Mary, Model of Faith

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 13 October 2012)

Dear Friends,

I wonder if the dates Oct 11^th   2012 to November 24^th, 2013 signify anything to all of us? I hope that these dates mean something to all of us present here. As most of us probably already know, this period has been declared The Year of Faith by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. 

Our Holy Father declared the Year of Faith to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of  Vatican II. The Second Vatican Council was formally opened by Blessed Pope John XXIII on Oct 11^th, 1962.

In his announcement on the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI informs us that the ‘Door of Faith is always open to us”. It is a door that we can pass through everyday, first by deepening our relationship with the Lord and second, with all our brothers and sisters in the Lord. He further informs us that there are two ways of entering through this door:

1)      The first is the way of ‘Content’

2)      The second is the way of ‘Act’

As such, in conjunction with the Year of Faith, the Marian Devotion Group will be participating by having some sharing sessions on the topic of Faith, through the first door, which is the way of ‘Content’.

All of us are very familiar with the word FAITH, as we use it often in our prayers, in our conversation with our friends, in sharings of our experiences of life, and in many other situations. I am sure we all believe in the gift of faith.

Faith is one of the most fundamental aspects of our Christian life. We believe that our Blessed Virgin Mary is the perfect model of our faith.

So what is the gift of faith?

Faith involves entrusting oneself, abandoning oneself to God, the willingness to submit to His will and obedience in faith.

Mary as the perfect model reflects this very well. She abandoned herself to God with total trust and in obedience in faith when she responded “Yes” to God.

To better understand what this means in practice, we can look at the life of Mary, whose acceptance of God’s invitation to be the mother of His Son is a great witness for us. By examining the dialogue that took place at the Annunciation, we can gain a deeper insight on what it means to have faith.

Mary’s Yes to God

Mary’s journey with God was one of deep faith and great trust. She had a grace-filled openness to the mystery of God in her life.

We are familiar with Luke’s account of the Incarnation when the angel appeared to Mary and announced,“ The Lord is with you”( Lk:1:28) However, before Mary responded to God, the Scripture remind us that Mary was confused and frightened and deeply disturbed by the angel’s greeting. As Mary was fully human she too experienced fear and doubts, similar to how any one of us would also encounter in our lives.

She struggled to say “Yes” to the Lord! And she “pondered” these words in her heart. Pondering is not simply a question of “thinking” or trying to master the realities of faith or mysteries of life. It is not a question of trying to control these realities or mysteries or reduce them to something our minds can handle. Rather, it is a question of letting the realities of faith be with us, to enter into us and reveal themselves to us. It is allowing ourselves to be molded by them, to allow God’s will to become our will. It is fostering both an attitude and atmosphere of TRUST and OPENNESS in our lives.

It was through her dialogue with the angel, where she asks ”How can this be? I have no knowledge of man” ( Lk1:34) and the angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you, behold your cousin Elizabeth, she too conceived a son in her old age, who was called barren, for with God nothing is impossible.” “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.” (Lk 1:38). With these words Mary was more assured and her fear transcended, she was able to submit herself to the will of God.  

Mary took a leap in faith. She had to let go of her plans and say “Yes” to a life of faith. In spite of her awareness of her own unworthiness and littleness, she had to say “Yes” to become the mother of God and also all that it would entail. She was asked to let go of her plans and let God take over her life. She was totally unaware what was to happen in the future, the struggles or difficulties. However she totally trusted God and that He will take care of all things as she surrendered in faith.

Mary’s fiat (“let it be done, as you have said” Lk 1:38) demonstrates her complete obedience to God and to His will for her. In fact it was by means of her fiat, her obedient faith, that “the mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished” in accordance with God’s plan.

Similarly, sometimes in our lives too, when God comes to invite us to make changes in our lives, to explore the inner part of our lives which we have been very comfortable with, we too can feel perplexed or confused just as Mary did. It is in those circumstances that we too can also engage in a dialogue with God and with others around us. May we too, walk in faith by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, just as He did for Mary.

We may not know what the outcome will be. However we can take the leap of FAITH and TRUST that God will take care of us just as He did for our Blessed Mother. 

