在旅途中行走的人生

Kevin and Turner and Margaret

For IYLN Oxford we start 6pm Friday 19th March and end 2pm Friday 26th March. The opening address at 6pm on Friday is by the Vice Chancellor of Oxford University and we have a FANTASTIOC team of speakers and events lined up.

Charlotte will prepare a visa letter Kevin so that we can fax it to you on Thursday. Please can you send us a fax number?

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Francis

Invitation Letter:

 

To whom it may concern,

 

We write to confirm that Kevin Sun has been selected to attend a colloquium of the International Young Leaders Network between midday 19^th to 2pm Friday 26^th March 2010. The selection process for this programme involves interviews, references drawn from those who work with Mr Sun, and a vetting selection conference held in mainland Europe July 2009.

 

Mr Sun has been accepted because of his outstanding academic profile, his international standing as a young Catholic, and his wide ranging contribution to humanitarian causes and practice in the Sichuan Province of China. Other scholars on the programme include young entrepreneurs, rising stars in British and European politics, first rate academics, and those in the UK diplomatic service. Speakers at the colloquium include British bishops, former members of the US Cabinet, and leading figures in European policy and business circles.

 

We hope very much that you will give Mr Sun your every assistance, including a visa to enter the country for this important event. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us.   

 

Francis  

Blackfriars
Oxford University

 

這張明信片是我7月在泰澤時，寄給一位在成都工作的姊妹的，後來她收到以後，也把明信片跟裏面的文字放在了她的博客上面，在這裡我也一併分享給大家。 

Eva, 　　　　                                                       July 17th, 2009 　　　　

我是在泰澤為妳寫這卡片，現在是周五的深夜，再有幾分鐘，就到零點。我剛從教堂回到房間，心中充滿感動，便提筆給妳寫下我的祝福。　　　　

這張卡片，我很喜歡，所以也選來給妳。畫面中的青年正是我們的寫照。在泰澤，一種簡單的安靜，祈禱，步行，閱讀，靜默，勞作，分享，一切都是那麼的美。這體驗，每一天都是如此，象一個奇跡。幾千來自全球各地的青年，圍坐在修士周圍，一天三次的祈禱聚會。每天晚上，直到淩晨，教堂裏都還回響著祈禱的歌聲。身處其中，不由得感到踏實，平安、自由與滿足都從心底發出。只可惜這次不能呆太長時間，也期盼下次可以住上至少幾個月，甚至一個整年。　　　　

好了，晚了，也寫不下了，主佑。　　　　

From: Kevin 超倫，於法國泰澤　　

 

收到超倫從泰澤寄來的明信片。因為他酷愛寫繁體字，我就借助電腦，也繁體了一下。

我的回複：

超倫，今天收到你從Taize寄來的明信片啦。很感動。我心向往啊！現在真的太忙了，停不下來。自己心裏挺有挫折感的。真希望能安靜在主前，回歸靈魂的深處，與主親近。 　　　　

真希望明年的Taize之旅能夠成行。有位在美國的美國弟兄也很想去Taize的，於是我把超倫的明信片翻譯了給他看，讓他也向往向往。

　

Eva,　　                                                                  July 17th, 2009

I am writing this postcard to you from Taize. Now it is Friday mid-night. A few minutes later, it will be early morning next day. I just come back to my room from the church. My heart is filled with inspiration and I am writing down my blessings to you.　　

I like this postcard very much, so I pick this one for you. The young person in the picture is just like us. In Taize, there is a simple quietness. Praying, walking, reading, meditating, working, and sharing,...... everything is so beautiful. This kind of experience happens every day. It is like a miracle. Thousands of young people from all over the world would sit around the Brothers, praying and meeting 3 times a day. Every night till midnight, the church is filled with songs of prayer. When you are here, you'll feel your heart is so steady. Peace, freedom and satisfaction will come out from the bottom of your heart. It's a pity I cannot stay here longer. I hope next time I'll stay here for at least several months, or for a whole year. OK. It's late and there's no more space on this card.

Blessings,

Kevin from Taize, France

 

 A BRIEF INTRODUCTION ON THE HUMAN CONSCIENCE

Introduction:

 

‘‘Conscience refers to certain basic interior experiences and activities inherent in the mature human person. One of these is the inner self-accusation that follows a wrongful deed or omission by the person.’’[1]     

 

Conscience indeed is something strange in our bodies, it plays an unique role in people’s life, sometimes it’s a guidance, sometimes it’s a judge. For many people, it trouble them a lot when they had done something against their conscience.

