Thursday 17 November 2016

A Bollywood Scene? Perhaps

Seems strange that there are some people who get so emotionally charged over what seems to be the smallest matter, and then expect the priest to solve their problem for them. I recall in a not too distant past, a couple (presumably boyfriend and girlfriend), coming to see me with their whole family, because of what I perceived to be a small matter.

It seems that the boy had tried to be a little "fresh" with the girl, by putting his arm around her shoulder (I am told that he only put his arm around her shoulder, and he vehemently insisted that he did not venture further) during one of their "paktoring" endeavours. The girl went home and divulged the development with her mom, and guess what? Her mom was much displeased, told her dad and the news spread to other relations, both internal and external. This led to volcanic eruption and earthquakes of unimaginable proportions, and both families began to "naik bukit, turun bukit, seberangi sungai, seberangi laut, kelilingi coconut tree" in hurling angry utterances at each other.

Surely a matter like this could have been discussed in a civilised manner, perhaps with some tea and vadai or cookies laa. Why do some get so worked up over this, I wonder.

A Thin Line Between Sane and Insane

Every once in a while, I come across people who hope and dream that their offspring would one day become doctors or engineers or even lawyers. While these professions are good, one ought to also consider other professions which are becoming more and more in demand or need. For example, as people become more and more stressed or emotionally challenged, and life becomes more and more hectic, we may need more and more psychiatrists and psychologists to help people in their mental health.

A case worth noting happened not too long ago where a lady, looking possibly in her mid-thirties, came to my office.She looked quite distraught and the moment she sat down, she began to sob profusely. I had a box of tissues at the front of my desk, and to my alarm, she began to soak so many tissues as if they were going out of style. Before you knew it, she had used up an entire box of tissues, 150 ply, and was still crying. I could not get a word from her, as she remained seated, sobbing and looking miserable.

I stood up, and walked behind her to see whether there was some sort of pipe or water system hidden near her ears (of course, I was being cheeky, but I could not fathom how a lady could cry so much.... it was like looking at a waterfall or flowing river, so to speak). By the time she slowed down her tears, she had used up and thoroughly soaked 3 boxes of tissues, 150 ply per box! Goodness gracious me!

The lady then stood up and walked silently from my office. I had no opportunity to chat with her, as she remained mute, and left without even a word or a glancing look. Could a psychologist or even a psychiatrist have helped her better, given their qualifications and training? I do not know, but I suspect that such situations may occur even more, given the living situation we are generally in.

I never came across that lady again, she could have been a parishioner attending one of the Masses, but until today, I have not had any chance or success in locating her to see if she needed help. I pray that she would be alright, and I hope that as time goes by, we would take more notice of our mental health, and take necessary steps to care for our mental health. After all, there is a fine line between sanity and insanity. This brings me to an e-mail which I received a while back concerning sanity:

A motorist was driving past a mental hospital when he gets a flat tyre. He goes out to change the tyre and sees that one of the patients is watching him through the fence. Nervous, and trying to work quickly, he jacks up the car, takes off the wheel, puts the lug nuts into the hubcap and accidentally steps on the hubcap, sending the lug nuts clattering into a storm drain. The mental patient is still watching him through the fence. The motorist desperately looks into the storm drain,but the lug nuts are gone. The patient is still watching. The motorist paces back and forth, frantically trying to think of what to do. Then, all of a sudden, the patient says, "Take one lug nut off each of the other tyres, and you'll have three lug nuts on each. Then drive to the nearest tyre shop to replace the missing lug nuts to secure the tyres." "That's brilliant!!!" says the motorist, "What's someone like you doing in an asylum?" "Hey pal," says the patient, " I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid."

May we stay sane and take care of our mental health, and not end up with a PhD (permanent head damage) or OKU (otak kurang upaya - Malay for brain not entirely there); and may we always let God be our loving guide.

Sunday 13 November 2016

Computer Backup & Our Spiritual Care

Nowadays, many people own computers with lots of documents in them - Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, MP3 files, pictures, clipart, etc. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of the importance of making backup copies of such documents. Should a virus or some disaster strike, months of work and effort are gone - wiped out.

Having a backup plan for your computer is essential, so as not to lose your valuable documents. One has many choices to select from. CDs, DVDs and Thumbdrives are common media used for backup. However, these can be easily scratched and damaged. Some people use external hard disks for backup. Though external hard disks are more expensive, they tend to be more reliable for longer term backup usage. Whichever backup media you choose, it is always a good idea to have at least 2 different sets of backup. This is so that in case one set is damaged or the data is somehow corrupted, there would be another set to fall back on.

Another aspect of backup is the type of backup software used. Some backup software make it very easy for users to do a backup at just a click of the mouse. These days, you can find free and paying backup software from the internet which you can use to assist you in performing backup. All you need to do is to search online and you would find various types of such backup software to choose from.

So what does backing up documents on a computer have to do with our spiritual care? We as Catholics also have got a backup plan, in the form of the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. When we go for regular confession and Holy Communion, we are backing up and restoring our relationship with God. God is the ultimate backup and there are times when He is the only one with us. If we fail to backup and restore our relationship with God, then we risk losing our heavenly inheritance, especially when death suddenly strikes us. We do not know when we would die, so it is essential to be always ready, by being regular in our "spiritual backup." Let us take heed and not procrastinate, while we have time to make amends with God.

Saturday 12 November 2016

Viruses and Sin


When a person is infected by a virus, he or she would often quickly see a doctor and/or go to a hospital for treatment. This is because, a virus left untreated could cause serious damage to one's health, even death.






