主題：比洗者若翰還要大
將臨期已過了一半，教會把將臨期第三主日稱為「喜樂主日」，祭披用玫瑰紅色而不是紫色。用紫色是表示悔改，用玫瑰紅色代表喜樂。兩個星期後便過聖誕節了，試想像一個距離預產期兩個星期的孕婦，又或者一個距離出嫁兩個星期的準新娘，她有一種禁不住的喜樂，在這個期待的時期，湧上心頭。今天就是這種感覺。所以，今天的進堂詠引用了聖保祿宗徒至斐理伯人書的章節，我們應當喜樂，因為主快來了（斐4:4-5）。當然，聖保祿可能過份樂觀了，過了兩千年，主還未起程重臨人間。不過，有一件事是肯定的。這個世界一定會終結，耶穌基督一定會重臨。
上星期的福音很特別，隻字不提耶穌基督，祗說若翰洗者的事蹟。到了今天的福音，若翰已完成了他的任務，被黑落德關進監獄，不久將會死在這昏君手上。今天我們聽到耶穌基督對若翰洗者的評價。耶穌說：「在婦女所生的，沒有興起一位比洗者若翰更大的。」（瑪11:11）那麼，洗者若翰有甚麼任務，有甚麼偉大呢？
天主的救贖世界計劃，是透過亞巴郎的家族，建立一個司祭的國家，神聖的民族。然後讓天主子降生成人，成為這個神聖民族的一份子，帶領全人類返回祂的身邊。天主的計劃是周密的。祂在世上找到一個有信德的亞巴郎之後，便安排他的子孫到富庶的埃及國生育繁殖，經過四百多年，由一家七十口繁衍至六十多萬人，便離開埃及，至西乃山立約，然後進駐天主所預許了的福地─客納罕。十二支派起初各自為政，後來經過民長的努力團結，形成聯邦制。最後一個民長是撒慕爾，是他祝聖了第一任和第二任以色列的君王。君王出現，統一了十二支派成為以色列王國。可惜因為拜偶像的緣故，人心敗壞。三代之後，以色列國一分為二。與此君王出現的同時，出現了一批「天主的代言人」，即是我們稱為的「先知」，抗衡誤入歧途的君王。第一個先知，亦是以色列的「造王者」，就是撒慕爾。
先知的任務，除了抗衡昏君作惡之外，更重要的是提醒人民，天主纔是真正的君王，真正的主宰。當經濟繁榮時，人變得貪得無厭，貧富開始懸殊，富有的人剝削貧窮的同胞的時候，先知發出社會公義的咆哮，警告痛罵官商鉤結，殘民自肥。當外敵大軍壓境，君王天真地想找結盟國家出兵援助時，先知發揮政治的智慧，勸導君王投靠人類歷史的主宰、天主。可惜，君王拒絕接受先知的意見，結果北國南國，先後亡國給亞述及巴比倫，落得聖殿被毀，全國君民充軍收場。在亡國充軍的時期，先知代表天主安慰他們，亞巴郎的天主、依撒格的天主、雅各伯的天主並沒有忘記祂對他們祖先的許諾。天主一定會再次解放他們，回國重建聖殿。經過亡國的教訓之後，希望他們會改過，度聖善正義的生活。天主更進一步許諾，將來要興起一位默西亞、一位天主的受傅者。他要來重建以色列王國，到時天下萬民要來到耶路撒冷，朝拜這位救世主，接受祂的教誨。這一系列的先知之中，知名度較高的計有咆哮社會公義的亞毛斯先知；呼籲君王投靠天主，不要信靠盟友的耶肋米亞先知；充軍時安慰百姓的厄則克耳先知；預言默西亞出現的依撒意亞先知和經常與君王唱反調、增餅、復活死人，並與400多位假先知比試求雨的厄里亞先知。天主後來用噴火的馬車接了他升天。所以猶太人相信在末日，默西亞出現之前，厄里亞會出現，為默西亞預備道路。相信大家開始明白，洗者若翰就是這一系列先知中，最後而且是最偉大的一位。雖然他並沒有像厄里亞一樣行神蹟── 那些神蹟，在如今天福音第一段所說，是保留給耶穌基督做的（11:5）── 但洗者若翰的任務，十分清楚，就是在耶穌基督出現之前，為他預備猶太人的心靈。洗者若翰以曠野的呼聲的姿態出現，大聲疾呼，勸人悔改。天主的斧頭已放在根上，凡不結相稱果實的要被砍掉（3:10）！他與厄里亞一樣，不畏權貴，直斥黑落德的錯處，置生死於度外。
但耶穌說，「在天國裡最小的，也比他大。」（11:11）這是甚麼意思呢？聽來，洗者若翰好像不在天國裡。對，同時也是不對。首先，天國的成員是甚麼人呢？就是相信耶穌的人，在今天就是基督徒：包括天主教、東正教、基督教等。洗者若翰當時被囚，不知耶穌是否默西亞，便派他的門徒探聽。所以，洗者若翰尚未進入天國。福音沒有記載他被斬首之前，他的門徒有沒有回報給他。倘若沒有，他的確死不瞑目。無論如何，他為仗義執辭，不留情面地直斥黑落德違返十誡，結果被殺，可算是一位殉道者，承受了血的洗禮。教會確認他的正義，和他作為耶穌基督的先鋒，宣認洗者若翰為聖人。所以洗者若翰現在是在天國裡。
另一方面，耶穌基督以自己的受難、復活建立教會、建立七件聖事。洗者若翰是在耶穌基督建立教會和聖事之前進入了天國，無緣領受其他聖事。包括領受聖神七恩的堅振聖事和領受耶穌基督自己的聖體聖事。所以，從這個角度看，洗者若翰的確遜於天國中最小的一個。
各位求道者，今晚教會舉行收錄禮，接受你們加入慕道者的行列，進一步認識耶穌基督的言行、認識教會如何把天主子耶穌基督，實現在世界之中。請好好學習，並培育出愛主、愛人、愛大地的慈悲之心，將來在慶祝耶穌基督復活的前夕，領受入門聖事，加入教會的大家庭，成為耶穌基督奧體的一份子。各位在場的教友，你們今天參加慕道者收錄禮，正好再次刷新自己的信仰，感受到自己如何幸福、喜樂、如何比聖洗者若翰，還要偉大。
天主保祐！
Gaudete Sunday (Year A)
Theme: Greater than John the Baptist
