Sharing: Shamian and Haikou

After leaving dormitory, I was staying at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Shamian-Guangzhou for two weeks. Sr. Chen of the Chinese Sisters of Immaculate Conception, who are usually staying at Cathedral, is moving in temporarily to accompany me besides the permanent residents of the Church: Fr. Peter and the security.

Sr. Chen and I usually prayed the Mandarin Divine Office before Cantonese Mass in the morning, after lunch and after supper besides Divine Mercy Prayer and Rosary. I read so slowly besides I can’t read all the Chinese characters. There is a parishioner who also joins us in the morning prayers. On Saturdays, Sr. Chen and I clean the sacristy and several people from Huiling are hired to clean the Church and first floor of rectory. Sr. Chen and I also cleaned the choir place, small chapel and meeting room once during my stay.

Most of the time, Sr. Chen cooked for us. Sometimes Fr. Peter cooked besides the parishioners. I helped in washing the dishes and prepared the table. I fried bean curd with egg and then showed how to eat with hand, it’s their first time to see it; one of the parishioners tried it and said it’s more delicious. After daily mass which including a recessional song, a song for Mather Mary and several prayers; several parishioners say their rosary and then two-three parishioners joined our breakfast. Once in a while I went to the market by bike, it’s has been a long time I didn’t ride a bike in a big road, at first I used to stop it by using my feet and I was not so balanced.

I attended Cantonese Bible Sharing on Wednesdays evening, Mandarin Bible Sharing on Fridays evening and Mandarin RCIA on Sundays morning after the Cantonese (mixed with Mandarin songs and sometimes with Mandarin homily) Mass. Several people from Huiling sang and had lunch together on Jul 15 so I had a chance to talk with one of the “mothers”.

Two elderly women and I accompanied Sr. Chen gave Holy Communion to two deaf elderly women in a nursing home. After that we visited another elderly woman nearby. We also visited Immaculate Heart of Mary Church or Henan Church and the two houses built by Guangzhou Diocese for the two elderly women as they should move out from elderly home in Shamian Church compound.

I had a chance to listen to several young people’s stories, both Indonesian and Chinese, including how did they become Catholics and also pray with them.

Most of the time, I stayed at Church compound which has four buildings: Church; two floors convent; three floors rectory including kitchen and dining room; and one floor hall including classroom and room for the security. Once a while, I went out either walking around Shamian island with Sr. Chen and/or a parishioner, or going to Sun Yat-sen University to pick up my certificate, repair my luggage and meet friends, or going to train station to buy ticket to Haikou. I had a chance to read Catholicism for Dummies http://www.amazon.com/Catholicism-Dummies-John-Trigilio/dp/0764553917 and prepare the booklet for my renewal of vows.

As Tulus asked me to join a meal in a Vietnamese restaurant with Indonesians, I suggested have meals together in Shamian because Fr. Peter usually invites several young people to cook and eat together. Fortunately, Fr. Peter also wanted to invites Indonesians to have meal together, he helps the Indonesians a lot. The best time for Fr. Peter and I was Jul 16. Several Indonesian students came earlier to cook “tahu telur” (=fried bean curb and egg) and “pecel” (=Indonesian salad with peanut dressing). Lina, came with her two children and her younger sister besides bringing “mie goreng” (=fried noodle) and “kari daging sapi kentang” (=meat and potato in turmeric sauce). Fr. Peter cooked stir and fry vegetable and meat and also prepared cucumber and paprika in vinegar salad and fruit salad. There were 24 of us besides Sr. Giovanna who holy coincidencely came earlier for Adoration, Gao Zai, Allison and two Indonesians who came late.

The next day I helped the summer program for the kids at Cathedral. It’s a two weeks programme, in which the children-baptized and non-baptized-study, eat, play, and sleep at the Cathedral compound. As I walked to the room of Sr. Mary Clare to ask what I can help, she asked me to accompany a boy, who asked to go home since the day before. A laywoman was also accompanying, finally his father came to pick him up after supper.

Joanna came on my last day in Shamian and then we stopped at dormitory to pick up part of my belongings. For sure, I learn a lot from my staying in Shamian Church, including practicing Putonghua and listening Cantonese.
I am so grateful for the generosity of the Chinese Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and Fr. Peter to share life, prayer and ministry in Shamian Church.

