Thursday, June 5, 2008
Sichuan relief work: talk at Duns Scotus Bible Centre
Please note the following for our presentation on Sichua relief work:
Date: 06-06-2008, Friday
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Venue: Room 1104 & 6 Leighton Centre 77 Leighton Road Causeway Bay HK tel: 852-28902682 fax: 852- 28902687
Dr. James Fung and I will share with you our experience in Sichuan and what we can do to give a continue support to help rebuilding their bodies, mind, houses and families.
Volunteers needed:
--professional psychotharapist to train the local teachers and volunteers in Sichuan to provide psychological support and counselling service for the victims.
--volunteers to accompany students, to play and learn with them. our job is to build up trust and friendship with them and provide care for them. It is not about counselling.
The next group of volunteers is expected to leave on Monday 9 June 2008 from Shenzhen and to stay around 10-14 days.
Anyone interested, please check your availability and validity of your travel document. Please noted that no insurance will cover your trip to Sichuan. All volunteers need to pay their own expenses and take their own risk.
Basic requirement for volunteers: Good health, mature, caring and fluent in Mandarin
Please help circulate this message.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 9663 1670
www.ying-wang.org.hk info@ying-wang.org.hk
Hope to see you on Friday.
Regards,
Maria Lee
volunteer and coordinator
Date: 06-06-2008, Friday
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Venue: Room 1104 & 6 Leighton Centre 77 Leighton Road Causeway Bay HK tel: 852-28902682 fax: 852- 28902687
Dr. James Fung and I will share with you our experience in Sichuan and what we can do to give a continue support to help rebuilding their bodies, mind, houses and families.
Volunteers needed:
--professional psychotharapist to train the local teachers and volunteers in Sichuan to provide psychological support and counselling service for the victims.
--volunteers to accompany students, to play and learn with them. our job is to build up trust and friendship with them and provide care for them. It is not about counselling.
The next group of volunteers is expected to leave on Monday 9 June 2008 from Shenzhen and to stay around 10-14 days.
Anyone interested, please check your availability and validity of your travel document. Please noted that no insurance will cover your trip to Sichuan. All volunteers need to pay their own expenses and take their own risk.
Basic requirement for volunteers: Good health, mature, caring and fluent in Mandarin
Please help circulate this message.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 9663 1670
www.ying-wang.org.hk info@ying-wang.org.hk
Hope to see you on Friday.
Regards,
Maria Lee
volunteer and coordinator
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Another piece of news
Did you read this one?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7433063.stm
and the update on the Gaza students
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7432742.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7433063.stm
and the update on the Gaza students
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7432742.stm
The Butterfly
Yesterday at lunch Fr Alliata, who's moved over to sit opposite me, said that he had read somewhere that the future food of humans would be insects. That's because they contain twice as much protein relative to their size, and they have no harmful fats. We chatted up on this topic and then I said that there would be one insect that we would not eat; and that is the butterfly.
And Fr Alliata said, "that's because it's full of beauty but has no substance". Isn't that an interesting observation? Pieno di bellezza ma niente sostanza (in italian of course). I wonder how that would apply to humans? Chew on that!
...... e l'ultimo chiude la polta!
And Fr Alliata said, "that's because it's full of beauty but has no substance". Isn't that an interesting observation? Pieno di bellezza ma niente sostanza (in italian of course). I wonder how that would apply to humans? Chew on that!
...... e l'ultimo chiude la polta!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
"Under the Fig Tree" is launched!!!
Finally after months and months of struggles and blocks, I've finally decided to use blogger.com to host the long awaited "Under the Fig Tree" bible encounter sessions.
Each week reflections on the coming Sunday's readings are posted; you may read them, pray them, meditate on them, then you might also like to leave a comment or a reflection on the blog. You may also leave a question but I can't promise I'll have the time to answer every question.
For the moment the blog is open to invited members only - so if you want to join in this FREE bible encounter session with me, then email me your details especially if you were/are my student or came with me on a pilgrimage. I'll email you an invitation through Google or gmail. I think you might have to have a gmail account in order to access my blog. But it costs nothing anyway, so why not?
Remember this Under the Fig Tree bible encounter is limited to only the first 100 people who sign up!
Each week reflections on the coming Sunday's readings are posted; you may read them, pray them, meditate on them, then you might also like to leave a comment or a reflection on the blog. You may also leave a question but I can't promise I'll have the time to answer every question.