 

For my own experience, sometimes I feel confused on the Nature of Conscience, it seems like many people don’t really sensitive on what is right or wrong,  they are very happy mostly in their life, at least for me, it seems they never limit themselves such much for following certain Moral Law.

 

Sometimes I really want to know what is the standard of right and wrong, but it seems not such obvious to make the judgment. So what is conscience? What is the role and nature of conscience? Why people should follow the calling of the conscience?

 

We might just try a little bit to talk about this complicated issue in this essay.

 

What is Conscience?

 

About the nature of conscience, or the question about what is conscience? We may first look for the answer from the Catechism of the Catholic Church after the Vatican II Council:

 

‘‘1776 ‘Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment….For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God….His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is a lone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.’ ’’[2]    

 

After reading this beautiful paragraph, we may more or less understand the definition of the conscience. Basically, it’s a law, in our heart. People also found it seems not be controlled by ourselves, so that even if we don’t want the conscience to speak to us, or to make us sad or unhappy, the conscience has never obey our requirement! It’s something quite strange, because from our experience, we would like to believe conscience is something within us, it’s a law in our heart, or we can say it’s a part of ourselves. Normally our willing or our brains can control everything in ourselves, but why it cannot control this conscience. Even the situation is that we should also follow the guidance or rule of our conscience, otherwise we will be judged or punished by it. Why we cannot control it? As Monotheist, Christianity believes that the conscience is from God, the universal creator. 

 

Even a very “Evil” person, when he has done something bad, more or less he will be punished by his conscience. For example, we can imagine a successful thief, when  his money has been steeled by others, it’s almost sure that he will be angry, and even shout loudly to execrate his peer for his bad deed!! However, why a thief will still hate those thieves who steel his money? Because even in a thief’s heart, there is an unmovable law about what is right? What is wrong? And this rule told him steeling is something which has been clarified into the category of Evil even this is just his career.

 

The difference among people.

 

However, it seems not just such simple to say conscience is something God put in our hearts. Because if God put conscience in our hearts, should everyone have the same standard towards the moral value?

 

For Christian, at least for Catholic according to the Traditional Church Teaching, Sexual Action before marriage, Abortion, using condom and many other things seem immoral; however, it might be not such a problem for many other young adults today who are not Christian.

 

More or less, we can conclude that the content of conscience is different among people, different people do have different standard towards things they meet or action they have done or want to do.

 

But the problems come, if the conscience is more strict for Christian when they believe in the teaching of church authority, is it stupid for people to believing in Christ and follow the church teaching? If those so called good Christian is much easier to be punished, is God not equal to everyone?

 

Even the more problematic thing is that some conscience rule in people’s heart seems just wrong, but people should still follow it. There is a paragraph from Benedict M. Ashley’s book about the definition of conscience and the necessity to follow the “wrong” conscience according to Biblical teaching as follows:

 

“Conscience (in the strict sense) is not a special virtue. As the practical judgment of what is right and wrong it is the act of moral wisdom (prudence) through the instrumentality of its auxiliary virtues of good counsel and good judgment, both in common and in exceptional cases. It has always been a teaching of the Catholic Church that conscience is the proximate subjective rule of all human acts, that is, that we are always obliged to follow a prudent (well-formed) conscience, even when this happens to be mistaken. St. Paul teaches this very clearly in Romans 14:13-23 where he shows that although Christians are not bound by the food regulations of the Mosaic law, yet if they believe they are still bound by it they must follow their consciences: ‘But whoever has doubts is condemned if he acts, because this is not from faith[‘good faith,’ conscience]; for whatever is not from faith is sin’(Rm 14:23; see all of Rm 14-15 and 1 Cor 8:1-3; 10:25-33; also Gal 5:3; Jn 9:41; 15:21-24).”[3]

 

What shall we do?

 

All these things give difficulties for people to understand the nature of conscience and deal with the issue about it, how to live a moral life? Why we should be moral? Is it possible for us to make it easier to follow our conscience?

 

Some years ago, I had helped the local priest to teach some catechumen lesson, in one class about the Church Teaching on Sexual and Moral Issues. I mentioned that in Catholic Church, traditionally we has disagreed many activities which seem acceptable now among young people, such like divorce, abortion, sexual act before marriage and so on. Many young people may say that maybe they cannot follow church teaching because it’s too difficult for them.

 

And my answer is, for a person’s act, there are 4 steps. The first step is that if you have the willing to seek the difference between right and wrong. What and which is right? What and which is wrong?