A friend asked me to accompany her to go to Haikou since last summer. Finally I informed that I would be available on Jul 18-20. She paid the most part of our trip. We arrived at the Banana Hostel around 4.30 am instead of 2.00 am because the train was late. I try to sleep during the trip but I still could hear when the AC was turn off and noisy voice outside (later on I knew that they separated several trains as the train would be on the boat from Haian to Haikou). After resting for a while, we visited Clock Tower, Holiday Beach, and before sunset we visited White Sand Beach http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/hainan/haikou/. Fr. Peter gave contact of Luo Hong so I got the schedule for the daily mass 8.00 am and Sunday Mass 9.30 am and the address of the Church, unfortunately she was going out of Haikou. The next morning, I attended the Mandarin Mass at a newly built Sacred Heart Church, which are theatre seating (higher in the back) with four-five floors and eight screens. There were four lay persons and a Sacred Heart sister from Beijing attending the Mass besides two priests (one priest was a guest from Hebei). Fr. Yang was going to Guangzhou http://www.ucanews.com/diocesan-directory/html/dps-ch_hainan.php. There are Guangzhou Diocese printed materials in Mandarin e.g. song books and the order of the Mass. After that, we visited Haikou Park and Xiuying Bus Station and West Train Station as we wanted to leave earlier by bus and refund our train tickets (95%). Our bus schedule was 6.00 pm. After settling down for a while in the bus, we were asked to walk to ferry terminal and finally left the ferry terminal at 8.00 pm. It’s a big ferry with buses, big trucks and cars besides hundreds of passengers. We arrived in Guangzhou South Railway Station before 6.00 am.

After resting for a while and packing my belongings, I went to Guangzhou East Train Station to see Allison and Gao Zai. I went to Shenzhen with Allison and then I continued my trip to Hong Kong.

Guangzhou, 13 Aug, 2012

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible

Sharing: Thank you Note Renewal of Religious Vows

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, with gratitude, I express my sincere thanks to God, and to all who have walked with me, in my journey to be a Maryknoll Sister, especially for my Maryknoll Sisters, my family, benefactors and friends gathered here, those who are not able to come, and those who are with me in prayer. 

Saudara-saudari terkasih dalam Kristus, dengan penuh rasa syukur, saya mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Allah, dan semua orang yang berjalan bersama saya dalam perjalanan saya untuk menjadi seorang suster Maryknoll, khususnya para suster Maryknoll, keluarga saya, para donor dan teman-teman, baik yang ada di sini, maupun yang tidak bisa datang, dan mereka yang bersama saya dalam doa.

My heartfelt thanks to all who have worked hard to make this celebration beautiful and meaningful especially our celebrants Fr. Michael Sloboda, MM and Fr. Peter Zhao Gui Tian, the Indonesians Catholic community: the MCs, the choir, the mucisians, the lectors, the documentation team, the ushers, the refreshment team, the dancers and the singer for the reception, and the sisters of St. Paul for the use of their beautiful chapel and hall. 

Rasa syukur dan terima kasih, juga saya ucapkan kepada semua pihak yang telah bekerja keras untuk membuat perayaan Ekaristi dan pembaharuan kaul ini indah dan penuh makna, khususnya Romo Michael Sloboda, MM, Romo Peter Zhao Gui Tian dan Komunitas Katolik Indonesia: para MC, anggota koor, pemusik, lektor, dokumentasi, penerima tamu, kolektan, konsumsi, perlengkapan, para penari dan penyanyi dalam acara resepsi nanti, dan para suster St. Paul untuk pemakaian kapel yang indah ini dan aula.

Please continue to pray for me and our congregation as we participate in the universal mission of Church, especially as we celebrate our centennial year which is this year.

Mohon dukungan doanya untuk saya dan kongregasi kami sehubungan dengan partisipasi kami dalam misi universal Gereja, khususnya karena kami merayakan seratus tahun kongregasi kami tahun ini.

After the group pictures, all of you are invited for a simple reception at the hall.

Setelah foto bersama, mohon menghadiri resepsi sederhana di aula.

Lastly, May God continue to bless us in our missionary journey. 

Akhirnya, semoga Tuhan terus memberkati kita semua dalam perjalanan misionaris kita masing-masing.

Homily: Renewal of Religious Vows 2012

(Terjemahan dalam bahasa Indonesia ada di bawah homili ini).

