By Jaclyn Sharmelee
KUALA LUMPUR — This year, the KL Archdiocese has 147 Elect. Held on Sunday, Feb 21, the Rite of Election was livestreamed from the Church of the Good Shepherd. ‘We are grateful to God that we are able to gather today, after the scare in Holy Family, Kajang at the beginning of the COVID-19 in 2020, at the beginning of Lent, but here we are one year later, online and still able to have this ceremony of the Rite of Election’ said Archbishop Leow.
‘Every day we make choices. We choose what to eat and what to wear. We try to choose what is best for our families and loved ones. Yes, making choices is a part of daily life. But to become a follower of Christ is not merely an ethical decision or a lofty idea; it’s not only a matter of trying to live a better, more virtuous life. To be a follower of Christ is to encounter Christ who gives our lives a new horizon of hope and a decisive direction. For those of you who present yourselves to the Church for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, we believe that God is at work in your life. We believe that God calls you by name, that God knows you intimately, that God loves you personally. That is why your name is so important – yours is a personal response to a personal invitation – and His invitation has brought you right here to this community where your love for Him and His for you will be nurtured and fed. That is why we inscribe your name in the Book of Elect,” said the Archbishop.
Archbishop Leow expressed his hope that the Easter Vigil service will be celebrated with a congregation and all the elect baptised. He urged the Elect to be steadfast in prayer, should there be a delay in their baptism.
He thanked the sponsors and urged them to model what it means to follow Christ as members of the Church and thanked the catechists for guiding them and walking with them in this journey and for supporting the Elect as they prepare for Baptism and Reception into the Church. Lastly, he thanked all the parish communities throughout the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur for opening their hearts and welcoming the new members.
“We begin this year with hope despite the dark clouds of the pandemic that continue to linger and disrupt the normal flow of our daily lives, he added.
He appealed to all Catholics to hold steadfast to our virtues of Faith, Hope and Love and to be beacons of Hope by reaching out, praying and helping those most affected during this pandemic.
