Asian Youth! Wake Up! The Glory of the Martyrs Shines on You. - Part 3 (The Daejon Experience)

BY DS / st
Day 4 - 'Let's Walk Along with Jesus and the Martyrs

On 16th August, the day began with a mass. In the afternoon, delegates took a two-hour bus ride to Hanseo University. The young people experienced the spirit of the martyrs as they walked 5 KM following the same route that the Korean martyrs had walked towards the place of their execution, Haemi Castle. It was a time for the young people to reflect on their own faith and their commitment to God. 

In the 19th century, Catholics in Korea were persecuted as state criminals. In 1790 to 1880, around 3000 Catholics in Naepo region were arrested and some were sent to superior courts of Hongju, Kongju and Seoul and some were executed in Haemi. Only about 70 were known and only God knows the rest of the martyrs. 

Haemi Castle is also known as "The Graves of the Unknown Martyrs." On this day, young people learned about the passion and the courage of the martyrs. The day ended with the final festival symbolizing resurrection.

Day 5 - Go Into the Whole World and Proclaim the Gospel
On the last day, 17th August, delegates assembled with their country-mates to share on the AYD final statement, shared earlier by the representatives from each country. In the afternoon, delegates traveled to Haemi Castle and had the Closing Mass presided over by Pope Francis. The Pope told the young people that they are the heirs of a great testimony and also a precious witness to Christ. 

The pontiff said that the young people have the right and a duty to take full part in the life of societies. He also mentioned on the presence of the Holy Spirit given to the young people during Baptism and sealed within them at Confirmation, they can appreciate the many positive values of the diverse Asian cultures. He urged them to discern and differentiate what is incompatible with Catholic faith. 

 "Youths" are not only a part of the future of the Church but they are also a necessary and beloved part of the Church’s present. Pope Francis also reminded the young people to keep close to one another and draw even closer to God and be a Church which loves and worships God by seeking to serve the poor, the lonely and the marginalized. 

He challenged the young people to “Wake up!” - be assured of God’s love and go out to the world so that, “by the mercy shown to you”, they, your friends, co-workers, neighbors, countrymen, everyone on this great continent – “may now receive the mercy of God” (cf. Rom 11:31). It is by his mercy that we are saved".

It is the Pope's hope that, in union with Christ and the Church, the young people will be vigilant, not to allow the pressures, the temptations and the sins of themselves or others to dull their sensitivity to the beauty of holiness, to the joy of the Gospel.

"Let us turn to our Mother Mary, who brought Jesus to the world. In your maternal affection help us to bring him to others, to serve him faithfully, and to honor him in every time and place, in this country and throughout Asia. Amen".

By coming together in Daejon, it has doubled the young people blessings because of the presence of our dearly Pope Francis. His message is a wake up call for all the youths and the exposure during AYD has somehow strengthen the faith of young people. Being with the Pope and receiving blessing has boosted their confidence as Catholic youths. AYD is also a call for the youth to strengthen their faith in God and the Catholic church. 

The next Asian Youth Day (AYD) will be held in 2017 in Indonesia!

Asian Youth! Wake Up! The Glory of the Martyrs Shines on You. - Part 2 (The Daejon Experience)

BY DS / st
DAY 1 AT DAEJON  ~ 'COME AND SEE'

After the 3-day 'Days in the Diocese' program, the young people convened at Daejon - a place which holds the bloodiest history of Catholic Martyrdom. It is also a home to the greatest concentration of Catholic Shrines. On the 12th of August, the youths came together at the Solmoe Shrine where the first Korean Catholic Priest was born, St. Andrew Kim Dae Geon, to celebrate the Opening Mass with Bishop Lazzaro You Heung Sik, the Bishop of Daejon Diocese. The prelate shared on the history of St. Andrew Kim Dae Geon and encouraged the young people to follow the footsteps of the  martyr. 

"Only through faith and joy of the gospel, in solidarity with one another we will make our dreams come true" - Bishop Lazzaro.

DAY 2 AT DAEJON - 'LET'S DISCOVER THE ROOT OF OUR FAITH'

Exhibition by each country 

On the second day at Daejon, 13th August 2014, the program started with a play, acted out by the Azariah's Youth Mission. The play portrayed how the Catholic Church began in Korea. Through the effort and prayer of lay people in Korea, the Catholic faith spread far and wide. The play also embodied the spirit of the early believers of Jesus in Korea and their desire to learn about Him.  In the afternoon, the youths in their assigned groups shared about their faith journey, followed by mass. A group of young adults, calling themselves GEN led the closing prayer. GEN stands for new generation, which is spread across 180 countries around the world.

