信仰与文化

 2016年华人农历新年

在所有的华人传统节日中，农历新年可说是最大的节日。这就是为什么今天我们华人天主教徒会选择庆祝这个传统节日。文化赋予我们的生命意义；文化也象征着我们的身份。在座的各位都和我一样，有着多重的身份。我是一个华人，但受英文教育。我是马来西亚华人，这使我和中国大陆及台湾的华人不太一样。还有，我也是个天主教徒。这些不同的身份不仅让我成为不同团体的一份子，也影响了我的个性和选择。一般上，这些不同的团体有各自的生活方式，彼此间不一定有任何关系。可是身为一个天主教徒，却把这些不同的身份及文化融合在一起。

我们很难给传统文化下个定义。文化就像我们所呼吸的空气，虽然知道它的存在，但是却不以为意。只有当我们被其他人问起这文化到底是什么的时候，我们才会说一说。大多数的人理所当然地会把传统文化与服装、语言、音乐、舞蹈及庆节联系在一起。可是如果我们以为就因为一年才穿一次的传统服装或播放一次某种乐曲能表现出某种文化的话，那就对文化有欠公平了。这就是我所说的“旅游业”——它只为做“表演”用途而已。真正的文化能影响我们的价值观及左右我们的生活方向。真正的文化就好像是一个镜片，让我们能窥探这世界。

教会怎样看待文化呢？信仰与文化之间有着什么关系？其实，教会对文化有着正面的看法，因为文化来自人最好的一面，是人的内在及外在最佳的成就。教会使用人的语言及文化标记来宣扬主耶稣基督的福音。就如圣言成了血肉，为我们启示了天主的救恩计划；福音也得透过人的文化语言来与人沟通，使人明白。

换句话说，信仰与文化不是互相对立的。我们可以从文化中学习到很多东西；我们的文化也能从信仰中得到很多的学习。信仰教导我们，有主在内运作的文化，就是最好的文化。信仰能够净化文化，并帮助人看清最好的东西不是个人的成就或传承。信仰能够帮助我们看到；当朝拜天主时，人就可取得最好的成就。信仰也能够厘清我们应该关注的优先事务；那就是把天主放在先，其他的第二，而我们在最后。曾经有一位刚领洗的印度教友告诉我说，他以前的宗教教导他生命中最重要的价值有三个：那就是母亲、老师及神。但自从他领洗成为天主教徒之后，他才理解了他的优先选择：那就是天主应放在第一位，其次是母亲，老师则排在第三位。我们千万不能忘记，如果天主不在我们的文化和传统中，最后就会演变成朝拜文化。当我们朝拜文化时，最终就是朝拜人，而把天主给遗忘了。

这就是为什么我们的传统庆祝要以弥撒庆典作开始。我们应当提醒自己，凡是最好的一定要先奉献给天主。在每一台弥撒中，天主受光荣；而人则得到圣化。弥撒并不是光荣人或文化，它也不是为了展示人类的文化。弥撒是为展现天主的大能，为显示天主至高无上的权柄及无限的恩宠。弥撒超越人的文化，它是整个教会的庆典。这个庆典不单只为华人，但也是为全体信友而举行。因为在基督内，没有所谓的犹太人或外邦人，奴隶或自由人，男人或女人之分；所有的人都在基督内合而为一。

今天，文化与信仰都遭受到现代生活方式的冲击。不论来自哪一个种培育成长的文化环境，现在的人都生活在一个和以前很不同的社会环境里。华人重视孝道和家庭观念，因此对我们华人来说，父母与家庭都是很重要的。可是如今住在老人院里的老人，多数都来自华人社群。为了

