Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #125

Outrightly one is testing the unity government with threats of overthrowing the incumbent. The pandemic was a great test for many. And the nation is just picking up the pieces. It is also a testing time for Pope Francis and the Church.

Mar 24, 2023

Greetings, dear People of God.

The floods have been testing people’s resolve. Some politicians are testing the laws of the country. A few are testing the rulers’ directives. Outrightly one is testing the unity government with threats of overthrowing the incumbent. The pandemic was a great test for many. And the nation is just picking up the pieces. It is also a testing time for Pope Francis and the Church. The news is a test for us — whether we want to see deeper, swallow everything, or succumb to despair.

Resetting Times. Individuals, companies, corporations and governments talk of resetting. When the unity government was formed, there was a call to reset too. It is an opportunity to heal, to let go the old and create the new. It means letting go of the ‘survival mindset’ for the ‘ease mindset’. There is a lot of power in stepping out of that cycle, to refocus our attention, reset our goals and be adaptable. Is the Pope calling the Church to reset herself? The Synodal process, its exercise, its spirit, its vision and mission indicate that. The hardest part in any reset is beginning. It takes guts to choose change and to believe in oneself. But do we want to change?

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
The Not-So-Cute Dog A psychologist and meditation teacher, Tara Brach shared this story: Walking through the woods you see a small dog. It looks cute and friendly. You approach and move to pet the dog. Suddenly it snarls and tries to bite you. The dog no longer seems cute and you feel fear and possibly anger. Then, as the wind blows, the leaves on the ground are carried away and you see the dog has one of its legs caught in a trap. Now, you feel compassion for the dog. You know it became aggressive because it is in pain and is suffering.

Lesson from the woods: Judging other people can be a struggle for almost anyone. People judge others on how they look or on how they act, their government affiliation or their religious beliefs. Our judgments change once we understand the situation. The Malay saying is apt here: “Tak kenal tak cinta”. Announcements for this Week

1. From March 31 to April 2, the Church of the Immaculate Conception JB is organising a Life in the Spirit Seminar (E). Registration is RM20 each. Contact Fidelis 0197488389 or Magdalene 0197541409

2. To the Caritas-Malacca Johore Diocesan Office of Human Development, the many parish Society of St Vincent de Paul and Parish Office of Human Development, the many volunteers and support from parishioners, thank you for your generosity and gift of time and self to collect and distribute essential supplies; to “turun padang” to clear up and clean homes, schools and churches. Never stop doing good.

3. On April 29 and 30, the auxiliaries from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur will be conducting a vocation camp for single ladies, from the ages 18-50. Contact Clara Paul 012-2509527.

This week’s Question and Query.

The Q asks: What does Change entail?

1. According to Thomas Merton, in all of us, there is an instinct for newness, for renewal, and for liberation of creative power. There is a search for excellence.

2. We seek to awaken in ourselves a force which really changes our lives from within. Yet this force, this instinct tells us that this change is a recovery… a regaining, a restoration of that which is deepest, most original, most personal in us.

3. St John calls this being born again. It is not about becoming somebody else, but to become ourselves. The woman at the well found herself…found her lost self in her encounter with Jesus. The Lord gave her back a healed self.

4. Change means singing “once I was lost but now I am found”.

Pope Francis wrote: “Give me a drink” is a cry heard in our society where the fast pace, the rush to consume, and especially indifference, that culture of indifference, generate aridity and interior emptiness. Today’s Gospel offers living water to every one of us who can become a refreshing spring for others. Hear the cry of the poor.

Hear the cry of the world. Let our acts of penance make us perceptive and responsive to the hungry and thirsty around us. Have a great weekend. God loves you.

Bishop Bernard Paul