HONG KONG (SE): “The pandemic is not over. But we still need to celebrate our faith in Jesus who was with us in the past, is with us in the present and will be in the future. The Good News—that Jesus is with us until the end of the age—needs to be celebrated even in the (Covid-19) pandemic,” said Father Benedict Lam Cho-ming, chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Diocesan Mission Sunday Celebration 2021, in a video posted on the event’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MissionSundayHK).
This year, the theme is Emmanuel. According to Father Lam, it is meant to remind us that God is always with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), as it may be hard for us to feel the presence of God in the midst of the pandemic because of life’s difficulties and the suspension of Masses.
The video also carried messages from members of the committee about plans for the coming year such as studying the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, meditating on the Word of God, praying for others, sharing our faith with non-believers in the office, posting artwork and pictures, learning sign language, fasting and visiting prisons.
Father Lam encouraged people to join the formation activities in the coming eight months, as Mission Sunday celebrations are not limited to one day but a continuous journey encouraging the laity to serve their parishes and evangelise. The activities will be held online if the Covid-19 pandemic goes on.
The series of activities, which aims to help the faithful awake, accept, deepen and express their faith, begins with a talk about St. Joseph by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing in March. Held in response to the Year of St. Joseph, whose feast day falls on March 19, the talk aims to let people learn about the life of the saint, and draw inspiration from St. Joseph on ways to live and share the gospel.
The series of activities, which aims to help the faithful awake, accept, deepen and express their faith, begins with a talk about St. Joseph by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing in March. Held in response to the Year of St. Joseph, whose feast day falls on March 19, the talk aims to let people learn about the life of the saint, and draw inspiration from St. Joseph on ways to live and share the gospel.
Starting from April, the committee will post eight videos in which people will share how the Church has journeyed with laity with different needs over the past decades.
In June, a talk about the Sermon on the Mount will be held so as to offer support for the faithful while they are challenged by secular values and encourage them to make their choices basied on Catholic values in the Beatitudes. A video about Bible meditation will also be posted online.
In July and August, two seminars about preaching by Father Thomas Kwan Tsun-tong and Father Christopher Chor Yuk-wa will be conducted to help people to express their faith, while an arts and spirituality workshop is to be held in cooperation with the Greenfield Chapel, Sheung Wan, in September help people become aware of their blessings.
Due to social restrictions, the Mission Ambassador programme will not be organised this year. Mission ambassadors recruited in 2019 are also invited to join the activities this year to deepen their formation.
A closing ceremony is scheduled for October 17 to celebrate Mission Sunday and commission people as evangelisers.
Simon Yam Hei-lun, a member of the ad hoc committee, said the formation activities this year are focused on spiritual growth and can help participants to live out their faith given the constraints presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. He believes the pandemic may make it hard to organise activities, but it does not prevent people from spreading the gospel online or in their own communities.
Due to social restrictions, the Mission Ambassador programme will not be organised this year. Mission ambassadors recruited in 2019 are also invited to join the activities this year to deepen their formation.
Shing Siu-hong, a Mission Ambassador from Sacred Heart Church, Sai Kung, recalled his happy experience two years ago as he joined a retreat at the Xavier Retreat House, Cheung Chau, and then became a volunteer there using his knowledge in information technology.
He said the programme enabled him to learn a lot as ambassadors openly shared their experiences in serving the Church so he was eagerly looking for more formation activities in the Mission Sunday celebrations.
He said community support is needed for people to fire up their hearts to be messengers for Jesus. He hopes the Mission Sunday activities can build up friendships in Christ and channels for participants to share their evangelisation experiences.