不让这优良的传统文化价值逐渐变质，我们应该坚强我们的信仰。信仰与文化是息息相关的。信德坚强的人会孝敬父母，因为孝敬父母是天主十诫中的一条诫命。

今天的弥撒结束后，我们将进行祭祖仪式。在祭祖之前，我们必须先清楚地了解几样事情。虽然我们从传统文化中得到很多的学习，但是我们的理解却和非天主教徒很不一样。身为天主教徒，我们不是朝拜我们的祖先，也不是朝拜附在灵位上的祖先灵魂。身为天主教徒，我们为亡者祈祷，因为亡者已经没能力再为自己祈祷了。天主教徒能够给他们最好的祈祷就是奉献弥撒，因为主耶稣基督在十字架上的牺牲拯救了他们，也拯救了我们。我们的信仰教导我们，当我们在向我们的父母、祖先、甚至是圣人行敬礼的时候，我们也在光荣天主。当我们在为先人及圣人举行敬礼的同时，就是在朝拜天主。所以在今天的祭祖仪式中，我们必须清楚明了朝拜唯一天主以及对祖先敬礼之间的差别。而且在祭祖仪式中，我们不可忘记天主；我们应以天主为先，祖先第二，我们则排在最后。

今天，当我们与华人信友团体一起庆祝这感恩弥撒之际，让我们不断地光荣天主，并为所有的事物赞颂祂，就连我们在庆祝这传统节日及祭祖的同时，也一样地赞美天主。圣人依肋内曾提醒我们：“人的活着，就是天主的光荣；当人朝拜天主时，才算真正地活着。”

Faith and Culture

Chinese New Year 2016

Of all the cultural celebrations of the Chinese community, the Lunar New Year is by far the most important. That is why we have chosen to celebrate this cultural festival today as a parish community, as a community of Catholics. Culture gives meaning to our lives. Culture gives us our identity. But all of us have many layers of cultural identity. I am Chinese, but I’m also English educated. I’m also Malaysian, which makes me quite different from the Chinese from mainland China or Taiwan. But finally, I’m also Catholic. All these titles can place me into different groups of people and influence my personality and choices. Normally, these different groups often live separately and need not have any relation with each other. But being Catholic, has brought all these different cultural aspects together under one roof.

It’s hard to define what culture is. It’s like the air that we breathe. We know it’s there but usually pay little attention to it. We only begin to speak of it when having to explain to someone else what that culture is all about. Most people, of course, associate culture with dressing, language, music, dance and our festivals. But just because we dress up once a year in our traditional costumes or play certain music once year doesn’t really do justice to culture. It’s what I call “tourism” – that is for “show” only. True culture affects our values and the choices we make. It is the lenses in which we view the world.

How does the Church view culture? What is the relationship between faith and culture? The Church views culture positively as that which is “best” in man – culture is man’s best mental and physical achievements. The Church preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ by using the language and the symbols of culture. Just as the Word of God became man to reveal to us the plan of God, the gospel too must be understood and take on the language of culture to communicate itself to men.

In other words, there is no opposition between faith and culture. There is much we can learn from culture but there is much that our culture can learn from faith. Faith teaches us that culture is truly the “best” when it is directed at God. Faith purifies culture and helps man to see that what is best are not his personal achievements or even his heritage. Faith helps us to see that the “best” of what man can achieve is when he worships God. Faith also helps us work out our priorities. God first, others second, we last of all. An Indian new convert once told me that his old religion taught him three important values in life, mother, teacher and God. But ever since he became Catholic, he now understood his priorities. God first, mother second and teacher, third. We must never forget that if God is absent from our culture and customs, we end up worshipping culture instead. And when culture is worshipped, we ultimately end up worshipping man whilst God is forgotten.

That is why our festive celebration begins with mass. We must always remember that whatever is the best and the greatest must first be offered to God. At every mass, it is God who is glorified and man sanctified. Mass is not a place where we glorify man or even culture. Mass is not a showcase of man’s culture. Mass is a demonstration of God’s power, His authority and grace. Mass is a place where we transcend culture. It is the celebration of the entire Church. Not just of the Chinese people, but also the whole community, for in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave or free, man or woman, for we are all united in Christ.

Today, both culture and faith have suffered from the pressures of modern living. We now live in a society quite different from what we had when most of us grew up, regardless of the culture that nurtured us. For us Chinese, parents and family are important priorities and yet the largest number of elderly residing in old folks home comes from the Chinese community.  In order that we may continue to promote these good cultural values and save them from further deterioration, we must strengthen our faith. They are both inter-related. People of faith would learn to honour their parents because to honour them is keeping the commandment of God.