 

If you have this kind of willing, and try your best, then you may get the second step, so that you really can know and can differ what is right and what is wrong for you. At least basically you know the differences between them. However this might be just your own perspective, you get your own judgment on the problem you face, but it doesn’t mean your conclusion is right.

 

We assume that your conclusion is correct, then we could further your act into the third step, so you know what is the right thing and what is something not good or evil. Do you have the willing to do the right thing and avoid the evil thing? If so, you do have the willing and are trying your best to do the good thing and avoid the evil. This is the third step.

 

After this step, you had tried your best on this, then it comes the final step, that’s the fact about can you really practice which you believe is right and good, at the same time avoid those you think they are wrong or evil?

 

What I want to say is, you cannot say that maybe I cannot success in the final step, so I give up in trying to do the first step, the second step and the third step.

 

Ashley’s book Living the Truth in Love also mentioned something about this:

 

“The rule of conscience, therefore, is not, as some theologian teach, ‘Follow your own conscience,’ but ‘From your conscience as objectively as you can and then follow it.’”[4]

 

Because “Therefore, a subjectively good but objectively mistaken conscience is said to be invincible (i.e., unable to be corrected). On the other hand, to follow one’s conscience which is mistaken because one has been imprudent (that is, because one has not taken the necessary steps to form one’s conscience according to moral wisdom), is to act on a conscience whose mistake is vincibel (correctable), and this is to sin against moral wisdom. ‘A wise son loves correction, but the senseless one heeds no rebuke’ (Pr 13:1).”[5]

 

After this explanation, we get to know that our responsibility is not only simply on follow our conscience, but also on forming a right conscience. So how can we know what is a so called “right conscience”, What is right? What is the standard? Where does this standard come from? All of these could indeed be very tough and controversial questions.

 

‘‘The treatment of conscience is difficult insofar as it presupposes a certain form of self-experience, without which access, in the strict sense, to the phenomenon itself, as it expresses itself in various ways, is not possible. Yet, in general, the experience mentioned can be analyzed with some precision, since the bonds and relations that give concreteness and possibility to human existence and life are of such a nature that men consider themselves responsible.’’[6]

 

Generally speaking, knowledge (what is good/evil, right/wrong) and freedom (How to choose?) are the basis for morality. And for Christian especially Catholics, Bible Scripture and Church Teaching are also very important source of forming a good conscience. However, it seems that the Church authority still has a long way to go if they want the public especially the youth to really understand and accept its moral teaching. Catechism seems very systematic and clearly, but we need more connection with the example in our daily life and to explain the reason why the catechism taught us to do so?

 

And even for the most important basis for forming a good conscience, knowledge and freedom, they are also not always clearly. By the influence of inside or outside factors, sometimes our knowledge is not full, clear, our freedom is not pure. And our judgment could even become clouded.[7]

 

Otherwise?

 

After all these long paragraphs about what is conscience and how to build a good conscience, people might ask another question about why we should be such hard working in establishing such a “good” conscience? If I don’t do this, what will happen? In this question, we began to consider about another nature of the conscience, the so called “punishment” of the conscience.

 

For most of us, more or less we had experienced the punishment of our conscience, we feel sad and troubled a lot when we had done something against our conscience, our living value. After our lie, we may feel shame. After stealing, the thief may also be troubled by his conscience. Even sometimes we feel we are troubled by others’ evil deed, especially those people we believe they should not be like that, like recently the issue which we are talking a lot in the church in Ireland on Child Abuse.

 

When we got the punishment of our conscience, we feel dark inside our heart; we cannot face others and deal with daily affairs as good as before; we may feel difficult to open ourselves; we may not want to talk with others; or even sometimes we don’t want to see others’ eyes directly. Even maybe nobody knows we had done something bad or evil, but we still feel there is such a heavy pressure put from outside to be on our body and our heart.  

 

Conclusion:

 

Everyone want to feel free, don’t want to be troubled by this kind of punishment, but the only way towards this inner freedom is to do the right thing and avoid evil. Like the famous saying from Jesus, you will get freedom in truth.

 

With all these talking, we have began to discover the secret of our conscience, it seems like a treasure in our heart, let us be quiet and look it carefully. It might be complicated, but in the end, we still go back to the most simply solution, that is to be moral, to be a good person. Try our best, “first, recognition of a distinction between right and wrong, good and evil, and, second, a sense of obligation to do what is good and right, and to avoid what is evil and wrong.”[8]

 

 

Bibliography

Ashley, Benedict M. Living the Truth in Love. New York: Alba House, 2001.

