昔日文章

Nowadays, it is more affordable for people of all ages to travel aroung the world. While most of us check out the best places for sightseeing and shopping,few of us spend time on understanding the local people and their culture when abroad. Since badly-behaved tourists may bring embarrassment and disgrace to their own countries, so governments advise their citizens that "when in Rome, do as the Romans do"(入鄉隨俗). Why does this saying specify “Rome”? Can we say “when in Hong Kong, do as the Hong Kong people do”? Since this is a proverb, the word pattern is fixed. However, because of its popularity, it has a shortened version: When in Rome, we should not boss the hotel staff around.  Interestingly, the story behind this saying is not related to tourism. It may be traced back to two important saints in the Catholic Church in the 4th century. When St Augustine(聖奧思定)was young, he moved from Rome to Milan(米蘭)to take up a post as a professor of rhetoric. He found that the Church did not fast on Saturdays as it did in Rome. Therefore, he sought advice from the Bishop of Milan,  St Ambrose(聖安博). The Bishop said (translated from Latin into English), “When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but here [Milan] I do not.” It is believed that the modern English version of the proverb did not appear until the Middle Ages. In modern times, the proverb teaches that it is important for us to respect and follow the customs and rules of the unfamiliar places we visit, such as a foreign country, a new workplace or a new school. Glossary Affordable  負擔得起  Embarrassment  尷尬  Disgrace  丟臉  Proverb  諺語  Rhetoric  修辭學  Respect  尊重  Customs  習俗     

Personal Details  • Feast Day: 28 August    Bishop, Doctor of the Church  • Born: 13 November 354  • Died: 28 August 430  Augustine is a bishop of the Catholic Church and Doctor of the Church. Doctor of the Church is a title given to an individual of important contribution to theology and doctrine. He is also canonized as a Saint.  Augustine was born in 354 in Thagaste of North Africa. His father passed away when he was 17. During boyhood, Augustine was very naughty and did not love studying. Nevertheless, he was intelligent and devoted to studying on subjects of interest to him. When he was a youth, he led a life of loose living which included parties and worldly ambitions. His mother Monica was a devoted Catholic, she was praying tirelessly to God that her son could put away all impurity and began a new life. At the age of 29, Augustine went to Italy and Monica was determined to go along so that he would not go astray. While Augustine was teaching in Milan, he met St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, who was a man of great virtue. Augustine often attended his sermons and was finally baptized in 387.  Augustine reformed his past immoral life. He spent three years of solitary life in the desert in Africa. He was made Coadjutor Bishop of Hippo and obtained the Bishop’s special permission to start his preaching life. He became a famous preacher and about 400 sermons were preserved today. Augustine later became the Bishop of Hippo. In his 35 years of service, he took every opportunity to defend the truth of Christianity against its detractors.  St Augustine has many writings, his best known work is “Confessions” which is a personal account of his earlier life.  Little Quiz • How did St. Augustine spend his life when he was a youth?  • Who were the two persons who helped St. Augustine to repent and transform?  • What do I learn from the life of St. Augustine?  • How can I follow his example in my everyday life? 

Saint Monica is a very famous good wife and loving mother in the history of the Catholic Church. She is the loving mother of St. Augustine. She leads a prayerful life dedicated to the reformation of her wayward son who is eventually canonized as a Saint.  Monica was brought up by a very strict and demanding nanny. The nanny even did not allow her to drink water outside meal hours. For many, this order might sound unreasonable. However, the nanny had a good reason. She told Monica, “if you need water, you can take what you want and it is not a problem. Nevertheless, when you grow up and are in charge of a wine cellar, you will form the habit of stealing wine.”  The worry of the nanny was not unfound. When Monica grew up, she very often stayed in the cellar and stealthily took wine. One day when Monica scolded one of her servants, the servant teased her back as a drunkard. Monica felt ashamed and was determined to change. Thereafter, she did not take a single drop of wine.  She was married to Patricius who was a pagan. Both Patricius and his mother had a violent temper. The marriage life of Monica was unhappy. Her husband, however, respected her virtues and never bullied her. Monica made pious effort to change her husband. Finally both her husband and her mother-in-law were converted to the faith.  St. Augustine was baptized in the Easter of 387. St. Monica had great joy as her hope was fulfilled. She died in the same year. The Church designated Monica as the patron saint of married women.  Little Quiz  What is the bad habit of St. Monica when she was young?  What is the hope of St. Monica in her life?  St. Monica is the patron saint for what kind of people?