Tag: Faith

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Congratulations to the Filipino Community in Tanzi, Taichung!

Catherine Lee

Celebrating the opening mass and blessing last Sunday, August 14, of the new Filipino R. C. Church in 台中市 潭子區 Tanzi, Taichung by 蘇耀文 主教 The Most Rev. Martin Yao-Wen Su, R. C. Bishop of Taichung. Congratulations to my good friend, Fr. Joyalito ‘Joy’ Tajonera MM 陳智仁 神父 @ Ugnayan Migrants and Immigrant Ministry, and all the Filipino Community in Tanzi! Address: 台中市 潭子區 興華一路 300號 3樓 Taichung City, Tanzi District, Xing Hua First Road, No. 300, 3rd floor. Sunday Mass Times: 7:45am and 9:00am This is their fifth move to different rented accommodation since Fr. Joy started the migrant … Continue reading Congratulations to the Filipino Community in Tanzi, Taichung!

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Sanzhi 三芝 Parade of the Deities

Catherine Lee

Every year at Dragon Boat Festival time, Tamsui and Sanzhi hold massive parades involving hundreds of gods, deities, idols, lion dancers, horn-blowers, drummers, firecracker-lighters and participants from the temples all around.  On Friday it was the turn of Tamsui, yesterday was the turn of Sanzhi.  This is known as 大拜拜 (da bai-bai) ‘Big Worship’.  ‘Bai-bai’ specifically refers to traditional religious worship in the home or temple, involving offerings of incense and maybe food to the ancestors or deities. Here in Sanzhi, people have been preparing for days, setting up small altars in the doorways of their homes or business.  That’s … Continue reading Sanzhi 三芝 Parade of the Deities

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Spring Retreat @ Advent Church

Catherine Lee

Palm Sunday weekend and ideal for our Spring Retreat, helping us to focus on the coming Holy Week ~ today was the day, with about 30 of us from Advent Church, including quite a number of our fellowship students.  A day retreat, like a ‘Quiet Day’, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, based in one of the conference rooms of St. John’s University, and wonderfully led by Fr. Gino Picca, S. J. 王秉鈞神父 from Holy Family R. C. Church, Taipei.  Such a lovely friendly person!  He was ordained in Taipei in 1969, but first came to Taiwan from Italy in 1964 … Continue reading Spring Retreat @ Advent Church

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7 years after Typhoon Morakot ~ up beyond 甲仙 Jiasian to 小林 Siaolin and 錫安山 Holy Mt. Zion!

Catherine Lee

The deadliest typhoon in Taiwan’s history, Typhoon Morakot on August 8, 2009, resulted in the deadliest mudslide ever, in the Pingpu village of Siaolin (Xiaolin) 小林, up in the mountains of southern Taiwan, about 90 minutes drive NE of Kaohsiung City.  A stunningly beautiful area – but on that tragic day in 2009, disaster struck and up to 700 people lost their lives when the village was completely buried by the mud, as were the roads, bridges, agricultural land, schools and temples…. Now 7 years later, and a huge amount of reconstruction has been going on. People have been rehoused in several … Continue reading 7 years after Typhoon Morakot ~ up beyond 甲仙 Jiasian to 小林 Siaolin and 錫安山 Holy Mt. Zion!

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St. John’s Day @ Advent Church ~ and our Christmas Party!

Catherine Lee

Yes, a big day for Advent Church!  On the first Sunday after Christmas, we always celebrate St. John’s Day ~ and as this is St. John’s University, all our students past and present from the St. John’s University Student Fellowship – plus church members past and present – are always invited back. And today was the day!  Part of the theme of Advent is to ‘return’, and returning home to our home church is one of the things we’ve encouraged everyone to do this month.  And as it’s the last Sunday of 2015, it also seems a great way to … Continue reading St. John’s Day @ Advent Church ~ and our Christmas Party!

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Christmas Day Early Morning @ 正德國中賢孝校區 Xian-Xiao School Assembly !

Catherine Lee

7:45am Friday School Assembly at our local Junior High School, Xian-Xiao, on Christmas Day ~ and we were there ~ in the rain ~ but YES, we were there! Not only were we there, but we were all dressed up in our Christmas outfits, and all awake and smiling!  Xian-Xiao (or Hsien-Hsiao) is a wonderful neighbour to us at St. John’s University and Advent Church ~ and we love ’em all very much, teachers, staff and children!  They’re actually a branch of Zheng-De Junior High School 正德國中 in Tamsui, with one school principal, Mr. Lin, in charge of both ~ and … Continue reading Christmas Day Early Morning @ 正德國中賢孝校區 Xian-Xiao School Assembly !

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Advent Word, Day 26 ‘receive’

Catherine Lee

Day 26: #receive #領受 Thursday December 24, Christmas Eve ‘It doesn’t matter that our lives, or our families or world are not perfect. What matters is that we make a space, no matter how small, for God in our hearts. When we do that, God will do the rest, and Christ will once more be born in the Bethlehem of our lives and the mangers of our hearts’. 我們的生命、家庭、或世界不完美，並不打緊；重要的是，要在心中開啟一個空間，讓神進駐。我們這麼做，上帝就會成全，而基督也會再次降臨，來到生命中的伯利恆，降生於你我心裡的馬槽中。 Today, the photo and the Advent Word meditation above match perfectly!  This was taken last night as we went with our students from the St. John’s University Student Fellowship around the dormitories … Continue reading Advent Word, Day 26 ‘receive’

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Advent Word, Day 25 ‘reflect’

Catherine Lee

Day 25: #reflect #反映 Wednesday December 23 ‘Mary has much to teach us. Mary’s experience gives us the message that all is sacred, all creation is redeemed, all is a reflection of the glory of God’. 馬利亞值得我們多多學習。她的經歷，提供我們饒富意義的信息，那就是：一切都屬聖潔，所有受造者都已被［創造者］贖回；所有一切，都是上帝榮耀的反映。 Advent Church reflected in the windows of the new Advent Church Center this morning! Continue reading Advent Word, Day 25 ‘reflect’

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Advent Word, Day 24 ‘pray’

Catherine Lee

Day 24: #pray #祈禱 Tuesday December 23 ‘Anyone who prays struggles with self-censorship. One of the best pieces of spiritual advice I ever received was to pray for anything that I desired, even if that desire seemed sinful – to begin integrating prayer with life as we actually experience it, rather than as we might wish it to be’. 祈禱的人自會努力自我檢視。我所領受的最佳屬靈建言之一，乃是為「心之所欲」而祈禱，哪怕那「心之所欲」看似不應該—唯願祈禱與生活相結合，一如人生最真實的體驗，而不是心中異想天開的奢望！ Busy busy busy today at ‪SJU Chaplaincy ‪‎聖約翰科技大學校牧室! 900 Christmas cookies in 6 different flavours, 2 each for 360 SJU faculty & staff, 150 for ‪Advent Church‬, all wrapped in ribbon with these Christmas greetings: ‘Glory to God in the highest … Continue reading Advent Word, Day 24 ‘pray’