年紀大了,記性差了,恐怕忘記了,所以不得不寫下來。一連串發生在身邊的事情,很難用「巧合」來解釋,所以我相信是天主扶持了我。
七月五日星期四
七月七日星期六
七月八日星期日
約了四位經驗豐富的義工,在下午二時三十分進入小欖精神治療中心做服務。於是上午到大欖探望幾位朋友,談笑甚歡,言之有物,很有挑戰性。我素來不喜歡戴腕表,結果,離開懲教所時已是下午二時了!行上小欖嘛,我又沒氣力(因為沒有時間吃午飯);截的士嘛,很久也見不到一部。正在心急如鑊上螞蟻的時候,天主派了一位天使來送我上山!他是一位懲教署的巴基斯坦籍長官,伊斯蘭教徒。雖然知道我是天主教執事,他仍落力介紹伊斯蘭教的道理和習俗,給我認識。還教我說:「 الله أكبر Allah is the greatest」,彼此用來打招呼。他比其他同事遲走,是因為他要「拜神」(佢嘅廣東話好掂!)。是巧合?我纔不信!
原定上小欖送聖體。不知為甚麼,竟以為當日是七月的第二個星期六,所以返了天水圍聖堂,打算與聖雲先會會員一起查經。當然一個人也沒有,但辦公室桌上卻有一封來自小欖的信,是我打算送聖體的那一位寄來的。他提出了幾個聖經和神學的問題,想向我求教!倘若我不是健忘,恐怕便會錯過了那封信。當然,他仍可在我送聖體時,提出他的疑問。這樣,祇是一個平凡的接觸,而看不見是天主的手在作出干預。你不同意?
彌撒中,在信友禱文部份為被困的泰國少年足球隊成員,求天主在未來幾天,阻止當地下雨,好讓拯救行動可以順利完成。下午,與天水圍的英文團體的義工到大欖女懲教所舉辦宗教活動。離開的時候,陰雲密佈,空氣很沉重地壓著,傾盆大雨一觸即發。但很奇怪,直至回到家裡,竟然沒有被淋濕。晚上,從新聞報導得悉,已救出了四個少年隊員,還有九個成員待救!
但願天主以祂大能的手,繼續阻止雨水流向被困的隊員,一如今天祂保護了我和義工們,沒有被大雨淋濕一樣。亞孟!
God Passes By Me and Assists Me
I am ageing and my memory is failing. I can't afford not to put my memories into writing. Recently, a string of events have taken place which can't be explained away by coincidences. I'm convinced that God has assisted me.
July 5, Thursday
July 7, Saturday
July 8, Sunday
I made arrangement for four experienced volunteers to visit Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre at 2:30 p.m. Thus, I visited my friends in Tai Lam and had a challenging good chat with them in the morning. I do not wear wrist watches. Consequently, I left the Correctional Institution at 2 p.m.! Walk up Siu Lam? I did not have the strength (because I had had no lunch!). Get a taxi? None was in view for a long time. When I was anxious like ants in a hot pot, God sent me an angel to drive me up to Siu Lam! He is a Pakistani officer, a Muslim. Although he knows that I am a Catholic Deacon, he is never tired of explaining to me Islamic teachings and customs. He taught me "الله أكبر Allah is the greatest" and we greet each other with this phrase. He went home later than other officers because he was saying his Zuhr Prayer. Coincidence? I don't buy it!
I intended to administer Holy Communion to an inmate in Siu Lam. For some unknown reason, I thought that it was the second Saturday of July. So, I returned to my serving Church to have Bible Studies with members of St. Vincent de Paul Society. Of course nobody turned up. But I found a letter on my desk. It was sent by the inmate I intended to visit. In the letter, he asked me several biblical and theological questions. Had I not been absent-minded, I would have missed the letter. Of course, he would still raise the same questions during my visit. But then, the visit would be an ordinary encounter and I would not be able to detect the intervention of God's hands. You don't agree, do you?
During the Prayer of the Faithful in mass, I prayed for the "cave boys" in Thailand. I begged God to withhold rain for the next few days so that the rescue operation might be successful. In the afternoon, I went with the volunteers from the St. Jerome English Community to run religious function at Tai Lam. When we left, the sky was darkened. The air was depressing. Downpour was imminent at any moment. But strangely, we remained dry until we returned home. In the evening, I heard from the news that 4 cave boys were rescued. There were nine remaining!
I prayed that God would extend His mighty hand to restrain rain waters from flowing towards the confined team members, just as He had protected me and my volunteers from getting wet today. Amen!
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