A pilgrim, not a tourist

·

Before we set off to the Holy Land, Fr. Peter and Sr. Victoria had reminded us that we were going on a pilgrimage, not a pleasure tour; we were to see not only with our eyes but with our hearts; we were to seek the awareness of the Holy one instead of merely having fun and entertainment. Now that I have come back with happy memories of the visit, one question I still ask myself is whether I was there as a pilgrim or as a tourist.

The pilgrimage had almost all the benefits of a pleasure tour with visits to gorgeous scenic spots, delicious local cuisines, safe and cozy coach rides and comfortable hotel accommodation. There were also efficient tour guides taking care of our well-being and providing cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation for us. Besides, we were shown to places where we could shop for souvenirs to our hearts’ content.

However, we were not lost amidst all these attractions. We remained clear-headed enough to realize that there was more we were looking for on a pilgrimage. We remembered our hope to gain a deeper understanding of the One we follow and to trace His whereabouts made known to us in the Scripture. Our itinerary consisted mainly of visits to the churches and other historical sites reminiscent of Jesus’ life on earth. The Bible verses chosen for the daily mass were associated with the major events in His life, in memory of which the church was built. In addition, Bible reading on every historical site we visited also served to remind us of what happened to Jesus there.

But frankly, it was not during these religious activities that I particularly felt the presence of God. They were, to some extent, what I had been doing in Macau, thus too familiar to initiate an intimate connection with Jesus. Rather, there were places, people and situations that gave me the feeling of having an encounter with Him.

On our flight to Tel-Aviv, Israel, we were served what I thought were biscuits. Then the guide told us that it was unleavened bread, served because it happened to be the Passover Week for the Israelites. So, that was unleavened bread, mentioned so often in the Scriptures! And the announcements were partly in Hebrew, a language spoken by the Jews in Jesus’ time, and probably a language Jesus himself  used.

The Lord said to His disciples "Beware of the leaven (false doctrine) of the Pharisees" (Matthew 16:6; Mark 8:15).

The visit to the Judaean Desert was thrilling! We had learned from the guide book that it was ‘an exciting and unique place with fascinating nature reserves, historic sites, monasteries and primeval panoramas’. But the actual visit there was far more captivating. When the landscape gradually came into our sight as the coach drove along, I felt like screaming in wonder. How overjoyed we were when told that we could actually go up the plateau and feel how Jesus felt during His forty days in prayer! Related Bible verses flashed across my mind and I heard myself murmuring, “How did Jesus spend those forty days where we now keep fidgeting the whole time in the scorching heat?’

John the Baptist was “a voice of one calling in the desert...” (Mark 1:3). Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the desert” (Matt. 4:1).

We prayed the Way of the Cross at Via Dolorosa one early morning. On our visit to the Holy Sepulchre we joined the long queue for admission to the Altar of Crucifixion only to be allowed a few brief seconds on the spot where Jesus’ crucifix was believed  to have been erected. Those places were supposed to have called to memory Jesus’ passion and death. But to tell the truth, I felt more touched at two other sites instead.

The Garden of Gethsemane, now beautiful with blooming trees, was where Jesus prayed to his Heavenly Father before his arrest. Imagine his sadness and disappointment at his disciples’ refusal of his most needed support and consideration! Looking at the tree supposed to be the only listener to Jesus’ praying, I felt so sorry for Him.

 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” ( Luke 26:39)

 In the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, which commemorates Peter’s triple denial of his Master, we were shown down a bottle-necked underground cell, assumedly Christ’s Prison, where He might have spent the night before he was crucified. Despite the fact that it was now well lit and clean to welcome visitors, it could be imagined the cold and damp Jesus was left to endure during those long hours, made all the more intolerable by His disciples’ heartlessness. My heart ached at the thought of his agony, which had started even before he was led down the long path with the cross on his shoulders.

And I was touched by Jesus’ generosity in forgiving Peter. In this Holy Year of Mercy, Peter’s repentance and his reconciliation with Christ after the Resurrection was a good reminder of God’s mercy in always giving us the chance to repent for our sins.

"And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice" (Mark 14:30)

Quite on the contrary to the sad thoughts and feelings initiated by these sites, there were happy reminders of Jesus’ life of ministry. The hiking down a hill on the north-west side of the Sea of Galilee will always remain a memory to relish and revel in. We walked down a beaten track, carefully picking our way among strewn pebbles and slippery boulders. For the most part of the journey, I had a friend walking side by side with me, giving me support and confidence. And a voice, each time belonging to a different owner, was heard warning me against potential danger. I felt so well cared for that I whispered a prayer of thanks to God for having placed loving angels by my side.

