God is the heartbeat and foundation of hope

Be Disciples of Hope was the main theme for this year’s feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated from December 7 to 12, at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Different priests preached during the six-day celebrations, with the daily sub-themes revolving around ‘hope’.

The highlight of the celebration was a candlelight procession in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Some 1,400 faithful, from far and near, converged on December 9 evening for the Novena Chaplet to Our Lady and Mass. After Mass, the icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe was placed on a beautifully decorated 4WD, followed by the assembly and priests along several roads surrounding the parish. The Rosary was recited during the procession.

Fr Charles Chin from Kedah was the preacher on December 9, with concelebrants parish priest, Fr Albet Arockiasamy and Fr Alan Pereira.

In his homily, Fr Chin reiterated that, biblically and theologically, God is the heartbeat of hope, and Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) are the instruments to foster this hope.

Fr Chin quoted Scripture texts to emphasise that we are made in the image of God.

He posed the question: Why heartbeat of hope? He quoted Genesis 3:1-13, saying we are not perfect but are being perfected. Though we are sinners, God still loves us. Just like your child, if he/ she has done wrong, he/she will be forgiven and will still be loved. Fr Chin quoted John 4:10, saying that God still loves us because He sent His Son Jesus Christ to save us. This is the foundation of hope.

He gave the example of Peter, a fisherman, a sinner who denied Jesus three times, who was forgiven by Jesus and became the first pope. Fr Chin called on the assembly to reach out to save those who erred because they need to be forgiven.

“If you were born into a family filled with tender loving care, you will have these qualities. But if you were born into a family where parents always fight, you might grow up to be morose and even violent. But there is hope, for God is hope and He can transform us.”

Fr Chin said there is hope in a BEC, when love is practised. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there.” But, Fr Chin cautioned, we must gather only in Jesus’ Name and not others. He mentioned that he has seen certain BECs gather for business purposes or food (Amway, Cosway and Subway), and this is not right. He asked the faithful to check in whose name they have gathered in the BEC gatherings. He quoted John 13:34: “A new Commandment I give unto you: to love one another, just as I have loved you.” This is the only law to guide the BECs, otherwise they will not function well.

In conclusion, Fr Chin said we need to live a life of prayer, sharing the Word and praising God. “If you are a good organist, you must use your talent to praise God. Otherwise, we become too proud. Just like St Augustine of Hippo who said, ‘Our hearts are made for You, O Lord, and our hearts will be restless unless they rest in You.’ For God is love. Thus, our BECs must be the heartbeat of His love.”

After Mass, Fr Albet thanked Fr Chin for presiding and preaching and Fr Alan for his presence. He also commended all who were involved in the feastday preparations. After the procession, all adjourned to the Church grounds for a dinner fellowship.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu