主題：向自己傳福音
在馬爾谷福音第四章，耶穌基督用比喻講述天國的意義。第一個是「播種的比喻」，因為是第一個天國的比喻，所以耶穌基督詳細解釋這個比喻的意義。以後的比喻，他祇私下解釋給自己的門徒，而並沒有解釋給所有的群眾知道（谷4:34）。為甚麼他這樣做呢？因為「比喻」可以起一個過濾的作用，吸引到真心尋求真理的人。至於那些別有用心，來搜集耶穌錯處的人，和那些出於好奇，趁熱鬧的人，便會因為覺得比喻平平無奇，沒有甚麼高深的道理可取而離去。
第一個比喻講述播種的人出外撒種，比喻傳福音的人宣揚耶穌基督的福音。他會遇上四種情況。第四種情況是成功的，有三十倍，六十倍及一百倍的收穫，可以理解成為堂區開辦慕道課程，結果有三十人，六十人或一百人領洗入教。聽了這個比喻，在堂區教慕道班的導師，會有甚麼感想呢？每年，教區約有三千人在復活節前夕領洗。在四旬期的考核禮結束前，各堂區的代表，會上前從主教手中，接過在洗禮時送給新教友的蠟燭。有些堂區祇有幾枝，有些堂區會有上百枝，甚至三百多枝。如果你在現場，你的心會有甚麼感想呢？是否會覺得我們的導師不夠質素，或者努力不足，以致祇得五十人領洗，而不是三百人領洗呢？
不要怪責我們的導師們，或者參禮者有這些想法。不竟，我們都是人，自然地，我們喜歡互相比較，來抬舉自己，增強自信心！所以，耶穌基督進一步化解第一個比喻所引起的誤會，講了今天我們所聽到的「種子自長」的比喻。種子如何生長，為耶穌當代的聽眾，的確是一個奧秘。因為他們的知識水平低，沒有接受過生物學的訓練，他們不知道種子如何生長成大樹。聽眾祇知道在適當的時候撒種，灌溉，施肥甚至滅蟲，其餘的時間，就祇有等待。耶穌基督說這個比喻，目的是提醒我們作為傳福音的人，應抱「祇問耕耘，不問收穫」的態度。所謂「謀事在人，成事在天」。收穫是天主的事。社區內的人領洗入教，不是因為聖堂有禮物派發，有「安樂茶飯」招待他們；慕道班的導師說話有條理或者上課時的投影片美輪美奐等等，都不是這些。固然我們應該善用天主賜給我們的「塔冷通」，盡我們的能力做好以上的福傳工作。但有多少人領洗入教，是天主聖神在感動人心的結果，是天主的恩典而不是我們的努力。
傳福音不但向別人做，大家有沒有想過對自己傳福音呢？
「種子自長」的比喻，其實可以解理成為對自己傳福音。關鍵在於第一個比喻說：「有個撒種的出去撒種。」（4:3）但在「種子自長」比喻卻說：「天主的國好比一個人把種子撒在地裡。」（4:26）這個人不一定是農夫，對於那些吃完橙，把種子撒在地裡的人，這個故事一樣成立。與其確認那個人的身份，我們應該注意的，是種子生長的階段，是按部就班的！「先發苗，後吐穗，最後穗上滿了麥粒。」（4:28）我們的心不也是一片有待開發的土地嗎？耶穌基督的福音，在我們的心中成長，也要經過上述的階段。即是說，基督徒蒙召成聖，不是一步登天的，不可能一聽到福音，便相信耶穌基督是主，便可以得救升天堂的！試問沒有經過灌溉施肥除蟲，又怎可能有百倍的收穫呢？倘若沒有經過祈禱讀經領聖事和服務社區內有需要的弱小兄弟，又怎可能有望在審判之日，與天主同享永生呢？
在今年的大聖若瑟瞻禮，教宗方濟各發表他第三份的宗座勸諭【你們應歡欣踴躍吧！】，指導基督徒如何在現今的世代成聖。教宗沒有野心發表一份成聖的論文，他祇想提出一些在我們這個時代成聖，所會遇上的挑戰、機會和一些實際的方法。在當今世代，祇是唸經祈禱，已不足以令我們成聖，我們還要為有需要的人服務，在服務時要自我約束！在勸諭的第三章，教宗與我們一起默想真福八端，在第四章默想聖神的九個果效時，他務實地強調三個成聖的標記，就是：喜樂，忍耐和溫和！
今天的第一篇讀經，厄則克耳先知書描述的圖像，讓我記憶起少年時讀過的【荀子‧勸學篇】，當中提及的「君子善假於物」的道理！在儒家思想，君子就是一個有德行的人。德行是甚麼？德行不是與生俱來的，而是後天培養出來，良好的生活態度。荀子認為有德行的人的能力，與普通人的能力，沒有多大分別。分別在於有德行的人，善於借助身邊的事物，幫助他養成良好的生活習慣，良好的生活態度。同樣，基督徒也要借助身邊的聖經、唸珠、附近的聖堂、一起生活的家人、同事、朋友和社區內需要幫助的弱勢社群，幫助自己修德成聖。「發苗」就是在信仰上扎了根，「吐穗」就是走出自己的安樂窩，走出社區。最後，「穗上的麥粒」，就是在末日審判時，我們可以呈奉到基督君王審判台前的成果！
各位兄弟姊妹，是天主善假於物，借助我們完成天國的事業。是天主聖神在工作，催促天國的發展。我們祇要發揮天主賜給我們的「塔冷通」和機遇，依從教宗方濟各的忠告，按真福八端的態度生活，便問心無愧了。
天主保祐！
Eleventh Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Evangelizing Oneself
Jesus Christ tells us about the Kingdom of Heaven with parables in Mark 4. The first one is the Parable of the Sower. Since it is the first one, Jesus explains its meanings in details. For subsequent parables, he only explains to his disciples in private, but not to the crowd (Mark 4:34). Why? It is because parables act like filters to attract those who genuinely seek the truth. For those who want to find faults with Jesus and those curious bystanders, parables are plain and bland. The crowd would leave when they find nothing extraordinary in the parables.
