Franciscan Tidings

Pastor’s Message:

…when we Fast …

Fasting is not always good. It can affect our health, cause headache, an upset tummy, make us irritable and gloomy and sometimes lead to depression.

The worldly & the conceited however see something beneficial. There is weight loss in fasting leading to a svelte figure. But body size; ‘fat or thin’, is not what God looks for. God looks at the size of a loving heart. The capacity to love and serve is what counts most in the kingdom of God.

Fasting is synonymous with alms-giving. It is very often depriving ourselves of luxuries in order to give more to the needy. Life can be so complex and sometimes people are compelled to fast or live frugally. We need to remember such people and reach out to them; sharing our wealth and God given talents.

Fasting must be accompanied not only by acts of charity but also acts of justice. This calls for giving just wages to house helpers, chauffeurs and employees. It also calls for fairness in business and the equal treatment of all persons. At this phase of time when our country seems geared up for the coming elections, our fast during the Lenten season should be accompanied by concrete acts of patriotic love. Our spiritual life must lead us to an awareness of happenings in our beloved country.

Our attitude when fasting should be joyous and truthful, knowing the Lord is with us at all times. Sometimes we feel the Lord is absent, yet He is present, especially when we celebrate the Eucharist. Sometimes we say ‘Yes’ and there are times we say ‘No’ to God’s presence.

Our Christian life is an inter-play of His presence as well as His absence. In these moments, we can experience joy with pain, joy through pain, or just pain - no joy.

The Eucharist, which is the sacrifice of the Lord, is also the Banquet of the Lord. Are we a celebrating as well as a sacrificing people?

God be with you! 

Rev. Fr. Valentine Gompok O.F.M. Cap

~ Asst. Parish Priest

BEC St. Thomas’ Report

Now We’re Two

BEC St Thomas, one of the oldest and largest of the BECs in the parish, has been reorganised to form two groups with effect from January 2004. The reorganisation follows the directive from the parish that large BECs be regrouped into smaller ones. The two new BECs have kept the same name, but with numbers appended to distinguish one from the other. The core team members are as follows:

Recycling for Charity

They did it again! Last year, BEC St. Thomas was able to raise funds through its recycling programme and donated the money to an orphanage. In June 2003, BEC members visited the Desa Amal Jireh, an orphanage in Kajang,. The BEC youth played games with the children while the rest of the members helped in giving out food. During the welcoming programme the BEC treasurer presented a cash donation of RM1000 to the orphanage administrator. The BEC members felt happy that once again they had been able to raise money from recycling for a charitable cause.

Multilingual Carolling

Unusual Christmas carols were heard in BEC St Thomas’ homes last December. The BEC carollers (mostly from the youth) thrilled families with their rendition of carols in Mandarin, Tamil, Bahasa Malaysia, Japanese as well as English. The idea to do multilingual singing came from Patrick Michael, the carollers’ coordinator, who saw this as a way of evangelising. Getting the youth together for practices was no easy task as many of them were sitting for exams. Thus, the practices had a late start. Nevertheless, the carollers did prove that when the Spirit of the Lord moves, wondrous things happen.

Sharing the Christmas Party

Instead of having a Christmas Party exclusively for its members, BEC St Thomas decided to reach out to its non-Christian friends in the neighbourhood by inviting them to this gathering. BEC member families were asked to invite one family each. The BEC Christmas Party on 21 December was held at the SFA hall. The feasting that followed the games featured home cooked food and a special roast lamb prepared by some of the members. Indeed, there was plenty to share with our non-Christian friends and neighbours.

Marian Chua

~ BEC St.Thomas

The Greatest Verse  ~  JOHN 3:16

Pam

~ BEC St. Thomas

A Christmas Cantata

God’s Greatest Gift of Love

So great and unconditional is the love of God that He sent His only Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue us from the devastating effects of sin. It is not that we first loved God; it is God who first loved us, and ‘Jesus’ is the reason for our Christmas celebration. His birth is God’s gift of reassurance and hope.

To remind the congregation of the true meaning of Christmas, a Christmas Cantata was organized by Geraldine Cheow. A lot of effort was made and numerous practices and rehearsals were held. On the eve of Christmas amidst a large crowd of worshipers at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, a total of thirty-eight children participated in this event. They sang their best and acted with great enthusiasm and love.

Many hearts were touched and captivated as they proclaimed the message that, ‘Jesus is the Greatest Gift of All.’

