Death is a frightening word...
Every one wishes for a good death...
Every one wishes for a good death and to be buried in a good place....
But Christians.. or rather Catholics are very courageous in facing death ... because they believed if you died with Jesus, you will rise with Jesus. Death is a transformation, a beginning of a new life, the eternal resurrected life!
But Catholics are afraid that they have no burial place!
Yes, Christians are facing shortage of burial grounds （public) especially in Klang Valley. All cemeteries are filled up to the brim, and government are dragging feet in providing new grounds ...
This morning, our Parish Priest Fr. William, his Assistant Fr. George, Parish Pastoral Council Chairman Francis Ooi and veteran leader Robert Tan went for a meeting with Archbishop Murphy Pakiam and Archdiocesan Finance Committee representative Datuk Lim Boh Ang (Asst Finance Administrator) regarding cemetery matters. I was invited by the Parish Priests to "tag" along to the meeting.
Maybe we can learn from the Chinese community in Malaysia... more far sighted in owning burial land and not relying solely on government provision.
Any way this is not the main thing I wanted to share about the meeting but something out of the meeting.
After the meeting, we met Tan Sri Lim, the Finance Administrator, who missed the meeting due to prior engagement. He is 93 years old still going strong, keeping busy and living healthy. Robert and I chatted with him ....... he shared with us a "Prayer for a happy death" by St. Theresa, the Little Flower.
I am not sure whether it is an original prayer composed by St. Theresa de Lisieux (may be some one can enlighten me) but definitely a good prayer to share:
PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH
By St. Therese – The Little Flower
Dear Jesus, thank you for the gift of life
And for the blessing
To be among those who know you are the Son of God.
Thank you for the gift of sight
That lets me see the wondrous things you made
And for my soul to help me see beyond my sight.
Thank you for all things
And especially my heart in which you placed
Magnetic seeds of grace that draw me forever to your love.
I know you hold me forever in the palm of your hand
And shield me forever with your holy face.
Yet, as years go by, Lord,
I fear the yoke of sickness and pain
And worry how my life will end.
And so I humbly come to ask you, Lord,
That when my time comes to leave here below,
Do not call me by a sudden death,
Not by accident that tears the body apart;
Not by illness that leaves the mind confused,
Or the senses impaired;
Not with a heart filled with hate,
Or a body wracked with pain;
Not abandoned, lonely, without love, or care;
Not by my own hands in a moment of despair.
Jesus, let death come as a friend
To set and linger with me until you call my name.
Then let me enter your heavenly home
To receive your final gift of grace
To be near you forever
And look upon the Divine Countenance of your Holy face.
Amen.
By St. Therese – The Little Flower
Dear Jesus, thank you for the gift of life
And for the blessing
To be among those who know you are the Son of God.
Thank you for the gift of sight
That lets me see the wondrous things you made
And for my soul to help me see beyond my sight.
Thank you for all things
And especially my heart in which you placed
Magnetic seeds of grace that draw me forever to your love.
I know you hold me forever in the palm of your hand
And shield me forever with your holy face.
Yet, as years go by, Lord,
I fear the yoke of sickness and pain
And worry how my life will end.
And so I humbly come to ask you, Lord,
That when my time comes to leave here below,
Do not call me by a sudden death,
Not by accident that tears the body apart;
Not by illness that leaves the mind confused,
Or the senses impaired;
Not with a heart filled with hate,
Or a body wracked with pain;
Not abandoned, lonely, without love, or care;
Not by my own hands in a moment of despair.
Jesus, let death come as a friend
To set and linger with me until you call my name.
Then let me enter your heavenly home
To receive your final gift of grace
To be near you forever
And look upon the Divine Countenance of your Holy face.
Amen.
死亡是个恐怖的事实。。。
死亡是个可怕的名字。。。
每个人都希望快乐的死去。。。
每个人都希望快乐的死去，也能够安葬在一个好的地方。。。
但是基督徒。。。或者就说天主教徒却不怕死，因为他们相信假如在耶稣内死，必在耶稣内重生。死亡不是终结，而是一个转变，一个新生命的开始，一个复活的永生。
但是天主教徒害怕死后没有葬身之地。。。
是的，基督徒现在面对死无葬身之地，特别是在巴生河流域地区。坟场都爆满了，而政府在提供新地点上，一直在拖，拖，拖。。。
今早，我的堂区主任威廉神父，副主任赫神父，堂区议会主席黄结和及堂区领袖罗伯陈金福，一同到主教府会见巴吉安总主教及教区经济组代表拿督林（副主管），商讨坟地的问题。我受主任神父的邀请，“随从”赴会。
或者教会可以向华社取经，非常有远见的好久以前就拥有自己的墓园，而不只是依靠政府的提供。
不过我要说的主要事项，不是有关会议的课题，而是会议外的东西。
会议过后，遇见了刚到来的丹斯里林，他是经济组的主管。他今年已经93岁了，但依然非常的忙碌活跃及健康。罗伯和我与丹斯利谈了一会。。。。丹斯里和我们分享了一个由圣女小德兰写的“求快乐死的祷文”。
我不敢肯定这确是出自圣女小德兰的祷文，（或者有人可以给我指正），但的确是一个很好及恰当的祷文，值得分享。（因没有华语版，只能请参考英语版。任何人若有中文版，请勿吝赐教。）
死亡是个可怕的名字。。。
每个人都希望快乐的死去。。。
每个人都希望快乐的死去，也能够安葬在一个好的地方。。。
但是基督徒。。。或者就说天主教徒却不怕死，因为他们相信假如在耶稣内死，必在耶稣内重生。死亡不是终结，而是一个转变，一个新生命的开始，一个复活的永生。
但是天主教徒害怕死后没有葬身之地。。。
是的，基督徒现在面对死无葬身之地，特别是在巴生河流域地区。坟场都爆满了，而政府在提供新地点上，一直在拖，拖，拖。。。
今早，我的堂区主任威廉神父，副主任赫神父，堂区议会主席黄结和及堂区领袖罗伯陈金福，一同到主教府会见巴吉安总主教及教区经济组代表拿督林（副主管），商讨坟地的问题。我受主任神父的邀请，“随从”赴会。
或者教会可以向华社取经，非常有远见的好久以前就拥有自己的墓园，而不只是依靠政府的提供。
不过我要说的主要事项，不是有关会议的课题，而是会议外的东西。
会议过后，遇见了刚到来的丹斯里林，他是经济组的主管。他今年已经93岁了，但依然非常的忙碌活跃及健康。罗伯和我与丹斯利谈了一会。。。。丹斯里和我们分享了一个由圣女小德兰写的“求快乐死的祷文”。
我不敢肯定这确是出自圣女小德兰的祷文，（或者有人可以给我指正），但的确是一个很好及恰当的祷文，值得分享。（因没有华语版，只能请参考英语版。任何人若有中文版，请勿吝赐教。）
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