Almost the whole stretch of Jalan Pekaka is accident prone. The road slopes down from the traffic lights at the T-junction to Jalan Bukit Gambir. Cars turning into Jalan Pekaka usually speed down the road to Sungai Dua. Add a few junctions along the way coupled with impatient drivers and you have the perfect recipe for accidents. Countless vehicular accidents have happened along this stretch, usually tailgating fender benders.

As I was writing the previous blog yesterday, I heard a loud crash. Looking down from the window, I saw a woman lying motionless on the road. Her scooter was a good 20 meters away and pinned under the bonnet of a Wira. This happened just beside the Taman Pekaka surau.

4:14pm - View from my window. The scooter is pinned under the bonnet of the green Wira on the left. The victim is lying near the yellow box. A helmet lies beside the blue car on the other side of the road. The distance between the victim and her scooter and the Wira is approximately 20 meters. Close-up of the victim lying on the road. Close-up of the mangled scooter under the Wira. 4:16pm - Some Good Samaritans carried the victim to the pavement. Ideally, this is not a good idea. If the victim suffered trauma to the spine, moving her could aggravate the injury. 4:32pm - The ambulance arrives. 4:28pm - The victim is put on the gurney and being wheeled to the ambulance. 4:28pm - Another ambulance arrives just as the gurney is being loaded into the first ambulance. 4:29pm - Both ambulances speed away with their sirens blaring. 4:30pm - Three policemen arrives on two motorcycles.

On our way to the Cathedral that evening, the passing headlights were streaks of blur in the darkness. Many things were running through my mind. First and foremost, I was finally going to be a Christian! And just to think that one year ago, I never had the slightest inclination to get to know Jesus more than what I already cursorily knew.

We reached the Cathedral slightly past eight. The Elects and their sponsors were requested to go earlier for a group photo session. At around half past eight, we trooped into the Cathedral. Since I was on a wheelchair, a spot was already reserved for me and Wuan and Joseph, who stood in as my sponsor, right up at the front just behind the liturgical ministers� pew.

The Easter Vigil Mass began with the Liturgy of the Light. The lights inside the Cathedral were turned off while Parish Priest Monsignor Stephen Liew blessed the New Fire outside. The blessed flame was in turn used to light up the Paschal Candle. The Paschal Candle represents Christ and the flame symbolises His resurrection and Him as The Light of the World. This flame from the Paschal Candle was then used to light up all the candles in the Church. As the candles were being lit one by one, a beautiful warm glow began to spread throughout the Cathedral. The sight of hundreds of flickering candles in the dark warmed the very depth of my heart.

Next was the Liturgy of the Word. There were five readings from the Holy Bible. As it was a combined Mass, the readings were in English, Mandarin and Tamil. It was interspersed with responsorial hymns in the respective languages. The Homily followed where the Monsignor gave a sermon about the growing Catholic community with the initiation of more than fifty Elects who will be known as Neophytes after Baptism on that auspicious day.

Following the homily was the Liturgy of Initiation. It began with the Litany of the Saints. We sang in response to the Cantor asking God and Christ, Mother Mary, all the angels and saints to pray for us. The Monsignor than blessed the water that was to be used for the Baptism by praying over it and then dipping the Paschal Candle into the water while continuing with the blessing prayer.

In the Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith, the Monsignor asked if we, the Elects, reject satan and his empty promises and his work. We responded with a loud �I do.� For the Profession of Faith, we responded with �I do� to profess our belief in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, verses which are part of the Apostles� Creed.

The Elects, together with their sponsors, then proceeded to assemble before the steps to the Sanctuary. I was the first to be Baptised as I could not reach the Baptismal font. Joseph placed one hand on my shoulder and the other holding my Baptism name printed on a card.

The Monsignor asked, �Peter Gabriel, what do you ask of God�s Church?�

I responded with, �Baptism.�

�Peter Gabriel, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.�

He poured the Holy Water on my forehead thrice, once for each time he invoked the name of the Holy Trinity. After that, the Elects were baptised one by one at the Baptismal Font following the same rite. Immediately after that, we were each anointed with the sign of the Cross on the forehead by the Monsignor who then shook our hands and blessed us with a �Peace be with you.�

Our sponsors lighted the Baptismal Candle with flames from the Paschal Candle and presented it to us. It is a huge white candle which had been prettily decorated with a blue ribbon, lace and faux pearls. We returned to our seat to continue with the Easter Vigil Mass.

That day, I also received my first Holy Communion during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. That brought back memories of long ago when I witnessed the congregation of The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Balik Pulau receiving theirs. I was a very young child then. And as all young children, out of curiosity, I had wanted to follow them to �eat the white wafer� like everyone else but Mum stopped me. I could not understand why. Now, I understand that. The Eucharist is one of the seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church that is most revered. In receiving the Eucharist, we are receiving the Blood and Flesh of Christ. This follows the rite that was instituted by Jesus during the Last Supper.

Then he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, �This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.� He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, �This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.� Luke 22:19-20 (NJB)

As I took in the host, I felt only peace and serenity. After months of witnessing the other faithful receiving theirs and truly desiring for it, I could now finally come into communion with Christ. For the first time, I felt absolute contentment. The months of grieving and months of anxiety vanished just like that. It was perfect bliss, all that I could ever ask for, all that I could ever desire.

