VATICAN CITY, Jan 28 – Msgr Giampietro Dal Toso, secretary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the office which handles the pope’s charitable giving, presented the Lenten message at a Vatican news conference. (see page 6)
He said indifference – where everything becomes the same or equally valid – results in an eradication of values, meaning, and any distinction between good and evil, true and false.
Henry Anak Jimbey: I am a Bidayuh from Bau, Sarawak, baptized and confirmed in the parish of St Stephen’s Church, which comes under the Archdiocese of Kuching.
Before entering the seminary, I taught Mathematics for upper secondary students at SMK Lake, Bau for 16 years. I obtained a degree in Planning and Management from Unimas in 1997 and from UPM in 2007, my Master in Corporate Communication. In 1999, I obtained a Diploma in Education which made me a qualified teacher. Since then, I was posted to SMK Lake which is only 10 minutes from my home.
God has restored my spiritual life and deepened my faith through Emmaus Teens camp especially during the session “Your life is beautiful”. During ETC, I felt His presence close to me. Before this I felt that the Lord was unreachable and far and I could not sense him. Through programmes in ETC, He has opened my eyes to see that He is always present in my heart, in my friends, my family and the priests who celebrate Mass every week. My relationship with God is growing closer and I could feel in my heart that God is here hugging me close. – Audry Yeulanda Ng, Inanam
A vow is a sacred promise or commitment made publicly with the approval of the Church. Through her vows, a Sister responds with her whole life to God’s invitation to love Him completely and without reserve. This free response is a fuller expression of her baptismal call and is, for one who is genuinely called to the consecrated life, a means to greater holiness. All Christians are called to live the virtues of chastity, poverty and obedience; these vows provide for a purification of heart and spiritual freedom that uniquely mark the life of the consecrated woman religious. Living these vows enables her to focus her entire being on God and His people.
SANDAKAN – During the 3rd Sunday of Advent, at St Mary’s Cathedral, Bishop Julius in his homily shared that doing little good deeds for the underprivileged are signs of us preparing for the Lord’s coming. Caroling definitely brings us the joy of Christmas but we must endeavor to move beyond that. We need to reach out to those who have less in life. That act of charity will bring deeper and greater joy to the less fortunate, a much meaningful Christmas.
SANDAKAN – Our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of society’s most neglected members. (Evangelii Gaudium #186) God’s heart has a special place for the poor, thus we are called to find Christ in them.
Throughout the four Sundays of Advent, the faithful were reminded to be aware and to stay focus in anticipation of the coming of Christ which is also an anticipation of our spiritual renewal, to be born anew. A way of which to gain newness is to serve others, especially the poor in the community.
KOTA KINABALU – Archbishop John Wong, in his address during the anniversary dinner, recalled the response of Emeritus John Lee to serve God as His priest on 27 December 1964 at the old Sacred Heart Church, and later in 1987 as Bishop and in 2008 as Archbishop.
On the occasion of his golden jubilee, the prelate, on his own behalf as well as the faithful, thanked and praised God for the gift of Archbishop Emeritus John Lee, for his perseverance and faithfulness as a priest, for his love of God and of the Church, and for patiently and diligently guiding the local Church into what it is today.