昔日文章

  Our little boy loves bouncing on a trampoline and rolling in a large sand pit at the nursery. When he comes home from nursery, he is sandy from head to toe and needs a good bath. On the weekends, he likes riding on his scooter to the park near our house. Whenever he enjoys himself a lot, he says, “It’s fun, isn’t it?” Do you like doing exercise? What kind of exercise do you like most? Exercising regularly not only helps to maintain a healthy life style but also improves learning. According to some international research, there is a strong link between physical activity and academic performance in children. This is because exercise helps cognition by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain. It can also reduce stress and improve mood, making children better behaved in the classroom.  Children who learn to participate in sport also learn social skills, cooperation and team spirit. They are more confident and able to concentrate better during lessons. Experts advised that children should be physically active for 60 to 90 minutes a day. How often do you do exercise?  As the Ancient Roman philosopher, Cicero, said, “It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigour.” Exercise is good for our body and mind. Remember: Children who exercise often turn into adults who exercise.  

Last week, we took our little boy to watch the Christmas lights in the city centre.  He was very excited when we took him to a park which had been transformed into an illuminated winter wonderland and a magical fairy tale village. It was the first time he had sat on an illuminated sleigh with Rudolph and under a story-telling magic tree. 
To celebrate Jesus’ birthday on Christmas Day, lights are generally switched on to illuminate high streets in late November or early December in many parts of the world. So far where have you seen the most beautiful Christmas light display? While Christmas decorations are seen in most of the shopping malls in Hong Kong, it is traditional to decorate houses as well in the West. In Britain, we think that the most attractive Christmas decorations are those outside the residential houses. The decorations include illuminated snowmen, angels, wreaths, and bells. 
Most houses in Britain will also have a Christmas tree that is decorated with lights and ornaments such as glass baubles, tinsel and multi-coloured crackers. Our little boy brought home some paper ornaments from the nursery to put on the Christmas tree. Did you ever help to decorate a Christmas tree? What did you decorate it with?
When we left the park, we bought our little boy an Advent calendar, which is used to count down to Christmas Day. The calendar is a large rectangular card with twenty-four “windows”. He can open one every day during Advent to show him a picture of the story of the Nativity of Jesus. Some Advent calendars contain milk chocolate seasonal shapes. Isn’t it fun?

Do you still believe in Santa Claus（聖誕老人）?  It is for kids only, you know.  There is no Saint Nick living in North Pole riding around the world in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
Well, part of that is true. St. Nick does not live in North Pole, etc.  But we, as Catholics, do believe in Santa Claus.  It is just another way of saying Saint Nicholas or Nikolaos.  In other European countries it was simply shortened to Santa Claus.  
Saint Nicholas（聖尼古拉斯）lived in the 3rd century in Myra, a city in present day Turkey.  He was a wonderful bishop. He took care of his people, particularly the poor.  The story went that there was a farmer with three daughters.  He was too poor for her daughters to be married because, back in those days, they needed to have a dowry（嫁妝）.  Bishop Nicholas secretly put money in their home and the daughters were married. After he died many of his generous deeds became known and people remembered him by imitating him and giving gifts to the poor, especially around his feast day on December 6. Children, too, would get toys or candies and was told the story of Santa Claus.
So, when people ask you whether you still believe in Santa Claus, you can say, with enthusiasm, a loud “YES !”
Then, where does this other Santa Claus come from ?  I have to admit, now that I am American, it came from the United States.  Back in 1881, cartoonist Thomas Nast published the first Santa cartoon in the magazine Harper’s Weekly.  Later in 1926, another magazine, Saturday Evening Post printed the painting by Norman Rockwell.  Neither Nast nor Rockwell was Catholic. Nast was probably anti-Catholic to the extent that he disliked the Catholic Church’s devotion to saints. That led Nast to “Americanize” Saint Nicholas, to strip the popular custom to one that is not-so-religious. From then on, Santa Claus became the white bearded old man from North Pole and the original saint is forgotten. Nowadays, believing in Santa Claus is reserved only for children or childish ignorance.
But not for us Catholics ! Saint Nicholas was such a wonderful bishop because of his faith in Jesus. Jesus came to us to fill us with riches this world cannot give. We are the poor who cannot afford a dowry to take us to the wedding in Heaven. Ironically, Jesus, the King of kings, was born in a cave. No one knew that the King of the Universe（普世君王）had been born except for Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men following a star.  Saint Nicholas followed the example of Jesus to enrich his people not only by the sacraments but also things of this world. He took care of the needy not only at Christmas time, but all year round.
This coming week, on December 6, celebrate the feast of Saint Nicholas. You may want to cut out the picture and pin it on your wall. Prepare for Christmas by getting some gifts for the poor. Ask Saint Nicholas to help you to love Jesus as he loved Jesus. Ask Mary and Joseph to help you make room in your heart for their Son.
Saint Nicholas, pray for us.
Saints Mary and Joseph, pray for us.  

  Hello again, 
I have been asked to write this column with a new heading. I have chosen “Neither East Nor West” to more appropriately show where I am, personally. I finished Lower 6 at St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong and went to the US for university in 1970. So I am definitely East. I have been here since. 40 years! So, definitely West. Very confused.   
Since I last wrote I have been back from Taiwan and am now in a parish in the United States in the state called Nebraska.  Not many people have heard of it.  It is actually in the middle of the United States, approximately 500 miles west of Chicago, same distance north of Dallas and east of Denver.  It is hot (35) in the summer and cold (-30) in the winter. 
The parish I am now assigned has a mixture of city and rural people.  Plattsmouth, the town I am in, has a population of 7,000 and is about 20 miles from the city of Omaha which has a population of about 500,000.  Many people live here and work at Omaha.  It also has farmers that grow corn, soy bean and sorghum.  The town is right on the bank of the Missouri.  It has beautiful bluffs and trees.  The parish has a Catholic grade school with children from kindergarten to 8th grade.  The students from grades 9 to 12 attend a Catholic high school in the next parish.  I came back from being a student to become a superintendent (head master or whatever you now call it in HK) again.  I will miss not having any responsibilities except to study. 
A couple of weeks ago, over the first weekend of September, I went to visit my family in Canada.  I also attended a retreat with 200 Chinese Catholic young people.  Yes, 200.  They came from all over Eastern Canada.  I try to join them every chance I have.  They sang, played skits, listened to talks and participated in the Sacraments with gusto.  I get excited about our faith just being with them.  If you want to look them up, you can find them at ECCCLC.NET.  On their web page you will also find links to two other retreats, WCCCLC in Vancouver and CACCLC in California, a total of about 500 Chinese Catholics gathering together in one weekend growing in love with Jesus.   
With so many conflicting voices these days it is difficult enough to try to be good. It is even harder to try to be Christian, Catholic Christian. It takes a healthy dose of skepticism to ask questions about issues that are popularly accepted and a courageous faith to trust in Jesus showing us the way through the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is important to keep in mind that we are created by God who is good and true. That means that within each of us there is an insatiable need to find what is the ultimate good and true and that God is more interested in us achieving that goal than we are. It is like being in the classroom. Teachers love to give good grades. Teachers love to see students excited about learning their lessons to get the good grades. Jesus is our good Teacher. He wants us to know and to love what is His Truth. 
In the upcoming columns I will try to share my faith with you however I may be moved by the Holy Spirit. Please feel free to contact me through this column and make suggestions to what you would like to read about. 
Have a good school year.