Pre-PMPCIII – take input seriously
The pre-PMPC III convention for the clergy and the laity are over. At the pre-convention for the laity that just concluded (April 29 – May 1,2006) a number of interesting issues were raised as reported in Herald dated May 14.
Some of these issues were: 1. Pastoral care should focus on family and BEC. 2. Clergy-laity relationship 3. Laity’s voice, maturity and intelligence underestimated and not utilized 4. Open dialogue, transparency and accountability in parishes 5. Establishment of a laity-clergy diocesan council. 6.Mid-term review of PMPC 7.Christian Institute of leadership training 8. Growing crisis in marriage and family life. 9 Concern of family institution 10.Youth not given serious consideration 11.Lack of basic facilities in small parishes 12. Islamisation and marginalization of minorities by the government
Amidst all these discussions, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam’s call to the laity to be united in faith, hope and being one in Jesus is timely and as Christians we must all heed his call.
Regrettably the one common grouse among the participants at all three diocese was regarding the unfavorable clergy-laity relationship. In fact the first 5 issues above relate to this problem. This unhealthy relationship was felt very deeply by all the participants and if you were to conduct a survey would also be the grouse by lay Catholics all over the country.
With gradual loss of mutual love and respect, the clergy-laity relationship is deteriorating over time and in some places has resulted in ugly untoward incidents. This is unbecoming of the followers of Christ who are asked to in faith, hope and being one with Jesus.
There is an urgent need to foster a better clergy-laity relation based on the unselfish and non-egoistic love of Christ. In this relationship all are equal. The laity lament that the talents and skillful qualities are not being appreciated by the clergy, who consider themselves superior and indispensable. The clergy on the other hand have some preconceived perceptions that the laity is ignorant, over demanding and unrealistic.
There should be mutual love and respect for each other, realizing that we all workers in the Lord’s vineyard, where He alone is the master. Each of us, either laity or clergy, is bestowed with the love of Christ in the form of our talents and skills, to be shared freely with one another. Unless we can do that we will not be worthy followers of Jesus Christ.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Monday, May 29, 2006
Uncle George revisited
Let’s go out to look for more Uncles George
This is the follow up of my letter on Uncle George “Love grows when we grow old” (Herald April 16). Indeed I am glad for the wonderful contribution on Uncle George by Peter Wong, “Uncle George is the best!” (Herald May 7).
Uncle George and auntie Grace were overjoyed to have visitors who came after seeing the above letters in the Herald. They were particularly grateful to Herald for publishing those letters. There were also numerous phone calls from long lost friends and relatives. I could virtually see the glow of happiness in their faces
I hope more will continue to visit uncle and his wife. Their request to us all is simple. This is what he says: “It is not money, gifts or food that we need. All we ask for is the love of fellow humans to spare some time for elderly people like us who are so lonely”.
There are hundreds, may be thousands, of uncles George scattered all over in our parishes, living in loneliness and fear of imminent death, not of themselves, but of their spouse which would leave them all alone in this world. They are desperately yearning for our love and support.
As Christians are we on the look out for such people who yearn for our love and affection? Some of us may be too busy with our work that we do not recognize them although they are in our midst. Many of us are too obsessed with prayer that we are indifferent to the pleas of our neighbor, hoping that God will take of them. We fail to understand that God does not come directly to help man. He will only come in the form of earthlings like you and me.
Our priests are best poised to take the lead. They must come out to lead us, the laity, to search and reach out to the hundreds of desperate and lonely people in our parish. These parishioners in their twilight of their lives have lived exemplary Christian lives. Above all,they have cherished and safeguarded their sacred wows of matrimony to be with each other in good and bad times, a virtue we find hard to see these days. At a time when our children badly lack role models in life, we must bring out these people as examples for them to emulate.
Unfortunately today, our priests are increasingly seen as mere administrators of church rituals which by themselves without a real concern for the condition of the human heart serve no purpose as it is devoid of substance and love.
Very often we, the children and priests are quick to anoint the sick and dying when in coma and subsequently give them a grand funeral service. We even offer masses and hold elaborate memorial services for the dead but lack the same enthusiasm in being supportive and being with them when they were alive.
