On August 31, Super Typhoon Saola hit Hong Kong with ferocious force. The government was well-prepared as its departments held a joint press conference beforehand to emphasise that the storm’s impact could rival that of Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.
The following day, September 1, was scheduled to be the first day of school for secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens. However, the Education Bureau postponed it to September 4. Flights were also suspended one after another. The government urged people to take precautions against the storm and to be wary serious flooding in low-lying areas. It also urged everyone to stay in a safe place and not to take the situation lightly.
When the typhoon signal No. 8 or higher was hoisted, people did not need to go to work but to stay at home. Some felt that the government hoisted the typhoon signal No. 8 too early. In fact, government departments had carefully considered all the chances of accidents before making the decision.
Of course, there will always be people who like to take risks and ignore government advice. They will go outdoors to experience the power of the typhoon and watch the waves by the sea. In the event of an accident, it is ultimately the firefighters and Civil Aid Service members who risk their lives to rescue them. Such selfish behaviour should be penalised and condemned.
In the face of natural disasters or human-made calamities, post-disaster recovery efforts are undoubtedly important, but proactive preparation is even more effective. Similarly, our journey of faith should be approached in the same way. We should be prepared and “store up treasures in heaven” and not just turn to God for help in times of crisis.
In our faith journey, we need to actively seek God. Once we find God’s presence, we can enroll in catechism classes or participate in lessons on Catholic doctrine to deepen our understanding of faith. We should also listen to the experiences and insights of catechism instructors and counsellors. Moreover, we can work together to build parish communities and plan evangelisation activities to bring more people closer to God.
After our baptism, the fire of evangelisation can easily be dimmed by time or by pressures in life or various other reasons. Therefore, continuously nurturing our faith is crucial. Courses offered by the Seminary of the Holy Spirit or the Diocesan Catechetical Centre are excellent ways to strengthen our faith. The review of Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults courses provided by the Hong Kong Central Council of Catholic Laity is also a good choice.
Additionally, parish or faith community groups organise experience camps which allow participants to get to know missionary priests, religious, and church groups’ evangelisation work. These are all accelerants for the fire of faith to help us to reflect and enrich our faith lives. It also prepared us for the typhoons that we may encounter along faith journey, so we may face the storms courageously. SE