Computer viruses, once detected, are quickly removed using antivirus software, to prevent any further or possible damage of one's computer or personal files.



However, when a person has sinned, does the person immediately seek confession to prevent any further or possible damage to one's soul and relationship with God? Some people are regular in their confession, while others procrastinate, coming only once or twice a year. Both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI recommend weekly confessions to purify one's soul and to maintain right relationship with God.







In his 2003 encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia (The Eucharist and Its Relationship to the Church), John Paul II warned: “I therefore desire to reaffirm that in the Church there remains in force, now and in the future, the rule by which the Council of Trent gave concrete expressions to the Apostle Paul’s stern warning when it affirmed that, in order to receive the Eucharist in a worthy manner, one must first confess one’s sins when one is aware of mortal sin.”

Let us therefore make every effort to examine ourselves and go for confession, while we are on this earth. Let us not wait to the last minute, for we do not know when death will take us. 

Thursday 27 October 2016

在圣堂参与弥撒圣祭时应有的仪表和态度。

当我们参加官方的仪式时,尤其是出席者之中除了是达官显要外,更有元首或苏丹或是皇族在场时,你会根据官方的指示在穿着方面,仪表 甚至一些风俗习惯都要作调整。要不然你会背上一个没教养,没礼貌,或是还没开化的罪名。

其实在官方仪式上,每个受邀者都会很注重自己的仪表和穿着;但是教友们来到圣堂参加弥撒圣祭时, 是否有预先好好地准备妥善参加弥撒圣祭应有穿着,态度,或是教会里的一些习俗?我希望每个交友都会预先准备好去参加弥撒圣祭。可是有时候却会发生一些不应该发生的事情;到底问题出在哪里?难道是不懂教会的条规,或是不闻不问,或是不觉擦来到什么地方?

为了迎接王亲国戚或是政坛显要,每个人都要穿着整齐,不可随便;但是当你们来到圣堂参加弥撒前后,或是在弥撒进行时,是否有好好地注意仪表和谈吐?有否注意弥撒各种礼仪?我非常希望教友们都注意到这些事项。可是,还有一些教友没有注意到他们在哪里或是一时大意,或者是完全不顾及这些事项!以下事 项是否应该在弥撒进行时发生?
  1. 有些教友穿着不雅观或者太暴露:当然穿背心和短裤上市集或诳街是无所谓的,但是不应该在圣堂参加弥撒时。曾经有位神父对我说,“ 妈妈的穿着比女儿更加性感!”科技的发达,在各种灯光照耀下,有些衣着的布料会显得特别明显甚至透明,而使人想入非非。
  2. 神圣肃静的圣堂变成嘈杂的世界:每天的生活中我们都已被各种嘈杂声音烦死了,为何还要在圣堂里或是周围高谈阔论?那不是打扰他人静默祈祷吗?更有一些教友忙碌地接电话或玩电脑游戏!
  3. 阅读报纸或是圣堂刊物:难道你们不能把一小时的时间奉献天主吗?一定要在参加弥撒时追赶时事的发展吗?
  4. 在弥撒时喂养婴儿:这种举动会无意间告诉小孩在任何地方都可以随意吃喝包挂在弥撒进行时. 难道他们一定要在这时候吃喝吗?
  5. 随意把垃圾丢在教堂座椅上或是教堂周围:有时候会在教堂坐椅上或是教堂周围发现垃圾诸如纸巾,糖果纸或是其他垃圾。难道今天还会有那么不文明的举动,把圣堂或周围当垃圾场吗?难道你们也把屋子当成垃圾堆来使用吗?
  6. 不准时听弥撒又在结束前早退:假如你们能够准时出席官方的活动,为何不能准时好好参与一台弥撒?我相信你们也不会在官方活动结束前提早离开吧因为怕得罪主办当局?由此类推,你们不怕得罪全能的上主吗?
  7. 把教堂当成私人财产霸占座位:有时候会发现一些包包或是其他东西留在座位上,证明有些“聪明人”明目张胆地把位子留给自己亲人或朋友;甚至他们不愿意和别人共用一座椅。难道他们不知道教堂不是私人财产吗?
  8. 没有全心全意望弥撒:神父从祭台上能够一目了然地看到教友们的一举一动:那些教友专心望弥撒,或无心打彩,好像木头或是机械人。更有一些教友带着无奈的心情,表情木然。难道参与弥撒有那么辛苦吗?
  9. 没有注重要理班:一些堂口,有些家长非常不耐烦地等待接孩子们上完要理班,甚至和一些要理老师发生争执。难道补习或逛街比念要理,认识信仰更重要吗?在参加官方活动结束前是否也可以随意离开?
  10. 随意停放轿车:我记得有些堂口的教友们胡乱停放车辆好像马路是属于他们的。有些竟然把车子泊在大门口,阻碍他人出入;更有一些把车子停在神父们用车前面。万一有任何紧急事项,神父们如何出差?我真的百思不解这种教友如何考的驾驶执照?不但太自私,更没有公德心?
以上各式各样的教友常态时有发生。可是我们是否应反省一下:难道对事情的发生完全没责任感?我们是否有义务帮助那些教友改变不负责任的态度?或者是不闻不问,让他们为所欲为?我认为作为基督教友团体,每个教友都有责任来纠正不正确的行为,好使我们的教堂转型成为受欢迎,受照顾和充满温馨的场所

Monday 24 October 2016

为真理而活还是活在迷惑中?