To conclude I would like to share this quote from our Pope Benedict XVI for us all to reflect:

“Knowing the CONTENT to be believed is not sufficient unless the heart, the authentic sacred space within the person is opened by GRACE that allows the eyes to… understand that what has been proclaimed is the Word of God.”

Our Lady in the Life of St. Ignatius Loyola

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 21 July 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

From the perspective of the Church’s mission to faithfully proclaim the mystery of its Lord until its final manifestation in full light, the Year of Faith, commencing in October this year, is a command to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world. (Benedict XVI, 2011, Porta Fidei, #6)  It is no wonder then, that during the Year, we are invited to particular devotion to Mary, model of the Church. For, as shown by Fr. Jean Longère, President of the French Society of Marian Studies (Lourdes Magazine, Special Edition 2009, p129), the call for reconciliation with God and conversion of hearts is the “golden thread” linking Marian apparitions together. She was seen weeping for sinful humanity. Today, I would like to share on Mary in the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.

Ignatius Loyola, born in 1491 in Azpeitia, northwest of Spain, was from a noble Christian family. He was christened Inigo. During his youth, against his faith, he gave himself over to worldly vanities, especially in gambling, women, and fighting. For want of glory, as courtier in the army of King Ferdinand of Spain, he stubbornly defended the town of Pamplona from the French army. On the 20th of May 1521, a French cannonball smashed into both his legs; both Inigo and Pamplona fell. The French nursed him and brought him back to his father’s castle in Loyola. Hoping to perfect his impaired leg, the proud soldier had it re-broken and reset twice. The ordeal almost killed him. Nevertheless, he was left with one leg shorter than the other. 

While convalescing, a romantic novel that he requested could not be found. Instead, he was given the only books available, Life of Christ and Lives of the Saints. This period of reading and deep reflexion brought about his conversion. He decided to outdo the “knights of God”, as he called the saints, in the service of Christ. Our Lady confirmed him in his decision. A vision of her and the Holy Child Jesus stirred hatred for his past life of the flesh, and seemed to erase all his memories of them thereafter. Thus, at thirty, in 1521, Inigo passed from a worldly life to a completely Christian life.

He left home to go to the Holy Land. On the way of a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, he stopped and spent a night in vigil before Our Lady of Aranzazu, promising to live in chastity. At Montserrat, he made a Confession, donned beggar’s clothes, surrendered his sword and dagger at Our Lady’s altar and kept vigil over them all night. The next morning, on the feast of the Annunciation 1522, he left towards Barcelona, but ended up retiring in a cave outside nearby Manresa. Here, by the banks of the river Cardoner, he received heavenly insights and went on to compose the Spiritual Exercises which helped countless people.

Ignatius was evidently devoted to Our Lady. When he returned to Azpeitia in 1535 to recuperate from sickness, he often prayed at the Convent of Our Lady of Olatz. After his ordination in 1537, he delayed saying Mass, to prepare himself and “to beg Our Lady that she might desire to place him with her Son.” (de Guibert, 1964, p37) In November 1537, while praying in a chapel at La Storta before entering Rome, Ignatius had a vision of God the Father commending him to Jesus. He clearly saw that the Father was placing him with His Son, as he had confidently asked Mary to obtain for him. This greatly assured him and transformed his soul. It was uniquely important both to his life and the Society of Jesus, for it was God who granted them, in Fr. de Guibert, a Jesuit’s words, “…a life of service to God with Christ, through Christ, in Christ, and as Christ.”

Ignatius said his first Mass at Christmas 1538 in the church of St. Mary Major, Rome. The Society of Jesus has for its patroness Madonna Della Strada, Our Lady of the Way, whose intercession was claimed to have protected Ignatius during battle as a soldier. The Blessed Virgin Mary is also known as the Queen of the Society of Jesus, obscure yet ever present and helpful. Thus we see the quiet but decisive role of Mary in the life of Ignatius Loyola, the worldly soldier turned soldier of Christ.

Let us then trust in Mary’s intercession, as we pray for conversion for ourselves and for others, in preparing to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth come October.

References:

Benedict XVI. (11 October 2011). Porta Fidei.

