將臨期第二主日（丙年）
主題：修直上主的途徑，培養感恩之心
教會用三年的循環，重覆默想基督的救贖工程。教會按傳統的次序，循環周期的第一年，即甲年，讀瑪竇福音，乙年讀馬爾谷福音，禮儀年的丙年在上星期開始了。丙年集中閱讀路加福音。
路加並非十二宗徒，而且他不是猶太人，一生從沒有見過耶穌，所以他連是「第一代信徒」的資格也沒有。他是保祿在向外邦人傳教時信主，並跟隨保祿四出傳教的門徒。從保祿的書信中，我們知道路加是一位醫生。路加福音和宗徒大事徒是他的著作。因為他接受過高深教育，所以他的著作，文筆優美，很多膾炙人口的故事，如慈善的撒瑪黎雅人，浪子回頭等，都是出自他的筆下。路加福音的內容是經過仔細求證纔記載下來的。所以，雖然路加不是第一代信徒，他寫的福音仍收錄在新約之中。
路加的寫作對象是外邦人，所以適合我們這些外邦人閱讀。他沒有猶太人期望默西亞的包袱，所以在他的認識之中，耶穌是一個慈悲的，善待弱小者的救主。慈悲禧年即將開始，正是細心閱讀路加福音的好時機。希望大家已讀完了乙年的馬爾谷福音，開始細味路加所展示的慈悲救主。
今天福音一開始就列舉出一大批羅馬帝國的皇帝和官員的名單，可見耶穌並非虛構的人物，而是一個真實的歷史人物。不過，在路加福音之中，這些可以隻手遮天的政界顯赫人物，祗不過是背景而已，因為他們的權勢，阻礙了他們領受福音，獲得救恩的機會。在路加福音中，得救的是窮人，稅吏，娼妓和寡婦等，全部都是在社會上沒有地位的人物。
假如若翰洗者出現在今天的香港，香港人祗會把他看待為一個精神失常的流浪漢。在福音中，他的衣著、他的言行清清楚楚是一個先知。今天的讀經告訴我們，若翰洗者的出現，應驗了舊約依撒意亞知先的預言。若翰洗者就是這個「荒野中的呼號者」，用現代的術語，就是「社會良心」。既然是社會，為甚麼要在荒野中呼號呢？很明顯，所謂「忠言逆耳」，在社會上的主流媒體，那些電視台，電台，報紙雜誌是不會給你空間，你祗能在荒野中大聲疾呼了。
若翰洗者的任務是「預備上主的道路，修直祂的途徑。」當然不是指路政署的工作，而是心靈上的工作。因此，若翰洗者的任務，就是去宣講悔改，預備猶太人的心靈，去迎接默西亞。
那麼，預言中的「一切深谷要填滿，一切山岳丘陵要剷平」是指甚麼呢？當然是指心中的深谷，心中的山岳丘陵。
「心靈中的深谷」是指我們認識到自己的無能軟弱之處；謙虛地承認自己的罪過。有誰可以填滿這心靈的深谷呢？當然是天主，但也要我們合作，開放自己的心，讓天主填滿它。怎樣打開自己的心呢？我相信是要有一種「謙遜」的態度。
「心靈中的山岳丘陵」是指我們的驕傲，自以為是。如果認為自己是對的，那會輕易認錯呢？所以要把山岳丘陵剷平，是很難的，要祈求天主幫助我們除去驕傲，把它剷平。因此，無論是驕傲，無論是謙遜，我們都需要天主的幫助。當我們培養到謙遜的德行，剷平了驕傲的惡習，我們就能建立一顆感恩之心。為甚麼感恩之心是重要的呢？
上星期與大家分享了在末日時，耶穌基督普世君王審判時的考試範圍，就是七個形哀矜。因為考試的收卷時間各人不同，所以考試成績祗計算平時分。當我們沒有感恩之心去實行七個形哀矜的時候，我們是白費心機的。這話是甚麼意思？為甚麼我犧牲了自己的金錢時間，付出了勞力，我還要感恩呢？讓我們進入自己的內心，作深一點的反省。
天主不停地施恩。你同意嗎？你可以想像到天主停下來，不再支撐這個宇宙的情形嗎？不敢想像！天主好像電台、電視台一樣，不停向世人廣播聖寵。問題是你接收到嗎？你感覺到嗎？從你昨晚上床的一刻開始直到現在，天主曾賜予你甚麼「度身訂造」的恩賜呢？不是那些「一夜平安酣睡、晨早天朗氣清、路上沒有塞車、街上人人和睦相處」等等的一般「恩賜」，而是特別為您的恩賜。是沒有可能沒有的！倘若沒有，是你們感覺不到。你感覺不到天主的恩賜，又何來感恩呢？是甚麼東西阻礙你的感覺呢？是驕傲，是那些心中的山岳丘陵。
懷著感恩的心去服務與沒有感恩的心去服務，有何分別？是大有分別的。懷著感恩的心，你感激天主賜你健康，時間和金錢，有能力去服務；賜你服務儲蓄「平時分」的機會；擴闊你的視野眼光；賞賜你接觸病弱者的經驗，說不定藉此來醫治你心中潛藏的遺憾和缺陷。你感激天主，抱著一種報答天主的心態去服務。結果，服務者與接受服務者同樣受惠，相得益彰。反觀沒有懷著感恩的心去服務，容易流於施捨，缺乏尊重。你會產生優越感，拒絕別人的感激，你的眼光仍然注視自己，卻看不到自己的弱點，看不到別人的真正需要。結果，服務者與接受服務者沒有受惠，甚至兩敗俱傷。因此，我們必須培養一股「感恩」的心態去服務。
讓我們作一個總結。在將臨期，我們要準備心靈，迎接救主的降臨。準備的工夫就是剷除驕傲，打開謙虛的心，讓天主填滿。那時，我們便可以培養出一顆感恩之心，去實行七個形哀矜，在末日能站在天主前。
天主保祐。
Second Advent Sunday (Year C)
Theme: Make straight the Lord’s path, cultivate a grateful heart
The Church designs a three-year cycle to reflect repeatedly on Christ’ redemptive mission. She follows the traditional sequence. She reads the gospel of Matthew in the first year, that is Year A and in Year B, Mark. Last Sunday marked the beginning of Year C in which we focus on the gospel of Luke.
