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New Year 2009 Comments

Christians and Muslim can agree on human rights

Meeting on Nov 6 with participants in an unprecedented Catholic-Muslim encounter, Pope Benedict XVI said that the keen public interest in the ‘Common Word’ initiative should be “an incentive for us to ensure that the reflections and the positive developments which emerge from Muslim-Christian dialogue are not limited to a small group of experts and scholars, but are passed on as a precious legacy.”

The Holy Father met with the participants in the Catholic-Muslim meeting in a private audience at the conclusion of their three-day session in Rome. The talks were the result of invitation that the Pope extended to the 138 Islamic leaders who wrote to him and to other Christian leaders in October 2007, calling for greater dialogue between the two faiths. The dialogue, the Pope said at his Nov 6 audience, should help both sides to “know one another more deeply and to grow in esteem for our shared values.”

The Pope went on to say that he had been receiving regular reports of the daily meetings of the ‘Common Word’ conference, and was “pleased to learn that you were able at this meeting to adopt a common position on the need to worship God totally and to love our fellow men and women disinterestedly, especially those in distress and need.” He observed that the Muslim tradition matches the Christian belief that “Love of God is inseparable bound to the love of all men and women.” Because of this similarity, he said, Christians and Muslims can work together in practical efforts to help those in needs, “even though our anthropological visions and our theologies justify this in different ways.”

Christian and Muslims, despite their different beliefs, can find common ground in the understanding that human life and human dignity are gifts from God, recognized as sacred by both faiths, the Pope continued. From that understanding, the two faiths can both work toward a common defense of human rights. “My hope,” Pope Benedict said, “is that these fundamental human rights will be protected for all people everywhere.”

In a gentle challenge to the world’s Islamic leaders – repeating the challenge that he had in his famous Regensburg address – the Pope said: “Political and religious leaders have the duty of ensuring the free exercise of these rights in full respect for each individual’s freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.” He condemned violence, particularly violence done in the name of religion, and said that “God’s name can only be a name of peace and fraternity, justice and love.”

Pope Benedict closed his remarks by saying that honest dialogue, motivated by goodwill, can “overcome all misunderstandings and disagreements.” He expressed the hope that Christians and Muslims alike can “overcome past prejudices and correct the often distorted images of the other which even today can create difficulties in our relations.” – CWN

News Article. CWN. “Christians and Muslim can agree on human rights”, Herald News, November 16, 2008, part “Editorial”, page 10

Catholic-Muslim joint declaration

Vatican: An important and demanding declaration was published today by the Vatican and representatives of the 138 Muslim scholars who wrote the well-known letter to the pope and other Christian leaders. Among other things, it affirms respect for life and for the dignity of each person, man or woman, which involves, among other things, respect for freedom of conscience and religion; the rejection of discrimination on account of faith; the importance of bearing witness through prayer to the transcendent dimension of life in an increasingly secularized world; an affirmation of the duty to give young people a solid moral, civil, and religious education, and teach them about the faith of others. The declaration also speaks of the possibility of creating a permanent mixed committee, and announces a second forum to be held within two years, in a Muslim majority country. The document that concludes the first forum organized by the pontifical council for inter religious dialogue and by representatives of 138 Muslim scholars, authors of the letter ‘A Common Word.’

Here is the text of declaration:

• For Christians the source and example of love of God and neighbour is the love of Christ for his Father, for humanity and for each person. “God is Love” (1 Jn 4, 16) and “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3, 16). God’s love is placed in the human heart through the Holy Spirit. It is God who first loves us thereby enabling us to love Him in return. Love does not harm one’s neighbour but rather seeks to do the other what one would want done to oneself (Cf. 1 Cor 13, 4-7). Love is the foundation and sum of all the commandments (Cf. Gal 5, 14). Love of neighbour cannot be separated from love of God, because it is an expression of our for God. This is the new commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 15, 12) Grounded in Christ’s sacrificial love, Christian love is forgiving and excludes no one; it therefore also includes one’s enemies. It should be not just words but deeds (Cf. 1 Jn, 4, 18). This is the sign of its genuineness. For Muslim, as set out in A Common Word, love is a timeless transcendent power which guides and transforms human mutual regard. This love, as indicated by the Holy and Beloved Prophet Muhammad, is the prior to the human love for the One True God. A Hadith indicates that God’s loving compassion for humanity is even greater than that of a mother for her child (Muslim, Bab al-Tawba: 21); it therefore exists before and independently of the human response to the One who is ‘The Loving’. So immense is this love and compassion that God has intervened to guide and save humanity in a perfect way many times and in many places, by sending prophets and scriptures. The last of these books, the Qur’an, portrays a world of signs, a marvelous cosmos of Devine artistry, which calls forth our utter love and devotion, so that ‘those who have faith have most love of God’ (2:165), and ‘those that believe, and do good works, the Merciful shall engender love among them.’ (19:96) In a Hadith we read that ‘Not one of you has faith until he loves for his neighbour what he loves for himself’ (Bukhari, Bab al-Iman: 13).

• Human life is a most precious gift of God to each person. It should therefore be preserved and honoured in all its stages.

• Human dignity is derived from the fact that every human person is created by a loving God out of love, and has been endowed with the gifts of reason and free will, and therefore enabled to love God and others. On the firm basis of these principles, the person requires the respect of his or her original dignity and his or human vocation. Therefore, he or she is entitled to full recognition of his or her identity and freedom by individuals, communities and governments, supported by civil legislation that assures equal rights and full citizenship.