Lourdes Magazine, Special Edition. (2009).

de Guibert, J. (1964). The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice – A Historical Study. USA: The Institute of Jesuit Sources

Year of Faith

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 7 July 2012)

•     Faith “is the lifelong companion that makes it possible to perceive, ever anew, the marvels that God works for us”. With the Apostolic Letter, Porta fidei, Pope Benedict XVI declared a Year of Faith. This year will begin on 11 October 2012, and will conclude on 24 November 2013, the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King.

•     Pope Benedict speaks of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of “the encounter with Christ“.

•     The beginning of the Year of Faith coincides with the anniversaries of two great events which have marked the life of the Church: the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, called by Blessed Pope John XXIII (11 October 1962), and the twentieth of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, given to the Church by Blessed Pope John Paul II (11 October 1992).

•     “I know him in whom I have believed”. These words of Paul to Timothy help us to understand that faith is “first of all a personal adherence of man to God. (2 Tm 1:12). It is also a free assent to the whole truth revealed by God.” Faith, which is a personal trust in the Lord and the faith which we profess in the Creed are inseparable; they focus on each other and require each other. A profound bond exists between the lived faith and its contents. The faith of the Witnesses and Confessors is also the faith of the Apostles and Doctors of the Church.

•     This year will be a special occasion for the faithful to understand more profoundly that the foundation of Christian faith is “the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” Founded on the encounter with the Risen Christ, “Faith is a gift to rediscover, to cultivate and to bear witness to” because the Lord “grants each of us to live the beauty and joy of being Christians.”

•     The Second Vatican Council noted in Lumen gentium: "Devoutly meditating on Mary and contemplating her in the light of the Word made man, the Church reverently penetrates more deeply into the great mystery of the Incarnation” and... “looks to Mary” for “… She not only contemplates the wondrous gift of her fullness of grace, but strives to imitate the perfection which in her is the fruit of her full compliance with Christ's command: "You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48).” (Lumen gentium #65; Pope John Paul II, 1997)

•     For the community of believers, in the great prayer of the Magnificat, Mary represents “the authentic holiness that is achieved in union with Christ…the perfect harmony with the person of Her Son and by her total dedication to the redeeming work He accomplished.” (Pope John Paul II, 1997)

•     Christ’s redeeming work was accomplished at Calvary, witnessed by Mary at the foot of the cross. Though Mary's Heart was pierced, it was sustained by three pillars: unshakeable faithfulness to Her mission, unfailing hope for humanity, and profound sacrificial love for God. She showed us that Her Heart, being immaculate and never touched by either darkness or sin, could not be touched by evil in the darkest and most painful hour of the Passion and death of Her Son. (Buck, 2010; Mother Adela, n.d.)

•     Mary’s faith, hope and love for humanity has sustained humanity’s faith, hope and love in God’s salvation in spite of man’s sinfulness. And yet, Mary’s call to humanity in different continents throughout the centuries to follow a different path and a different world than the tragic, materialistic, de-Christianised, sinful society, which is so close to all of our lives today, remains unheeded by too many. It is a call that has gone unheeded again and again. Our Lady is seen as weeping, weeping for the world*…and pierced to the Heart.

•     In the image of Her Immaculate Heart pierced by a sword, we see the heart of the Blessed Virgin stabbed for all of those who have lived – and died – by the sword, and by sin. Jesus said, “Put your sword back, for all who have lived by the sword, die by the sword.” (Mt 26:52)

•     During this Year, the faithful are invited to turn with particular devotion to Mary, model of the Church. Despite the sins of her members, the Church is first and foremost the community of those who are called to holiness and to strive each day to achieve it. In this arduous path to perfection, Mary who “shines forth to the whole community of the elect as the model of faith, hope and love” succours and encourages us to live as she lived, in obedience to God’s will…so that we may rediscover the journey of faith…and shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of “the encounter with Christ“. (Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, 2012; Pope John Paul II, 1997)

N.b.: * [Summary of History of Our Lady of Akita]

In 1973, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in Akita, Japan, three Messages through a statue of Mary. Bathed in a brilliant light, the statue became alive and spoke with a voice of indescribable beauty. Her Guardian Angel also appeared and taught her to pray.