Day 3 AT DAEJON - 'Youth, Knock!'

On the third day, 14th August 2014 the program commenced with a mass followed by a workshop. The focus of the workshop was on the meaning of martyrdom in connection with their life. They shared about the form of contemporary persecutions and what they should do as young Christians. The workshops were in the form of lecture, skill building and also witnessing. 

In the afternoon, delegates gathered once again at Solmoe Shrine to meet Pope Francis. During the first gathering of the young people in Solmoe Shrine, three young people from South Korea, Hong Kong and Cambodia shared their struggles in life. The challenges faced by many young people in their respective country, disturbed and shaken in their Catholic faith, prompted them to question about their identity, 

Pope Francis responded to their sharing by reminding the young people that Christ is knocking at the door of their heart. He asked them to go out from their comfort zone and knock on the doors of other people’s hearts, inviting them to welcome Him into their lives. He urged them to rise, to be alert, and to see the things in life that really matter. 

Pope Francis also reminded the young people that the Church is meant to be the seed of unity for the whole human family because in Christ, all nations and peoples are called to unity which does not destroy diversity but acknowledges, reconciles and enriches it. He also mentioned that, we are weak and prone to doing wrong things but rest assured that the Father is always there waiting for us. God never tires of forgiving and he never stop waiting for us.

AYD comes as a hope to the young people. The presence of the Holy Father Pope Francis, cardinals, bishops, priests and religious brothers and sisters assures us that the Church is here to take care of us and we are safe in the hands of Jesus Christ, surrounded by the witness and glory of the martyrs.

CFM MEDIA STATEMENT -'WE MUST CONTINUE TO HOPE

CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA (PERSEKUTUAN  KRISTIAN  MALAYSIA)

26 Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Telephone / Fax : + 60 3 7957 1457

Email: c fmsia@yahoo.co.uk

26th August 2014

CFM MEDIA STATEMENT

MERDEKA DAY AND MALAYSIA DAY 2014

“WE MUST CONTINUE  TO HOPE”

This year we commemorate the 57th Anniversary of Merdeka and the 51st anniversary of the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia. The Christian community in Malaysia has always counted it a blessing to be part of the great moments and milestones of our shared history as a nation.

Our experience of this past year, however, has been marred by the painful memory of two incidences; first, our sacred Scriptures being seized from the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia and second, the refusal of the Federal Court to grant leave to the Roman Catholic Church to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal in the Herald case. We continue to be concerned for the status of the seized Bibles and the outcome of other cases pending in the courts related to the use of the word “Allah” by Christians.

In addition to these, we are also witnessing an escalation in ethnic and religious extremism, where unchecked sectarian forces of hatred and bigotry, often fuelled by misinformation and misinterpretation, lies and inflammatory speeches, are ripping apart the social fabric of our nation that had been built on the principles of moderation and multi-culturalism. We believe that all Malaysians truly have cause for concern.

Given the many challenges we are facing today, and compounded by insensitive and illogical statements and pronouncements by some members of the government and governing political parties and by the pursuit of economic policies that only add to the rising cost of living, it is not surprising that many have succumbed to pessimism and cynicism. If we are to survive as a united nation, if we are to keep hope alive for our common future, we must all resist and oppose these destructive forces. All who succumb to fear and despair eventually become enemies of hope. On the other hand, we must also avoid naïve and false optimism that comes from ignorance and indifference or an intentional act of sweeping important issues under the carpet.

What then is this genuine hope?

• Genuine hope has a cost as it is not about peace of mind or absence of strife.

• Genuine hope demands the courage to take risks, the moral will to carry through our convictions and the active resisting of the forces of destruction, hate and violence.

• Genuine hope is never the denial of truth, the sober realities of life, the rot and corruption that infects our society. Genuine hope must expose the veil of lies, fraud and deception that are often used to coerce and subjugate minds through misinformation and fear.

• Genuine hope sees a future in authentic dialogue, affirmation, humility and mutual respect.

• Genuine hope demands for others what we demand for ourselves.

• Genuine hope does not separate ‘us’ from ‘them’ but sees all as “one”.

And every act that imparts hope is a victory in itself.

And so we call on all Malaysians to recommit themselves to a common collaboration to save Malaysia from the forces of bigotry, religious extremism and racial polarisation.

