Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?...Should your life attract or scare?....Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around?...
Our Christian faith, if authentic, will constantly and repeatedly renew us, changing us drastically, rendering us transformed and reshaped. Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around? The divine summons challenges each one of us who profess to follow Christ. Have you responded to it? If you are finding it difficult, here's one suggestion that may help: bring a friend or a relative who is a non-believer or a non-Catholic or a lapsed Catholic to the Spiritual Tea House scheduled to be conducted at the Don Bosco Hall of CMCC from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Here's a snapshot of what will happen if you follow our suggestion:
You walk into the CMCC lobby with your friend and immediately the Spiritual Tea House banner is there to greet you. Going down the stairs, you and your friend can sense the music and laughter that fill the Don Bosco Hall. A friendly FLL Outreach team member extends a warm welcome at the entrance and then walks you over to one of the many small tables where people are already seated, chatting away in small groups of 2 to 5. The hall is gleaming softly with candlelight; snacks and drinks are readily available.
Edmond Lo and Dr. Jason Kwok, representing the FLL and the 333rd Scouts Group respectively, are the MCs of the evening, which begins with a rousing and spiritually uplifting singspiration. Echoing the theme of the evening, "Seek and You Shall Find (Matthew 7:7)", Dr. Kwok shares his personal spiritual journey and how with God's blessing he was able to overcome his personal doubts to eventually receive baptism. You and your friend enjoy not only Dr. Kwok's story of baptism, but also a very entertaining performance in which Dr. Kwok sings and plays Tai Chi.
The lights are then turned on and the program breaks for a brief intercession. You find yourself surrounded by many familiar faces that you often see at church. You friend is very impressed by your church friends and the FLL volunteers who take the initiative to talk to him and make him feel at home. When the program resumes, a FLL representative makes some announcements and your friend is very much intrigued to learn that Chinese Catholic TV and radio programming is broadcast nationally across Canada. He is impressed even more by the FLL volunteers' strong desire to spread the Gospel. Then Dr. Kwok gets on stage again to share how he matures spiritually after baptism and his involvement in various parish activities. He also fields some questions from the floor. You are pleasantly surprised when your friend stands up and asks Dr. Kwok why as a doctor he would choose to use his precious personal time to serve God instead of using it to make more money.
The evening ends with another lively singspiration. You and your friend leave with the satisfaction that in 2 hours’ time you have been given a good glimpse of the faith journey of a good and active Catholic. While driving home, your friend asks you to explain what it is that makes the Catholic faith so important to Dr. Kwok and to you. Unprepared for his question, you don't know what to say and feel a little embarrassed. But deep inside, you promise yourself that you'll do better the next time…
Yes, that's typically how an evening of Spiritual Tea House will unfold. Can we count on your attendance and help? Will you bring a friend or relative? Let's work together to use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around! Hope to see you there! If you can't go this time, at least help us spread the news. We know we can count on your prayer too!
No comments:
Post a Comment