The divine love of God is sacrificial, unconditional and everlasting. The true meaning of Christmas extends beyond the exchange of gifts, cards, phone calls, sms and e-mails and goes beyond the decoration of homes and Christmas trees or even Christmas caroling. Christmas actually means: God’s love becoming real, becoming part and parcel of our everyday lives; a time to love, to share, to give and to forgive.

‘Joy to the world ! The Lord is come !

Let earth receive her King’.

Brian & Christina

~BEC St. Theresa

‘Jesus The Gift’

‘Jesus the Gift’ was the theme of the children’s Christmas musical held on Christmas eve, 2003. This musical saw the coming together of the children and their parents. Full of enthusiasm and commitment towards this musical, the children took part with abundant joy. The musical was a show of love for the children - the giving of themselves in return for God’s gift of His Son, Jesus, to us all at Christmas.

Working with the children was a wonderful experience for me. The children were my inspiration, the Holy Spirit my teacher and guide. Thank you, Father Matthews for saying ‘Yes’ to the idea of having this musical, and dear parents, for willingly allowing your children to participate for after all – “Jesus is God’s gift to us and our children, gifts from us back to God.”

Geraldine

~  SFA Choir Coordinator

Bring souls to the full knowledge of Christ

‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.’ Gen 2:15.

The message I get as I reflect on this verse is that it is my responsibility to nurture seeds of faith in all God’s children. It is a responsibility we embrace at Baptism and a privilege to co-operate in God’s plan by being His instruments to bring souls to the full knowledge of Him through Catechetics.

Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez urged all parents and faith formators to accept their role with grave responsibility.

The opportunity to serve is offered once and will not be repeated. Your child has a right to good Christian living and it is our duty to ensure that this is made possible. Sunday School in the parish of S.F.A. has grown steadily over the years. Besides an increase of pupils, classes are conducted in local languages too. With the absence of religious education in schools, Christian faith formation rests heavily on parents and the community.

Again, with the ever-growing culture of materialism that is affecting every group in society

today, the paramount need for Christian formation becomes increasingly necessary to ensure that faith grows and grows and does not die. Build faith in order to share faith. It is my sincere hope and prayer that we realize and pass on to our children the need for Christ to be the central figure in all our lives for it is in Him that we find Light, Peace and Joy.

Christina Chan

~ Sunday School

A Benevolent Thought – The Aged

            A clarion call to parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Church to give a thought to the welfare of the aged, hails from the Senior Citizens’ Circle. There are many very dutiful children who do their best to keep their aged parents comfortable, secure and loved in their own homes. But, by the same token there are also many out there who leave their ‘dear ones’ in solitary confinement, neglected, for want of love, care and attention.

           Those who can afford it send their old folks to homes or geriatric wards managed by nurses, daycare personnel and even a doctor when the need arises. However, not all old folks have these privileges and comforts.

            Most aged people, whatever their circumstances be, seem very lonely and lost. If one is a keen observer, one can feel their pain of loneliness. They all need ‘friends’, old or young, to visit and bring cheer, to comfort them and spend time listening and talking to them. Some ‘old dearie’ may need to see a priest, visit a relative or even be taken for an outing of fresh air.

           This is one ministry which calls for more attention. Would you be there for them knowing that someday you too may have the same needs?

            “God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9: 7

L. Francis

~ Senior Citizens’ Circle

Children’s Christmas Party

On December 12^th, 2003, BEC St. Pio - Awana B, held a children’s party to celebrate the birthday of baby Jesus. It was the first children’s Christmas Party ever held in the BEC. Approximately thirty children all very colorfully dressed in party gear participated in the event. Non-Christian children as well as catholic children harmonized well in true Malaysian spirit.

Gifts were bountiful and countless sweets were distributed. All this was made possible by the generosity of BEC members who also gave up their precious time preparing food and drinks as well as wrapping gifts. The youth were given the task of organizing the games. It was a very enjoyable party for both children and parents. The air was filled with laughter and merriment. Every child, winner or loser in the games was given a gift.

When Santa Clause arrived on the scene to the surprise of the children, they went wild with excitement and joy. Prizes were given to the children who were best dressed too. It was a great party! Many will remember it in the years to come for it helped to open doors to many who know so little of Christ.

Deo Gratias!