KITA MESTI TERUS BERHARAP

CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA (PERSEKUTUAN  KRISTIAN  MALAYSIA)

26 Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Telefon / Faks : + 60 3 7957 1457

Emel: c fmsia@yahoo.co.uk

26hb Ogos 2014

KENYATAAN MEDIA CFM

HARI MERDEKA DAN HARI MALAYSIA 2014

“KITA MESTI TERUS BERHARAP”

Tahun ini, kita memperingati Ulang Tahun Merdeka yang ke-57 dan ulang tahun penubuhan Persekutuan Malaysia yang ke-51. Masyarakat Kristian di Malaysia sentiasa menganggap ia suatu rahmat untuk berkongsi detik-detik dan peristiwa- peristiwa penting sepanjang sejarah kita sebagai satu negara.

Walau bagaimanapun, pengalaman kami sepanjang tahun ini tercalar akibat dua kejadian; pertamanya, perampasan Kitab Suci kami daripada premis Pertubuhan Bible Malaysia dan keduanya, keengganan Mahkamah Persekutuan untuk memberi kebenaran kepada Gereja Roman Katolik untuk merayu terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan terhadap kes Herald. Kami terus bimbang tentang status kitab suci yang dirampas dan kesudahan beberapa kes-kes mahkamah yang belum diputuskan berhubung dengan penggunaan kalimah “Allah” oleh umat- umat Kristian.

Tambahannya, kita juga menyaksikan peningkatan di dalam fahaman pelampau perkauman dan keagamaan, di mana puak-puak dengan kebencian dan pemikiran sempit sering dimarakkan oleh maklumat palsu dan penyalahtafsiran; dusta dan ucapan-ucapan yang mengapi-apikan merobek susunan kemasyarakatan negara kita yang telah dibina di atas prinsip kesederhanaan dan kepelbagaian budaya. Kita percaya semua rakyat Malaysia sesungguhnya turut merasa bimbang.

Memandangkan pelbagai cabaran yang sedang kita hadapi hari ini, tambahan dengan kenyataan dan pengumuman kurang sensitif dan kurang logik daripada sesetengah anggota kerajaan serta parti politik yang mentadbir, juga menerusi pemacuan dasar ekonomi yang hanya menambahkan kos sara hidup, maka ia tidak menghairankan apabila ramai telah menunduk kepada pandangan pesimis dan sinis. Sekiranya kita ingin terus bertahan sebagai sebuah negara yang bersatu, dan ingin mempertahankan harapan untuk masa depan bersama, kita semua mesti melawan dan menentang pengaruh-pengaruh yang membinasakan ini. Semua yang menyerah kepada ketakutan dan kekecewaan akan menjadi musuh harapan.

Sebaliknya, kita mesti mengelakkan kenaifan dan optimis palsu yang berpunca daripada kejahilan dan sikap acuh tak acuh ataupun perbuatan sengaja bagi menutup isu-isu yang penting.

Apakah itu harapan sejati?

• Harapan sejati melibatkan pengorbanan kerana ia tidak berkisar pada kedamaian minda atau ketiadaan persengketaan.

• Harapan sejati menuntut keberanian untuk mengambil risiko, tekad moral untuk terus setia dengan pegangan kita serta melawan secara aktif

terhadap pengaruh-pengaruh binasa, kebencian dan keganasan.

• Harapan sejati tidak sesekali menafikan kebenaran, hakikat kehidupan yang suram, pereputan dan kerasuahan yang menjangkiti masyarakat kita.

Harapan sejati mesti mendedahkan selubung dusta, penipuan dan tipu

daya yang sering digunakan untuk memaksa dan menakluki minda menerusi maklumat palsu dan ketakutan.

• Harapan sejati nampak masa depan adalah terletak pada perbincangan yang bermakna, penerimaan sesama sendiri, kerendahan hati dan saling

menghormati.

• Harapan sejati menuntut untuk orang lain apa yang kita tuntut untuk diri kita.

• Harapan sejati tidak memisahkan “kita” daripada “mereka” tetapi menganggap semua sebagai “satu”. Dan setiap tindakan yang memberi

harapan merupakan satu kemenangan.

Justerunya, kami menyeru kepada semua rakyat Malaysia untuk memberi komitmen baru kepada kerjasama padu demi menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada pengaruh pemikiran sempit, fahaman agama pelampau dan perpecahan kaum.