By Ivy Chai
KUCHING — The Votive or Red Mass to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit for the legal fraternity, has been celebrated in the Archdiocese of Kuching since 2015.
Catholic lawyers once again came together this year after missing last year’s celebration because of the coronavirus pandemic, to pray for the opening of the judicial year 2022.
The Mass held at St Joseph’s Cathedral on 12 February was presided by Archbishop Simon Poh, concelebrated by Fr Galvin Ngumbang and Fr Mark Bonchol.
In extending a warm welcome to the small group of lawyers and their families to the newly refurbished Cathedral, Archbishop Simon said: “The Red Mass offers the legal community an opportunity to reflect on the God-given power and responsibility of all in the legal profession and to uphold all who seek justice.”
Archbishop Simon and the priests wore red coloured vestments because “liturgically, red is the colour of fire and of blood, symbolising the fire of the Holy Spirit and the blood of martyrs.”
The Archbishop called on the lawyers to “invoke the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in particular for wisdom, understanding, counsel and fortitude for all our religious leaders and members of the legal profession… judges, lawyers, law school professors, law students, and government officials.”
Reflecting on the Mass Reading from 1 Kings about the abuse of authority, Archbishop Simon in his homily, reconciled that to the current situation in the world. “What can religious and legal communities do? What does the Word of God tell us?” he asked. He suggested that Christians:
- Receive whatever we possess as a gift from God, including our heart, soul, mind and might.
- Look upon the abundance of good things that surround us on earth as blessings to be shared.
- Avoid selfish ambitions and unhealthy suspicious fears which always accompany such ambitions.
- Be honest and admit our failures and learn from them rather than put the blame on someone else.
The prelate said Christians should always be grateful and do things out of compassion and love, while at the same time to share our time, talents and treasures generously, so we may gain eternal life.
Invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Archbishop Simon Poh told the lawyers to “invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit” in order “to uphold all who seek justice and to build a civilisation and nation of goodwill, harmony, mutual respect and acceptance in our beloved Sarawak and our nation, Malaysia.”
After the Eucharistic celebration, Archbishop Simon concluded the Red Mass with this advice from the teachings of prophet (Micah 6:8): “You have already been told what is right and what the Lord wants of you. Only this: to do what is right, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God,” which he ingeniously rearranged into the acronym L.A.W.
L – Love tenderly
A – Act justly
W – Walk humbly with our God among the people
“Do this, and you be counted among the blessed and happy of the Lord,” the prelate counselled.