有些人在某些事情上明明是犯了错误而不敢面对事实而认错。更不应该的胡乱指控被人,贬低别人,以各种负面的言辞为自己辩护,完全没有擦清楚事实的真相而固执己见。

当他们的错误被揭穿时,不但不认错而且选择沉默或是把事情掩盖起来。有些更是随机应变,转移焦点或是找个替死鬼作为代罪羔羊。

我们之中可能有类似的人选?难道大家都忘了什么是谦虚,真理和诚实吗?是否因面子的关系而选择自我辩护,野蛮和自私自利?只顾自己的利益却不理别人福利,低估和藐视别人的尊严?总有一天,事实会被揭穿,到时颜面何在?因此活在事实中比活在迷惑中更有意义!希望大家不要活在虚幻中而勇敢且谦谦虚虚地跟随主的步伐吧。

Saturday 22 October 2016

一旦道别的时机来临了

我曾经遇到死者家属来到神父楼, 要求神父为死者举行殡葬弥撒因为死者是教友。当然我们了解家属的当时心情,除了给他们慰问以外,我认为死者家属更应该把死者的临洗证书提供给神父,证明死者的确是虔诚的教友; 除非死者在教会里是活跃分子。

有关此事,有些人认为教会太过武断或是无情,我认为不是。我们都知道,只有热心教友才有资格领圣事或是教会其他礼仪。有些人为了节省殡葬费用,就浑水摸鱼的在教会里举行仪式。其实,外教殡葬礼仪太过繁多:诸如请和尚和尼姑诵经,道士做法超度,再加上棺木的价格等等,到时死者家属荷包大出血。如果死者生前已经皈依其他宗教信仰,而他们强调要以他们宗教仪式入葬时,那不是给教会带来不必要的麻烦?不久前,大家都应该在报章上看到类似的新闻。

因此,临洗证书是重要的文件,虽然证明死者已和其他宗教没有任何关系的文件可随意得到。很多人都会小心翼翼地照顾他们的身份证,驾照,银行各类提款卡 或护照,因为知道遗失这些文件,后果不堪设想。但是就没有好好地保存临洗证书,以便在需要时提供作证。时常我们会说明天才去整理这些文件。

假如,你的明天永远不再来的话,那么你就会给家属添更多的麻烦和忧虑。因此我呼吁教友们要好好保存临洗或其他圣事证书,以方便应用,千万不要再拖延。

Friday 23 September 2016

Be Careful, and Stay Pure

Once upon a time, in an environment of different leadership, in a parish not too far away, I came across a situation which to some may appear to be from the realm of make believe, or from some Hollywood or Bollywood thriller or drama, but what had come to pass was an actual incident which ought to remind us to be careful of one's conduct, and not end up in dire straits or in deep trouble (in Chinese, some would call it "chaaam laa" or "完蛋了 wan dan la" or "sei for loh").

I was in my office getting some things done, when a young man came to see me. He looked very distraught, distressed and haggard, occasionally glancing back, possibly in fear, to see if he was being followed. I asked him what was the matter, and he sat down and sobbed profusely. If you wanted to see a grown man cry, this guy was one example to behold. I did not know or recognise the man, nor did I have any idea who he was or where he was from, but he needed to see someone and there I was, in front of him, waiting for him to tell his story.

Then, after several soaked tissues later, he poured out his story...

It seems that this young man had met a young girl in an entertainment establishment, and after a few shots (not "tembak senapang" - other kind of shot, if you know what I mean), he became friendlier towards her, and she brought him to a different place, apparently to get to know each other better. One thing led to another, and according to the young man, they ended up "frying sotong" (ahem... ahem... - if you get my drift). When the young man woke up, he found himself in a strange and unfamiliar place, and went back to his home, not realising at that time, the consequences of what had transpired and what was to take place.

Then, many months later, the young man was shocked to receive several summonses for "roti dalam ketuhar" or "bun in the oven" support. Upon inquiring further, the young man found out that, to his utter shock, and dismay, that young girl had had the audacity to collect "wild oats" that had been sown, and distribute it among several of her associates, leading to several of them having "buns in ovens." How such things could happen, I do not know, but apparently it had come to pass, and this young man was now being hounded and sought. Why did that girl do such despicable things? I suspect that it could be for the money, and some could stoop so low just to gain some form of financial security.

The young man was desperate, and beseeched and begged me, asking me whether there was some way I could help. So how? I could not do much for him financially, and felt that one likely option was that he may need to make a police report and seek legal help, to see whether some way could be found to salvage the situation, or rescue him from impending disaster. After that, he hastily left my office, and I never saw or heard from him again. I prayed that he would be alright, knowing that he had landed himself in hot soup, and getting out of it would certainly be no walk in the park.

So what does this incident tell us? To put it simply, “don’t cari pasal,” “don’t mess around,” “look before you leap,” “watch what you do.” Words of caution become meaningless once a person has landed oneself in such a situation or such a mess. Why have a moment of pleasure, and a possible lifetime of suffering? I pray that we maintain our purity, and not endanger ourselves into falling in such a manner.

Tuesday 13 September 2016

When the Time is Near to Say Goodbye

Every once in a while, I come across people who come and claim that a loved one has passed away and a funeral is requested in a Catholic church, because the next-of-kin claims that the recently deceased was baptised as a Catholic. While we empathise with such persons and offer our condolences, it may also be necessarily to furnish some proof or evidence that the recently deceased was indeed baptised and a practising Catholic, especially if we are not too familiar with the persons affected, or have not seen or heard of such persons affected.

