When it was my time to say a few words and I started by the question some of them had in their hearts: “what is God telling us?”
“Thank you for what you have shared with us. You all had something to share with us from the youngest here who is 13 years' old!
Let me just say a few words:
I think the question you have should also be ours. We too need to ask ourselves what God is telling us. Why is it that God is giving us this opportunity to build a bridge between the Diocese of Manzini in Swaziland and the Diocese of Taichung in Taiwan. Why, among so many dioceses, our diocese has been chosen.
You have been touched in the same way that you touched the life of the people. It is always like that. We give and we receive.
Fr Joseph Hung (the bishop's secretary) spoke about your “small donations” to the projects of this diocese. There are no “small” donations. The youth saw this clearly when they realized the impact of sharing a candy with someone. Every little gesture counts and we are deeply grateful for your generosity.
Of course, “we know” that here we witness something huge: you paid for your own tickets (and not an organisation) to come not on holidays but to serve others. We know how much you had to give up to make this possible.
This is “who” you are. Never forget it. Life might take you through other experiences but this is one is the most important one in which you put your talents at the service of others.
My regret is that I did not have a chance to go out with you. I would have enjoyed watching you, looking at your faces and guessing what you were experiencing in your hearts.
At the end of the day, as I said at Mass, you have been a sign of what we are... gathering from all over the world as “one family”, children of the same Father.
As you go back, please thank Bishop Martin YW Su. I have written to him today and invited him to join us at the centenary celebrations next January. It will be a really blessing for us.
May God bless you all.”
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