Dr.Chris Anthony
This is the follow up of my letter on Uncle George “Love grows when we grow old” (Herald April 16). Indeed I am glad for the wonderful contribution on Uncle George by Peter Wong, “Uncle George is the best!” (Herald May 7).
Uncle George and auntie Grace were overjoyed to have visitors who came after seeing the above letters in the Herald. They were particularly grateful to Herald for publishing those letters. There were also numerous phone calls from long lost friends and relatives. I could virtually see the glow of happiness in their faces
I hope more will continue to visit uncle and his wife. Their request to us all is simple. This is what he says: “It is not money, gifts or food that we need. All we ask for is the love of fellow humans to spare some time for elderly people like us who are so lonely”.
There are hundreds, may be thousands, of uncles George scattered all over in our parishes, living in loneliness and fear of imminent death, not of themselves, but of their spouse which would leave them all alone in this world. They are desperately yearning for our love and support.
As Christians are we on the look out for such people who yearn for our love and affection? Some of us may be too busy with our work that we do not recognize them although they are in our midst. Many of us are too obsessed with prayer that we are indifferent to the pleas of our neighbor, hoping that God will take of them. We fail to understand that God does not come directly to help man. He will only come in the form of earthlings like you and me.
Our priests are best poised to take the lead. They must come out to lead us, the laity, to search and reach out to the hundreds of desperate and lonely people in our parish. These parishioners in their twilight of their lives have lived exemplary Christian lives. Above all,they have cherished and safeguarded their sacred wows of matrimony to be with each other in good and bad times, a virtue we find hard to see these days. At a time when our children badly lack role models in life, we must bring out these people as examples for them to emulate.
Unfortunately today, our priests are increasingly seen as mere administrators of church rituals which by themselves without a real concern for the condition of the human heart serve no purpose as it is devoid of substance and love.
Very often we, the children and priests are quick to anoint the sick and dying when in coma and subsequently give them a grand funeral service. We even offer masses and hold elaborate memorial services for the dead but lack the same enthusiasm in being supportive and being with them when they were alive.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Thursday,May 11, 2006
Develop the passion for vocation
We just celebrated Good Sheperd Sunday or fashionably called Vocation Sunday nowadays. May be our priests prefer to shy away from being regarded as shepherds. Our celebrant, Fr.Maiccal Sinnapen in his homily rightly pointed out that our vocation calls us to be another Christ in our respective jobs.
In today’s fast moving materialistic world, we have removed that Christ from our lives. This is the cause of decreased passion and love for our job as our profession has become a means of income and not a vocation. As a result we are ever ready to leave our job for something else just for a slight increase in remuneration. We have become more passionate and loyal to the monetary rewards rather than the real substance of our profession.
Christian education traditionally instilled the right values at an early age. The decline in this Christian education over the years is a major cause of the loss this passion in our vocation. The Church has lost its moral obligation in continuing proper Christian education for the younger generation.
My own medical profession is an example. With a decline of Christian education, many doctors failed to realize that God has bestowed His love in them in the form of medical knowledge and skills which has to be shared with those in need. This has resulted in the once noble profession being abused as a money spinner by the big business co operations. As a consequence, quality medical care is being denied to the poor and needy. The same can be also said of all other professions as well including the priesthood.
Over emphasis and over indulgence in evangelization and charismatic activities by the church has resulted in the erosion of true Christian education for our children. Today Christians are more interested in these charismatic and evangelical activities rather in charitable deeds to others in need, which I feel is contrary to what was taught by Christ himself.
Decades back we witnessed the love of Christ alive in our community in the various Christian institutions. We had the mission schools, hospitals, and orphanages, homes for the aged, schools for the disabled and halfway homes for the wayward. We were taught serving men was the way Christianity has to be practiced. Today we cannot proudly claim to have these institutions of Christ’s love anymore. Instead they have been replaced by numerous evangelical and charismatic formation groups.
We have pray sessions and petitions for vocations to the priesthood and clergy but they by themselves will not be sufficient. Unless our priests and clergy bring back the love of Christ alive into the community, they will never be able to attract the young men and women into their flock.
