Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #172

Apr 26, 2024

Greetings to you, dear friends of MJD. A real Bolehland! Pardon for a big time crook is up again. Firebombs, vandals, airport shooting, prayer mats that became doormats, no arrests till date. Johore is a hotspot — with the RTS, the Singapore Economic Zone, 2025 ETS double tracking from Gemas to JB and a new PM for Singapore.

Cataract Times: Can a state go on without law and order? Even if there are good laws, good enforcement bodies and good courts, when there is a lack of the rule of law, double standards in sentencing, and convicted criminals escaping punishment — people lose faith in the justice system. People whisper, snigger and joke about “bolehness” here. We have the law but no order. We have to be colour-blind to serve one another without fear or favour. The blind cannot lead the blind nor the one-eyed jack lead the others. Even the blind live a rule of life.

Thought for the Week:
My Teammate In the first seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play Major League baseball, faced venom nearly everywhere he travelled — fastballs at his head, getting spiked on the bases, brutal epithets from the opposing dugouts and from the crowds. During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. In the midst of this, another Dodger, a Southern white named Pee Wee Reese, called time-out. He walked from his position at shortstop towards Robinson at second base, put his arm around Robinson’s shoulder, and stood there with him for what seemed like a long time. The gesture spoke more eloquently than the words: This man was his friend. ~ Willie Morris.

A lesson from a friend: Racism is ugly and repulsive. IT is a poisonous mentality. Today’s story is about two professional baseball players. One who had to face the evils of racism everywhere he went…and the other, who decided to show people how he felt about racism and be a friend to his teammate.

Announcements for the Week: 1. Join the MJD’s Creation Justice Ministry’s collaboration with Caritas MJD, the Forestry Department, on the Mangrove Project. Contact the Creation Justice Committee of your parish.

2. A Kursus Evangelisasi Peribadi (Personal Evanglisation Course), is being organised by the diocesan team, with the theme Mari, ikutlah AKU, dan kamu akan Ku jadikan penjala manusia. (Mat 4:19). from July - Nov. For more information, email: kepmjd@ mjdiocese.my

3. Mental Health & Stress of Teenagers Today! organised by the diocesan family life ministry. Target audience: Parents, educators, guardians to teenagers and all those interested. On May 5, from 8.00pm-10.00pm with host, Andrew Chew. (Zoom Meet ID 89453900441; Zoom passcode 669939)

4. The Special Children’s Parents Support Group want to reach out to parents with special children who have, autism, or any mental or physical disabilities. Open to all language groups. Contact Veronica Dass Tel: 016 2095001.

QnQ: The Q asked: How do you assess Pope Francis? At the age of 87, and serving his 11th year as pontiff, he has published yet another book entitled Life, My Story Through History, on March 19, 2024.

1. Announces his visit to Indonesia, Timor Leste, Singapore and Papua New Guinea in September 2024 as a journey to strengthen the message of tolerance, unity and world peace.

2. Surprises us by his spontaneity in his visit to 200 catechism children in Rome, warned about the “throwaway culture” as a culture of death; and expressed his concern for the escalating tensions in the Middle East with the Iran missile attacks.

3. At the International Conference titled Women in the Church: Builders of Humanity, the Pope reminded the conference that the Church herself is a woman, a daughter, a bride, and a mother. He spoke about women’s contributions, which he said are characterised by tenderness and compassion, to foster unity and restore humanity’s true identity.

4. Believes that everything in the Church and everything about the Church is evangelisation, motivated by one’s love for God, and a desire to share that love with others.

Listen, learn and be led by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Fire of boldness, power, love and self control.

Something to tickle you: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

Bishop Bernard Paul