For the moment the blog is open to invited members only - so if you want to join in this FREE bible encounter session with me, then email me your details especially if you were/are my student or came with me on a pilgrimage. I'll email you an invitation through Google or gmail. I think you might have to have a gmail account in order to access my blog. But it costs nothing anyway, so why not?
Remember this Under the Fig Tree bible encounter is limited to only the first 100 people who sign up!
grow in knowledge
Well Jerusalem Day passed without incident - I think. The shops all closed early "to avoid trouble" - as the shop keepers say. I managed to buy 4 cornettos as the ice-cream seller closed. It was very hot yesterday and the sun was so bright I think I hurt my eyes as it kept watering and I couldn't open them for several hours. Next time I'll have to wear sunglasses when I go out.
Anyway I shared the cornettos (pretty expensive - 10 shekels or HK$20 for one) with Osvalda and the two sisters. As Sr Irmina is no longer around, Sr Geronima has to do all the kitchen work - cooking and washing - alone; so I help her after dinner so she can finish her job quickly and get some rest. After washing all the cutlery and dishes we had a quiet time eating ice-cream in the sisters' dining room. We talked about visiting the Negev desert one day. But it'll have to be soon as Sr Geronima is due to return to Poland soon.
My asthma has become severe every morning now and throughout the Mass I'm coughing and gasping. I'll have to see Dr. ben Daniel very soon.
St Peter in his 2nd letter (today's reading) says "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ." The context of these words is that we're all waiting for the 2nd coming of Christ and what we should be doing before he arrives. Growing in grace would be trying to live the 10 commandments, the virtues and beatitudes, striving to be holy ..... everyone knows that. But growing in the knowledge of our Lord? I mean, not just through prayer but through serious and thoughtful study of the Bible, of the Catechism? I've said this a million times - it's unfortunate our religious education ends when we receive confirmation and catechism classes stop when we reach 12 or 15 yrs old. As we grow older and wiser in worldly things, we remain spiritually retarded; our knowledge of God does not grow beyond our childish religious ideas when we were 12 or 15 yrs old. Our religious knowledge does not correspond with our physical and mental age; nor with the social-economic knowledge that we've gathered through life. Well what is St Peter telling you today? - to grow in your knowledge of God ... how to do that? Time you got serious and start discerning.
Anyway I shared the cornettos (pretty expensive - 10 shekels or HK$20 for one) with Osvalda and the two sisters. As Sr Irmina is no longer around, Sr Geronima has to do all the kitchen work - cooking and washing - alone; so I help her after dinner so she can finish her job quickly and get some rest. After washing all the cutlery and dishes we had a quiet time eating ice-cream in the sisters' dining room. We talked about visiting the Negev desert one day. But it'll have to be soon as Sr Geronima is due to return to Poland soon.
My asthma has become severe every morning now and throughout the Mass I'm coughing and gasping. I'll have to see Dr. ben Daniel very soon.
St Peter in his 2nd letter (today's reading) says "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ." The context of these words is that we're all waiting for the 2nd coming of Christ and what we should be doing before he arrives. Growing in grace would be trying to live the 10 commandments, the virtues and beatitudes, striving to be holy ..... everyone knows that. But growing in the knowledge of our Lord? I mean, not just through prayer but through serious and thoughtful study of the Bible, of the Catechism? I've said this a million times - it's unfortunate our religious education ends when we receive confirmation and catechism classes stop when we reach 12 or 15 yrs old. As we grow older and wiser in worldly things, we remain spiritually retarded; our knowledge of God does not grow beyond our childish religious ideas when we were 12 or 15 yrs old. Our religious knowledge does not correspond with our physical and mental age; nor with the social-economic knowledge that we've gathered through life. Well what is St Peter telling you today? - to grow in your knowledge of God ... how to do that? Time you got serious and start discerning.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Jerusalem Day
Yesterday morning I got up early as usual to go to the Holy Sepulchre - 5am. I know some people here think I'm crazy because it's Sunday so we should get up later etc.... but my thinking is: I'm here in Jerusalem where Jesus died, buried and rose. What a better way to spend Sunday morning then go early to the tomb like the women, before the sun rose?
I celebrate Mass at 5.30am then pray the Office of Readings and Lauds; then help out in the sacristy. Yesterday I helped carry the benches for people to sit for the solemn Mass at the tomb. Then Sr Ann, our cantor and organist, asked me to stay back for the solemn Mass to help sing because the usual friars in charge were on holiday so the choir has only 3 friars to sing the latin Mass - not enough voice. So I stayed back and helped sing the entire Mass. But when it ended at 6.30am I rushed off home because I have to feed the canaries.
