Malaysia Catholic Campus Students’ Day 2 share their experiences

Aug 05, 2017

The Second Malaysia Catholic Campus Students’ Day was held June 23-27 in Penang. Here are some of the sharings from the participants which is a continuation from last week:

Share the light of Jesus with others
“To be able to join the MCCSD 2 was truly a blessing from God. Through the mission at The Little Sisters of The Poor, which built up my faith, I could encourage, help, and lift up others and, of course, to share the light Jesus brought into my life with the others. All the Masses I attended during MCCSD 2 made me feel so much closer to God and to the presence of the Holy Spirit that whenever I looked at the Eucharist, I could actually feel peace in my heart, especially during the procession with the Blessed Sacrament from Our Lady of Sorrows Church to St Francis Xavier Church. It was like walking with Jesus. I thank God for this great journey and experience with my awesome brothers and sisters in Christ, not just from Kuching, but also from other dioceses. It was a priceless and precious experience. Meeting different souls who were also there to seek the heart of God is another blessing too. It is always good having people who share the same faith. Indeed, God is good all the time.”--Magdalene Hilda, Archdiocese of Kuching

“The praise and worship was emotionally beautiful.”-- Michelle Koo, Diocese of Malacca-Johore

Serve God with a joyful heart
“It is an honour to represent Sandakan Diocese in this MCCSD2 since most of us are graduates. Yet our spirit and eagerness live on like campus students, even if our energy is no longer that ‘young.’ Upon reaching the venue, all those memories of being a student constantly hit me. The feeling of “worry free” and enjoying every moment was there. Away from all the worldly responsibilities.

The most touching moment throughout the five-day programme was the mission work. Our group’s mission was to clean and to have a fellowship with the retired Infant Jesus’ Sisters at IJ Sisters Home, Balik Pulau. I am able to see the different side of my busy world, and to feel their loneliness and, at the same time, experience how big their hearts are. Their warm hugs welcoming us made me feel like I want to spend more time with them, to listen to their inspiring stories about their journey in serving God.

One thing that I learned during MCCSD2 that I want to share in my parish is the joy of serving God. I can relate this with the IJ sisters. Fr Stanley shared that we can see the sisters’ smiles and from there we would know how joyful they are. Then it struck me that I never saw a gloomy religious. All whom I met were full of warm smiles that made me want to know them more, especially the IJ sisters. From this, I learned that if I really serve God with all my heart and without expecting anything in return, the joy will show on my face. I want to share this with the youth at the parish I am serving. I want them to feel the joy and satisfaction in doing something for God.

Finally, I feel so thankful that I’ve been given this opportunity to see new people, to gain new knowledge, to feel the presence of God in every one that I met and to know that, with God, all things are possible. I’ve learnt so much from these 5 days and I still feel like there is more to explore.”--Maureen Joy P. Kinsung, Diocese of Sandakan

Will share my faith with others
“I will change to stay strong in my faith and to reach out and let people discover more about my faith.”--Noah Quandra, Diocese of Malacca-Johore

Be proactive, serve the community, be involved in mission work
“This is my first time joining MCCSD and I have gained loads of experiences throughout the five days. Besides meeting new friends, I like it that MCCSD 2 is emphasising on youth. As youths, we should be more proactive in serving the community and be involved in mission work. Unlike some Catholic and spiritual camps that I have attended before, it is not merely about growing in faith in God alone, but putting our roles as youth into action as we play a huge role that some of us may not be aware of. James 2:17 says that faith without action is dead. So it is a wake up call for us as leaders of tomorrow. We need to be aware of the current issues and uphold justice. It may not be an easy task, but with unity amongst youth and faith in God, everything will be possible. Pope Francis tells the young people to make their voices heard and “let it resonate in communities and let it be heard by your shepherd of souls.”--Waldo anak Udos, Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur

God’s love can melt a stubborn heart
“Awake! That was the expression that summarised, in a word, the theme of MCCSD-2. During my journey to MCCSD, I had no expectation of how this could turn out. All that I imagined was this MCCSD would be a programme that would enlighten our spiritual life, and I did receive more than spiritual development. I was stunned and overjoyed by the opening and send-forth Mass. I could not express more, other than tears of joy for God: all of us as Malaysians but one in Christ. I enjoyed the concert night as it was energising and enjoyable. At my mission spot at the Tzu Chi Dialysis Centre, I realised that humility and love are great assets. Love can melt a stubborn heart, dissolves one’s anger and it is a gift from God to us to treasure. My decision after MCCSD 2 is that I will not take my hand phone to my meals on Fridays! The Duc In Altum session taught me how to evangelise and look upon my relationship with God. The Eucharistic procession was a wonderful moment; my mind was blown away as I have never seen so many youths walking and praying together as a big family for peace in the world. One of the priests, during the session, talked about faith, discernment and vocation, and I guess everyone else was on the discernment phase as I am. The questions of how reason contradicts with faith, how faith is greater than reason, how reason surpasses faith and how reason can go along with faith were explained thoroughly. Put God first, then you will be filled! I thank my friends who supported me and gave me courage to step into this wonderful experience in Penang. Thanks also to the CMO for allowing me to be a part of the KK Contingent.”--Kenneth Eusebius, Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

Now I know that Jesus is always with me
“Participating in the MCCSD 2 programme is a wonderful experience to remember because, not only can we meet with youths throughout Malaysia but we feel the true love of Jesus that is present in every person, and everyone we meet is special and faith filled. What matters more is the participation in the mission work. I feel happy to be able to help those who are in need. Though it cannot be expressed with words, I personally know where God’s love truly is. During the Eucharistic procession, one of the priests told me that if I am in doubt of my hope in God or the future, or if I feel that God does not exist, pray to God during the procession. At that moment, I felt like Jesus was speaking to me and telling me not to give up easily, and to move forward despite the challenges I face, as every challenge teaches me to grow and mature in making decisions throughout my life journey. For me, the MCCSD 2 programme has a positive impact on me because of the useful activities and answers to the needs of today’s youths. My hope is that the next MCCSD will allow more youths to know that Jesus will never leave us, and for them to feel the love of Christ through all whom we meet. MCCSD 2 is the best!”--Farluna Klin Yassin, Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur

Blessed to share Christ’s love with the refugees
“MCCSD 2 was indeed a blessing for us to be a part of it. Our mission work in the Penang Stop Trafficking Centre provided the chance for us to share and spread the love of Jesus among the refugees from Myanmar. This mission work has taught us that we must care and love one another, even those who do not share the same faith with us. Last, but not least, we had a very good time praising and worshipping God with fellow friends from different campuses.”--Francie/Josephine/Evelynne, Diocese of Penang

Deepening of my Catholic faith
“Joining MCCSD 2 was truly a great experience to feel God’s love and presence by getting involved in mission work and helping those who are in need. Participating in the daily Masses led by the Bishops and experiencing the vigil prayer and Benediction really deepened my Catholic faith. It reminded me of the sacrifices and unconditional love of Jesus Christ for the salvation of all men. I really hope that MCCSD 3 in Sabah 2019 will be filled with more participants than before so that together we can experience the wondrous and amazing love of God.”--Owen Tamin, Diocese of Penang