HONG KONG (SE): Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, celebrated his first Chrism Mass as head of the Diocese of Hong Kong at 11.00am on April 14, Holy Thursday.
Unlike the previous year, government anti-pandemic social distancing measures were still in place, so the celebration could not be held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, but was streamed online.
Among those concelebrating the Mass were auxiliary bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, former bishops of Hong Kong Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun and John Cardinal Tong Hon, Monsignor Alvaro Lzurieta y Sea from the Holy See Study Mission, and seven other priests from the deaneries of the diocese. These included Father Joseph Tan Leitao, Father James Boey, Father Timothy Wan Kwok-kwong, Father Johnson Dhos, Father Joseph Mak King-hung, and Father Stephen Ip Ting-kwok. Deacon Victor Lee Hon-kit and Deacon William Li Fook-sung assisted in the liturgy.
Bishop Chow addressed his Chinese homily to the laity, reminding them of the significance of the Holy Oils. We are all anointed with Chrism Oil in our baptism, and the Chrism oils carry some significant symbols: their fragrance symbolises attracting people to God, and their natural lustre represents physical and spiritual wellness. The bishop explained that the oil, with a spectrum of light refracted, reminds us that truth is multifaceted but harmonious.
“The light that reflects the truth is not specious, but it shines in different ways. When we make a self-centred or absolute view, we will fall into the trap of making our light specious, telling people it is the truth, but it is not,” he said. Oil also symbolises prosperity, which comes from our faith in the blessings of God rather than from secular materialism, said the bishop. It also has a healing function to protect our hearts from the germs of falsehood and corruption and nourish our souls with the oil of the Lord’s favour.
The light that reflects the truth is not specious, but it shines in different ways. When we make a self-centred or absolute view, we will fall into the trap of making our light specious, telling people it is the truth, but it is not
Concluding, Bishop Chow encouraged the faithful that besides through the Holy Oils, the faithful should obtain God’s blessings by following His words, receiving the sacraments, doing good deeds, and participating in church activities. He hoped that laypeople could return to their parishes after the public celebration of Masses resumed as the Church is a source of God’s blessings.
Speaking in English, the bishop addressed ordained ministers, urging them to be good shepherds, not opinion leaders. “We are called to synodality through our own ministries in collaboration with the different capacities among the People of God,” Bishop Chow said in his homliy.
“We are called to journey together in our fraternal spirit discerning for the direction which the Spirit wants us to move,” the bishop said, noting, “We are living in an ever-changing context so that the discernment has to be continued and ongoing, as a body through in-depth, respectful and emphatic listening to each other and to the Word of God as well as through our sincere dialogue.”
Bishop Chow cautioned however, “We should be aware of the temptation to working for our own kingdoms our domains and our interests. What the people of Hong Kong needs from us is shepherds and not KOL [key opinion leaders]—shepherds who are all the more realistic as well as transcending—not stuck in a specific time or space and not being shepherds without the smell of the sheep.”
We are living in an ever-changing context so that the discernment has to be continued and ongoing, as a body through in-depth, respectful and emphatic listening to each other and to the Word of God as well as through our sincere dialogue
The bishop said that the shepherds need to be “all the more visionary with spiritual horizon, but not elitist, energy sapping nor esoteric spirituality. All the more for inspirational communication, instead of mainly condemnation or cynicism. All the more with hopefulness that is based on faith in our loving God, rather than being examples of helplessness and hopelessness. We are ministers of Easter hope! All the more for experiences of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation, not animosity or condescendingness.”
Bishop Chow concluded exhorting, “My dear brothers, let us work together, accepting each other in the spirit of Unity in Plurality for God’s mission entrusted to us.”
He invited the laity, priests, and deacons present to pray for him, Cardinal Zen, Cardinal Tong, and Bishop Ha, that they will be faithful to their calling and walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ their shepherd.
The priests of the diocese then renewed their promise to fulfil their priestly duties selflessly and with the love of Jesus Christ. Deacons also renewed their promises to conduct their ministries with pure conscience and humility.
Bishop Chow led prayers for the people of God, the unity of the Church, good health of all in the world, and world peace, particularly for the war-hit nations of Ukraine and Myanmar.
The bishop then blessed the holy oils—Oil of the Sick, Oil of Catechumens and Sacred Chrism for distribution to the parishes.
