2016 - a Year of Active Encounters with God’s Mercy

Every passing year is to be thankful for and the year 2016 is particularly thankworthy for a number of reasons.



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On top of the list is my active participation in a variety of activities in celebration of the Holy Year of Mercy, which has just drawn to an end. There were spiritual retreats, Bible reading gatherings, choir singing in concerts, pilgrimages to the local churches, the Opening and Closing of the Holy Door, to name just a few. Even our Sunday school curriculum included acts of charity in association with the theme of the Jubilee Year. In fact, each and every one of the activities was an encounter with the mercy of our Heavenly Father. The most memorable was undoubtedly the pilgrimage to the Holy Land in April. The visits to the places of Jesus’ birth, his baptism, his ministry work and finally his crucifixion have impressed me so greatly that the scenes still remain vivid on my mind, helping me to get more inspired than ever before when doing Bible reading.

In addition, I feel myself more enriched spiritually by attending a few courses. “Bible in 80 Weeks’, which began in June, 2015, drew to its close shortly before the Holy Land pilgrimage. We did not feel the loss for long, though, as another Bible course was soon launched in September, keeping us engaged and motivated for ten weeks in St. Paul’s prison letters. I took great delight not only in the input of the speakers but also in sharing with the group members. I would not have got so much enlightened if I had done only solitary reading.



https://angelachonglaikun.blogspot.com/2016/12/inspirations-from-course-on-catholic.html

But I feel most gratified for having enrolled in the course on “Catholic Social Teaching”. As implied in the name of the textbook used, it was a treasure to be explored, then discovered and finally kept for life. It has brought to light what I used to be ignorant of. I now understand that as a citizen as well as a child of God, I have my commitment to social justice. I also understand better what is meant by “loving God and our neighbours” and ‘building the kingdom of God on earth’. In fact, not only has the course enhanced my sense of belonging to the church, it has made me more emotionally attached to my Christian belief.

https://angelachonglaikun.blogspot.com/2016/09/that-daily-hour.html

Honestly, there have been moments when I doubted God’s presence. I did question God why he had allowed my sister to suffer from a disease terrible beyond words. I even asked why God had created mankind at all. Yes, those had been the moments when my faith was challenged. But it was also during her bitter days, months and years that I witnessed God’s mercy. Initially, she may have blamed God for the miserable state she was in. But over time we saw her gradually pacified with strengthened faith. God had blessed her with patience, courage and perseverance to endure the prolonged ordeal. Though deprived of her speech ability, she prayed with her husband peacefully with her eyes closed every morning. Besides us family members, she would only permit the priests, pastors and nuns to visit her, showing her eagerness to have contact with God through their help. Besides, she also had the fortune of being looked after by kind and caring medical staff. And on the night when she passed away, there was peace on her face, the kind of peace we had not seen for years. We were sad at the loss … we still are. But we do not have the least doubt that she’s now enjoying eternal peace in God’s embrace. From her, I have learned how to be submissive to God’s will with the entire trust in Him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s56n9T4FzM 

My involvement in a documentary film, which was a review of my life as a teacher, was another experience of closeness to God. I am thankful to the producer for including my spiritual life in the documentary. Listening to the interviewed teachers and students sharing about my past, I could not but think of God. Without His support and encouragement throughout all those long years of my teaching career, I could not have overcome the numerous hurdles and challenges all the way along and got my commitments implemented with satisfaction. I still view the documentary every now and then. While relishing the sweet fruits of my efforts, I also remind myself to count my blessings. God has shown caring concern for my passion for language. If it was under God’s guidance that I took up language teaching decades ago, it must have been his arrangement that my freelance work since my retirement is also language-related.

The past year has been an eventful one. Whether it will be remembered more for the happy achievements or the sad losses, one thing is for sure: I will always look back upon it with gratitude for God’s mercy and with determination to seek spiritual enlightenment and enrichment through greater involvement in the service of God.

Inspirations from the Course on Catholic Social Teaching

It was two days before the deadline that I submitted my course enrolment form. I had been hesitant about enrolling in the course on Catholic Social Teaching as I had limited knowledge about the subject. Besides, I thought the implementation of the social mission was only the concern of certain individuals or communities. I was even under the impression that our faith was merely reliant on our personal relationship with God. Social or even world affairs, on the other hand, were far beyond me.



