Archbishop Simon Poh’s Message for Chinese New Year 2023 (2 Languages)
Posted date: January 21, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters,
“Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.”
(Isaiah 46:4)
Welcome to 2023. This month in January we celebrate 1 January, the calendar New Year, and on 22 January, the Lunar New Year.
Every new year signifies the end of a past year and the desire for a new and fresh beginning. After three years of pandemic, we have great hopes that these seasons—Christmas and Lunar New Year—will bring about a fresh beginning for the economy and a return to the life before the pandemic. Let our hearts be filled with GRATITUDE & HOPE.
We are grateful to be ALIVE with churches being reopened, travel and economies recovering slowly. In a way, we are the generation that has lived through and survived this unprecedented pandemic. Let these lessons remain with us:
• When people are in need, we can work together to help alleviate suffering.
• We are all one large human family that needs to give a helping hand to each other.
• From our lockdown experience, we have learnt that we can live a simpler and less materialistic lifestyle.
• Families are important fabrics of our social networks, and we need to treasure one another especially the elderly and our grandparents.
• We are now appreciating home-cooked meals.
• We are grateful and have adapted to technology to pray and keep in touch with our loved ones.
My heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones during the last three years. The fact that we are here today means that no matter how bad the situation had been, we have already survived these tough periods. Though it may still be challenging, let us enter the new year 2023 with HOPE.
In GRATITUDE, we thank our Lord Jesus for accompanying us. He is Emmanuel, a name which means God-is-with-us.
“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)
When we have Jesus, we have what we need to face any difficult day ahead. Our Lord will always walk with us. He will carry us to safety. (Isaiah 46:4)
For 2023, I would like to express my wish and blessing for each, taken from the book of Numbers. With the words that Moses had used to bless his people, I pray for you and your family:
“May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
(Numbers 6:24-26)
Blessings and prayers for New Year 2023
+ Archbishop Simon Poh
傅雲生總主教2023农历新年文告
亲爱的主内兄弟姐妹,
『直到你年老，我仍是一样；直到你白头，
我依然扶持你。
我既然如此做了，
我必要提携你，扶持你，拯救你。』（依 46:4）
欢迎大家来到 2023年。正月里我们庆祝了正月一日的元旦，和正月廿二日的农历新年。
每一个新年标志着过去一年的总结，和一个新的和重新开始的愿望。经过了三年的新冠大流行，我们急切希望那些节日 —圣诞节和农历新年—将带来经济上一个新的开始，和恢复疫情前的生活。让我们的心充满感恩和希望。
我们为能活着，教堂开放，旅游和经济逐渐复苏感恩。在某一方面上，我们是经历了、并活过这个前所未有的大流行的一代。让我们记住从中学到的教训：
• 当人们有需要时，我们可以合力帮助减轻痛苦。
• 我们都属一个人类大家庭，需要互相帮助。
• 从我们关闭的经验中，我们学到，我们可以活得更简朴更少物质的生活方式。
• 家庭是我们的社交网络中重要的一块，我们需互相珍惜，特别是年长者和我们的祖父母。
• 现在我们欣赏自己家里煮的粗茶淡饭。
• 我们感恩，并已适应了祈祷和与亲人联系的科技。
我为那些在过去三年间失去他们的亲人的家庭感到难过。今天我们还活着意味着不管形势多么坏，我们都已捱过了那艰难的时期。虽然情势仍然富挑战性，让我们带着希望进入新的一年。
我们在感恩中感谢我们的主陪伴了我们。祂是厄玛奴耳，意思是天主与我们同在的名字。
『凡劳苦和负重担的，你们都到我跟前来，我要使你们安息。』(玛11:28)
当我们有了耶稣，我们就有了面对前面任何困难日子所需要的。我们的主将一直与我们同行。祂会扶持我们到达安全。（依 46:4）
为 2023年，我愿以户籍纪中的祝福语祝福每个人。以梅瑟曾用来祝福他的子民的话，为你们和你们的家庭祈祷：
『愿上主祝福你，保护你；
愿上主的慈颜光照你，
仁慈待你。
愿上主转面垂顾你，
赐你平安。』
（户 6:24-26）
为新的 2023年的祝福和祈祷
+ 傅云生总主教 （译文）