By Father Paul Kam Po-wai
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15
What do you think of this Bible verse? How do you feel? I am deeply touched by this verse from and very grateful. To be able to preach the gospel is a blessing in itself, a grace and a call from God. And a person who proclaims the Good News must have a close relationship with God to effectively and truly share the gospel and spread the love of the Lord.
The beauty of evangelisation is in building relationships with the Lord and with people: A person’s encounter with the Lord, conversion, baptism and unity among communities are all sources of excitement, gratitude and joy. It is especially true for catechists who may have the joy of a mother of a newborn. They help their students become children of God and receive a new life by teaching and walking with them for over two years.
How gratifying it is to see the sick and the suffering receive genuine care and companionship, and feel the comfort, peace and joy of the Lord. How beautiful it is to see young people growing up in the Church, being nurtured by God’s grace and called to become priests, brothers and sisters after eight, 10 or more years of formation, and then dedicating their lives to serving the Church and people.
Thank God, I have experienced all of the above not only in Hong Kong but also in Tanzania, Africa. The most beautiful thing for which I am immensely thankful was witnessing the transformation of a young man into a priest.
I remember, during my stay there from 2003 to 2006, there was a very active and enthusiastic altar boy who always wanted to become a priest. He would often volunteer to go with me to visit orphanages and homes for disabled children. Every Sunday evening, he joined the English group arranged by me to practise English with a group of young people. In 2006, the parish selected him to accompany me to Asian Youth Day in Hong Kong. Eventually, he joined the minor seminary of the diocese, completed his secondary education, and then entered the major seminary, during which time I kept in touch with him and supported him.
In 2020, he was ordained to the priesthood. I was in Cambodia at the time and wanted to go to Tanzania for his ordination ceremony, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I couldn’t make it. Despite only watching the live broadcast online, I was deeply moved.
This young man, or this young priest, has the opportunity to visit Hong Kong during Chinese New Year for a three-week stay. I am so thankful that we can meet again in Hong Kong after more than 10 years. This reminds me of the Bible verse “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” and the beautiful message behind it. It is really hard to describe my emotions.