In the final outcome, Fr.Maiccal’s call that we should become another Christ in our own profession is most timely and we, the priests, clergy and laity must strive towards that end. If we do not act now, I foresee a bleak future where Christianity, instead of reflecting the radiant love of Christ, would become just another religion where rituals and politics would be the rule.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Develop the passion for vocation
We just celebrated Good Sheperd Sunday or fashionably called Vocation Sunday nowadays. May be our priests prefer to shy away from being regarded as shepherds. Our celebrant, Fr.Maiccal Sinnapen in his homily rightly pointed out that our vocation calls us to be another Christ in our respective jobs.
In today’s fast moving materialistic world, we have removed that Christ from our lives. This is the cause of decreased passion and love for our job as our profession has become a means of income and not a vocation. As a result we are ever ready to leave our job for something else just for a slight increase in remuneration. We have become more passionate and loyal to the monetary rewards rather than the real substance of our profession.
Christian education traditionally instilled the right values at an early age. The decline in this Christian education over the years is a major cause of the loss this passion in our vocation. The Church has lost its moral obligation in continuing proper Christian education for the younger generation.
My own medical profession is an example. With a decline of Christian education, many doctors failed to realize that God has bestowed His love in them in the form of medical knowledge and skills which has to be shared with those in need. This has resulted in the once noble profession being abused as a money spinner by the big business co operations. As a consequence, quality medical care is being denied to the poor and needy. The same can be also said of all other professions as well including the priesthood.
Over emphasis and over indulgence in evangelization and charismatic activities by the church has resulted in the erosion of true Christian education for our children. Today Christians are more interested in these charismatic and evangelical activities rather in charitable deeds to others in need, which I feel is contrary to what was taught by Christ himself.
Decades back we witnessed the love of Christ alive in our community in the various Christian institutions. We had the mission schools, hospitals, and orphanages, homes for the aged, schools for the disabled and halfway homes for the wayward. We were taught serving men was the way Christianity has to be practiced. Today we cannot proudly claim to have these institutions of Christ’s love anymore. Instead they have been replaced by numerous evangelical and charismatic formation groups.
We have pray sessions and petitions for vocations to the priesthood and clergy but they by themselves will not be sufficient. Unless our priests and clergy bring back the love of Christ alive into the community, they will never be able to attract the young men and women into their flock.
In the final outcome, Fr.Maiccal’s call that we should become another Christ in our own profession is most timely and we, the priests, clergy and laity must strive towards that end. If we do not act now, I foresee a bleak future where Christianity, instead of reflecting the radiant love of Christ, would become just another religion where rituals and politics would be the rule.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Controversies and the Church
Attack on Christian belief, what is our stand?
Of late a number of controversies have cropped up that have resulted in our church resorting to all available means to rebut them. These are the DaVinci Code, The Gospel of Judas and the recent publication of a scientific explanation for certain miracles performed by Jesus.
The various churches, in particular the Catholic Church, have embarked on extensive counter measures to rebut these allegations. Do we need to go to such an extent to counter these allegations?. We contend these allegations are baseless and malicious. What if they are true? Only God knows for sure whether they are true or otherwise.
This is not going to be the end of such claims and allegations. As long as man exists, his egoism and curiosity will continue to rule him and he will persist in his attempts to disprove our long accepted believes. Man will continue to cast doubts on our faith and believes that are so dear to us. Modern scientific principles may even succeed in proving certain of our established believes wrong.
Are we going to be shaken every time someone tries to shatter our belief with new allegations or discoveries? If so our faith is very superficial and we have not understood Christ fully. His teachings will stand the test of time. His two great commandments, love God and love you neighbors as yourself, are relevant throughout the ages and would never become obsolete. If we understand and practice these two great commandments, we need not be too worried that our faith will be proven wrong.
The trouble is, today we are more obsessed with rituals than the essence of our faith. If religion is about dressing according to a code and the observation of rituals without a real concern for the condition of the human heart and conduct, it misses the point. In such a situation there is cause for concern every time someone tries to shatter our faith.
The two great personalities of recent times, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, proved this point very precisely. No amount of coaxing, however strong, could divert them from their strong convictions of service to fellow man. This was because of their strong commitment to sharing the inherent love of God with others.
