By Father Joseph Chan Wing-chiu
In less than two weeks, three venerable priests, Father Francesco Conte, Father John Baptist Lam Chi-yuen and Father Filippo Comissari passed away one after another. I could not help but feel sorrowful about the impermanence of life and, in the midst of the ups and downs of my thoughts, an inexplicable feeling came over me.
Since mid-December last year, when I was appointed by the bishop as a vicar general, one of my duties is to arrange the funerals for deceased priests.
Since taking up this position, I have been praying more fervently for our old and sick priests. I also pray that all of us will be in good health and well being. But we do not know the plan of God, and we can only do what we have to do following the will of God. As I am new to this area of work, I have made a lot of mistakes and omissions. Fortunately, there are many angels around to keep things on track.
I have to contact different people or organisations: the hospital, the relatives of the deceased, the Diocesan Archives, the Liturgy Commission and Sacred Music Commission, the church where the liturgy is to be held, the Births and Deaths General Register Office, the funeral homes. All keep me busy.
I am thankful for the presence of spiritual angels in my life, allowing my mind to settle down and examine the deeper state within. As my heart calmed down, tears welled up from my eyes as images of the senior priests lying in bed in loneliness when they passed away came to mind. My heart was filled with sadness, which was actually an emotional feeling triggered by my own thoughts.
But as I allowed myself to embrace this emotion, I found my mind shifting into a state where there was nothing. At that moment, I felt a surprising sense of inner peace, and then I heard a whisper from deep within: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
At once, my heart flew back to each of the departed priests, and I heard their separate heartfelt prayers saying the same thing: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
At that moment, tears flowed from my eyes again, not tears of sadness and loneliness, but tears of gratitude filled with hope and expectation. The priests or sisters were old, weak and bedridden, but it does not mean that God has abandoned our brothers and sisters. They will still be richly rewarded by God. With the blessing of the Word and the Sacraments, they can await the Lord’s presence and call with steadfast faith, peace and joy.
I have been longing for the coming of the Lord and a chance to see his kind face. Now I know this happened to the three departed priests. I need to thank God for calling us, and pray that we may also look forward eagerly to his call in quietness.
.
