Taiwan, an Easter of mothers
Taipei ( AsiaNews) - It was an Easter for mothers this year in Taipei. The statistics of the Easter vigil baptisms in the capital reveal that the absolute majority were mothers who have found the key to finding the serenity of the heart in the message of the Gospel and love of Christ.
"I am a secretary in an accounting office and have two children - says Lingming (灵 明 妈妈) - they went through a lot of difficulties at high school, even health wise. My sister also had two children but she was far more serene than I, despite often having family problems relating to work, college, to the care of our parents". One day we managed to have some free time together: I asked her what made her so calm. 'I got baptized', she said, 'and this helps me a lot'. I did not even have the faintest idea what baptism was. Then I thought it was just something Western. But it's much more Taiwanese than we think, Jesus is the brother of everyone, no matter what nationality, or race said my sister". Since that time, Lingming began attending the catechism classes on Wednesday in the late afternoon with two other people: "At one point I noticed that listening to the parables of Jesus' life made me more happy, satisfied and peaceful, just as I saw with my sister. So I started to 'publicize it' among my friends: today about a dozen of them attended these meetings to share the Gospel".
Il fatto che più della metà di coloro che sono stati battezzati durante la veglia di Pasqua siano mamme "non mi sorprende per niente. Se guardo la mia esperienza personale, le capisco tutte".
She does not, however, see baptism
as a kind of magic: "I was baptized during the Easter Vigil, and this made
me very happy. It is nothing to do with magic at all: encountering Jesus helps
you to see things in a new way, without getting caught by anxiety. My children
are growing up, and we will solve our problems together. Jesus' teachings, help
me to conquer many of my fears".
The
fact that more than half of those who were baptized during the Easter Vigil are
mothers "does not surprise me at all. If I look at my own personal
experience, I understand them all".
The experience of Fangyi (芳 义 妈妈), another mother who was baptized on Easter night, was the result of her work colleagues involvement in the Sacred Heart parish community. She decided to ask for baptism because she believes that the Christian community will help her better realize her desire to help those in need.
"I saw the work of diocesan missions and Caritas - she says - and I know that great things are often passed over in silence. Hopefully, I will be able to cooperate even more and be able to share what I can with those who need it most". After working so long with people belonging to the Christian community, who are her closest friends, "I felt the urge to join in an explicit way . My children and my husband were not at all surprised by my choice, rather they encouraged me to do what I felt inside. I have to thank all my friends and especially Sister Anna for letting me know and experience a vibrant and generous community that has always supported me in these years in the most critical moments".
Taiwan's Catholic community counts just over 300 thousand faithful, formed from by urban and rural parishes as well as a vibrant Catholic community for the majority of migrants coming from the Philippines and other neighboring countries.
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30/03/2016 15:51
