Rite of First Acceptance (RCIA)

Today's rite of first acceptance holds so much meaning and joy to me that I teared a little when the hymn, "I chose to follow Jesus", was sung. I couldn't help it, the words were so appropriate and I found myself reaffirming my acceptance of Christ Jesus and thanking God for the gift of faith to my children. The joy of every parent, knowing that a responsibility is done; the gift of new life is passed on. And after that, Lord, let your voice be heard and your light shines bright for these children who have placed their faith and trust in you. Lord, I marvel in your great works!!!

Birthday Greetings

MarieLee and her family joins the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes, Klang in wishing Father John a very Happy Birthday. Folks, do join me in praying for the health of our resident priest who has worked tirelessly for this parish and we certainly want him vibrant and healthy for a long long time. Us parishioners are proud of you and appreciates all your efforts.

Thank you Father John and God Bless.

The Choice of Revered Term to call God

The controversy over the right to call God "Allah" in the national language, Malay, is again taking centre stage, with the ongoing legal proceedings (Bob Teoh-Mysinchew and Malaysiakini and reproduced in the Catholic Weekly-the Herald). It is causing an emotional drain and pricky feelings in certain quarters. Since the shift of policy from English medium to the National language for schools, our children speak and breathe the National Language which is Malay and hence people are more conscious of terms used. "Allah" is considered the correct and more precise term to call God, in Malay, our National Language however the usage of "Allah" to refer to God, has met with serious objections from relevant bodies.

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To me, as a ordinary person and a church going person, it really does not matter whether God is "Tuhan" or ""Allah" in the national language because by whatever term, He is God, our Creator and our Father in Heaven. To me, life has been given us, and through the gift of life, we are given a chance to prove our worth in this material world. From the very moment of life, the journey , back to the spiritual world -the return home to the Creator and the Father begins. All of us have been given the right of choice-and that choice will determine our pathway home, but ultimately, I believe, in the final lap, it will converge into just one passage leading before God. I believe there is only one Supreme Being, only one God, irrespective of our choice in religion, irrespective which passage, we chose to travel in.

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The draining of peace and good relations and the ugly emergence of resentment and misunderstanding, over the use of one term. What a complete waste of good energy. "God," "Allah", "Tuhan", it is just a revered term to acknowledge the Supreme Lord and Father. What matters is the Faith, the Heart, the Belief , the Worship and Reverence of the heavenly Father. Lord, grant us this day, the gift of a generous heart that we may reach out to one another and share in your love for us.

Wisdom from the Sunset mass homily

Indeed Lord, the things that we do as a faith community, the things that we do as people of God, may make no sense to people around us, except that we know ourselves and they, do as well that we are people of Christ and what we do, we do in faith for the love of our Lord God. The total acceptance to the will of God and our deep belief that God has a plan for this Universe and his designs cannot be denied. Though there are so many unspeakable things -that is turning the world from light into darkness, we as people of God, are called to walk in a manner that our footsteps shine and glow that others around us and after us may see and be guided.

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And yes, I too advocate prayer with conviction and deep faith that the words may touch God above and heal us through Christ our Lord.

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Lord Jesus, we proclaim you King of our lives and the Universe . Let your body and blood strengthen us in our individual journey through life.

The Voices of the Oppressed calls out to you, Oh Lord!!

The persecutions arising everywhere against Christians saddens me. What is it about this way of life that attracts hatred and vicious attacks. What is so wrong living a life of love that arouses the anger in others.? The ministry of care, the giving to neighbour, the poor, the homeless, the sick and the comfort to the lonely and unwanted?? Is it our belief that God is one, that his love transcends to all that disturbs the peace in people's hearts?? We will never know will we, we will never comprehend because we are so human.

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We fear pain, we fear death, we fear being driven out into the cold. Turning the other cheek, non retaliation and yet continue to love always , is such a tall order in the face of such adversities. And often I wonder aloud and asked God, why do you allow such atrocities to fall upon your people Lord?? Do you not hear the cries of your people, Lord, do you not see their pain and their tears?? Is it the time of darkness that must have its course of way?? Yes, you did warn us to watch for such signs and wars and unrest, for that will be sign that the end is near and yet Lord, our spirits are weak and we fall so easily Lord. Will you not send deliverance to your people who had fled their homes - out hiding in the wilderness,facing such hardships-the Christians of Orissa; and elsewhere in the world-those who had to endure such hardships because they chose the path of Christ Jesus???

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Let our prayers touch you Lord, that your mercy flows adundantly and heal the spirits of the persecuted , transformed the hearts of their aggressors that they may receive the spirit of compassion and care ; transform their hostility into love that they will in turn reach out and embrace the people of Christ Jesus that all may live together side by side in peace and harmony. Whichever way of life, we are all your children Lord- brothers and sisters coming from the same Father in Heaven. For the love of your people Lord, shower your peace and love upon those who have not yet known the saving grace, that their eyes and hearts may be opened to see and accept all man as children of One God and live together as One -in the grace of Peace.

