Pastoral duties and service
There are times when we encounter ups and down in our growth. What I'm referring to is ethical terms rather in physical. 2011 is the year which I entered my 40th year of priesthood. During the first ten years, I worked whole heartedly. The second ten years was when I just reached 40, I was sent to Chicago for one year to study pastoral theology. When I returned, instead of working as the Acting Rector of the Seminary, I was appointed to serve in a church as a parish priest. In the beginning I tried to deal with all the parish matters in an administrative way and focusing too much time in interpersonal relationships which made me neglect my prayer time. I can say that this period was the most regrettable years in my pastoral service as of now.
My 30th year as a priest was a very merciful year given by God as the Bishop sent me to serve at a local Chinese church in Toronto, Canada. The environment there was relatively quiet and at the same time, I met a lady with stigmata. Since this encounter, I changed my attitude towards ministry work and my prayer life has improved as well.
The 40th year of my service had me returning back to Hong Kong at Annuniciation Church in Tsuen Wan. The design of the Church is simply gorgeous and the Eucharist Chapel is indeed the place to focus on praying. I appreciate the Bishop for sending me to serve at this parish. As I did not take part in any school administrative duties, I can live a life of simple and enriching rhythm. My prayer life has also become more aggressive.
Parish ministry should focus on quality rather than quantity. To produce the effect of evangelization, mutual love between pastoral staffs and members of the Parish Pastoral Council is a key factor. The greatest test of mutual love is the mutual cooperation between individuals with different values and personalities.
The assistant parish priest and I do not share similar characteristics along with difference in our cultures. It is not easy at all for us to achieve pleasant cooperation. However due to his humble and obedient character and my easy going nature, we can both work in harmony within our parish duties as the tool of God.
In general, as a pariah priest, our real service is not our work but sacrifice. Our way of life is not only people oriented but also God's Holy Will acts as our primary objective.
It is a pity that many other of my brothers end up falling sick due to their heavy workload. If they could share with others, they probably can avoid suffering from being overstressed. If they really feel unwell, it might be helpful to talk to some good friends. However it is known that this is the weakest part of clergy culture, as in our seminary training, it is strictly prohibited to have any close personal relationships (the reason is obvious). As a consequence, it is easy for us to fall into a helpless situation.
Today, ministry work is no longer just an individual person's effort, but rather it is the testimony of team spirit.