Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #163

Feb 10, 2024

Greetings to you. Struggling Ringgit. Cutting cost drives in civil service. Spiralling cost of living. Ending pensions of elected officials. Malaysian wolves roaming free. Mysteries of Faith on Netflix show the power of Catholic relics. But life goes on.

Credibility Times: To be credible means being believed, being worthy of confidence, reliable. When you are credible, you are worthy of other people’s trust. They know they can count on you.

People lie easily. Disinformation and no information is the order of the day. History is rewritten, omitting facts. Heroes are created for want of heroes. Rewards are seldom based on merits. Plagiarised and unverified claims appear in research papers and books. For people to respect us, secular or religious, leaders or influencers, researchers or reporters, we need to be honest and truthful, respectful and treat everyone the way we would like to be treated. Listen to learn from people. Be generous with power and information. Enlighten people to the truth to heal and build. Find out if unsure or have no answers. Give credit where credit is due. Avoid the maxim: “Lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama”.

Thought For The Week: The Best Medicine
An unorthodox doctor, who always thought beyond prescriptions, pills and medication, once said to one of his regular patients: “I’m starting to suspect that the best medicine for humans is love.” The patient, surprised and shocked said: “What if love doesn’t work?” The doctor smiled and said, “Increase the dose”. A lesson from the doctor: “Medicine does cure some. Time heals some wounds, but love heals them all.” ? Matshona Dhliwayo

Announcements for this Week

1. The Malaysian Church has opted for the local BM version, popularly called the Alkitab Versi Borneo. Now the Catholic version comes with the Deutero-Canonical Books. They are now available. Get one.

2. We need you, young people and skilled leaders! Join the Youth Office, Social Communication Ministry, Mission Pastoral Institute or Caritas MJD Office as volunteers, interns and pastoral workers. 3. Montfort Youth Centre offers you, young people, aged 16-19, and physically challenged, studies in Culinary Arts which touches on pastry arts, food and beverage service, training to be a barista. Contact Pauline 06-3510114/5 or download the form available on the website. https://montfortyouthcentre.org

4. The Creation Justice Ministry invites you to follow the world days for various ecological issues, presented in easy-to-read slides. The month of February will feature “February 2 ? World Wetland Day”. Watch out for the links.

5. The English Marriage Preparation Weekend, planned for March 15-17 is closed. You can register for the next one, scheduled for June 21-23 at MAJODI Centre.

6. The MJD Special Needs Parents’ Ministry is calling all parents of special needs children (E/BM) for a gathering at MPI MAJODI Centre on February 17 at 3.00pm. Contact Dass or Veronica 016-20950017.

7. The Diocesan Family Life Ministry of MJD is organising a zoom session on ‘Talking About Sexuality to Youth and Children Today! Happening on March 3, at 8.00pm. Look out for the poster for more info.

This Weeks QnQ: Q asks? Do stories influence us?
It doesn’t matter how old we are; we all need stories to believe in. If there’s no storyline, no integrating images that define who we are or give our lives meaning or direction, we just won’t be happy.

Thomas Kuhn’s book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions introduced the term “paradigm shift”; defined as a set of beliefs, stories, images, concepts, and structures that govern the way we think about something, and held that paradigm change becomes necessary when a previous paradigm becomes so full of holes and patchwork “fixes” does not help. Then a shift in thinking, adopting a new story, a new set of beliefs, values, and systems may save us.

Brian McLaren uses the phrase “framing story” to describe a similar change in paradigms, which gives people direction, values, vision, and inspiration, which may provide a framework for their lives. It tells us our purpose in life: if we are only pleasure-seekers or hoarders, accumulating as much as possible, or obsessed and oppressed, warring all the time.

But if our framing story tells us that we are free and responsible creatures in a creation made by a good, wise, and loving God, and that our Creator wants us to pursue virtue, collaboration, peace, and mutual care for one another and all living creatures, and that our lives can have profound meaning … then our society and our world will take a radically different direction.

Remembering the many religious priests, sisters and brothers dedicated to the Lord, His people and His mission on this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Thank you for your dedicated self-giving.

Just to tickle you: Don’t wait until six strong men finally take you to church.

Bishop Bernard Paul