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Newly Baptized Catholics Share Profound Experiences Of First Christmas

Updated: January 08, 2008 05:00 PM GMT
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Before he took up catechism classes leading to his baptism just before Christmas, John Wang would "celebrate" the annual festival by "enjoying lavish meals, dancing and drinking in pubs overnight."

"This Christmas was different," admits the 46-year-old civil servant, who was among 217 catechumens baptized at Tianjin diocese´s Xikai Cathedral on Dec. 22.

"I now understand the true meaning of Christmas, that Jesus came to save us from sin more than 2,000 years ago," he said on Jan. 3. "I thank God for not abandoning me, for allowing me to live anew through baptism."

Wang and several others who had just completed a catechism course held September-December at the cathedral in Tianjin municipality, just southeast of Beijing, shared with UCA News the spiritual experience of their first Christmas as Catholics.

Thomas Jiang confessed that he too had the wrong idea about the holiday before attending the catechism class. "I thought Santa Claus was the central figure of Christmas, because I saw his picture in hotels, shopping malls and everywhere. Now I know it is the one born in Bethlehem, the Savior," he said.

The 28-year-old worker recounted that he had a profound spiritual experience on Christmas Day when he saw the figure of the "lovely Infant Jesus" lying in the manger of the nativity scene at the cathedral.

"I couldn´t hold back my tears!" Jiang exclaimed, explaining that he felt there and then that Jesus´ life was "full of love and beauty."

Francis Xavier Zhao, 38, noted that he and other newly baptized Catholics were part of the parish service team on Christmas Eve, serving people who came to visit the cathedral for the festive commemoration of Jesus´ birth.

"I was amazed to see our church bustling with tens of thousands of curious visitors from early morning until the midnight Mass," he said.

Zhao added that the celebration of Christmas "reminds me to be holy and devout, and to share and care for others."

Referring to his patron saint, the "Apostle of Asia," Zhao expressed his desire "to follow St. Francis Xavier´s example to evangelize so that more people may know and follow Jesus."

Andrew Tong, a student who attended Christmas Eve midnight Mass for the first time, shared that his heart was beating fast when the figure of the Infant Jesus was brought into the church in complete silence. "I shed tears of joy and repeated in my heart, ´Christ is born for us.´"

Other newly baptized Catholics echoed similar sentiments, saying the celebration moved them and reaffirmed their determination to obey God´s commandments and follow Jesus´ example in striving to be good Christians.

This batch of new Catholics, comprising 90 men and 127 women, broke the parish´s record for the most baptisms since the cathedral began holding catechism courses three times a year in 2004. In June, the parish baptized 206 adults, following the spring course, which ran February-June last year. Besides that and an autumn course, September-December last year, it also runs a shorter, intensive summer course. In 2006, the three courses produced 353 new Catholics.

Of the December graduates about 70 percent are in the 20-40 age group, a quarter above 40 and the rest below 20. Close to 60 percent have a university education while the rest are high-school graduates.

According to Father Zhang Liang, the cathedral parish priest, many of the newly baptized come from non-Catholic families.

Father Zhang also told UCA News the recently baptized Catholics will now take a one-year faith-formation course to deepen their faith and knowledge about Catholicism. Among other things, they learn how to read the Bible, participate fully in Mass and practice their faith in daily life.

For the catechism courses, catechists teach Catholic doctrine, explain Church developments and accompany the catechumens to prayer gatherings or pilgrimages, the 47-year-old priest reported.

END

(Accompanying photos available at here)

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