Let us too pray for the development of this strong commitment to share Christ’s love with others at all times.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Of late a number of controversies have cropped up that have resulted in our church resorting to all available means to rebut them. These are the DaVinci Code, The Gospel of Judas and the recent publication of a scientific explanation for certain miracles performed by Jesus.
The various churches, in particular the Catholic Church, have embarked on extensive counter measures to rebut these allegations. Do we need to go to such an extent to counter these allegations?. We contend these allegations are baseless and malicious. What if they are true? Only God knows for sure whether they are true or otherwise.
This is not going to be the end of such claims and allegations. As long as man exists, his egoism and curiosity will continue to rule him and he will persist in his attempts to disprove our long accepted believes. Man will continue to cast doubts on our faith and believes that are so dear to us. Modern scientific principles may even succeed in proving certain of our established believes wrong.
Are we going to be shaken every time someone tries to shatter our belief with new allegations or discoveries? If so our faith is very superficial and we have not understood Christ fully. His teachings will stand the test of time. His two great commandments, love God and love you neighbors as yourself, are relevant throughout the ages and would never become obsolete. If we understand and practice these two great commandments, we need not be too worried that our faith will be proven wrong.
The trouble is, today we are more obsessed with rituals than the essence of our faith. If religion is about dressing according to a code and the observation of rituals without a real concern for the condition of the human heart and conduct, it misses the point. In such a situation there is cause for concern every time someone tries to shatter our faith.
The two great personalities of recent times, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, proved this point very precisely. No amount of coaxing, however strong, could divert them from their strong convictions of service to fellow man. This was because of their strong commitment to sharing the inherent love of God with others.
Let us too pray for the development of this strong commitment to share Christ’s love with others at all times.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Washing of feet
Washing of feet, sign of extreme humility
We just celebrated Holy Week which culminated in Easter commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. On Holy Thursday we witnessed the priest washing the feet of the 12 “apostles”.
Unfortunately nowadays this ritual seems to be over- publicized, carried with pictures by all our leading national dailies as though it is a political event.
This act of Jesus was a revolutionary one which would have been scorned by those in power. By Jesus washing the feet of his apostles He has demonstrated the most extreme form of humility and love for man and this love resulted in the ultimate sacrifice of His life for us on the cross.
As the followers of Jesus, are we willing to demonstrate that humility and love for those below us? Are we willing to sacrifice whatever we can for the betterment of others? These are the questions we must pose to ourselves and ponder over them. We must follow Christ, to humble ourselves, to wash the feet of others especially those under our care.
Every year the priest makes it a point to wash the feet his twelve apostles. To many it is just a ritual and they do it as a show. They fail to understand that the act itself is reminder that they are the servants, not masters, of their parishioners. Instead of being of service to the people, they engage in all sorts of political game with them.
The washing of the feet is a lesson not only for the priests but for of us as well. It a lesson for us in our relationship with those we encounter daily - our spouse, our children, parents, priests, friends particularly our subordinates. Do we treat them with respect and love?
The washing of the feet is a clear demonstration of Christ’s second great commandment to us – love your neighbour as yourself. Mother Teresa had this great virtue of humility in abundance as she fulfilled this commandment to the fullest. Let us ask God to also give us this great virtue so that we can emulate her on earth.
Dr.Chris Anthony
We just celebrated Holy Week which culminated in Easter commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. On Holy Thursday we witnessed the priest washing the feet of the 12 “apostles”.
Unfortunately nowadays this ritual seems to be over- publicized, carried with pictures by all our leading national dailies as though it is a political event.
This act of Jesus was a revolutionary one which would have been scorned by those in power. By Jesus washing the feet of his apostles He has demonstrated the most extreme form of humility and love for man and this love resulted in the ultimate sacrifice of His life for us on the cross.
As the followers of Jesus, are we willing to demonstrate that humility and love for those below us? Are we willing to sacrifice whatever we can for the betterment of others? These are the questions we must pose to ourselves and ponder over them. We must follow Christ, to humble ourselves, to wash the feet of others especially those under our care.