Some of you may be wondering: "Are we being judgemental here?" Actually, no. As many of us know or ought to know, a person must be baptised and a practising Catholic before other sacraments or church rites could be administered. Also, some persons have, in the past, tried to find an easy way out or save cost by having a Christian burial, as a non-Christian funeral could rack up a substantial amount (for example, a funeral and burial according to certain Chinese customs could really burn a massive hole in your wallet, especially after taking into consideration the cost of the coffin, getting the services of a Taoist priest, Buddhist monk or some Chinese-belief religious leader; as well as other funeral expenses). Moreover, if a person has been found to have converted to a certain faith, the authorities of that faith would want to claim the body of the recently deceased for funeral rites of that faith, seeing how such issues had occurred in the not-too-distant past, and caused much consternation and anguish among the next-of-kin.  If such a scenario happens, a baptism certificate may not make much of a difference, though it may come in handy should it be somehow proven that the person's conversion to the other faith is null and void.

That is why, a baptism certificate is such an important document for all baptised Catholics. It seems strange that many of us would be careful not to lose our IC (Identity card, especially in Malaysia and in some other countries), or some other important document such as a driver's license or passport. Also, it seems strange that many of us would be extra cautious not to lose our ATM bank card, credit cards or debit cards, since we know the consequences of losing such important items. Yet when it comes to the baptism certificate, I wonder how many of us make the effort to keep it in a safe place where it could be retrieved and referred to when the need arises. Also, I wonder how many of us make effort to ensure that we have our baptism and other sacrament records kept up-to-date, and have a latest baptism certificate at hand, should the need to furnish one arises.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: if tomorrow never comes, would our family members have the necessary documentation to proceed with the necessary preparations? Would we want to add to the anxiety and pain already being experienced by our loved ones? Let us not slack or procrastinate further, and do ourselves and everyone else some charity and mercy, by ensuring our baptism certificate and other sacrament certificates are up-to-date and accessible.

Thursday 1 September 2016

Painting Masterpieces Through Song

I sometimes cringe when I hear some musicians play at church. Some of these musicians are known as "music taugeh only" musicians. This means that such musicians are unable to play beyond the music notes and chords. Give them a hymn with no proper music notes or chords, and they will go into "Defcon 4" (in other words, they would seriously panic as they may have little idea how to play the song properly, even though it may be a common or easy to pick up after hearing a few times one). Such musicians are unable to play by ear, or have difficulty in doing so.

Another group of musicians I sometimes come across are those who we could classify as "pakai hantam" or "simply play" types. Their chording and melody line is sometimes "messed up" or just plain "out" (a slang for "not sounding right" or played incorrectly). Some of these musicians really butcher the hymn, even to the extend of rendering it unrecognisable. While we do get some of such musicians who are somehow able to "pakai hantam" and sound decent, we should make every effort to get the music and chording right, so that future musicians would be able to pick up the music and play properly accordingly.

When it comes to playing music in church, there is such a thing as art, some science involved, and finesse. One needs to learn the hymn well, and be ready to improvise and give the hymn extra oomph with a combination of proper melody, supporting expressive tones, and where possible, stylo-milo chording. We could get by with basic chords, but it may not bring out the full expression and beauty of the hymn.

That is why playing church hymns should be treated like one is painting a masterpiece. If we want to encourage our faithful to sing with even more gusto, and if we want to do justice to the hymns, we need to go beyond just playing for the sake of playing, or only depending on the written music or a certain fixated style of playing. The songs and hymns can be enhanced and improvised, if one makes the effort to learn the hymn well, and then make effort to enhance the sound with some flowing notes or "flowerly" playing, together with better chording. May our musicians see themselves more and more as artists, with the intention to glorify God through music.

To get an idea of how one could enhance or do justice to the songs or hymns, here is an example of how "Amazing Grace" could be played. This audio file seems to be fine when played on most browsers. If you are unable to hear the audio file, you could try viewing this blog on a different browser (I believe Google Chrome works great).



Also, here is a music notation of Amazing Grace for you to try out:


Tuesday 16 August 2016

我们是否慷慨大方或是吝啬?

耶穌抬头观看、见財主把捐献投在银库里。 又見一个穷寡妇、投了两个小钱。 就说、我实在告訴你们。这穷寡妇、所投的比众人还要多。 因为众人都是自己有余、拿出来投在银库里。而这寡妇是自己的不足、把她一切的生活费都投上了。 
( 路 21:1 – 4 )

在今天的福音里,我们知道那位穷寡妇投了两个小铜钱进圣殿银库里。当时的两小铜钱在今天的社会里,简直小的可怜,也许相等于RM1.50。试问这笔钱能够买到多少东西?因此,那位穷寡妇所投入的是很微小的数目。不过,我曾经见过很多非常富有的教友,比那位穷寡妇富裕百倍,在献捐时,只投入RM1.00 而沾沾自喜。可是那穷寡妇所献的是她一天的生活费啊!

