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

Introduction
When friends gather for a meal, they sit and talk: Eventually they move to the table, say grace, pass the food and eat and drink, and finally take their leave and go home. When it comes to the Mass, we will see a similar pattern: we will see ritual acts of 1) gathering, 2) storytelling, 3) meal sharing and 4) commissioning.

Gathering
At Mass, we gather together into one body, ready to listen and to break bread together. At the entrance of the church we would usually encounter the Hospitality ministers at the door to greet you as you arrive for Sunday Mass: We all like to be greeted and welcomed when we gather for a celebration. When friends come for a meal or a party, we greet them at the door and welcome them into our home.

One of the first things Catholics do when they come to church is to dip their right hand in holy water, which is found in the holy water font or stoup usually near the entrance of the church, and make the sign of the cross. This ritual is a reminder of our baptism, where we were baptised with water and signed with the cross. Then when we come to the pew, we genuflect to honour the altar and the presence of Christ in the tabernacle before entering the pew. This practise became a custom of the church taken from medieval times where people would go down on one knee (to genuflect) before a king or person of rank as a mark of respect and honour.

In some parishes, the parist priests may offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the Mass begins, usually 15 minutes before and in some cases, 15 minutes after. It is strongly suggested that the faithful go for confession before the Mass, should he or she discover that he or she has committed sins, especially serious ones.

The Mass Begins
When the Mass begins everyone stands up. Standing is the traditional posture of Christians at prayer, expressing our attentiveness, and to show reverence and respect to Jesus, who is present in the person of the priest (or in persona Christi). This is the same reason why we stand in the presence of dignitaries and important people. Who, after all, is more important than our God and King?. We stand throughout the entire Gathering Rite. Often we begin by singing together, to unite our thoughts and voices in common word, rhythm and melody.

Veneration of the Altar
As the priest approaches the Altar he bends forward in reverence and kisses it. This ritual goes back to the earliest followers of Jesus who were persecuted or even killed for their faith The early Christians would gather, often in the underground catacombs, to pray and share their Eucharistic meal, and the “table” they used was the coffin of one who was martyred. The gesture of kissing the burial site was one of reverence for those who gave their life for the faith. Some of our altars today contain relics of a saint, maintaining that tradition. Another reason that the priest reverences the Altar with a kiss is because, for us, the Altar – a table of sacrifice – reminds us of Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice, offering his very self to the Father.

Introductory Rites
The priest then asks us to begin with the sign of the cross, again reminding us of Baptism. When each one of us was baptised, we were signed with the cross of Jesus Christ, where the Church claimed us for Christ. When we begin with the sign of Christ’s cross, we are reminded of who we are and to whom we belong.

Then the priest will greet us, saying, “The Lord be with you” or some other perscribed greeting. It is both a wish (may the Lord be with you) and a statement of faith (as you assemble for worship, the Lord is with you). It is an ancient biblical greeting: Boaz returned from Bethlehem (Ruth 2:4) and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” The ritual response to this or a similar greeting is always the formula, “And with your spirit,” by which we return the good wishes and the statement of faith.

After that, we proceed to the penitential rite, where we recognise our sinfulness and our need for the mercy and forgiveness of God. Then we give praise to God in the Gloria which follows. This ancient hymn comes from the song of the angels at the birth of Jesus. At the close of this first part of the Mass the priest will ask us to join our minds in prayer, and after a few moments of silence he will collect our intentions into one prayer to which we all respond “Amen,” a Hebrew word for “So be it.”

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

Foreword
When you arrive at a Catholic church for Mass, what do you do? Some people may be familiar with the gestures, postures, protocol and other observances in a Catholic church, but there may be some who may have not step into a Catholic church before; or they may have not been in one often enough to know the gestures, postures, protocol and other observances; or they may be visiting from another country and there may be some observances which are peculiar to the other country, or they may have not known, noticed or observed in their home parish or in churches in their country.

