We need to be an evangelising Church
The faithful in prayer during the feast day celebration.
By Bernard AnthonyThe Church of St Paul the Apostle celebrated its parish feast on a grand scale this year, with a four-day celebration from June 26 to 29 that drew over 1,200 faithful from near and far. Themed Masses, praise and worship sessions, and moments of fellowship marked the celebration, which culminated on the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul. The outdoor feast day Masses were held in the church grounds to accommodate the crowd — 700 attended the Tamil Mass at 8.30am and 500 at the English Mass at 11.00am. Parish priest Fr VA Michael who turned 68 on June 29, led the celebrations with the message that the Malaysian Church must move from maintenance to mission, echoing the spirit of the parish patron, St Paul. 'We need to be an evangelising Church,' he urged in his homily. 'Enough of just talking about synodality — if we don't proclaim the Good News, we risk ending up like Turkey, where the Christian presence has nearly vanished.' The cleric highlighted the lives of saints Peter and Paul as powerful witnesses of faith who spread the Gospel despite trials. 'Peter was a simple fisherman, yet Jesus saw greatness in him. Paul travelled far and wide, proclaiming Christ boldly. We are called to do the same,' he said. Quoting 1 Corinthians 9:16, 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel,' he called for a revival of missionary zeal. 'We can't just sit in faded pews. It's time to walk out and share the faith, especially with those who are wounded, lost, or have drifted away.' The celebration began on June 26 with Fr Michel Dass preaching on St Paul, Proclaimer of the Gospel of Hope, followed by Fr Jonathan Rao on June 27 with the theme Sacred Heart of Jesus, Giver of Hope. Both young priests engaged warmly with parishioners during post-Mass fellowship. On the feast day itself, a praise and worship session, the Litany of St Paul, and a symbolic presentation of the Bible and a globe during the Offertory reminded participants of the Church's global mission and the importance of God's Word in evangelisation. In his closing remarks, Fr VA Michael thanked parishioners and the many guests from the Church of Divine Mercy (Shah Alam), Our Lady of Lourdes (Klang), Our Lady of Fatima (Brickfields), and others for contributing to the liturgy, music, and preparations. Novena leaflets and books on the Gospel were also made available.
'This may be a small parish, but God provided everything we needed for a beautiful celebration,' he said. 'Let us, like Paul, proclaim Christ to the ends of the earth.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Malaysia
9 hours ago
- Herald Malaysia
Pope remembers Cardinal Vingt-Trois of Paris as 'good and zealous shepherd'
Pope Leo XIV remembers Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, the Archbishop emeritus of Paris who passed away on 18 July, as "a good and faithful shepherd" Jul 22, 2025 File photo of Cardinal André Vingt-Trois of Paris (AFP or licensors) By Deborah Castellano LubovPope Leo XIV mourned Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, who passed away at age 82 on 18 July, in a telegram of condolence he sent to the current Archbishop of the French capital, Cardinal Laurent Ulrich. In his message, the Pope expresses his spiritual closeness and prayers to all those mourning the late Cardinal of the Church in Paris, "of which he was the good and zealous shepherd for twelve years." "Having learned of the passing to God of His Eminence Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop Emeritus of Paris," Pope Leo said, "I wish to express to you my spiritual closeness and my prayerful communion in this loss..." "I especially wish," he continued, "to address these sentiments to the family and loved ones of the deceased, to the caregivers of the Maison Marie-Thérèse who supported him through the trial of illness, as well as to the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese of Paris, of which he was the good and zealous shepherd for twelve years." Moreover, the Holy Father prayed that, "having given himself in pastoral ministry and having, in his final days, shared in the Cross of Christ in his own flesh, the Risen Lord may now welcome him into His home of rest, peace, and light." Finally, Pope Leo implores for him "the reward the Divine Master promised to faithful stewards," and wholeheartedly bestowed his Apostolic Blessing. The funeral Mass for Cardinal André Vingt-Trois will take place tomorrow, July 23, at 10 AM in Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, and will be presided over by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris. The cathedral will be closed to visits to allow for the preparation of the liturgy. Visitors will be welcomed again starting at 2:30 p.m. A prominent figure of the Church in France, Cardinal Vingt-Trois was president of the Bishops' Conference of France from 2007 to 2013, and Archbishop of the French capital from 2005 to 2017.--Vatican News
Herald Malaysia
2 days ago
- Herald Malaysia
Pope at Mass: Take summer to savor moments of reflection
