七一遊行前 信徒為民主祈禱（02-07-2008更新）


（本報訊）約四百名基督徒七月一日遊行前，出席祈禱會為香港的民主祈禱。

陳日君樞機祈禱會上說：「回歸十一年了，我們仍未能當家作主，民主還是空虛的許諾；普選還是遙遠的期望。」他說，雖然本地社會問題令人感到失望與無奈，但他勸勉基督徒，要相信上主。

同一場合發表信息的還有李鼎新牧師，兩人稍後派遣和祝福出席信徒。李牧師本身是香港基督教協進會義務總幹事。祈禱會後，一眾信徒參與民間人權陣線舉辦的遊行。民陣表示，當天共四萬七千人參與。

是次「基督徒七一祈禱會」由天主教正義和平委員會、勞工事務委員會及其他五個基督徒團體合辦。（高）

 

 

七一維園祈禱會陳日君樞機分享，全文如下：

 

我以聖詠12開始：

上主，你把我全然遺忘，要到何時？
上主，你掩面而不顧我，要到何時？
我的心情終日愁悵，要到何時？
我的仇敵高居我上，要到何時？

上主，我的天主！求你垂顧回答我；
賜我眼目明亮，別讓我沉睡而亡。
免得我的仇人說：「我已打了勝仗！」
免得我跌倒之時，敵人歡欣若狂。

我今信賴你的愛憐；
我心歡愉你的救援；
我要向我恩主歌讚。

我們每年紀念回歸的週年日，每年都懷?憂愁，每年都重振希望。

我們望下周圍，不免憂愁、無奈、失望。回歸已十一年了，我們還未能當家作主，民主還是一個空泛的許諾，普選還是一個遙遠的期望。那些真正當家作主的人，把我們的香港搞成怎麼樣子？那些既得利益者為我們做了些什麼？

 

厄則克耳先知書三十四章　上主說：

「禍哉以色列的牧者！你們只知牧養自己；牧人豈不應該牧養羊群？你們吃羊奶，穿羊毛衣，宰肥羊，卻不牧養羊群：瘦弱的，你們不扶養；患病的，你們不醫治；受傷的，你們不包紮；......反而用強力和殘暴去管治他們。......吾主上主這樣說：......我要從那些牧者手裡追討我的羊。」

有人曾許諾「急人民之急」，但恆久有六成以上市民所急的越推越遠，二○一七，二○二○的普選究竟是真是假至今還完全未講清楚。急的卻是一些莫名其妙的新措施，捧上一些不知是為誰服務的「新貴」。

又說：「放下政治爭?，關心民生吧！」他們真的關心民生嗎？可觀的盈餘，誰受惠了？我們神職人員沒有妻子兒女，還好有教友的捐獻，教會保證會照顧我們的晚年。但我們同年的長者可淒涼了。這是一個有良心的社會嗎？我們這樣教育下一代嗎？

「山高皇帝遠」怪不了皇帝。在四川救災事上，我們見到了北京領導的開明。但皇帝還是太遠。有些人由國家委派來香港不是為做聯絡工作嗎？聯絡了誰呀？要聽話才有資格被聯絡嗎？要我們負賣良心才承認我們愛國嗎？我們的香港墮落到這個地步真是可悲！這是國際都市嗎？它簡真成了老鼠的竇。

我們本該悲觀，但我們是信者，我們信上主。聖詠說：「我今信賴，你的愛憐」。

洶湧波濤莫驚怕，平安到岸全靠祂。
 

1 July Prayer Meeting 2008 Victory Park
Sharing by Cardinal Joseph Zen


I will begin this prayer meeting with Psalm 12 (13):

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God.
Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him",
lest my foes rejoices because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love.
My heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Each year we remember this anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to China. Each year we are filled with sadness. Each year we renew our hope.

When we look around us we are still filled with sadness, helplessness and despair. This is already the 11th year and yet we are still not our own masters. Democracy remains an empty promise. The universal suffrage is a far away dream. What have those real masters done to Hong Kong? What have those who are in the advantageous position done for us?

In Ezekiel 34 the Lord said, "Woe are you, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the crippled you have not bound up...but with force and harshness you have ruled them...Thus says the Lord...I require my sheep at their hand."

Someone had promised, "I will take the urgent desires of the people as my own". But the urgent desires of 60% of the people are being stalled further and further away. It is still unclear if the universal suffrage promised for 2017 and 2020 is real. The actual priorities turned out to be the setting of bewildering new political arrangements and the creation of a group of "new aristocracy' to serve who knows whose interests.

It has also been said, "Let us put away political argument and concentrate in solving the livelihood of the people." Are they really caring for the livelihood of the people? Who benefited from the considerable financial surplus? We, the clergy, do not have a family and we have the Church who care for our old age. But how about the livelihood of the other old people? Is this a caring society? Is this the way we educate the next generation?

"The emperor is too far away". Do not blame the emperor. In the disaster of the earthquake of Sichuan we have seen how open are the leaders of Beijing. But somehow the emperor is still too far away. People have been sent by the central government to do the work of liaison. But who are the people they contact? Do they contact only those who say, "yes"? Do we have to sell out our conscience to be acknowledged as patriotic? Have we in Hong Kong fallen so low? Is this an international city? It has in fact become a mouse's den.

We should have been pessimistic. But we are believers. We believe in God. The Psalm says, "But I have trusted in your steadfast love".

Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.