Why did we choose SJCCM?

作者：Gary Clifford（趙彥平的丈夫）

Why we search for this Parish

My mother told me when I was a child:” The family that prays together stays together.” One day when Yan and I were have some struggles I suggested we become practicing Catholics to see if it would improve our lives. Well, becoming practicing Catholics and member of this Parish has indeed improved our lives.

我們為什麼尋找這個堂區

我小時候，母親常對我說：“一起祈禱的家庭才能長久團結。“有一天，當我和彥在生活中遇到一些困難時，我建議我們開始認真實踐天主教信仰，看看能否改善我們的生活。事實證明，成為虔誠的天主教徒並加入這個堂區的大家庭，確實讓我們的生活得到了提升。

 

Why I value attending Mandarin Mass

I am sure many of you wonder why I come to a Mass held in Mandarin though I do not understand much Mandarin.Yan and I could go to different Masses: each one of us attending one in our mother tongue.

Yet a Parish is more than a gathering of individuals who happen to pray in the same place- it is a community of faith. By worshiping together in this Parish, we can pray together and share in the same community.

Yan has already made a big sacrifice in living with me in an English-speaking society; I believe the least I can do is join her in Mandarin-speaking faith community when we pray together.

By belonging to this community, we both feel we have an extended family in this area.This is especially meaningful to me since my family is so small and since Yan’s family remains mostly in China.

我為什麼珍視參加中文彌撒

也許你們中的許多人會疑惑，為什麼我會來參加中文彌撒。儘管我對中文的理解不多，事實上，彥和我本可以分別去參加不同的彌撒，各自使用自己的母語。

然而，堂區不僅僅是一些人在同一地方祈禱的聚會——它是一個信仰的團體。通過一起在這個堂區敬拜，我們能夠共同祈禱，並融入同一個信仰團體。

彥已經為了和我生活在一個英語社會而做出了巨大的犧牲。我認為，至少我可以祈禱時，陪伴她加入一個講中文的信仰團體。

在這個團體裡，我們都感受到自己在這裡有了一個大家庭。對我而言，這尤其重要，因為我的家庭很小，而彥的家人多數還在中國。

 

How We Practice Our Faith Together

While I am driving home to Gilroy after mass , Yan will tell me about the mass we just attended. Yan will quiz me on the passages of the Bible that were discussed in Mass to test how much I know. Yan will tell me what her interpretation is of what was taught at Mass and ask me what I think about her interpretation. In short, after mass our ride home becomes a short of mini-bible study and an opportunity to deepen our faith together.

We have also attended mass in Japanese and Spanish, two languages that I speak, and that Yan does not.On those occasions, our role were reserved.

When we attend a mass in English, afterwards we discuss what we have heard on equal footing. In each case, the language of the Mass shapes how our after-Mass discussions unfold.

我們如何一起實踐信仰

每次彌撒結束後，我開車帶彥回吉爾羅伊的途中，她會和我分享剛剛參加的彌撒內容。她會考我彌撒中提到的聖經章節，以檢驗我了解多少；她也會談自己對講道的理解，並詢問我的看法。簡而言之，彌撒後的歸途，常常變成我們的小型聖經學習，也成為我們一起加深信仰的機會。

我們還曾參加過日語和西班牙語的彌撒——這兩種語言我會，但彥不會。在那些情況下，我們的角色就互換了。

當我們參加英文彌撒時，彌撒後我們會平等地一起討論所聽到的內容。在每一種情況中，彌撒所使用的語言都會影響我們彌撒後的交流方式。

 

Conclusion

We are very grateful to all the members of this Parish,Fr. O, and Deacon Simon for welcoming us so warmly into the parish and hope to be active participants of the parish for many years to come.

結語

我們非常感謝堂區的所有成員，以及歐神父和西滿執事，感謝你們如此熱情地歡迎我們。我們真心希望今後能夠在這個堂區繼續積極參與，並在未來的許多年裡，與大家共同走在信仰的道路上。

 

 

 

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