KRISTUS AMAN (the Peace of Christ) celebrated its first-ever Feast Day on 1st January 2018 (a day also universally dedicated to the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God). The theme chosen for our Inaugural Patronal Feast is “Mary, Queen of Peace”. Hence, it was a befitting start to the New Year for KA to be shrouded with two Icons of Peace – Jesus, Prince of Peace and Mary, Queen of Peace.
Some preparatory events leading up to the occasion were: -
- Mass of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December followed by Blessing and Crowning of the processional Statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
- A screening of the movie “Mary of Nazareth” on 10 December by the Formation Ministry.
- A Triduum of Masses from 29-31 Dec 2017.
- Mass and a Marian procession on the Feast Day itself, 1st Jan 2018.
Kristus Aman was also blessed to have a ‘triple first’ to commemorate the auspicious occasion. Fr Michael is the first parish priest of KA to moot the idea of choosing our Feast Day to be commemorated on 1st January to coincide with World Day of Peace since our chapel’s titular is “Peace of Christ”. Fr Esmond Chua, OFM (son of our parish and its first ordained priest) was the main celebrant of KA’s first ever Feast Day. This record should augur well in the history of our parish. Special and grateful thanks to Fr Michael for his guidance throughout preparations for our inaugural Feast Day. By the same token, grateful thanks and recognition are to be accorded to Fr Esmond for his excellent delivery of a series of ‘invaluable, soul-searching’ homilies dedicated to Our Lady over the entire duration. For an encore of said homilies, you may click on the links below.
Here are just some highlights (photos and video at the bottom of article):
Day 1: Mary, Woman of Faith (Click here for homily transcript)
- Faith – What do we understand by “Faith”? Faith is not just about knowing God intellectually but includes an experience and encounter with God.
- Mary - “Woman of Faith” – at the Annunciation, Mary’s faith was shown in her question, “How can this be?” “How can I be part of this plan?” Mary’s faith was more than mere intellect. She “kept it in her heart” pondering, reflecting and recognizing God’s hand at work. Mary’s “Fiat” to God also reflected her faith and obedience thereby rightly earning her the title “Woman of Faith”.
- Church - becoming Men & Women of “Faith” - Understanding “Faith” as knowledge + experience, we now need to strike a balance with our faith (intellectual or experiential) and whether the “input of knowledge” correlates to the “output of actions”. On a communal level (Eucharistic family) do we see ourselves growing to be a more loving and understanding community?
Day 2: Mary, Beacon of Hope (Click here for homily transcript)
- Hope and how do Christians understand it? Hope is about “living with a bigger vision with the future in mind”. Our temporal losses should not take away the joy that we are walking towards the end.
- Mary’s Life – Mary, a Beacon of Hope both as a person and as the symbol of the Church reflected a life that was lived in the present with the future in mind. Scenes of Mary at the Presentation of the Child Jesus to Simeon & Anna, at the Wedding at Cana and at the Foot of the Cross constantly showed that they were ruled by hope and pointing towards God.
- How as ‘church’ can we become Beacons of Hope? By virtue of our baptism we are already beacons of hope. We need to be lighthouses set on rocky or dangerous grounds – to come out of our comfort zones and in the midst of inconveniences and struggles of life for the sake of the ones who are struggling to find hope beyond the darkness and despair in their life. Jesus came to show us HOPE and his Death & Resurrection are the signposts of HOPE.
Day 3: Mary, Mother of Charity (Click here for homily transcript)
- Love is to participate in the Divine Life of the Trinity – which is a Union between God, the Father (Lover) Christ (the Beloved) and the love shared between the Father & the Son, the Trinity. Love calls us to be other focused and is a selfless act.
- Love is expressed uniquely and organically at different times and places. Love calls us to wait patiently whilst keeping our focus on God. It cannot be rushed and need to nurture and grow at its own time.
- Love cannot be at a distance. When we are being in the thick of people’s life and situations, we are participating in the divine life of God.
- Love must be freely shared. It’s a gift meant for building up the body of Christ. As baptised people of God, we share in the divine life of God when we share this ‘love’ by living it in our daily life.
Mary, as Mother of Charity participated in the divine life of God, both as a person and as a symbol of the church. Just as Mary was in the thick of the moments in Christ’s public ministry; at the foot of the cross, in the Upper Room, with the apostles and with us, we too are called to be “mothers” of the world and to others… to share our God Experiences less from the head but more from the heart…
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Feast Day): Mary Queen of Peace (Click here for homily transcript)
- What is “Peace” for us as Christians? As Christians, “Peace” is not based on situations or persons but rather, it is based on one person only: Jesus Christ, on whom today’s scriptures confer the title, the “Prince of Peace”. To base our life on Him, is to make Him the center of our life. Peace can exist, as long as we fix our eyes on God. Without Christ who is our peace and without the eyes of faith, the world can seem like a rather painful and depressing place.
- Why is Mary crowned “Queen of Peace” rather than Woman or Beacon or Mother of Peace? Firstly, because she lived a life of total submission to the will of God. Secondly, Mary, both as person and as symbol of the Church has this authoritative figure to lead, guide and accompany us as a person and as a symbol of Church on what it means to be “Peace” because she reflected “Peace” throughout her life. It was a great and wonderful thing, that of all the images of our lady, KA chose the image of “Our Lady of Fatima” to be the image for its Patronal feast. While we often only think of the 3 secrets when we think of Fatima, what is often forgotten is, at the core of these 3 secrets and messages she is pointing us to action, to be like her. That is, to be heralds of peace and builders of God’s kingdom.
