By Father Joseph Chan Wing-chiu
May is a month of gratitude and emotional feelings for me every year. From a young age, I realised how much my father valued the birthdays of each member of our family, and I always looked forward to celebrating the birthdays with great anticipation. Of course, I looked forward to my own birthday the most, because I could blow out the candles on the birthday cake, and receive gifts from my parents and a red envelope from my grandma.
Although I have grown up, I still remember my kindergarten birthday party in which my neighbourhood friends were invited to my home [with photos as evidence]. All these memories are still fresh in my mind and make me nostalgic!
What I also remember is the teaching of my mentor, Father Luciano Aletta, who said, “Birthdays are to be celebrated, not for the day of birth, but because the journey to heaven is shortened by one year.” This is one of the spiritual lessons he taught me.
In addition, some brothers and sisters have told me that my date of birth is the best one to remember on the mainland because the day and month in Putonghua is read like “I love you”, which everyone likes to hear.
In fact, my Putonghua is not very good, so I don’t have much deep feelings about it. But I am thankful for those who have shared this message with me and remembered this day. I have received your love and I am willing to love, because it was he who first showed me and each one of you the joyful news from heaven: that the Father, through the only begotten Son, has said to me and to you, “I love you!
Have you said “I love you” to anyone lately? Your parents? Your siblings? Your children? Your lover? Your friends? Neighbours…
Love is the new commandment given to us by Jesus Christ; new in that we love one another with his love. It is an interactive relationship of acceptance and giving with you, with me, and with him. It is a relationship of offering, giving, receiving, and accepting, but at the same time it is free of demands and restrictions. It is a heartfelt and noble feeling out of gratitude, moved by grace; a response with the wisdom and free will given to us by the Father, so that we ourselves and others may experience being loved by God and consciously love ourselves and others.
When we are able to love ourselves and others, the love of the Lord is in us, the fullness of love, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son, remains in us; it is the truth, the life, the eternal presence.
“I love You!”
