austraLasia 1414
Gung hay fat choy! Happy dog year! Spring Festival!
28th January 2006, anywhere in the Chinese diaspora -- With bird flu on the rise, there's an audible sigh of relief amongst several billion Chinese, and nations which hold to the Lunar Calendar, as the Year of the Rooster gives way to the Year of the Dog. The origins of Chinese New Year celebrations are lost in antiquity, but the story of Nian the man-eating monster, seems to be part of it. To tell it very briefly, Nian would appear on two occasions in the year, this lunar beginning of Spring being one of them (try telling people in much of Europe at the moment that it is Spring!). A villager worked out that it was more the panic surrounding Nian's appearance that destroyed people, not so much Nian himself, so he organised people to come together, make noise, bang drums, let off fire crackers and have much revelry. Nian got so scared by it all that he fled, was tracked down and killed. Amen.
In Vietnam they call this time 'Tet', but no matter where one is, Saigon, Singapore or Sydney, the Chinese New Year is an important occasion for celebration, and one fifth of the world's population is celebrating it, after all. In Korea, dogs will certainly be more circumspect on this occasion; they would prefer 'dog's best friend' to share his table with the dog rather than share the dog with the table!
However, while it seems an almost unconscionable switch of topic, we are brought back to earth in all the revelry precisely by a Salesian working in China, in Macao actually, who writes on behalf of those for whom he works day in and day out - Hansen's disease sufferers, or leprosy as many used know it. Fr Robert Tonetto addresses his letter to 'dear confreres in Asia', wishes everyone a happy Spring Festival then hopes that his topic might find widespread dispersal. He attaches a letter from Cardinal Barragan, head of the Pontifical Council for health pastoral care. In that letter, and in a much more recent one that I have found since, the Cardinal outlines the history of Catholic pastoral work for Hansen's disease and its sufferers. We cannot say much about this here but Don Bosco is very active on their behalf in China. The point of all this is that January 29th, Chinese New Year day is, this year, the 53rd World Leprosy Day. The disease is on the decrease, thank God. The number of sufferers has halved over the past six years.
"On 29 January, in particular, we invite our communities to "remember" during the Eucharistic Celebration of the Total Body of Christ present in so many people and in families that still suffer because of the disease of leprosy, with the hope and wish that the Eucharist, the actualization and expression of the saving love and solidarity of God for us and for all men, becomes a spring of our greater love and solidarity towards people suffering from, and sick with, leprosy, a spring that is able to build up a more just, a more fraternal, mankind, a mankind at peace". Thus says the Cardinal. The English is torturous, and his use of the 'spring' metaphor may not have been offered in any connection with the Spring Festival, but the coincidence is providential. Leprosy is a terrible disease. 24 nations worldwide have to deal with it and India alone has 500,000 news cases per annum.
The Chinese temper their animal symbol each year with one of the basic elements like fire, water, earth, metal, wood.... This year 2006 (or is it 4703-4) it is not just any dog, but Fire Dog, an irresistible, adventurous, charismatic dog. This dog only comes around every 60 years and is meant to be unusually prosperous, an improvement in the human condition. Let's hope so!
VOCABULARY
circumspect: wary, on the lookout
unconscionable: not right, not just
_____________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
Gung hay fat choy! Happy dog year! Spring Festival!
28th January 2006, anywhere in the Chinese diaspora -- With bird flu on the rise, there's an audible sigh of relief amongst several billion Chinese, and nations which hold to the Lunar Calendar, as the Year of the Rooster gives way to the Year of the Dog. The origins of Chinese New Year celebrations are lost in antiquity, but the story of Nian the man-eating monster, seems to be part of it. To tell it very briefly, Nian would appear on two occasions in the year, this lunar beginning of Spring being one of them (try telling people in much of Europe at the moment that it is Spring!). A villager worked out that it was more the panic surrounding Nian's appearance that destroyed people, not so much Nian himself, so he organised people to come together, make noise, bang drums, let off fire crackers and have much revelry. Nian got so scared by it all that he fled, was tracked down and killed. Amen.
In Vietnam they call this time 'Tet', but no matter where one is, Saigon, Singapore or Sydney, the Chinese New Year is an important occasion for celebration, and one fifth of the world's population is celebrating it, after all. In Korea, dogs will certainly be more circumspect on this occasion; they would prefer 'dog's best friend' to share his table with the dog rather than share the dog with the table!
However, while it seems an almost unconscionable switch of topic, we are brought back to earth in all the revelry precisely by a Salesian working in China, in Macao actually, who writes on behalf of those for whom he works day in and day out - Hansen's disease sufferers, or leprosy as many used know it. Fr Robert Tonetto addresses his letter to 'dear confreres in Asia', wishes everyone a happy Spring Festival then hopes that his topic might find widespread dispersal. He attaches a letter from Cardinal Barragan, head of the Pontifical Council for health pastoral care. In that letter, and in a much more recent one that I have found since, the Cardinal outlines the history of Catholic pastoral work for Hansen's disease and its sufferers. We cannot say much about this here but Don Bosco is very active on their behalf in China. The point of all this is that January 29th, Chinese New Year day is, this year, the 53rd World Leprosy Day. The disease is on the decrease, thank God. The number of sufferers has halved over the past six years.
"On 29 January, in particular, we invite our communities to "remember" during the Eucharistic Celebration of the Total Body of Christ present in so many people and in families that still suffer because of the disease of leprosy, with the hope and wish that the Eucharist, the actualization and expression of the saving love and solidarity of God for us and for all men, becomes a spring of our greater love and solidarity towards people suffering from, and sick with, leprosy, a spring that is able to build up a more just, a more fraternal, mankind, a mankind at peace". Thus says the Cardinal. The English is torturous, and his use of the 'spring' metaphor may not have been offered in any connection with the Spring Festival, but the coincidence is providential. Leprosy is a terrible disease. 24 nations worldwide have to deal with it and India alone has 500,000 news cases per annum.
The Chinese temper their animal symbol each year with one of the basic elements like fire, water, earth, metal, wood.... This year 2006 (or is it 4703-4) it is not just any dog, but Fire Dog, an irresistible, adventurous, charismatic dog. This dog only comes around every 60 years and is meant to be unusually prosperous, an improvement in the human condition. Let's hope so!
VOCABULARY
circumspect: wary, on the lookout
unconscionable: not right, not just
_____________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