穷寡妇生活在困境中,可能都依靠邻居或别人的施舍来过活。不过,她不顾自己是否晚餐能的饱暖, 一心一意而其乐融融地奉献给天主。众人只看到富豪的慷慨大方,却不见那穷寡妇从她那破烂的衣袋里掏出两个小铜钱献捐给天主时所流露出的喜乐!虽然没人见到这情景,但是天主明察秋毫,耶稣看的很清楚。然后祂对门徒说,“你们大家都看到吗?”门徒们便往耶稣所指的方向看去,只见到那穷寡妇慢慢地离开银库。耶稣对门徒说,“ 那位穷寡妇比所有富翁所献捐的还要多!” 门徒对耶稣的话感到很惊讶。以为耶稣所说的是不可理喻;因为两小铜钱怎么能比得上富豪们所献捐的千千万万?大家都以为耶稣有些不对劲,不可理喻,懵懵懂懂,更是颠倒是非。

耶稣接着说,  “ 那些人所献捐的是他们财富的一部分,而那穷寡妇切付出了她的一却所有。”耶稣是否告诉我们要把全部的财富都献捐出来?当然没有!耶稣只不过要我们诚心奉献,并且量力而为。

所谓“量力而为”即是说衡量本身的财富然后根据自己的比例而捐献。“因 为 多 给 谁 , 就 向 谁 多 取 ; 多 托 谁 , 就 向 谁 多 要 。”( 路 12:48 )只要我们是诚心诚意而且乐意捐献的,又把它当着一种牺牲的奉献, 那就是主的祝福。当然我们的奉献不会在主面前赢得特别功劳,因为这毕竟不是一场比赛.不过,当我们每个人做任何奉献时,天主无时无刻地注意我们的举动。别人知道与否是不重要的;最好他们不晓得;只要天主看到就好了。 “ 你在 暗 中 施 捨 的 事 情, 你 父 在 暗 中 察 看 , 必 然 报 答 你 。”( 玛 6:4 )“量力而为”的另外一个意思叫我们不要小看自己微小的奉献,在天主的眼里,那是你最诚恳奉献了。因此,不要把“大就好”世俗观点和奉献给天主多与少来比较,只要问心无愧就好了。

很多时候我观察到一些穷的教友比那些富有的捐出更可观的数目。原因在哪里?很可能是因为穷者是爱的献捐而富有者是为了履行责任吧!穷人奉献时会感到吃力但是富有者通常都不会, 因为他们从来就不缺少钱。我们曾经遇到一些富豪献捐庞大数目是为了要控制教会和神父们;还要顺从他们的意愿去做, 要不然他们就会取消献捐。他们以为金钱可以使教会和神父们俯首称臣。万一类似的事情发生,那么教会就会失去了方针,不能再谛造天主的国,而是随那班人马为所欲为了。

最终,我们因该萌心自问,到底所捐献的是否合理?是否尽力而为了?所献捐的数目是否感到吃力?或是觉得太少或不够?(其实在现实生活里是足够的,而且还有余剩的。)我们不献捐因为天主“需要”我们的帮助。我们献捐物质来尊重祂。总之,无论数目多或少都是为了朝拜天主。圣保禄宗徒提醒我们说,“ 切莫忘记:少 种 的 少 收 , 多 种 的 多 收  。各 人 要 隨 自己 所 决 定 的 , 不 要 作 难, 不 要 勉 強 , 因为 捐 得 乐 意 的 人 是 主 所 喜 愛 的 。天主能 将 各 样 的 恩 惠 多 多 的 加 给 你 们 , 使 你 们 凡 事 常 常 充 足 , 能 多 行 各 样 善 事 。(格后9:6–10)

Tuesday 9 August 2016

Are We Generous or Calculative?

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
- Luke 21:1-4

In this Gospel passage, the poor widow put in two very small copper coins into the temple treasury. In today's currency, two very small copper coins would have been considered as a pittance, approximately $1.50 in total. These days, you can hardly buy anything with $1.50, so what the poor widow gave seems to be a very small offering, but I've known many, many people - much better off than the widow - who put in $1 when the collection bag or plate is passed and feel good about themselves. But for the widow, this $1.50 is all she has.

The poor widow is destitute, probably living off the charity of her neighbours. She has just a tiny bit in her possession, but she wants to give it. It does not matter that she won't have food for the evening meal. She wants to give it. People are watching the rich depositing their large offerings. But no one sees the poverty-stricken widow, who reached into her rags to withdraw these two small copper coins and deposit them into the collection box. No one sees the look of joy on her face as she gives to God the little she has. No one sees. No one notices. But God notices, Jesus notices. And He says to His disciples - "Did you see that!?" They look over where He is pointing. All they see is a tired old widow shuffling away from the collection box. "She gave more than all of those rich people put together," Jesus tells them, and they look at Him in astonishment. What!? Such a pittance compared to the thousands the rich are giving, and Jesus says that the widow has given more? His disciples may have wondered: Has Jesus gone nuts? Lost His marbles? Lost track of reality? Gone cuckoo?

But Jesus continues. "All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." Is Jesus telling us to surrender all our wealth here? Actually, no. What Jesus is actually trying to demonstrate to us is about proportional giving.

So what is proportional giving? In proportional giving, Jesus is teaching us that how much we give is in proportion and relation to how much we have: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48). Proportional giving means one is willing to make sacrifices joyfully and willingly, treating it as a blessing to give to God. Of course, we don't win extra points with God when we give sacrificially. This is not a contest. But know that when you make sacrifices for God, He is watching. It doesn't matter if no one else sees or knows, and perhaps it is better that they do not, but God sees and knows your giving. Jesus reminds us, "Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:4). Proportional giving also means that we should not despise our small gifts to God. Sometimes we fall under the worldly spell that "bigger must be better." That's not true of our giving to God. We are to give what we are able and as much as we are able, whether small or great.