The wooden statue, about 3 feet high, had been carved by an artist on the request of the Sisters of the Institute of the Handmaids of the Eucharist, founded by the local Bishop, Most Rev. John Shojiro Ito, of the Diocese of Niigata. This statue, from which the voice came, wept 101 times over a course of several years, from January 4, 1975, to September 15, 1981, the Feast of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. It also perspired abundantly, and the perspiration sent out a sweet perfume. Its right palm bled from a wound that had the form of a cross.

References:

•     Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. (6 January 2012.) Pastoral Recommendations for the Year of Faith. Retrieved from http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en/annus-fidei/indicazioni-pastorali-per-l-anno-della-fede.html

•     Pope John Paul II. (10 September 1997). Mary: Model of Faith, Hope, and Charity in L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, p. 11.

•     Mother Adela. (n.d.) Mary, Model  of Faith, Hope and Charity for the Third Millennium. Retrieved from http://www.piercedhearts.org/mother_adela/mary_faith_hope_charity.htm

•     Buck, R. (5 March 2010). Marian Apparitions, the Bible and the Modern World – Donal Anthony Foley (Review). Retrieved from http://corjesusacratissimum.org/2010/03/book-review-marian-apparitions-the-bible-and-the-modern-world-donal-anthony-foley/

Recommended reading:

1. Finley, Mitch. (1997). Surprising Mary. Meditation and Prayers on the Mother of Jesus. Mineola, New York: Resurrection Press. ISBN 1-878718-37-1.

2. Gambero, Luigi. Mary and the Fathers of the Church. The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought. Translated: Thomas Buffer. (1997). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. ISBN 978-0-89870-686-4.

3. Hahn, Scott Walker. (2001). Hail Holy Queen. The Mother of God in the Word of God. Darton Longman Todd. ISBN 9780 2325 24321.

4. The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. (2005). Mary grace and Hope in Christ. Harrisburg, London: Morehouse. ISBN 0-8192-8132-8

5. Buono, Anthony. (2008). The Greatest Marian Titles – their History, Meaning and Usage. The Philippines: St. Pauls. ISBN 978-971-004-004-9.

The Message of Lourdes - Part II

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 18 Feb 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Last week, we stopped at the central message of Lourdes; the call to penance, to pray for sinners, and Bernadette’s acts for sinners that would bring about conversion of hearts.

We recall the words of the lady, whom Bernadette called Aquero. “Penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners”; “Would you eat grass for sinners?”; “Go and drink from the spring and wash yourself there”.

This week, we continue with the 13^th apparition.

13^th apparition: 2^nd March 1858

Aquero told Bernadette, “Go and tell the priests that people should come here in procession, and that a chapel should be built here.”

Fr. Peyramale, the parish priest, said to Bernadette, “If your Lady wants a chapel, she must tell us her name and then she must make the rose bush in the Grotto flower!!”

More than a building, the chapel refers to the Church, a people, “moving in procession”, on “pilgrimage”. The Blessed Virgin Mary was encouraging the celebration of Mass. This has come to fruition; today, in full season, two processions (that of the Blessed Sacrament and the Marian candlelight procession) take place daily. More than fifty Masses altogether are celebrated daily throughout the Sanctuary of Lourdes.

14^th apparition: 3^rd March 1858

Aquero repeated her request.

15^th apparition: 4^th March 1858

This was the last of the 15 days requested by Aquero. Bernadette asked for her name, and for the rose bush in the Grotto to flower, as instructed by Fr. Peyramale. Aquero did not give her name, but only smiled.

16^th apparition: 25^th March 1858, Feast of the Annunciation

Bernadette asked, “Madame, would you have the goodness to tell me who you are please?” After she asked four times, Aquero said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Bernadette did not understand it, but Fr. Peyramale did.

Only four years before that, the Pope had pronounced the dogma of the ‘Immaculate Conception”, which meant that Mary was born without original sin, and had never sinned. She had chosen to reveal herself on the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel had told her that she would be the Mother of the Saviour.

17^th apparition: 7^th April 1858, third day of Easter

The miracle of the candle took place; Bernadette did not feel the flame of a candle burning her fingers for ten minutes. It reminds us of the Paschal candle lit three days before that, on Easter Sunday, the Light of the Risen Christ. Bernadette became like the bush on fire that did not burn up. She became a light which would burn for God and light up the world.

No words passed between them.

