Church of St Michael (1890)
24 Church Road, 30300 Ipoh, Perak
T: 05-2540176
F: 05-2415437
stmc@streamyx.com
Parish Priest : Rev. Michael Cheah
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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X'mas celebrated with acts of service and sacrifice |
| Posted by Diocese of Penang (pgdiocese) on Feb 10 2009 |
January 11, 2009
IPOH: Everyone contributed towards the Christmas celebrations this year at St Michael’s Church through acts of service and sacrifice.
These good deeds by a group of lay people from the SMC Lectors and Commentators, outsiders from the Rainbow Activity Centre and the Kampung Simee Old Folk Home, and sacrifices made by visiting scouts from Ireland, all made the midnight Christmas Eucharistic celebration a meaningful one.
The 19 scouts participated in the Scripture readings, took up the collection and offertory gifts. But their Christmas “gift” of giving up their Christmas with their families to help the disabled was inspiring. For two weeks they had volunteered to help the Yayasan Sultan Idris Shah foundation for the disabled to set up a sensory therapy area, after having donated some RM70,000 worth of equipment.
The scouts, led by their leader Chris Kearns, by giving up their Christmas celebrations at home to help the less fortunate, reminded many that Christmas is about giving to others.
A stunning three-dimensional artistic wall mural of the Christmas Journey with St Peter’s Basilica as a backdrop for the crib, was set up at the right wing of the church. It was the work of Pauline Eu, volunteers from the Rainbow Activity centre and residents of the Old Folk Home at Kampung Simee.
The SMC lectors and commentators had put together beautiful three-dimensional painted and sewn banners depicting the Christmas Journey as well as the Annunciation, Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and the birth of Jesus.
Instead of the usual nativity play, the SMC choir did their part in telling the Christmas story through their songs.
SMC parish priest Fr Michael Cheah acknowledged the efforts and generosity of those who helped create the Nativity Scene, those who helped sew and paint the banners and the scouts who sacrificed their Christmas to help others.
In his homily, Fr Cheah said the celebration of Christmas should remind us of the manifestation of God’s Love made flesh, and respond to it.
“The incarnation is the greatest miracle. God humbled himself to be like one of us.
“God’s love will belong to us if we subject ourselves to Him. The difference will come only if we die to ourselves,” he said.
Last changed: Jun 03 2009 at 3:07 PM
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