SHC/CMI PPC members “journey” to Emmaus

BUNDU TUHAN – Over the weekend of 13-15 Nov 2015, around thirty members of the Sacred Heart Cathedral and Church of Mary Immaculate Parish Pastoral Councils “journeyed” to Emmaus at the retreat centre here together with Archbishop John Wong (parish priest) and Deacon Joshua Liew.

The formation programme was facilitated by Anthony Lim, presiding elder of the Light of Jesus Christ Covenant Community, who introduced it to the parish some six years ago, first to his own community, then to the parish at large.

To drive home the Emmaus story (Lk 24:13-35), a video clip was used to illustrate how Jesus led the two disciples through a process of understanding the Scriptures first to recognising him in the breaking of the bread (Eucharist).

The process is the same today.  Using abundant quotations from recent popes – John Paul II, Benedict VI, Francis – Lim showed the participants the process of eating from the table of the Word (lectio divina or divine reading) to eating from the table of the Eucharist (Holy Communion).

It was an enlightening experience for many of the participants who have just been commissioned as parish pastoral councillors recently.  In calling them to go through this formation, the archbishop as the parish priest, hoped to help them to be rooted in the Word and the Sacraments so that they will, in turn, be able to help their fellow parishioners to be rooted too.  In this way, all of them as pastoral leaders will journey together toward the realisation of the pastoral vision of the archdiocese at parish level.