Every year the priest makes it a point to wash the feet his twelve apostles. To many it is just a ritual and they do it as a show. They fail to understand that the act itself is reminder that they are the servants, not masters, of their parishioners. Instead of being of service to the people, they engage in all sorts of political game with them.
The washing of the feet is a lesson not only for the priests but for of us as well. It a lesson for us in our relationship with those we encounter daily - our spouse, our children, parents, priests, friends particularly our subordinates. Do we treat them with respect and love?
The washing of the feet is a clear demonstration of Christ’s second great commandment to us – love your neighbour as yourself. Mother Teresa had this great virtue of humility in abundance as she fulfilled this commandment to the fullest. Let us ask God to also give us this great virtue so that we can emulate her on earth.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Peninsula Malaysia Pastoral Convention III
Laity’s pre-PMPC III
The delegates to the laity pre PMPC III would be gathering at the end of April 2006 for their convention. As they go into their deliberations at the convention, our prayers will be with them, for its success.
We pray that God would enlighten their minds and give them all the necessary wisdom and courage to come up ideas and solutions to the many pressing problems of the Church today.
There is a general feeling among Catholics that the church today is slowly moving away from the true teachings of Christ. We hope the convention would provide the opportunity for open and constructive dialogue in the spirit of Christ.
Some of the present issues that need to addressed are: 1. Promoting unity and racial integration in the church 2. The declining morality among the youth 3. Creating awareness of the current socio-political developments in the country 4. Promoting Christian education that is on the decline 5. Promoting and developing BECs as basic functional units in the parish
I feel these issues need to be urgently addressed. The future of our church in Malaysia will depend on the how we address these problems today. We need all the feedback, ideas and opinion from every member of the church, either active or inactive.
The church authorities must make available avenues for this feedback and be open to them especially criticisms which are meant for the betterment of the catholic community as a whole.
Dr.Chris Anthony
The delegates to the laity pre PMPC III would be gathering at the end of April 2006 for their convention. As they go into their deliberations at the convention, our prayers will be with them, for its success.
We pray that God would enlighten their minds and give them all the necessary wisdom and courage to come up ideas and solutions to the many pressing problems of the Church today.
There is a general feeling among Catholics that the church today is slowly moving away from the true teachings of Christ. We hope the convention would provide the opportunity for open and constructive dialogue in the spirit of Christ.
Some of the present issues that need to addressed are: 1. Promoting unity and racial integration in the church 2. The declining morality among the youth 3. Creating awareness of the current socio-political developments in the country 4. Promoting Christian education that is on the decline 5. Promoting and developing BECs as basic functional units in the parish
I feel these issues need to be urgently addressed. The future of our church in Malaysia will depend on the how we address these problems today. We need all the feedback, ideas and opinion from every member of the church, either active or inactive.
The church authorities must make available avenues for this feedback and be open to them especially criticisms which are meant for the betterment of the catholic community as a whole.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Ninth Malaysia Plan(9MP)
Let’s pray for just implementation of 9MP
The Ninth Malaysia Plan(9MP) has been unveiled in parliament by Prime Minister,Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.There has been an overwhelming support for him from citizens of all walks of life.
One encouraging factor is his pledge that the 9MP will benefit every citizen, regardless of their race, religion and political alignment. This has given a ray of hope for us, the minorities, after all these years. It is also heartening to note that the Prime Minister himself has taken a deep personal interest in this plan and that he would go to the ground to monitor its implementation.
As citizens we must give whole hearted support to the prime minister and his team in ensuring the fair and just implementation of the 9MP. There should be no doubts in the minds of those involved in implementing the 9MP that the rakyat, regardless of race or creed, should be the ultimate benefactor of all the projects of the 9MP.
Public participation is of utmost importance in its delivery and in ensuring its success. All departments involved in the 9MP should be open to scrutiny and public feedback. This is an opportunity for us as Christians to offer feedback and suggestions and express our frustrations as members of the minority group. We must mobilize all our resources to provide the feedback and claim our rights as equal citizens of the nation.