But I notice that, many a times, the poor seem to give a substantially larger proportion of their income to God than the wealthy. Why is this? Perhaps the reason could be because the poor tend to give out of love, while the wealthy tend to give out of duty. The poor give till it hurts. The wealthy do not often give enough so that it ever hurts. Moreover, we may have come across some wealthy people who give generously, with the motivation to control the parish and the parish priest. What such persons want and expect is for the church and the parish priest to do things their way, or they may withhold their giving. Such persons think that they have the clout and power by using their money and wealth to manipulate the parish and the parish priest. But if we happen to be having such mentality, attitude or expectations, then are we trying to build God's Kingdom according to His Ways, or are we trying to build our own kingdom, where we can lord it over others and expect others to kow-tow to our whims and fancies?

Ultimately, perhaps the question we need to sincerely and honestly ask ourselves is this: are we giving our fair share? Is what we are giving proportionate to what we have? Are we willing to give till it hurts, or are we withholding our giving, thinking that what we have is too little or not enough (even though, in reality, we actually do have enough, sometimes more than we really need)? We don't give because God "needs" our contribution. We give in order to honour Him with our substance. Whether large or small, we give to worship God. As St. Paul reminds us: "Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works." (2 Corinthians 9:6-10).

Saturday 9 July 2016

请神父到医院为病者傅油的提示

当你请神父前往医院去为病者傅油时,应当有以下几点考量:

1)当你请神父前往医院时,应让神父知道病人患的是何种疾病。这可让神父确定傅油圣事是必须的,还是需要的,同时也可依情况来决定是否要执行和好圣事及送圣体。

2)最妥当的就是请你常去的、或参与堂区的神父,来执行傅油圣事。这是为了让堂区神父可自行执行傅油圣事,或者是如需要的话,他们可请邻近的神父代为执行圣事。

3)在一般情况下,神父会前往并执行病人傅油圣事。但有的时候,尤其是病者是刚加入该堂区,没几位认识该病者,他可能会被要求提供领洗证明。这是为了确保傅油圣事对该病人是有效执行的。

4)家人或近亲应在医院现场。这是为了确保不会因为病人傅油而引起不必要的麻烦,如操之过急的医院警卫,或严谨的医护人员为难去探访病者的神父。尤其是在过了探访时间,或者是紧急情况下,病人急需傅油。

5)在有的医院,要寻找停车位是非常困难的事。家人或近亲应载送神父前往医院,并由另一个人邻神父到病房去为病人傅油。

6)请确保家人或近亲的电话是可联络到的。曾有情况是该家人或近亲的电话是打不通的,有可能是关机了,或是不在通讯范围内。

7)在情况允许之下,当家人或近亲不在医院内时,应通知神父,并告之他们何时才会在场。

8)有的时候,病者可能已经出院、换了病床、换去别的医院部门,甚至是换去别家医院了。在这种情况下,应当通知神父,以免神父白跑一趟。

9)如果病人患的是传染性的疾病,家人或近亲该让神父知道,并提供保护性的衣物给那些靠近病者的人。有的时候,神父只能在控制疾病传染的病房外给予降福。尤其是当该种疾病是具有危险性的,就算是穿上保护性衣物也可能会被传染。

10)当神父在执行病人傅油圣事时,家人或近亲应控制自己的情绪,和避免过度反应。保持乐观及开朗,将有助于使气氛增添希望,缓和病者的痛楚。

愿良善的主能赐予安慰和医治那些患病和寻求傅油者,以让他们能体验到祂的平安及治愈。

Friday 8 July 2016

Requesting Sacrament of Anointing in Hospital: Some Tips

When you request for a priest to come and administer the Sacrament of Anointing to a sick person in hospital, there are a few things to consider:

1. When you call for a priest, do let him know what sort of sickness the sick person is suffering from. This is so that the priest can determine whether the Sacrament of Anointing is necessary or needed, and also to determine whether other Sacraments such as the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion may be administered.

2. It is usually best that you contact the parish you go to or are involved in to ask for a priest to come administer the Sacrament of Anointing. This is so that the parish priest(s) could either administer the Sacrament of Anointing themselves, or where necessary they may seek help from other priests nearby to administer the Sacrament.

3. In most cases, the priest would go and administer the Sacrament of Anointing to the sick person. However, in some situations, especially if the sick person is new to the parish and few know about the sick person, further information such as a recent baptism certificate may be requested. This is to ensure that the Sacrament of Anointing could be validly administered to the sick person.

4. There should be a family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person at the hospital. This is to ensure that there are no complications in getting to anoint the sick person, as some overzealous hospital security guards or certain strict hospital personnel have made it difficult for a priest to see the sick person, especially when it is outside visiting hours, or there is an emergency and the sick person urgently needs anointing

5. In some hospitals, it is extremely tough to get a place to park. It may be advisable for a family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person to drive the priest to the hospital and arrange for another person to meet the priest and see to it that the sick person is accessible for anointing.

6. Please ensure that the phone number of the contact person of the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person is in working order. There have been situations where the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person could not be contacted, as the phone is supposingly switched off or not within the service range.

7. Where possible, and if there is no family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person at the hospital, the priest should be advised when and what time the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person would be present.

8. In some situations, the sick person may have been discharged, moved to another bed, to a different hospital ward, or even to another hospital. If that is the case, the priest should be informed so that he would not end up going to the hospital only to find that the sick person is missing.