• We affirm that God’s creation of humanity has two great aspects: the male and female human person and we commit ourselves jointly to ensuring that human dignity and respect are extended on an equal basis to both men and women.

• Genuine love of neighbour implies respect of the person and her or his choices in matters of conscience and religion. It includes the right of individuals and communities to practice their religion in private and public.

• Religion minorities are entitled to be respected in their own religious convictions and practices. They are also entitled to their own places of worship, and their founding figures and symbols they consider sacred should not be subject to any mockery or ridicule.

• As Catholic and Muslim believers, we are aware of the summons and imperative to bear the witness to the transcendent dimension of life, through a spirituality nourished by prayer, in a world which is becoming more and more secularized and materialistic.

• We affirm that no religion and its followers should be excluded from society. Each should be able to make its indispensable contribution to the good of society, especially in service to the most needy.

• We recognize that God’s creation in its plurality of cultures, civilizations, languages and peoples is a source of richness and should therefore never become a cause of tension and conflict.

• We are convicted that Catholics and Muslims have the duty to provide a sound education in human, civic, religious and moral values for their respective members and to promote accurate information about each other’s religions.

• We profess that Catholics and Muslim are called to be instruments of love and harmony among believers, and for humanity as a whole, renouncing any oppression, aggressive violence and terrorism especially that committed in the name of religion and upholding the principle of justice for all.

• We call upon believers to work for an ethical financial system in which the regulatory mechanisms consider the situation of the poor and disadvantaged, both as individuals, and as indebted nations. We call upon the privileged of the world to consider the plight of those afflicted most severely by the current crisis in food production and distribution, and ask religious believers of all denominations and all people of good will to work together to alleviate the suffering of the hungry, and to eliminate its causes.

• Young people are the future of religious communities and of societies as a whole. Increasingly, they will be living in multicultural and multireligious societies. It is essential that they well formed in their own religious traditions and well informed about other cultures and religions.

• We have agreed to explore the possibility of establishing a permanent Catholic-Muslim committee to coordinate response to conflicts and other emergency situations and of organizing a second seminar in a Muslim-majority country yet to be determined.

• We look forward to the second Seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum to be convened in approximately two years in a Muslim-majority country yet to be determined. All participants felt gratitude to God for the gift of their time together and for an enriching exchange. At the end of the Seminar His Holiness pope Benedict XVI received the participants and following address by Professor Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr and H.E. Grand Mufti Dr Mustafa Cerif, spoke to the group. All present expressed satisfaction with the results of the Seminar and their expectation for further productive dialogue

AsiaNews

News Article. AsiaNews. “Catholic-Muslim joint declaration”, Herald News, November 16, 2008, part “Editorial”, page 10.

Kisah dari Alkitab

Di Yerusalem, ada seorang lelaki tua bernama simeon. Dia seorang yang baik dan takut akan Allah. Dia menantikan masanya untuk menyelamatkan Israel. Roh Allah memberitahu Simeon, bahawa dia tidak akan meninggal dunia selagi tidak melihat Yesus iaitu Penyelamat yang dijanjikan oleh Allah.

Pada suatu hari, ibu bapa Yesus membawa-Nya ke rumah Tuhan. Pada ketika itu, Yesus baru berusia lapan hari. Simeon segera mengenali Yesus. Dia mengambil Yesus dan mendukung-Nya sambil memuji-muji Allah.

Ibu bapa Yesus hairan melihat perbuatan Simeon. Menurut Simeon, "Anak ini sudah dipilih orang!" oleh Allah untuk menyelamatkan ramai. (Lukas 2:21-34)

Dipetik daripada Herald News, December 28, 2008

CVSF's Official Logo

This logo was designed by our our former President, Billy Anak Sup and Gilbert.

The meaning of CVSF logo :

Purple- symbolizes pain, suffering, and therefore mourning and penitence. It symbolizes our struggle in our journey of faith in Kuantan. It reminds us that we must be tough to overcome all temptations that can jeopardize our strong bond with our Creator.

Red- the color of fire and so symbolizes the presence of God. God always helps His peoples and is always present everywhere we go. God is the Light of our journey which comes from fire.

Green - symbolizes the renewal of vegetation and generally of living things and the promise of new life. We come to Kuantan to get new fresh life. While studying for our degree scrolls, we learn many new things here. This shows that God's love never fades and is evergreen. He always gives chance to us to improve our lives.

Yellow - symbolic of renewal and hope, especially in the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is our companion. His resurrection gives hope to us.

The elipsed cross - symbolizes the blend of cultures and races among the students which united and worshipping the same God.

commendo spirituum meum - In Luke 23:46, Christ's life on earth ended with these words (in Latin): "Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum." This means, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. All our activities, actions and decisions are guided by Father in heaven. Simply to say, whatever we do, we do them in the name of Father.

C.V.S.F- acronym for Catholic Varsity Student Fellowship.

Kuantan - means the seat of the organization is at Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.This information above is taken from CVSF forumotion site under share picture.So, get to know the CVSF much deeper? Join us in our gathering every week at St. Thomas Church, Kuantan

Christmas carolling... lalalalalaaaa....

Begining tomorrow night, all of us will join carolling in respective parishes. I know everybody excited because of candies, sweets and cookies. So, sing alound. Brighten up Christmas spirit with your voice. 11days left to Christmas. HOHOHO...