Teaching our students to embrace faith as a way of life

 

 

It is the usual practice of the Sunday school teachers of St. Francis Xavier Church, Mong-Ha, to spend three years preparing the students for the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation. Besides classroom teaching, we organize activities such as outings to country parks to bring them closer to nature to appreciate God’s creation. Occasional visits to some of the local churches also inspire them with the early missionaries’ contribution to the development of Christianity in Macau.

 

For my Confirmation Class this year, I have made yet another new attempt. In March I gave them an assignment to be accomplished individually during the Lenten period. They would do spiritual journaling, filling the pages with short paragraphs of two to three sentences under the guidance of the following questions: Have you prayed to God for a person or an incident? Has anyone or any incident made you think of Jesus Christ? Has anyone or any incident reminded you of a Bible quote? Have you undergone any change for the sake of Jesus Christ? Have you put into practice the teachings of Jesus Christ? In fact, the spiritual journal would be a collection of brief accounts of their spiritual experiences. My intention was to get them used to applying their faith to their everyday lives.

 

At the end of May, I collected their spiritual journals. Most of the students’ work still left much to be desired. This had been expected, given their young age and lack of experience of self-reflections. However, I was amazed at how well a few students described their experiences, good evidence of their genuine faith indeed. One student, for example, had written about her participation in the rite commemorating the Washing of the Feet on Maundy Thursday. She said she had seen Jesus Christ in the parish priest who washed her feet. Another shared about looking at the congregation from a different point of view as he was an altar server.

 

Now that they have received the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation, I hope that their practice of spiritual journaling will remain so that their Chrisitan Faith will be woven into the fabric of their daily lives, embodying their beliefs through their actions, choices, and attitudes. In fact, they will learn to embrace Christian faith not just as a set of beliefs but a way of life.

Stop following fashion trends blindly

 

What a shock I got to see Gigi Yim, a young Cantonese pop singer, appear in a low-cut strapless dress at a music awards ceremony! What was the intention of her fashion stylists? Did they see the damage to her image as a teenage idol?

 

On the contrary, I stumbled upon a travel program on TV the other night and was attracted by the natural and easygoing way the young hostess presented and showcased the tour sights to the viewers. I found her simple teenage outfit particularly pleasant looking.

 

Understandably, teenagers see dressing as a form of self-expression. It is pathetic, however, that probably due to media influence, many young girls wear heavy makeup and dress themselves in revealing clothes to enhance their physical and sexual attractiveness. How I wish they could be convinced that nothing beats their natural youthful appearance and that they look best in classy and decent attire!

 

I may be criticized for being an old fuddy-duddy. But I just cannot bear to see young innocent girls in flirty dresses. It is hoped that parents and teachers will attach greater importance to educating young teenage girls on the need for self-respect and self-care in the area of how they present themselves instead of blindly following fashion trends.

A treasured learning opportunity

 

 

When I was first entrusted with the responsibility to coordinate one of the catechumen classes in our parish church, I gladly accepted the challenge as I saw it as another call from God. Besides, having been a Sunday school teacher for more than twenty years, I was confident of my work ability. However, my experience over the past few months has made me realize that the work of a Catechist, which involves unprecedented problems and uncertainties, has been a treasured learning opportunity for me. 

For one thing, to meet the various needs of the catechumen, it is essential to select materials related to the course outline set by the previous instructor. This ought not to be too much of a problem as there are bountiful resources available online, from the Bible and from Catechism Books. However, as the lesson is meant to enable the learners to achieve a gradual understanding of the Catholic Church, imparting too much knowledge would only scare them off. On the other hand, the learners may not be easily satisfied if the lesson fails to clarify certain doubts they may have about the core beliefs of Christianity. I am obliged, therefore, to look closely at the material in order to identify what adaptations are possible. 

The presentation of the lesson matters a lot, too. I keep reminding myself to avoid being too reliant on formal teaching strategies. Instead, I usually support my teaching with my own personal experiences. I share with them, for example, how my life has been blessed since my baptism. Besides, instead of adopting a teacher-centred approach, I make constant attempts to get the learners to interact with the lesson content, inviting questions and suggestions about the concepts discussed. The learners sometimes come up with interesting ideas leading to enthusiastic discussions among themselves. When this happens, I must try to guide them along to prevent their susceptibility to misinformation. It is also important to get them inspired by the lesson in a way that they can apply their learning to their daily lives. A learner, for example, once shared about a kind-hearted woman who reminded him about meekness, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, a previously discussed topic. How encouraging it was to see his face lighting up with joy when he told his story!

 Most importantly, I have learned to be humble. I see myself as their co-learner rather than their instructor delivering everything as I do not have all the answers they need. In fact, their thirst for knowledge and curiosity about the Christian faith keeps me striving in pursuit of spiritual enrichment myself. 

All in all, I am thankful to God for having blessed me with this treasured learning opportunity and am determined to dedicate myself to helping the catechumen grow in knowledge, giving them more of a desire for God, for His Word, and for God to transform their hearts.