And the wheat field on the hill slope was a pleasant surprise. We remembered how Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for allowing his disciples to pick the grains of wheat on Sabbath Day. I bent down and posed for a picture of myself mimicking the act of picking the grains. But to my great regret, I forgot to actually pick a few to show my Sunday school students, though I had intended to.

Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

On the boat ride in the Sea of Galilee, we had a wonderful time singing and dancing. For the rest of the journey, we were enjoying the serenity of the sea and the beauty of the shoreline scenery. Was the sea as peaceful at the time when Jesus fell asleep, leaving his disciples on their own? How violent was the storm that caused the disciples to be in great fear until it was pacified by Jesus?

“Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him” (Luke 8:25).

And the scenery up Mount Taboo was breath breaking and beyond words. When Peter proposed building three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Prophet Elijah, he must have been captivated by the jaw-dropping views just as we were. It’s natural that we desire a place far away from the turmoil and chaos of the world but that should not be our goal of life. The purpose of Jesus’ transfiguration was to strengthen his disciples’ faith in his divinity but they would still have to face the reality of his imminent agony and death. Inspired by the beauty of Mount Taboo, we should now feel more assured of our commitment to valuing and conserving God’s creation by contributing to world peace and environmental protection.

Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. (Mathew 17:3)

So can I claim to have been in the Holy Land as a pilgrim? Definitely, I was not a mere tourist as I did think of Jesus wherever I went. I felt the joy of being where he had once been, meeting people who were probably his descendants speaking his language. Yes, I was a pilgrim, though not a good one. The schedule was so packed with visits to so many places that we were left hardly any time to settle down in quiet prayer and meditation. Nevertheless, the pilgrimage has brought about change in me spiritually. The Bible verses mean a lot more to me and I pray with greater sincerity as Jesus is now not a distant God but a close friend. If I have the chance to revisit the Holy Land, I will choose fewer destinations so as to leave adequate time for prayer and reflections.

My first experience of column writing

In January last year I was invited to write a column for the weekly newspaper " Observatório de Macau". The writing is based on an English book entitled "The Story of the Mass", for which I would do abridged translation into Chinese. I leapt at the offer. The idea of having a personal column was indeed a dream come true! Besides, I was then having an online course on English-to-Chinese Translation. The column would be a great opportunity for practice, which I needed badly.

Even before I actually started, I had foreseen great difficulty. An idea very easily comprehensible in English may often become awkward and unnatural when translated into Chinese even if the meaning is correctly conveyed. I am quite aware of the cross- language interference in my Chinese translation. This, I am afraid, will lessen its attraction, if any, to the readers.

Another problem is to find the correct Chinese equivalents for some names, mainly names of saints and popes. As I later came to realize, the same name may have been translated differently in different columns. In addition, to translate their texts poses particular difficulty, as a high degree of accuracy is demanded. I have had the fortune, though, to come across the translated versions of some texts and all that was needed was to quote the corresponding paragraphs directly. But such bits of luck are few and far between. I have had to struggle with the grinding translation most of the time.

However, as a result of what I call the 16-month project, I have come to learn a lot about “the Church’s Eucharistic life over 20 centuries”. There are important details including “the sacrifice-meal of Jesus and his apostles, the grand ceremonies in the Rome of Gregory the Great, the bold innovations of Emperor Charlemagne, the reforms of the Councils of Trent and Vatican II, Greek and Latin, heresies and controversies as well as Gregorian Chant and Eucharistic Prayers”. In fact, I have learned such a lot about the “evolution of the Mass and the traditional roots of present-day changes” that I now attend Mass with better devotion and a better understanding of Jesus’ call “Do this in memory of me.” 

I understand that there is still a lot of room for improvement in my work and its readership is scanty. Nevertheless, I see this as a good start that will lead to more encouraging and challenging missions. I thank the publisher for his kind invitation. And of course, I thank the kind Lord for the opportunity to embark on a form of evangelical work so spiritually rewarding.

'Tuesdays with Morrie' by Mitch Albom - a story too good to miss

 

 

The story is about Morrie’s last class with Mitch, his only student, who visited with him every Tuesday in the last months of his life. And the weekly class, taught from experience, was on The Meaning of Life. 

