PENANG DIOCESAN LENTEN CAMPAIGN FORMATION SESSION
The Diocese of Penang is all set once again to launch its annual Lenten Campaign. Youth and Parish Human Development Committee (PHDC) members from parishes will be mobilized to from the Love Squad Team for the Campaign.
To facilitate the Love Squad to run the Campaign, formation sessions were held at District levels from 13 Jan. to 12 Feb. The staff of Penang Office for Human Development (POHD) and Penang Diocesan Youth Network (PDYN) conducted the formation.
The formation consisted of two parts; first part was the spiritual input and the second part was where the explanation of what is the Lenten Campaign and how to run it, were dispensed to the Love Squad members.
At the Penang island district, the formation was held on 12 Feb at the Diocesan Centre. About 80 people turned up which consisted mainly of youth, and including some members of Parish Human Development Committee and St Vincent de Paul Society.
The spiritual input was given by POHD staff, Mr Belevendrin Joseph. He liken Lent to as a period of STOP-LOOK-GO, where the participants are called to stop what they are doing, what they had been busy with, and make a review, then look around and see what they can change, what they can contribute and finally go celebrate Easter. However, he said that we have to be ‘Good Friday people’ first before we celebrate Easter.
Sr Gertrude Tan, Sudhagaran Stanley, James Aman, were the other two staff who gave the spiritual input at other districts.
Sr Gertrude focus on who are the poor and the needy, why we should help them and how we can help them.
She said that in Mark 14:7, it stated that the poor and needy will always be with us and it is our duty to help them. However, she said, that God had promised there will be no poor among us (Deut 15:4-5) if we only obeyed him completely.
“God himself is the best example of one who cares for the poor.” she said, “In Jeremiah 22:16, he tells us that he defended the cause of the poor and the needy, and in 1 Samuel 2:8, he stated he will lift up the poor and the needy.”
“Why should we help the poor?” she continued, “The poor are fellow human beings, flesh and blood people just like us. Jesus said before in Mark 14:7, that those who have plenty will have the opportunity for generosity.
She said that as Christians, we should be overwhelmed by God’s concern for the poor, weak and marginalized through the Bible. God cares for them and is their protector and provider. God is at work to provide help for the poor and needy. He helps them through people who are called by Him.
“Thus you see, God is calling you! Yes, you!” stressed Sr Gertrude, “You are called by him today to help the poor and the needy. You are also called to be his witnesses. Check out Psalm 41:1-3 and Proverbs 19:17 – these are the promises of God for those who help the poor.”
After the spiritual input, the objective of the Lenten Campaign were explained. The participants also get ideas on how to run the campaign before they broke into their own parishes to plan for activities during the six weeks of Lent.
= by Lucia Lai (appeared in the Herald of 26 Feb. 2012)