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各位教友： 普世教會自29/6/08至29/6/09以豐富多采的形式，慶祝了這意義深遠的「聖保祿年」，緊接著將是「司鐸年」的開始，教宗宣佈司鐸年的目的，是為鼓勵眾司鐸為努力邁向成聖之路而設立。 另外，教宗特別為此於19/6/09在梵蒂岡聖伯多祿大殿，主持耶穌聖心大瞻禮，為司鐸年揭開了序幕，並將於19/6/2010在聖伯多祿大廣場以召開司鐸大會作結。 十九世紀聖人聖維雅內在法國時，四出探訪及熱心傳教，甚受居民愛戴。今年是聖維雅內的 150 週年慶禮，教宗同時宣布聖維雅內為全球司鐸的主保，並是「基督僕役的典範」。 教宗述說了設立司鐸年的原因：是希望在這特殊的一年，神父們能深化及努力於神修上的完善，以建立司牧權。在這激烈的社會變革中，教會十分關注司鐸的個人成長及培育。 我想，今年也將是一個良好的機會，檢視司鐸的生活和使命，我想起最初在墨西哥小堂區裡遇上的本堂神父，乃至近期在澳洲剛認識的神父們，倏覺我的信仰之路，都或多或少地深受這些新知故友的薰陶，希望各位通過聖保祿年裡積極參與各項的活動，深化未來對司鐸使命的認識。 最後，請大家齊心協力，為你所認識的司鐸祈禱，求天父召叫更多的男仕，拿出勇氣，接受主的邀請，加入司鐸的行列。 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: As you know the year of St Paul is coming to and end. The year has run from June 29th, 2008 to finish on June 29, 2009. The universal Church has been celebrating this special year with liturgies, symposiums, retreats, pilgrimages and so on. After the year of St Paul, the church has announced “The year of the Priest”. Pope Benedict XVI has declared this year in an effort to encourage “spiritual perfection” in priests. This special year has been opened with vespers service at the Vatican on June 19th 2009 (Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the day for the sanctification of priests) and will close on June 19th 2010, during a World Meeting of Priests in St Peter’s Square. During this jubilee year, the pope will also proclaim St. John Vianney to be patron saint of all the world's priests. At present he is considered the patron saint of parish priests. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the death of this 19th-century saint who represents a "true example of a priest at the service of the flock of Christ," according to the words of the Pope. St. John Vianney is widely known to Catholics as the Cure (parish priest) of Ars who won over the hearts of his villagers in France by visiting with them, teaching them about God and reconciling people to the Lord in the confessional. The pope said he was calling for the special year for priests in an effort to foster the priest's yearning "for spiritual perfection, upon which the effectiveness of their ministry principally depends." "The awareness of the radical social changes over the past decades must stir the best ecclesial energies to look after the formation of priestly candidates," the pope said. I think this year will also be a good chance to have a look into the life, the vocation and the ministry of Priests. Thinking about this, I start thinking of all the priests I have known in my life starting with my parish priests in my small parish in Mexico to the new brother priests I have known in Australia. Suddenly came to realize how much my faith and understanding of the priesthood has been influenced and shaped by all the examples that I have known through my life. Hopefully, Church communities will be as proactive and creative as they have been for the celebration of the year of St Paul and come up with activities who will help the faithful to a deeper understanding of the priesthood. I invite you all to increase your prayers for all the priests that you know, dead or alive and ask the Father in Heaven to keep calling more men of courage to accept the invitation of the Lord who keeps saying Follow me! Peace in Jesus Fernando Montano MG |