昔日文章

祈禱與服務 培育信仰成長 

當日聯校彌撒後，聖保祿學校祈禱宗會會員、中七學生區詠詩接受本報訪問。笑容可掬的詠詩在嬰兒時領洗成為教友，她在中學階段始認識祈禱宗會：「我在上一個學年出任校內祈禱宗會會長。我十分渴望成為輔祭，每個學年初，剛入讀本校的公教學生可選擇加入不同的善會，為學校服務。本校祈禱宗會培育公教學生擔任輔祭職務，在彌撒中協助神父，這也是我最初加入的原因呢。」詠詩除了達成這個心願外，她渴望透過祈禱宗會，與天主建立更親密的關係，使每天的生活變得更豐富。 
該校祈禱宗會現有六十多位會員，詠詩喜見會員人數每年遞增，團體內朝氣勃勃（見圖1，本年新加入的會員）。她認為負責老師的鼓勵和帶領，幫助團體健康成長：「每個星期二的午飯時間聚會，幹事與會員一起吃午飯，互相分享信仰和生活點滴。學校每逢週五舉行彌撒，全體學生參與。我們培育剛加入的會員成為輔祭和領經員，讓她們在週五彌撒中協助神父舉行禮儀（見圖3）；此外，較隆重的彌撒如開學彌撒、聖保祿瞻禮彌撒等（見圖2），我們亦會從中協助。」在校園內外，該校會員進行愛德服務，如四旬期內推行飢饉午餐，今年的飢饉午餐特別為東非災民籌款。會員也曾為聖保祿女子宿舍的長者舍友安排活動等。
 每天，祈禱宗會會員奉獻個人的思、言、行為、憂苦和喜樂給天主，也特別為教宗意向祈禱。祈禱的美好經驗為詠詩帶來驚喜的得著，她說：「透過祈禱，我感到與教宗的距離拉近了！教宗雖身在遙遠的梵蒂岡，在他指定的意向中，曾為中國的教友祈禱，我感受到他對中國教會的關心。我每天也特別在祈禱中，記掛著中國的主內弟兄姊妹。」（仨）

  It is that time of the year again.  Time really flies.  A year ago my bishop called me back early from Taiwan because one of the priests was very sick and he wanted me to take over his parish for Lent（四旬期）.  Reluctantly, but obediently, I came back.  Now, a year and a different parish assignment later, I am preparing to enter the beautiful Lenten season to reflect on the sublime love of Jesus. Time flies.   What does that mean?  How does it fly?  It is a figure of speech, of course, but still an interesting thought. When one is having a wonderful time, time just moves right along.  When one is having a difficult time, a painful time, it S-L-O-W-S down.  It even C-R-A-W-L-S. How about a H-E-A-V-Y thought?  How does a thought that has no “thing” gets heavy?  Or gets LIGHT? Think about a pizza!  Can you see it?  Can you weigh it in the hands of your mind?  Can you smell it?  Can you taste it?  Yet, it is not, somehow, sticking out of your head ! Think about a dumbbell or a feather. Isn’t it fascinating to WEIGH these “things”? Philosophers tell us that this is exactly what makes us human beings, this ability to think abstractly.  And abstraction is NOT UNREAL! Another related thought – MEMORY!  Think of a wonderful time or a sad time with a friend.  Is something we remember merely a thought and therefore no longer real?  It is over and only exists in our mind, so is it therefore not truly important? Think about our great-great-grandfathers.  I am sure none of you knew who they were when they were alive.  Because they lived, we are alive today.  Or, another way of looking at it, because we are here, they really lived.  We are the proof of their existence. Remember Dr. Sun Zhong Shan（孫中山先生）, our national father（國父）?  Is he only a great man in history, in our memory?  Well, yes, but more.  Our very existence is different because of what he did.  The Qing Dynasty is no longer.  History is not only something that happened a long time ago.  History makes our present time the way it is.  Life has changed.  We cannot know what it would otherwise be like because we cannot undo what history has done. I was in Rome about 10 years ago.  As I was walking the streets there and thinking about the martyrs that lived 2000 years ago, the thought came to me that the martyrs are really here because without them the Church would not be here.  Blessed Pope John Paul II was a great man, but only because he stood on the shoulder of giants who followed Jesus and gave their lives for their faith.  Even the church buildings in Rome speak loudly of the faith of the martyrs.   It is this kind of REALITY we think about when we remember Jesus’ Suffering and Death during Lent.  His Passion changed the world.  When He said, at the Last Supper, “Do this in MEMORY of me!” it means much more than a thought of the event that exists now only in our mind.  The Church uses the term “RE-PRESENT”, present again.  At Mass, the Last Supper is REALLY PRESENT to us.  Isn’t that amazing? As we go through this Lenten season, I would like to suggest to you to keep this REALITY of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection（耶穌的苦難、死亡和復活）in your daily thoughts.  Know that we are different because He did die for us.  We are different because He still loves us. Have a blessed Lent !    