Sad to say the church does not take a proactive role in the affairs of the state. We seem to be happy to just attend mass week after week and are not perturbed by what is happening around us. If we continue to be complacent, soon we would become irrelevant in the national agenda. The church must create this awareness among its congregation as it is vital to apply Christ’s teachings to what is happening around us.
Let us pray that God would guide the hearts and minds of all the officers involved in implementing the 9MP to carry out their duties without prejudice and ethnic discrimination. May they be guided by the Almighty to consider everyone as equal citizens of our beloved country, without mistrust and suspicion.
In this context, as Christians, we must take the lead. As we ask the government to implement its policies fairly, let us also examine ourselves to see whether we are doing the same to those under our care and those we deal with everyday.
Dr.Chris Anthony
.
The Ninth Malaysia Plan(9MP) has been unveiled in parliament by Prime Minister,Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.There has been an overwhelming support for him from citizens of all walks of life.
One encouraging factor is his pledge that the 9MP will benefit every citizen, regardless of their race, religion and political alignment. This has given a ray of hope for us, the minorities, after all these years. It is also heartening to note that the Prime Minister himself has taken a deep personal interest in this plan and that he would go to the ground to monitor its implementation.
As citizens we must give whole hearted support to the prime minister and his team in ensuring the fair and just implementation of the 9MP. There should be no doubts in the minds of those involved in implementing the 9MP that the rakyat, regardless of race or creed, should be the ultimate benefactor of all the projects of the 9MP.
Public participation is of utmost importance in its delivery and in ensuring its success. All departments involved in the 9MP should be open to scrutiny and public feedback. This is an opportunity for us as Christians to offer feedback and suggestions and express our frustrations as members of the minority group. We must mobilize all our resources to provide the feedback and claim our rights as equal citizens of the nation.
Sad to say the church does not take a proactive role in the affairs of the state. We seem to be happy to just attend mass week after week and are not perturbed by what is happening around us. If we continue to be complacent, soon we would become irrelevant in the national agenda. The church must create this awareness among its congregation as it is vital to apply Christ’s teachings to what is happening around us.
Let us pray that God would guide the hearts and minds of all the officers involved in implementing the 9MP to carry out their duties without prejudice and ethnic discrimination. May they be guided by the Almighty to consider everyone as equal citizens of our beloved country, without mistrust and suspicion.
In this context, as Christians, we must take the lead. As we ask the government to implement its policies fairly, let us also examine ourselves to see whether we are doing the same to those under our care and those we deal with everyday.
Dr.Chris Anthony
.
Multi-language mass
Multi-language mass,benefits no one
I had the privilege of attending a Palm Sunday mass celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez . The Archbishop appeared to be pleased to celebrate the mass in English. He commented that today it has become fashionable to celebrate mass in all three languages which he termed “Rojak” mass.He was skeptical as to the real benefit it brought to the congregation.
During the tridium services of the Holy Week that followed, it was not just the 3 languages, English, Mandarin and Tamil. Bahasa Malaysia was also included and as I see it, this may not end there. In time to come I just wonder how many more languages are going to be added to this multi-language mass?
We had to sit through more than 2 hours of the service, just to actively participate for about 20 minutes of service in the any particular language we are conversant in. Our minds are left to wonder for the remaining one and a half hours. One can imagine how difficult it would be for the parents to control the children who become restless and agitated.
Multi-language masses have become a regular practice on most Sundays in many churches throughout the country. Does it have the impact on the congregation as a mass used to have? Most Catholics seem to say no.
The readings, homily and hymns are very important in the meaningful preparation of one’s mind and spirit for the all important Consecration of the bread and wine. Unless one is actively involved in this preparation in a language he is conversant, he cannot fully benefit from receiving Jesus.
Moreover it is the message of Christ in the readings and homily that we carry back to apply in our lives for the rest of the week. To really have an impact on the congregation, the readings, homily and singing must be in a language we are fluent in. As for me, I can say for sure that whenever I listen to a all the readings and a good homily in English, it remains in my memory for further discussion in the week with the members of the family.
As such the mass must be monolingual to cater for a specific congregation. It is better to have a smaller group that is actively engaged in worship for a short time than a large crowd for hours, which hardly participates meaningfully due to the haphazard blending of languages.