Carson, Thomas and Joann Cerrito, eds. The New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2^nd ed. Washington DC: Thomson, Gale, 2003.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. New York: Image Book, Doubleday, 1995.

Dwyer, Judith A, eds., The New Dictionary of Catholic Social Thought.  Collegeville, Minnesota: Michael Glazier Book, 1994.

Hannon, Patrick. Moral Decision Making. Dublin: Vetitas, 2005.

Keating, James, Eds. Moral Theology. New York/ Mahwah, N. J: Paulist Press, 2004.

Keenan, James F. Moral Wisdom. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2004.

4月18日

In the train from Chengdu to Guangzhou.

在從成都到廣州的火車上。

Feel mountains, rivers and waters of China.

Feel, think, write, take photo.

感悟中國的山和水。

感覺，思考，寫作，拍照。

In front of the window, in the car of this train. I can not touch the nature by hand, but thank God, I can feel, I can smell.

在車窗前，恐怕我不能親手觸碰大自然，但感謝天主，我仍可以感覺，可以聞到。

I met my Senior High School mate by chance, he is in internship as the head of the train, quite funny.

The girl who is in charge of this car (No.12) is cute and funny.

She is only 20, but I don't think she is younger than me. Haha.

偶然碰到高中隔壁班的同學，居然他是這班列車的實習列車長，真是有趣。

照管這個車廂的乘務員是個很有趣的女孩子。

她只有20歲，可是我完全沒覺得她看起來比我小，哈哈哈。

Another girl next door has a Westerner's face, by her accent, I guess she is from Canton. Quite healthy, hahah, Br.Han-Yol's expression.

鄰座的女孩子從側面看好像外國人，不過聽她說話，大概也是廣東人吧。

她看起來很健康，哈哈，這是申修士的表達方法。

The view on the journey is so nice, green mountains, rivers. Rivers are such clean, it's cloudy and raining today, but peace is around everyone.

一路上的風景都很美，山很綠，水很清，雲霧環繞，充滿靈氣。

今天一直下雨，很乾淨，很清新，很美。 

一路上，列車經過了：成都 重慶北 懷化 婁底 湘潭 株洲 廣州

11:22PM, Friday, April 17th Left Chengdu

5:30AM, Sunday, April 19th Got Guangzhou 

4月19日

4月19日一大早，5：30已經到達廣州，本來以為需要乘地鐵到廣州東才可以搭高速列車去深圳，結果就在我的車廂的對面，已經停著去羅湖的CRV，下樓買了票，6：10已經坐著高鐵出發前往深圳了。這真的很有意思，因為如果我按過去的慣例在廣州先住兩天的話，那麼，恐怕我中午12點還沒有出門呢，下午2點能到香港已經非常不錯了。但這次，早上7：50，我已經進了香港的輕軌往市中心出發了。

10：00，在中環逛了一下，去了公教進行社，可是沒有開門營業。下樓左轉，還是乘了55路小巴去香港大學，到家的時候才10：20的樣子。見到奶奶，我整個就非常的興奮，一個熱情的擁抱是少不了的。打開冰箱拿出罐可樂，喝了兩口，然後洗了個澡，感覺渾身清爽。 

11：15，和奶奶一起出門去教堂，彌撒11：30開始，是慈幼會的韓大輝神父主祭的英文彌撒，結束以後跟韓神父聊了一下，碰到晚上“香港電影金像獎頒獎典禮”紅地毯儀式的主持人，這個年輕人也是個教友，出生幾天已經受洗，平常是香港娛樂節目的主持人。我們聊了好一會兒，很有趣，我說感謝天主，因為你在電視機面前，常有機會光榮天主。

END

CHENGDU, China (UCAN) -- Young Catholics shared the joys and challenges they experienced in relating to Protestants during a gathering held to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

About 30 people attended the Jan. 18 event, organized by the Chengdu Catholic Youth Fellowship, and held at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, or Ping'anqiao Catholic Church, in downtown Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, southwestern China.

That day was the start of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed Jan. 18-25 in many parts of the world. This year's theme is That they may become one in your hand (Ezekiel 37:17).

The three-hour Jan. 18 event included sharing on ecumenical experiences, Bible readings and prayers.

One participant, Mary, shared how she and a Protestant colleague developed a deep friendship and would often pray together. She added that her company has quite a number of Christians, and they have decided to start each working day with communal prayer.

Another participant, Teresa, shared how she became friends with a Protestant who migrated from another part of the country and was working in the area where her shop was located. Teresa later brought her to visit a Catholic Church.

