Flashback: Malaysia Day Double Celebration

St Simon Catholic Church Likas Sunday School students ushered in the Catechetical Sunday 2012 with the theme of “Rooted, Built Up and Firm in Faith” on Malaysia Day, Sept 16.

During Mass earlier, the congregation joined the parish Rector Rev Fr Cosmas Lee in celebrating the Eucharist in Bahasa Malaysia in conjunction with  Malaysia Day. “There is no place like home,” Fr Cosmas said in his homily as he recalled the words of overseas Sabahans who met him recently. The words of St Paul, “Faith rooted in and built on the person of Jesus Christ” (Col. 2:7), ring home as Fr Cosmas talked about these homesick Sabahans who grew up here before leaving for countries like Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom to pursue their careers or build a family there.At the end of the day, it all comes down to the roots of these overseas Sabahans’ origin, he said, adding that they remember the place they grew up in.

Similarly, Fr Cosmas said the “first catechists” – parents – are responsible in ensuring that their children are rooted and nurtured in the Christian faith. When these children grow up, they will remember where their faith was sown – in the family.

Following Mass, the Sunday School students aged between 7 and 17 proceeded to the parish hall for the presentation of their artworks. Their works featured scriptural favourites comprising “God is our creator”, “Original sin and salvation – Noah’s Ark”, “Nativity”, “Last Supper”, “Passion and Death of Jesus”, “Resurrection” and “Adoration and the Sacraments”.

According to the event organizer Anne Wong, the programme began with an opening prayer led by Fr Cosmas. He then blessed the parents, including all the Sunday School teachers who Fr Cosmas calls the “parents’ supporting catechists”. The students also sang the song “Cornerstone” chosen by their Sunday School teachers weeks before the event.