This is a happy day, a day of commitment. Sr. Anastasia will renew her promises to the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic for a period of four years. Four years is not a lifetime, yet she is clearly moving towards a lifetime commitment. Anastasia, this is a major step in your life. Congratulations!

Did I say this is a happy day? Perhaps it’s also a scary day. Commitment is a terrifying concept in modern society, a loss of freedom, a huge decision. People would rather not decide, rather not pin themselves down. Yet there is something wonderful with entrusting our lives, our talents, and our future to a group of likeminded Sisters, and to God.

Let me tell two stories of people who were afraid when the time came to commit. First, I went to the wedding of Robert and Jean years ago. The bride and groom exchanged vows. Then Jean slumped down. They caught her before she hit the floor, but she still went down flat on the carpet. Everyone gasped. There was dead silence. Next, the priest said into the microphone, “Relax, people, she said ‘I do.’ She’s married.” Jean opened her eyes. They helped her to her feet, the wedding Mass continued, and 36 years later they are still married to each other.

When I was in First Theology, I attended the Final Oath of 11 seminarians. Each read his own name, parents’ names, and home diocese, like “I, Michael J. Sloboda, son of Milton Sloboda and Josephine Rede, of the Archdiocese of St. Louis,” and everyone together said, “in the presence of Almighty God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, do promise and swear that I will commit my entire life to the work of the missions committed, or to be committed in the future…”  As they read, 10 sheets of paper were motionless. However, one sheet was shaking up and down uncontrollably. Now, 33 years later, Bob is still a Maryknoll priest. Fear does not have to stop us from making and keeping commitments.

In ancient Greece, Aristotle said “Virtue stands in the middle.” Every virtue is midway between two vices, two bad extremes. For example, courage is midway between cowardice and foolhardiness. A coward sees danger and runs away. A fool does not see the danger, or even worse, totally ignores it. “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” (Alexander Pope) To be brave is to see the danger, to feel the danger, yet to be able to say, “By God, I can do this,” and then to do it. The US cowboy, John Wayne, said, “Courage is when you’re scared as hell but you still saddle up your horse.” Sr. Anastasia, you are aware that you have one or two limitations. You even see that your Sisters are not perfect. You know the problems of life in this part of the world. You were not born yesterday, and you did not arrive in China last week. Even so, by God, you will not run away. Nor will you rush forward pretending nothing can go wrong. Standing midway between a coward and a fool, you are stepping forward with courage this afternoon. You trust that God will make a way. We admire you and we pray for you.

The Gospel Sunday focuses on the Bread of Life. The Eucharist is one of the main ways by which God strengthens us.

Sad to say, people do not always choose something which will make them strong. For example, a boy in China made the news some years ago. He was an only child. His parents and grandparents spoiled him and gave him chocolate candy bars, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate ice cream. His grandparents certainly could remember years of hunger, and they wanted him to have a better childhood than they could have imagined when they were his age. However, too much of a good thing is not a good thing. When the boy was 8 years old, he decided to live by chocolate alone. His parents said, “That is not a balanced diet.” So he threw a temper tantrum and his parents let him win. At school he had to eat a mouthful of rice and veggies, but he also brought a big chocolate bar with him. After three months he collapsed and was rushed to a hospital with stomach pains and high blood pressure. He almost died. The doctor put the boy on a high-fiber diet and lectured his parents. After a week of veggies and sweet potatoes, he was sent home on a chocolate-free diet. That story received wide media coverage in China, as a warning to other parents.

What people want and what is good for them are often two different things. What we see advertized, or what we hear rich and beautiful people are doing, does not necessarily lead to the fullness of life. China is getting richer, but many people have not learned these lessons. They are caught up in materialism and they are living on spiritual junk food.

Junk food is dangerous, but a good diet can help us live 80, 90 or even 100 years. However, as Jesus says to the crowd in today’s Gospel, even healthy food cannot last. In contrast, the food which the Jesus offers endures to eternal life.

Sr. Anastasia, you have a healthy spiritual diet. You will not advertize Jesus by shouting in public, although you can share your faith with a local church and also volunteer good spiritual advice to your friends outside the church. You give witness by your life: material simplicity, chastity, and being part of the Sisters’ community rather than pushing yourself into the number one position. You want to continue to witness by your life to ideals which are spiritually and humanly healthy; you are determined to keep giving witness to values which will endure to eternal life.

