Archbishop: Let God control your life

ARCHBISHOP-elect Father Peter Loy Chong's message to Catholics who were part of the Sunday Divine Mercy celebration at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Suva was to trust in God completely.

Hundreds of Catholics from around the country took part in the Divine Mercy Image march from the Flea Market which ended at the Sacred Heart Cathedral yesterday.

Catholics carried with them images of the Divine Mercy during the march and also during mass while Father Chong blessed the Divine Mercy images.

Fr Chong said small miracles happened to those who put their trust in God completely.

"It is important to always talk to God and to let God control our lives because God can do so much when he is in control," Fr Chong said.

"When we trust God completely, we can hear his voice speaking to us on how we should live our lives.

"It is always hard for us to let God control our lives but this Sunday is the day to let the Divine Mercy control our lives."

He said his main message was to tell people to ask for mercy through prayer, for people to be merciful and for believers to trust in God completely.

"We need to be merciful because God is merciful."

"God's nature is love and we must believe in his mercy and complete love."

He said the message that he shared was very simple but holds the foundation and the fundamentals of life.

Divine Mercy Sunday in Fiji

Catholics including Archbishop-elect Father Peter Loy Chong march through Suva to celebrate the

 Divine Mercy Sunday- the first Sunday after Easter.

Catholics marked the annual Sunday of divine mercy yesterday with a march through the streets of Suva.
The Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.

Youths from the Saint Agnes Parish in Samabula carried the image of Jesus from the Flea Market to the Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Hundreds of parishioners from the Central Division followed the procession with songs for Jesus Christ.
Archbishop-elect Father Peter Loy Chong urged people to remember the a,b,c, of mercy

“Ask for mercy, be merciful and completely trust in the Lord,” he said.

“Ask and you shall receive. When you receive, then you let that mercy flow to others and be outpouring with mercy,” he said.

“Thirdly is to completely trust in God and let him take control,” he said.

Co-ordinator of Divine Mercy Fiji Kalara Liku said the ‘Divine Mercy’ has been here since the beginning.

“The Lord wants us to be merciful like him. The Divine Mercy is Jesus himself and he is there for us,” she said.

“Even if our sins are as deep as the deepest ocean and dark as the darkest night, he is always there and is merciful,” he said.

Father James Ross and Father Tavite Naiveli accompanied the Archbishop-elect.

Images of the ‘Divine Mercy’ were blessed at the Sacred Heart Cathedral yesterday.

Pope: We are part of those who believe without seeing

Vatican City, Apr 7, 2013 / 07:12 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the Feast of Divine Mercy, Pope Francis emphasized that when Jesus said “blessed are those who do not see and yet believe,” he was also referred to those who believed the testimony of the Apostles and everyone today who hears the witness of Christians and believes. 

“And who were they who believed without seeing? Other disciples, men and women of Jerusalem that, while they did not meet the resurrected Jesus, believed in the testimony of the Apostles and the women,” Pope Francis said April 7 before a crowd of around 100,000 people.

The Pope made his remarks before praying the Regina Caeli from the window of the papal apartment that overlooks St. Peter’s Square.

He focused on the Gospel reading for today, which recalls the encounter between St. Thomas and Jesus after the resurrection.

When he first heard the news of the resurrection, the Pope noted that Thomas responded, “If I do not see and do not touch, I will not believe.”

But eight days later, Jesus appeared to the Apostles in the upper room and invited Thomas to look at his wounds, to touch them, and he exclaimed: “My Lord my God.”

“Jesus replied, ‘because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.’”

“This is a very important word on faith,” Pope Francis stated, adding that “we can call it the beatitude of faith.”

“At all times and in all places are blessed are those who, through the Word of God proclaimed in Church and witnessed by Christians, believe that Jesus Christ is the love of God incarnate, Mercy incarnate.

“And this is true for each of us!” he exclaimed.

The Pope then focused on the Christ’s mission for the Church of passing on to men “the remission of sins, and so grow the Kingdom of love, sowing peace in hearts.”

And this mission also extends to “relationships, societies and institutions,” he added.

Pope Francis concluded his reflections before the Regina Caeli by urging all Christians not to “be afraid of being a Christian and living as a Christian!”

After the Easter-time Marian prayer, Pope Francis offered a special greeting to parishioners from the nearby church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, which is a center of devotion to the Divine Mercy in Rome.

“Dear brothers and sisters, be witnesses and messengers of the mercy of God!” he encouraged them.

Finally, he welcomed the numerous ecclesial movements that were present, mentioning the Neocatechumenal Way members who will be engaged in evangelizing in the streets of Rome in the coming days.