9. If the sick person is suffering from a contagious disease, then the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person should inform the priest and see that the necessary protective clothing be made available for those present and near the sick person. In some cases, the priest may only be able to give a blessing outside the containment area, especially if the disease is too dangerous for anyone to be exposed to, even with protective clothing.

10. While the priest is performing the anointing, it is suggested that the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person check their feelings and not over-react. Staying positive and cheerful could help brighten the atmosphere and alleviate some of the suffering being experienced by the sick person.

May the good Lord give comfort and healing to all our faithful who are sick and seek anointing, so that they would experience His peace and healing.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

A Walkthrough the Mass at a Catholic Peninsular Malaysian Church - Summary

As a summary, to get an idea of the various postures during Mass, here is a table consisting of the various parts of the Mass and the posture to be observed. What happens before and after the Mass have been mentioned in the previous articles already, and so this only focuses during the Mass.


Part of the Mass
Description
Posture
Throughout Introductory Rites
From the start of Mass until the end of the Opening Prayer
Stand
Liturgy of the Word
From the first reading until the beginning of the Gospel Acclamation
Sit
Liturgy of the Word
From the beginning of the Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia) until the end of the Gospel
Stand
Liturgy of the Word
During the homily
Sit
Liturgy of the Word
From the beginning of the Creed to the end of the general intercessions
Stand
Liturgy of the Eucharist
From the preparation of the gifts until the end of "Pray, brothers and sisters"
Sit
Liturgy of the Eucharist
From the beginning of "May the Lord accept this sacrifice..." until the end of the "Holy, Holy, Holy"
Stand
Liturgy of the Eucharist
During the Eucharistic Prayer up till before the Mysterium Fidei (Mystery of Faith)
Kneel
Liturgy of the Eucharist
From after Mysterium Fidei (Mystery of Faith), during the Our Father, until after the Lamb of God
Stand
Liturgy of the Eucharist
From after Lamb of God until the distribution of Holy Communion
Kneel
Liturgy of the Eucharist
When receiving Holy Communion
Stand
Liturgy of the Eucharist
During silence after Holy Communion
Sit or Kneel
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Prayer after Communion
Stand
Concluding Rites
Announcements if any
Sit
Concluding Rites
From after the Announcements the until the end of Mass
Stand

Monday 13 June 2016

A Walkthrough the Mass at a Catholic Peninsular Malaysian Church - Commissioning

Commissioning
Finally it is time for us to take leave and go home. At Mass, we call this the Concluding Rite. We prepare to go back to that world in which we will live for the coming week. Prior to the Final Blessing by the priest, there may be some announcements concerning the upcoming activities of the parish or other news to be noted.

Most parishes would have a bulletin which you could take home with you. It is strongly suggested that you take a copy of the bulletin, as it would be easier to keep up to date with what is going on in the parish. Also, the bulletin would specify the Mass times for the week, or any changes to the Mass times. This is important, since there have been several instances where people still call up the church to find out the Mass times, when they could have easily found out from the bulletin, or even by checking the internet at the church website.

The priest then again says, “The Lord be with you”, the ritual phrase serves now as a farewell. We bow our heads to receive a blessing. As the priest names the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, we make the Sign of the Cross. The priest then dismisses the assembly: “Go in peace.” And we give our liturgical “yes” by saying, “Thanks be to God.” While we have been dismissed, it is a mark of respect to allow the priest and assisting ministers to leave first.

Epilogue
In some situations, the church may have more than one Mass celebrated quite close to each other, with possibly half an hour or one hour interval. If so, and if you plan to stay on for other church activities, it may be advisable to move your vehicle and park it in another location, so that others who would want to attend Mass would be able to get a place. Some churches have limited parking space within the church compound, and we should be generous in offering the space to others, especially if we are going to be in church for quite a while.

Once we have taken our leave, we are charged to be Eucharist in every other part of our lives – in our family life, in our work life, in our neighborhood life. We are sent to be the Body of Christ, and to live out our Catholic identity, so that through our words and actions, others may know what it means to be Christian.

Sunday 12 June 2016

A Walkthrough the Mass at a Catholic Peninsular Malaysian Church - Meal Sharing

Meal Sharing
When the Liturgy of the Word is done, we move to the table. Just as we prepare and partake a meal in the home of a friend, we 1) set the table, 2) say grace and 3) share the food (we eat and drink). At Mass these ritual actions are called 1) the Preparation of the Gifts, 2) the Eucharistic Prayer, 3) the Communion Rite.

The Collection
After the prayers of the faithful, we sit and the collection takes place. In the early days of the church, people would bring whatever gift they had for the good of the community: bread and wine for the Mass, also other gifts too: animals, eggs, produce, cloth, whatever was their best gift to offer and was needed for the good of the people. In fact, to not bring anything for the community, or to bring something that wasn’t your best was considered an insult to the community! Nowadays, most faithful work for a salary, and the monetary gifts we place in the collection represent the gift of our lives and the gift of living out the faith in the world.

Preparation of the Gifts
Then the gifts of bread and wine are prepared for their consecration at the Eucharistic prayer. The prayer said over the bread and the wine (“Blessed are you, O Lord”) is said by the priest, where he gives thanks for the gifts of bread and wine, recalling that these gifts will soon become the Body and Blood of Christ. If there is no music or singing, the people respond “Blessed be God forever” to each of these prayers, joining our thanksgiving to that of the priest.

