Day 1: Stay Awake and Be Alert
Flag Raising
The 1st day of Novena began with raising the Malaysian flag and singing the ‘Negaraku’ to show solidarity and patriotism as one nation.
Fr. Dom said we have three things to be grateful for today:
- It is the 1st day of Novena
- Our wonderful country
- Gift of children
Homily
This evening, Fr. Dom reminded the parishioners to stay awake and be alert of the temptations.
He narrated a short story: One day a bird flying in the air spotted a small moving object. Descending closer to the scene, it saw a cat dragging a small bag with worms for sale. Having interest in the object, the bird asked how much it would cost to buy the worms. The cat replied, “3 sumptuous worms for 3 feathers”. Willingly the bird gave its 3 feathers and took a flight. Having tasted the sweet worms, the bird was tempted to have more and so came back to buy more. Only this time, the bird had less feathers for a quick take off and was pounced on by the cat to be eaten.
Fr. Dom, explained that temptation can lead to destruction. Likewise in today’s reading, the 5 foolish brides did not complete their task. They brought their lamp but did not fill their oil. So, the temptation here is that we too tend to cut corners. The brides also did not stay put but instead went elsewhere looking for oil. We too are similarly not living in the present but are caught up multitasking- a common scene where families at dinner are seen clinging on to the phones instead of relishing the moments with their loved ones.
Finally, he said that for the world the cross may seem foolish, explaining the 1st reading from St. Paul to the Corinthians (1:17-25) but for us, the cross is a symbol of help because it was on the cross that Jesus gave Mary to his disciple as his mother. The cross is also a promise of paradise as the thief was pardoned and promised heaven while hanging on the cross.
Blessing of Children
Both Fr. Dom and Fr. Louis laid hands on the little children and blessed them.