After Mass concluded, there were a lot of handshakes, hugs and congratulatory wishes all around. I sat there in awe. I could finally call myself a Christian. At last, I am a Catholic. The thought was just too overwhelming. I pray that God will generously bless all who have journeyed with me on my way to becoming a Christian, especially Uncle Paul, Peter, Anna, Anne, Adel, Pauline, Joseph and the Facilitators of RCIA. I would like to thank Wuan for her support. Although she is not a Christian, she had journeyed with me faithfully in discovering God and I sincerely pray that one day, she will walk the same paths that I took and be a disciple of Christ too.

That was beyond doubt a significant day and an exceptionally wonderful experience. The only thing that saddened me was that Mum was not there to witness my Baptism. It would have been very meaningful. Still, I know that she would be so very happy to know that I have accepted Christ wherever she is now. I pray that God will keep her safe and that He will continue to bless us Neophytes with strength and courage to grow spiritually so that we may praise and worship Him and evangelise His Words to all who desire to seek Him.

* Photos of the Easter Vigil Mass have been added to the Gallery.

Mum�s physical passing gave me a spiritual rebirth. In the most desolate time of Mum�s and my life, I cried out to God with all my heart to heal Mum. And He answered. He answered not what I prayed for but gave me a vision that greatly consoled my anguish. And He gave me a vision of what was to come. Holding on to that revelation, I came to believe in the sanctity of Christ just before Mum passed on. As she breathed her last, I whispered into her ears, �Do not be afraid anymore. Go in peace. You are with Jesus now.� I do not know why I told her that during those final moments. It just felt so right.

Through my cousin Anna, I requested to be catechised on God, Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Catholic Church. Anna got in touch with Anne, one of the Facilitators for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). My catechism began almost immediately. That was in 21 December 2003. Anne and Adel have been coming to instruct and share with me since late-December. That culminated in my Baptism during the Easter Vigil Mass last Saturday. It was a momentous occasion for me.

Wuan made a quick trip to Penang to witness my Baptism. She came right after work on Friday and reached here at 10pm. Early next morning, together, we participated in the Day of Recollection and Rite of the Ephphatha to prepare the Elects for the Easter Sacraments later in the evening. The Day of Recollection is when the Elects mull over the journey of faith in Christ that they had committed themselves into thus far and the journey that they will take after that. The Elects were each given a card called the Memory Verse which had been prayed over by the Holy Spirit Prayer Group. The Day of Recollection was also a lesson in humility as the Elects re-enacted the washing of the feet that Jesus performed on his disciples after the Last Supper. As I could not perform the rite, Wuan completed it on my behalf even though she was not a Catholic.

And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hands on him. He took him aside to be by themselves, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man�s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, �Ephphatha,� that is, �Be opened.� And his ears were opened, and at once the impediment of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. Mark 7:32-35 (NJB)

The ephphatha is the preparatory rite before Baptism. Ephpatha means “Be opened” in Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke. The ears and mouths of the Elects are blessed so that they may hear the Word of God and profess it. Our Parish Priest, Monsignor Stephen Liew performed the rite on all the Elects.

Before concluding the Day of Recollection, we were each presented with a very beautiful card of the Christ bearing the cross on his way to Golgotha. It was meant for us to write our prayer and reflect upon that prayer every now and then. We were also presented with two other cards, one with a verse of the Gospel printed on it, and the other from the Parish Priest and RCIA Facilitators bearing the following prayer:

My Prayer For You

I thought of you so much today
I went to God in prayer.
To ask Him to watch over you
And show you that we care.
My Prayer for you was not for rewards
That you could touch or feel
But true rewards for happiness
That are so very real.
Like love and understanding
In all the things that you do
And guidance when you need it most
To see your troubles through.
I asked Him for good health for you
So your future could be bright
And faith to accept life�s challenges
And courage to do what�s right.
I give thanks to Him for granting my prayer
To bring you PEACE and LOVE.
May you feel the warmth in your life
With God�s blessing from above.

Those beautiful verses almost moved me to tears. I felt so much love from the Facilitators and my fellow Elects, and Christ’s spirit in that room that afternoon. It was an amazing experience. I did not join the Elects and their sponsors for the rehearsal in the Cathedral after we adjourned. Anna was already waiting to fetch me back. I could not stay out for that long as the Easter Vigil Mass later was going to be a lengthy celebration.

Before the day is through, God willing, I would have received the Three Sacraments that will accomplish my full initiation as a disciple of Jesus. The Three Sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. I ask you, my brothers and sisters in Christ who have been following this weblog, to pray for me and the Elects who will be Baptised tonight that we will be examples of love, purity, patience, humility, compassion and discipline, among others which represent the noble characteristics of The Christ.

A low-salt, low-fat, low-purine and low-everything diet is one that is as tasteless as chewing on a piece of tree bark. After one month on such diet, I am beginning to crave for all the sinfully mouth-watering hawker food. Give me my hokkien mee and char koay teow, and nasi kandar with lots of greasy gravy and mutton kurma, fried fish roe and curried cuttlefish. How can such delicious grub be so unhealthy to the body?

Am I losing it? If I am not now, I am on my way, especially when I look at this photo of acar ikan (pickled fish) that Wuan made. The fish was fried and then pickled in turmeric oil, sugar, red chilli, rice vinegar, shredded ginger and sliced garlic, both which were browned in hot oil earlier. Sometimes, sliced cucumber is added for pickling too. Wuan made it just the right taste. It was piquant, slightly sweet and very nice. The recipe usually calls for ikan belanak to be used, which is also one of Wuan�s favourite. It is pickled whole. I prefer sliced fish as there are fewer bones. I am a lazy eater.