So this guideline is to help familiarise ourselves with the gestures, postures, protocol and other observances common to the Dioceses of Malaysia, especially Peninsular Malaysia, as indicated in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal, when one is at the grounds and inside a Catholic church. Note that Singapore and Brunei would share many of these common gestures, postures, protocol and other observances, since these countries come under one Bishop Conference, that is the Bishops Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

Preliminaries
Prior to coming to church, it is presupposed that you would have dressed your Sunday best. When we attend an important function in the presence of royalty or some VIP (Very Important Person), we would surely dress our best. Likewise, we should dress our best for Mass, since we are going to be in the presence of the King of kings. Besides that, it is hoped that you would have left your premises early, so that you have ample time to arrive at church early, find parking space, and get to the church. Moreover, it is advisable that you would have read the readings of the Sunday beforehand, preferably from the Sunday Missal, so that you would have some idea of the theme and significance of the particular Sunday Mass.

Also, you would observe the one hour fast before Communion. Why do we observe this one hour fast before Communion? The purpose of the fast is to prepare ourselves to receive the Eucharist by focusing our thoughts and attention on our need for God, our desire for communion with him and the importance and sacredness of what we do. People who are sick, advanced in years, or who have medical problems that make fasting difficult, have no obligation to observe it.

The fast can be looked at several ways. It makes me think about what I need to do in order to receive Communion, so my preparation begins even before I come to church. It reminds me of my need for the bread of life and cup of salvation to satisfy a spiritual hunger and thirst. It requires of me a small degree of self-discipline, directing my actions and my body to a higher good.

Attitude and Etiquette in Church

When you go for an official function in the presence of the king, sultan or some royalty, or if you are attending a function in the presence of a VIP (Very Important Person), quite likely you would observe a certain dress code, certain protocol, and certain customs. Surely you would want to carry yourself well and make a good impression, and not appear to be unkempt or in Malay: "kurang ajar" (brash, brazen, discourteous, or disrespectful) or "biadab" (barbaric, uncivilized, uncouth).

It is interesting how much effort we make to look good and put on a good appearance in front of such royalty or VIP, but how do we behave and act when we come to church? Do we prepare ourselves well before, during and after Mass, and observe the dress code, protocol and customs at church? Hopefully, many of us would be doing so, but once in a while, we come across people who are either ignorant of where they are, or just could not be bothered or could not care less. What do some of these folks do?

1. Some dress in a revealing or improper manner. Wearing a singlet and shorts may seem fine when one is going to a market, but at church? Also, one padre once commented: "I have seen situations where the mother is dressed sexier than the daughter!" Sometimes, the cloth material could be inappropriate, especially when a person is standing near the light, since in some cases, the light could cause the clothing to become quite transparent, creating a revelation.
2. It's a noisy world, as opposed to maintaining sacred silence. Already in our day to day living, we are bombarded with lots of noise all around us. Do we need to make even more noise with our talking in church and around the church grounds, while others are trying to pray and have some peace and quiet? Also, some seem to be addicted to their handphones and occasionally check for messages and updates, or trying to score in a new level in a mobile game, adding to the noise.
3. Reading newspaper and church publications during Mass. As if one could not even afford an hour with the Lord and need to catch up with the latest news.
4. Feeding young children during Mass. If we insist in feeding our children during Mass, then what sort of message are we giving them, that it is fine to eat and drink anywhere and any time one pleases? Are they that famished or dying of thirst that they must have something to eat and drink?
5. Littering at the pews and church grounds. Occasionally, I come across a used tissue paper, sweet wrapping or some item at the pews or church grounds. Are some so uncivilised that the church grounds have become a rubbish dump? Would you indiscriminately throw rubbish anywhere and everywhere in your home?
6. Arriving late for Mass and leaving early before Mass is concluded. If one could make much effort to arrive early for an official function, why not do the same for Mass? Also, would one leave early before the official function is over? Surely one would not want to offend the royalty or VIP by just getting up and leaving as one pleases. If so, why do some do so and disrespect the presence of our Lord?
7. Chopeing or reserving seats in church. When you see a handbag, piece of tissue paper, or some item on the pew bench, quite likely some "clever" person or persons have reserved the pew for themselves or their family and friends. Sometimes, the pew is taken up by only a few people, but they prevent others from sitting at the other remaining space. The church pew does not belong to them, but they behave as if it does.
8. Reluctance to participate at Mass. From the sanctuary, one could observe those among the faithful who are participating at Mass, and those who just stand there like a tree, not doing anything, not responding to the prayers or singing, just sitting and standing like robots. I have seen people looking so sour-faced, fed-up, monkey-faced or even zombie-like, as if coming for Mass is such a chore, or so excruciatingly painful.
9. Not treating Catechism classes seriously. In certain parishes I have been to, I have noticed some parents being very impatient and wanting their children to come out of catechism classes as quickly as possible. It is as if some other activity such as tuition, shopping or a trip to some place is more important than learning about one's faith. Some parents have even fought with the catechism teacher for not allowing their child to leave. Would one leave as one pleases in an official function?
10. Parking indiscrimately. I recall in some parishes where certain individuals parked their cars as if the road belongs to them. Not only that, there were occasions where they parked near the gate and blocked everyone else, or even parked in front of the priest's car, making it impossible for people to leave, and also making it impossible for the priest to drive out, especially when answering an emergency call. One wonders where such persons learnt their driving from, or it is simple a lack of common sense, or don't care or "tidak apa" attitude.