18^th apparition: 16^th July 1858

It was another silent meeting. Bernadette said, “We didn’t need to speak anymore. We just looked at each other.” That is what contemplation is!

Fr. Jean Longère, President of the French Society of Marian Studies, summarised the apparitions as follows:

·   The fifteen days requested by the Lady can be grouped into three progressive periods, namely

     – Prayer (19 – 23 Feb)

     – Invitation to penance and penitential exercises during Lent (25 Feb – 1 Mar)

     – Message for the creation of a pilgrimage (2 – 4 Mar)

The apparitions relating to penance occurred during Lent, characterised by three main gestures:

     ·  The praying of the Rosary

     ·  Smiles alternating with moments of sadness

     ·  Greetings

Mary, the enemy of sin, friend of sinners, calls for conversion. To overcome sin, we need two things. The first is from above, symbolised by water. The second is from men, consisting of prayer and penance. Coming to the sinners’ rescue, the sinless Virgin proposes three ways that bring us back to the Gospel already announced, i.e. the spring of living water, prayer and penance.

Thus Bernadette received a message concerning the world in a simple heart to heart exchange. It is only a call to a change of hearts, no matter what it may cost – a real penance, but the only road to real happiness.

Like Bernadette, the centre of the “Lourdes Message” becomes an Easter experience: “Go drink at the spring and wash yourself there.” We must see ourselves as being dirty, i.e. sinful, and to realise that we thirst for life, for it is an awareness of sin that shows the way to grace. This thirst, desire, leads to Christ who is Life. Thus the spring of water reminds us of Baptism, which prepares for the first coming of Christ, the Incarnation.

Brothers and sisters, as we enter Lent next Wednesday, let the message of Lourdes help lead us to this experience.

The Message of Lourdes - Part I

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 11 Feb 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, we commemorate the first apparition of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous at Massabielle, Lourdes in 1858. Over the last 154 years, Lourdes has become a major centre of pilgrimage, known for its water that has healed many; but what actually is the message of Lourdes? This is what I would like to share on, based on articles from the Lourdes magazines.

The message of Lourdes can be found in the conversations between the Blessed Virgin Mary and Bernadette, alongside the actions carried out during the 18 apparitions.

1^st apparition: 11^th February 1858

Fourteen-year-old Bernadette saw in the Grotto of Massabielle, a very beautiful young lady as small as herself, about 140cm tall. They each made the sign of the cross. This sign, which we receive and which admits us into the family of the Trinity, thus became their first “greeting”. Bernadette prayed the Rosary while the lady fingered through the beads of the rosary she was holding in silence.

2^nd apparition: 14^th February 1858

The lady smiled at Bernadette sprinkling holy water. Absorbed in “another world”, Bernadette went into a state of ecstasy. The “other world” came to meet Bernadette at “her height”, close to her, just as heaven came to join us as a child at the stable in Bethlehem. Bernadette called the lady, simply, Aquero, which means “That one”.

3^rd apparition: 18^th February 1858, first Thursday of Lent

There was an exchange of promises.

“Would you do me the favour of coming here for fifteen days?” Aquero asked.

For the first time in her life, Bernadette, poor and despised, felt respected and honoured.

“Yes,” she replied.

Then Aquero said, “I do not promise you happiness in this world, but in the other.”

Bernadette did not understand what the “other world” meant, but she would always experience it, which is, in fact, a world of love and joy of life in spite of her suffering. It is also life after death.

4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th apparitions: 19^th, 20^th, 21^st, 23^rd February 1858

During these apparitions, Bernadette recited the Rosary with Aquero and often spoke lovingly and joyfully with her. The crowd that attended the apparitions grew.

8^th apparition: 24^th February 1858

Bernadette cried because Aquero was sad. Aquero said, “Penance, penance, penance” and “Pray to God for sinners.”

9^th apparition: 25^th February 1858

Aquero said to Bernadette, “Would it bother you to go up on your knees and kiss the ground for sinners…to eat the grass there? Go drink at the spring and wash yourself there.”

