One Fold, One Shepherd

In the Catholic Church, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is the Good Shepherd Sunday. Today, we celebrate Christ, our Good Shepherd and we pray for vocation, especially religious vocation of clergy and nuns. This morning, our parish invited one of our parishioners, Brien Wong, who has finished his third year of philosophy training and is entering the next stage of formation in the Holy Spirit Seminary. I listened to his homily twice. His sharing was systematic, sincere and touching. He fine tuned his homily to meet the needs of the two congregations. He did not paint a rosy picture for promotion purposes but the congregations would not miss his point. When God invites us to serve him, He is actually giving us opportunities to obtain more grace. There is abundant grace behind our meagre sacrifices. Fr. Martin Ip was the celebrant of the second mass. After Brien's sharing, he added a remark to bring out what Brien did not speak out explicitly, that in reality, nobody could made sacrifice for God. God is actually inviting us to drink more fully from His abundant life.

Brien began his homily with what all the parishioners were familiar, the clergy. Last Sunday, our parish priest, Fr. Milanese invited him to do a sharing this Sunday. He felt honoured. The mass he attended was celebrated by our retired priest, Fr. Lejeune. His legs were hurting so much so that two acolytes had to support him on both sides to move up the altar. Naturally, Brien asked, "Why does a fragile priest insist on serving the altar and the congregation despite his great pain?" Brien told the congregation that once a senior priest shared his thoughts with the seminarians. The priest said that when joy and enthusiasm welled up in their hearts when they approached the altar, their vocation was still there. However, his heart ached when once he attended an jubilee celebration of a nun, he saw rows of greying priests and nuns.
Brien said he usually lowered his head during homily to listen more attentively to the homily. Once in a while, he looked up. His sight met the gaze of Fr. Lejeune's. Though it was losing its lustre,.it was full of tender aspirations. He told the congregation to cherish the reading of the Scriptures, to draw life from the Word of God.
When the priest hoisted the host during Consecration of the Eucharist, Brien looked up and remembered Jesus' words:
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (John 12:32).
After mass, Deacon Tsang approached him and eagerly reminded him of the upcoming sharing. Brien was moved.
These feelings and meditations pretty much summed up his response to God's will.
Brien, God gives you an opportunity to engage full time in meditating your vocation. Pray for me that I am able to discern correctly God's will and respond promptly before it is too late.

Yesterday, it was Buddha's nativity.
The day before (Friday), my parents came over to stay for two days to celebrate my father's birthday which falls on the same date as the Buddha's birthday. This morning, we scheduled to have morning tea in a tea-house and my younger brother would get up at 5 a.m., travel for more than one and a half hour from Chai Wan to have tea with us and bring our parents back. While he was travelling, it poured cats and dogs. Amber heavy rain warning was issued and later elevated to red. My younger brother, who was a retired electrical engineer, knew that we had a busy schedule ahead and would have greater difficulty in taking care of my parents, insisted on bringing home. He had all the contingency plans in his heads and was confident that the rain would stop soon. He proved to be right. I only had to accompany them for three stations and I was persuaded to turn back to attend mass.
My Lord, I entrust my younger brother and my parents in Your care. Have mercy on them. I believe that You have a good plan for them. Amen.


Today, I was attracted to the following familiar verse in particular.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10:16).
Traditionally, we would think of ecumenism among Christians. Christians are human and no matter how much the Lord has taught them about charity, they still argue and insist on their views and consequently, they split. Perhaps these schisms are good for humanity as a whole. Had Christians not broken up, they would not have been more efficient in spreading the Gospel globally. Of course, there are prices to pay because blood was shed in persecutions.
Today, through centuries of evangelical encounters with great civilizations and small, Western Churches have to give up their egocentric religious chauvinism.
Since ancient time, the Church naively claimed that "extra Ecclesiam nulla salus", (EENS outside the Church there is no salvation.) Today, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Church has undergone deeper self-reflection and they reach a better understanding of the meaning of "the Church". The Church cannot imprison God and claims monopoly over His salvation. God is a free God and He has His own ways to save us all, be it Confucius or Matteo Ricci. If the Church is unable to accept and respect other religious traditions and human traditions, she needs to learn from the words of her Lord: there there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Jesus Christ our Lord is the one Shepherd. Popes, cardinals, bishops and theologians are his helpers. Other religious leaders too work for our Good Shepherd. They have never ever, not Confucius, not even Gautama Buddha or Dalai Lama, claimed to be our Creator or Redeemer. Their job is to enlighten mankind. Only Jesus (of course, other antichrists) claims to be our Creator and Redeemer.
So, when the Church engages in dialogues with other religious traditions, she respects the other party as well as insisting on the role of Jesus as our Sole Saviour. She must keep in mind what the Prince of the Apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts  4:12).

Dear Lord, strengthen the hesitant hearts to respond to You generously. We need more Shepherd helpers to tender Your flock. Amen.