How God calls us to witness to the Gospel varies from country to country. In Latin America people put bumper stickers on their cars, such as the Protestant witness, “Jesus is Lord,” and the Catholic response, “Jesus is Lord and Mary is his mother.” Someone printed a new bumper sticker which read, “I am Catholic. I have to be involved in mission.”  Bumper stickers are a rare sight in HK. I haven’t notice any in China, so we have to spread the word in other ways. Taking the bus instead of striving to become rich enough to buy an automobile might be one way to witness to Gospel simplicity.

Some years ago, Orbis Books published Following Christ in a Consumer Society Still by John Kavanaugh. It never made the best seller list in the USA. I doubt if you’ll find a book with Following Christ in any bookstore in China, or as the title of a Chinese essay posted on the internet. Yet Kavanaugh made an important point: Christians need to put people ahead of material possessions, to be more concerned about communication with one’s neighbors than impressing them with expensive clothing or cars. Grounding one’s identity in material possession or public recognition does not bring happiness. Someone said a consumer society is when people “buy what they don’t need, with money they don’t have, in order to impress people they don’t like.” China is only a generation removed from mass poverty. Millions and millions of people today want to be envied for their wealth, make people jealous with their boyfriend or girlfriend, and be a big boss giving orders. So there is a need for people who are counter-cultural, a need for the witness of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Bread and wine are such simple, everyday realities, and yet Jesus used them to give us his Body and Blood. Sr. Anastasia, this afternoon you are making a public promise to give 4 years of your life to the Maryknoll Sisters, while doing simple things to make the love of God visible among the people of China. This is a happy day for all of us, and we are proud of your courage. God bless you.

 

         Ini adalah hari bahagia, hari komitmen. Sr. Anastasia akan memperbaharui kaulnya sebagai seorang suster Maryknoll untuk jangka waktu empat tahun. Empat tahun bukan seumur hidup, namun dia jelas bergerak menuju komitmen seumur hidup. Sr. Anastasia, ini adalah langkah besar dalam hidupmu. Selamat!

       Apakah saya mengatakan bahwa ini adalah hari yang bahagia? Mungkin ini juga merupakan hari menakutkan. Komitmen adalah konsep yang mengerikan dalam masyarakat modern, hilangnya kebebasan, sebuah keputusan besar. Orang lebih suka tidak memutuskan, lebih bebas. Namun ada sesuatu yang indah dengan mempercayakan hidup kita, bakat kita, dan masa depan kita kepada sekelompok suster yang mempunyai pemikiran serupa, dan untuk Allah.

        Saya akan membagikan dua cerita tentang ketakutan orang ketika tiba saatnya untuk berkomitmen. Pertama, saya menghadiri pernikahan Robert dan Jean beberapa tahun yang lalu. Ketika tiba saatnya pengantin saling bertukar janji, Jean pingsan. Mereka menangkapnya sebelum dia jatuh ke lantai, tapi dia sempat tertidur di karpet. Semua orang terkesiap. Hening sekali. Selanjutnya, kata imam itu ke mikrofon, "Tenang, saudara-saudara, katanya “saya bersedia.”  Dia sudah menikah."  Jean membuka matanya. Mereka membantunya berdiri, Misa pernikahan dilanjutkan, dan 36 tahun kemudian mereka masih menikah dengan satu sama lain.  Ketika saya di belajar Teologi di tahun pertama, saya menghadiri kaul kekal 11 seminaris. Setiap orang membaca namanya sendiri, nama orang tua, dan keuskupan asal, seperti "Saya, Michael J. Sloboda, putra dari Milton Sloboda dan Josephine Rede, Keuskupan Agung St. Louis," dan semua orang bersama-sama berkata, "di hadapan Allah yang mahakuasa, Santa Perawan Maria, Rasul Petrus dan Paulus, dan semua Orang Kudus, berjanji dan bersumpah bahwa saya akan mendedikasikan seluruh hidup saya untuk karya misi yang sedang dilakukan, atau akan dilakukan di masa depan .... "  Saat mereka membaca, 10 lembar kertas tidak bergerak. Namun, ada satu lembar kertas yang bergerak naik turun tak terkendali. Sekarang, 33 tahun kemudian, Bob masih seorang imam Maryknoll. Rasa takut tidak harus menghentikan kita dari membuat dan menjaga komitmen. 

