Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #193

Oct 12, 2024

Greetings dear friends of MJD
Failing to see! Shortsightedness! Selective seeing! Seeing wonders! Indonesia unveils the World’s Tallest Statue of Jesus, Jesus Christ the Saviour — a stunning display of faith and craftsmanship, rising majestically above Sibeabea Hill in North Sumatra, towering at 61 metres.

The MOE said: “Degrees cannot guarantee a job.” Approximately 90,000 graduates in Malaysia are facing unemployment in the current job landscape for lack of skills, knowledge and attitudes sought by employers. The Global Human Rights Federation president said: “Bringing race and religion into politics is only inviting failure. No country harping on the 2Rs has become a developed nation”. Another surprise: an activist and preacher asked why non-Muslims create content in Bahasa Melayu. Seeing differently to build or seeing differently to divide.

New Times: Jack Ma the richest man in China said, “If you put a banana and money in front of a monkey, the monkey will choose the banana because the monkey doesn’t know that money can buy a lot of bananas.” In fact, if you offer WORK and BUSINESS to people, they will choose to WORK because most people don’t know that a BUSINESS can make more money than salary. One of the reasons the poor are poor is because the poor are not trained to recognise the entrepreneurial opportunity. They spend a lot of time in school and what they learn in school is to work for a salary instead of working for themselves. Profit is better than wages because wages can support you, but profits can make you a fortune. Salaried or Entrepreneurs? Wages or Fortune? Money or Happiness?

A Thought For The Week:
THE MAN AND THE SNAIL.
One day, a snail saw a man walking into the woods, and he began to scream: “Mister! Mister! Come over here! Please, do me a favour!” The man stopped and walked over and asked: “What’s the matter with you?” The snail whistled, “Get me out of my shell, please. I’m so uncomfortable inside it.” Wondering the man asked:

“Funny! Why do you want to come out of your protective shell? The snail snapped,“I told you I feel very uneasy inside it! It's a heavy burden to carry. I want freedom. Get me out of this nasty shell!” Then the man whispered: “Are you serious?” The snail hollered,” I am very serious! I want to be free like other creatures, such as the slug, the worm, the squid, the octopus, the snake, etc.” The man attempted to make the snail understand:” Your shell is a gift from God to you, a unique gift. It protects you from the harsh environment and even from predators. However, if you choose to come out of it, you will lose that precious gift forever and you will never be able to get back inside it. The snail wailed with impatience: “Mister, I don’t care about that. Just get me out of my shell!” Because of the snail’s persistence, the man agreed, gently pulled the snail out of his shell, though it was a painful process. But the snail was happy. Free at last! As the excited snail began to crawl away, a hungry bird suddenly flew down, struck it hard and swallowed it immediately.

The lesson from the unhappy snail: Don’t take for granted our blessings. Be grateful. Refrain from dwelling on what you don’t have or striving to be someone else or comparing ourselves to others. Remember your innate ability, your worth and your blessings. You will always be one of a kind. The Lord delights in you.

Announcements For The Week:
1. The Centennial celebration of the Chapel of St James, Merlimau will take place on October 19 with Mass at 7.00pm.

QnQ? Q ask: Looking for something better, is it okay?
Hiroyuki Sanada once said, “There are those who want a swimming pool in their home, while those who have it barely use it.” Those who have lost a loved one miss them deeply, while others who hold them close often complain about them. Who doesn’t have a partner longs for it, but who has it, sometimes doesn’t value it. He who is hungry would give everything for a plate of food, while he who has plenty complains about the taste. The one who doesn’t have a car dreams it, while the one who has it always looks for a better one.

“The key is to be grateful, to stop looking at what we have and to understand that, somewhere, someone would give everything for what you already have and don’t appreciate.”

See The Holy Spirit @ Work: The Spirit of God falls on the painter and the preacher, on the merchant and the missionary. Anonymous

Something To Tickle You: Dirty water does not stop plants from growing, so don’t let negative words stop your progress. Tom Cruise Bishop Bernard Paul