主題：來自聖神的平安
雖然故事發生在大約二千年前，但故事中人物的經歷和心情，今天仍歷歷在目，因為我們也經歷著門徒們的經驗。
那邊厢，瑪利亞瑪達肋納跑來報告，說見到復活了的耶穌。門徒們惟有派伯多祿和若望去確定她所說的話。第一，在當代的猶太文化，婦女的證言是不被接納的。第二，要兩個男人的作證，纔會接納是事實。所以，他們派伯多祿和若望去調查。而多默亦自動請纓，去探聽外面的風聲。伯多祿和若望回來報告，墳墓的確空了，耶穌的屍體不翼而飛，但他們沒有親眼看見到復活的耶穌 。所以婦女帶來的，並不是甚麼好消息，甚麼福音，而是更多的疑問和恐懼。
耶穌基督開口說的第一句話，就是：「願你們平安。」（20:21）可見這是當前，為門徒和為我們是最重要的。門徒們和我們受到很多事物的困擾，沒有平安：門徒們為了目前的人身安危，惶恐不安；往後的日子如何，門徒們感到迷茫不安；他們甚至後悔浪費了三年時間，錯跟了耶穌，而對自己，對同伴們，對耶穌感到忿怒！今天也有很多事物令我們不安，更嚴重的是令我們關閉了心靈，看不透天父的旨意。父母為子女的教育不安；同學們為考試不安；青年人為前途，為事業不安；成年人為經濟，為政局不安；長者們為健康，為晚年的生活不安；無論男女老幼，都為各種人際關係中的衝突，感到不安。當你感到沒有人了解你，甚至有人冤枉你，利用你，令你感到忿怒，卻無能為力，你哪有平安呢？請問耶穌基督憑甚麼，賜給我們平安呢？憑甚麼化解我們的困擾呢？
耶穌基督接著說的第二句話，是平安的關鍵：就是領受聖神和赦罪（20:22-23）。請注意，這裡所說的「赦罪」，並不是我們今天的修和聖事。今天的修和聖事，祗有神父及主教可以施行，即使是在神職班中的執事，也沒有神權可以施行這件聖事。若望福音所說的，是領受了聖神的信徒，是你和我。你和我可以赦免得罪我們的人的罪，使自己得到平安！至於神父主教赦免與他們無關的人的罪，權力來自瑪竇福音，耶穌基督立伯多祿為教會磐石的時候所賦予的（瑪16:19）。
赦免得罪我們的人，說來容易，實行很難。若不是來自聖神的力量，我們根本沒有能力寬恕。當你受委屈，你忿忿不平，對方是不會遭受任何損害的，反而自己會增加傷痛。何苦呢！當你受的傷害，是來自制度上的剝削，有組織的不公義，你的忿怒對制度是起不了任何作用，祗會增加自己和身邊的人的傷害。你的忿怒又有何用呢？
求聖神吧！求聖神賜予真理之光，敞開關閉了的心靈，照亮我們的智慧，看清楚天主的寵召帶來甚麼希望。天主召叫我們分享祂的生命，但我們還有很多瑕疵，有待天主的雕琢，纔堪分享祂的生命。說不定那些委屈，正是天父安排給我們的磨練。所謂「玉不琢，不成器」。另外，我們需要聖神的智慧，看清楚天主的寵召，帶來甚麼使命。天父召叫我們作修和的使者，帶給世界恩寵與和平。我們看到嗎？求聖神賜予愛德之火，軟化那被自私、被貪婪、被忿怒所硬化了的鐵石心腸，以謙遜的態度，對有需要的弱小兄弟姊妹，伸出援手，結出聖神的效果，就是「仁愛、喜樂、平安、忍耐、良善、溫和、忠信、柔和、節制。」（迦5:22-23）我們做得到嗎？
今天我們慶祝聖神降臨節，讓我們再次沐浴在聖神的洗禮中，接受聖神的平安和力量，安心離開封閉的安樂窩，到外面去向區內的居民，宣講耶穌基督的復活，接受天主的救恩，獲得罪惡的赦免和心靈的解放。
這是第一個復活主日的故事。這邊厢，耶穌基督非常忙碌，復活後顯現給熱心的瑪利亞瑪達肋納，吩咐她告訴門徒們他已復活了。然後，耶穌趕往厄瑪烏的路上，陪兩個門徒走路，向他們解釋默西亞必須受難的事實，直到黃昏吃晚飯時，纔開啟他們的眼目，認出他來。這兩個門徒趕回耶路撒冷報告，耶穌亦跟著出現在他們面前。路加福音和今天我們所讀的若望福音，就是講述這段事蹟。請留意門徒的處境。福音說：「因為怕猶太人，門戶都關著。」（若20:19）他們的師父得罪了猶太的權貴，被交到羅馬人處死了。剛好安息日快到了，猶太權貴沒有立刻採取行動，斬草除根。不過，安息日一過，他們預料會大難臨頭。
是誰移走了耶穌的屍體呢？有甚麼目的呢？是否猶太權貴的陰謀，以耶穌的屍體來迫他們投降自首呢？或者作為證明復活是謊言的證據呢？門徒們困在屋內，有如「驚弓之鳥」。恐懼不但令他們關閉著窗戶，更是他們的心靈，令他們祇循偷屍的方向想，卻看不見復活的真理。終於，從厄瑪烏趕回來的兩個門徒到了，現在最少有三個人，見過復活了的耶穌基督！即使在猶太的文化中，婦女的證言不被接納，還有兩個男見證人，他們的證言是成立的！問題是他們勢孤力弱，怎與猶太權貴周旋呢？就在這個時候，耶穌基督顯現了，並且賜予他們聖神，那來自天上的力量，協助他們為耶穌基督的復活作見證！
天主保祐！
Solemnity of Pentecost, Year B
Theme: The Peace that Comes from the Holy Spirit
Although the story took place almost two millennia ago, the experiences and emotions of the characters are still vivid because we share the same experiences like those of the disciples.