        Pada jaman Yunani kuno, Aristoteles mengatakan, "Kebajikan berada di tengah-tengah." Setiap kebajikan berada di tengah-tengah dua keburukan, dua ekstrem buruk. Misalnya, keberanian berada di tengah-tengah pengecut dan nekad. Seorang pengecut melihat bahaya dan melarikan diri. Orang nekad tidak melihat bahaya, atau bahkan benar-benar mengabaikannya. "Orang nekad terburu-buru, sehingga malaikat takut untuk melangkah." (Alexander Pope) Menjadi berani adalah ketika melihat bahaya, merasakan bahaya, belum bisa mengatakan, "Demi Tuhan, aku bisa melakukan ini," dan kemudian melakukannya. Seorang koboi AS, John Wayne, mengatakan, "Keberanian adalah saat engkau takut sekali tapi engkau masih berada di atas pelana kudamu."  Sr. Anastasia, engkau menyadari bahwa engkau memiliki satu atau dua keterbatasan. Engkau bahkan melihat bahwa para suster juga tidak sempurna. Engkau tahu permasalahan hidup di dunia ini. Engkau tidak dilahirkan kemarin, dan engkau tidak tiba di Cina minggu lalu. Meski begitu, demi Tuhan, engkau tidak akan melarikan diri. Engkau juga tidak akan terburu-buru melakukan sesuatu dengan berpura-pura tidak bisa salah. Dengan berdiri di tengah-tengah antara pengecut dan nekad, engkau akan melangkah maju dengan keberanian siang ini. Engkau percaya bahwa Tuhan akan membuka jalan. Kami mengagumimu dan kami berdoa untukmu.

        Hari Minggu ini, bacaan Injil berfokus pada Roti Hidup. Ekaristi adalah salah satu cara utama yang digunakan Tuhan untuk menguatkan kita.
        Sedih untuk mengatakan bahwa, orang tidak selalu memilih hal-hal yang akan membuat mereka kuat. Misalnya, seorang anak tunggal di Cina membuat berita beberapa tahun yang lalu. Orang tua dan kakeknya memanjakan dan memberinya permen coklat, biskuit coklat, dan es krim coklat. Kakek-neneknya pasti bisa mengingat tahun-tahun kelaparan, dan mereka ingin agar dia memiliki masa kecil yang lebih baik dari yang dapat mereka bayangkan ketika mereka seusianya. Namun, terlalu banyak hal baik bukanlah hal yang baik. Ketika sang anak berusia delapan tahun, ia memutuskan untuk hidup dengan coklat saja. Orang tuanya berkata, "Itu bukan diet yang seimbang." Dia marah-marah dan orangtuanya membiarkan dia menang. Di sekolah dia harus makan nasi dan sayuran, tetapi ia juga membawa coklat besar. Setelah tiga bulan ia pingsan dan dilarikan ke rumah sakit karena sakit perut dan tekanan darah tinggi. Ia hampir meninggal. Dokter menempatkan anak itu pada diet tinggi serat dan mengajari orang tuanya. Setelah seminggu makan sayuran dan ubi, ia boleh pulang dengan diet tanpa coklat. Cerita ini mendapat liputan luas dari media di Cina, sebagai peringatan bagi para orang tua lainnya.

        Apa yang orang inginkan dan apa yang baik bagi mereka, seringkali dua hal yang berbeda. Apa yang kita lihat di iklan, atau apa yang kita dengar tentang yang dilakukan orang-orang kaya, tidak selalu mengarah pada kepenuhan hidup. Cina semakin kaya, tetapi banyak orang tidak belajar pelajaran ini. Mereka terjebak dalam materialisme dan mereka hidup pada junk food rohani.

        Junk food berbahaya, tetapi diet yang baik dapat membantu kita hidup 80, 90 atau bahkan 100 tahun. Namun, sebagaimana yang dikatakan  Yesus kepada orang banyak dalam Injil hari ini, bahkan makanan sehatpun bisa berlalu. Sebaliknya, makanan yang ditawarkan Yesus bertahan sampai hidup kekal.
        Sr. Anastasia, engkau memiliki diet rohani yang sehat. Engkau tidak akan mengiklankan Yesus dengan berteriak di depan umum, tetapi engkau dapat berbagi iman dengan gereja lokal dan juga memberikan saran rohani yang baik untuk teman di luar gereja. Engkau memberi kesaksian dengan hidupmu: kesederhanaan materi, kemurnian, menjadi bagian dari komunitas para suster, dan bukan mendorong dirimu sendiri ke posisi nomer satu. Engkau ingin terus memberi kesaksian dengan hidupmu akan cita-cita yang sehat secara rohani dan jasmani; engkau bertekad untuk terus memberikan kesaksian terhadap nilai-nilai yang akan bertahan sampai hidup kekal.