Other Protestants later warned this migrant not to take part in any Catholic activities or to have anything to do with Catholics, Teresa continued. However, the friend told Teresa that the Catholics she had met had given her "a feeling of being part of a family." As a result, she decided to maintain these friendships.

Deng Xinmo, a 17-year-old Catholic, spoke with UCA News after the gathering. The program, she said, "made me realize that no matter whether one is a Catholic or a Protestant, we all have the mission to love."

Kevin Sun, an organizer, was not sure if any Protestants attended the event. He explained that the Chengdu Catholic Youth Fellowship had sent invitations to members of two Internet chat rooms it runs, comprising Catholics and Protestants, and participants were not required to reveal their denominations.

Nonetheless, Sun acknowledged that most participants at the gathering were from the youth group and other groups based at Ping'anqiao Church.

A Church source also told UCA News that many chat-room members had left Chengdu to return home for the Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 26, so the small turnout was not surprising.

Sun admitted that the path toward Christian unity in mainland China is not easy. "Some Protestants have misunderstandings about the Catholic Church, while some Catholic clergy are worried that Catholics are being attracted" to the Protestant Churches, he explained.

The youth group had organized only one previous activity to mark a unity week, but members say it has held frequent dialogues with the Protestant Church and the local Young Men's Christian Association, with which many group members volunteer.

Besides praying for dialogue, understanding and unity among the Christian Churches, the Jan. 18 gathering also prayed for the unity of the Catholic Church in China and for dialogue and understanding among Protestant denominations.

The youth group also appealed to its members and other participants to join any Protestant gathering during the special week so as to spread the message of unity.

The Chengdu Catholic Youth Fellowship, founded in 2004, holds weekly gatherings, monthly retreats and Bible sharing sessions for its more than 170 members, who are mostly university students. It also organizes occasional Taize-style prayer meetings and visits to Protestant groups, elderly people living alone and the poor.

Chengdu lies 1,530 kilometers southwest of Beijing.

END

中國  成都教友「合一祈禱周」分享與基督教徒接觸的經驗 

【天亞社．中國成都訊】中國西南部四川省成都教區的青年天主教徒，在「基督徒合一祈禱周」舉行分享會，暢談與基督教徒相處的喜樂與挑戰。

由「成都天主教青年團體」主辦的分享會於一月十八日，在成都市聖母無染原罪主教座堂（又稱平安橋天主堂）進行，約卅人參加。四川省會成都位於北京西南一千五百卅公里。

全球各地教會每年舉行基督徒合一祈禱周活動，今年的主題為「在你手中成為一根」（則37：17）。分享會當日正是一月十八至廿五日祈禱周的首天。

為時三小時的分享會〔圖〕，包括分享合一經驗、讀經及祈禱。活動參加者大部分為青年團體的成員，也有其他堂區小組的成員參加。

參加者瑪利亞分享自己怎樣與一位基督教同事建立深厚友誼，並經常一起祈禱。同時，她亦指出，由於其公司有很多基督徒，大家每天早上都會先以祈禱來開始一天的工作。

另一教友德蘭則分享她與一位初到成都工作的基督教徒結為朋友的經過，其後更邀請該朋友參觀天主教堂。德蘭指出，後來有些基督教徒告誡她朋友不要參加天主教的活動，也不要與天主教徒接觸。然而，朋友告訴她，與天主教徒在相處過後，發覺他們給她「家人般的親切感」，於是決定與天主教朋友維持友誼。

十七歲天主教徒鄧莘沫在分享會後告訴天亞社：「這次分享會讓我明白無論天主教還是基督教，大家都共同肩負著『愛』的偉大使命。」

活動組織者之一孫超倫表示，青年團體通過其下兩個由天主教徒與基督教徒組成的QQ群組發出邀請，而當天活動沒有要求參與者表明身分，故他不確定是否有基督教朋友出席分享會。不過，他指出，參加者主要來自青年團體，以及平安橋教堂其他小組的成員。

另一教會人士告訴天亞社，由於很多聊天室成員已提前離開成都回家鄉度春節，因此參加人數不多，是意料中事。

孫超倫認為，中國大陸基督徒合一的道路仍然困難重重，因為「一些基督教徒對天主教存在誤解，而天主教神職人員則擔心教友被吸引到基督教會」。

雖然這次是成都青年團體第二次舉辦合一周活動，不過，該團體經常與本地的基督教會及基督教青年會交流，而很多團體成員更是青年會的義工。

十八日的分享會除了為基督教的對話、瞭解及合一祈禱，同時也為中國天主教會內部的合一，以及基督教各宗派間的對話及理解而祈禱。主辦單位也鼓勵各參與者在合一周期間，參與基督教的活動，以傳達基督徒合一的信息。

