Celebrating My Birthday at a Philipino Chapel on Lamma Island

We have been travelling in Asia for over a month and have been doing some island hopping for the past week or so. Today, being Sunday, was also my birthday! Normally, I would spend my birthday with my husband and close friends /family members to enjoy a special dinner at a nice restaurant. Therefore, yesterday, we looked for a nice restaurant on this island for my birthday dinner. We were up early today and got ready for the Sunday service. We found a Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, on our walk yesterday and therefore we knew exactly where to go. The walk to Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel was around 15 minutes from our hotel. Since it was early in the morning and cooler, the walk was much easier and pleasant. We were able to apprecaite and enjoy the scenery and the nice low rise buildings dotted on the island.

By the time we arrived at the church, it was a full house and we were lucky to find the last two seats at the back of the chapel. There were about fifty people inside with the latecomers about 15 - 20 of them sitting outside the chapel. As we do in our Protestant service, this Catholic mass also included singing, prayers, scripture reading followed by a short message by the priest. One thing which I found different was that the Catholic mass was much more joyful than our Protestant's Sunday worship. The singing was joyful and the message was postive and uplifting. I was touched and encouraged by the worship.

After the mass, I chatted with a couple of the church Sisters who learned that today was my birthday and invited us to join their lunch at the chapel. I was surprised at this invitation but would be delighted to attend. As we were waiting for the lunch to start, a littel girl found that it was my birthday and she came and gave me not just one gift but two. How generous was she at such a young agae? I was moved and accepted one gift from her only though she insisted I should take both.

> Later, the priest came to us, prayed with me and blessed me personally. I was deeply touched and unable to hold back my tears. When the lunch started, one of the Sisters came and sat beside me while Joseph, a volunteer at the church sat with my hubby.

It was a blessing being surrounded by a body of church brothers and sisters on my birthday! I was delighted as I thought that we would be alone on my birthday; but it didn't happen. Instead we were embraced by our church family! The kindness, the generosity and the wonderful fellowship we experienced at the Lady of Lourdes Chapel on Lamma Island in Hong Kong on my birthday was one of the highlghts of our Asian trip and we were grateful for the Sisters and the congregants' show of love for strangers like us.

It makes me happy and realized that when we are beleivers in God, we will never be alone! RT, Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, Lamma Island, Hong Kong, 2025