        Bagaimana Allah memanggil kita untuk menjadi saksi Injil bervariasi dari negara ke negara. Di Amerika Latin orang memasang stiker di mobil mereka, sebagaimana orang Protestan, "Yesus adalah Tuhan," dan reaksi orang Katolik, "Yesus adalah Tuhan dan Maria adalah ibunya." Seseorang mencetak stiker baru yang berbunyi, "Saya seorang Katolik. Saya harus terlibat dalam misi.”  Bumper stiker adalah pemandangan langka di Hong Kong. Saya belum melihatnya di Cina, jadi kita harus menyebarkan berita dengan cara lain. Naik bis dan bukan berusaha untuk menjadi cukup kaya untuk membeli mobil mungkin salah satu cara untuk bersaksi tentang kesederhanaan Injil.

        Beberapa tahun lalu, Orbis Books menerbitkan “Following Christ in a Consumer Society” (=Mengikuti Kristus dalam Masyarakat Konsumerisme) oleh John Kavanaugh. Tidak pernah masuk dalam daftar buku terlaris di Amerika Serikat. Saya ragu apakah engkau akan menemukan sebuah buku dengan “Mengikuti Kristus” di setiap toko buku di Cina, atau sebagai judul sebuah esai Cina di internet. Namun Kavanaugh membuat poin penting: orang Kristen harus menempatkan orang di depan harta benda, untuk lebih memperhatikan komunikasi dengan tetangga, daripada mengesankan orang lain dengan pakaian mahal atau mobil. Mendasarkan  identitas diri pada materi atau pengakuan publik tidak membawa kebahagiaan. Seseorang mengatakan masyarakat konsumerisme adalah ketika orang "membeli apa yang tidak mereka butuhkan, dengan uang yang tidak mereka miliki, untuk mengesankan orang yang tidak mereka sukai." Kemiskinan massal di Cina baru terbebas satu generasi.  Jutaan orang saat ini ingin membuat orang lain iri dengan kekayaan mereka, membuat orang cemburu dengan pacar mereka, atau menjadi bos besar yang memberi perintah. Jadi ada kebutuhan akan orang yang melawan budaya, kebutuhan akan saksi kemiskinan, kemurnian dan ketaatan.

        Roti dan anggur adalah sederhana, realitas sehari-hari, namun Yesus menggunakan mereka untuk memberikan Tubuh dan Darah-Nya. Sr. Anastasia, siang ini engkau membuat kaul publik untuk memberikan empat tahun hidupmu kepada Maryknoll, dengan melakukan hal-hal sederhana untuk membuat kasih Allah terlihat di antara masyarakat Cina. Ini adalah hari bahagia bagi kita semua, dan kami bangga dengan keberanianmu. Tuhan memberkatimu.

Aug 5, 2012

Fr.Michael Sloboda, MM

Sharing: Trying to be a faithful Catholic under One Child Policy

               One Child Policy was introduced by People's Republic of China government in 1978 and initially applied to first-born children in the year of 1978. It was created to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems in China, and authorities claim that the policy has prevented between 400 million births from 1979 to 2011. The policy has been implicated in an increase in forced abortions, female infanticide, and underreporting of female births, and has been suggested as a possible cause behind China's gender imbalance. In March 2011, the Chinese government reviewed the policy and expressed considerations to allow for couples to have a second child (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy).

            Here is a story of about a young Indonesian guy who married with a lovely Chinese woman and blessed with two cute daughters. 

            According to the Chinese law if any of the child’s parents is Chinese so the baby will be Chinese as well, which means his wife and the children are bound to the One Child Policy. 

          When his wife was carrying their second baby; they heard rumor that the Family Planning Bureau may force her to abort the baby. The staffs of the bureau came to their house few times, luckily when she was not at home.  They also had to find a hospital out of city to give the baby birth, since the hospital in their city will not issue the birth certificate for the second child before they did other procedures.  Indonesia government recognizes double citizenship for children under 18 years old of a mix marriage, but unfortunately the Chinese government doesn’t. Even though all their children have Indonesian passport, the Chinese immigration wouldn’t recognize their Indonesian passport and would issue a Chinese passport instead of visa.

