Fr. Richard Ho Lung - Diary Of A Ghetto Priest LIFE IS a dynamic gift from God. How do we treat this irreplaceable gift? The outcome of our lives depends a lot on us, on the choices we make. Life can be beautiful, desirable, and delightful, or it can be distasteful, boring, and burdensome.
It seems natural and logical that our lives should become even more interesting and ap-pealing as civilisation advances. However, in our times the contrary appears to be true. As man makes rapid strides intellectually, scientifically and technologically, life for many has become darker, drearier and more desperate. As the poet T.S. Eliot pointedly states, "Man is advancing progressively backwards." Despite the tremendous and unprecedented rate at which science and technology have developed and are developing, still there is a void in modern man. It seems that the greater his worldly successes, the deeper his spiritual vacuum. Why? Progress, or so-called progress sociological, political, cultural, emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual, all depend on the choices we make.
The missing link is the presence of the Divine of God. We say that we live in a civilised society today, yet it is characterised by selfishness, materialism and hedonism. Instead of being a source of hope and advancement for all, modern civilisation seems to be becoming a danger to life itself. Where is God in all this? God is either placed at the bottom of our interest or is completely absent. And without God, civilisation is uncivilised and humanism is anti-human. However, when God becomes the heart and soul of a civilisation, then that civilisation will 'advance progressively forward'. When everything is centred on God in Christ, life will be beautiful and delightful. Until then it remains confused and burdensome.
SELFLESS SERVICE
With God at the centre of our existence we as Missionaries of the Poor experience the joys of living every single day. Our lives are simple but filled with the inexpressible richness of our faith. Our brothers seek a life of selfless service to others, especially to the poor and abandoned. They possess next to nothing and yet they lack nothing. What a privilege for me to be amongst such men! To me this is civilisation at its best; it is the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. This selfless service to the poor, as opposed to the game of selfishness and endless acquisition of goods, enables us to enjoy life in the fullest sense of the term. The poor, rejected as they are by society, bring Christ to us each day and in turn allow us the tremendous opportunity to be Christ to them.
One day Bro. Rolando was bathing one of our AIDS patients, a little four-year-old boy named Roshane. Roshane was by nature an extremely quiet child so whenever he spoke it was an occasion to cherish. While bathing the child, Bro Rolando tried to engage him in conversation by asking him a number of questions such as, "what is your name? What is my name? Who is bathing you?" Roshane remained silent during this entire discourse until Bro. Rolando asked him once again, "Who is bathing you?" Roshane looked into Bro. Rolando's eyes for a few moments and then slowly said, "Jesus". Dumbstruck, Bro. Rolando was suddenly filled with a deep sense of consolation within him as well as around him.
Incidents like these are not limited to the cloisters of the Missionaries of the Poor or any other religious community; rather they can be commonplace among people who have Christ at the centre of their life. When each and every one of us can relate a similar encounter with the divine then we can say a civilisation has truly blossomed. The man will be what he was created to be - another Christ.
Therefore, as children of God, beings created in the image and likeness of God, our choices in life, even if in limited ways, should be made in accordance with God's will and the Christian principles rather than the principles of this temporal world.
Then society will flourish. Science, technology, indeed, all man's endeavours will be directed towards the glory of God rather than being an end in itself. Then life will find its true meaning and there will be a greater appreciation and gratitude to God for His gift.
Fr Ho Lung is Founder and Superior General of the Brothers of the Poor.
