nations?

“We believe in Jesus who has overcome death and hell, and we rejoice and share the joy of the gospel, despite the trials and challenges we face in our lives. This is because God walks with us in all our struggles and is with us. Rejoice, because He has given us Eternal Life.”

The prelate prayed that this Dedication Anniversary of the Cathedral will continue to lead all baptized persons in bringing Christ to every person. He said that we must share the faith that Jesus is truly alive and working in the Church and bear witness of this Risen Lord of ours, and that this cathedral will provide a sanctuary to all who come.

After Mass, Msgr James, the Rector of the cathedral, in his speech, thanked Archbishop Leow for presiding and all the other concelebrants.

Touching on the history of the cathedral (the parish was established in 1883), Msgr James said the present cathedral was opened on Jan 8, 1955 (as a Church then), was consecrated two months later and after seven years in 1962, raised to the status of cathedral.