The first parable mentions a sower going out to sow. It symbolizes evangelists going out to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They shall encounter four situations. The fourth one is successful. The yielding shall be thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold. This can be understood as parishes conducting instruction classes in which thirty, sixty or a hundred people get baptized on Easter Eve. Hearing this parable, what would catechists feel? Every year, some three thousand people get baptized in the Diocese. Near the end of the Scrutiny Rite during Lent, representatives from parishes come before the bishop to receive candles for the newly baptized. Some parishes receive a dozen, some a hundred and even three hundreds. If you happen to be present, what would you think? Are our catechists not good enough, not hard working enough so that only 50, not 300 people get baptized?
Don't blame the catechists or the participants for thinking in this manner. After all, we are only human. Naturally, we would like to compare in order to exalt ourselves and to increase our self-confidence. Thus, in order to eliminate such a misunderstanding arising from this first parable, Jesus tells us the "Self-Growing Seeds" parable we hear today. For the contemporaries of Jesus, the growth of seeds was a mystery. It was because their literacy was low. They had not received any biology training. They knew not how seeds grew into big trees. They only knew sowing, irrigating, fertilizing and exterminating pests at appropriate times. For the rest of the time, they could only wait. Jesus Christ tells us this parable to remind us that as evangelists, we should not eye the harvest but simply work. "To calculate is human and to accomplish is Divine." Harvest is God's business. People in the neighbourhood get baptized not because the Church hands out gifts or entertain them with banquets. Neither the persuasiveness of catechists nor the glamour of PowerPoints etc. work. No, not these. Of course we should put God's given talents into good use for evangelization. But the number of people baptized is the work of the Holy Spirit who moves the hearts of the catechumen. It is the fruit of God's grace, not of our efforts.
Evangelization does not aim at others only. Have you ever thought of evangelizing yourselves?
On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the BVM, Pope Francis issued his third Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate, guiding Christians to sanctification in the modern world. The Pope did not have the ambition to write a treatise on holiness. Rather, he just wants to tell us the challenges, opportunities and some practical ways to proceed ahead in sanctification in this age. In this modern era, it is not enough just to say prayers to be holy. We must serve the needy and serve them in self-control! In Chapter 3, the Pope meditates with us the eight Beatitudes. In Chapter 4, on meditating the fruits of the Holy Spirit, he pragmatically focuses on 3 signs of holiness: joy, patience and meekness!
The images conjured up in the first reading from Ezekiel reminds me of what I studied as a younster, the teachings of Xunzi in "On Learning". He says, "A Gentleman is good at making use of things". In Confucism, a Gentleman is a virtuous man. What is virtue? Virtues are good attitudes towards life. They are not born with but cultivated. Xunzi teaches that the abilities of a Gentleman are the same as a commoner. The only difference is their ability to make good use of handy things to help them cultivate good attitudes and habits. Similarly, Christians should make good use of handy things such as bibles, rosaries, nearby churches, family members, colleagues, friends and the needy in the neighbourhood to help us attain sainthood. The "blade" indicates a good foundation of faith. The "ear" means emerging from our comfort zones and venturing into the local community. Lastly, "the full grain in the ear" are the fruit we bring in front of the Judgment Throne of Christ the King on Judgment Day.
Brethren, God is an expert in making good use of things. He makes use of us to build the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the Holy Spirit that is working, driving the development of the Kingdom. We only need to make good use of the talents and opportunities God gives us, follow the advice of Pope Francis, lead a life according to the Beatitudes. Then we shall have no regrets.
The "Self-Growing Seeds" parable can actually be understood as an evangelization of our souls. The first parable says, "A sower went out to sow" (4:3). But the "Self-Growing Seeds" parable says, "A man scatter seed upon the ground…" (4:26) This man may not be a farmer. For those who scatter seed on the ground after consuming their oranges, this parable also applies. Instead of clarifying the identity of the man, we should focus on the stages the seed must go through. It goes through stages! "First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear." (4:28) Isn't our hearts a field to cultivate as well? Indeed, the gospel of Jesus Christ takes stages to grow in our hearts. That is to say, Christians are called to be saints. But it cannot be done overnight. It is impossible to hear the gospel and immediately acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and be saved! If there is no ploughing, irrigating, fertilizing and extermination of pests, how shall we get a hundredfold harvest? If we do not pray, study the bible, receive sacraments and helping the needy in the neighbourhood, how can we expect to partake in God's eternal life on Judgment Day?
God bless!
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