"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." -- St. Augustine

This post is to update on all the countries that I have been. I praise God for this opportunity to be able to visit all these countries and to have beautiful and memorable experiences. I pray that I'll be able to go more places and cover all the continents.

I am from Malaysia. A Malaysian since 1977. 

Here are the countries that I've visited:-

A. Continent: ASIA

1. Singapore

1^st trip was when I was 3months old – 1^st Christmas.

And then yearly visits.

Residence 2005- March 2008. 

2. Indonesia 

Batam - 2005
Bali - 2017

3. Thailand 

Border towns near Malaysia (1^st visit was in  1990 & 2 other visits date not known).

Bangkok - 2004, 2017

 Chiang Mai - 2004, 2007

4. India 

Tamil Nadu – 2009, 2010, 2012.

Karnataka – 2010.

Kerala – 2012.

5. Sri Lanka 

Colombo & Jaffna -2010, 2018

6. Israel (2010)

7. Palestine Authority (2010)

8. Jordan (2010)

9. Philippines 

Manila - 1995

Resided for studies April 24, 2012 to Nov 2014.
Various times after (yearly visits)

10. Vietnam

Hanoi - 2017

  11. Cambodia

Siem Reap - 2018

12. Taiwan - 2018

 
13. UAE - Dubai (2019)
Airport Transit

 

B. Continent: AFRICA 

14. Egypt (2010)

C. Continent : EUROPE

 

 15. Italy 

Rome, Florence & Assisi - 2000.
Rome - 2016, 2019

16. Vatican City (2000, 2016, 2019)

 

17. Spain 

Madrid, Barcelona – 2011
Loyola, Avila, Salamanca, Burgos - 2019

18. France 

Paris – 2011
Lourdes - 2019

19. UK 

London Airport Transit – 2000

London  - 2011

20. Turkey 

Istanbul Airport transit twice in 2011

21. Netherlands

Amsterdam – 2016

22. Poland
Krakow - 2016

23. Czech Republic 
Prague - 2016

24. Austria
Vienna - 2016

25. Slovakia
Bratislava - 2016

26. Hungary
Budapest - 2016

27. Portugal
Fatima, Lisbon - 2019

D. Continent: OCEANIA

28. Australia 

New South Wales – 2008, 2012, 2018

"Let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns!'"(1 Chronicles 16:31)

Decalogue of Inter-Religious Dialogue.

In conjunction with Malaysia Day and since Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, I would like to share my 'Decalogue' of Inter-Religious Dialogue that I prepared as my class assignment after readings on some books on Inter-Religious Dialogue.

1.     Inter-Religious Dialogue should be the mission and characteristic of each religious groups.

2.   Inter-Religious Dialogue becomes not only a method, not only an option but a duty and necessity when all strive to recognize in each other some action of God within each religions.

3. The objectives of Inter-Religious Dialogue should be of mutual understanding and enrichment of each others' religions and a collaboration and common shared growth of each others' spirituality.

4.  Inter-Religious Dialogue should not only promote better knowledge of each other by looking at on what all agree on of each other but also where we disagree thus enabling us to be sensitive of each other.

5.    Inter-Religious Dialogue should lead one into an exploration of values which all have in common and an examination on how these values are actually rooted differently in each religious tradition and yet have a common content. 

 6.  Inter-Religious Dialogue must reach out for life, touches life and for the promotion of better life. It is in common struggle for justice and humanity that people will realize that religions could be allies against all that reduces and oppresses life.

7.      Inter-Religious Dialogue should encourage all to respect, promote and defend the freedom of every individual to profess, practice and grow in the faith through which God is manifesting God’s self to that person at the moment.

8.  In Inter-Religious Dialogue each believers have to see the other as persons and their religion as their effort to live their lives in the light of the Creator and not a system to be dissected objectively and discussed.

9.      In order for a good Inter-Religious collaboration, each religion must keep itself free from being exploited by social and political forces.

10.  Inter-Religious Dialogue should promote common involvement in social projects and encourage participation in each others' festivals, meetings and fellowships and praying together. In it through such common involvement and experience, that attitudes formed or change for the better understanding between religions.     

My God is transcendent BUT He can be so immanent too. (22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B)

Reflection for the readings of the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B.