We have come midway through the Advent Season. The Church calls the third Advent Sunday "Gaudete Sunday". The vestments are rose-coloured, not purple. Purple symbolizes repentance and rose joy. In two weeks' time, it will be Christmas. Imagine a pregnant lady expecting her baby in two weeks or a bride-to-be whose wedding is two weeks away. An irrepressible joy is emerging in this expectant time. This is the kind of feeling we have today. Thus, we quote St. Paul's letter to the Philippians in the Entrance Hymn. "Rejoice in the Lord always ... The Lord is at hand." (Philippians 4:4-5) Of course, St. Paul was probably over optimistic. Two thousand years have passed and the Lord seems not to have started His return trip. But one thing is certain. The world shall come to an end one day. Jesus Christ shall return.
The gospel we read last week was a bit unusual. Not a word was mentioned about Jesus. It talked about John the Baptist only. In the gospel reading today, John the Baptist had finished his mission and was locked up by Herod. Soon, he would be beheaded by this tyrant. Today, we hear of Jesus' evaluation of the Baptist. Jesus says, "Among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist." (Matthew 11:11) So, what was the mission of the Baptist? What made him so great?
God's salvation plan was to build up a priestly nation, a saintly people through the family of Abraham. Then, the Son of God would become flesh and a member of that saintly people to lead the humanity to return to Him. God's plan is fool-proof. After locating Abraham, the father of faith, God arranged his offspring to multiply in the fertile country of Egypt. After more than 400 years, about 70 family members had grown into more than 600,000. They left Egypt, came to Mount Sinai to establish a covenant with God. Then they moved in to occupy the Promised Land, Canaan. At first, each of the 12 tribes struggled on their own. Then, there arose Judges to bring them together forming a kind of federation. The last Judge was Samuel who anointed the first and second kings of Israel. With the emergence of kings, the 12 tribes were united into a kingdom. Unfortunately, idolatry corrupted their hearts. After three kings, Israel was divided into two. To counter balance these evil kings, a series of Spokesmen of God whom we call "prophets" emerged. The first prophet, also the king-maker of Israel, was Samuel.