Confined to a wheel chair, Morrie talked with Mitch, giving him advice on various life issues. Before meeting Morrie again after years’ separation, Mitch had had a very busy life, taking labor as his companion, moving everything else aside. The weekly conversations with Morrie, however, gradually convinced him that full days are not necessarily satisfied and that the things people spend so much time on might not seem as important. Morrie also advised him to learn to ‘detach’ - to avoid clinging to something since nothing, not even fear, is permanent. Instead, it is important to join in one big human family in the world, sharing love with one another, as love, according to Morrie, is how we stay alive.

This is not a book that gives the reader feelings of suspense or excitement. What keeps the reader turning the pages are the fatherly conversations through which the old man shares his positive thinking with his student. The reader gradually finds himself attending the class with Mitch, getting enlightened by Morrie’s wisdom and insight. What is perhaps most inspiring is his accepting attitude towards aging and death. In spite of his ebbing health and increasing dependency on others, he would not indulge in self-pity. Instead, he was determined to live with dignity, with courage, with humour and with composure as he thought that dying is not synonymous with uselessness and, on the contrary, it is as natural as life. He believed that as one is prepared for death, one can be more involved in one’s life while living.  

The book is one of the best I have read. While the loving relationship between the old man and the young man is touching beyond words, Morrie’s philosophies about living with death's shadow can encourage the reader to get a positive message out of something, even something as dreadful as death. 

 All in all, ‘Tuesday with Morrie’ is a story too good to miss.

 

 

 

ATV staff deserve attention priority

  

I agree with the editorial on March 5, “Important to take care of ATV staff”,  that they need careful attention.

Over the past year there has been frequent news about ATV’s fate, giving hope at one moment but causing worries most of the time. The news is disheartening as ATV, despite its relatively low popularity rating, has contributed greatly to the viewers, including those in Macau, by providing programs which are useful sources of information and entertainment.

Its imminent termination now being certain, there is much to be done to ensure its smooth windup. From my point of view, the employees’ interests should have priority of attention. The Labour Department should see to it that ATV, in compliance with the Employment Ordinance, either clear the overdue wages to the staff or provide them with termination compensation. In addition, the LD should provide the employees with assistance regarding their statutory rights and benefits. If ATV fails to effect the wage payment for no reason, the LD should strictly initiate prosecution actions. Moreover, the staff should be helped to seek employment in the broadcasting or related sectors so as to maintain their livelihood and to make use of their skills and experience.

Most of ATV’s staff have been unpaid since last December but many still insisted on staying at their posts to ensure the daily operations of the broadcaster. Their loyalty and selflessness is admirable. Their interests should, therefore, be well taken care of.

Feeling thankful for God's mercy

When I was invited to be one of the speakers for the Lenten Retreat held last Saturday, I delighted at the topic assigned. I did not foresee much difficulty since it had been one of the focuses of my talk in a previous Bible course. It turned out to be a spiritual enrichment experience as I have now come to know.

Unlike lecturing, a retreat speech involves more than simply searching for and then compiling the required materials. The aim of a retreat is to guide the participants to reflect on their faith and to rekindle and deepen their relationship with God. I, therefore, needed to do self-reflection first and that was how I benefited in terms of spiritual enhancement and enlightenment.

​

The theme of the retreat was ‘God’s Mercy on the Cross’. It was centered on St. Paul’s determination to be true to the message of Christ and to his Cross. After he had been struck blind by a strong light from heaven, he spent a long time meditating on his past deeds. He came to realize how much God loved him in spite of his cruelty in persecution of the Christians. And it was his experience of God’s love that caused him to face his sins and gave him the courage, wisdom and perseverance to speak out in defence of his own faith against his many opponents, who condemned the Cross as foolishness and a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 1:18-23).

While reflecting on this, I thought about how sometimes our spiritual development is hindered by our ignorance of the Truth. I realize now that this is often due to our pride: we think we know enough and are already doing the right things, thus refusing to deepen our understanding of God and His will. If we admit our inadequacy, however, we will, like Paul, seek God’s wisdom and mercy through a closer relationship with Him.

St. Paul advised the Christians to be reconciled to God, saying that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:18-20New). This helped me make up my mind to receive the Sacrament of Confession. For years, I had dreaded going to confession. While praying alone, I had poured out my hearts to God for forgiveness. I thought that it sufficed just to confess directly to God. St. Paul’s preaching about his being the worst among sinners, however, convinced me to pluck up the courage to confess my sins to a priest instead. And I felt peace at heart after that.