成都天主教青年團體於二零零四年成立，有逾一百七十名成員，大部分為大學生。他們定期組織每周聚會、每月退省及聖言生活分享。此外，他們也會不定期的舉行泰澤祈禱會、探訪基督教團體、孤寡老人和窮人。

【完】（天亞社英文新聞見CH06517.1533期2009年1月20日）

這篇是2010年1月31日完成，因為太長，所以不想放在首頁。 

BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE THOUGHTS ON

THE CONSTITUTION OF SACRED LITURGY

47 YEARS LATER

Introduction

 

After the Reformation, Catholic Church began to renew the church and facing the challenge from Protestant Church. It’s obviously not an easy process. Right after the Reformation, Church called the Council of Trent to respond the Protestant Movement and the willing to renew the Church within the Catholic Church. Council of Trent is one of the most important and influencial Ecumenical Council in the Church History, even people said no any other council had passed as many new Doctrines as this Council. However, mostly, the attitude and atmosphere in Council of Trent is pretty defensive, it’s just trying to maintain the stable of Catholic Church, deeling with lots of practical problems of the church, it does work, but it’s only about how to keep the power and unity of the church as same as before. Many old and fundamental problems in the church has not been solved until the 20^th Century.

 

When time come to the 20^th Century, after all the development of Science and Technology, the world had changed a lot, many things which was impossible in the pass became ture, long distance travelling by air-plane, television, telephone, Internatinal Media, United Nations and so on. All of these influence people’s life and the world very much.

 

At the same time, after the Reformation, Protestant have been developing very fast, they are continued to improve itself for the needs of time, they are also very active and popular among young people in many countries, and gain a lot of success on missionary works. And at the same time, the situation in the Catholic Church is not that positive, especially in the West, when most of people are getting rich. The atmosphere wihin Catholic Church is still quite boring, the leadership and structure is still like a Concentration of Power. Lay people has almost no space on the mission of the Church.

 

In front of such a huge challenge, October 1962, Pope John 23^rd called a new Ecumenical Council in Vatican City, which is known as the Vatican II Council. Over 2000 Bishops from all over the world had attended this Council, and until now 4 members of the Council had become Pope. There are 4 aims of this Council: 1) the renewal of the people of God; 2) the adaptation of the times, 3) ecumenism and 4) evangelization.

 

According to this, it’s clear that this Council planed to answer all the questions and challenges in front of the church and all the faithful. The Constitution of Sacred Liturgy (Latin name:Sacrosanctum Concilium) is the very first document of this Council, Pope John Paul II called it the “the first fruit” of the Vatican II Council. It published on December 4, 1963, two years before the end of the Council

.

Thoughts and Now

 

In the Constitution of Sacred Liturgy, there are Seven Essential Concepts, I think this might be helpful for us to understand what does this document want to tell us and what did the Council and all the bishops expect to change through this document? These seven concepts are as follows: 1) The Paschal Mystery; 2) Liturgy as “Summit and Source” of the Church’s Life; 3) Full, Active and Conscious Participation; 4) Image of Church; 5) Inculturation; 6) Renewal of Liturgical Books, Music, Art and Artefacts of Liturgy; 7) Education and Formation. Then let us one by one to talk about the expectation and today’s fact 47 years after this document. 

 

 

 

1.1  The Paschal Mystery

 

“The liturgy is made up of unchangeable elements divinely institued and of elements subject to change. These later not only may be changed, but ought to be changed with the passage of time, if they have suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of the liturgy of have become unsuited to it”.[1]

 

In Pope Pius XII’s document Mediator Dei, he also emphasised this part said: “The Sacred Liturgy includes divine as well as human elements. The former, as is clear, cannot be changed in any way by men, since they were instituted by the Divine Redeemer. But the later admit of various modifications as the needs of the age, circumstances, and men require and which the ecclesiastical hierarchy, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, approves”.[2]

 

“Anyone who has kept abreast of recent theological development will be aware of the new approach to the study of the sacraments. The sacraments are now viewed in their biblical and liturgical dimensions, and as such are seen to be the pivot and centre of the Christian life. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, while it is disciplinary, is also doctrinal in intent. Its aim is to give the Mass and the other sacraments greater meaning in our lives.[3]”

 

Eucharist as the Paschal Mystery is always the center meaning of the Catholic Liturgy. As the above documents mentioned, Holy Catholic Church believes this part is the unchangeable elements of the Liturgy. Vatican II Council and the Constitution of Sacred Liturgy did maintain the belief on this. Even today, people still believe Eucharist is the Paschal Mystery as same as it before the Vatican II Council, and as same as all the Christians generations by generations after the death of Jesus Christ.

