By Julia Shim, SSVP SJC
KUCHING — Every year, the Lenten season brings a reminder to the faithful to reflect, repent, pray, fast, and give alms, and in so doing, help us to deepen our spirituality and faith. For SSVP SJC, through our annual Lenten program, we hope to bring an encounter with our suffering Lord to the participants.
As in past years, SSVP SJC organised home visits to our Friends-In-Need (FIN). Additionally, this year’s program also included a visit to the Cheshire home for the disabled, which will be reported on separately.
This year, three FIN home visits were organised on 9, 16 and 23 of March, through a collaboration with St Joseph Parish’s RCIA leaders and facilitators. A total of 40 catechumens and six facilitators, together with some parishioners and their family members and friends, participated in the three visits to eight FIN homes in Singai, Bau and around Kuching, led by the SSVP SJC members.
The FIN visited consisted of elderly folks who were not adequately supported by their family members, single mothers not earning enough to support the whole family, and families with members suffering from Down’s syndrome or other debilitating medical conditions.
During the visits, the participants brought gifts harvested from God’s bounty in the form of food items, household and personal aids and cash, to share with our less fortunate brothers and sisters in Christ. More importantly, they brought God’s love and warmth to the FIN and their families. Hopefully, these gifts provide physical and emotional relief to the recipients, albeit momentarily.
Participants were able to see for themselves the living conditions of our FIN and hear their own account of the daily challenges they were facing. These encounters, also serve to remind us to be grateful for our own blessings, given to us through God’s grace and mercy. In the process, a couple of participants further offered their professional talents to follow up after the visits to help resolve some of the more pressing difficulties for one of the FIN.
Sadly, one of the FIN in Singai, Bau whom we visited, passed away a week after our visit. May her soul rest in peace.
SSVP SJC wishes to thank the RCIA facilitation team and participating catechumens, parishioners and friends for their invaluable support to make these visits a meaningful Lenten experience for us all.
