To:
Members
Catholic Nurses Guild of Malaysia

1st September 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters

You Did Not Choose Me: I Chose You

Peace be with you all!

In a short while you will be gathering together for your Annual General Meeting in Sabah. As I have had occasion to stay previously in Pace Bene in Papar, I can say that is a very conducive place for the meeting. The atmosphere and surroundings are sure to facilitate a prayerful and contemplative spirit.

The theme for this year’s retreat is “You did not choose me: I chose you” (John 15:16). I hope that it will encourage us to consider how God has called each one of you to your special vocation as Catholic nurses. This is a very unique and challenging call but God will equip and sustain you in this special role.

Of course we try to understand that we are first of all called as disciples of Jesus. This means to be with the Master and to learn from him how to be like him as the model for our way of life. We will be encouraged to reflect on our journey thus far and seek enlightenment on how to continue in the future.
God is always near to us. He constantly reaches out to us as his beloved though we need to be reminded often about it. At times, this becomes mixed up with other messages from our society, creating confusion and distress within us. Hopefully our retreat will refresh our memory and give us new energy for our mission.
Let us therefore entrust this precious time to the Lord who is generous beyond measure to all his children who seek him with a sincere heart. May your time together strengthen your bond as brothers and sisters who encourage and support each other in appreciating your vocation as healers and caregivers.
God bless you all and reward you richly for your faithfulness to him and his people.
Yours sincerely in Christ

+ Cornelius Sim
President
Commission for Health Care
Catholic Bishops’ Conference
Malaysia Singapore and Brunei