福傳使命在堂區的傳承 - 望廈堂區主日學小導師

天主教澳門教區於10月20日（星期六）晚上，於聖若瑟勞工主保堂舉行2018普世傳教節祈禱分享晚會，主題是《躍進見證的洪流， 世代交替，將信仰傳遞》。我們望廈堂區主日學18位小導師被邀在祈禱會中作分享，見証《福傳使命在堂區的傳承》。

當晚出席祈禱會有10位小導師，他們首先以整齊舞步動作演繹一首勵志的歌曲。在音樂過場中有四位小導師輪流作分享， 簡述自己如何回應天主的召叫，加入小導師團隊， 也分享當中所經歷的挑戰和困難、 樂趣和得著， 最後由 “資深”的大哥哥作總結, 承諾會繼續學習為堂區、為主日學服務。聽著他們娓娓道來，大家都很感動， 鼓勵的掌聲不絕。

我們在現場的導師們也為這些少年人感到自豪，他們的承諾是對我們培育孩子工作的一個肯定。同學們領堅振聖事之後，仍然願意留在主日學，是因為他們對這個大家庭產生一種親切的感情、一種歸屬感。更重要的是，他們了解到堅振聖事賦與他們福傳的責任，這都讓我們感到欣慰，因為我們撒播的福傳種子，在不知不覺中，已經開始萌芽，且漸漸成長。

另一方面，這個承諾也給我們的薪火得以相傳，為導師團隊增添生力軍。培訓小導師是我們非常重視的工作，在這個日新月異的年代，為要適應社會的轉變，我們需要不斷求變。主日學也不例外，如何吸引孩子們每星期天都乖乖地到來上學，如何令他們放低手上的遊戲機，這一切都有賴具創意的、多元化的課堂活動，而小導師們在這方面往往能够提出很好的意見，為我們解决了不少問題呢！

當然，小導師初期的工作表現，是強差人意的，他們經驗尚淺，耐性和投入感亦有所欠缺，且由於仍是在求學階段，承受着功課和考試的壓力，偶然會有個別失責的情况。

但經過多年來的實踐經驗，小導師們的進步是非常令人鼓舞的。他們在祈禱會中的表現給人一個眼前一亮的感覺！他們真正長大了，我們樂見他們充滿信心和喜樂，繼續在福傳路上向前邁進!

We should at least give it a go

After our contact with Nature through mountain climbing and visiting the tea plantation, we attended a two-day workshop on Spiritual Ecology at the Sacred Heart Spirituality Center (聖心靈修中心) in New Taipei City. 

The workshop was designed with reference to Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “Care for Our Common Home” and included the use of the geological elements of the Sacred Heart campus. It consisted of various sessions on knowledge input, reflection and sharing as well as green outings.

The theme on the first day was “On Trees”. We first underwent meditation training, during which we were guided to develop an awareness of our relationship with trees on an imaginary tour in a wooded area. We then had an actual walk among the trees on the campus, observing and touching them, praying and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of an occasional breeze blowing through them. Later in the afternoon, guided by Miss Yuen, we planted young shoots in pots to experience the joy of tree planting. We thus came to know that there are things we can do to maintain a good relationship with the environment and also with the people around us. An experiment on pomelos’ skin in the production of a liquid cleanser also convinced us to cut down on the use of harmful chemicals in our daily lives.

Another focus of the workshop was the appreciation of Nature’s beauty and the natural balance of the earth’s ecosystem. Through meditation, we were guided to admire the flowers blooming, swaying in the wind, falling and then regenerating. We also spent some time strolling round the campus, where there were sites reminiscent of Gospel teaching. For example, the Good Shepherd Park made us think of Psalm 23. The pond with lotuses growing was a living proof of what is known as a pond ecosystem. There were also a few rocks where we could sit and enjoy a few silent prayerful moments.

