Announcements : Inter Campus Gathering 2007

ICG is a bi-annual even organized to strengthen Catholic students from Universities and Colleges in Malaysia. As we face each and every day as a person living in the footsteps of Christ in today's challenges, "Our Faith, Our Freedom" will surely be a source of enlightenment for our young minds and young hearts to further understand that by discovering our faith, we will be able to SEE the importance of knowing what is right or wrong. We will be able to JUDGE by analyzing situations and current issues and ACT accordingly, now and in times to come to make the teachings of Jesus in the way we live our lives and relate to others around us. For the first time in ICG, all of these will be done in a fun interactive workshop style lead by experienced, cool and happening facilitators. Plus, you will be here at ICG with over 400 other young people experiencing the togetherness that we all share as a child of God.

Details are as follow :
1. Venue : St Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam, Penang
2. 13th to the 16th of October 2007
3. Closing date for registration- 31st August 2007
4. Places are on a 1st come 1st serve basis.
5. There are 140 places only.
6. A registration fee of RM50 will cover workshop materials, accommodation and food for the 4 day event.
7. Workshops and sleeping area are all air conditioned. However, you are requested to bring your own mats/soft mattresses & pillows.

-for those interested, email your particulars to gregsha@yahoo.co.uk or get the form on the 2nd of August gathering-

Featured Theme : Angels

(Taken from The Cathetism of The Holy Catholic Church, http://www.vatican.va/)

The existence of angels - a truth of faith

The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.

Who are they?

St. Augustine says: " 'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit', if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel'. With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they 'always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven', they are the 'mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word.

As purely spiritual creatures, angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.

Christ "with all his angels"

Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son Of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him.." They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him." They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?

Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: led the People of God, announced births and callings and assisted the prophets and also announced the birth of Jesus(angel Gabriel)

The fall of the angels

Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a felled angel, called "Satan" or the "devil". The church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."

Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil 'has sinned from the beginning'; he is a liar and the father of lies.

The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. he cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature - to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."

Announcements : 22nd July 07

Announcements for the coming week :

1. Come and join our Google group at http://groups.google.com.my/group/cssucsi2!
Request to be a member. If you do not have a Gmail account, please email and request to cssucsi@gmail.com.

2. For new members who have not joined any of the 5 teams yet i.e. Music, Publicity, Activities, Local Students Affair, Foreign Students Affair, please submit your name to the group leaders during the next meeting. Everyone is encouraged to play a role in expanding this club!

3. The society is calling out to all Catholics and non-Catholics to join in our Praise and Worship every fortnightly. Check the notice boards around UCSI or this website for the latest info.

Interpreting The Bible

(Taken from "Deepening our discipleship, NEWBEC, 22nd July 2007)

For many, the Bible is a difficult book. How do we interprete it? How would we know that our interpretation is correct? Recently, the furore over the book and film "The Da Vinci Code" may have raised questions in the minds of many, Christians as well as others, about the historicity of the Bible.


...we must 'carefully search out the meaning which the sacred writers really had in mind'. In order to do this, we must pay attention to the literary forms in which the Bible is written. We must try to see how people might have thought, spoken, and expressed themselves at the time of the bible writers. We need to be aware that there are different types of literature in the Bible such as narrative, poetry, proverbs, parables, laws, history, myth, legend etc. Therefore, we cannot take everything literally. We must also consider the context a text occurs.

We also need to be aware that the teaching office of the Church. The bishops, who are the successors of the Apostles, have an important role in helping us to come to a definitive interpretation of the Word. It is always important to see how the church has through the ages interpreted a particular text.

Perhaps, for the beginner, a guide to reading the daily liturgical readings such as Shalom or The Word Among Us might help us to see the texts in line with the understanding of the Church. Commentaries and also certain Internet resources may also be of great help.

Here are some things to consider when reading the Bible :
1. What does this text tell me about God?
2. What does this text tell me about the people of God?
3. What does this text tell me about myself?

In conclusion, getting back to The Da Vinci Code, many were upset at the film and book. Yet perhaps we can view it positively in that we have been challenged to take up our bibles again and work out what it is that we truly believe in. It has made us think and evaluate and hopefully, strengthened our faith as we also discussed with others, non- Christians included. So perhaps it may be seen as a blessing in disguise!