The day I went to the wrong church and received claps from a whole church

Dear Sons

You know your mader lah…..She can get lost in MidValley’s toilet. She can get lost in Komtar carpark. And today, she even managed to get lost in a taxi.

So, I am supposed to meet someone at St. Francis Xavier’s church in PJ. I thought I know where it is. So, hop on a taxi, tell the Malay taxi driver, itu gereja dekat Assunta. Cheh….so confident, kan?

I got to Assunta alright…but that’s not SFX! It is Assumption Church. Doh….poor taxi man gotta ran down from his taxi and cross a road to ask an Indian woman for direction.

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Meter showed RM7.50. And lucky the Indian lady knows where is SFX. So, taxi man took me to SFX. Meter now shows RM9.90.

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**here private chat with sons, only, ok?*

And you know lah..biasalah…go to Catholic church macam like going to funeral likedat. No one look at you. No one smile at you. And though I was fumbling around the shelves, wondering if I need to take the hymn books and such, no one comes to help this stranger too.

So, mass was ok because the hymns are about the same as our CHS. I didn’t get the name of the priest but I like his homily.

Then, usual lah, mass ended. Mana tau…the commentator suddenly said, “Do we have anyone who is here for the first time?” I pun terlompat because must be truthful mah. They asked me to stand up. Adoi….malu nyerrrrrrr…The whole church gave the welcome lah. All clap lah. So, I thought when mass ended, people sure come by and ask this stranger where I hail from. Tarak punnnn….semua buat tak nampak juga.

Moral of the story, always carry a smile to church.

30 thoughts on “The day I went to the wrong church and received claps from a whole church

  1. Hah!!!! That’s my church in PJ!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can see my friend there in your photo! The priest can be Father OC Lim, with white hair. Father Simon, botak head one. Or Father Aloysius, very young one.

    jerine´s last blog post..While I was away…

  2. jerine – The priest walks with a limp and talks with a Mandarin slang. But during homily, his voice is rather powerful. Paradox of the cross, I am strong when I am weak….I like that part.

  3. “Going to church is like going to a funeral”
    Well put to the point Lilian. Even after every mass on Sunday after the “Sign of Peace” the so call “Catholics” seem to be at at the world of their own,and do not give “eye”contact to fellow Catholics on their way out after mass.
    I would SUGGEST that the “Sign of Peace”be delited at all masses.if Catholics are so “cool” to each other.

  4. I know it was a bit early, the place looked deserted. You did not see anything flying – like a carpet ?

  5. “Sign of Peace be delited at all masses”
    The Catholic Church should my NOW notice how Catholics behave in church, during and after mass.
    Rev Anthony of Penang please take note of such things happening in the church and bring the subject up at the next Bishop meeting with fellow Bishops all over Asian.I have met Bis.Anthony many a time personally while in Penang and find him HUMBLE and DOWN TO EARTH.not like the other catholics.and prist who walk with their noses in the air after the “sign of peace” What a shame to us Catholics who do not have eyes contact and give a “COLD” look to other after mass.at times I wish I was not born a Catholic.

  6. Dear Lilian,

    I apologise for our SFX Church appearing so unfriendly. Normally we would have a person coming to you to welcome you from our Building Bridges group. If Fr OC Lim was presiding he would have had a conversation with you at the pulpit while our Parish Priest Father Simon would have asked the people around you to welcome you. We acknowledge that Catholics are rather cold but we are not sombong. Next time you visit do have a cup of coffee at the porch and talk to us. We hope you find us more friendly. Keep up the good work. God bless. Lawrence Loh

  7. Sombong is the correct word to use on Sunday Catholic.
    On one Sunday after giving a “Sign of Peace” to fellow Catholic during mass. OMG after mass we happen to be parking our cars side by side.For your interest the “sombong” & snob Catholic whose Mac. was park next to my Mini give me a “COLD” look though I give a “smile” to him and his.Just because he drive a Mac. does not make him any better than me.What say you fellow Catholics?

  8. Friend of Penang:
    Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit,
    Blessed are the Mini drivers, DVD sellers and movie downloaders.

  9. I’m sorry, I know I’m not suppose to spam, but please everyone… please pray for Father OC Lim (SFX PJ). He’s in ICU right now having immediate surgery

  10. These comment will be done with, GONE and FORGETTEN by the next Sunday mass for all Catholics SOMBONG who attend mass like attending a “FUNERAL”.(vide Lilian dd 5th July 2009)who got the “ball”rowing in the first place.