Now, however, I realize that the Catholic Social Doctrine refers to the 11 encyclical letters written by the popes or bishops of different eras in response to the social and political situation of the time, providing new concepts and solutions to existing problems and challenges after careful analysis. Through dialoguing with the world, Social Teaching also provides people of different eras with the values of life in line with their faith as well as social norms coherent with human social behavior. In addition, Social Teaching, based on the evangelical spirit, helps the Christians to reflect on their faith and to make the correct decisions and choices when their conscience happens to conflict with practical issues. Moreover, Social Teaching places emphasis on the Role of the Prophet the Church ought to play, encouraging the Catholics to properly carry out their civic responsibilities, to insist on the truth of Christian faith and bravely put forth their point of view regarding social affairs.



Then what inspirations have I got from the course? What viewpoints do I need to express publicly? I think one of the problems worth reflecting on is that about human rights. For a long time there has been social concern about individual rights. However, the human rights advocated by the church are concerned with the dignity and rights of the individual as well as the overall interests of mass society. As God has entrusted mankind to take care of the world, the use of the earth and its ownership is inseparable.



At present Macau’s society seems affluent. In fact, however, economic development is inclined towards the gaming industry. The government also allows property speculators to maximize their profits by snapping up land unceasingly, resulting in serious social problems: Resources are unevenly distributed; there is a widening gap between the rich and the poor; the rent has soared beyond the means of the average man, low-wage earners are obliged to put up with the poor living conditions in cramped super-tiny slum apartments. The high rent has also caused many shops to wind up their business. Those that manage to survive have to raise the prices of goods, resulting in high living costs and mounting social complaints. “The lack of housing is being experienced universally and is due in large measure to the growing phenomenon of urbanization.35 Even the most highly developed peoples present the sad spectacle of individuals and families literally struggling to survive, without a roof over their heads or with a roof so inadequate as to constitute no roof at all. ( SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS 17) ” God created heaven and earth to enable all mankind to have the opportunity to enjoy all the resources. Land ownership should not be the exclusive right of certain wealth groups. It is definitely social injustice if only a few selfish persons are allowed to grab the resources unceasingly, depriving others of their basic needs. “In using them, therefore, man should regard the external things that he legitimately possesses not only as his own but also as common in the sense that they should be able to benefit not only him but also others. (PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD 9)” Therefore, the government has the responsibility to take every possible measure to put an end to this injustice and ensure that every citizen is entitled to the right of survival.



On the other hand, as a Christian, I also have my responsibility for justice. While taking delight in my possession of a decent shelter, have I turned a blind eye to those who have nowhere to call their home? Have I seen property investment as a means to financial security, thus contributing to the spree of unhealthy speculation unknowingly? In his ‘’SOLLICITUDO REI SOCIALIS” Pope John Paul II said, “ … it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.” This is the spirit of solidarity advocated by the pope. He put special stress on the care of the poor, considering this the primary and special way to put Christian love into practice. Therefore, if we care only to accumulate wealth and show no concern for the poor and underprivileged, we would be like the rich man who had no compassion for Lazarus. (Luke 16: 19-31)



The course has inspired me of the true meaning of Jesus Christ’s request for us to love God and our neighbors. Besides trying to establish a relationship with God, we should also show a genuine concern about the other members of society. And every effort we make to contribute to social justice is the manifestation of our concern for our neighbors. Of course, my knowledge of Catholic Social Teaching is only skin deep. I am willing to pursue further studies in this field and I hope also to arouse the awareness of its importance among the youngsters through my Sunday school teaching.

Let's support the local filmmakers

During the talk following a local film presentation at Weng Lok Theatre yesterday evening, the host asked who among the audience had seen Macau movies only for the first time. I hesitated about raising my hand. I had seen local movies before, but those were commercials targeted mainly at tourists. The ones we had just watched, however, were novelties in terms of the artistic elements involved. Characterized by the local filming sites, they naturally appealed to our sense of nostalgia. But of course, there were other attractions, too, especially the fact that the movie, “Crash”, had won the Best Film Award in the drama category at the South Taiwan Film Festival .

The three short films are of high artistic value. Though each conveys a different message, they all give a clear picture of the ugliness of human nature. ‘The light’, the first of the three, tells about a lady who is eager for marriage while her boyfriend, a compulsive gambler, cares only about paying his debt by winning a prize in Mark Six. There are others also thirsty for money, including even a young boy of less than ten. Towards the end of the story, which could have been a tragic one because of a murder, the few characters are still arguing about their shares of the cash prize. Indeed it is a reflection of human weaknesses.

