By Eta Ting, OCDS
SIBU — The 29th World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life in Sibu Diocese began with four religious communities: Sisters of St Francis of Sarawak (14), Order of Franciscan Minor Capuchin (3), Marist Brothers (3) and Putri Karmel Congregation (3) who had their recollection and sharing at the conference Room of Sacred Heart Cathedral with Holy Trinity Covenant Community and parishioners. David Siong, Elder of Holy Trinity Covenant Community, started off by giving his sharing and each religious community shared too.
Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong together with Fr Alphonsus Tang, Fr David Lau, Fr Francis Go (OFM Cap), Guardian of Franciscan Friary, Sibu, and Fr Raphael Samosir (OFM Cap), Ecclesiastical Assistant of Commission for Consecrated Life of Sibu Diocese were the concelebrants for the 5.30 pm Mass to thank God for the gift of religious life in conjunction with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord also known as Candlemas Day.
The 23 members of consecrated life, with their candles lit, were blessed by Bishop Hii who reminded the people of God—the Church—that those in consecrated life had answered ‘a call within a call to live radically’ in following Jesus. The bishop shared that St Anthony, Abbot (feast day: 17 January), a third century follower of Christ Jesus during the Constantine era, ‘felt there was no challenge’ to live in the world at that time and thus he went to live in the desert to follow Jesus radically.
“Being called to spread the light and love of Jesus Christ through their vows of chastity, obedience and poverty,” Bishop Hii expounded, “is their extraordinariness to make our Church so rich and thus we all ought to thank God for them and pray for many to follow them especially the young people as they, the consecrated ones, are the models to remind us all to follow Jesus radically.” For example, Bishop Hii shared that in his case, that was how God had called him to give up his life to become a priest and later a Bishop, living radically as lived out by those in the consecrated life. Full of charism, they continue to spur him on to follow Jesus radically.
Apart from that, Bishop Hii also explained the ritual of 40 days (rite of purification), which involved consecrating the first-born male to God as a sign of belonging to Him. Traditionally, the first-born child was expected to be the eldest son. However, he encouraged every parishioner to view herself or himself from the biological perspective to be “the first-born or the champion to exist as God’s creation” where the first sperm would fertilise the egg for a life to exist as a male or a female. Thus, in the eyes of God, He created each one of us ‘SPECIAL’ and ‘UNIQUE’ to be ‘set apart for’ Him and others too as His Gift of Life consecrated to celebrate one’s uniqueness in diversity that we, one body with many parts, may all be one in union with God.
