HONG KONG (SE): The annual Walk for Vocations was held this year at the Holy Spirit Seminary in Aberdeen on December 26. The event was an opportunity for people to come together and ask God to “send out workers into his vineyard,” in the words from the Bible (Matthew 9:38). In fact, more than 300 people joined the simplified version of the event, taking part in adoration, confessions and Mass.
I say simplified version because of the fact that the organisers opted for a small-scale event within the seminary walls rather than choosing the usual agenda that consists of walking around some streets of Hong Kong, to finish with Mass inside the seminary.
Taking into account the current situation of the city, the question was whether to cancel the event altogether or to go for a much smaller and simpler type of prayer gathering. The latter was selected, thanks to the active participation of those in charge.
The Eucharistic procession, led by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, with the help of priests and a deacon, was an intense spiritual exercise that reminded the people that Christ is the centre of all vocations. Our vocations start and culminate in him who is present in our midst in the Holy Sacrament.
Walking around the seminary, participants were offered the chance to meditate deeply on vocations and (re)discover the beauty of Christ’s calling, especially when one is confident that he who calls will never forsake his followers.
The adoration followed and with the help of Touch, a youth group that promotes adoration, the atmosphere made it possible for people to get in “touch” with God in a very special way; the kind of intimacy with God that was encouraged at the beginning of the event.
Priests and religious sisters were posted around the venue to hear confessions or to talk with those who wanted to. It goes without saying that rediscovering the beauty of God’s love through the Sacrament of Reconciliation is always deep in meaning.
The end of an activity marks the beginning of another, as it is common knowledge. Mass took place immediately after the adoration, with John Cardinal Tong Hon as the main celebrant. Bishop Ha delivered the homily in which he invited people to pray for vocations.
He stressed that praying for vocations is not to be seen simply as “looking for people to work” (a religious vocation is not a job, to make things clear) but asking for the grace of the Lord to send out people filled with the Holy Spirit to work into his vineyard.
What the world needs is a Holy Spirit filled priest, sister, deacon, the kind that serve with love and imitate the Master in their way of doing and thinking.
And being at the Holy Spirit Seminary was a chance for the bishop to explain who and what the Holy Spirit is and does in our lives when our hearts are entirely directed towards him. A giant painting on the wall of the seminary explained it better as well. That is why bishop invited the faithful to spend some time after the Mass to meditate on the meaning of the painting.
Before the end of the Mass, Cardinal Tong blessed a team of what I can call “ambassadors of prayer for vocations,” tasking them with the mission to pray and promote vocations wherever they find themselves, amission they accepted with hearts full of love, ready to serve.
We all recited the prayer for vocations before the final blessing and the traditional Ite Missa est, sending us out to serve and to continue to pray for vocations, never hesitating when we feel God’s calling to the religious or priestly life.
As we know it, vocation is such a vast and multidimensional matter, but December 26 was about specific vocations, those about religious and priestly life.
Let us pray and at the same time accompany those who feel the call to this particular way of life. It was the bishop’s wish as well. To say it clearly, it was a beautiful day.
Father Dominique Mukonda CICM
The Diocesan Youth Commission
