Herald Malaysia English Edition 12 April 2020
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If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on APRIL 12, 2020 things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. TERHAD When Christ who is your life appears, then PP 8460/11/2012(030939) ISSN: 1394-3294 you also will appear with him in glory. Vol. 27 No. 14 THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY Col. 3:1-4 The Publisher, Editor and Staff of HERALD wish all our readers a Blessed Easter. Live together as an Easter people Bishop Cornelius Piong’s Easter Message KENINGAU: Easter should not be taken “Through our Lenten encounters and ex- continue a way of living that is empowered as a transient celebration. Instead, as an periences, we are moved towards reconcil- and encouraged by the presence of the liv- Easter people, we should be Christ’s light iation with Jesus. Thus, encountering Jesus ing Jesus. He participates in, and cares for, in the world. through prayers, fasting and almsgiving, our personal well-being, our families and Bishop Cornelius Piong said this in his we are led to live in His joy. our society.” Easter message released April 9. “Celebrating Easter means we want to l See below for full text of the message The message of the Risen Christ to Through our Lenten encounters and ex- mind” (Acts 4:32) confident and diligent the women who met Him is the same periences, we are moved towards reconcili- in following Jesus’ teaching in the face of for us – Do not be afraid. Easter ation with Jesus. Thus, encountering Jesus many disturbances. Our confidence in the through prayers, fasting and almsgiving, living Christ drives us and enables us to should not be taken as only a come- we are led to live in His joy. Our Lord Je- live as a community that always puts God and-go celebration, because we are sus is with us. He cares about us, especially first, and makes us sensitive to the welfare celebrating Jesus, our Lord, who has when we are scared of the virus COV- of our fellow human beings and loving and risen from the dead and now is living ID-19, devastated by the political situation mindful of God’s creation. in our country and worried about the effects I hope that this experience of the COV- with us for all eternity. Alleluia (Matt of the various crimes such as the illegal use ID-19 pandemic will bring about a realisa- 28:20). of drugs and pornography that are on the tion that our joy cannot be separated from At the beginning of Lent, we received rise among our people and society. the unity and love we have for God, man the imposition of ashes as the expression Celebrating Easter means we want to and creation. May this experience help us of our desire to repent and admit that only continue a way of living that is empowered to appreciate and be made aware of the im- with a loving relationship with God, we and encouraged by the presence of the liv- portance of Jesus in our daily lives. The ex- are enabled to live in harmony with Him, ing Jesus. He participates in, and cares for, perience of the Movement Control Order among ourselves and with the natural (cre- our personal well-being, our families and has made us love and appreciate the pres- ation) environment. our society. We are confident that the Lord ence of others in our lives, especially our The experience of our journey of faith Jesus we believe in is “the same, yesterday, families and God’s creation. demands that we follow Jesus as he says: today and forever” (Hebrew 13:8). We wish and pray for a Blessed Easter to “be not selfish, take up the cross daily and But a life empowered and encouraged by all Bishops, Priests, Religious, Catechists, follow me,’ (Lk 9:23). This is not easy. the joy of Easter must be steadfastly guided lay leaders and the faithful. In the spirit of Many times, because of our selfish attitude, by the prayer that Jesus said to God the Fa- Easter, let us as members of the Church we neglect our responsibility to God, to ther, for us His followers, on the eve of the help one another to live as an Easter peo- each other and to God’s creation. Last Supper (Jn 17:11-19). Our unity with ple, always proud of our Christian identity We are grateful to God because, through- The Resurrection is depicted in this 19th-century painting Jesus enables us to foster a spirit of unity (Jn 13:35), committed to our mission (Matt by Johann Friedrich Overbeck. Easter, the chief feast out the season of Lent, through His Word in our families, communities and society. 15: 13-16) and confident in our destination in the liturgical calendars of all Christian churches, and the sacraments, the Lord has helped us Our fidelity to the will of Jesus will protect in life (Jn 14:6). commemorates Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Easter and reminded us of our commitment as His us from the deception of the evil one. The HAPPY EASTER! is April 12 this year. (CNS photo/Bridgeman Images) children. Easter is an opportunity for us to word of the Lord that we hear and reflect renew and establish our unity and loyalty on every day will help us to live in the light + Rt Rev Cornelius Piong Turn to Page 3 for the Easter messages to Jesus in all our callings and ministries. of the Lord (Jn 8:12). Bishop of Keningau Diocese by Archbishop Julian Leow and As His children, we are grateful for the With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Lord’s compassion towards us. may we always be of “one heart and one April 10, 2020 Cardinal Charles Bo Pope Francis has composed A prayer to Our Lady of Good Health a prayer to O Mary, you shine continuously We are certain that you will provide, Our Lady, Health We seek refuge on our journey as a so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, under your protection, of the Sick, sign of salvation and hope. joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. O Holy Mother of God. to implore her We entrust ourselves to you, Help us, Mother of Divine Love, Health of the Sick. to conform ourselves to the Father’s will protection during Do not despise our pleas – At the foot of the Cross you participated and to do what Jesus tells us: the Covid-19 we who are put to the test – in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. He who took our sufferings upon Himself, coronavirus You, Salvation of the Roman People, and bore our sorrows to bring us, and deliver us from every danger, pandemic. know what we need. through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. O glorious and blessed Virgin. 2 FORUM / REFLECTION HERALD April 12, 2020 Resurrection — A new world beckons, but what kind of world? his year, we celebrate Easter amid the had to do both. extraordinary circumstances of triple “And if you look at Jesus Christ himself, Tcrises: a political crisis, an economic Sunday Observer I don’t think he just got millions of people crisis and the ongoing pandemic. By around him living in a castle and asking them It will take some time for us to emerge from to pray. He did that (get people to pray), of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the Anil Netto course he did. global economic slowdown could turn into a “But he also acted. When he went to the prolonged recession that could almost reach [email protected] Temple, and he saw that there were greedy the scale of the Great Depression of the 1930s. people who were making excessive profit The silver lining is that runaway global emis- by selling things, he said: Get rid of all these domination, it also housed the Treasury. Now imagine this Temple exploitation on sions has slowed, giving the planet something things! He went into action himself, spontane- The Treasury was the focal point for the a worldwide scale through the present global of a reprieve. ous action. collection of provincial tribute — which the financial system. Millions are already suffering from loss of “Now, I don’t think he was saying: You peo- priests were also responsible for collecting — On April 1, the renowned global intellectual incomes and jobs. And we are finding out how ple are finished and condemned. He was say- and the temple tax. It also stored a list of all the and activist Martin Khor passed away from the neoliberal system has left our underfunded ing you have to reform. And you have to re- debts in the territory. cancer. Martin had championed the cause of essential services like public healthcare strug- form the system itself. But if you don’t reform, Money changers in the Temple premises, developing countries of the South against the gling to cope with the crisis. the people have to reform the system. who also acted as bankers, would convert the global financial and economic domination by The crisis has also exposed the vulnerabili- “You are entering into new campaigns, pilgrims’ local currencies to the acceptable vested interests. ties of global economy built on an excessive whether it is for fair trade, whether it is for ac- shekels or half-shekels (the silver coins of I bumped into Martin several times while reliance on debt, speculation and the finan- cess to medicine or whether it is to overturn the Tyre) – for a fee, of course.