This has made this year’s Lenten season so much different from others over the past years. And I am so thankful for God’s mercy on me in this Holy Year of Mercy.

 

Recapturing The First Love

For our reading in February we members of the ‘Bible 123 Reading Group’ were assigned the chapter on ‘Ephesus’ in Pope Francis’ book ‘The Letters to the Seven Churches’. We were to read through the chapter and be guided to ‘Recapture the First Love’. Here ‘the First Love’ refers to the love we had for God in the beginning. The nature of love, unfortunately, like that of wines, tends to either mature or sour. Like the Churches of Ephesus and Laodicea, we are advised to experience conversion and recover our initial fervor.

I found the chapter very thorough in meaning and had read it several times before I managed to grasp the message conveyed. I was most inspired by the reflection on this verse: 'So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’ (Apoc 3:15 - 17)  

What does it mean to be neither cold nor hot? Is my love for God lukewarm? Have I not been doing God’s work? I felt puzzled. Not until I had reflected on a related Gospel verse did I realize the truth. It is about Judas reproaching Mary of Bethany for anointing Jesus with aromatic nard instead of saving the money for the poor. (John 12:1-8) 

Judas has an ‘idea’ about what must be done but it is this same idea that keeps him aloof from the living Jesus before him. His attitude is what Pope Francis refers to as spiritual bitterness. By contrast, Mary is correctly oriented by her love for Jesus. She is ‘the soul that adores on her knees and prays with her tears’.

Has the focus of my faith somehow been disoriented like Judas’? Over the past years, especially since my retirement, I have dedicated a lot of time and efforts to what I believe to be the service of God. My work as a Sunday school teacher, for example, does expose me to a lot of useful religious teaching materials. Of far greater use is the research work involved in my preparation for the talks associated with ‘the Bible in 80 Weeks Bible Course’. I also benefit greatly from sharing responsibilities with the other members of the Mong Ha Retreat Group. Has all this actually led to my faith enrichment? Is my relationship with God any closer?  

This would have happened, as I now realize, if my attitude had not been disoriented like Judas'. Probably owing to my long experience as a teacher, my chief concern is to get the message across. I delight at the discovery of good teaching materials and vivid illustrations to enhance the effectiveness of my lesson presentations. If my preaching has amounted to any success at all, it is at the great cost of a genuine relationship with Jesus. If I have been doing virtuous work at all, it is but the practice of what our Pope calls the “secondary virtues’.

I now understand how important it is to allow our first love to undergo conversion, which can be achieved only by concentrating on Jesus Christ alone. I will devote more time to medicating on the sufferings of Christ. May this be one of my Lenten reflections in this Holy Year of Mercy.

Who will be the first to throw a stone?

A few friends of mine have expressed concern about the recent social chaos and violence televised in Hong Kong. They are at a loss to know how they can explain to their children about what has actually happened and who are really to blame. They wonder aloud on what values they ought to educate their children from now on.

I understand their worries as it has become increasingly difficult to guide children to tell right from wrong. When approached for advice, however, I will recommend with enthusiasm the adoption of Christian values. By this I mean we can guide our children to learn to see things from Jesus Christ’s perspective and be guided by and attached to his teaching. In fact, what he did and said while he was still on earth could be very useful lessons to apply to life situations today.

Children need to be educated on a loving and caring attitude. Jesus taught his disciples to love one another as he had loved them. If children are brought up in a loving environment, they will learn to care not only for their own needs but for others’ as well. They will also learn to appreciate others’ goodness and to share their joy instead of being envious of their success. There will then be no place for anger, hatred and revenge, which are often the roots of all evils.

Another core Christian value to be infused among children is an understanding and considerate attitude. In Jesus’ teaching there is strong advice against self-righteousness - the belief that one is superior to others in opinions and behavior. People with what is called a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude tend to look down on, criticize, judge, condemn, or even try to control other people. Being unable to handle stress and interpersonal conflicts, they easily get involved in heated argument, fierce fights, or in worse cases, even violence. Children educated on the importance of broadmindedness and tolerance, on the contrary, are more likely to cooperate well with others. They will grow up to be humble and sympathetic members of society, broad-minded enough to consider a different way of thinking and willing to contribute to social wellbeing and harmony by being accepting and tolerant.

As I was watching the scene of bloodshed and violence on TV, I thought of a Bible verse: "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7)