Laetare – Rejoice always!

Mar 28, 2025

Reminiscing Church - Richard Chia
This weekend, the universal Church celebrates Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. The entrance antiphon for all Masses this weekend starts with “Rejoice Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning” (Isaiah 66:10-11).

Rejoice, we are called to rejoice! A simple request actually, yet how many are able to do so? Pause a moment to reflect on the many times in our life when we fail to rejoice in small things, but complain of big things. Think of the many sweet moments when we are joyful, happy and feel blessed. Think of the people we have made happy, touched their lives and even helped uplift their spirit.

On a personal level, rejoice every morning as we awake, for we are still alive another day. Anything could have happened to us while we sleep. Such are the uncertainties of life. Count our blessings, and live each day as if it is our last.

Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), tells us that “The Lord asks everything of us, and in return he offers us true life, the happiness for which we were created. He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence”. He further adds “The call to holiness is present in various ways from the very first pages of the Bible” to that of our daily lives. God wants us is to open our eyes to see, our ears to listen and our mind to be opened to always receive.

Reminiscing the Catholic Church in Malaysia, we have many moments to rejoice. At the highest level of Church, Malaysia has seen the ordination and appointments of two Cardinals, eight Archbishops and thirteen Bishops since the inception of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia in 1967. We have come a long way from the colonial days when missionary priests and apostolic delegates were sent to lead the Church in Malaysia.

At the Catholic population level, according to the Catholic Directory publication, the Church has grown from an estimated 503,322 in 1990 to 1,132,649 in 2020, an increase of 125 per cent in a span of 30 years. This works out to approximately 21,000 new Catholics joining the Church yearly. Something to rejoice as many Catholic churches in the western world are on the decline.

At the local diocese level, many new ministries have sprung up in response to the needs of the people. In the early days it was the presence of the foreign missionary religious brothers, priests and sisters that initiated laity organisations that catered to the spiritual needs of the children, teens, youths, parents, adults and seniors. These have now evolved into many specialised ministries focused on the differentlyabled, various phases of family life, social and spiritual needs. Not counting the development and growth of the language apostolates, we now have new ministries of evangelisation, creation justice (laudato si), integral human development, ecumenism and inter-religious, and many more.

At the regional and national level, we have had four Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Conventions, three Regional Pastoral Assemblies, and are now preparing for the first ever Malaysian Pastoral Convention scheduled for September 2026. The number of participants for each convention and assembly has exceeded thousands for each assembly, with many attending for the first time. The joy and feeling of Being Church, the solidarity and oneness in One Faith is indescribable.

In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis reminds us not to be complacent. Of course there are many moments of disappointments in our everyday lives. It is normal in life to have its ups and downs. We need to rise above this and see beyond. To emulate Jesus in his earthly ministry. The Holy Father in his document Spes Non Confundit, the Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, says “During the Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind”. He quoted Apostle Paul who encourages us to “rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

As we approach Easter this year, the Church rejoices yet again for the many elect preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation on Easter Vigil night. Though our numbers have not returned to pre- COVID 19 days, the number of soon-to-be converts are impressive. For every new person joining the Church, another three to four more family members may follow suit someday. This keeps the Church alive and vibrant, something else to rejoice about.

For anyone who have ever attended the Easter Vigil service in Malaysia, you will know that you need to get into the church at least half an hour early, else there is no seating space available. This is because many of the front seats will be reserved for the elect, the confirmands and those who will be received from other Christian groups, plus their godparents, sponsors and family members.

For these elect, it will be a night of joy and forever etched in their memory. The Church rejoices with them as they join the family, the greater community and the universal church. We continue to pray for them and for the many more who follow every year. Rejoice in Hope!

(Richard Chia shares his experiences on the journey of the Church in Malaysia in the past forty years. Its challenges and achievements as it moves toward synodality.)