            The child has to be registered in their Family Card in order to enroll to a school or to get a passport or an ID card.  In their city, when registering the second child in their Family Card, the parents should also provide a sterilization certificate of one of the parents besides paying the fine (the amount is different each city), which is not cheap at all.  He said, “We will never put a price for our baby’s life so no matter how expensive the fine, we will pay it.”  They should pay RMB 120,000.00 (approx USD. 19,000.00), which is half of the fine as he is not a Chinese because the law only applies to Chinese citizens. They surely will not able to pay, thanks be to God that their parents are willing to help to pay it. 

            As faithful Catholics, he knows that according to the Church teaching, contraception is an intrinsic evil.  A local priest said that for the greater good, he was given a kind of dispensation to do it, moreover this is never on his freewill.  His conscience still says “no” for sterilization.  Another priest said that there should not be any dispensation given to something intrinsically evil and his friend, who is an apologist, said that the principle of double effect couldn’t be applied here also.  His wife’s pregnancies were not so smooth so the doctor suggested them not to have any more children. He feels so blessed that her wife gave him full support not to undergo any of contraceptive procedure. He said, “I am just trying to be a faithful Catholic.”  Their baby is seven month old now without any identity and they are waiting in prayers that the conditions will change in the near future so their second daughter can go to school. 

Guangzhou, March 27, 2012

         

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible

Homily: First Profession of Vows Maryknoll Sisters 2009

Good morning! This is a good morning, a very special morning, and we welcome all who have come to celebrate with Laura, Anastasia and Genie, particularly the families of Laura and Anastasia, the friends of all three of the women, and our celebrants who are both friends and co-consecrators of this special First Profession Mass.

Now, I know that on a day like this, energy and thought revolve around the pivotal moment that is about to come, the commitment to be made by these women to their God and to Maryknoll through the vow ceremony.  I understand fully that a homily in the midst of this anticipation is a challenge to listen to!  I’ll try to make it as painless as possible.

If the readings of today were reversed and the Gospel was first, we would be assured of strength for the hardships of our lives from the food that Jesus offers to us: Himself.  The manna given the Israelites long ago in the desert has been changed.  Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.”And then He goes on to tell us that He gives Himself for the life of the world.  We’ve heard these words so often that they can roll by and we can lose energy to translate into our time the meaning of Jesus’ giving himself for the “life of the world”.

But I think the first and second readings, from Isaiah 42 and 1 John 4 tell us.  God is calling us, appointing us to be a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind and to free prisoners.  And we are to do this fortified by the love of Jesus has for each one of us, knowing that in loving one another we abide in God and God in us.  It is in these actions of accepting God into our lives and going out to oppressed and suffering people that the “life of the world”emerges.

Laura, Anastasia and Genie, right now in this time of waiting it must be hard for you to grasp the meaning of this covenant, to imagine who the prisoners are that you will free, the moms you will listen to and give courage, the children you will hold on your laps, the tears you will wipe away, the strength you will find in your communities.  In good time all of this will be clear!  Soon you will know that the former things have come to pass and that God has declare new things to you.

You, Sisters, are the new.  You will move forward with Jesus’ hopes.  You will interpret them in the light of your inspirations as we, Maryknoll Sisters of generations past, have done in the light of ours.  Jesus smiles on you, His new prophets, vineyard workers, teachers and care givers.

The Maryknoll Sisters belong to each successive generation, born to announce the Good News according to the time and place where each Sister finds herself.  Together you will do this too.  The prisoners in the dungeons of life will respond!

Pope Benedict has published a new Encyclical: Caritas in Veritate.  As I’m sure you all remember well, his first Encyclical was on Charity, now he has added the subject of truth to his reflections.  We know that our world is in a moment of chaos and uncertainty.  Pope Benedict tells us: “The current crisis obliges us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment, to build on positive experiences and to reject negative ones.”

It is in your readings chosen for today, Laura, Anastasia and Genie, that you will continue to find the strength and courage to live out your covenant.  Jesus is with you.  That is His promise.  You will find yourselves in a love affair with your God and with your people.  Any struggles you encounter will find their place.  And we, your Sisters around the world will be with you in spirit, love and prayer.