Alexander Govindasamy

~ BEC St. Pio (Awana B)

Music – God’s Loving Signature

Every ministry needs to have the strength to persevere and fulfill its commitment. This means that besides the daily happenings in our lives, we should stand firmly by our commitment. Ministry then becomes a labor of love. Serving and being in the music ministry is working together in love and harmony, overcoming obstacles along the way.

The SFA choir has grown over the years under choirmaster, Mr. Patrick Michael, since the late 80’s till 2003. The choir recently had a ‘thank-you’ party for Patrick in gratitude for his service to the music ministry. He still stands as advisor to the ministry. Evelyn, our organist, who has played for the church since she was twelve, got married in November 2003.

As we continue this journey praising God in song, we welcome new choir members, organists or anyone interested in “heavenly” music. “Music is God’s loving signature and our reply – Praises back to Him.”

Geraldine

~ SFA Choir Coordinator

History of Valentine

            Valentine's Day dates back to the third century. There was an oppressive Roman emperor named Claudius II and a humble Christian martyr called Valentinus. Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship the state religion's idols and he also made it a crime, punishable by death for anyone to associate with Christians. Valentinus was dedicated to what Christ taught; even the threats to his life couldn’t keep him from following Christ. Claudius had banned marriages for the sake of strengthening his army, by keeping his soldiers free from emotional attachments. Valentinus didn’t leave a chance when he could unite a couple in marriage. This created a deep sense of hatred in the mind of the cruel emperor. Valentinus was known for his faith in the Lord. Later, Emperor Claudius II discovered the kind deeds of Valentinus in the lives of young people. Today, on each Valentine's Day, messages of affection are exchanged around the world. People call the person they love the most, their 'Valentine'.

Leonard Johann

A Youth Ponders …

“The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away.

Blessed be His holy name.” Jer 1:21

As a youth, honestly speaking, I wonder how often do we turn to God immediately for all our needs? Yet we are so quick to blame Him when things go wrong. Life is an endless trial full of temptations, troubles, hormonal changes, stress and anxiety and work.

Religion calls for deep thought too. We were taught to surrender everything to God yet nobody realises how difficult it is just to be good. Father Joe Matthews once said that someone told him that God demands too much. He replied God doesn’t demand too much, He demands Everything! Rightfully so, He has the authority.

God didn’t have to create us, yet He did. He didn’t have to give us life, yet He did. He doesn’t have to look after us, yet He does. Ever wondered why? The reason is simple. He created us in His image and likeness; and He loves us.

We still wonder why we suffer? God never promised life without trials, He promised comfort in pain and help in troubles. His only Son said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Mt 11:28

Another question I wish to ask – “How many of us youth actually like reciting the rosary?” The rosary is our shield against Satan and His temptations and it brings us close to Jesus.

In conclusion let us surrender ‘Everything’ to God. Life may not be easier but certainly a lot happier. When we are feeling low, remember the words, “The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be His holy name.”

Marcus Peter

~ SFA Student Youth

Why is there suffering in the world?

Simply put, it is because of sin. The question probably is, one of the most common issues an adult mind ponders upon without, on most occasions, coming to a practical or comforting answer. Quite often we find solace in the forms of food, the flesh, and a busy mind or simply by avoiding any situation that might lead to suffering. Of the majority only few seek solace in the loving arms of our Father, through his son Jesus.

But what’s the point of suffering then? Let’s take the nine months of suffering a mother endures for instance. A mother instantly forgets all the pain at the sight of her new born. The pain and anguish is now replaced by happiness and joy. Thus all life, be it human or animal, must endure suffering if it is to evolve into something better.

So is suffering inevitable? Yes, but we do have help in the person of Jesus, who shows us how to endure, when he sought his father at the Garden of Gethsemane, where an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. So the next time you are faced with a difficult person, emotion or situation don’t run and hide, curse and swear, or worse, ignore it, why not turn to the lord and say, “Let Thy will be done.”

So finally, what is suffering? It is the moments that lead up to the point of Grace where the Glory of God is revealed through our lives.

Eugene Paul

~ Charismatic

Biblical Journey …

     44 weeks, what a wondrous and amazing experience that was for many of us, parishioners of SFA. At the start of this program, I felt it was going to be a long journey. I had to get myself tuned to the classes between 8 to 10pm on Tuesdays. Setbacks due to weather, office work and other reasons were going to make this journey even more difficult.

