AKTIVITI PMG BAHASA MALAYSIA KE ARAH PERAYAAN HARI PAROKI ST. DOMINIC, LAHAD DATU

Oleh Sebastian Francis

Lahad Datu -  Sempena menyambut hari Paroki Gereja St.Dominic pada 4hb Ogos kelak, sub-komiti Pertemuan Minggu Gembira telah mengadakan aktiviti-aktiviti untuk para pelajar PMG. Antara aktiviti-aktiviti tersebut ialah :

KUIZ ALKITAB ( 14 JULAI 2013 )

Kuiz ini diadakan sempena Minggu Alkitab. Kuiz ini disertai para pelajar kelas 4 dan 5. Antara soalan kuiz ialah mengenai perjanjian lama, perjanjian baru dan mengenai sejarah gereja St.Dominic.

PERTANDINGAN MEWARNA DAN MELUKIS ( 21 JULAI 2013 )

Seperti tahun sebelumnya, pertandingan mewarna dan melukis diadakan sekali lagi. Pertandingan ini dibahagikan kepada tiga kategori.  Para pelajar dari kelas 1-3 diberi tugasan untuk mewarna gambar. Tema gambar bagi kelas 1 ialah ‘Yesus mengasihi kanak-kanak’. Manakala tema gambar bagi kelas 2 dan 3 ialah ‘Khamis Putih’. Bagi kelas 4 dan 5, para pelajar boleh memilih untuk melukis dan mewarna di antara 3 tema iaitu ‘Gereja-ku St.Dominic’, ‘ Tubuh dan Darah Kristus’ atau ‘Yesus wafat di kayu salib’.

 

 Antara pemenang pertandingan mewarna/melukis.

SUKANEKA ( 28 JULAI 2013 )

Sukaneka PMG terbuka kepada semua pelajar dari kelas 1-6. Sebanyak 10 permainan diadakan. Antara permainan yang diadakan ialah mengisi belon dengan air, bawa belon, membina piramid menggunakan tin, susun doa, lompat dalam guni. Selain itu, pertandingan makan epal juga dibuat sebagai game bonus. Tidak ketinggalan para ibubapa turut berada di persekitaran sukaneka untuk memberi sokongan kepada anak-anak mereka. Sukaneka bermula pada 11 pagi dan berakhir pada 2 petang. Di akhir sukaneka, penyampaian hadiah bagi para pemenang telah disampaikan oleh Penyelaras PMG BM dan Ibubapa yang terpilih. Secara tidak langsung, sukaneka ini juga mengeratkan hubungan antara para pelajar, ibubapa dan para pembimbing yang telah bersama-sama menjayakan sukaneka ini.

St. Mary's Cathedral Sandakan English Sunday School Celebrates Bible Sunday

Terrence Ngui,

Diocesan SOCCOM

Sandakan : Approximately two hundred twenty students and teachers converged at the newly opened Diocesan Pastoral And Worship Centre on Sunday, 14th July 2013. This is the first time that such an event was organised to mark Bible Sunday for the English Sunday School. This being the 'Year of Faith' makes it more special as it is hoped that such an event may create a greater awareness of the Word of God and a deeper desire to learn more about our Lord through the Bible.

The teachers started gathering at the Hall at 8.30 am and registration started almost immediately. The "Bible Sunday Camp" activity involved a DVD show on the Bible from the Book of Genesis to the Battle of Jericho. Students from level one to ten participated in the video show.

After the video show, students from level six to ten stayed back for the second part of the program. These involved a slide show on the Bible Sunday theme "Senses of Scriptures". After lunch, the students were broken up into seven groups for workshop sessions reflecting on the video show in relation to the Bible. All the groups gave a good and animated presentations of their discussion.

The program rounded off with a Bible Quiz which was enthusiastically participated. The students broke camp by 5.00 pm and despite technical set backs of the air conditioners, it was a well participated event.

Getting ready for the show

Groups with the result of their discussion.