Our church must seriously reconsider the system of multilingual mass and return to the older monolingual system. I am all for masses in English, Mandarin, Tamil, Malay or any other language for a particular congregation, but we should not mix them all up to become, in the Archbishop’s words,a “rojak” mass.
Dr.Chris Anthony
I had the privilege of attending a Palm Sunday mass celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez . The Archbishop appeared to be pleased to celebrate the mass in English. He commented that today it has become fashionable to celebrate mass in all three languages which he termed “Rojak” mass.He was skeptical as to the real benefit it brought to the congregation.
During the tridium services of the Holy Week that followed, it was not just the 3 languages, English, Mandarin and Tamil. Bahasa Malaysia was also included and as I see it, this may not end there. In time to come I just wonder how many more languages are going to be added to this multi-language mass?
We had to sit through more than 2 hours of the service, just to actively participate for about 20 minutes of service in the any particular language we are conversant in. Our minds are left to wonder for the remaining one and a half hours. One can imagine how difficult it would be for the parents to control the children who become restless and agitated.
Multi-language masses have become a regular practice on most Sundays in many churches throughout the country. Does it have the impact on the congregation as a mass used to have? Most Catholics seem to say no.
The readings, homily and hymns are very important in the meaningful preparation of one’s mind and spirit for the all important Consecration of the bread and wine. Unless one is actively involved in this preparation in a language he is conversant, he cannot fully benefit from receiving Jesus.
Moreover it is the message of Christ in the readings and homily that we carry back to apply in our lives for the rest of the week. To really have an impact on the congregation, the readings, homily and singing must be in a language we are fluent in. As for me, I can say for sure that whenever I listen to a all the readings and a good homily in English, it remains in my memory for further discussion in the week with the members of the family.
As such the mass must be monolingual to cater for a specific congregation. It is better to have a smaller group that is actively engaged in worship for a short time than a large crowd for hours, which hardly participates meaningfully due to the haphazard blending of languages.
Our church must seriously reconsider the system of multilingual mass and return to the older monolingual system. I am all for masses in English, Mandarin, Tamil, Malay or any other language for a particular congregation, but we should not mix them all up to become, in the Archbishop’s words,a “rojak” mass.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Saturday, April 01, 2006
"Culturerization" in the church
Church must lead not follow the crowd
I refer to the letter by Peter Wong, “Is ancestral worship necessary during Chinese New Year Mass” (Herald,March 19).
I must congratulate him for having the courage to voice his opposition to ancestral worship during mass and also being considerate enough to take into account the feelings of the non-Chinese among the congregation.
Of late the Catholic Church has begun to accommodate the various cultures into its system of worship such the ancestral worship and the Ponggal celebration. This may be alright in a homogenous society but in a multiracial society like Malaysia, it would only divide the various ethnic groups.
The national policies have already segregated us by race and religion and by adopting the so called “culturisation”,the church would only make this segregation worse.
The Church must take the lead to educate the congregation in fostering mutual love and unity among its members of differing ethnicity,and not succumb to pressures from any group to accept rituals and practices for the sake of popularity. If it is absolutely necessary to have these ceremonies, then as Peter Wong suggests, conduct the ceremony in the privacy of your own home.
As for ancestral worship is concerned, it would be better for us to take care of our parents and elders when they are alive on earth, and not resort to rituals and prayers to show our love and respect after their death.
Dr.Chris Anthony
I refer to the letter by Peter Wong, “Is ancestral worship necessary during Chinese New Year Mass” (Herald,March 19).
I must congratulate him for having the courage to voice his opposition to ancestral worship during mass and also being considerate enough to take into account the feelings of the non-Chinese among the congregation.
Of late the Catholic Church has begun to accommodate the various cultures into its system of worship such the ancestral worship and the Ponggal celebration. This may be alright in a homogenous society but in a multiracial society like Malaysia, it would only divide the various ethnic groups.
The national policies have already segregated us by race and religion and by adopting the so called “culturisation”,the church would only make this segregation worse.