            Within the first two weeks, I started to ponder on my expectations of the journey. Rev. Fr. John Ghanapragasam gave us an assurance that if we journeyed well, then, the end result would be a spiritual transformation in our lives.

           Richard Cheah, one of the coordinators, on his first day of briefing said that this program would take us on two different vessels - one a leisurely cruise ship and the other, a speedboat. With his form of presentation via computer skills, many of us found ourselves on a most exciting speedboat.

           Along the journey, I realized that the presenters were truly inspired by the Spirit of God. Many of us although tired and sleepy after a long day’s work, persisted in attending the classes. There was a burning desire to study the Word of God in detail and build a relationship with the Bible itself. 70 students from the parish of SFA completed this course. 5% were from the surrounding parishes. Ages varied from the young to the ‘not-so-young’. The following are some inputs from the students:

I have discovered that both the Old and New Testament books are sacred and written under divine inspiration. The sacred words have inspired me and activated me in a desire to read other spiritual books. It has transformed my life. I am more patient, loving and kind to the needy. All Christians ought to know and read the Word of God – “The Bible.” ~af

I learnt to adopt a positive mental attitude – God is present in everything I do and I can rely on Him with confidence in any situation I encounter. I have heard His promises before but today the Bible has become alive to me. The best lesson I learnt is that I am in total control of myself and whatever I feel is entirely my choice. Attending the course has contributed to my spiritual growth and maturity. ~ma

As I persevered through the course, I found myself being moulded while seeking to follow the word more religiously. I realized how much I had strayed away from the right track. I began to hunger for my Lord. I wanted to get closer to him, praise him, worship him and never wanted to hurt him anymore by sinning.  I experienced a deep sorrow for all my past sins. I found that as I called upon Jesus' help, I was able to see results. ~jn

By the end of the 44^th week, I was glad to find many of us had completed the course. Commuting with a few BEC members weekly, and encouraging each other to attend classes was a beautiful experience. Much knowledge was gained. Now faith challenges me to be a disciple in rendering service and sharing the Good News with others. I’m certain that the journey was a special ‘Calling’ for many of us, and not one of ‘Choice’. The graduation ceremony was the highlight of the course. The testimonies on that day revealed that there are many hearts burning with passion to learn and acknowledge the Word made flesh as we journey on in life.

~ Juan Pablo

SFA Youth Christmas Party

The youths of SFA will remember December 27^th, 2003 for a long time. A gala Christmas party with the theme “Rhythm of the Night” was organized by the SFA Youth Ministry. This event had all the youths in the parish excited. Apparently, it was the first Christmas party ever to be organized specially for the youth. The organizers promised everyone a fun time with food, music and games …and they delivered!

The night started off with an opening speech from the Youth leader, Ng Seet Onn. He welcomed everyone and proceeded to introduce the new committee members. Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Joe Matthews, was then invited to say a few words. This was followed by the opening prayer and grace. With that, dinner was served. The food was appetizing and everyone took the opportunity to mingle and get to know one another.

After dinner, a karaoke session kicked off the “rhythm of the night.” Not surprisingly, following the unanimous request from the floor, Fr. Valentine Gompok took the mike and showed his vocal talents. He even had the crowd asking for an encore. Later, we had our very own Michael Jackson, Terence giving a smooth dance performance. It was as good as the real thing. Lots of great prizes were given away that night to lucky winners of the lucky draws.

Then, it was time for games. The organizers had everyone separated into groups of seven for a game called the “human chain.” The idea was to form the longest line with whatever you had. This game had everyone scrambling for their belongings and almost anything else they could get their hands on (strictly though, they were only supposed to use their own belongings) in order to form the longest line possible. It was really crazy as, with the things they had, the line went all the way outside the hall! It even had most of the guys stripping their shirts and lying on the road to make their lines even longer. It was really a hoot for those who were watching us!

Later in to the night, the real party started with a band performance. The lights were dimmed as the band, “No Name”, came on to perform several upbeat and improvised versions of the traditional Christmas carols such as “Silver Bells” and “Santa Clause Is Coming To Town.” The dance was officially opened up as everyone folded up & put aside their chairs to make more room.

The guys were showing off their dance moves and the girls were having fun. When the band finally stopped playing, everyone was disappointed but the deejay for that night, Wayne, reassured us that more dance music was on the way. The youths partied on until the last song and like the “Cinderella” story, everything ended at midnight.