Winners of the Bible Quiz

MARRIAGE IS A SACRED VOCATION

Julita, SOCCOM Tawau

Tawau : When God created male and female, and called them in  union as husband and wife, His purpose is none other than to continue His love through another creation of life or to be the co-creator of God. Married couple united in the Sacrament of Matrimony is the reflection of God's faithfulness in each couple for God Himself is present in their life.

The Christian Family Life Ministry (CLFM) of Holy Trinity Parish Tawau organized a one-day Parish level Marriage Enrichment themed 'Oneness in Marriage' on 20th July 2013. 170 participants comprising 85 couples attended the event to enrich and deepen their understanding of marriage life.

The program began with the Enthronement of the Bible  followed with morning prayer led by Sr. Tauria fsic. The CFLM chairman Bro. Mario Domingo gave a briefing on the flow of the day's event, the format,the aims and purpose.

Rev. Fr. Charles Chew of the Keningau Diocese was the main facilitator assisted by members of the CFLM Committee. The topics presented by Fr Charles touched on God’s Purpose on Marriage, The Sacredness of Marriage Vocation and Intimacy in marriage. Julita presented on 'The Joy of married life' while the Reconciliation session was handled by Jocelyn and John. The input session began with an introduction of the Document on Lumen Fidei related to Family Life.

Fr Charles elaborated the document on Lumen Fidei ( Family and Faith #52 and 54 ). 'This union is born of their love, as a sign and presence of God’s own love, and of the acknowledgment and acceptance of the goodness of sexual differentiation, whereby spouses can become one flesh (cf. Gen 2:24) and are enabled to give birth to a new life, a manifestation of the Creator’s goodness, wisdom and loving plan' inspired most participants especially when recalling their call in marriage life. It continues to say, 'the relationship between husband and wife indeed is a promising love that is eternal to enable them to gain grace , faithfulness and to surrender their journey in the hand of the lord.'.

'Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love. Faith also helps us to grasp in all its depth and richness the begetting of children, as a sign of the love of the Creator who entrusts us with the mystery of a new person. So it was that Sarah, by faith, became a mother, for she trusted in God’s fidelity to his promise.' (cf. Heb 11:11).

Lumen Fidei (54) ..In the family, faith accompanies every age of life, beginning with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is so important that within their families, parents encourage shared expressions of faith which can help children gradually mature in their own faith.

Encountering Christ, letting themselves be caught up in and guided by his love, enlarges the horizons of existence, gives it a firm hope which will not disappoint. Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives. It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love. It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based on God’s faithfulness which is stronger than our every weakness.

The bond between husband and wife based on faith, hope and charity is the driving force of their Christian life, as it advances toward their full communion with God as to live their faith as well to share it and to transfer it to their children.

Fr. Charles concluded the session by highlighting the Art of Intimacy which could be wisely adapted within married couples:

• Become intimate with yourself -Our ability to accept others rests upon our acceptance of the plurality of selves within us.
• Face your aloneness - When we refuse to accept our aloneness, we transfer to those we love the responsibility of solving our problems, making us happy and keeping us safe from things that might go wrong.
• Learn to listen - Your relationships will change in radical ways when you give up having answers and take up learning to listen.
• Straight Talk - Without honesty there is no closeness. We need to say as clearly as we can what we feel, what we want, what pleases and displeases us.
• Choose intimacy - If you want to be close to people, you have to make a conscious decision to make it a priority in your life. And more important, be sensitive to those times when someone needs you to be present to them.
• Take your time - Intimacy develops at its own pace. It is not instant, the intimate relationships that are solid enough to withstand the battering of circumstances and crises may take nearly a life time to create
• .Choose carefully - Not everyone is ready to pay the price in energy, time, imagination and commitment.
• Expect to be afraid and to fall regularly -True intimacy comes only after we discover, after many failures, that we can never take away each others loneliness, fill the void in the bottom of the heart, banish tragedy or take away the shadow of death.