Such antics, attitudes and behaviour among some of our faithful happen from time to time. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: are some of us guilty in committing some of these? Do we reach out to such persons and try to help them in changing their ways or attitudes? Or do we just wash our hands and look the other way, only to allow such attitudes and behaviour to become rampant? As a Christian community, we cannot only expect the priest and church leaders to address such attitudes. Each and every one of need to do our part in enabling our church to be transformed into a place where all are welcomed, loved and cared for.

领洗的正确用意（心态）

我观察到不时有人向我询问、有关他们年老及病重的父母，是否可以领洗的问题。虽然任何尚未领洗的人，皆可领洗是对的，但同时也存在了“领洗用意”的问题。这代表对方本身必须表达自己愿意受洗，同时也接受了某些程度的天主教教义。

教会法规，也就是天主教教规，很清楚的写明：

教规第865条

第一节：任何欲领洗的成年人，必须显示其欲领洗的意愿，接受了足够有关此信仰的真相，教友的义务和责任，并且通过了慕道时期有关基督徒生活的考验。该成人同时也必须为本罪感到痛悔。

第二节：在受到死亡威胁时，该成人可以在以下情况受洗：对信仰有基本的认识，曾以任何一种方式表达其愿意受洗，答应遵守基督信仰的条规。

为何我会提出这个事情呢？都是因为人们必须明白可能会出现的两种情况。我到底想说什么呢？简单来说就是两个字：“方便”。

1. 因为一些来找我为他们父母施洗的家庭，主要成员是天主教徒和基督徒，万一父母过世了，他们不知如何处理非教友的葬礼。所以，为了“方便”，他们要求父母受洗。他们甚至可以达到威迫利诱的程度，以使父母受洗。
2. ⁠⁠⁠我们当中可能知道或有所听闻，不同仪式的葬礼，有时候是相当昂贵的。这是因为棺木的成本，葬礼的安排，找宗教领袖来主持礼仪，和其它因素，可导致葬礼开销达到天文数字。曾有家庭成员告诉我：还是基督徒的葬礼便宜得多！

但这些原因和藉口是不足于成为一个人要领洗的理由。他/她必须自由地、真诚地、喜乐地愿意受洗。就算是对方病重和面临死亡，他不应该，也不允许被强迫受洗，只是为了使家庭成员开心。

“方便”不是领洗的理由。归根到底，我们对那个没有意愿领洗的人，是否有欠公道？却为了某些家庭成员的干涉和威胁，而心有埋怨地同意领洗？

因为如此，当我们面对这样的问题时，必须有所警惕。愿那些即将受洗的人，是全心全意、开心地、自愿地和喜乐地去领洗，不是为了取悦或方便某些家庭成员。

Baptism With Right Intention

I have observed, from time to time, people coming to me and asking whether their elderly and seriously ill dad or mum could be baptised. While it is true that "Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is capable of baptism," there is also such a thing as "intention to receive baptism." This means that the person himself or herself must have voiced his or her intention to be baptised, and that the person has received some instruction about the Catholic faith.