Bernadette hesitated at first, and went towards the river. Aquero directed her to the Grotto. There, Bernadette knelt and scratched at the muddy earth. She lifted some muddy water to her mouth and smeared her face. The people cried, “She has gone mad!” But some saw in her state the resemblance to Jesus, the Suffering Servant in the book of Isaiah; the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

After spitting the muddy water out three times, she could drink it. Bernadette kept digging; a spring of fresh water then gushed out from the mud. She washed her smeared face with the fresh water and drank it to remove the muddy taste.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, whose identity was not yet revealed then, had made Bernadette understand that she should always carry others, especially sinners, those who do evil, in prayer. Thus will the infernal circle of reciprocal accusation be broken.

From this apparition onwards, no one understood anything.

Now, we understand that through the mud, the muddy water, and the pure water, Bernadette represents Jesus Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.

Her action of eating grass recalled the Israelites reminding themselves of the bitterness of their slavery in Egypt by chewing bitter herbs.

10^th, 11^th and 12^th apparitions: 27^th and 28^th February and 1^st March 1858

In the 10^th and 11^th apparitions, these actions and Aquero’s words were repeated. “Go and drink from the spring and wash yourself there”; “Penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners”; “Would you eat grass for sinners?”

It signified that Bernadette’s gestures would bring about conversion of heart.

The first recorded miracle of a cure happened during the 12^th apparition.

We are at the central message of Lourdes.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, before we move on to the rest of the apparitions, let us reflect on what we have just heard. The actions and words were seemingly puzzling, but the message is actually simple, clear and universal. Does it touch you? Let it stay with you for a week.

Human Trafficking

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 28 January 2012)

“My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour…”

At every Novena, we echo Our Lady’s Magnificat prayer.  In this prayer, she reminds us of the need to work for social justice in our society, through the words, “He puts forth his arm in strength and scatters the proud-hearted.  He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly.  He fills the starving with good things, sends the rich away empty.”

Now, what is social justice?  Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has taught that “love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel.”

Today’s sharing is about creating awareness on the issue of ‘Human Trafficking’.  Why?  Because it is becoming more rampant everywhere in the world, including in Malaysia. 

First, we need to understand a few words:

1)    Slaves – Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work.

2)    A refugee – is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her nationality and is unable or (owing to such fear) unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country

-       To give you an example: Over 90% of the refugees in Malaysia come from Burma where ethnic minorities, such as the Chin, Rohingya and Karen, are subjected to systematic human rights abuse

What happens in systematic human rights abuses?

a.  In Burma, “The militants force men into labour, kill old people and children, rape women, burn homes, confiscate properties.”

3)    UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

To safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees.

4)    Human Trafficking – is modern-day slavery and refugees are part of those victims.

Here are some alarming figures;

-       Over 2.2 million children are sold into the sex trade every year

-       In India, children cost less than cattle

-       In 2010, the sex slave industry profited US$ 32 billion (that is more than Starbucks, Google and Nike combined)

-       1 million new victims each year with half of them being children

-       During the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (mid 1450s) when European countries lack of workforce, they traded African workers for agriculture.  At that time, the price of a young male worker on US soil was an equivalent to US$40,000 today.  You can buy that same young male worker on US soil for about US$300 today.

-       There are more slaved TODAY, than any other time in human history

That may look foreign to you, but do you know that human trafficking is also happening right here in Malaysia?  It was reported in international media that refugees from Burma who were arrested for illegal entry into the country were being sold to human traffickers.  Lwin Ko, a refugee from Burma, said in an interview that after processing in an immigration detention center, the immigration officers transferred him directly to a gang of human traffickers.  None knew the amount of money the traffickers paid the officers, but it is estimated to be somewhere between RM700 to 1,000 for each person sold.

The problem now is:

The Malaysian Immigration Act 1959/1963 does not make a formal distinction between a refugee and an economic migrant.

Both are subject to punishment under Malaysian Law.  Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention in Geneva.  If only we can persuade the government to sign the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

What can we do?

Let us be informed

-       Follow events in the news (online)

-       UNICEF works to see that the rights of every child are realized

Let us raise awareness

-       Share in social network

Get involved

-       Don’t support shops who exploit their workers

Speak up!

-       If you suspect someone has been trafficked, report via 999

-       Or Tenaganita 012-339 5350

Talking about speaking up, Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) said this during the rise of the Nazi era in Germany.