Having watched a video about the flight of birds, we meditated on a few questions based on it. The questions initiated thinking about our attitude towards life. We reflected on how we responded to life’s ups and downs, whether we enjoyed working singly or jointly with others and whether we had ever experienced God’s companionship in our journey through life.

On the whole, the workshop enabled us to have a better understanding of the message from the encyclical letter “Care for Our Common Home”. We were particularly enlightened to ponder his advice on ecological conversion: “More than in ideas or concepts as such, I am interested in how such a spirituality can motivate us to a more passionate concern for the protection of our world.[151] 

Now that the ecological spirituality tour is over and life is back to normal, we must ensure ourselves of a reformed lifestyle, one that is in agreement with what our Pope refers to as an “ecological conversion”, in appreciation of "our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork. [217]  This cannot be easy but we should at least give it a go.

A Dedicated Land Caretaker

Our ecological spirituality tour included a two-day visit to Shifan Tea Plantation in New Taipei City. There we enjoyed the experience of tea picking, tea processing and making delicious snacks with tea. Above all, we learned a lot about land use and ecology from Mr. Chan Ding Hong, the owner, who, as we all agree, is a lover of Nature and a dedicated caretaker of land.

Guided by Mr. Chan, we had a try of tea rolling, one of the steps of tea processing. It involved rubbing a number of fresh tea leaves between our palms. After some time we were amazed to find on the palms an oily film which gave out a very good tea fragrance. This, according to Mr. Chan, was the sap that had oozed out. Then Mr. Chan knelt on the floor and demonstrated the proper way to do it. As if performing a magic trick, he threw on the flat-bottomed basket a big heap of tea leaves, ten times the amount we had dealt with, and kept rolling it back and forth until it became a moist ball. We were then told that the purpose of the rolling action was to enhance the taste of the tea. All our tea leaves were then put into a glass bottle, and, one by one, we were invited to pour water into it. This was the tea brewing process and the tea was expected to be ready for consumption in a day’s time.

The visit to the tea field later that afternoon was another experience of novelty and interest. Equipped with the pickers’ straw hats and baskets, we were shown to a part of the field where there were neatly aligned tea bushes less than a meter high. As instructed, we took great care to pick the top leaves, three at a time, leaving the tiny, tender ones to grow to a proper size. It being a labour-intensive process, as we came to know, a lot of seasonal workers are hired in due time, helping out in one field after another.

On the tour round the plantation, Mr. Chan told us his story about giving up his professional expertise in civil engineering all because of his love for organic farming. He had decided to come back to take care of the plantation which his father had founded. He stressed the importance of land conservation. In his opinion, land does not belong to any special person. In ancient China, the Emperor owned all the land in the country but now not one of his descendants has a chunk of land to his name. In fact, every one of the inhabitants on earth has the right to the land. He, therefore, appealed to us to take good care of the land lest we should deprive our future generations of usable land, which is their right. It is important to maintain soil health so that it can continue to sustain biological productivity. Genetic engineering to improve quality and productivity of crops could pose a threat to the soil condition and should, therefore, be banned. We were so much inspired by his sharing that we even had it video-recorded to remind ourselves and others of the importance of land conservation.

In Mr. Chan I see a person of lofty aspirations. And, though he is not a Christian, what he has been doing is reminiscent of a message from Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “Care for Our Common Home” - The best way to restore men and women to their rightful place, putting an end to their claim to absolute dominion over the earth, is to speak once more of the figure of a Father who creates and who alone owns the world (57). 

Now whenever I am enjoying a cup of tea, I think of a friend who shows us with his own exemplary deeds how we should respect  and treasure land as part of God’s creation.

The Best Magic He Has Ever Played - Movie Review: “The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir”

   

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“The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir” has everything we are looking for in an entertaining movie, with a mix of a ton of laughs, a romance, a sequence of adventures and even a couple of singing and dancing scenes, keeping the audience joyfully engaged till the very end. It is fun watching how Ajatashatru Lavash Patel is transferred as a refugee from one country to another and how he uses his magic tricks to get himself out of trouble. The vivid performance of the actors playing the role of Ajatashatru Lavash Patel, both the kid and the adult, is itself a source of amusement grabbing much of the audience’s attention.