At the end of this mass, we will have the rite of veneration of ancestors. We must keep a few things in mind. Though we have learnt a great deal from our culture, our understanding is very different from non-Catholics. As Catholics we do not “worship” our ancestors neither do the souls of our ancestors reside in the ancestral tablet. As Catholics, we pray for the dead because they can no longer pray for themselves. The greatest prayer we can offer as Catholics is the mass because it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that can save them as well us. Our Catholic faith teaches us that we when honour our parents, our elders and even the saints, we give glory to God. God is worshipped in the veneration of the saints and in the honour we give to our elders. That is why in today’s ritual, it is necessary that we make a clear distinction between the worship which can be given to God alone and the honour which we give to our ancestors. Even, when venerate our ancestors, we must do so without forgetting God. God comes first, others second, we come last of all.

Today, as we celebrate this thanksgiving mass with the Chinese community, let us continue to glorify God, to praise Him in all things, even as we celebrate our cultural customs and honour our elders and ancestors. As St Irenaeus reminds us, “the glory of God is man fully alive, and man is fully alive when he worships God.”

Deepavali (Divali) - October 17

Living in multicultural and multireligious Malaysia is truly a blessing as we have the opportunity to learn a great deal about the cultural and religious celebrations of other Malaysians. Tomorrow, we celebrate one of Malaysia's great religious holidays, and for Hindu Indians it is their largest and best known holiday, Diwali (pronounced Di-vall-ee or dih-WAH-lee) or locally known as Deepavali, is popularly known as the "festival of lights"; however, its most noteworthy meaning in a spiritual sense may be "the awareness of the inner light".

Deepavali (தீபாவளி or Dīpāvalī,) (Hindi: दीपावली, दिवाली; Kannada: ದೀಪಾವಳಿ; Urdu: دیوالی; Tamil: தீபாவளி; Telugu: దీపావళి;Marathi and Konkani:दिवाळी) is a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and an official holiday in India and Malaysia.

Deepavali is a Tamil word meaning diyas in line தீபாவளி(deepavali) = தீபம்(deepam)+வளி(vali) (In tamil வளி(vali) = வரிசை(line))The word தீபம்(diyas) derived from the word தீ(fire).

Hinduism
Fundamental in Hindu philosophy is the belief that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman (pronounced in Sanskrit like Atma). Deepavali (Diwali) is the celebration of this inner light, in particular of the knowing that this light outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), and awakens the individual to their true nature, not as the body, but as an unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With the knowing of the Atman comes universal compassion, love, and the understanding of the oneness of all things.

In most regions, Diwali lasts for five days. It begins on the 14th day of the dark half of the Hindu calendar month of Asvina. (Hindu months are each divided into a light half, when the moon waxes, and a dark half, when it wanes.) In 2009, on the Gregorian calendar, Diwali begins on October 17th.

The story behind Diwali, as well as the length and specific details of the celebrations, varies widely from region to region; however, the essence is the same: to rejoice in the inner light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman) through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, the sharing of sweets and worship.

Deepavali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship. While the story behind Dipavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the inner light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things (Brahman).

Of the several events associated with it, the following are two important ones in Hinduism:

1. Return of Rama to Ayodhya: Deepavali also celebrates the return of Rama, King of Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to Ayodhya after a 14 year exile, and a war in which he killed Ravana. It is believed that the people of Ayodhya lit ghee lamps along the way to light their path in the darkness. Since Ram traveled from South India to his kingdom in North India, he passed through the south earlier. This is the reason why the festival is celebrated a day earlier in South India. Deepavali usually comes 19 or 20 days after Dasara.
2. The Killing of Narakasura: Celebrated as Narak Chaturdashi, one day before Deepavali day, it commemorates the killing of Narakasura, an evil demon who created havoc, by Krishna's wife Satyabhama. This happened in the Dwapara Yuga during this time of Krishna's avatar. In another version, the demon was killed by Krishna ( Krishna provokes his wife Satyabhama to kill Narshna defeating Indra: Govardhan Puja is celebrated the day after Deepavali. It is the day Krishna defeated Indra, the deity of thunder and rain. As per the story, Krishna saw huge preparations for the annual offering to Lord Indra and questions his father Nanda about it. He debated with the villagers about what their 'dharma' truly was. They were farmers, they should do their duty and concentrate on farming and protection of their cattle. He continued to say that all human beings should merely do their 'karma', to the best of their ability and not pray for natural phenomenon. The villagers were convinced by Krishna, and did not proceed with the special puja (prayer). Indra was then angered, and flooded the village. Krishna then lifted Mt Govardhan and held it up as protection to his people and cattle from the rain. Indra finally accepted defeat and recognized Krishna as supreme.

