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austraLasia #2564
It seems appropriate, given the item below, to take Bishop Tong's theme of the shining star and wish all austraLasia readers
a Christmas and New Year enlightened by the newborn Saviour.
The letter below is the bishop's to his people in Hong Kong.
Just selections from the letter are repeated here below.
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HONG KONG: 21st December 2009 -- Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
In this joyful season, when people have a special longing for family
reunions, I send you this family letter to wish all of you a Merry
Christmas and peace in the Lord. Moreover, I would like to share with
you a new page from my life.
I was ordained a priest on the Solemnity of the Epiphany. For this
reason, of all the Scripture passages about the birth of Christ, the
one I like most is this: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw
his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Mt 2:2). In
this quotation from scripture, what touches me profoundly are the words
“shining star.” It was this shining star that brought the Magi to find
Jesus. In the eight months that I have been the bishop of Hong Kong,
many shining stars have appeared in my pastoral ministry too. I would
like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to them....
This year, the annual retreat for priests and deacons of the diocese
was held in November with the theme, The Word of God in the Life and
Mission of Priests, There were more than 40 participants and Bishop
Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil sdb, from Thailand, was spiritual director.
He has a deep love for Lectio Divina, which he learned from a
famous master in Italy. He has also been to Ethiopia where he made a
40-day retreat on Lectio Divina under the guidance of another
famous master.
Since then, Bishop Joseph has practised Lectio Divina daily for an
hour in front of the tabernacle. Not only has he been transformed by
the word of God and been able to come closer to the Lord day by day,
but he has also acquired a sense of mission and a desire to share his
love for the scripture with others. Thus, from time to time, he has
accepted invitations to conduct this kind of retreat. On our part, the
annual retreat has been very fruitful. As companions on my spiritual
journey this year, Bishop Joseph and all the participants have been my
shining stars......
Invoking God’s blessings on all of you, my dear brothers and sisters in
Christ, I would like to conclude my letter with the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, the light of all peoples, sustain all the faithful and the
clergy, so that they may become shining stars to guide humankind to
recognise you as the one true God. May all nations, united in mind and
heart with one another, form one single family, a family of love and
peace. Through the good example of the clergy, inspire more and more
young people to respond with generosity to your calling and join the
ranks of the clergy to serve the Church and the world. Grant, also,
peace and joy to our motherland and let her civilisation be uplifted.
May the citizens of Hong Kong not succumb to excessive desires for
material well-being, but rather look to you, the true light, and find
in you their new hope. May their hearts overflow with a warm stream of
mutual trust and love. We make our prayer to you, our Lord and God, who
live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
+ JOHN TONG
2009 Christmas |
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