Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #182

Jul 26, 2024

Greetings dear friends of MJD,

Simmering anger: Quotas, uneven playing field, 10 As with no matriculation offers, 20 per cent of leasehold lands of non-Bumis to be surrendered to a Corporation when renewing or extending leases. The by-election loss and the “Lawan Anwar” stirrings are indicative. “Favours”, “favouring” and “some being more favoured” - a culture that continues.

“No Resolve” Times: Migrations to other countries for better job opportunities, better education for their children and to avoid the disadvantages of being non-Bumi, grappling with an ageing population, growing senior living centres, a trend among younger people for a child-free lifestyle, wastefulness and leakages drains the country. Misplaced priorities, misguided policies, mismatched misfits at the helm delay progress and drain the nation of essential resources. The “gostans” reflect a lack of resolve or guts. Gutless leadership is a pain and bane.

A Thought for the Week: The Rope
A man was passing some elephants. When he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. The elephants could break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. The trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

Lesson from the elephant: The elephants believed that they couldn’t break free. Like the elephants, many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, because we failed at it once or we were told repeatedly that we cannot.

Announcements for the Week:
1. His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim was installed as the 17th King of Malaysia, on July 20. Daulat Tuanku!

2. The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly falls on July 28, with the theme Do not cast me off in my old age Ps 71. Remember our storytellers.

3. The Pamol Estate Catholics, Kluang celebrate the Feast of St Anne and St Joachim on Saturday, July 27 at 6.30pm.

QnQ?  The Q ask: What is at the heart of any fellowship? Community?
‘Listening’, says Dietrich Bonhoeffer

1. The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear.

2. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to His Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

3. Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too.

4. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words. One who cannot listen long and patiently will presently be talking beside the point and be never really speaking to others, albeit he be not conscious of it. Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.”

See the Holy Spirit @ work: “When we pray, it is because the Holy Spirit inspires prayer in our heart. When we break the cycle of our self-centredness, and move beyond ourselves and go out to encounter others, to listen to them and help them, it is the Spirit of God who impels us to do so. When we find within a hitherto unknown ability to forgive, to love someone who doesn’t love us in return, it is the Spirit who has taken hold of us. When we move beyond mere self-serving words and turn to our brothers and sisters with that tenderness which warms the heart, we have indeed been touched by the Holy Spirit.” - Pope Francis, Homily, 2014

Something to tickle you: Faith does not eliminate questions, but faith knows where to take them. - Elisabeth Elliot

Bishop Bernard Paul