Session ended at 4.30 pm with Fr Charles blessing all couples. The seminar closed with an “AGAPE NIGHT “ at one of the popular restaurants in Tawau. It aimed to unite all couples to build up the 'Holy Trinity One Big Family' motto.

圣经主日举办圣经问答比赛

  By Edward Koh, SOCCOM Tawau

（斗湖讯）圣经小组于7月14日也就是圣经主日举办问答比赛。这项比赛也是本堂区其中一项常年活动。当天总共吸引超过90为教友来自不同团体参赛。在还没开始前，先以歌唱赞美作为开端过后比赛分为A，B, C三组进行问答比赛。所有参与者拿出最好的状态，绞尽脑汁以最快的方式抢答。每一组答对都会获得3分满分。最令人啼笑皆非莫过于邀请神父与修女们来个双双对决。结果当然是略高一筹的神父赢得。不过神父也展现他忍让的精神让修女们顺利回答。在耗时1个小时半的比赛中，B组最终获得胜利。最后筹委会邀请David A Garaman神父颁发奖品给所有优胜者。

CFM Media Statement: Christians Appalled by Statements of MB and Minister

Catholic Students' Campus Gathering 2013

DS / st

LAHAD DATU : The first Catholic Students' Campus Gathering (CSCG) was held on 12th July to 14th July 2013 at St. Dominic's Chruch, Lahad Datu. Eleven participants from the various colleges from around the Diocese of Sandakan participated the three-day and two-night program conducted by the Campus Ministry of the Diocesan Youth Apostolate.

There are some 250 Catholic students in six higher institutions of learning in our diocese. Many of whom are from other arch / dioceses. The objectives of the program is to gather and build friendship between the students -  inviting them to share, learn, and strengthen their faith journey as a Catholic student.

Upon arrival on the first day, 12th July 2013 participants were feted to dinner prepared by the Parish Catholic Women's Apostolate of Lahad Datu. A 'praise and worship' session was conducted right after dinner, followed with personal reflection.

On the second day 13th July 2013, we started the day with a mass celebrated by Fr. Simon Kontou. In his homily he reminded us, that as Christian, we should not be afraid whenever or wherever someone questions our faith. All we need to do, is to know our faith. Students who are living in campus will hear alot from others and that is why it is important for them to know our Catholic faith ~ thoroughly and in depth.

Before proceeding to the next session, they were invited to play a game. They were divided into two groups and were asked to cover their eyes and draw the human body parts by listening to their group mates instructions. From here, they learned that it is important to listen and to be loyal in whatever ways. After the game, they were brought to the 'expectation check' slot. They were asked to "cook" a delicious chicken soup where they had to put their chicken (expectation) into the pot, followed by flavoring (ways to accomplish their expectation). It was a very fruitful session because they got to listen to each other and from there, they were able to help one another to achieve their expectation. The second session was, an introduction to the Campus Ministry at the parish level, shared by Esther Albert followed by the introduction of the Campus Ministry at the Diocesan Level and the Malaysian Catholic Youth Ministers Committee (MCYMC), shared by Anna Teresa. In the afternoon, they were given time to share about the challenges they face in their institutions. It was informative and an eye opener for all of us who listened.

In the late afternoon it was time for an outdoor activity called "Blind Snake". Group members were asked to cover their eyes except for the group leader who was standing behind the group. They were not allowed to talk except to wait for hand language. Example, tap three times mean walk forward and tap once to stop. From there, they learned to trust each other. There are times we might misunderstood or doubt but it is important to trust each other with confidence.

The last session in the evening was talking about their rights as a student. It is important to know our rights as we are now living in a very challenging world. After the session, everyone went to the chapel for the taize prayer. 

On the last day, Sunday 14th July 2013 all participants attended mass and had breakfast fellowship at the canteen together with fellow members of the Parish Youth Apostolate. Before ending the program, all of us sat together and shared about how the program has affected us. The program ended at around 12.00 noon.