Presiding over Mass at the Cathedral of Albano, Pope Leo reflects on hospitality, service, and listening as essential elements to building a relationship with God and others. Jul 21, 2025 Pope Leo XIV presides over Holy Mass at the Cathedral of Albano (@Vatican Media) By Kielce GussieMarking his third Sunday at the papal summer residence in the Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time at the nearby Cathedral of Albano. At the start of his homily, the Pope joked about having to change in plans to visit Albano back in May. "As you know, I was supposed to arrive on May 12, but the Holy Spirit had other plans. Still, I'm truly happy to be here, and with this sense of fraternity and Christian joy, I greet all of you present." Reflecting upon the first reading and the Gospel, he said these passages call us to reflect on hospitality, service, and listening. Good hosts The Pope first looked at the the first reading from Genesis where three men visit Abraham 'in the heat of the day'. Pope Leo pointed out how Abraham's response to these visitors as master of the house was one of hospitality. With this attitude, the atmosphere changed and, as the Pope highlighted, 'the afternoon's stillness is filled with gestures of love' from Abraham, his wife Sarah, and their servants. In that setting, God shares the news the couple had been waiting for: they will have a son. This encounter encourages us to reflect on how God chose the path of hospitality to enter into Abraham and Sarah's lives. Twin dimensions of hospitality Turning to the Gospel, Pope Leo commented on how the passage 'teaches us about God's way of acting.' Jesus came as a guest in the house of Martha and Mary, not as a stranger but as a friend during a celebration. The two sisters react to their guest in very different ways: Martha welcomes him by serving, while Mary sits at his feet to listen to him. Jesus responded to Martha's comments by inviting her to see the value of listening. Yet, the Pope stressed that 'it would be incorrect, however, to see these two attitudes as mutually exclusive, or to compare the merits of the two women.' Service and listening, he said are 'twin dimensions of hospitality.' When striving to live these two aspects in our daily lives, our relationship with God must come first and we need to live out our faith through concrete actions, according to our state in life. But we can only do this after reflecting on the Word of God and listening for the Holy Spirit. In order to do this, the Pope called us to dedicate times of silence and prayer, eliminating distractions, so we can focus on God and give him space to speak to us. He argued 'this is a dimension of the Christian life that we particularly need to recover today, both as a value for individuals and communities, and as a prophetic sign for our times.' The Pope pointed out that summer is a good moment to push for this and experience the beauty of our relationship with God and how it can help us be more open to others. Summer vacation and God As summer often offers more free time to reflect and spend time with others, Pope Leo challenged everyone to 'make good use of this, by leaving behind the whirlwind of commitments and worries in order to savor a few moments of peace and reflection' and to visit others. Summer can be an opportunity to care for others, get to know them, and listen to them. These are all expressions of love, the Pope explained, of which we are all in need. He argued that if we courageously try to live these out, we will be promoting a culture of peace, 'helping those around us to overcome divisions and hostility and to build communion between individuals, peoples and religions.' Recognizing that this demands effort and sacrifices, Pope Leo stressed that it is in these efforts that 'something worthwhile can be built in life.' Listening to and serving others is the only way to create and strengthen genuine relationships with others. Thank you for your service At the end of Mass, Pope Leo presented the Bishiop of Albano, Vincenzo Viva, with a chasuble. "We present this gift to His Excellency, an expression of our closeness to his diocesan Church, with the hope that the Lord's blessing may always accompany you. Thank you for your service and thank you to your poeple."--Vatican News
Herald Malaysia
2 days ago
- Herald Malaysia
Pope Leo: Welcome the Lord who knocks at our door
In his Angelus message on Sunday in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo invites us to welcome the Lord who knocks at our door asking permission to enter. He underscores the importance of listening to and welcoming others, while also allowing ourselves to welcomed. Jul 21, 2025 VATICAN: Recalling the Old and New Testament readings of today's liturgy on the theme of hospitality as shown by Abraham and his wife Sarah, and then later by the friends of Jesus, Martha and Mary, the Pope reflected on the interplay of giving and receiving hospitality. Humility in offering and receiving hospitality Kindness, attentiveness and openness are part of what hospitality is about, but so too and especially is humility, the Pope noted. He recalled how the Gospel reading recounts how Martha is overwhelmed with serving, being the good and generous person she was, but she risked missing out on the joy of the encounter being with the Lord and hearing his words. Openness to something greater than ourselves Attentiveness has importance, as "our lives can only flourish if we learn to be open to something greater than ourselves" that brings "happiness and fulfillment", the Pope explained. And Mary, Martha's sister, recognized the importance of that encounter in not only welcoming, but listening to the Lord. Slowing down and listening In conclusion, the Pope encouraged us to follow Mary's example by slowing down and listening so that we do not "fail to choose the better part." And we can always improve on our learning the art of hospitality, he suggested, and this "includes both welcoming others and allowing ourselves to be welcomed", since "we have much to receive, not only to give." It's about recognizing how every genuine encounter is freely offered, "whether it is an encounter with God, with others or with nature." 'Let us pray to Mary Most Holy, our Mother, who welcomed our Lord, bore him in her womb, and together with Joseph gave him a home. In her, we see the beauty of our own vocation, the vocation of the Church, to be a home open to all and in this way to welcome her Lord, who knocks at our door and asks our permission to enter.'--Vatican News