Besides counteracting evil kings, a more important mission of prophets was to remind people that their king was actual God who was the real Lord over them. When the economy was good, people became greedy. The income gap widened and the rich exploited the poor. Prophets roared social justice, criticizing the collusion of mandarins and merchants to fatten themselves. When invasion was imminent and kings naively sought support from so called alliance, prophets, full of political wisdom, exhorted them to approach God, the invisible hand behind human history. Unfortunately, kings rejected their advice. Consequently, the Northern and Southern kingdoms were conquered by Assyria and Babylon respectively. The Temple was destroyed. The kings and their subjects were exiled. During captivity, prophets consoled the people that the God of their fathers, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had not forgotten them. He would liberate them once more to return home to rebuild the Temple. God willed that they would lead a holy and righteous life after this chastisement. God further promised to raise up a Messiah, an Anointed One of God who would rebuild Israel. All peoples would come to Jerusalem to worship this Saviour and listen to His teaching.
Among this list of prophets were Amos who roared social justice; Jeremiah who appealed kings to turn to God and not to alliance; Ezekiel who consoled the people during captivity; Isaiah who prophesized about the Messiah and Elijah, the "Troubler of Israel" who rebuked the king, multiplied bread, raised the dead and challenged 400 plus false prophets to call down fire from heaven. Later, God sent a chariot of fire to carry him up to heaven. That was why Jews believed that at the end of the world, before the coming of the Messiah, Elijah would appear to prepare his way. I believe you have come to the understanding that John the Baptist was the last and the greatest in the list of prophets. Although he had never performed any miracles like Elijah --- these miracles were reserved for Jesus (Matthew 11:5) --- the mission of the Baptist was very clear. He came before Jesus Christ to prepare the hearts of the Jews. John the Baptist came as "a voice in the wilderness" to exhort people to repent. The axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down! (3:10) Like Elijah, the Baptist was not afraid of kings. He rebuked Herod at the expense of his life.
But Jesus says, "Yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (11:11) What does it mean? It sounds like the Baptist was not in the kingdom of heaven. Right and at the same time wrong. Firstly, who are members of the kingdom? They are those who believe in Jesus, i.e. Christians today, including Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants etc. The Baptist was imprisoned at that time. He did not know whether Jesus was the Messiah or not. So, he sent his disciples to find out. In short, the Baptist had not entered the kingdom. The gospels do not say whether his disciples had reported to him before he was beheaded. If they had not, the Baptist would have died with eyes widely open. Anyway, he righteously rebuked Herod for breaching the Ten Commandments and was consequently beheaded. He died a martyrdom, a baptism with blood. The Church recognizes his righteousness and his role as the forerunner of Christ. She proclaims him a saint. Thus, the Baptist is in the kingdom.
On the other hand, through his passion and resurrection, Jesus Christ established the Church and the seven sacraments. The Baptist had entered the kingdom before Jesus established the Church and the sacraments. He missed the other sacraments, including Confirmation which bestows the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist which is Jesus Christ himself. From this perspective, the Baptist is really inferior to the least of the kingdom.
Dear aspirants, the Church celebrates the Rite of Election to admit you into the community of Catechumens so that you may know better the words and deeds of Jesus Christ and how the Church actualizes the presence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God in the world today. Study well and build up the love of God, of men and of the Creation. On the Eve of Easter, you will receive the sacraments of Christian Initiation, become members of the Church and the Mystical Body of Christ. Brethren, you take part in this Rite of Election today. It is high time you brushed up your faith, felt how happy and joyful you have been because you are greater than St. John the Baptist.
God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment