MJD News Update #38
Troubles everywhere; depressive news daily; troubled children, parents, pensioners and daily wage earners. The ‘haves’ are fed; the ‘have-nots’ go hungry.
May 08, 2021
Greetings and the Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you, dear People of God. So much uncertainty. Peace is what all of us are looking for. Jesus said: Do not let your hearts be troubled. The peace I give you, the world cannot give.
Troubles everywhere; depressive news daily; troubled children, parents, pensioners and daily wage earners. The ‘haves’ are fed; the ‘have-nots’ go hungry.
Big numbers have foregone their Sunday obligations and the call to community worship.
The daily COVID updates are alarming. The vaccination programme is slow. Currently, there’s an exercise to register for the Astra Zeneca vaccines.
1.0 A Thought for the Week: Lorenzo de’Medici, the great Florentine patron of the arts, was very proud of the spectacles he staged for the citizenry. Among his many productions were several amazingly realistic religious pageants performed in church. But one Pentecost, Lorenzo went a little bit too far: he used actual fire to depict the descent of the tongues of flames on the apostles.
The fragile stage set caught fire and, before horrified onlookers, the entire church burned to the ground.
Something to think about:
Is your heart burning within you? Is it a passionate heart on fire? Pray for the gifts of fire, zeal and passion. Pray for the gift of Pentecostal fire but never ever try to manufacture it.
The fire of Pentecost is a gift to be received. The other kind of fire is a false fire and may spell disaster.
2.0 Announcements for this Week:
2.1 No reports of Covid cases lately in the diocese. Malacca and Johore are classified as Red Zones. Three (3) districts in Johor ie. Johor Bahru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi are now under MCO from the 7th till 20th May 2021. Refer to the latest Bishop’s Circular for SOPs under MCO. Be patient with parish registration systems with the 30 persons maximum rule.
2.2 Coming next is Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the Ascension and Pentecost. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. But for many parishes, everything ends with Easter. No commemoration. No waiting. No prayer vigils. No seeking the Holy Spirit’s unction. No exceptional depiction of the great day. No wonder, we are powerless and fruitless. It’s not for charismatics only. It is our feast. We need the Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
2.3 Various groups in the diocese are preparing prayer vigils to re-live and rekindle the Pentecost fire. The MPI has organised a nine-day Novena to the Holy Spirit. The Triumphant Heart of Mary (THM) Intercessory group will gather for the Jericho Walk from May 13-16 and end with Praise and Mass on Pentecost Sunday. Online Pentecost prayer services are also available. Ask for the Holy Spirit. Pray for clean waters to be poured upon you; ask for a heart of flesh and a new spirit.
2.4 Changes in online Mass timing for Malacca Johore Diocese. Mass in Bahasa Malaysia at 4.00pm every Saturday and Mass in English is at 7.30am every Sunday.
3.0 This Week’s Questions & Queries The Q asks: “Nature or Nurture?”
3.1 Inherited genetic disposition or received upbringing? Both play a crucial role and their interplay is significant. For us, the people of faith, to reach full human potential, spiritual growth and development are important aspects. Sometimes growth and development look alike.
3.2 Brian O’Leary describes a three-stage journey to present our spiritual developmental; a journey that begins with childlike “wonder”, of being led into “gratitude”; and of becoming radically “available” to others.
3.3 Of course, the barriers to becoming fully human are the many self-indulgent attitudes and sin, seen as failure to reach out to others (not primarily individual sexual transgressions)
3.4 The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius #23 reminds us that human beings are created to praise, revere and serve the Lord our God, and by means of doing this to save souls. The other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings in their pursuit of the end for which they are created.
3.5 What we are or have is God’s gift to us; and what we become is our gift to God. Nature and nurture meet.
Thank you for reading. Let us continue to build God’s Kingdom together.
Pentecost is near. Let us await in prayer, seeking to regain our lost or dying fire. No fire, no light.
Let us pray with our Muslim brothers and sisters as they end their Ramadan next week, which coincides with our Ascension. It is important to keep safe and stay safe.
Bishop Bernard Paul
May 7, 2021
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