Cora
和
Esplita的感言
可敬的林主教、三位會長、神父們、修女以及各位教友大家平安:
感謝大家今天來參與這個慶典,更重要的是為我們的祈禱,我左思右想,無論我用任何的方式來表達我的感謝,都會遺漏掉某些人,因為如同林主教所說的,有些人不容易分辨出我和我的姐姐,所以在場的有些教友我不太認識。而且我的言語非常有限,但是我相信天主的報答是絕對不會遺漏掉任何一位的。無論如何我還是非常感激各位。
那麼我想今天我可以從二方面和大家做一個分享,但是首先我要分享的是,從禮儀的開始,我相信天主聖神與我們同在,因為一唱進堂曲時,那種嘹亮的歌聲,充斥在整個聖堂之內,我感覺到有一股振奮的力量，即使此時此刻我感到緊張,
但我深深覺的天主真的與我同在,天主聖神的安慰使我覺的慢慢的放鬆我自己。
讓我回到分享的內容,第一方面我想在座的有很多為人父母的,你們已有這樣的經驗,就是當妳們的幼兒第一次站起來的那一剎那,父母親的眼光注視著而且想要去扶持她,今天的我我感覺就像是幼兒,因為有這麼多的人注視著我,想要扶持我,所以今天你們來就是給我最大的支持和鼓勵。而且,為這幼兒才是新生活的開始。所以在此我也感謝我的家人,我的大哥、大嫂,因為長兄如父、長嫂如母,感謝他們的奉獻。另外也感謝修會的姐妹們,她們辛勞的為我準備,看的見的與看不見的這一切。
第二方面,我們看到臘燭上寫著,划到深處、不要害怕這八個字,我想天主給宗徒們的工具,就是一艘船,並以他們的經驗,來讓他們了解天主的旨意。這拿到我的生活上而言,我的整個人、思想、五官等就是天主的工具,祂要我划到深處,就是祂引領我跨出去,跨出去認識,認識信仰、修會、及真實的生活。當然這些基本的需要和滿足首先在被天主陶成的過程中學習,有些學習是從學校得到的,因此在座的有幾位我的好同學,有一些是修女,還有這位司儀也是,
她們從台北、新竹、台中趕來,當我打電話邀請她們,她們馬上說,我們將保留這一天為妳,這是多麼的令我感動啊!所以我感謝她們對我的愛和鼓勵。
另外的學習,就是從堂口或其它地方的這個大學校所得到的。我們聽到這美妙的歌聲,就是萬金聖母聖殿的青年會,他們所獻唱的,在坐有幾位就是幾年前我曾陪伴過他們的,所以謝謝他們的祝福、獻唱及服務。
害怕是因著我們人性的軟弱和有限,那我不是一個膽大的人,所以今天的結束也就是我另一個新生活階段的開始,我相信今後我將面對很多的挑戰,因此在這裡也懇請大家繼續為我祈禱,因著代禱的力量,和大家一起同心並攜手共進。再次謝謝大家,天主保佑。接下來由莫莉玲修女為我們致詞。
今天在場的有很多的菲律賓教友參與這慶典,我相信他們從禮儀的開始到結束,他們都聽不懂,所以在此我請求各位容許我用自己的母語,向他們表達我們的謝意。
親愛的弟兄姐妹,現在我要用母語向你們表達我的謝意,也許從開始到現在你們都不懂,但是我謝謝你們來參與,支持、祈禱和鼓勵,我感謝天主召叫我們並給予勇氣去答覆祂。妳們知道Sr.Maria她宣發終身願,以及Sr.Cora和我復願,這為
我們修道的人是非常重要而且有意義的。所以謝謝妳們為我們獻唱這美妙的歌曲,那真的是觸動我的心。所以我要邀請妳們在禮儀結束後,再次和我們一起享用這簡單的點心,願天主降福大家。
A Response to Challenges in the Mission
Three
years ago when I had just finished studying theology my Provincial told
me that I will be sent to Taiwan. Of course,
with all my dreams and desire to be
a missionary, without a second thought I say
"Yes ". My
enthusiasm to be able to spend my younger energy to the mission, makes me easier
to be live
that indeed it was God’s will. Though
I never thought that Taiwan would be my first mission country . Having in mind
that belonging to an international
congregation
means I belong to the world , and that I should be ready to accept the challenge
of being sent in any place in the world where I am needed.
So,
here ma I……If I were to express my feeling, of course, the first time I
arrived in this mission country I was overwhelmed by the "otherness "
of their culture, and I said to myself, "From now on this will be my
terrain of action
". It was precisely respect and appreciation of this kind of the otherness
, and my knowledge of intercultural dimension that I had been trying to
inculcate in my heart .
However
when concrete application of mission comes, the awakening and disenchantment
comes, too. Discovering the reality
that the ways of thinking , filling, and behaving are different from what I have
been accustomed to sometimes clicits the questions,
'Is this mission? '
Well , I said to myself ,' This is it!' …. and real challenge begins.
After
two years of laborious leaning of the Chinese language , I was assigned to help
in our pastoral apostolate with the aborigines in Taiwu Shang , in the southern
part of Taiwan. While helping in some pastoral works such as visiting the Christians
, given communion to the sick and aged , teaching catechetic
with the youth , and sometimes just be with them in their'
liturgy of daily life ' are such
great opportunities for me not only to
practice my Chinese but as well as experiencing
the real challenge of enculturation
. Being with them in their joyful
and sorrowful moments , listening to their own life stories and problems
are indeed such a great learning experiences that I ever had in my life.
For me, these are concrete moment of being in-touch with God in the lives
of these people whom I am now in contact with . Knowing
them more and more is also loving them more and more.
The love that and entails more self-denial .
It is more than just that work which keeps
busy everyday.
But it is how much love with put on in our work that makes us effective
in spreading the good news in our mission.
After helping in this apostolate for more than one year , I could say
that I have learned many things which encourage me to go ahead and face the
future with more confidence. Though
in terms of work or achievements
I know I have not yet done a lot because of my incapacity to speak the language
well . But I believe I'
have got enough vision and
experience of the realities of how it is to be a missionary in this foreign land
. I would say it’s not that easy
but
God’s
grace continuously sustain me with much conviction to go on striving to do the
best I could to be effective missionary worthy of the call to work in His
vineyard. I am convinced that the
option I’ve made is an option of loving self-denial which Christ continuously
shows us by His acceptance of His death on the cross.
Sr.Corazon
Manuel, o.p.
