Hearts in Action

Apr 18, 2025

KUALA LUMPUR: As the Lenten season called the faithful into deeper prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the catechetical students of the Church of St Joseph answered that call — not merely in word, but in deed. On April 6, over 100 students, Forms 1 to 5, took part in a Lenten Outreach Programme that placed their faith into action and hearts into service.

The Lenten outreach was designed not just as an act of charity, but as a spiritual journey — one that would open the eyes of the young to the realities of the world and challenge them to live the Gospel in a tangible way.

Form 1 students, numbering more than 20, visited Berniece Homes where they spent time with elderly residents, shared meals, and brought joy through simple conversations and heartfelt songs. It was more than a visit — it was a reminder that the elderly are not forgotten, and that joy multiplies when shared.

Meanwhile, 39 students from Form 2 and 3 journeyed to PJ Senior Care, another home for the elderly. The students listened with compassion to stories of yesteryears and offered companionship that brought smiles and tears of gratitude. Through these encounters, they witnessed the sacred dignity of life in all its seasons.

Form 4 and 5 students — over 40 in number — rolled up their sleeves for a cleanup campaign at Positive Community Life in Batu Arang. Amidst brooms, mops, and laughter, these teens discovered that service often looks like hard work and sweaty brows, yet the reward is a soul lit with purpose.

These experiences did more than fill a few hours on a Sunday — they planted seeds of empathy, humility, and justice. For many students, it was their first exposure to the lives of the marginalised. The day became a catechism lesson of its own, teaching that love is not just preached from the pulpit, but lived in the streets, the homes, and in the quiet presence of listening hearts.

Such encounters bring faith to life. In the faces of the elderly, in the smiles exchanged, and in the labour of love, the students met Christ. They learned that to follow Jesus means to serve without expecting in return, to love those who may never repay, and to go where the need is greatest.

This initiative would not have been possible without the unwavering support of parents and catechists. Parents not only gave their consent, but generously contributed food, supplies, transport, and most importantly, prayers. Their openness and encouragement remind us that the domestic church — the family — is where seeds of service are first sown. --Mary Jane Buniel