By Theresia Titus
Patience was of a virtue for Indonesian Catholic Community Perth (ICCP) member David Lee, who was finally baptised on Corpus Christi Sunday after the sacraments were postponed across the Perth Archdiocese in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I have realised that Catholicism is the faith I am inclined and belonged to since I was a little boy,” Mr Lee told The eRecord.
“I have felt that comfort and peace with the teachings of Jesus since I was a primary school student, however, as I was growing up, life and adulthood had taken a lot of my time that I couldn’t find the commitment to learn about the faith properly.
“However, I knew that I belonged in the Catholic Church,” he added.
Mr Lee started RCIA classes at ICCP after he moved to Perth in January 2019 with his wife of 16 years and three children.
“I felt that my faith has grown stronger and I have known Jesus deeper ever since I took RCIA classes.
“I already had a background of Catholic teachings as I attended Catholic education growing up in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. But, I believe RCIA classes made me understand the values of the Catholic Church deeper.
“I now understand what people meant when they said to me that it is a blessing to receive the sacrament of baptism during adulthood as we would be able to have a better understanding of Jesus’ teachings and more affirmation in our decision to enter the Church,” he continued.
Mr Lee said he was happy and relieved to call himself a Catholic, however, understood that his baptism is the “beginning of something challenging”.
“I knew that my faith journey is not something I can take lightly as applying the Jesus’ teachings and the Church’s values in life are easier said than done,” he added.
“Personally, Catholicism has taught me humility, patience and modesty. But the hardest lesson to apply in real life, for me, is forgiveness.
“I am a self-employed businessman, and doing business constantly means I am almost forced to perceive things from a worldly point of views, focus only on making a profit, and become self-interested; the Catholic faith has helped me to practice humility which I would easily omit had I not believed in Jesus.
“I believe we ought to have a bit of humanity in ourselves, instead of just chasing after worldly and temporal matters,” he continued.
Mr Lee hoped to be able to practice what he was taught in his life and nurture his children in Catholic education.
“My children have all been baptised since birth, and now I am finally able to celebrate the Sacraments with them,” Mr Lee beamed.