天主是一個鋤強扶弱的天主。祂常在大型戰役中，幫助以色列人以寡敵眾，取得勝利。例如，當年梅瑟解放以色列人出埃及的時候，六十萬手無寸鐵的以色列人來到紅海海邊，法魯王率領600輪戰車追到，準備衝入人群，大開殺戒，以報殺長子之仇。以色列人前無去路，後有追兵，又沒有能力背水一戰。眼見這場無可避免的大屠殺即將開始的時候，天主出手幫助以色列人過紅海，避過一場浩劫，並淹沒了法魯王的戰車和追兵。
天主也有祂的溫柔一面，祂對社會上的弱小者關懷備致，經常提醒以色列人照顧身邊的孤兒寡婦和傷殘人士。例如，天主在出谷紀20章頒布十誡，在第22章就警告以色列人，不得苛待孤兒寡婦，否則，天主要使他們的妻兒成為孤兒寡婦。（出22:21-23）在肋未紀19章，我們可以找到有名的「愛你的近人如愛你自己」的法律。在這條法律之前，就記載了很多很有愛心的法律。例如收割時不得割到田邊，拾剩的麥穗或者葡萄就不可再拾，目的是為了留給窮人和外邦人。又要即日發放工資給工人，不得刻扣過夜；不得欺負他們聽不到就咒罵聾人，不得因為他們看不到就放障礙物在盲人面前等。這些都是明文規定在613條猶太法律之中。可見天主對社會上的弱勢社群的細心、關心。並且運用法律來教育以色列人這樣做。類似的教導，遍佈在先知書和智慧文學例如約伯傳、聖詠、箴言之中。
今天的第一篇讀經，天主在依撒意亞先知書就宣布祂要以身作則，親自照顧那些傷殘人士。目的就是勸勉以色列人不要歧視他們，要跟隨天主的榜樣，關懷愛護他們。今天的福音，記載了耶穌治好一個聾啞人，這事蹟包含了很豐富的意義。讓我們逐一反省。
首先，耶穌不但應驗了先知的預言，而且更具體地反對歧視。請注意，這個神蹟發生的地點是提洛、漆東及十城區一帶，即是外邦人的地方，是一般猶太人所歧視的地方，但從前不是這樣的。在梅瑟時代，以色列人生活在埃及，自己都是外族，外邦人。所以梅瑟五書所記載的613條法律，對外邦人是友善的，因為他們也曾是外邦人。對外邦人的歧視是後來的事，可追溯到亡國充軍的時代。在充軍時，為了保持自己的猶太人身份不被同化，部份猶太人，即法利塞人刻意與外邦人隔離，並努力鑽研古老經典，編纂猶太人的聖經。回國後，猶太總督不但強行解散已存在的混合婚姻，而且更下令禁止猶太人與外邦人通婚。1971音樂劇電影「錦繡良緣 Fiddler on the Roof」 就是在這種背景之下所演繹的動人故事。所以耶穌治好外邦聾啞人，是十分有意義的。外邦人也是人，也是按天主肖像所造。以色列人得天獨厚，首先認識天主。他們對外邦人的歧視祗是後世種種歷史因素所形成的不幸，應該糾正。耶穌不歧視外邦人，作為祂的門徒，我們也不應歧視外族，歧視身邊的外籍佣人。
第二，外邦人不認識天主，是傳福音的對象。傳福音就是好像耶穌治病的故事一樣。耶穌開啟盲人聾人的耳目，讓他們認識天主，獲得救恩。天主教素來跟隨耶穌以行愛德服務的方式傳福音，比較少用宣道的方式傳福音。其實宣講與行愛德是相輔相成，缺一不可。祗宣講而沒有愛德服務，是空口講白話，對任何人都沒有益處。祗有愛德服務而沒有宣講，祗會流於社會福利工作，這是政府應該做的事，不是教會應該做的事。要知道，教會做社會服務，愛德服務與一般的社會福利工作不同。教會做愛德服務不祗是多一份愛心，政府的社工一樣可以滿溢愛心。作為耶穌的門徒，最大的愛心莫過於關懷別人靈魂的得救。所以，教會的愛德服務不能停留在福利層面，而要讓受惠人認識天主的救恩。
第三，祈禱讀經是非常重要的。耶穌醫治聾啞人，是先開啟他的耳，纔鬆他的舌。鬆了舌頭就可以開口讚頌天主，宣揚天主如何在他身上施恩。同樣，我們需要讀經、祈禱、靜下來聆聽天音的聲音，天主的啟示。在祈禱中，獲得天主賜予的力量。福音記載耶穌經常獨自在荒野，在山上祈禱。所以，傳福音不能沒有靈修作配合。
各位兄弟姊姐，一切從祈禱讀經開始，祗有這樣纔能在生活中，在自己的工作崗位中，在堂區生活中，在天水圍社區中，活出耶穌基督的慈悲面容。
若蘇厄繼承梅瑟帶領以色列子民進入福地，把土地分給十二支派之後，以色列人進入維時約三百年的民長時代。民長是來自十二支派的民族英雄，他們帶領自己的支派，或聯合一兩個其他的支派對抗外族的入侵。例如，基德紅時代，天主以三百以色列人擊敗十三萬五千米德揚與阿瑪肋克聯軍。
到了君王時代，最聞名後世的莫過於達味單挑哥肋雅一役。天主幫助一個十多歲的牧童，擊倒一個九尺高的培肋舍特勇士。無疑，舊約的歷史總有誇大和浪漫化的成份，但無可置疑的，是天主曾經幫助過以色列這個弱小的民族，周旋於列強之中，雖然幾次亡國，仍生存在人類的歴史之中，直到今天。
天主保祐。
Twenty Third Ordinary Sunday (Year B)
Theme: To care for the needy
God likes to overthrow the powerful and uphold the weak. In large scale battles, He usually helped the outnumbered Israelites to defeat their foes. For example, when Moses liberated the Israelites from Egypt, the 600,000 unarmed Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the 600 Egyptian chariots which were ready to charge into the fleeing crowd for a massacre to revenge for the deaths of their first-borns. It was impossible for the Israelites to withstand the ferocious onslaught. Just when this inevitable massacre was about to start, God helped the Israelites cross the Red Sea to safety and drown the army of pursuing chariots.
