Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #202

Dec 13, 2024

Greetings dear friends of MJD Not seeing the elephant in the room. Do you know that insurance premiums are soaring making it harder for people to afford?

The DBKL fiasco, the 172 Swatch Pride Collection watches seizure, “the RIBIs are not entitled to annual maintenance aid” cries, reflect how a few loudmouths hijack national policies and protocols.

Floods are managed well but wastages, damage, destruction and displacement as usual, continues. People see some ministries as crowd pleasers, with only a few who are clear and level headed as civil servants.

Australia’s parliament passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set.

Maybe the Sultan of Perak has summed it up well: “Budaya rasuah (corruption), ketirisan (leakage) dan salah guna (abuses) yang dilaporkan berlaku ketika ini sesuatu yang mengaibkan negara. Perbuatan itu menyebabkan rakyat terpaksa menanggung beban dengan menyifatkan ia ibarat barah yang merosak anatomi negara.”

Many see and avoid or deny or deflect the elephant issue.

Advent Times: Giant Christmas trees! Decorated malls. Selective carols on the airwaves! It is always a case of Christmas with Jesus Christ or minus the God who became man. But for the first time, visitors to Times Square, NY were in for a surprise. On November 27, its famous billboards gave tribute to the true reason for Christmas: Jesus Christ. A beautiful nativity scene emerged from the blackout, reminding us of the Saviour’s birth and why we need His light and love in our lives.

People ignore the elephant in the room. Can we ignore the Messiah, the Good News, the Prince of Peace? Does He question us? Is He a problem to us? Is He a controversy to be avoided? We can face Him with our questions, our embarrassment, our sadness and our arguments. He is not an elephant to be avoided.

A Thought For The Week:
A Bus Ride

A young lady sat in a bus. At the next stop, a loud and grumpy old lady came and sat by her. She squeezed into the seat and bumped her with her numerous bags.

The person sitting on the other side of the young lady got upset, and asked her why she did not speak up and say something.

The young lady responded with a smile:

“It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant, the journey together is so short. I get off at the next stop.”

The lesson from the young lady:
“It is not necessary to argue over something so insignificant, our journey together is so short.”

If only each one of us realised that our time here is so short; that to darken it with quarrels, futile arguments, not forgiving others, discontentment and a fault-finding attitude would be a waste of time and energy. No one knows the duration of this journey. No one knows when their stop will come. Our journey together is so short.

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

QnQ? Q asks:
How can one be happy?

We had been focusing on resetting our minds; debugging our brains and finding happiness. Here is the last instalment on the arts that can change us.

a) The art of reducing influences: address hidden triggers by reducing exposure to mass media; desensitise violence in shows and games; discard opinions of influencers.
b) The art of routine purging: balancing polarities by practising the use of both brains — be, learn, do!
c) The art of useful thinking: joyful, experiential thinking, practising mindfulness, and solving problems.
d) The art of flowing: achieving flow state, doing everything happily and skilfully.
e) The art of giving: anything from a smile to, donation and volunteerism.

A Little Thought In The Head - Mo Gawdat

See The Holy Spirit @ Work:
If we think of the Holy Spirit only as an impersonal power or influence, then our thought will constantly be, how can I get hold of and use the Holy Spirit; but if we think of Him in the biblical way as a divine Person, infinitely wise, infinitely holy, infinitely tender, then our thought will constantly be, ‘How can the Holy Spirit get hold of and use me?’ R. A. Torrey

Something To Tickle You: Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says “I’ll try again tomorrow.” --Mary Anne Radmacher

Bishop Bernard Paul