Tawau : Harvest Festival or popularly known as Pesta Kaamatan is celebrated by the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut community in Sabah at the beginning of May each year, marking the end of the paddy planting cycle.. In conjunction with that, the HTC TUKAD (Kadazan and Dusun) community, organized a Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday, 2nd May 2010 at Holy Trinity Church, presided by Fr. Philip Muji, the assistant parish priest attended by some 500 parishioners.
The annual celebration is organized to gather the people together to give thanks and praise to God Almighty for His abundant blessings.
During his homily, Fr. Philip touched on life as a Christian, to be forgiving, caring and loving at all time following the new commandment, 'Love one another, as I have loved you.' This commandment will be the bond that will keep the people of God together.He urged the faithful to lead an exemplary life of humbleness and faithfulness and giving thanks to God in all circumstances so that the world will see Christ in our midst.
He connected the celebration to that of the paddy which symbolizes faith and as it ripens, is likened to maturity in faith. One who attains maturity in faith ought to be more humble.
After the Mass, all faithful adjourned to the Parish Hall for a luncheon fellowship and also entertainment.
In his address, Fr. Philip mentioned that the thanksgiving celebration is comparable to that of the old traditional rite of the Kadazan and Dusun community, instead of giving praise to the spirit of the paddy (Bobohizan) after harvest time, we now give thanks and praise to Jesus Christ, our Lord. for the blessings showered upon all people of God. 
Mario Domingo, the PPC Chairman, Thadeus Sibir and Edward Nuing the Tukad Coordinator and Chairman respectively, shared that parishioners, living in the big Catholic community must strive to live together in unity. It is pertinent to accept one another in the real sense of brotherhood and sisterhood., sharing blessings with one another.
Julita
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when I see our priest in his siga, I remember those days before Vatican II, where the priest will wear biretta (some sort of square hat) during procession before starting the Mass...
ReplyDeleteheheh...have nothing to do with this entry, but anyway, a blessed Harvest festival to all Sabahan Catholics~!
Aramai ti!