Church of St Michael (1890)
24 Church Road, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
T: 05-2540176
F: 05-2415437
email: smcipoh@gmail.com
Parish Priest : Msgr Stephen Liew
Assistant Parish Priest: Rev Anthony Chong
Sat. Sunset Mass : 7.00 pm (English)
Sunday Masses :
8.00 am English
10.00 am Mandarin
5.30 pm English
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Preoccupations hinder us from following Christ |
| Posted by Diocese of Penang (pgdiocese) on Feb 22 2011 |
20 February 2011
IPOH: St Michael’s Church parish priest Msgr Stephen Liew gave an enlightening homily on accepting Jesus’ call to discipleship. Just as fishermen Peter, Andrew, James and John responded to His call with an immediate and total break from the past, he said trusting in Jesus and opening our hearts to a change in life’s direction brings an opportunity to experience God’s kingdom in our lives.
What holds us back is often the “nets”of being preoccupied with things, unforgiveness, immoral attitudes and behaviour, and division in community. “We have to get rid of these nets which lead to sinfulness. There may be unforgiveness amongst family members, parents, siblings, and relatives.” To stress his point on people holding on to grudges and unforgiveness, Msgr Liew told a story of two monks who came to a river where they encountered a young girl unable to cross it on her own.
One of the monks carried the girl across and put her down at the bank on the other side, but he was berated by his fellow monk for doing something against their rules. To this, the monk promptly replied that he had already left the girl behind but his brother monk was still “carrying” her in his mind! “Or there may be immoral relationships in our lives. Some of us build our communities according to race, and promote division instead of unity, thus committing the sin of division,” he said.
Msgr Liew added that all should think of Christian Unity instead of different races and do something to restore unity. “Following Jesus is not about leaving behind jobs or families, but it means a change in our life’s direction when we follow Jesus. Repentance is a change of heart and behaviour of life’s direction,” he said. On the spirit of following liturgical law, Msgr Liew also gave a clearer picture.
He said some tend to interpret laws governing liturgical celebrations too narrowly. When liturgical law is kept to the letter but without its spirit, without pastoral concern, then the law does no service to the people. On the other hand, when liturgical law is almost completely disregarded, there is a high risk of the liturgy becoming the captive of a few people who shape it to their own understanding rather than God’s wisdom and understanding.
Liturgical law is not about putting our worship in a straight jacket, but about drawing on the wisdom of the Tradition to best enact the Paschal mystery. “Fidelity to the spirit of liturgical law ensures that we celebrate the one liturgy of the whole church. “It ensures we are more than a local expression of the Body of Christ, but that we are indeed, a visible presence of the church.
“Finding a balance between respecting the law and implementing its spirit for the good of the community is not always easy. This is one reason why regular evaluation of the whole liturgical endeavour is so important. “Ultimately, the criteria for good liturgy is not whether we keep the laws. The criteria is whether the community prays, grows and decides together to be a community choosing fullness of life, goodness and justice,” he said.
Last changed: Feb 22 2011 at 2:44 PM
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