First they came for the communists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak out for me…

Marian Devotion: Its Right Ordering and Development

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 17 Dec 2011)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Early this year, in introducing our sharing theme, Mary and the Church, we mentioned adopting the right attitude in devotion to Mary. Pope Paul VI (1974) noted how the Church expresses in various attitudes of devotion its many relationships with Mary. So, at the end of the series now, let us see what constitutes “right attitude” in exercising Marian devotion. Besides providing a solid basis for our exercise of piety, it would greatly help promote Marian devotion. For guidelines on this, I will draw mainly from Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis Cultus (MC).

Firstly, the exercise of piety towards Mary should clearly express its Trinitarian and Christological nature. “In the Virgin Mary everything is relative to Christ and dependent upon Him.” Besides being particularly Christ-centred, it should also reflect God’s plan (MC, #25) of Mary’s origin and the Incarnation of the divine Wisdom (Pius IX, 1854 as cited in Paul VI, 1974). This will help towards full knowledge of the Son of God and increase worship due to Him. Prominence is also due to the Person and life-giving work of the Holy Spirit in the history of salvation.

Secondly, the honour given to the Mother of the Lord should clearly show her place in the Church, i.e. “the highest after Christ and yet very close to us.” (LG, #54) This can be through symbolisms of church building architecture and images showing Mary’s place in the mystery of the Church. Examples are paintings of the Anunciation or the icon of the Theotokos often found in European churches. (MC, #28) The faithful can be led to appreciate Mary’s special dignity by highlighting the fundamental concepts of the Church as the Family, People or Kingdom of God, and the Mystical Body of Christ. They will then also realise that both the Church and Mary collaborate to give birth to the Mystical Body of Christ; that the Church’s action in the world extends Mary’s concern for the poor and the weak, for peace and social harmony and for mankind’s salvation merited by Christ’s death. Thus, love for the Church will become love for Mary and vice versa, since both must exist together. (MC, #28)

The characteristics mentioned were based on Mary’s relationship with the Holy Trinity and with the Church. To highlight the bond uniting us to Mary, Christ’s Mother and our Mother in the communion of saints, Pope Paul VI gave four more guidelines for Marian devotion.

For one, it should be biblical, but the biblical imprint should not be merely a skilful selection of texts and symbols from the Sacred Scriptures. Rather, texts of prayers and chants should be inspired and drawn from the Bible. Above all, devotion to the Virgin should be instilled with the great themes of the Christian message. Then only will the faithful be enlightened by the divine word and be inspired to live according to Christ’s teachings. (MC, #30)

Secondly, the devotions should draw inspiration from sacred liturgy and direct the faithful towards it. He emphasised that Marian devotions should not be suppressed, but neither should they be merged into the Eucharistic Sacrifice, which should be preserved as the summit of the Christian community’s gathering. (MC, #31)

Thirdly, Marian devotion should reflect the Church’s concerns, among which especially is the restoration of Christian unity. Thus, while preserving its uniqueness, it must carefully avoid misleading exaggeration or abolish any expression of cult contradicting true Catholic doctrine. (MC, #32 cf. LG, #67)

Finally, some people may find it difficult to see Mary, the Virgin of Nazareth, as a model in current social and intellectual settings. Marian devotion may seem to be old-fashioned to them. (MC, #34) Concerning this, Pope Paul VI observed that

1) the Church has always proposed imitating Mary not in her ancient type of life, but rather in her fully and responsibly accepting God’s will, in her charity and in her spirit of service. It is because she was the first and most perfect of Christ’s disciples. (MC, #35)

2) this difficulty is due to some disconnection between Mary’s image in popular writings and Gospel accounts or doctrinal data about her (MC, #36). However, we should compare human science ideas and this disparity, and guided by the Holy Spirit, verify knowledge of reality with the Scriptures. Then will we be able to see how Mary mirrors the expectations of men and women of our time and how she is the perfect model of the Lord’s disciple. (MC, #37)

Other incorrect attitudes of piety are those that emphasise on external practices without serious commitment, and searches for extraordinary phenomena. (MC, #38)

Finally, the ultimate purpose of devotion to the Blessed Virgin is to glorify God and to lead Christians to commit to lives conforming absolutely to His will. (MC, #39)

References:

Paul VI. (2 February 1974). Marialis Cultus.

Vatican Council II. (21 November 1964). Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium.