PENANG: After a brief two week reprieve of resuming normal church activities from a lockdown, the country was again plunged into EMCO on the 12th January this year. This was due to increasing spike of a new variant of the Covid 19 virus now known as the Delta variant. As things got worse and the white flag campaign emerged, Fr Michael Raymond OFM, parish priest of the Church of Divine Mercy in Penang (CDM) decided that there was a need to help the marginalized and poor who were struggling to cope. A Mercy team was assembled and various services were planned to address a wide range of needs from counselling to distribution of basic necessities to affected families within the community. A virtual Wall of Mercy was set up to keep parishioners constantly informed of all activities on-going. This can be accessed through CDM’s website and Facebook. As there was a drought of spiritual practices due to the closure of the church, he has organized a bimonthly spiritual formation to keep the parishioners in touch with their faith, this was over and above the daily on-line streaming of morning mass. As the pandemic continues to rage on, Fr Michael decided that he needed to conduct a formation on zoom to sustain the spirits of parishioners and to spur them on to doing more with their God given gifts. As such a formation was conducted via zoom on 31st July entitled “Stir the Mercy”.
The formation began with a short calisthenics session incorporating praise and worship through song and action. It featured Fr Michael with some parishioners and aimed at encouraging all to get up and move to ward off negative thoughts during this time of the pandemic. It was comforting for participating parishioners to see that their shepherd was still in good health. The opening prayer was taken from the prayer of self offering of St Ignatius of Loyola as it was also the feast day of that saint. Fr Michael began with the words of St Faustina who said that “Great love can change small things into great ones”. He mentioned that in line with the CDM feast day theme of MERCY: ME, Risen Christ & You, the intention of the formation was to stir up the feelings of everyone to use the gracious gifts given to us by God. These same words were given by St Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6). He continued by saying that like a campfire that was started, the flames needed to be fanned to rekindle the embers and keep it burning. From small beginnings we can go on to achieve greater things. Like the daughter of Jairus we need to be awaken to carry on. So he emphasized that we need to fan the flames of the gifts given by God, to ask what we need to do to give the fullness of life to others. Recalling the gospel story of the five loaves and two fish, Fr reiterated that by starting small we can achieve greater things. Like the small boy in the story, we need to come forward, step out and be sensitive to what is happening around us. This is not difficult as we have the media world to constantly enlighten us. Jesus was always sensitive to what was happening around him, to the blind, the leper and the woman who touched his cloak. We need to know what we can do within our families and community and to discern what is God asking of us. St Ignatius had this discernment of spirit. We need to ask what we can do to be involved to help, even if it is just to make a comforting phone call to others. To be attentive to the knocking of God’s call, to be still and allow God to speak to us.
Fr then went on to explain the 4 A’s in our response. The first being to Assess the situations around us, then to be Attentive to what needs to be done, this is to Allow our heart to do what is needful and then we will receive the Abundant returns of our deeds. He reminded all that the best wine was kept for the last and God loves a cheerful giver. He remarked that he saw such joy and happiness in the team that returned from each time they went out to distribute basic necessities to families. Therefore we need to discern the ways God is asking us to respond in the different areas of our lives. St Faustina had given us a guide how to do this in her dairy (entry 742) by way of action, word and prayer. The Holy Spirit is in each one of us. We need to stir this spirit with the gifts given to us so that we can find the fullness of mercy to give to others.
Fr Michael reminded the participants the danger of being the lukewarm Christian when we close the doors and windows of our hearts. To be neither Martha nor Mary and to have our spiritual lives diminish from idleness due to the pandemic. The idle mind is the devil’s workshop. The boredom brings about temptations that will enslave us in gluttony, addictions and other sinful activities. We need to return to the themes of the 9 day novena which we had at CDM this year, to be reminded that we are falling into a spiritual death. Into the sadness of indifference, the ‘tidak apa’ attitude which the Holy Father Pope Francis called the Globalization of Indifference. We read and talk about it but let someone else do the work. The backbenchers that sit and tell of what things have gone wrong but don’t lift their hands and turn a deaf ear to help, the crossed armed Catholics. We are reminded by St Faustina (entry 1317) that we need to exercise mercy in order to obtain the mercy of God.
St Paul reminded us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 not to quench the Holy Spirit but let it work in us and also in Hebrews 10:24 to let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. To use the gifts we have to the greater glory of God, to step out of our comfort zone and become our gift to one another. Fr Michael explained that in the gospel of John 5:1-16 regarding the healing at the pool of Bethesda (meaning the pool of mercy) there were so many around struggling with afflictions and suffering. The paralytic man had been waiting for 38 years for someone to help him get into the pool to be healed. Everyday there is someone who is waiting for help to get into the pool. Can we be stirred to be that someone? We are also reminded in 1 Peter 4:10 that everyone has received a gift and need to minister it to one another and be good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Show how you can be that steward/witness by offering a hand to give the mercy of God to others. To freely share what God has given us and see the power of God work through us.
At this point Fr invited two parishioners to share their stories of giving God’s mercy to others. Alison Choo related her experience helping a single mom delivering ordered food during these times. She is also now helping her obtain a job as a more sustaining source of income. In another case, she helped a family obtain a reclining bed for the father who recently had a stroke and the daughter to get a job as a translator to provide a source of income for the family. Melinda Michael was another parishioner who related how her efforts in using Pet Therapy helped physical and mentally challenged children be more interactive with others. Each of them related the inner joy they felt of helping give to others a token of God’s mercy.
Fr Michael then went on to offer some closing remarks to those wishing to start in this service of mercy. There is a need to have Compassion when faced with a situation. Jesus was always filled with compassion in all instances when people approached him for help. And like the man in the parable of the Good Samaritan, we not only to do the needful but to return to see what else needs to be done. We also need to overcome Fear and leave what is crippling us with the courage to step out. Pope Francis has asked us to look at St Joseph for strength. He was faced by many difficulties at various times in his life. To marry a pregnant woman, to find a place for the child to be born, to escape into Egypt at a moment’s notice and to search for a missing child after three days. We try to avoid those difficult moments but when faced with it we are reminded of the words of Jesus to the blind man seeking his sight. Take Courage he was told. So trust in God, get up and go as He is calling you. Fr reminded all that in every situation we must show Humility. To understand that all is done for God’s glory and that He must increase and we decrease. There will be things also that one may not be able to do which others can. Similarly, there may be things that one can do that others may not be able to do. It is important to acknowledge that together we can do great things. To stand ready to wash each other’s feet. Lastly, to know that the Joy that we experience when giving comes from God. Like Mary when she visited her cousin Elizabeth this joy spreads from us to all who hear of it.
The challenge given by Fr at the moment is to be MAD (Making A Difference). In relation to the needs of CDM at this times, Fr Michael asked if some can come forward to be sponsors for the RCIA candidates and also in helping to adopt one of the sacramental classes (First Holy Communion and Confirmation). To share their faith and provide support to the faith sharers doing on-line classes with them. He also reminded the senior citizens of the Living Springs Ministry of CDM that Pope Francis has declared that the elderly are still needed and can contribute in reaching out with their experience. There are many who are shut in and may need a comforting ear to cope with the advice of one older and more experienced in years.
In concluding Fr Michael asked us to move from the 4 A’s to the 3 A’s. That being to be Awake to what is happening around us. To stay Alert and Alive in our response. The formation ended with the Prayer of Generosity of St Ignatius. This formation was very timely as there is a tendency to be complacent as the pandemic drags on with more people crying out for help. The need to use our God given gifts to stir the spirit/mercy is now more urgent and vital than ever.
Written by
Dr Ivan Filmer
2nd August, 2021.