Thursday 31 May 2007

Facing a confrere's departure

Dear C


So sorry to give you the wrong impression. No, K didn't die. Don't include him on the obituary list! He left the community, not the world. But then, when someone leaves the Order, the kind of heaviness is almost like what death can bring, if not even more unbearable.


With death, we celebrate the completion of life and the fulfilment of vows, even if someone dies young. Departure makes us ask questions that have no answers. We have not yet adopted the kind of attitude that would allow us to host farewell parties when someone in solemn vows leaves, as if agreeing to a feeling that it is time to "move on". The question that the General wrote in his Report to the General Chapter still rings clear in our head: ask not why a friar leaves but ask why the rest stay.



So why am I staying? That's a good question. Rather than telling you why am I NOT leaving, I must answer the question: why I am staying. Besides answering the loving call of the Lover, I desire to follow Him till the end.

-----------------------
Excerpt from my earlier journal:

A month before I got here, I got a message that one of my classmates (same year of entering and solemn vows, etc) had decided to leave the order. He had been having very good prospect - had opportunities for further studies, got elected to important posts and got assigned to important offices, etc. Never mind about why he left but the fact that he left had made an impact on me. I accepted the decision of transferring me here because I knew I would be here with my friend. But he is no longer here. I felt betrayed, cheated, angry, sad, etc. (You know, very typical of me.) He moved out the day before I arrived.
Tonight, a bunch of us went out for dinner as a farewell thing, not a high profile farewell, but a time to say good bye. We men are so difficult to express emotions. At the end of the dinner, after lots of pretty words (or really just euphemism) about let's-remain-friends, we-are-still-brothers and come-to-my-wedding-will-you being said by others, I broke my own silence and said, "Look, I don't know about you all, but I am sad that he is leaving. I really loath to see him go. "捨不得 -Shebude, letting someone / something go." Everyone was kind of astounded by the stark expression - possibly I said what everyone was feeling too. He (the one leaving) admitted he would miss us too.
Well, as good Franciscans, we had a big feast despite everything and now I am too full to go to bed. Possibly indigestion...

Wednesday 30 May 2007

六四 十八週年

這是我第一年不在香港紀念六、四,但那天我還是會和大家一起祈禱:

你,從天而降的你,落在坦克前進的路上,
英勇的模樣,清水般的目光,一聲怒吼叫我們心發燙!
你,頭也不回的你,展開你一雙翅膀,
尋覓著方向,方向在前方,一響槍聲讓我們心發涼!
你站在那萬人中央,抵抗著千丈巨浪,
看不見你的眼睛,是否有藏著淚光。
我沒有那種力量,想忘也總不能忘,
祇等待漆黑夜晚,夢一會那驚心動魄的景象!

(寫於2003年6月1日主日往馬鞍山聖方濟堂路上)

Tuesday 22 May 2007

在天盡頭

一部敘述真福和德里在中國傳教事蹟的短片在羅馬放映
(梵蒂岡電台09-12-2006訊)“在天盡頭”是一部述真福和德里(OdoricodaPordenone)14世紀在中國傳教事蹟的短片,製作者義大利“朱利亞論壇”協會於12月5日在羅馬義大利國家廣播電視台舉行的電影介紹會中向外界介紹。

真福和德里,義大利方濟會小弟兄,1265年在義大利北部的弗留利-威尼斯朱利亞地區誕生,一心渴望向遙遠國度的人民宣揚基督的愛。當年,對歐洲人來說,中國是一個在天涯地角的國家,和德里因而決定前往中國傳教,他於1318年出發。 經過7年驚險重重的路程,終於達到汗八里,也就是今天的北京,他在那裡逗留了3年,為窮人和患病的人服務,對中國和中國人極為敬佩尊重。 除了北京外,和德里真福也巡視了泉州、杭州和揚州的修院,他的旅行日記是一個極其珍貴的資料。

“朱利亞論壇”的主席賈瓦澤尼女士在放映會上介紹“在天盡頭”電影時,強調和德里所表達的和平與友愛訊息,也是今天弗留利其他傳教士和主教們所傳達的訊息。 賈瓦澤尼女士說:“這為我們指示了如何懷著兄弟的友愛來相會,好能在同一個天空下攜手向前邁進。”出席電影介紹會的中國代表在致辭時則重申對真福和德里的景仰和感謝,他並讚賞“在天盡頭”電影,說這部電影是對中國表示友愛的舉動。

電影“在天盡頭”於2005年獲得中國國際影展的“銀鹿獎”,是歐洲獲獎的唯一影片。 同一年,“在天盡頭”也參加了在上海舉行的義大利文學與電影週,獲得如潮好評。

電影資料:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0819867/

What do the Franciscan postulants think of... Dag Hammarskjold?

Dag Hammarskjöld

These are very inspiring quotes from Dag Hammarskjöld which have been very useful to me. Hopefully others will find them uplifting too.

  • For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, yes.
  • Life only demands from you the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible - not to have run away.
  • Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.
  • The longest journey is the journey inward.
  • The only kind of dignity which is genuine is that which is not diminished by the indifference of others.

Dag Hammarskjöld (1905 – 1961) was a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations. He served from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961.

Monday 21 May 2007

贈張右篤神父

楊炎 於2007年5月17日

寶貝曾與共,長老常挽弓,若離雙十架,竹底鐵馬從。

以上是我日前送給張神父的打油詩,他的弟弟看後就明白了是謎語,並代我解釋給張神父聽,大家也看得明白嗎?

Friday 18 May 2007

Welcome!

We are the postulant community of the Our Lady, Queen of China Province (Taiwan and Hong Kong), residing at the Taishan Friary in Taishan Township, Taipei County.
This blog is for those who care about us and our e