SSFS - Sisters of St. Francis of Sarawak

26/04/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗩𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆!
Let us join our hearts in prayer for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. May the Lord touch the hearts of young men and women, giving them the courage to say 'Yes' to His call to serve the Church with love and devotion. Let us pray that those called may find strength in our support and grace in their journey.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱: 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆
If we look at the oldest images of Jesus we have, found in the Roman Catacombs dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. He is almost never depicted on the Cross or as a King on a throne. Instead, He is shown as a young, handsome, graceful youth carrying a sheep on His shoulders. These are images of the Beautiful Shepherd. Early Christians used this title and image because:

• It was recognizable to everyone living in the Roman Empire. People understood that a "beautiful shepherd" was someone who was worthy of love, trust, and loyalty.
• It reflected their experience: following Christ was not just obeying rules, but being drawn to 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚, 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.

In John 10:11, the original Greek text reads:"𝘌𝘨𝘰̄ 𝘦𝘪𝘮𝘪 𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘮𝘦̄𝘯 𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘴". Literally translated: "𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭/𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵/𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦". However, when translators rendered this into Latin, they used the word 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘶𝘴, which means "𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥’’:

• "Beautiful Shepherd" emphasizes attraction, grace, excellence, and that which draws us.
• "Good Shepherd" emphasizes moral perfection, kindness, selflessness, and goodness.

We kept "Good Shepherd" because it clearly highlighted His supreme virtue and His willingness to lay down His life.

𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝘆
If we only think of Him as the "Good Shepherd," we might think the call is about duty, rules, or service, which is true, but incomplete. When we remember He is the "Beautiful Shepherd" we understand that a vocation begins with being captivated. You do not follow someone simply because they are "good" (though that is true), you follow them because you have seen something in them that is beautiful, noble, and makes your heart come alive.

𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺. 𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 "𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰," 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.

𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆
If Jesus is the Beautiful Shepherd, then those called to be His under-shepherds (priests and religious) are called to be men and women who reflect this beauty.

• It is not just about being "good people'', but being people whose lives are attractive witnesses.
• Our poverty, chastity, and obedience are not just rules; they are meant to be ‘’𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴’’ that point to the beauty of God and the life of Heaven.
• The shepherd’s life is meant to show that holiness is beautiful, that love is beautiful, and that God is the most beautiful reality in existence.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝘀
The voice of the Beautiful Shepherd is not a voice of command or fear; it is a voice that is lovely, true, and desirable. As the ancient Church Father St. Augustine wrote: "𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩... 𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺’’. This is the heart of discernment: God does not force us; He attracts us. He shows us His beauty, and that beauty becomes the reason we say "Yes."

When we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, we are actually celebrating the Beautiful Shepherd Sunday. We are reminded that:
- God’s call is beautiful.
- The life He offers is beautiful.
- The service of the priesthood and religious life is a beautiful way of living.

08/04/2026

05/04/2026

Blessed Easter to you and all your loved ones. May the glory of Christ’s resurrection illuminate your path and strengthen your faith.

What is the significance of the stone being rolled away? It would have taken several people to move such a stone. And besides, the sealed tomb had been guarded by soldiers! This is clearly the first sign of the resurrection. Bede, a church father from the 8th century, comments:

"The angel rolled back the stone not to throw open a way for our Lord to come forth, but to provide evidence to people that he had already come forth. As the virgin's womb was closed, so the sepulcher was closed, yet he entered the world through her closed womb, and so he left the world through the closed sepulcher."

Another church father remarked: "To behold the resurrection, the stone must first be rolled away from our hearts" (Peter Chrysologus, 5th century).

One thing is certain, if Jesus had not risen from the dead and appeared to his disciples, we would never have heard of him. Nothing else could have changed sad and despairing men and women into people radiant with joy and courage. The reality of the resurrection is the central fact of the Christian faith. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us "eyes of faith" to know him and the power of his resurrection. The greatest joy we can have is to encounter the living Lord and to know him personally.

14/03/2026

08/03/2026

04/03/2026

On the 3rd of March, 2026, at 5pm, we celebrated the Rite of Acceptance into Postulancy for our two aspirants, 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗔𝗸 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝗵𝗼. The rite marked their transition from lay life to a deeper calling into religious life. In this simple rite, the Postulants were given a 𝙏𝙖𝙪 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙈𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙮𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮. Following the rite, we continued with evening prayer and a fellowship dinner.

Let us hold them close in our hearts and prayers, asking for God's guiding hand, strength, and grace to be with them every step of their formation. May His love continue to inspire and sustain them as they walk this journey.

Let us read the sharing about what inspired them to answer the call to religious life:

𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.
One Sunday, I attended Mass at our kampung chapel. During the Mass, I noticed that the hymns chosen were not suitable for the Mass. I began to think about how important it is to have knowledge about church teachings, especially in the Liturgy. I felt sad, not because they had made a mistake, but because I felt that the community needed more guidance and nurturing in their faith.

That profound experience stayed in my heart, igniting a fervent desire to contribute meaningfully to the spiritual growth of God's people, like a gentle whisper inviting me to dedicate myself fully to God and to the mission of His Church.
𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝘿𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙠 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙚
𝙆𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙜𝙪 𝙆𝙤𝙥𝙞, 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣, 𝙆𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.

