HONG KONG (SE): “The Son of God also became a migrant who left everything in heaven and came to be with us, emptying himself and letting himself be born in a manger so that we can be brought back to God. And this is his mission,” said Bishop Chow Sau Yan, sj in a video message to migrant workers during a Christmas Vigil Mass attended by members of the Filipino migrant community in Hong Kong at the Bayanihan Centre at 10.00pm on December 24.
Bishop Chow reminded the gathering that the real meaning of Christmas is Emmanuel or “God is with us,” as Jesus came to journey with people on earth. He said migrants in Hong Kong left their home country to support their families and their sacrifices are big. “You are testimonies of love,” the bishop said.
He shared their concerns over Super Typhoon Rai, which recently swept through the Philippines, depriving many people of their homes or even lives. He appreciated the communities’ efforts to help the needy in their home country. At the same time, he encouraged them to have faith and hope in God, which can help them and others through the moments of darkness.
Father Jay Flandez, the chaplain for Filipino migrants and celebrant of the Mass, told the Sunday Examiner that the Filipino community cherished the chance to organise the Misa de Aguinaldo again, as they were only able to celebrate the traditional vigil Mass online last year due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In his homily, Father Flandez said that Christmas is a time that reminds us of the importance of sacrifices, as Jesus, Mary, and Joseph sacrificed themselves in the process of salvation and did not give up in the face of trials. Even though the super typhoon struck the Philippines, people did not give up because of their faith. He reminded those present to enlighten those who do not know God and live in darkness.
The Son of God also became a migrant who left everything in heaven and came to be with us, emptying himself and letting himself be born in a manger so that we can be brought back to God. And this is his mission
Bishop Chow
The choir from the El Shaddai Prayer Group brought the joy of Christmas to the event with their songs during the Mass.
Before the Mass, the winners of the annual parol-making contest organised by the Philippine consulate were awarded their prizes. The participants in the competition showed their faith and creativity.
Paulo Saret, consul from the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong, welcomed all those present and thanked the event sponsor, LBC Hong Kong, as well as other organisations.
Saret pointed out that the lantern-making contest was significant, as it symbolised hope as the star guided the wise men to Jesus Christ. Secondly, Filipinos cannot celebrate Christmas without parols, and the contest was an opportunity to showcase their talent and skills in making the lanterns.
Speaking about the pandemic, the consul said that more than 200 Filipinos in Hong Kong had been infected since the outbreak, but fortunately, all survived. He expressed his hope that the world would be free from Covid-19 next year and encouraged the Filipinos in Hong Kong to get vaccinated.
Eight groups joined the lantern design competition and their work was displayed at the Bayanihan Centre hall. The grand winner of the contest was awarded to the Young Artist of Isabella. Janet Timbreza said she and Raciel Pombo, another group leader, finished the lantern just a day before as the heavy workload of their domestic work left them little time.
However, it took a year for them to collect the pull-rings from soft drink cans which are glued to the lantern to make it shiny. “So Christmas has been in our hearts throughout the year as we gathered the materials for this parol,” she said.
The first runner prize up went to United Nueva Vizcayanos Hong Kong. Anna Loren Torino, a group member, similarly made the lantern with different kinds of recycled waste, such as shoe boxes, wrapping paper and plastic bottles, which took her five months to gather.
She was happy because the different coloured lights showed through the transparent plastic bottles very well.
