HONG KONG (SE): During the Chrism Mass on April 1, Holy Thursday, John Cardinal Tong Hon expressed his gratitude to God for being able to celebrate the Easter liturgies after the Hong Kong government eased Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic restrictions—in place since December 2020 (Chancery Notice. 2 December 2020)—allowing for public Masses to be celebrated. The government announced on March 31 that restrictions on religious gatherings had been lifted but that the number of persons to be allowed at any one time must not exceed 30 per cent of the capacity of the church premises.
The Mass was concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, Monsignor Javier Herrera Corona, Monsignor Alvaro Lzurieta y Sea and around 16 other priests from diocesan curia and the deaneries, with around 100 people in the congregation.
Cardinal Tong welcomed those taking part in the Mass at the cathedral and online. He expressed thankfulness the chance to resume public Mass as the three-day Passover or Triduum celebrations are the most solemn ones in the Holy Week.
“We are happy that we could resume Mass today. We thank God for the gift of the Eucharist as the source of faith and life,” he said, adding that he knew that the laity eagerly longed for the resumption of Mass and called for their active participation in the liturgies and prayers for world peace.
In his homily, the cardinal said the Chrism Mass is important as it is a significant sign of unity among the clergy as priests and deacons who renew their commitment to serve God before the bishop at the cathedral, which reminds us of the Last Supper when Jesus called his apostles to gather around him. He said the oil blessed that day symbolises that the entire Church is commissioned to spread the fragrance of Christ.
He also invited more prayers for vocations as priests in the diocese are aging, which has is making it difficult for the Church to carry out its ministries.
“As the priests in the diocese are aging, we struggle to meet the increasing needs of pastoral work and evangelisation. Let us pray earnestly for more vocations and put more efforts on the promotion of vocations,” Cardinal Tong said.
‘We are happy that we could resume Mass today. We thank God for the gift of the Eucharist as the source of faith and life’
“The good example and joyful life of the priests and deacons in their ministries, along with the encouragement of the Catholic families, will help young people to be attracted to priestly vocations,” he continued.
He therefore reminded priests and deacons to do their part by being good examples for young people. “My dear priests and deacons, please note that you have great influence on young people and their families, who like to look upon you during the Eucharistic celebrations and your daily life.”
The cardinal concluded his homily by calling on those present to pray for priests and deacons so that they could live out the faith of Christ and bring out the Good News to others, as well as for the close collaboration among priests and deacons and the faithful so that “the gospel can be proclaimed more effectively and the kingdom of God can be realised in Hong Kong, in our motherland and in the whole world.”
‘My dear priests and deacons, please note that you have great influence on young people and their families, who like to look upon you during the Eucharistic celebrations and your daily life’
Before the priests and deacons renewed their committments, the cardinal invited those present to pray for him, Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing so that they could be faithful to their duties and serve more like Jesus Christ, their shepherd.
Priests then renewed their commitment to follow Jesus Christ selflessly and fulfill their priestly duties. Permanent deacons present on the occasion also renewed their promises to serve with pure conscience and love for the needy.
The cardinal then led the faithful in prayer for the good witness of the laity, unity among the flock and the shepherd, a good shepherd assigned by God for the diocese as well as the subsiding of the pandemic.
The cardinal blessed the holy oils—Oil of the Sick, Oil of Catechumens and the Sacred Chrism.
One Mass participant, Agatha Ng, said she had been worried that she might not be able to get inside the cathedral due to the capacity limit set by the government. She was glad that she could attend the Mass and felt joyful to receive the Eucharist during the Mass.
Nancy Buladaco, a Filipino domestic worker, said she asked her employer to give her a few hours’ to attend the Mass. She said the Eucharist she received during the Mass allowed her feel the presence of God and she was touched by the hymns sung by the choir.