I can't remember what else I did yesterday as I did abit here and there - was in the library twice, then my work on the computer then .... lost track. I have yet to see the doctor here now that I've received all the results from the hospital. Am too lazy to go all the way up to St Louis Hospital, but will have to ... soon.
I learned that Sr Irmina, the one who left us 2 weeks ago, is sick and will be operated on on June 5th - so pray for her ok? I thought something must be wrong because she left in such a hurry.
And last night was a pretty harrowing experience for some of us - it's Jerusalem Day (when the Israelis celebrate the re-unification of Jerusalem: 40 yrs back it was divided between Israel and Jordan but the Israeli army fought through Zion Gate and St Stephan's Gate into the Old City and reclaimed the entire Old City under the State of Israel. Of course the palestinians will not consider it as a re-unification of the City but rather a lost of territory). Anyway groups and groups of israeli students marched through the Muslim Quarter where I live, singing, dancing all through the night, all protected by soldiers and police. Many of the friars could not sleep. Me? I couldn't tell the difference. Was totally knocked out. Today the streets are also packed with Israelis. Groups making the Way of the Cross are having a difficult time. The cocky and brash arab shop-keepers who constantly harass us to show us who's the boss around here, are unusually silent and cowed today; all quietly standing by their shop doors while waves of Israeli students chant their triumph. Today they are reminded who is the actual boss around here.
Well, now for a short reflection. Yesterday's Gospel spoke to us about building houses on sand or rock. It's about foundations - both guys had the same need to build a house. Both guys had the same materials. But they differed in choosing the foundations. You can easily now transfer this mesage to your spiritual life, about your own faith foundation etc... but I'd like to through a different perspective to this - how about considering the foundations of your married life? or economic life (job)? or social life (friendship)? Are they based on need or wants? Are they based on enjoyment or necessity? Are they based on seflishness or selflessness? Are they based on God's will or your own will?
I celebrate Mass at 5.30am then pray the Office of Readings and Lauds; then help out in the sacristy. Yesterday I helped carry the benches for people to sit for the solemn Mass at the tomb. Then Sr Ann, our cantor and organist, asked me to stay back for the solemn Mass to help sing because the usual friars in charge were on holiday so the choir has only 3 friars to sing the latin Mass - not enough voice. So I stayed back and helped sing the entire Mass. But when it ended at 6.30am I rushed off home because I have to feed the canaries.
I can't remember what else I did yesterday as I did abit here and there - was in the library twice, then my work on the computer then .... lost track. I have yet to see the doctor here now that I've received all the results from the hospital. Am too lazy to go all the way up to St Louis Hospital, but will have to ... soon.
I learned that Sr Irmina, the one who left us 2 weeks ago, is sick and will be operated on on June 5th - so pray for her ok? I thought something must be wrong because she left in such a hurry.
And last night was a pretty harrowing experience for some of us - it's Jerusalem Day (when the Israelis celebrate the re-unification of Jerusalem: 40 yrs back it was divided between Israel and Jordan but the Israeli army fought through Zion Gate and St Stephan's Gate into the Old City and reclaimed the entire Old City under the State of Israel. Of course the palestinians will not consider it as a re-unification of the City but rather a lost of territory). Anyway groups and groups of israeli students marched through the Muslim Quarter where I live, singing, dancing all through the night, all protected by soldiers and police. Many of the friars could not sleep. Me? I couldn't tell the difference. Was totally knocked out. Today the streets are also packed with Israelis. Groups making the Way of the Cross are having a difficult time. The cocky and brash arab shop-keepers who constantly harass us to show us who's the boss around here, are unusually silent and cowed today; all quietly standing by their shop doors while waves of Israeli students chant their triumph. Today they are reminded who is the actual boss around here.
Well, now for a short reflection. Yesterday's Gospel spoke to us about building houses on sand or rock. It's about foundations - both guys had the same need to build a house. Both guys had the same materials. But they differed in choosing the foundations. You can easily now transfer this mesage to your spiritual life, about your own faith foundation etc... but I'd like to through a different perspective to this - how about considering the foundations of your married life? or economic life (job)? or social life (friendship)? Are they based on need or wants? Are they based on enjoyment or necessity? Are they based on seflishness or selflessness? Are they based on God's will or your own will?
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