 

And about the understanding on nature of Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, which is very controvertial between Catholic and Protestant since the Reformation, Catholic Church still maintain its traditiaonal understanding on this issure and didn’t change anything about it until today.

 

 

 

1.2  Litury as “Summit and Source” of the Church’s Life

 

Again in the Constitution of Sacred Liturgy, it says, “Nevertheless, the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the church is directed; it is also the source from which all its power flows. For the goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made children of God by faith and Baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his church, to take part in the sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper.”[4]

 

As it tells, the Council and the document proclamed clearly that Catholic Church still consider Liturgy as the Summit and Source of Church’s Life. This understanding is still the traditional understanding on Liturgy, but at the same time, it ensured that Liturgy is not the only activity within the Church, this gives new space for faithful to organize many new movement and fellowship.

 

However, “Summit and Source” is the Theological Conclusion of the Church Fathers of the Council, practically, I’m doubt how many people seriously and rationally believe in it, especially after the renewal of the importance of Bible and Bible Reading, I’m wondering if it’s better to say Bible is the “Summit and Source” rather than emphasis the Liturgy. At the same time, although the church did get renewal after the Council, new Liturgy gave the church much energy than before in facing the challenge of the time, however, today the situation in front of Catholic Church is still very serious! A big part of Catholics didn’t practice their faith, didn’t go to church; at the same time we lost a lot of believers every year, some left the church, some became Protestant.

 

Obviously, if we really want our liturgy become the “Summit” of Church’s life and individual Christian life, we must consider how to deeply renew our liturgy and adapt it for the needs of people especially young generation.

 

At the same time, when we talk about the liturgy and try to renew our understanding on it, one of the most essential ways is trying to go back to the situation of early church, think about what did they do and understand? In the early Church, Christians went to Temple and Synagogue as other Jewish, they tried to convert Jewish and Gentiles to be Christian in the Temple, Synagogues, street and working places, at the same time, they also gathered in their own community, broke bread and ate it as same as the Lord’s Supper before the Passion and memorize the death and resurrection of Christ the Lord which is similar to the Eucharist today. However, it seems they concentrate more on converting people and taught them the faith on Jesus, and at least it’s quite difficult for us to imagine that most of Early Christians could understand the Liturgy as the “Summit and Source” of Church’s Life.

 

 

1.3  Full, Active and Conscious Participation

 

This is one of the most exciting part of the Constitution, it indeed talks about the most important problem on our liturgy, this is about the very core of it, for a long time, in the Liturgy after Council of Trent, Eucharist had been celebrating only in Latin, the structure and arrangement of the liturgy seem like it’s also a business of the Priests.  Most of local faithful could not speak and understand Latin, so the whole celebration became only a show, many faithful could only say rosary during the Eucharist, it’s actually very bad and leading a wrong direction for the Christian Gathering. Full, Active and Conscious Participation of liturgy became nonsense for most of people.

 

In the Constitution of Sacred Liturgy, it says, “It is very much the wish of the church that all the faithful should be led to take that full, conscous, and active part in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy, and to which the Christian people, ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people’ (1 Pet 2:9, 4-5) have a right and to which they are bound by reason of their Baptism.”[5]

 

For this porpuse, the Council almost totally changed the celebration way of the Eucharist. The Altar is no longer on the back wall of the church, it has been moved to the Phisical center of the worship space, and the Priest and faithful would be face to face during the Eucharistic Celebration.

 

After talking about the ideal participation, it also offers clear guidance to us: “In the restoration and development of the sacred liturgy the full and active participation by all the people is paramount concern, for it is the primary, indeed the indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit. Therefore, in all their apostolic activity, ,pastors of souls should energetically set about achieving it through the requisite formation.

 

Yet there is no hope of achieving this unless pastors of souls, in the first place, themselves become fully imbued with the spirit and power of the liturgy and attain competence in it. Thus it is absolutely essential, first of all, that steps be taken to ensure the liturgical training of the clergy.”[6]

 

In many countries, it did change a lot of the situation of the local church, however, it seems there are still a big distance towards the Council’s expectation. At the same time, church still continue to loss its members especially young people, in Sunday Mass, many youths don’t want to attend the Mass, even some young people are sending SMS or play their mobile phone during the Mass.