God also has a softer side. He cares very much about the wellbeing of the disadvantaged in the society. He keeps reminding the Israelites of the duty to take care of orphans, widows and the disabled. For example, in Exodus 20, God gave the Ten Commandments. Quickly in chapter 22, He warned them not to afflict any orphan or widow lest He would make their wives widows and children orphans. (Exodus 22:21-23) In Leviticus 19, we can find the famous law of “love your neighbour as yourself”. Before that, you can find many charitable laws. For example, when they reaped the harvest, they should not reap the field to its very border. Neither should they gather the gleanings after their harvest. They should not strip their vineyard bare, nor gather the fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and for the Gentiles. They should not keep the wage of hired workers overnight. They should not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind etc. to take advantage of their deafness and blindness. All these are part of the 613 Jewish laws. We can see that God cares very much about the socially disadvantaged. He made use of the Torah to teach them. Similar teachings are scattered among the Prophets and Wisdom Literature such as Job, Psalms and Proverbs.
In the first reading today, God declares in Isaiah that He sets an example for us to take care of the disabled. He exhorts the Israelites not to discriminate against them and follow His examples to care for them. In the gospel reading today, Jesus healed a deaf-mute. This cure is pregnant with meanings. Let us meditate its meanings one by one.
First of all, not only does Jesus fulfill the prophecy but he also concretely opposes discrimination. The miracle took place in the region of Tyre, Sidon and Decapolis which was a Gentile territory, a region commonly despised by Jews. But discrimination against Gentiles was not a common practice. During Moses’ time, the Israelites lived in Egypt. They themselves were aliens. Therefore, the 613 laws in the Torah are friendly to Gentiles because they themselves were. Discrimination arose only at a later time, around Babylonian Captivity. During that time, in order not to be assimilated by the aliens, some Jews, the Pharisees, worked hard to segregate themselves from Gentiles. They studied hard traditions handed down from ancient times and put together the Hebrew Scriptures. After returning to Palestine, the Jewish governor enforced the dissolution of mixed marriages and forbade Jews from marrying outsiders. The 1971 musical, Fiddler on the Roof, unfolded a touching story with such a background. Therefore, it was highly meaningful for Jesus to cure this Gentile deaf-mute. After all, Gentiles are also created in the image of God. The Israelites were chosen to know God. Their discrimination against Gentiles was only an unfortunate outcome of historical circumstances. It should be rectified. Jesus did not discriminate against Gentiles. As his followers, we should not discriminate against foreigners and our foreign domestic helpers.
Secondly, Gentiles did not know God. We should evangelize them. Evangelization is similar to Jesus’ healings. Jesus gave back sight and hearing to the blind and the deaf so that they may know God and receive salvation. Catholics traditionally follow more Jesus’ example to evangelize with charitable works than with preaching/kerygma. In fact, both kerygma and charity are indispensable in order to be effective. Kerygma without charity is empty talk. It is good for nobody. Charity without kerygma is social welfare which should be done by the government and not by the Church. You should know that the charity work of the Church is not the same as social work. Charity work of the Church is more than a big heart. Many government social workers are also full of compassion. Being followers of Christ, no charity is greater than the care about the salvation of souls. Therefore, the charity services of the Church do not remain on the welfare level. We need to make known to them God’s salvation.
Thirdly, prayer and studying the Bible are important. When Jesus cured the deaf-mute, he opened his ears first and then loosened his tongue. When the speech impediment was gone, the man could start praising God, proclaiming what good God had done on him. In the same way, we need to study the Bible, pray and quiet down to listen to the voice of God, the revelation of God. In prayer, God strengthens us. The gospels say that Jesus often went to the wilderness and to the mountain top alone to pray. Therefore, evangelization needs the support of spirituality.
Brethren, all things start from prayer and bible reading. Only then can we live out the merciful countenance of Jesus Christ in our daily life, in our life stations, in our parish and in the community of Tin Shui Wai.
During the age of Empire, no battle was more famous than the single combat between David and Goliath. God helped a teenage shepherd boy knock down a 9-foot Philistinian champion. Doubtless, the historical narratives in the Old Testament may exaggerate and romanticize. But surely, God had helped this tiny people to survive among the more powerful neighbours. Though being conquered several times, it still exists today in human history.
God bless.
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