Greed is also displayed in ‘Crash’, the second film. This time it is greediness for fame and popularity. The chief character, a high school teacher who often fails to grab his students’ attention in class, becomes flattered by more and more facebook  responses to his appeal for compassion for the disappearance of his mother. Another focus of the film is on the ignorance of many facebook users. Some take pleasure in sharing about themselves, whether it is something joyful or saddening. Others jump on the bandwagon without realizing what they are doing. The story has quite a surprising ending: instead of rejoicing at the discovery of his mother in a closet, he leaves her hidden there so that he can maintain the vain glory he has taken delight in.

The story about a tricyclist is another case in point. The pedicab-driver has seen a client draw money from a briefcase to pay him for his service. In his eagerness to deal with his family’s financial problem, he threatens the client with the pointed ends of the chopsticks and grabs the briefcase. But to his great disappointment, the briefcase is later found to be empty. Though the robbery has been due to an urgent need, the pedicab driver suffers from a guilty conscience probably for the rest of his life. The story is thus another moral lesson about failure to resist temptation.

During the post-screening talk, the three young directors shared about their experience of film production. As expected, they had had to overcome tremendous challenges to achieve success. What topped the list was the attempt to gain access to financial aid. There were other hurdles to iron out, of course, but none of them would dampen their enthusiasm for film making. Though they may have sometimes felt left out in the community, they were determined to commit themselves to achieving their aspirations. To them, doing what they were interested in was what had brought them real joy. Besides, they were proud to help draw global attention to Macau through their participation in international film festivals.

Yes, that was my first experience of viewing Macau movies. I believe this will be followed by more in the future. I hope that more and more people will appreciate the joy of movie viewing in the cinema and will give Macau’s filmmakers special support as their efforts are worth our appreciation and encouragement.

Film Review : Fukushima, Mon Amour’ - Directed by Doris Dörrie

The German film ‘Fukushima, Mon Amour’, directed by Doris Dörrie, is a two-hander, a movie for two actors/actresses, with the other actors playing only functional roles. It starts with Marie, a German lady, going with the organization ‘Clowns4’ to cheer up the refugees in the post-tsunami shelter in Fukushima. Still grieved by an aborted wedding, Marie cannot derive satisfaction from entertaining the tsunami survivors.When she is considering whether she should go back to Tokyo, Satom, an old lady among the refugees, asks her to drive her to the heavily radiated forbidden Exclusion Zone. There Satom is determined to stay and rebuild her ruined home. Marie decides to stay with her. The rest of the story tells how the two ladies get along with each other despite the culture gap between them.

The black-and-white images of the traumatic landscape with the presence of countless bags of toxic nuclear waste are sadly reminiscent of the disaster a few years before. However, the movie is not meant to bring the audience to tears. On the contrary, there are parts that display a sense of humour. Satom, who claims to be the region’s last geisha, is keen on influencing Marie with her refined culture. While she considers herself elegant, she calls Marie an elephant because of her height and clumsy gait. The way she sprinkles salt on herself and on Marie to ward off the evil spirits also creates cripples of laughter among the audience. In fact, the two actresses’ realistic performance makes the audience forget that their roles are the only two fictitious characters in the story.

The evil spirits, which seem so real as to be a bit disturbing, are assumedly found in the two ladies’ dreams. Obviously, this is due to their guilty conscience; Satom cannot banish the thought of her own selfishness in desperately seeking survival disregarding her apprentice’s safety while Marie is haunted by memories of her disloyalty to her fiancé just on the eve of their wedding. They remain conscience stricken until each faces up to her own fault. And with a resultant calm state of mind, they finally bid each other good-bye. The message here is that our sadness may have been caused by our own folly rather than a natural disaster and that there is always something we can and should do to overcome the sense of guilt and grief.

Despite its lack of entertainment appeal, the movie is highly credited for its psychological complexity and depth. There is no wonder that it is the winner of an Oscars award.

More than a mere concert

The event held by Mong Ha 930, the parish choir, at Santa Rosa School last Saturday afternoon was more than a mere concert.

It was a sharing of personal experiences. Someone used to see religious activities as an obligation imposed on him with threats about failing grades. Later, with the support of Mong Ha 930, however, he gradually managed to maintain regular Mass attendance. A choir member himself now, he praised the merciful Lord for the fervent Catholic he had been converted into.

Another young man told a heart-rending story about his forlorn love. He felt as though he had fallen into an abyss, where he thought his life would end. But through God’s mercy, he managed to pull himself out of it and is now enjoying a happy, contented life.

A young girl could not hold her tears when she slowly related how she had suffered from a disease that left her disabled to the point of being completely dependent on others. Now, healthy and cheerful, she praised God for her victory over her infirmity.