On the other hand, Mary Magdalene reported to the Apostles that she had seen the risen Jesus. The disciples had no choice but to send Peter and John to verify her words. Firstly, testimony by women was not admissible in contemporary Jewish culture. Secondly, they needed the testimony of two men to establish the truth. So, Peter and John were sent out to investigate. Moreover, Thomas probably volunteered to scout around for news. Peter and John returned to confirm that the tomb was empty. The corpse of Jesus was gone but they did not see the risen Jesus with their own eyes. So, the women brought more questions and fear than good news.
The first greeting Jesus Christ gave was, "Peace be with you." (20:21) Thus, we see that peace was what the disciples and we are badly in need of. The disciples and we are distressed by many things. We have no peace: The disciples worried about the personal safety. They were confused about the future. Some might regret wasting three years following a wrong man. They might be angry with themselves, with their companions and even with Jesus! Today, we are also worried by many things so much so that we close our hearts and fail to see the will of the Father. For example, parents are sleepless about the education of their children and students about examinations. Young people find no direction for their future and career. Adults are anxious about the economy and politics. Senior citizens worry about their health and their death. All the people, young and old, feel uneasy about conflicts in interpersonal relationships. When you feel that nobody understands you, or even being framed or spent, you feel angry but helpless. From where does your peace come? By what can Jesus Christ grant us peace? By what can he clear away our distresses?
The following sentence Jesus Christ spoke was the key to peace: i.e. to receive the Holy Spirit and forgive sins (20:22-23). Be careful! The "forgive sins" here has nothing to do with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Today, only bishops and priests can administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Even deacons do not have the authority to administer it. The gospel passage talks about believers who have received the Holy Spirit. They are you and I. You and I can forgive those who sin against us and obtain peace! The authority with which bishops and priests forgive sins against other people comes from the gospel of Matthew when Jesus Christ made Peter the Rock of the Church. (Matthew 16:19)
To forgive those who sin against us is easier said than done. If the Holy Spirit does not give us strength, we cannot forgive. When you are wronged, you are angry but this anger does the trespasser nothing. Yet you are more damaged. Why allow yourself to suffer more! When your grievances come from institutional exploitation or from organized injustice, your anger does not move a bolt in the system but increases the damages on you and those close to you. What is the use of being angry?
Beseech the Holy Spirit! Beg the Holy Spirit to give you the light of truth, to open up your closed heart and enlighten your wisdom to see what hope God's call brings. God calls us to share His life but we have shortcomings waiting for God to prune to become worthy of sharing His life. Perhaps those grievances are arranged by the Father to polish us. As an aphorism goes, "A piece of jade cannot become useful without sculpting." Moreover, we need to wisdom of the Holy Spirit to see clearly what mission God's call assigns. The Father calls us to be ambassadors of reconciliation to bring grace and peace to the world. Do we see this? Beseech the Holy Spirit to grant us the fire of charity, to soften our hearts which have been hardened by selfishness, greed and anger. Let us extend a helping hand to the needy brethren with humility to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). Are we able to do this?
On Pentecost, we celebrate the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Let us bathe once more in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to receive His peace and strength. Leave our comfort zones in peace. Go out to the community to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ, accept the salvation of God to receive the forgiveness of sins and the liberation of the heart.
This is the story of the first Easter Sunday. On one hand, Jesus Christ was having a hectic day. He appeared to the pious Mary Magdalene, instructing her to tell his disciples that he had come back to life. Then Jesus hurriedly joined two disciples on the way to Emmaus, explaining to them till evening that the Messiah had to suffer. The two disciples recognized Jesus only at dinner and they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the Apostles. Subsequently, Jesus appeared to them all. The gospel of Luke and the passage we read today tell this story. Pay attention to the situation of the disciples. The gospel says, "The doors were locked for fear of the Jews." (John 20:19) Their Master had offended the Jewish authority. He was handed over to the Romans and was executed. Luckily, Sabbath was only a few hours away. The Jewish authority did not take immediate actions to uproot them. They expected their doom would descend once Sabbath was over.
Who had removed the corpse of Jesus? For what purpose? Did the Jewish authority want to make use of the corpse of Jesus to force them to surrender? Or as an evidence to prove that any resurrection talk would be a hoax? The disciples were hiding in the house like wanted fugitives. Fear not only made them close the doors but also their hearts, made them think along the line of "stolen corpse" but could not see the truth of resurrection. At last, the two disciples from Emmaus had arrived. Now there were at least three people who had seen the risen Jesus Christ! Even if the Jewish customs did not accept women testimony, there were still two male witnesses. Their claim stands! The problem was that they were outnumbered. How could they stand against the Jewish authority? Just at this moment, Jesus Christ appeared and gave them the Holy Spirit, the power from heavens, to help them bear witness to His resurrection!
God bless!
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