austraLasia

By Fr. Andre Belo, SDB

Kuching, Malaysia, 14 December 2017 -- "We are in the time of Advent, preparing for the Lord Jesus who is coming to us. We wait for Him as He waits and hopes for each one of us personally to come to Him. It is the time when God comes to us, on earth, as a human person and chooses to live a simple and humble life among us. God shares his love with us all as we should share our love with Him and among ourselves. The four weeks of advent prepare us to welcome the arrival of Jesus who became man and showed us the true love: share our life with the others.

In this view, as everywhere, the people of God prepare themselves for the coming of Christmas, Jesus Christ, God-Man, God with us. Among others, the spiritual preparation takes an important and irreplaceable event in our life, as followers of Christ, as Church. During this time of advent, people of God look for the opportunity and time the Church offers for this their spiritual preparation: Confessions.

Last 3rd of December, I was asked by the Parish Priest of Kuching Cathedral to sit for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Indeed, many people of God come to prepare themselves spiritually for this coming of God.

And in Bau, St. Stephen Parish, at about 30 km from Kuching, I see many people take advantage of the presences of priests to go for confession. I transferred here, since 6th December. We are now 5 priests in this Parish. Almost every evening we go to the villages for the Sacrament of Confession. Even 3 or 4 priests sit there; sometimes it takes 2 hours to serve all the people that come for confession. Thanks be to God, I can say the Mass in Bidayuh, local language, even though the homily I preach in Bahasa Malay. I am learning Bidayuh, and hopefully soon I can preach in Bidayuh.

In general, I can say that the people of God are enthusiasm to wait for the coming of God, Christmas. They prepare themselves spiritually too in order to welcome Him, the giver of Love, the Lover. They clean and decorate their houses, chapels and churches but also they clean and decorate their hearts for the coming of God. May in this season of Advent, we truly prepare ourselves for the birth of Jesus, the coming of our Savior."

During the 148th Salesian missionary expedition were sent 3 Salesians (one Salesian Brother and two Priests) as the founding community of our new presence in Kuching - Malaysia. Before starting any specific Salesian mission (Project of St. Joseph Technical College and Vocation Training Center) Fr. Ramon Borja and Fr. Andre Belo are now studying the language (Bahasa Malay and the main local dialect (Bidayuh) spoken by majority of local ethnic minority Catholics. Br. Manuel is still in Spain to prepare for his perpetual profession next year. Your prayers for this most recent Salesian mission are requested!

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4583_First Advent experience in Kuching - Malaysia