Young people, Stand up and be witnesses of God!

Nov 27, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: In conjunction with World Youth Day, the Arch/Bishops of Malaysia and the Malaysian Catholic Youth Ministers Committee (MCYMC) prepared a video montage in various languages to wish young people “A Blessed World Youth Day.

To our beloved young Catholics of various cultures and races all over Malaysia.

“Let us celebrate God’s love for the young, and young people’s love for God and for everyone.

“‘Stand up. I appoint you as a Witness of what you have seen.’ Act 26:16.” --Archbishop Simon Poh of Kuching

Because you, young people, are so precious to God, to the whole world, to Mother Earth and Mother Church. --Bishop Sebastian Francis of Penang

But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you”, from Acts 26:16.

Dear young people, this is the message of Jesus to Paul during his conversion experience in Damascus. Jesus is saying the same thing to you, ‘Get up and stand on your feet, go and be servants of Jesus and witness to Him on what you have seen and experienced. Go and proclaim the Gospel of love, stand up and go!’ --Bishop Richard Ng of Miri

Pope Francis reminds all the young people of three great truths:

“First, God loves you, each of you, no matter who you are.

“Second, Christ our Saviour, out of love, sacrificed himself to save you. That is how much he loves you.

“Finally, the third great truth. Christ is Life, and He wants us all to be Alive! He wants you, my dear young people, to be alive, really alive, fully alive. --Bishop Bernard Paul of Malacca Johore, Bishop Cornelius Piong of Keningau and Archbishop John Wong of Kota Kinabalu

My dear young people, God gives you His call and His grace to be witnesses at your parish, your kampung and your family with friends at school or at work, online or in-person, whether in Malaysia or elsewhere in the world. --Bishop Joseph Hii of Sibu and Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom of Sandakan

We pray together with Catholics from all over the world on this Solemnity of Christ the King, led by Pope Francis. Together we rejoice and we arise. We are the Now of God.

Although COVID-19 is still around us, we can’t just sit still and do nothing. Or just lie down, confining, sleeping, snoring and so on. Rise up, we are God’s witnesses for this world! The world needs hope, love and joy, more than ever.

As we adhere to the SOPs, let us step up our efforts to encourage goodness, justice, peace, and progress in spreading God’s Good News to everyone.

Let us be witnesses of God, filled with God’s love. Not just through the messages we convey through social media, but through the way of our life, anytime or anywhere. World Youth Day is a celebration full of Love. -- MCY