Before the prayer over the wine, the priest mixes a little bit of water into the wine. This was a very common practice in the early times to dilute a very strong wine that otherwise might be too strong to drink (in other words, to avoid people dropping like flies, drunk or knocked out brown). Today, this gesture has a spiritual significance. The priest says, “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ (wine), who humbled himself to share in our humanity (water).” We pray that just as the water and wine become one, that we also become one with Christ.

Then the priest washes his hands. While this originally served as a practical cleansing (after all, handling stuff like chicken, duck, vegetables, and other offerings would leave behind grime and other nasties such as germs), the priest also prays silently a prayer for spiritual cleanliness, “Lord, wash
away my iniquity; cleanse me from my sin.”

Then the faithful stand and the priest invites us to pray, saying, "Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." We respond: "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, For the praise and glory of his name, For our good and the good of all his holy Church." After that, the priest prays the Prayer Over the Gifts, and we respond "Amen."

The Eucharistic Prayer
The word Eucharist means Thanksgiving, and the Eucharistic prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving and petition to God. During the Eucharistic prayer, through the action of the Holy Spirit and the words of the priest, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharistic prayer begins with a dialogue between the priest and the people. This dialogue reminds us to lift up our hearts to the Lord and to give thanks to God. The dialogue reminds us that we must be spiritually engaged in the Mass, not just physically present, as we go forward in the Mass. This dialogue leads into the preface of the Eucharistic prayer.

At the conclusion of the preface, we respond to the preface by singing or saying the “Holy, Holy, Holy” acclamation or Sanctus. After the “Holy, Holy, Holy” acclamation, we kneel, unless prevented from doing so because of a physical handicap or lack of space. Only the priest remains standing. Kneeling is a posture of adoration and deep reverence, and is a physical reminder for our minds to be focused on the action taking place at the altar. We have entered the most important part of the Mass: This is not a time for going to the restroom, fumbling with the Missal, or other distractions.

The priest then begin the Eucharistic prayer, of which he has several to choose from. While the words are different in the various Eucharistic Prayers, the underlying structure is the same. Each Eucharistic prayer acknowledges our need to give thanks to God, offers the bread and wine, asks God to send the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and the wine into the very presence of Christ, and intercedes on behalf of the church, the world, the poor, and those who have gone before us.

During the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest gives praise and thanks, and calls upon the Holy Spirit to change our gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. He then recalls the events of the Last Supper - the institution of the Eucharist. When the priest takes the bread and says, “This is my Body,” the bread truly becomes the Body of Jesus Christ. In the same way, the priest takes the wine and says, “This is the cup of my Blood,” and the wine truly becomes the Blood of Jesus Christ. After the consecration of both the bread and wine, the Body and Blood are elevated for the people to see. The servers ring the bells to signal the people that something, or rather, Someone, important is here. Some people were taught to never look up during the Eucharistic Prayer. Nonsense! It is certainly a great time to look and adore the Blessed Sacrament now present in our midst. Others were taught to say silently certain short prayers, like “My Lord and My God” during the elevations. While these aren’t required, they may help you stay focused on Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.

After the consecration, the priest invites us to proclaim “the Mystery of Faith.” Here, we proclaim the Memorial Acclamation: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, / and profess your Resurrection / until you come again.” Note that there are other texts for the Memorial Acclamation from the Roman Missal which could also be used. The priest continues with the Eucharistic Prayer, and at the end, raises the consecrated bread and wine and offers a toast, a doxology, a prayer of glory to God in the name of Christ: “Through him, and with him, and in him, / O God, almighty Father, / in the unity of the Holy Spirit, / all glory and honor is yours, / for ever and ever.” Our “Amen” to this prayer acclaims our assent and participation in the entire Eucharistic Prayer. This "Amen" is also known as the "Great Amen" and should be sung or said with gusto and excitement.

The Communion Rite
We stand and prepare to eat and drink at the Lord’s Table with those words taught us by Jesus: “Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Communion (the word means “union with”) is the sign and source of our reconciliation and union with God and with one another; so we make a gesture of union and forgiveness with those around us and offer them a sign of peace.

We then kneel, as the priest then shows us the Body of Christ and invites us to come to the table: “Behold the Lamb of God....Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” After the priest has partaken of the body and blood of Christ, the members of the assembly stand and approach the altar in procession. We approach the minister who gives us the Eucharistic bread with the words “The Body of Christ,” and we respond, “Amen.” Receiving the Body of Christ is a powerful time for us. We sing a communion song, raising our voices in joy and thanksgiving for this gift that we are receiving in the Lord. We also take time for silence, to listen to Jesus and what he wants for us.

After communion, the priest will consolidate any remaining Hosts and place them in the tabernacle. The Hosts are placed in the tabernacle for bringing communion to the sick, and for times of private adoration of the Blessed Sacrament whenever the church is open. The ciboria that contained the Hosts and the chalice containing the Precious Blood are then purified by the priest. Purifying the ciboria and chalice ensures that every particle and drop of the Body and Blood of Christ is reverently consumed before these vessels are washed. After the vessels are purified, there is a period of silence to reflect and give thanks for Christ’s gift of His Body and Blood. Then everyone stands while the priest prays the Prayer after Communion. This prayer is not a concluding prayer for the Mass! Instead, it is a prayer on our behalf that the communion we have received bring us spiritual strength and growth in holiness. At the end of the prayer, we all respond, “Amen.”

Quotes and Anecdotes Throughout Ministry (The Story of our Lives so far)

Having been a priest for several years, I have from time to time come up with interesting quotes from different sources. Some of these quote...