By Father Peter Choy Wai-man
As we enter Advent, the daily readings, on the one hand, prophesy the beauty of the coming of God’s salvation, such as the picture of the ideal society painted by the prophet Isaiah: “Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.” (Isaiah 11:6).
However, in reality, it seems like a fantasy world. On the other hand, Jesus points out in response to the doubt of John the Baptist that God’s salvation has come in ways beyond our imagination: “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them,” (Matthew 11:5) — it is happening among us. Looking at it carefully, this tension is indeed a reflection of the life of the Church today.
Some of the accumulated problems of the local church have been magnified as a result of social events and pandemic prevention measures in recent years. These include the over-clericalisation of the institution, the lack of space for lay participation, liturgical life being like a ritual, missing opportunities for spiritual growth in faith formation, etc. These problems have led to a lack of belonging among the faithful and a loss of young believers. There has been no significant increase in the number of people attending Sunday Mass in parishes. The situation is indeed not encouraging, and we are worried about the Church on this challenging journey.
However, during the past few Sundays of Advent, graduation ceremonies were held at various formation institutions in the diocese. Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and Philosophy, Hong Kong Catholic Biblical Institute, and the Diocesan Catechetical Centre have completed their academic programmes. Fearless of the limitations imposed by the pandemic, they studied hard, equipped and prepared themselves for the mission of the Church.
This year, the Catechetical Centre also honoured a number of volunteers and long-serving teachers of Sunday Schools and catechism classes, who have guided countless catechumens to Christ over the last 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years. Their zeal and selfless devotion are like a cry from the wilderness, proclaiming the salvation of God on earth.
Additionally, in the past few weeks, there have been happy news about the ordination of new priests and deacons. While young people are generally uninterested in their faith, these public promises made by these new priests and deacons are undoubtedly a gift from a faithful God to the Church and a fulfilment of his promise to be with us to the end of time.
Similarly, on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the diocese honoured, as it always does, the sisters, brothers and priests who celebrated their 70th, 60th, 50th or 25th anniversary of priesthood or religious profession. This year, more than 30 priests and sisters participated in the celebration. Apart from some priests in parish ministry, I have noticed that many sisters or brothers are not widely known. Yet their quiet work and faithful witness once again demonstrate how God does his mighty works in our weaknesses.
May the splendour of your glory dawn in our hearts,
we pray, Almighty God,
that all shadows of the night may be scattered
and we may be shown to be children of light
by the advent of your Only Begotten Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
(Opening prayer for Saturday of the second week of Advent)
