Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Blessed Epiphany!
During the weekend of the Epiphany, there will be a number of blessings to be done. Epiphany Holy Water, Chalk, Incense and Gold. In the process of blessing Holy Water, we will also bless salt. Therefore, if you so desire, bring gold, incense and salt for blessing.
PLEASE NOTE: Bring your own bottle (max size: 500ml) to carry Holy Water back with you.
Why do we have blessings of Sacramentals?
God acts through material things, words and sensible gestures which are symbolically significant to human beings. From this perspective, Sacramentals are not magic but rather they provide encounters of faith with God. The blessing of a Sacramental, be it a statue of a saint or a packet of salt, is an indication of our friendship with God. We might not have the most perfect connexion with God but still, the invocation of His blessing is an expression of our desire to deepen that relationship. As such, the use of Sacramentals is to help us grow and strengthen our friendship with God. In summary, Sacramentals are instituted by the Church to prepare us to receive God’s grace.
There is a difference between the Sacraments of the Church and the myriads Sacramentals that we use. The 7 Sacraments we have in the Church are instituted by Christ and they confer sanctifying grace. In other words, every Sacrament can be described of as the action of Christ Himself mediated through His Church and each Sacrament gives us grace because it is the work of Christ. Whereas, Sacramentals work differently. They dispose us to receive the grace that it signifies. They are effective because of our cooperation with God. In other words, the use of any Sacramental must depend on our faith, our relationship with God, if it were not to be confused with “magic”.
When Jesus got into the boat with His disciples, a storm broke out in the sea. The boat was in danger of being swamped and the terrified disciples cried out to the Lord to save them. Jesus rebuked the wind and the seas. The wind died down and the waves calmed down. Magic puts faith in the power of the things themselves. Like some of us who place our faith in the principle of “fengshui” as if the wind and the water are powerful in themselves. The example of the fearful disciples in the face of a storm and surging seas shows us who really has the power. How misplaced our faith is if we believe in the power of fengshui when Christ is the Lord of the “feng” and the “shui”.
Finally, the use of Sacramentals is not a Catholic invention because the prophet himself proposed a sacramental action “….go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a tav (a symbol like a cross) upon the foreheads of men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it”. (Ezek 9:4)
God bless
Padre
Prayer and Explanation for the Chalking of the House
亲爱的主内弟兄姐妹：
主显节平安！
在主显节的周末，我们将举行多项祝圣礼。包括主显节圣水、粉笔、乳香及黄金的祝圣。在祝圣圣水的过程中，也会同时祝圣盐。因此，若你愿意，可携带黄金、乳香及盐前来接受祝圣。
注意：请自备盛装圣水的容器（最大容量为 500 毫升），以便将圣水带回家中。
为什么我们要祝圣圣物？
天主藉着有形的事物、言语及对人而言具有象征意义的举动来行事。从这个角度来看，圣物并非魔法，而是让我们在信德中与天主相遇的途径。无论是圣人像或一包盐，对圣物的祝圣都昭示着我们与天主之间的友谊关系。也许我们与天主的关系并不完美，但祈求祂的祝福正是深化这份关系的渴望。因此，圣物的使用是为帮助我们成长，并巩固我们与天主的友谊。简而言之，圣物是由教会所制定的，为使我们准备好领受天主的恩宠。
教会圣事与我们使用的无数圣事性礼仪之间存在差异。教会中的七件圣事是由基督亲自建立的，并且赋予成圣的恩宠。换言之，每一件圣事都是基督藉着祂的教会亲自施行的行动，而每件圣事都因是基督的作为而赐予我们恩宠。然而，圣物的功效则有所不同。它们使我们准备好领受其所象征的恩宠。它们之所以有效，是因为我们与天主的合作。因此，使用任何圣物，都必须建立在信德与我们和天主的关系之上，否则便容易被误解为“魔法”。
当耶稣与门徒上船时，海上忽然起了风暴，小船几乎被浪涛吞没。惊慌失措的门徒呼求主拯救他们。耶稣斥责风浪，风便止息，海也平静了。魔法使我们把信仰放在事物本身的力量上；正如有些人把信仰放在“风水”之上，仿佛风与水本身具有能力。恐惧的门徒在风暴中的经验清楚地告诉我们真正掌权的是谁。若我们相信风水的能力，却忘记基督才是“风”和“水”的主，这正显示了我们信仰的错置。
最后，圣物的使用并非天主教的发明，因为先知早已提出圣事性的行动：“….. 你要走遍此城，即走遍耶路撒冷，凡因城中发生的丑恶之事而悲痛哀号的人，要在他们额上划一个十字记号。“—— 厄則克耳先知书 9:4
愿天主降福大家！
杨光明神父
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