Aug 9, 2009

Sr. Suzanne Moore, MM   

Picture： Sunset in Bali Island

P。S。 This picture won the third place for the photography competition at School of
 Chinese as Second Language Sun Yat-sen University Spring 2012.

Homily: Welcome and Reception of Maryknoll Sister Candidates 2008

It’s with hearts full of gratitude and joy that we gather here today to celebrate the Welcoming of Jareen into the Maryknoll Sisters' community as a Sister Candidate.

We also celebrate on this special occasion, the Reception into Canonical Year of Genie, Laura and Linda, as they continue to deepen the journey that they began with Maryknoll as Sister Candidates just last year.

Without a doubt, each of these young women is a special blessing to the greater Maryknoll community, who welcomes them and commits to help nurture their vocation.

These women have heard that same call from God as Samuel, crying out in the inner depths of their being. They have had to discern the voice of God calling by attuning their hearts to listen for a deeper meaning of life.

And they have responded, “Speak God, your servant is listening!” In the Gospel reading they chose for today, Jesus tells us: “If you obey my commandments, You will abide in my love.”

Interestingly enough, the root word for obedience means “to listen.” Have you ever noticed that many children start to get earaches at around the same time that they’re learning to obey their parents? This is indicative of the fact that “to learn to obey” We must adjust our ears to better listen.

Listening and attuning our ears to hear God’s call isn’t the easiest thing to do in this day and age. When we receive so many false messages from the media and the world around us about what will make us happy and bring us fulfillment in life.

In the Gospel passage from John today, Jesus says “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete.” It’s clear, Jareen, Genie, Laura and Linda, that you have heard the voice of God calling and that you have chosen to respond with open hearts, “Here I am!” You know that the Way of Love is the path to the fullness of life and true joy.

Incidentally, the first name for Christianity was “The Way.”  Those first Christians made a conscious decision to follow an alternative way of life, the Way of Jesus Christ, the way of love and justice. 

This past week I had the privilege to sit down with these four exemplary young women

and hear about their life experiences, which have led them to respond to God’s call to love and service. 

Jareen had already been teaching about the history of the Maryknoll Sisters in the Philippines, but she said that what attracted her to join the Maryknoll Sisters was the “vibrancy of life” that she found in the living history of those Sisters she met.

Laura, Linda and Genie expressed how through their respective ministries last year, they came up against their own limitations and were challenged to go beyond “self” and learn from those with whom they ministered.  Each of them spoke of how much they grew in patience and love through their ministry.

They were each able to listen to the voice of God speaking to them through their life experience.  This is what “true obedience” to the Holy Spirit means.  When we are able to listen, we’ll learn and grow more deeply in love with God and all of God’s creation.

Jesus says that when we learn to listen to God’s voice within we are not mere servants, but friends.  And friends don’t spend time together out of obligation, but they enjoy being in one another’s company, walking together and sharing life with one another.

The words from the prophet Micah 6,8 say it so well: "Only this does God ask of us: to love tenderly, to act justly, and to walk humbly with God.” 

When I began preparing my thoughts for what I was going to say today, I paid a visit to the grave of Mother Mary Joseph to seek some guidance.  While spending some time there,  I was struck by the sculpture of the Mother of the Thorn Crowned. 

I noticed the water flowing out from the side of the cross, and the deer crouched down at the foot of the cross with its mouth open ready to drink up that life giving water.  I was reminded of Psalm 42, one of Mother Mary Joseph’s favourites: “As the deer thirsts for running waters, so my heart yearns for you, O God.” 

What better image have we of the central meaning of religious life, the witness that we are all yearning for the fullness of love and life that only God can satisfy.  This same spirituality must have been what inspired MMJ in the quote that we find on the back of our booklets for today’s Mass:  “There is nothing more astonishing than life, just as it is, nothing more miraculous than growth and change and development, just as revealed to us.  And as happens so often when we stop to regard God’s work, there is nothing to do but wonder and thank God, realizing how little we planned, how little we achieved, and yet how much has been done.” 

And so as God said to Samuel in days of old, so God too, must be saying to us on this special day of welcoming and reception of these young women:  “See, I am about to do something new in Maryknoll that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.”

And so let us attune our ears to the voice of God speaking to us today through the lives of Genie, Linda, Laura and Jareen, and let’s give thanks for the special blessing they are to us. 

August 11, 2008


Fr. Dennis Moorman, MM