Joseph Masilamany

October is “Respect Life Month”. On October 10, “World Day Against the Death Penalty”, Malaysian Pannir Selvan Pranthaman was laid to rest after he was hanged in Singapore two days earlier.

The world today observes the World Day Against the Death Penalty, a day to reflect on the sanctity of life, justice, and the growing call for abolition. But for one Malaysian family, the occasion has taken on a deeply personal meaning.

From September 29 to October 1, 2025, generations of cardinals, archbishops, priests, bishops, religious, and seminarians from across Asia returned to the place where their journeys began, College General, Penang.

For faith does not happen in the cloud. It happens on the ground where people still reach out to hold one another’s hands, whisper a prayer, and believe that even in an age of machines, the human heart remains the oldest, most sacred technology of all.

Every year, as the eighth lunar month draws near, Chinese communities across Asia prepare for one of their most beloved celebrations: the Mid-Autumn Festival.

As a little boy in my family home in a rubber plantation in Johor, 7 pm daily meant kneeling in the living room as the candles flickered before a small altar, hosting the Cross and several statues of saints, and of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Archdiocese of Kuching in Sarawak, East Malaysia, will open its doors through the Landings Programme – a nine-week journey of faith, hope, and love will run from October 3 to December 5 - offering a gentle path home for Catholics who have drifted away from the Church - guiding them back with welcome and care.

Some plant trees, others take recycling seriously, while many embrace simpler lifestyles in solidarity with the earth. For Malaysian artist Christine Das, the response took an unexpected path; her brush became her voice, and her canvas a witness.

On September 2o, when the Church commemorates the feast of the 103 Korean Martyrs, we remember that their path to holiness passed through Malaysia.

Matthew’s life is proof that no one is beyond the reach of grace. If Jesus could see an apostle in a despised tax collector, what might He see in us?