CHRISTMAS IS ALLOWING OURSELVES BEING LOVED BY GOD
That God loves us is something that we believe and celebrate. But that we allow ourselves to be loved by Him it is neither so clear nor easy. The reason is because our pride and selfishness prevent it.
This is why I was stricken by a statement I saw this Christmas season on a board in our parish of Catia, in Caracas (Venezuela). The message displayed is very simple, almost childish, but quite deep. It reads in Spanish: ¡Navidad es dejarnos amar por el Niño Jesús! [Christmas is allowing ourselves being loved by the Child Jesus]
To my mind this message contains the key for the coming Christmas festivities to become either a joyous season or, on the contrary, an annual routine. Everything depends on whether in contemplating the incarnated God we allow ourselves to be loved by Him.
This explains my decision of adopting this message as the motto for my Christmas greetings this year. And I translate it into a wish, namely, that we may bring to our lives with humility and generosity a bit more of passion, understanding, goodwill, and appreciation for others. These elements would suffice to transform our Christmas season into joy.
May the Birthday of the Child Jesus bring us peace and joy.
Thank you very much for your greetings.
¡MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED YEAR 2015!
Fr Javier
The Community of Saint Dominic, Macau, wants to share with you its gratefulness and deep joy for the coming of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
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    May the longing for His coming make Him the centre of our lives and mission, particularly with regard to the “little onesâ€, those who need Him most.
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    Help us, Lord, in the arduous task of daily building your Kingdom, in the joy of the mission carried out in communion.
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    Happy Christmas and a New Year of fidelity and apostolic fruitfulness.
On November 25, and during the Community Mass, Bro. Francis Naw San, OP, renewed his simple profession before Fr. José Luis de Miguel, OP, Prior of St. Dominic’s.
On December 15, 2014, Bro. Peter Zya Reh also renewed his simple profession before our Prior, F. Jose Luis and also during the morning Eucharistic Celebration.
Fr. Jose Luis encouraged Brothers Francis and Peter before renewing their simple profession to be faithful to their Dominican charism as good servants of our Father St. Dominic. Fr. Prior reminded us all of the privilege of being called, and encouraged us to be committed to our vocation to announce the Good News of Jesus.
In his Message for the Year of Consecrated Life (November 21, 2014), Pope Francis expects from us religious to be joyful, to wake up the world, to be experts in communion and to go to the peripheries of the world.
After renewing their simple profession Brothers Francis and Peter were warmly applauded on November 25 and December 15 respectively by the other 26 members of our Priory of St. Dominic.
Brothers, fraternal congratulations!
On December 13, 2014, Fr. Vincent Ha Vien Lu, OP, who is the Assistant to the Master of the Order for the Asia/Pacific Region, made a fraternal visit to our Dominican community in Macau. He talked with the fathers and had a meeting with the students. It was a pleasant and cordial visit
Earlier he had visited Taiwan, the Chinese Vicariate and our Vicariate. And from here, Fr. Vincent will go to Myanmar to know our mission and share time with our brothers ministering there. Before going back to Rome, Fr. Vincent will be with our communities in Hong Kong.
On the 8th of December, 2014, the Good Shepherd Sisters of “Good Shepherd Center†community organized a significant social activity in Macau. Called “Walk for Women,†the social activity was sponsored by “JML Properties International Ladies’ Club of Macauâ€. The people taking part in the event gathered together at the Park called “Garden of Vasco Da Gama,†which is near “Royal Hotel†and not far from our Priory of St. Dominic. The walk began at 2:30 in the afternoon and ended half an hour later at about four in “Sintra Square.â€
The theme of this social activity was “to raise the voice or conscience of society to respect the dignity of women, to ask for equal rights for women in society and to stop all types of violence against women.â€
There were around 200 people who participated in this activity. They were women and men belonging to different associations, institutions and religious congregations, including the majority of our Dominican Brothers and Sisters. After the walk, a two-hour program followed at “Sintra Square.†The main speech was pronounced by the Mother Superior of the Good Shepherd Sisters, Sr. Mary Juliana Suzanne Devoy, who runs the Good Shepherd Center for Women. There is a need to raise awareness on the social issue of discrimination against women. As human beings, as Christians, we are all asked to denounce any kind of discrimination and to be on the side of the victims and help them. After the inspiring talk, other numbers of the simple program followed: an interesting skit, some songs, dances and games. The whole program was conducted in Cantonese.
The social activity “Walk for Women†was indeed an important and relevant social activity in Macau. As human beings, as believers in Jesus, we are all social beings and belong to the human and/or Christian family and therefore concerned with the well-being of one another, in particular the needy and marginalized like the victims of discrimination, including women who are the group most discriminated against in our world. Let us close this brief report with the words of Pope Francis on a kind of discrimination against children and women, which is human trafficking: “Human trafficking is a crime against humanity… Our efforts must be accompanied and reinforced by the mercy of the Gospel, by closeness to the men and women who are victims of this crime.â€
Bro. Francis Nge Nge, OP
St. Dominic’s Priory, Macau
