HONG KONG (SE): The Hong Kong Catholic Charismatic Services Committee held an Advent reflection day attended by some 400 people from both Chinese- and English-speaking communities on December 3 at the Caritas Community Hall in Caine Road.
 
The Sowers Catholic Charismatic Committee gave the day a start with some rollicking songs before the guest speaker for the day, Peter Ho Man-hong, was introduced by Maria Raichandani, the chairperson of the Committee.
 
Addressing the theme, Regenerated and Sanctified by the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to be the Children of God, Ho said that our deepest identity is as a child of God.
 
Ho said that as children of God, we should trust our heavenly Father as a father needs to protect his children from harm, especially spiritually harm.
 
He stressed that being a child of God is a gift—the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, Our Lord. “We are all bought by the blood of Christ,” Ho said.
 
He explained that as children of God we have to live in accordance with God’s will in the newness of life in Christ. Encouraging people to walk in this newness, he said that because we cannot do this with our own strength, God gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us and make us good sons and daughters of God.
 
Ho said in order to grow as children of God, we need to pray without ceasing; receive the sacraments regularly and actively participate in the liturgy; as well as involve ourselves in fellowship by being active in Christian community life and service of our neighbour.
 
Ho had great praise for the Filipino migrant workers quoting from Luke 6:35, he told them that God has a plan for foreign domestic workers “to become the lighthouse of your employer. God sent you here to evangelise through the witness of your life, so your employers will see what you do and the Holy Spirit may open their hearts.”
 
Ho concluded with an invocation to the Holy Spirit after people shared some prophetic messages.
 
A Mass celebrated by the chancellor of the diocese, Father Lawrence Lee Len, and Father Timoteo Merino brought the afternoon to a conclusion.