This phrase from the 1st reading is so true. "For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?" (Dt. 4:7).  My God is indeed close to me, He reveal himself in a personal, relational and intimate way. He love me so much that He even sent His only begotten son, Jesus to save us all (Jn. 3:16). Part of my reflection was to change the word 'nation' from the phrase I mentioned above to the word 'religion'. And it certainly did drive home some point.  I am proud to be a Catholic and from the Catholic Church I have known that my God is transcendent (beyond any limits) but this God can be so immanent (among us, within us) too. I do encounter God walking with me especially in times of difficulty and struggle. At times I do not understand His doings in my life and all the more in times of crisis, but I am aware that God is with me. He is Emmanuel. 

Just recently I wrote a reflection on the 'Incarnation' (the Word becoming flesh, God becoming human), click here for a read. 

"For God sent His Son, the eternal Word who enlightens all humankind, to live among them and to tell them about the inner life of God" (DV #4). DV is  Dei Verbum - the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. This 2nd Vatican Council document further explains that "Jesus revealed that God is with us, to deliver us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to eternal life." Now how true is the phrase that we saw at beginning from Deuteronomy; is there any other god that has done this? Is there any other god that has come down to us, come close to us and lived among us? I just don't understand how some people can leave the Catholic church just like that? Hmmm maybe their faith is shallow? DV # 5 states that 'the obedience of faith' must be our response to God who reveals. Many of us fail to see God walking with or carrying us in times of crisis. Let us pray then like the disciples, Lord increase our faith! (Lk. 17:5).

I must say that I am no expert in other religions but I know that the Catholic faith do not need any methods, mediums or some kind of difficult task in order for God to reach down to us or hear us. Some might need to go through some sort of 'amazing race' or 'survivor' obstacles in order for them to reach god or even going to a point of hurting themselves through walking on fire or piercing the body or even banging drums so that god will hear. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (5:12-21) tells us that we are all justified in Christ Jesus and all we need is to be holy before God. It is sad that at times my fellow Christians can be so superstitious and just following practices that has no meaning. Jesus in the Gospel today was angry with the scribes and pharisees for disregarding God's commandment but clinging to human tradition. Now since I have used the word 'religion'  for my reflection in the phrase above to make comparisons of my Catholic Faith and with all other faiths, the second reading today helps me define what my religion should be. In the 2nd letter of St. James he defines that "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans,  widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world." St. James here is reminding us all to our call to holiness with the three 'pillars' of a Christian way of life i.e prayer, fasting and works of mercy. All we need to do is love God and all His people To LOVE is God's commandment. 

Now I welcome all of you to change the word 'nation' for the phrase from Dt. 4:7 to any word that suits you for your reflection such as Community, BEC, Family, etc and reflect how the word  'us' on the second part of the phrase fits.

 "For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?" (Dt.4:7).

 

Hall of Fame - Let's consider our own calling, brothers and sisters... (Reflections for the 21st Saturday in Ordinary Time - Year 2).

All of us are called by God for a purpose. Period! No argument about that. Click here for today's readings.

Reflecting on today's reading taken from the 1st Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, I feel so grateful that I have been given this privilege and am called to serve the Lord. Though I am not worthy, not of human standards but the Lord has chosen me the weak and slowly molding me as I journey towards the priesthood. I am the Potter's clay. Yes Lord, I am your clay.

Let us look at the 1st reading for today (1Cor 1:26-31)

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.

The text above is not only for seminarians, as I mentioned in the beginning, God's call is for all. This message is for all. God has given each one of us His gifts and talents to continue His work of salvation for all people. So all of us should consider our own calling, be it a husband, wife, teacher, students, politician, doctor, public works, house-maker, laborer, driver, etc. Each of us are responsible according to the 'possessions entrusted' to us by the Lord. (Mt. 25:14-30). The Gospel today reminds us of our responsibilities of the 'talent' be it money or skills and abilities and the consequences if we fail in using all our gifts for God's glory. 

Let us reflect further with the song 'Hall of Fame' by the Irish  alternative rock band The Script featuring the rapper will.i.am. This is one of my many favorite motivational song that fits so well with today's readings.

Be students
Be teachers
Be politicians
Be preachers

Be believers
Be leaders
Be astronauts
Be champions
Be true seekers

We pray that we will all be faithful to our calling and be good stewards to all the possessions that has been entrusted to us by the Lord. And our reward will be hearing our Lord saying this to us; "Well done, my good and faithful servant."