***********

“𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂” (𝗦𝘁. 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗼)
My first feeling of a calling was at around 8 or 9 during a Sunday school gathering when I saw a sister in a wheelchair wearing a blue habit. Despite her age and physical condition, she radiated peace and joy, planting a seed in my heart that never faded.

As life got busier, I drifted away from God, only turning to Him in times of need. Despite achievements, I felt an emptiness. After years of ignoring my calling, God's persistent pull led to a profound moment during Mass when I heard "Come!". This led to a month of prayer and discernment, and I realised I couldn't ignore God's call to a religious life.

Ultimately, it was love that inspired my decision: "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.' (Isaiah 43:1)
𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙆𝙝𝙤
𝙇𝙪𝙖𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙞

21/02/2026

Lent is more than a time of waiting; it is a pilgrimage, a journey of the soul mirroring Christ's own path to redemption. The Gospel readings each Sunday illuminate a different stage of this journey, preparing us for the profound events of Holy Week and the ultimate triumph of Easter.

18/02/2026

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨
Ash Wednesday marks our entry into the "Springtime" of the soul. The word "Lent" itself stems from the Old English word for spring; it is not meant to be a season of mere gloom, but a time of preparation for new life bursting through death. We are invited to follow Jesus into the desert, a place created as "supremely valuable in the eyes of God precisely because it had no value to men".

This "desert" is not just a physical location but a symbolic space within the heart where we confront our internal demons and discover what God is truly asking of us. It is a time for "limbering up" spiritually, making ourselves more agile and mobile for the great race toward Easter.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙨𝙝: 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙮
As the ashes are placed on the forehead, we hear the sobering reminder: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return". This ritual confronts a society often "allergic" to death, forcing us to acknowledge the frailty and finitude of the human condition.

Yet, this recognition of our mortality is a gift. St. Francis of Assisi famously taught, "Who you are before God, that you are and no more".

This year, as the Franciscan family celebrates the 800th Anniversary of St. Francis's death, it is especially meaningful to reflect on his unique perspective. Francis didn't fear death; he embraced it as "Sister Death," a natural and inevitable part of God's creation. This was not a morbid fascination, but a joyful acceptance rooted in his deep love for God and all of creation.
For Francis, acknowledging death was not a cause for despair, but an invitation to live more fully in the present moment. Knowing that life was finite, he sought to live each day in radical obedience to the Gospel, with boundless love for God and neighbour.

Francis's view of death also shaped his understanding of identity. He recognized that earthly status, possessions, and achievements were fleeting. True identity, he believed, came from being a child of God, a brother or sister to all creation. This is why he could minister to lepers, embrace poverty, and preach to the birds; he saw the divine image in all things, recognizing that all are equal in the eyes of God, destined to return to the same dust.

Lent is the season to strip away the "shabby cloth" of our pretensions and the "many things" that distract us, refocusing instead on the "one necessary thing": our relationship with God, the Creator.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙆𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩
The goal of Lenten self-denial is kenosis, the self-emptying modeled by Jesus. We do not fast merely for the sake of misery, but to "sweep and clean the room of our own minds and hearts" so that new life has space to take over.

𝑃𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡: This is the immediate task of our daily struggle, seeking a heart freed from sinful affections and centered entirely on God.

𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑃𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦: That we must learn to love our own "nothingness" and "spiritual wretchedness". When we stop defending our worth and admit we have nothing, we become free to rest entirely in God's mercy.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒: Silence is the contact point with the Divine. It is in the "fruitfulness of silence" that we stop saying things we do not mean and needing things we do not really need, allowing us to listen for the "voice of love" that calls us "Beloved".

𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨: 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚
A deep Lenten reflection must eventually turn outward. As we claim our identity as children of God, we gain "new eyes" to see the belovedness of others; let our penance lead to compassionate solidarity. We are called to recognize the "heavy crosses" borne by our brothers and sisters through systemic injustices and racism. True conversion requires us to move from being "indifferent crowds" to becoming "accomplices in the work of justice". Whether it is visiting the sick, working for social reform, or simply offering a "small step of love" like a card or a kind greeting, these actions are the "candles burning in the night" that guide us through the darkness.

𝘼 𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 2026
Merciful God, look upon us as we enter these forty days bearing the mark of ashes. Bless our journey through the desert to the font of rebirth. Guide our steps so that we might find greater fulfillment in your promises and better serve others with a heart that is reflective of you. Let us die to the desire to choose our own way, and instead, give us the courage to follow where your Spirit leads. Amen.

16/02/2026

Dear Family and Friends,
Warmest and most blessed greetings to you and your loved ones as we celebrate the Chinese New Year!

May this new year bring abundant graces to your homes, good health to strengthen your bodies, peace to calm your hearts, and prosperity that enables you to be generous stewards of God's gifts.

12/02/2026

30th World Day of Consecrated Life: "Sharing our Stories"

The Religious Orders in the Archdiocese of Kuching celebrated the 30th World Day of Consecrated Life with a Mass at the Carmelite Chapel on 1 February 2026