Canon Law, which is Catholic church law, puts it clearly:

Can. 865 §1. For an adult to be baptized, the person must have manifested the intention to receive baptism, have been instructed sufficiently about the truths of the faith and Christian obligations, and have been tested in the Christian life through the catechumenate. The adult is also to be urged to have sorrow for personal sins.
§2. An adult in danger of death can be baptized if, having some knowledge of the principal truths of the faith, the person has manifested in any way at all the intention to receive baptism and promises to observe the commandments of the Christian religion.

So why I am bringing up this matter? It is because of two situations which have crop up which people should understand. What matter am I talking about? In a nutshell, it concerns a keyword: convenience.

1. Some families have come to me asking that their dad or mum be baptised because most of them are Catholics and Christians, and they do not know how to go about conducting a non-Christian funeral, should dad or mum pass away. So, for their convenience, they ask that their dad or mum be baptised. Sometimes, they even go to the extent of convincing, coercing or even arm-twisting their dad or mum to be baptised.
2. As some of us may know or have heard, conducting a funeral according to certain other rites could be quite an expensive endeavour. This is because the cost of the coffin, the funeral arrangements, getting the religious leader to conduct the rites, and other factors, could cause the funeral costs to become astronomical. Some members of certain families had told me: "It seems cheaper to have a Christian funeral."

But these reasons or excuses are not sufficient grounds for a person to be baptised. The person himself or herself must freely, genuinely and joyfully be willing to receive baptism. Even when the person is seriously ill and in danger of death, the person should not and cannot be forced to be baptised, just to make some family members happy. Convenience is not a reason for a baptism to take place. After all, are we being fair to the person, who has had no intention or desire to be baptised, but because of interference or threats from certain family members, agree (possibly grudgingly) to go ahead with the baptism?

Therefore, we should be vigilant when it comes to matters like this. May those who are to be baptised do so with full intention, full desire, happily, willingly and joyfully, not to please certain family members or for the convenience of such family members.

Hospitality Ministers - Some Observations

An important task of the parish community is to reach out to all people with Christian love and service. Christian hospitality draws people together, opens them to participation, and sets the tone for the liturgy. The hospitality ministry is crucial because it is so visible in the Church. The attitude, conduct and even the appearance of the hospitality minister directly affects, either positively or negatively, the experience of the faithful at Mass.

Those who desire to serve as hospitality ministers should be active and faithful members of the Church. They should have respect for others, discretion and appropriate decorum. The ministers should be noted for their care to the assembly. Moreover, the ministers should be comfortable meeting and greeting others. They must always extend a sense of welcome to others and make them feel at home. Such qualities are a blessing, especially to the stranger in our midst.

Tasks Before the Liturgy

1. Hospitality Ministers should greet and welcome the faithful as they gather for worship.
2. They should be at each of the entrances of the church.
3. They should avoid gathering in only one area of the church, and avoid speaking only with their fellow ministers.

Tasks During the Liturgy

1. Hospitality Ministers are part of the worshipping community and they are to participate fully in the music, responses, and prayers of the liturgy.
2. However, certain duties of the minister may limit his or her ability to participate.
3. Yet, every effort should be made by the hospitality ministers to be models of participation in the worship of the Church.
4. Hospitality ministers should note the following:
1. Facilitate the seating of latecomers with as little disturbance as possible, at the conclusion of the Opening Prayer or at the conclusion of the First Reading or Responsorial Psalm.
2. Collect the offerings of the people. Both the faithful and the offerings are to be treated with utmost dignity and reverence. The faithful should be given adequate time to deposit their gifts during the collection.
3. Appoint and assist those who will be taking up the gifts in the procession for the Preparation of the Gifts.
4. Direct the communion procession in an orderly manner.
5. Be aware of the placement of first aid supplies and other emergency facilities should the need arise.