I Marvel at your great works Lord!!

A friend of mine found God only just recently and I just marvelled at the praise and worship of God in everything she utters. A woman of the material and corporate world, the lingo of, money, power, assets-very much on the go , different faith and beliefs and that nothing was more unexpected and alien to her character than her sudden and total acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ., out of the blues. I was amazed by her transformation. Now she speaks the language of love; what could be more life changing than the change in language and values in life?. Now she involves herself to ministry work and takes great pride in what she does. Going deep into the jungles to minister to the underpriviledged, days on end, giving warmth to orphans....

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Lord I truly marvelled at your great works.; your healing grace!!!

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Perhaps, one day soon, I will also have that kind of strength and grace to go into ministry works. , but really, time is not at my side. As a little girl, I had two passions one to travel the world doing missionary works and the other to write, write and write.... I was always creating stories and fairy tales and telling them to my younger sisters....The passions became a hidden dream, packed and stored away, when the cares of life's journey obscured its call from me. And now suddenly, I am awakened once again to that call to write,; my wish to travel the world , once more alive.

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The confines of family obligations still ties me down, making it impossible for me live out my dreams in full, but God gave me a gift, a great gift of the pen -and perhaps, through this gift, I could travel the world in a different way, I could proclaim to the world the love of God, I could share with others -His everpresence and His care - through writing, through words. And I take this moment of realisation once again to thank you Lord for your love, wisdom and ever presence by my side. Nothing is impossible with God. The dreams that I had and the dreams that I now have, I hand them over to you my Lord God.

In Worship of You Lord God

On this glorious joyful morning, I renew my trust in you, my Lord and God. There is such a need and such an urge to reach up and say, thank you Lord, yes, thank you Lord, for the peace and calm in my life. Let your love flows upon me Lord, for that's the food, my soul needs. Amen

Heart of Worship- An Evening with the Charismatic Prayer Group

A very lovely hymn of worship; turn our hearts into hearts of worship that we may humble ourselves and worship the Lord our God. Wonderfully healing. Praise the Lord! Youths, being youths, they have their own unique style of animating prayer meets. Certainly , there is great power in group prayers whatever the needs -and with an earnest combination of heartful prayers , raised up in unison -surely,the presence and power of the Holy Spirit is invoked.

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It would have been electrifying if the words of the prayers could be heard clearly so that each individual may identify and relate to each prayer and lift up their hearts to God with their needs ,that the spirit of healing may descend upon each and everyone and work their miracles. Nevertheless , I am immensely grateful for this night; and came away reassured, in the knowledge that Yes, Lord God you are right by my side.

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And Lord shower your blessings upon all those who have in one way or the other, went out of their way to bring joy into my life and prayed so much for me. Thank you people!!

One Day at a Time Lord..

"Help me Lord, to take one day at a time." I had never felt the need to send up this ardent call -to "take one day at a time".,more than now. At this particular time, of frenzied activities and a self instrumented change of direction in my life, I have never felt the need more than now, for the spirit of trust and confidence to descend and fill me so that I am able to take "one day at a time." I always marvelled, how the Lord knows exactly when to send little signs to let me know that he is around and exactly what to pray, the exact words to use, when confusion sets in. Strange but true!

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It is the talents, you had given me Lord , and I fear , I do not have the time to make good those gifts; you had entrusted me -that I decided to go along with the swift current; only as I spin down stream, I took my focus off you and I became anxious, whether I could reach my destination safely and more vibrant than ever.

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I had been like the miserable servant who had buried the one talent and was contented to hold on fast to it, too afraid to take any risk nor multiply what was given me. Complacent and really not bothered, not being able to see beyond the family fence. Only just recently, I was awaken to the call of the "talents". I see none of my footprints imprinted -raising prominently in my passage of life. What has become of the precious talents given me? When it is time to discard my body and my spirit stands looking back at the journey taken, will there be any notable footprints, which will appear in Life's Book that will justify me before God???

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With the realisation came more understanding that the teachings of our Lord Christ Jesus ,really does have relevance to every step of our journey through life,- people, if only we were to digest and let its wisdom sink in that we may be awaken to greater actions in our life. In fact, when I really sit down and read the Bible with understanding, folks, I realise that the "secret" to just about everything under the sun- to success, to happiness, to peace, to family harmony, even the secret to financial independence had all been given us in the Bible. Only, our eyes and mind had been closed and knowledge and understanding evaded us. We spent thousands to gain wisdom and know-how from motivational and other workshops and yet such fundamentals and wisdom lies right before our eyes, the Holy Bible- the Word of the Lord.