The committee members and volunteers, with the help of some parents, stayed back to clean up. Everyone else went back tired but agreed that it was indeed a fun night. Everyone is looking forward to the next youth activity. I think the party achieved its purpose by bringing the youths of the parish closer and we hope that the parish itself will continue to support us in whatever we plan to do.

Christine Clare Yeo

~ SFA Youth

Kindergarten Corner

Fill in the blanks and find the answers in the box.

1.      The first man that God created is ____________.

2.      _______ killed Goliath, the giant, with a sling shot.

3.      Jesus turned water into ____ at a wedding in Cana.

4.      Who baptised Jesus? ______ the Baptist.

5.      God asked Noah to build an____ to put all the animals in.

6.      How many disciples did Jesus have?

7.      _________ is Jesus' mother.

MARS

Mr. Roland Goh

03-9130-1089

TMN MUTIARA

Mr. Benildus Tan

03-9133-5973

ST. ANNE

Ms. Anthoniamal

03-9173-0613

ST. THOMAS 1

Mr. John King

03-9131-4763

ST. THOMAS 2

Mr. Mark Siew

03-9132-9707

ST. THERESA

Mr. Peter Thong

03-9102-2604

DAMAI PERDANA

Mr. Allen Yap

012-391-3629

ALAM DAMAI

Mr. Johnson Doss

019-302-2681

ST. ANTHONY

Mr. A. Ernest

016-684-0708

ST. BASIL

Mr. Nelson Daniel

03-9101-5753

ST. AUGUSTINE

Mr. James Louis

03-9101-6597

ST. CHARLES

Mr. S. Anthony

03-9101-1331

PPH

Mr George Kurung

03-9080-3961

LAVENDER

Mr. Arullappan

03-9021-7169

SRI RAYA

Mr. R. George 

03-9075-4792

ST. LAWRENCE

Ms. Joan Chiam

03-9130-5286

Eucharist - A Taste of God

Eucharist, a taste of God

Bread of heaven, immortal food

Simple thanksgiving not more

God and man in one accord

Eucharist, a taste of God

Communion of man singing for joy

Heavenly creatures gladly join

Praising and exalting the King of Kings

Eucharist, a taste of God

Act of salvation, long foretold

In partaking the mystery unfolds

O Redeemer of repentant souls

Eucharist, a taste of God

Sacrament divine supreme of all

Come celebrate and draw nigh to

This fountain of overflowing love

Eucharist, a taste of God

Healer of man who yearn for Thee

In the darkness of the night

Guide all men to their heavenly goal

Alexander Govindasamy

~ BEC St. Pio (Awana B)

Coming Events

Articles For The Forthcoming issue will be from:

St. Paul

St. Anthony

Kota Cheras

Sri Aman

Tmn. Murni

Sri Raya

Damai Perdana

St. Clare

Tmn. Megah

Tmn. Lavender

St. Charles

9th. Mile

Communion Ministers

Special Request:

This newsletter is distributed to parishioners via their respective BEC.

BEC & Ministry leaders, kindly give us your email address to facilitate correspondence. Send to:  jbana@hotmail.com

SFA Editorial Team:

~ jerome, joan, mary anne, lucy, sham

CUEPACS 1A

Mr. Mark Rajan

03-9075-3010

ST. JOHN VIANEY

Mr. Jerome Xavier

03-9074-7325

ST. JOSEPH

Mr. Hector Ponnu

03-9075-6137

ST. MICHAEL

Mr. Francis Joykin

03-9075-5576

ST. PETER

Mr. Peter Bok

03-9075-5253

ST. PIO

Mr. G. Alexander 

03-9075-1907

ST. GABRIEL

Mrs Eleanor Gomez

03-9075-4079

ST. PAUL

Mr. Matthews K.

03-9074-3468

ST. LUKE

Mr. Nathan Dorey

03-9074-7077

ST. CLARE

Mr. Michael Hua 03-9075-0131

SUNTEX

Mr. Francis Kok

03-9080-1597

9 th  MILE

Mrs. Francis Ng

012-371-5078

KOTA CHERAS

Mr. Peter Jayasuria

03-9076-2642

SRI AMAN

Mr Francis Carvalho

03-9075-5460

TMN. MURNI

Mr. John Luke

03-9074-5885

TMN MEGAH

Mr. S. Joseph

03-9074-6657