寧靜中與主相遇 …… 望廈主日學導師靈修後記

 寧靜中與主相遇 …… 望廈主日學導師靈修後記

望廈聖方濟各堂主日學導師於 7月1日和2日舉行每年一次的避靜靈修活動。

我們一行十一人，在抵達上水聖保祿樂靜院之後，隨即在神師夏子明神父帶領下，開始第一次主題分享。夏神父首先引述有關厄瑪烏門徒的章節 (路24:13-35) ，介紹聖依納爵式聖言誦讀祈禱，引導我們想像自己走進厄瑪烏門徒的故事，和耶稣交談，並在聖經章節中的某處停下來，祈求天主聖神打開我們的心扉，讓我們察覺自己內心的感受。他也預備了幾個問題，讓我們各自默想有關的聖經章節。

當天晚上，我們參與明供聖體，在靜默中與主相遇。夏神父引導我們以一個簡單的心形圖像思考自己的美善和缺失，然後把放在心形圖像內美善的一面獻給天主，而摒棄不完美的地方。

在另一個主題分享中，夏神父引述聖詠第139篇提醒我們，耶穌是我們的同行者，我們是耶穌的工具，在日常生活中作耶穌的門徒，繼續耶穌的使命。他也和我們思考有關 “鹽與光” 的聖經章節 (瑪5:13-16)，提醒我們作為主日學導師的使命：我們應該像燭光一樣，將自己的善德顯現出來，並燃燒自己，照亮別人。也要像鹽一樣，奉獻自己的時間和努力，以愛為別人服務，使別人的生命變得更美好。另一方面，我們也應該好好運用天主賜給我們的才能，為世界帶來改變。

在總結分享中，大家都表示這次避靜靈修是一個很有啟發性的經驗，讓我們反思如何在主日學教學方面作出改善，並引入新的元素，更有效地把學生引領到天主面前。

靈修活動以主日感恩祭結束，離開修院時大家都心存感恩，並思量如何在返回日常生活中，把靈修中的體驗實踐出來 。

More than a children’s show

 

 

The musical “Dalia” is far more than a children’s singing and dancing show. It tells a story that initiates thinking about life and death, about treasuring time and keeping one’s faith.

With well-crafted dialogues and songs, the musical seems intent on delivering a meaningful message, which parental guidance may be needed for very young kids to appreciate. There is, however, no lack of entertainment elements as occasional energetic dancing performances appeal to and even provoke bursts of laughter among the audience of various age-groups.

Personally, I appreciate the young performers' tremendous efforts in playing their parts properly. Aside from singing live on stage, they recite their lines, partly in English and mainly in Cantonese, with perfect pronunciation and intonation, which can be challenging even for more mature performers.

The training must have been stringent and time-consuming, made more difficult amidst the pandemic crisis. On normal school days, on the other hand, the kids’ tight work schedule and exam stress must have affected their availability for training also.

Their experience of the musical has been an important life lesson for the kids. The have learned the importance of hard work and perseverance on their path to success. This is bound to have a very positive impact on their character development.

I am thankful for the opportunity to enjoy the marvelous musical. I hope the musical can draw better attention and reach a wider audience both locally and overseas .

A well blessed person

 There is always a broad smile on his face. To him everything is fun. His laughter can be heard long before he comes near. He can laugh away the problems even when there are a thousand and one thing to sigh for in life. When asked why he can be so carefree, he says that he puts the entire trust in God. He believes that God has his plan for him and that it is always better than anything he himself can think of.

 One thing interesting about him is that despite his age, he shows a keenness for improving his English. While enjoying a brief lunch, for example, he would raise questions about the pronunciation of some simple words, words that even the beginner would not doubt about. This interest of his is nothing new, though, for he expressed his intention of seeking advice from me on our very first encounter. What surprised me, however, was his reignited interest after all those years.

 He is indeed a very interesting person. His positive attitude towards life is doubtlessly one reason for his youthful looks. He is a well blessed person. And he is grateful that he is.

 

 

澳門全民核酸檢測 - 2021年8月5日 - 7:25 - 9:25

 I could have waited till today to undergo the nucleic acid test. But I do not feel regret about the two - hour waiting in a long queue. Instead, I find it rather rewarding.

I compliment myself for having got the courage to join a queue that stretched the entire length of a side street with its rear end at the head of the street on the opposite side. Seeing the line moving forward steadily at intervals gave me confidence in the service of the medical staff. I was also patient enough to chat with the woman in front, trying to pacify her and make her forget about her daughter- in- law, who was supposed to have joined her with the baby grandson by then.

While waiting in the small lobby, I appreciated the setting for the snaking queue with space for a few stools provided for the needy. I was also impressed by how the staff members went about their duties in the face of increasing pressure from the applicants who kept coming in.

Needless to say, what was going on in the big hall where the administration of the nucleic acid test was taking place was everything we hope for regarding speed and efficiency.

Yes, without the long wait, I would have just hurried past without bothering to observe the people involved in this mammoth operation. Most importantly, I would not have been convinced of my ability to endure the lengthy queuing time, which had been my greatest concern on account of my knee weakness.

Years later, I will still be able to recall with pride my experience of overcoming a rare challenge and of Macau's struggle to survive an uphill battle against the pandemic crisis.

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#澳門全民核酸檢測

#2021年8月5日

#7:25 - 9:25