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How strange that it took me a life time to understand this simple fact. And now I believe the words in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under the heaven". Truly, your thoughts and your deeds are beyond our comprehension Lord and I entrust everything to you.

God is Peace

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a prayer session in conjunction with the international prayer day, -organised by our Christian brethen to pray for persecuted and oppressed christians of the world.Their praise and worship was indeed powerful and I could see why many of our youths were drawn to this type of enviroment.

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The focus was powerfully on Jesus , very intense, love was in the air. I was really drawn , but I really do not agree with their pastor's views that it is a mistake to pray for peace. Timothy was quoted that if one wants to be closed to God, there must be persecution. I really do not agree with that interpretion. Our God is a God of love and Peace and if we want to live harmoniously in a multicultural, multiracial and multienthic= country and world, we need to constantly pray for peace; that the understanding, the compassion and love for neighbour will fill our hearts and souls so that the gift of peace will reign and the Kingdom of God is opened to us.

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We do not need persecution to be near God, and certaintly we do not want persecution. We want peace, we want to be able to reach out to others and they to us, and live in an enviroment of mutual respect , acceptance and love that we may move forward in harmony. The world needs more messengers of peace and prayers for peace is every individual's responsibility.

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I left in the middle of the intercessory prayer, (un-noticed I hoped) because my heart was not at peace but certainly they do have a little something we Catholics, could learn from , the passion and the intensity of praise and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. The commitment....A pity though, that their pastor believes in the need for persecution; that it is a mistake to pray for peace.

Question

If God is everywhere, why do we need to go to church? Yes, I too, had asked myself of that particular question many times in my own journey of life, ....you know, moments of arrogrance, moments of weakness, moments when the material world robs me of the time to be with my Lord God, but ultimately, it is my own longings for Him, that leads me back to the House of God, and humbles myself before Him. Lord, you have made me so human. It is only you who can protect me from my human weaknesses, grant that I will always want to walk in the strength of your grace.

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The last two days, has been hectic days with seminars from early mornings to late night and I am completely worn out. This morning when I woke up, the words of the hymn, sung during the Eurcharistic celebrations- Sunday morning, was playing in my mind .."come and I will give you all the waters you need, all you who are thirsty. Why do you spend your money on ...something to the effect of "worthless things in life". I do not actually remember the lyrics of the words, but those were the words , that awoke me to a fresh new morning. And now, I wonder, what I was doing scuttering around.... doing so many things at one time and tiring myself out needlessly; perhaps it is time to slow down and focus on just one activity, my passion..... writing. and let God take care of the rest......

Searching

My soul is troubled; my spirit searching...
My vision clouded and dim
This maze that stretch before
and around me..
Oh God, Lead me and guide me..
For I know not where to turn

I hear your voice, I see your light
And yet they seemed so distant
Hold my hand, my guiding light,
And Steer me out of the snares
and cares of this material world
That threatens my peace
and sanity....

My heart is heavy,
My strength failing ..I am weary.....
Stretch out your Hands Lord
And bless my journey-
That I may continue travelling
on more fruitful grounds
Where fruits and joy abounds
Where true friendship and love,
Smiles ....
Where peace,goodwill
and all blessings
fills the days of my life.....


NB: Marie would like to assure all friends and readers that all is well
that she is just caught up in the passion of writing. Marie is in the
midst of writing and compiling a mini book of poems, therefore book
materials will no longer appear on h er blog in future.Praise and Thank you Lord!

The Cross Road

It's a cross road I have reached;
Two paths leading to different directions
Which path shall I turn my footsteps,
That I walk with a free spirit
Confident that my choice
Is guided by the light
That shines from above?

It does not matter which direction
I choose to take, so long as
It is the Spirit that leads me
For that will be the path
The Father would want me to take
To fulfil the destiny He has
Designed for me.....

Amazing Grace, the Hymn

Amazing Grace Lyrics
John Newton (1725-1807)Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.

And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear

The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;'

Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far

and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we've first begun.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

I have always loved this hymn, because it reflects the grace of God in my life; my hopes and my faith in my Lord God. I believe that deep down, every Christian feels the same way because, it is an out pouring of thanks and gratitute to the Lord God for lighting up our passage of life; for the peace, the joy and the grace in our lives.. And it holds such great promise for a joyous life at journey's end.

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I don't know about you friends, but were we not lost, were we not blind, until He gave us sight ? Were we not like wretches drifting along journey's path, lost and miserable until He showered us with His grace and strength? Without the presence of God in our lives, what would life be?

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The good Pastor is right, "Amazing Grace," is for every occasion, especially when we want to re-unite and rekindle our love to the Lord, our God. The lyrics, brings forth such a passionate realisation of our deep need for God in our lives. Yes, Friends, take time to reflect and bring to life ,the total lyrics of this very beautiful hymn.... you will realise, you are actually thanking God from the depths of your hearts for His wonderful presence and love in your lives...in our lives...