 

 

About the participation of the Liturgy, it recall my two months’ memories in Taize, an Ecumenical Monastic Community in France. Before I went there for the first time, I thought most of young people who go there must be very religious, actually it’s not true, many young people I met there told me they almost never go to church in their home countries, some of them are not really Christian, even their parents dislike church very much, if parents knew Taize is such a Religious place, they will not pay for their children this trip. However, when they got Taize, they go to Prayer three times a day, many times, they could stay in the church and pray for many hours, and even a whole night with candel. It’s really amazing. Every year, especially in Summer, about 5000 young people go to Taize every week. They love there very much, even many of them continue to stay there for 3 months or a whole year. This kind of experience gives me a lot of reflection on the Liturgy. Why the Prayer Meetings in Taize are such attractive? I think the most important elements are simplicity and welcome. In Taize, people feel very relax in the Prayer, the Prayer Meeting itself is very simple, it’s not necessary for you to learn the structure of the Prayer Meeting, you can just enjoy it; at the same time, you could just sit down on the ground, no chair and no knealing stool, it’s not necessary for you to learn when you should stand, sit or kneal down.

 

For sure, it doesn’t mean we should move out all the chairs and stuffs in our church, but we do need to reflect much more about how to fullfill the good willing of the Council and renew our church and liturgy deeper.

 

 

1.4  Image of Church

 

Sacred Liturgy as the most important activities of the Catholic Church, obviously at the same time they became the Image of Church, so I will now talk about too much independantly on this part.

 

1.5  Inculturation

 

Inculturation is one of the most important and obvious part of the Liturgy Changes. Before the Vatican II Council, local church could only celebrate Mass in Latin, most of local people cannot understand it, it almost lost its meaning as a gathering of faithful, full, active and conscious participation is also totally impossible. After the Council, every local church could celebrate Mass in the local language, this new policy free the church a lot! The importance of it is also too obviously to be necessary to talk any more here.

 

At the same time, Bible began to be translated in to local language and every lay people are encouraged to read the Bible. The Ecumenical Council also make some special arrangement of every local church, so that some local elements could become a part of the Liturgy Celebration, and the church become much more colorful than before. For instance, the use of Traditional Chinese Incense in China especially Taiwan and the Colorful Echarist Celebration in Africa and South America.

 

1.6  Renewal of Liturgical Books, Music, Art and Artefacts of Liturgy.

 

When you change a lot of the structure and understanding of the Liturgy, you should also change the Liturgical Books, Music, Art and Artefacts of Liturgy at the same time. You could also see the change of the arrangement in the Church Building especially for the place of Altar and the arrangement of seats, and the New Style Church also became popular in many places.

 

“In a series of deceptively simple statements, Vatican II decreed the reform of virtually every liturgical book in the Roman Catholic Church. Like those at the Council of Trent, the bishops at Vatican II did not attempt the work of revision themselves. This was given to a series of commissions, special committees, and Roman congragations that continue the work today.”[7] According to this, we get to know that the Church is still trying to improve the Liturgical Books even today.

 

1.7  Education and Formation

 

As we mentioned before, Vatican II Council and all the Fathers of the Council considered the Liturgy as the “Summit and Source of Church’s Life”, so that the liturgy plays a rather important role in Education and Formation for the faithful. By the Bible Reading, Homily and all the Prayer and Sacrafice, faithful could learn a lot about their faith and be aware they are a part of the Christian Community.

 

Conclusion

 

Constitution of Sacred Liturgy as the “first fruit” of Vatican II Council continues to influence the church and all the faithful very much even today! As the mission of the Constitution has not been fully fullfilled yet, we should continue to renew and reflect our liturgy so that we could keep the church always to be fresh and full of Holy Spirit.

 

 

Bibliography 

 

Amiot, Francois. History of the Mass. London: Burns & Oates, 1959.

Ehrman, Bart D. A Brief Introduction to the New Testament. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Flannery O.P, Austin. eds. The Basic Sixteen Documents Vatican Council II. Dublin, Ireland: Dominican Publications, 2007.

Foley, Edward. From age to age. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2008.

Theisen, Reinold. Mass Liturgy and the Council of Trent. Collegeville, Minnesota: St. John’s University Press, 1965.

Tierney, Dom Mark. The Council and the Mass. London: Burns & Oates Ltd, 1965.