Kevin, Agnes, CANA Hong Kong National Team

Hong Kong: CANA Week 2020

In Hong Kong, the recent CANA Week was unusual but with miracles! Behind the masks are smiles. Everyone came home tired but happy.

Thanks be to God, for He is Good

Clouded under the uncertainty of the pandemic of COVID-19 plus the restrictions of social distancing and other hygienic requirements, we had to re-schedule the original date of CANA Week from August to October after prayer and discernment. We finally have 8 new couples (two protestant couples) and a Diocesan Priest plus 9 helping couples (including two core couples) for this unusual CANA week.

We started the week with heavy rain on day 0, at night, but the sun came out the following days. Similarly, some couples came with acute marriage situations. However, following the week programme, they discovered and experienced the “GREAT” miracle in their marriage, i.e. God is with them. No matter what problems they face, they can always count on God. They can finally see the small light ahead inside the dark tunnel of marriage with hope. They have also experienced the accompaniment of helping couples with much appreciation. One couple said that they have never “joined a tour in which the tour guides is more numerous than the tourists!”

Behind the masks, smiles

God worked another miracle on the only non-faithful husband in the group. Bringing a heavy load of marriage difficulty with his wife, he has experienced the touch by God’s mercy throughout the week especially through reading of the Gospel of the Prodigal Son on the Reconciliation day. He said Jesus has finally found the lost sheep! We could “see” the smiles behind the mask of him and his wife at the end of the week. Right after the week, he has found a catechesis class in his neighbourhood and will join with his Catholic wife. They said they will certainly come back next year for the CANA week as helpers.

Other similar couples also experienced God’s mercy throughout the week by looking more at his/her own problem rather than the spouse’s problem.

We wish this little seed sown in this CANA week can continue to flourish in the soil of the CANA Fraternity and other CANA formation programmes that follow.

The helpers are also very encouraged by the miracles they saw in the couples. Indeed, the two new helping couples (participants of CANA week last year) and other helping couples experienced the mutual collaboration within their own couple as well as with other helping couples by serving as a team.

We all have experienced God’s greatness through a tiring but happy CANA week.

Praise the Lord!