Tasks After the Liturgy

1. Hospitality ministers should distribute the parish bulletins and any other materials, especially to those who have not taken one at the entrances of the church.
2. They should also be available to assist those with special needs.
3. Where possible, they should assist in preparing the worship space for the next liturgy, making sure it is well organised and inviting.

It is desirable to commission hospitality ministers for a specified period of time. This allows the ministers to evaluate their service and determine if they wish to continue to participate in this ministry or perhaps change to another ministry at the end of their term. This also allows the parish priest to evaluate and advice on whether certain persons should consider a different ministry. It is best for the individual and the parish if a person serves in only one ministry at any given time. Training sessions should be conducted regularly to assist hospitality ministers in becoming familiar with all aspects of their service. Having appropriate knowledge and training will help ministers to function effectively and bring confidence and joy to their experience.

There may be many other aspects concerning hospitality ministry which may be absent from this article. As such, it is desirable that members of the hospitality ministry, with the guidance of the parish priest, come up with relevant guidelines and procedures unique to the parish, so that the people of God would be cared for and feel welcomed to the banquet of the Lord. May you bring the love and joy of Christ in your efforts in being hospitable, and may others come to know we are Christians by our love and concern.

Family vs Career - Following the Example of the Holy Family

Every year his parents used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When the days of the feast were over and they set off home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was somewhere in the party, and it was only after a day's journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. It happened that, three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, 'My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.' He replied, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he meant. He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people. (Luke 2:41-52)

Twelve years old is an important age which Jewish boys looked forward to. That was the age that every Jewish boy was expected to make his bar mitzvah and so become a responsible subject of the law. It was a ceremony of legal adulthood. From then on he was required to keep the law and make the annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem like any other Jewish man.

One way teenagers celebrate their coming of age is to go out and do those things that the law had up till now forbidden them to do. You know your boy is growing up when he stops asking where he came from and begins to not tell you where he is going. As we can see, Jesus was no exception. To celebrate his coming of age he attends the Temple class without informing his parents. When his parents catch up with him after two days of searching for him everywhere, all he tells them is, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Even holy families do have their occasional tensions and misunderstandings.

The most puzzling part of the story, however, is the way it ends: “Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them” (v.51). The twelve-year old adult Jesus already knows that his mission is to be in his Father’s house and be about his Father’s business. From the test-run he did in Jerusalem earlier that day, it was clear that he was already capable of doing it very well, because “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers” (v. 47).

The puzzle then is this: If Jesus, already at the age of twelve, was ready to begin his public mission, and was evidently well prepared for it, why would he go down with his parents and spend the next eighteen years in the obscurity of a carpenter’s shed only to begin his public ministry at the age of thirty? Were those eighteen years wasted years? Certainly not! In a way that is hard for us to understand, Jesus’ hidden life in Nazareth was as much a part of his earthly mission as his public life. We are reminded that it was at this time that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour” (v.52). And when we reflect on the fact that for every one year of his public life Jesus spent ten years in family life, then we shall begin to understand the importance and priority he gave to family life.

We have two lives, a private or family life and a public or professional one. These two lives should be in harmony but very often they are in tension. Whereas Jesus resolved the tension by giving priority to his private life, we, unfortunately, often try to resolve it by giving priority to our professional life, leaving our family life to suffer. The holy family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus reminds and challenges us to value and invest in our private life with our families before our professional life at the work place.

As Pope John Paul II puts it beautifully in Familiaris Consortio, “The family, which is founded and given life by love, is a community of persons: of husband and wife, of parents and children, of relatives. Its first task is to live with fidelity the reality of communion in a constant effort to develop an authentic community of persons. The inner principle of that task, its permanent power and its final goal is love.” Therefore, shouldn’t we be showing love in our families by spending more time with them? Are we really making effort to do so? Do we value our families more, or has our work, career or ambitions taken precedence?