Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #201

Dec 06, 2024

Greetings dear friends of MJD.

Challenges - challenged or unchallenged! Malaysia is ranked as the 22nd friendliest country in the latest US News and World Report rankings, surpassing Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, trailing behind only Thailand (ninth) and the Philippines (19th).

Many families face rising costs of childcare. Salary demands and rising competition delay talent search. The coming SPM will be a defining moment in their academic journey for many.

According to the coalition’s FT chief, BN must be cured of delusion, amnesia, inertia and arrogance to return to political dominance. The public caning order in a Northern state, the support for continuing Bumiputera privileges by young Malays, the DBKL’s blitz on noncompliant signboards and the unending ploys to break the Unity Government disturbs.

The “challenged” reinvent or redesign or the “challenged” become offensive or defensive. “It takes courage to reinvent joys, to reinvent opportunities, to reinvent dreams, to reinvent connections, to reinvent hopes that you have set aside.” --Mary Anne Radmacher

“Challenging Yourself” Times: Dr Fami shared these eight lessons which he had learned from the book Success is a Choice.

1. A dream becomes a reality as a result of your actions, and your actions are controlled to a large extent, by your habits.
2. There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
3. To change your life you need to change your priorities.
4. Most people have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional.
5. Your success stops where your character stops. You can never rise above the limitations of your character
6. If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, then someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them.
7. Learn to say ‘no’ to the good; so you can learn to say ‘yes’ to the best.
8. Most people who decide to grow personally find their first mentor in the pages of books.

A Thought For The Week: Toilets at War
The Chairman of TATA Steel was holding a weekly meeting with his staff. A worker raised a serious issue about the workers’ toilets which were unhygienic and in bad shape, when the executives had better toilets. The Chairman asked his top executive how much time he needed to set it right. The executive said, “A month.” The Chairman said, “I want it done in a day. Send me a carpenter.”

The next day, when the carpenter came, he ordered the signboards to be swapped. The workers’ toilet displayed “Executives” and the Executives’ toilet displayed “Workers”. Then the Chairman instructed the signs to be changed every fortnight. By the third day, the quality of the two toilets was at par!

The lesson from the Chairman:
Leaders listen, give solutions, and do not waste time. Leaders are more adaptable and responsive than executives. They identify problems and solve them with their critical and creative thinking.

Announcements for the Week:
1. On the Second Sunday of Advent, the second collection is the Malaysian Bishops’ call for KASIH INITIATIVE, a fund for Creation Justice, Migrant-Itinerants and Caritas Malaysia to operate projects, pastoral work and staffing. Give generously.

2. Johor Weekend Mass Times change with effect from December 31 with the announced Saturday-Sunday weekend.

3. The Jubilee Year 2025 opens on December 29 at Sacred Heart Cathedral for this diocese. Three parishes have been designated as pilgrim centres: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Church of St Louis Kluang and Church of St Mary’s Air Salak.

QnQ? The Q asks: How to overcome nagging thoughts?
1. First, what are BAD THOUGHTS? Look at the one that causes unhappiness in our brains; the incessant thinking; rumination; and repeating negative thoughts that become part of your programme… that affect everything you do.

2. Debug Your Brain or reprogramme your mind for better output or shut down the one bad thought via the art of questioning
a) Does the thought serve me? From where does it come? Is it true?
b) What’s the danger level? Is it a life and death matter? How safe ?
c) Let go of the little thought! Ask for a new one.

Questioning exercises will also shut down incessant thinking or rumination. The Little Thought In The Head: Mo Gawdat See The Holy Spirit @ Work: Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are like ships without wind. We are useless. --Charles Spurgeon

Something To Tickle You: To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. --C.S. Lewis Bishop

Bernard Paul