The Church must take the lead to educate the congregation in fostering mutual love and unity among its members of differing ethnicity,and not succumb to pressures from any group to accept rituals and practices for the sake of popularity. If it is absolutely necessary to have these ceremonies, then as Peter Wong suggests, conduct the ceremony in the privacy of your own home.
As for ancestral worship is concerned, it would be better for us to take care of our parents and elders when they are alive on earth, and not resort to rituals and prayers to show our love and respect after their death.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Tribute to Uncle George
Love begins when we grow old
The Penang Diocese Lenten theme for this year is “Touch a life”. I was contemplating how I was going to touch a life when I received an inspiring letter from an elderly gentleman, whom we used to fondly call Uncle George since we were kids. As a young man, in the sixties, he was an active member of Parish of St.Joseph, Batu Gajah, Perak.
His greatest gift was his perpetual cheerfulness. As a matter of fact we have never seen him angry or sad. Because of this gift of his he was well liked by all, especially the children.
As school children we used to accompany him to visit the sick in hospital and also visit the SVDP adoptee in their homes. In fact it was this hospital visits with him in a way inspired me to take up medicine as a career.
He now lives alone with his wife, both in their eighties, and spends all his time taking care of her, who is now handicapped due to an accident. He still cycles out to town several times a day to get food for himself and his wife.
On a recent trip back home I happened to meet Uncle George after many years and all I did was to buy him a simple breakfast costing just RM2.20, and chatted with him.
A week later I was surprised to receive a letter from him praising me and my wife with such fantastic words, praises that we don’t really deserve. The following paragraph in his letter really touched me and my wife. I quote,
“This year I am 86 and my wife is 82.If we can live till 28.12.06 we will be married for 60 years and we can live to celebrate our diamond jubilee. Yes, you know doctor true love begins when we grow old; I think I love my wife more than I first met her. But soon we will have to part”.
A mere two ringgit, few encouraging words and the willingness to listen was all that was needed to touch a life in the form of Uncle George. In return his invaluable experience of “TRUE LOVE” managed to touch us deeply.
This reinforces my fervent belief that there are still lot of good things in life that cannot be obtained with money and power and that, is the greatest gift of God to us.
All couples intending to get married, those having marital problems and want to rejuvenate the fading love in marriage should make a visit to Uncle George and his wife and I’m sure they will be able to touch you as well.
Dr.Chris Anthony
The Penang Diocese Lenten theme for this year is “Touch a life”. I was contemplating how I was going to touch a life when I received an inspiring letter from an elderly gentleman, whom we used to fondly call Uncle George since we were kids. As a young man, in the sixties, he was an active member of Parish of St.Joseph, Batu Gajah, Perak.
His greatest gift was his perpetual cheerfulness. As a matter of fact we have never seen him angry or sad. Because of this gift of his he was well liked by all, especially the children.
As school children we used to accompany him to visit the sick in hospital and also visit the SVDP adoptee in their homes. In fact it was this hospital visits with him in a way inspired me to take up medicine as a career.
He now lives alone with his wife, both in their eighties, and spends all his time taking care of her, who is now handicapped due to an accident. He still cycles out to town several times a day to get food for himself and his wife.
On a recent trip back home I happened to meet Uncle George after many years and all I did was to buy him a simple breakfast costing just RM2.20, and chatted with him.
A week later I was surprised to receive a letter from him praising me and my wife with such fantastic words, praises that we don’t really deserve. The following paragraph in his letter really touched me and my wife. I quote,
“This year I am 86 and my wife is 82.If we can live till 28.12.06 we will be married for 60 years and we can live to celebrate our diamond jubilee. Yes, you know doctor true love begins when we grow old; I think I love my wife more than I first met her. But soon we will have to part”.
A mere two ringgit, few encouraging words and the willingness to listen was all that was needed to touch a life in the form of Uncle George. In return his invaluable experience of “TRUE LOVE” managed to touch us deeply.
This reinforces my fervent belief that there are still lot of good things in life that cannot be obtained with money and power and that, is the greatest gift of God to us.
All couples intending to get married, those having marital problems and want to rejuvenate the fading love in marriage should make a visit to Uncle George and his wife and I’m sure they will be able to touch you as well.
Dr.Chris Anthony
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