Variations notwithstanding, these stories share a common thread; that of the removal of evil, to be replaced by that which is good.

This sense of renewal is reflected in the way Hindus prepare themselves for Deepavali.

In anticipation of the celebration, homes as well as their surrounding areas are cleaned from top to bottom; decorative designs such as the kolam are drawn or placed on floors and walls; and the glow of lights, whether emitted from the traditional vilakku (oil lamps fashioned out of clay) or colourful electric bulbs, brighten up the abode of both rich and poor, signalling the coming festivities.

Temples are similarly spruced up with flowers and offerings of fruits and coconut milk from devotees, becoming more abundant and pronounced as the big day draws closer.

The spring cleaning and decorating are significant for they not only symbolise renewal but also prepare for the welcoming of Devi Lakshmi, the goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, who is believed to visit homes and temples on the day. It is said she emerged from the churning ocean only days after the new moon of Deepavali.

Besides the cleaning of homes and temples, Hindus also prepare themselves by cleansing their bodies and minds. Many among the devout fast, or observe a strict vegetarian diet, and spend hours during the preceding weeks in prayer and meditation.

The eve is usually spent making last-minute preparations for the next day. This is also the time when past quarrels are forgotten, and forgiveness is extended and granted.

On Deepavali morning, many Hindu devotees awaken before sunrise for the ritual oil bath. For some it is a symbolic affair (to signify purity) while others take full oil baths to remove impurities externally, as well as tone the muscles and nerves to receive positive energies. Then it's straight to the temples where prayers are held in accordance with the ceremonial rites.

The rest of the day is taken up by receiving guests, as is customary here in Malaysia. Most devout Hindus tend to be vegetarian, but that doesn't change the fact that Deepavali is the day to savour the many delicious Indian delicacies such as sweetmeats, rice puddings and the ever-popular murukku.

Jainism
For the Jains: Diwali marks the attainment of nirvana by Lord Mahavira – the last of the Jain Tirthankaras – on October 15, 527 BC and is one of their most important festivals.


Mahavira is responsible for establishing the Dharma followed by Jains even today. According to tradition, the chief disciple of Mahavira, Ganadhara Gautam Swami also attained complete knowledge (Kevalgyana) on this day, thus making Diwali one of the most important Jain festivals.

Mahavira attained his nirvana at the dawn of the amavasya (new moon). According to the Kalpasutra by Acharya Bhadrabahu, 3rd century BC, many gods were present there, illuminating the darkness. The following night was pitch black without the light of the gods or the moon. To symbolically keep the light of their master's knowledge alive, the Gana kings illuminated their doors. It was reported that they had said: "Since the light of knowledge is gone, we will make light of ordinary matter."

Sikhism
Diwali (also called Bandi Chhorh Diwas or "the day of release of detainees") is a particularly important day because it celebrates the release from imprisonment in 1619 of the sixth Sikh Guru, Hargobind Ji.

Deepavali has been significant in Sikhism since the illumination of the town of Amritsar commemorating the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji (1595-1644), the sixth Guru of Sikhism, who was imprisoned along with 52 other Hindu kings at Fort Gwalior by Emperor Jahangir. After freeing the other prisoners, he went to the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) in the holy city of Amritsar, where he was welcomed happily by the people who lit candles and divas to greet the Guru. Because of this, Sikhs often refer to Deepavali also as Bandi Chhorh Divas - "the day of release of detainees."