Ajatashatru Lavash Patel’s life story weaves through the entire movie. In fact, there are other stories told which inspire not only the different characters in the movie but also the audience. The blind man’s story, the story the lady tells the taxi–driver and the one written on the shirt, which later fetches a very high price, are all good examples.

Instead of being just a comedy, the film has a moral lesson about life. It starts with the statement that equality of life does not exist and that one has to play the hand that one is dealt. Since childhood, Ajatashatru Lavash Patel has been lamenting the lack of chance on his side. To lift himself out of poverty, he keeps trying to scam people for money. But he later comes to realize that life is not all about getting rich and that the best magic he has ever performed turns out to be an act of charity.

I give full marks to the movie as it is recommendable to people of all ages.

Something New Can Always Emerge

I was in Taiwan last week on an ecological spirituality tour named “New Exodus”. As the Chinese name “同行覓主踪” suggests, it was aimed at seeking encounters with God through close contact with Mother Nature. 

Before we set off, we had been instructed to read Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “On Care for our Common Home”. Initially, I did not have much interest in the book and actually gave up reading several times. Now that I have completed the tour, however, I find the book very meaningful and inspiring. A few paragraphs are particularly enlightening as they are so closely associated with the remarkable experiences I have been through. The following is an account of what I now see as a miracle God has worked in me.

Imagine a person of my age climbing up a height of more than 800 metres in a matter of seven plus hours, during which we were allowed only short pauses at wide intervals including a 15- minute lunch break. The climb alone was challenging enough, given the steep gradient and the ruggedness of the steps paved with sandy mud and scattered pebbles. It gradually became more difficult and at times even dangerous as the climb proceeded. To make the matter worse, the rain that we had brushed off as a drizzle had now become heavier and the accompanying wind had also begun to gather speed and strength. Despite the raincoat I had on, I felt water dripping down my forehead and into my eyes. 

The uphill path, strewn with puddles, became more and more slippery. I thus had my eyes fixed on the steps every minute of the climb, trying to decide where I should place my walking stick before landing first on one foot and then the other. Often time I had both feet on the same step to keep myself well balanced before climbing up another, thus proceeding at a very slow pace. 

When we had finally arrived at the peak, the wind was blowing so violently that I was thrown off balance. I thought I was going to fall down the stairs when a strong pair of arms caught me just in the nick of time. It was a team member who had arrived there before us.

I ought to have felt ecstatic over the conquest of the height. But my worry had not lessened as I had heard comment about the increasing difficulty of the descent.  And we were allowed time only enough for a few mouthfuls of the sandwich and a quick change into dry clothes.

The descent, however, turned out to be less hectic than expected. In spite of the ongoing wind and rain, I felt my body weight less pressing. But my pair of legs had become so weak that they could hardly support me. I became wobbly, swaying slightly from side to side out of control. And when the descent finally ended and we settled down in the sheltered quarters, I threw myself onto a stool, dead beat, speechless and drenched to the skin.

Well, it was indeed a miracle that I had completed the climb. I owed much to my team mates for their loving care and support, without which I could have quit shortly after the journey had started.

This experience of mine has convinced me of the truthfulness of the message implied in this quote from “On Care for our Common Home” … “God in some way sought to limit himself in such a way that many of the things we think of as evils, dangers or sources of suffering, are in reality part of the pains of childbirth which he uses to draw us into the act of cooperation with the Creator. … The Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities and therefore, from the very heart of things, something new can always emerge.”

Indeed, I now realize that through my participation in the climb, God has taught me to overcome my fear of danger and of suffering by cooperating with Him. God has also made me realize that there are possibilities that I have previously been unaware of. My success in the climb has proved to me that new things can emerge if only I dare to venture beyond my capabilities and to meet new challenges.