Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #216

Mar 28, 2025

Dear friends of MJD,
The Pope is well. He knows his time is up. The Church must prepare for the next pope. We have a role to play: Pray for the Church to listen to the Holy Spirit.

The Arctic is in trouble. Ceasefires forsaken. Religious killings are on the rise. Propaganda that divides riving. A nationalism that’s more homogeneous is taking the forefront. Unity, diversity, bridgebuilding, peacemaking and environment are ignored.

The media calls the Pope the D.E.I. exponent (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity) warns about propaganda that instills hatred, divides the world into friends to be defended and foes to be fought. He calls for moral codes that focus on diversity, equity and inclusivity in the Church and in the world. The keys, humility and mercy, are essential for DEI agenda. Without these conversion keys, situations won’t change.

“Only WE CAN” Times:
The Sultan of Pahang called on political leaders to serve as a bridge to unite the people, to stop being clowns fuelling and inciting communitarian conflicts.

The Mufti of Terengganu reminded that religious beliefs and fundamental principles should not be questioned nor debated to prevent unwarranted tensions.

The Prime Minister commented about the 10-year term limit for a PM in office: If it were up to me, I would not stay past 10 years in office.

The DoE DG said: Malaysia has become a dumping ground for foreign hazardous waste.

A football observer claimed: The quality of Malaysia’s mixed heritage footballers has declined, and their standards are now nearly on par with the locals.

Another media comment: The country is no stranger to rackets, with new ones emerging as old ones are dismantled. The latest civil servants selling birth certificates to non-citizens, the massive Sapura scandal that’s waiting to happen and the many GLCs that are self- prospering rather than nation building.

A Thought for the Week: The Cleaning Lady. A beautiful, expensively dressed lady complained to her counsellor that her life was empty, meaningless and that she was seeking happiness. The counsellor called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors, and asked the rich lady to hear her story:

“Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later, my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody. I had nothing left. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life.

Then one evening, a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow, I felt sorry for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten in. I got some milk, and the kitten licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed against my leg and, for the first time in months, I smiled.

Then I stopped to think, if helping a little kitten could make me smile, may be doing something for people could make me happy. So, the next day I baked some biscuits, and took them to a neighbour who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me so happy to see them happy.

The lesson from the cleaner: She found happiness, by giving it to others. Money cannot buy happiness. It is about seeing how happy others can be because of you.

QnQ! Q asks? “I am a successful young adult yet stressed, anxious and edgy. Why?”
Anxiety is sometimes fuelled by selfimportance.” T.S. Elliot wrote, “Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important.” And, arguably, half of the harm done to us is by us not only because of our innate need for meaning but also due to our exaggerated drive for significance and greatness.”

Our anxiety is sometimes fuelled by self-importance, our pining for a “kind of reality” that does not exist, or our struggle to manage an underlying anxiety about being insignificant.

The temptations of Christ in Scripture in some measure embodies the quote of T.S. Elliot, and leaves us at an emotional, psychological and spiritual choice point. “Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important.”

The Holy Spirit @work: Every divine action begins from the Father, proceeds through the Son, and is completed in the Holy Spirit. St Basil Something To Tickle You: When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance. --Joel Osteen

Bishop Bernard Paul