Sunday, 26 January 2025Bringing Joy Through Christmas Carolling By 5J Jacky Zhang
Our visit to the Tuen Mun Hospital for carolling was a very memorable experience. It was a time to bring joy to those who may not be feeling it as much because they are in hospital. When we arrived, we gathered in a lecture theatre and Mr. Sham, the manager of the Catholic Pastoral Care Unit, shared with us about what we should and shouldn’t do when we’re in the wards. He also joined us later in carolling.
Our songs began in the main concourse with “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.” Then we separated into groups and visited different wards. Accompanied by a guitar, we sang carols to bring a warm and comforting atmosphere to the wards. Before we left, we gave each patient a Christmas card written by our fellow Shungtakians, and a small gift from the Church. The Christmas carolling activity really brought me mixed feelings. I was happy to share the joy but also sad as I could not do more to help the patients lying on the beds. Some were even wearing oxygen masks, so they were not able to respond to me except through their eyes. I pray that we were able at least to bring some peace and joy mentally to the patients. Experiences like this are eye-opening and can truly raise our sense of awareness of the world. It also helps us to strengthen our empathy and understanding of others. We pray for all the patients that we visited and ask God to give them comfort and strength.