- What does her “Queenship” say about our identities and empowered lives here on earth to be a gift of peace, especially as a Kristus Aman family? Just as Mary always drew and pointed people to her Son, in today’s Solemnity, which highlights the divinity of Jesus when we call her “Mother of God”, we too are called to do the same by being instruments of peace. By first fixing our eyes on God, we are constantly in communion with God and with one another – where there is oneness and where every member is fully the “body of Christ” and “one with God”.
Mary as “Queen of Peace” and “Mother of God” is not a reflection of Mary’s greatness. Rather, it is a challenge to ask ourselves to live in relation to the King… Bringing about peace here on earth through the Spirit of God. When we go in procession later and at the end of every mass, we are commanded to “Go and glorify the Lord by our life” … as baptized people of God to return to the world and tell them, that there is no need to worry, to despair or to feel hopeless because there is faith, hope, love and peace in the world because of us. This is how we as Church, BE ... the “Peace of Christ” (Kristus Aman).
A Look Behind the Scenes
The Feast Day began early for members of the Organising Committee who worked tirelessly to ensure that everything would be in order. The Committee did an excellent job and were abuzz with their untiring efforts of advertising and promoting the Feast Day’s activities weeks prior to the event by constantly updating the KA website with the latest news and announcements. Postings of the transcripts of Fr Esmond’s homilies were immediately uploaded onto the KA website after mass for parishioners who missed out on any of the days’ Homilies so that they could come prepared for the subsequent sessions.
Just before the Marian procession commenced, it was announced that there was a slight drizzle but in true KA-style, most came prepared with their caps and umbrellas. Young and old were neither deterred nor dampened by the drizzle and waited patiently to be guided by the Hospitality ministers to take their place in the procession.
The multi-coloured hues of umbrellas formed a rainbow backdrop and added a nice touch of colour to the processional line-up. Two outriders preceded the altar servers to lead the procession with their solemn walk reminiscent of other processions held in foreign lands. Next came the pretty flower girls strewing rose petals along the route followed by the concelebrants, Fr Michael Chua and Fr Esmond Chua (no, they’re not related). They were followed by the bearers of the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima – beautifully and sweetly adorned with multi-coloured roses intertwined with sparkling lights twinkling in the shadows of twilight; followed closely by the extraordinary ministers of Communion and then the banner bearers representing the Parish Feast Day as well as the BEC and KA Youth Ministry patron saints. Forming the bulk of the procession were the rest of the congregation, over 600 strong, walking in an orderly and prayerful manner. The procession inundated the half-kilometre route along Lorong Rahim Kajai 14 with passers-by taking photos of the scene, some of them curious while others just witnessed the event with silent smiles and fascination.
After the procession and blessing, the parishioners were treated to pizzas and packet rice for dinner. A token of appreciation was accorded to Fr Esmond by Fr Michael amidst cheers and claps. The parishioners were also treated to Christmas carolling by the Children & Youth Ministries (who cajoled Fr Esmond into joining in the fun).
While all of this was going on, our volunteer clean-up crew had been diligently and efficiently sorting, stacking and clearing away the trash. As the evening wound to a close, Fr Michael gave all those remaining a final blessing and by 10pm, everything was cleared and back to normal.
Some Parishioner Feedback
“It was a fantastic event”
“It was great”
“nice to see the altar servers marching, reminiscent of one’s journey down Via Dolorosa”
“Fr Esmond’s homilies were touching”
“I am glad I was there. It was a beautiful mass, excellent homily & solemn, touching procession. It will stay in my heart”
“good reminders for the New Year – to start with Faith, Hope & Love from within our homes to extend beyond self to others.”
For parishioners who are less inclined to travel thousands of miles to ‘experience’ a Marian procession, we can now actively participate in our ‘own’ Marian procession within the vicinity of our homes. It is said that when we pray earnestly for something good to happen, the Lord will answer in His Time.
[At the end of an evening procession at Lourdes on 14th August 1983, St. Pope John Paul II said, “In this peaceful night we keep watch, we pray, no longer in the secret of our hearts, but as a great crowd on the move, following the risen Jesus Christ, each one lighting the way for the other”.]
In retrospect from participating in the Feast Day Celebrations, were some of us privileged enough to “get a glimpse” or feel a tinge of this “experience and encounter” with God? Did it help us to be more thankful for our blessings and channel some focus and thoughts for others? Did it help us to ‘find God’ in the midst of our busyness or through our constant ‘touches’ of our cell phones or references to our internet searches?
Listening to the Triduum & Feast Day messages, praying, pondering and joining in the procession, one could not help but reflect on God’s magnificence, His all-surpassing grandeur, greatness and breath-taking glory. Let us with renewed hope of possible opportunities to recapture in our hearts and minds a “similar scene, feeling or experience” of God’s assurance (through Our Lord Jesus Christ and Our Blessed Mother) and to envisage future annual Feast Days at the start of each New Year, bringing ourselves and others closer to Christ and to His Mother.
Thanks be to God!!
(Click here to browse the album of photos contributed by parishioners who were present)