    宣誓禮儀中，每一位基督小先鋒團員都承諾願意成為基督真正的追隨者，「本著基督的精神和信念——愛、真理、公義、和平——透過聖言和祈禱，用行動、聚會、服務，在朋輩中活出基督。」（團員手冊）冬日的一個下午，基督小先鋒四區代表學校的師生，聚首於寶血會思源學校，與本報讀者分享在團體活動中的感受和得著。   香港區：聖嘉祿學校   宗教禮儀有助深化信仰，天主教學校配合教會的禮儀年，舉行不同的宗教活動。該校牧民助理戴安娜指出：基督小先鋒團員輔助校內宗教禮儀，服務師生，如帶領早禱、念玫瑰經等；他們更演出福音劇，向同學傳遞福音中的信息。每年，團員參加分別由教區及鐸區舉行的傳教節活動，與其他公教團體接觸，體驗教會的共融精神。 兩位團員吳沅凌和黃裕恩從禮儀服務中，認識天主教信仰。沅凌曾參與在聖堂舉行的禮儀，透過老師的介紹，她認識了聖女小德蘭的父母真福馬丁伉儷，更難得看到他們的聖髑。裕恩曾擔任祈禱小天使，帶領初小學生祈禱，她特別難忘在四旬期內，帶領學弟和學妹進行拜苦路禮儀：「為了讓初小學生明白禮儀的內容，我教導他們簡單的禱文，這經驗很特別呢！」戴安娜在聚會中與學生相處和分享，她發現學生在生活的不同範疇中，感受天主的臨在，她被兒童的率性純真所感動。   九龍 II 區：大角嘴天主教小學（海帆道）   基督小先鋒團員參與不少信仰培育活動，包括朝聖及信仰生活營等。聖堂是教會的標記，該校陳為寶主任表示：帶領團員前往不同的聖堂朝聖，讓他們置身其中，不但了解聖堂的設計、建築特色和不同的主保聖人，這經驗更加深團員對天主教教會的認識。她又說：「為非公教團員來說，這是難得的機會，他們可以感受聖堂內寧靜而平安的氣氛。想不到那些平常喜歡說話的學生也會安靜下來，留心導賞員的介紹，並用心祈禱呢。」 兩位五年級生徐藹君和王雪蕎以公教學生的身份，自一年級始成為基督小先鋒團員至今。朝聖活動帶給兩位學生不同的感受，雪蕎想了想說：「我們曾到訪聖多默宗徒堂，我仍記起祭台後的玻璃畫，呈現聖多默伸出手指穿入已復活的耶穌的傷口，這提醒我相信耶穌，不應存在懷疑。此外，我在聖堂內首次看到聖人的指骨呢！」藹君談起另外一次朝聖活動，地點是聖伯多祿聖保祿堂：「那是一座中式設計的聖堂，我們在聖母岩前祈禱，我感受到聖母護佑每一位團員。」   新界區：寶血會思源學校   藉著服務，基督小先鋒發揮愛主愛人的精神，除了校內服務外，團員跟隨老師走出校園，接觸社會上不同有需要的人，送上溫暖。該校譚思恩老師說：「本校基督小先鋒曾前往寶血會兒童村，與兒童一同做手工，分享友愛。此外，我們也探訪香港盲人輔導會，讓團員認識失明人士在生活上的需要，培養學生尊重和關愛弱勢社群的態度。」 訪問當日，笑容可鞠的彭明欣同學談到曾與母親一同進行義工服務，感受深刻：「我們在中秋節探訪區內獨居長者，媽媽也一同參與。我們除了送贈月餅外，也跟獨居長者聊天，閒話家常。」陳衍彤同學則難忘探訪腦部發育不健全的兒童，她有份參與唱歌表演，帶給兒童歡樂。譚老師認為基督小先鋒的活動既活潑又多元化，有助引起兒童對信仰的興趣；透過服務，團員以行動跟隨耶穌，這更培養兒童積極的生活態度。