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各位教友: 隆冬的天氣，有什麼比窩在家中看看電視、喝杯熱朱古力好？這些日常生活中的小樂趣，我們大概都早已視之為理所當然了吧？ 一本由 St Columbians Mission Society 出版的傳教雜誌《遠東》，提到一家著名的英國朱古力公司，今年剛宣佈加入公平貿易組織。這組織以往致力於保障貧窮國家的工人利益、禁止在可可園雇用童工。加入這組織的公司均要承諾依從由公平貿易指定的原料價格購買原料，即使這指定的價格比市價高，加入公平貿易的公司卻並沒因金融海嘯而有所下降。 作為天主教友，若要把信仰實踐於生活之中，在這功利混沌的社會，無疑是逆水行舟。並非每個人均願意以一己之力，去改變身邊的不平事，甚或幫助那些遠在千里之外的弱小民族，這些人的居所及工作，對耶穌的愛及寬恕是如此的遙遠。若單從個人購物的取向，就可輕易地幫助這些第三世界的弱小心靈，以及解除那些不幸童工的痛苦，即使這是微不足道的一點付出，仍是令人深感欣慰！ 大公司的策略取向，建基於商場利益，我們每個人若盡力以個人的消費能力，去改變其策略，使大公司、大機構相應地作出調整，乃至達到這以人為本，利益次之的結果，那真是天主的國開始在這塵世間植根的起點，所靠的正是人們多年來恆久熱切的祈禱、推廣及實幹。 我並非為這間朱古力公司促銷，也對瓜田李下有所顧忌，只是天主教友常被批評為缺少社會承擔，在此我實在熱切盼望，實現天主的國該是我們生活的首選，努力以一己之所長，建樹於大眾的利益。 藉聖體聖血節，讓基督的體血，活絡我們的心靈，在寒冷的天氣裡，感恩那些辛勞工作，使我們能安享熱飲時光的勞工人仕。 主佑， 莫靖龍神父 (此乃莫神父致教友書信之意譯，書信內容以英文為準) |
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Dear Parishioners: Hi everybody: Days are getting colder, it is so good to stay home, watch TV and enjoy a warm cup of chocolate. Sometimes we take so many things for granted that we hardly notice the things that go behind the simple things in life that we enjoy. This week I want to give you something to think about next time you enjoy a cup or a bar of chocolate. During my reading of “The Far East” a mission magazine of the St Columbans Mission Society I came across an article that made me stop and think. The article was about the news that one of Britain’s most popular chocolate bars (Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in case you want to know) had announced the decision to become Fairtrade certified this year and in doing so they will join thousands of campaigners against forced child labour on cocoa farms. Under the Fairtrade scheme, the companies who join will pay a guaranteed minimum price for cocoa even if the open-market price falls below it and people in the Fairtrade foundation that sales of goods bearing its mark are growing despite the recession. For us as Catholics sometimes we struggle to put our faith into action, not everybody has the gift of going out and do something to change the world and the lives of those who live around us or even the lives of those who live thousands of miles who live and work in situations where the message of love and forgiveness that Jesus preached sounds so distant. It is good to see that people have learnt that their purchasing decisions can directly affect the lives of some of the poorest workers in the developing world. It gives me an inner joy to see that when big companies are pushed to change their policies for the good of the people it is, at the end, a victory for every person who has complained, campaigned, prayed and spread the message. It is good to see that people are placed before profit, I see this as a sign that the Kingdom of God is spreading. Sometimes we just need to be more sensible to recognize places where this Kingdom needs to be installed. I am not trying to promote any particular brand of chocolate. I was a bit hesitant about putting the name of the company, that is why I did it just once. I just want to highlight the fact that the installation of the Kingdom of God must be a priority in our lives, sometimes Catholics have been criticized for their lack of social commitment and that is why I wanted to show that we can be involved in different ways every one according to our own particular talents. On this solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, when we celebrate Jesus who gives himself to us in the form of bread and wine it is important that we become sensible to certain issues and as the weather is turning colder I wanted to invite you to remember all the people who suffer and who work so hard so we can enjoy our warm cup of chocolate or coffee. Peace in Jesus Fernando Montano MG |