  11. @Friend of Penang, as a Catholic, I’m not really happy with your comments. Whether the person sombong or not it’s really that particular person’s attitude. It has nothing to do with religion. You have Muslims who are sombong, you have Hindu who are sombong, you also have Buddhist who are sombong. On the other hand, you have friendly people from every religion. I hope you don’t categorize the whole religion followers as sombong, just because there are one or two Catholics who didn’t reach out to other people.

  12. “JERINE”–I “belive” I know you from Jalan Hashim. You are one of the “sombong” priest or lay person I met on many a time in Cap.Hse around the 18th. May.(every year)
    YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH MY COMMENT
    NEITHER AM I WTIH YOURS.
    So don’t try and bring other religion into this Catholic “sombong” topic. Leave the other religion out of it.We as Catholic,we should FIRST get OUR ACTS together than to say about other (religion).
    Subject close once and for all.
    GOD BLESS.

  13. @Friend of Penang, First of all, get your facts correct. I’m not a priest or whoever you claimed I am because I’m based in Australia and I don’t know where Jalan Hashim is. Let me quote you, “Parting words: LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH” Do you know parting words in mass is actually, “Go and serve the Lord”. And I quote you once again, “Sombong is the correct word to use on Sunday Catholic”. You were the one who started to talk about how “sombong” catholics are. I’m NOT dragging religion into the topic because I CLEARLY stated on my previous comment that religion has nothing to do with whether a person is sombong or not. It’s the individual attitude that makes one person sombong. Just so you know, (OMG, I’m going to start my ramblings here), when I first moved to KL, like a lost sheep. People in SFX took care of me in every aspects, not just spiritually, but at times when I was financially deprived, people in church provided me transport and food. It hurts me a lot when you say fellow Catholics are sombong because there clearly some other catholics who do care about other sheeps. I hope you show some respects to other Catholics and also readers in this blog when you’re writing your comment.

    jerine´s last blog post..Weird fruits in NZ

  14. Friend of Penang – I am being very patient, so please don’t start anything or accuse anyone about anything.

    jerine – 🙂

  15. Subject is CLOSE ONCE AND FOR ALL (Friend of Penang)dd 9th.July @4.31am. Can’t “anyone” read ANY English? You say you are from Australia.?So am I from Perth and living since the early 90’s.
    I invite you to meet me at St.Mary’s Cathedral in Victoria Sq. this very Sunday to continue our topic.(Off this web and on our own time) If you are really from Australia????
    What is you district ?????If you are really in/from Australia.???? BTY I will be doing the first reading at St. Mary’s this Sunday so you will know how to get intouch with me after mass.God Bless.

  16. Friend of Penang, I’m not interested in continuing this topic. I’m from Tasmania and I don’t see a point of flying to Perth just to talk about this matter.

    jerine´s last blog post..Weird fruits in NZ

  17. Jerine, you…. *sob sob*. I can’t believe you cheated me! You are a man (cos someone said u r a priest so I can safely assume this) but you claim to be my “sistah”, you stay in Jalan Hashim but you always get me to pick you up from Jalan Tengah, you are not from Aus but you tipu that you are flying back there tomolo…

    I felt so cheated 🙁 *sob*

    Hahhaahhaa….. Sorry, I just find this “comment war” hilarious.

  18. Dear Friend of Penang,

    First and foremost, we are the people of God. Why is all this hatred being brought up? Just because of the “sombong” feel that certain quarters of the parishioners have against you, doesn’t make the rest of them being the black sheep.

    I certainly do not wish to take sides but remember the Lord imparted his words in Luke 6:37 that “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.” Leave all the “sombong” judgment to the Ultimate Judge on our last days.

    As for the “Sign of Peace”, it is not up to us to decide if it should be delited from the Proper of the Mass as drawn out in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM).

    As a lector in the church proclaiming the Good News to the congregation in your parish of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Perth, you shouldn’t even have those “sombong” words in your mind. I am not saying that you are wrong but it is the works of the evil ones that whisper in our ears. I admit that we Catholics can be somehow not alert of our surroundings and mind you NOT all of the Catholics are as what you think. I was a parishioner in SFX for 2 1/2 years (I go to Assumption Church with my family since I was small) before I moved to Adelaide now and certainly it wasn’t as bad as you might have thought all Malaysian churches are.

    I thank you for your comment and certainly hope that it will not deter your mindset of our fellow Malaysians as very “sombong”. You were once (or still is) a Malaysian. You were born, bred and grew up in a Catholic Church in the Penang Diocese as well.

    What is more important is that we have a mission to proclaim His Good News to all the people just as the Lord says in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” and leave the minor things to the Ultimate Judge to deal at the end when He comes once again.

    ~ Peace be with you ~

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