The story of a young lady was disheartening. A car accident took away her father’s life, leaving her mother seriously injured. Being the eldest daughter, she had to deal with all the problems thus triggered, almost unaided. She managed to forgive her father’s friend, the driver who had carelessly caused the accident. God had first shown her mercy by placing helpful people around her in her plight and she thus learned to be tolerant and forgiving.

It was a prayer meeting. Projected on the screen were Bible verses interchanging with the personal sharing and singing items. Each verse was related to the story told and it conveyed a message that inspired us to reflect more on God’s mercy. The verse about Jesus’ crucifixion, for example, was accompanied by a few lines read aloud to help us ponder the need to be generous and merciful. Moved by the stories and inspired by the Bible verses, we prayed inwardly in sympathy with the unfortunate ones and with gratitude for the chance of experiencing the presence of God there and then.

Of course, it was a concert, a very successful one. The messages would not have been so well delivered, far less inspiring, if not for the singing of what could be considered theme songs. In fact, the songs were so well selected that we wondered whether they had been especially composed for the purpose. The grouping of the singers had also been carefully planned to make the singing most effective and appealing. A song that delivered a message of love, for example, was sung by two married couples holding hands and exchanging loving glances. God’s presence, therefore, is shown not only at sad moments but also at heartwarming ones.

And the instrumental accompaniment was also highly impressive. Special credit was to be given to the pianist, who seemed to be playing non-stop, allowing the background music to persist throughout the entire event.

When the audience were invited to join in the singing of the last two songs, clapping hands rhythmically and waving the mobile phones with the light on, the atmosphere became so cheerful that one would imagine oneself at a show of a high popularity rating.

Father Peter, the parish priest of the Mong Ha Church, in his round-up speech, referred to the event as a prayer gathering, highlighting the fact that the choir’s performance succeeded in enhancing the awareness of God’s mercy, stressing that faith in God does not lie so much in the spiritual knowledge we pursue as in our personal encounters with God. Bishop Stephen Lee also reminded us that we can experience God’s mercy through our acts of kindness and thoughtfulness for one another in our everyday lives.

Yes, the Mong Ha choir members have performed a good show, providing us with great enjoyment and entertainment. Most importantly, they have delivered a very meaningful message to serve as guidance in our pursuit of spiritual enhancement.

Carry On, Carry on!

News of bomb blasts has always been very disturbing. It is a reflection of the impact from social chaos, unrest and insecurity.

And what happened in Manhattan last Saturday actually sent chills down my spine. When my daughter and I were there on our visit to New York last year, we were aware of the government’s grave concern about stringent measures against terrorism. There were warning signs inviting instant reports on unattended bags especially on subway trains and at the stations. And our visit to the Liberty Island one afternoon was cancelled because of a sudden announcement about a bomb threat. There seemed to be more police on duty in Wall Street on Sunday. Everything smacked of a tense atmosphere. I wondered aloud how I would feel if I were a resident there: Apparently, the world has become less safe to live in and people have become less trustworthy. Violence and bloodshed seems to be the order of the day. Should we live in fear? Is life worth living?

To my surprise, however, the locals did not seem the least disturbed. They had obviously learned to live with all this. How did they manage this peaceful composure?

This video clip on BBC news may be an answer to the question.

(http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37403672?ocid=wsnews.chat-apps.in-app-msg.whatsapp.trial.link1_.auin)

When interviewed about their first thoughts after the explosion, the first respondent expressed his fear about a terrorist attack. Sarcastically, a guy’s first worry was about his dog. A small girl, who was all smiles, sounded very excited about having had a rare experience to share about in school. Most of the rest, however, said they would have to continue to live. Confident of support from one another, they would not live in fear. A few even took a picture of the cops, who did not seem to have just dealt with a life and death problem. So there was no panic, no sign of fear, no curse, no complaint.

Such is wisdom of life. It would be too pessimistic to give up plans and put aside the routine activities as if something might happen to ruin everything. It would be unwise of married couples to ope not to have children because of their worry about their future. In fact, such pessimistic behavior might cause the doomsday to approach faster than any terrorist attacks might. In other words, there ought not to be much ado about nothing (庸人自擾).

Of course, things need to be done about safeguarding the well being of the citizens. This is the responsibility of the government. Besides higher efficiency and more advanced equipment of the police force, attention should also be directed to educating people on the significance of mutual understanding and respect. If people learn to respect life itself, they will not resort to violence and bloodshed as a solution to life’s problems. And world peace will be a dream come true.