Renew Our Hearts to Care
May our care for creation and the poor move us to action.
Lent Reflection
Watch, read and reflect on these human stories.
Reflection on
The life of a Migrant Worker
Marcel a 49 years old man from Kapang Indonesia came to Malaysia to work as a palm oil labor in Perak. He was a stranger to the place and he and his community faced many challenges before they got engaged with the Church of Scared Heart Kampar. They were totally lost and didn’t know where to seek help. They felt happy when the Parish Priest and the leaders welcomed them to the church. Marcel and his community were glad because they are able to worship God and fulfill their responsibility as Catholics by attending masses in church.
Besides that, the church also helps to treat the sick. For instance, the church helps them by sending sick people to the hospital and also helps them arrange for ambulances for emergency cases. Not only that, but the church also helps to educate their community’s children. According to Marcel, the Parish priest of the church invited all the elders from their village and held a meeting. Parish Priest said that he would renovate the hall for the children aged 5 to 6 so that the teachers could teach the children.
In order to thank the church, Marcel and his community contribute to the church during Christmas, holidays, and feast days. They offer rice, mee, or cooking oil during the mass. The priest will bless those who are in need with the goods they have contributed. Marcel feels so grateful and thankful for his future, because of the good deeds of the church, his life, career, and family are blessed with peace. Marcel also said that as a disciple of Christ, he would volunteer to help others. As long as Marcel and his community are able to help, they are willing to volunteer to help others.
See
Observe the facts, know the reality.
Judge
Use social analysis and moral values to make judgement about the facts.
Act
Plan a realistic and effective strategy to action.
Step 1: See
Q&A with Marcel
We sat with Marcel and talk about his life and how the program has changed her and her family’s life. During this Q&A session, Marcel opened up about the challenges and difficulties he had before he received the help and shared how he felt after receiving help from the church. We are truly humbled to share his incredible story with you.
My name is Marcel. I’m 49 years old. I am from kapang, Indonesia. I came to Malaysia to work as a palm oil laborer in Perak.
We faced a lot of challenges before we get in touch with the church in Kampar. We don’t know where to seek help whenever problems arise. Later, the church found us, and parish priest and leaders welcomed us to the church.
We were glad because now we are able to worship God and attend masses to fulfill our responsibility as Catholics.
Church helps us to send the sick people in our community to the hospital, for instance, they help us to arrange for ambulances. Besides that, Parish Priest also called every elder from every village to meet in church, he told us that he will renovate the church hall for our children who are 5 years and above so that the teachers can conduct a study for our children.
Normally, we will contribute to the church on Christmas, holidays, and feast days. We give rice, mee, or cooking oils when we attend masses from there our priest used it to bless other poor people in the communities.
About my hope, I already feel so grateful and thankful for the future, because of the good deeds of the church, my life, career, and family are blessed with peace.
As a disciple of Christ, whenever I hear cries for help. I would give myself willingly to help them. As long as we are able to help, we are willing to give ourselves to do His will.
Step 2: Judge
How do biblical values help us to see this reality in a different way?
Reflection based on John 11:1-45
Just as Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb and effectively raised him from the dead, Christ called Marcel out of his preoccupation with the struggles surrounding him and effectively gave him a greater calling to rise up to!
By the grace of God, Marcel evolved from a person who was part of a struggling community to a person who is now committed to worshipping the Lord with all his heart and serving Him through community.
This testimony is an invitation for you to consider the ways in which Christ is calling you out of the tomb, the dead areas of your lives that He wants to raise up and the greater calling He wants you to rise up to in service of the Church!
Step 3: Act
What action are you going to take now?
Dear brothers and sisters, and, in a special way, young people! If we want to cooperate with our heavenly Father in building the future, let us do so together with our brothers and sisters who are migrants and refugees. Let us build the future today!
- How can I be more welcoming to strangers and people who are struggling ?
- Are there people who are sick and needs prayer support or that I can visit during lent?
- Can I share my time, resources, talents and financial to help the migrant, orang asli, refugees communities that need help? In what way can I make a difference in their lives?
- Are there silent cries for help by people around in, my relatives, friends, neighbours where I can reach out to them?
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