Luke was not one of the Twelve. He was not even a Jew and had never seen Jesus in his life. That is Luke was not qualified to be called a first-generation Christian. He became a disciple when Paul preached among the Gentiles. He followed and worked with Paul in his missions. From the letters of Paul, we learn that Luke was a physician. The gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were written by him. Since he was educated, his writing was elegant. Many beautiful stories such as the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son were penned by him. Before he committed incidents into writing, he carefully did a lot of research. Thus, even though Luke was not a first-generation Christian, his writings were included in the New Testament.
Luke wrote for Gentiles. Thus his gospel is appropriate for us to read. He did not carry the burden of Jewish expectation on the Messiah. Therefore, in his understanding, Jesus was a merciful Saviour for the weak. The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is about to start. It is high time we read careful this gospel. I wish you have finished reading Mark, the gospel of Year B, and can start meditating the merciful Saviour articulated in Luke.
The gospel text today begins with a list of Roman Cæsar and officials. Thus, Jesus was not a fictitious character but a genuine historical character. But in Luke, these powerful political kingpins made up a backdrop only. Their power prevented them from accepting the gospel and thus were saved. In Luke, the poor, the tax-collectors, prostitutes and widows etc, those socially marginalized people were saved.
If John the Baptist were to appear in Hong Kong today, Hongkongers would treat him like a mentally unstable homeless man. But during the New Testament time, John’s clothing, his words and deeds showed clearly that he was a prophet. The gospel text we read today tells us that the appearance of John the Baptist was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. John was the “one crying in the wilderness”, in modern jargon, a “social conscience”. As it is of the society, why did he cry in the wilderness? Obviously, honest words are unpleasant to the ears. Thus the main-line social media, such as television stations, radio broadcasting companies, newspapers and magazines will not give you space or air-time. You can only cry in the wilderness.
John’s mission was to “prepare the way of the Lord, to make his paths straight.” Of course it was not road’s works the gospel means. It must be the hearts’ works. Thus, the mission of the Baptist was to preach repentance, to prepare the hearts of the Jews to receive the Messiah.
What then does the prophecy “every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low” refer to? Of course it refers to the valleys in our hearts, the mountains and hills in our hearts.
“The valleys in our hearts” means we are aware of our weaknesses and inadequacies. We humbly confess our sins. Who then can fill up these valleys? Who else but God? But we need to cooperate with him, open up our hearts and let God fill them up. How do we open up our hearts? I believe we need humility.
“The mountains and hills in our hearts” means our pride, our self-righteousness. If we think we are right, how can we easily admit our wrongs? Therefore, it is extremely difficult to bring low these mountains and hills. We need to seek God’s help to remove our pride, to bring it low. Therefore, whether it be pride or humility, we need God’s help. When we build up our virtue of humility and bring low the vice of pride, we begin to cultivate a grateful heart. Why is a grateful heart so important?
Last week, I shared with you the examination syllabus Christ the Universal King will judge us at the end, i.e. the seven corporal works of mercy. Since God gives us different durations of examination time, this examination will only count continual assessments. But when we perform corporal works of mercy without a grateful heart, it is a waste of effort. What does that mean? Why should we be grateful when we sacrifice our time, money and effort to serve? Let us go into the solitude of our heart and reflect deeper.
God bestows graces unceasingly. Do you agree? Can you imagine a moment when God stops and no longer supports this universe? We dare not to imagine. God is like a radio station, a television station which broadcasts graces non-stop. The question is whether you have received it. Do you feel it? What tailor-made gifts has God given you, from the moment you went to bed last night up until now? Not those general blessings such as “a sound sleep last night, a sun-lit clear morning, the roads are not congested, the pedestrians are harmonious” etc., but those tailor-made for you. It is impossible not to have any. If there is none, it is because you do not feel their presence. If you do not feel any grace, how can you be grateful? What is blocking you from feeling God’s grace? Pride. It is the mountains and hills in our hearts.
What is the difference between service with and without a grateful heart? A huge difference. With a grateful heart, you thank God for bestowing health, time, money and capability to serve, the opportunities to earn “credits”, widening your visions, giving you the experience of meeting the weak and sick, unbeknown to you healing your regrets and deformities buried deep down in you. You thank God and want to repay Him through your services. Consequently, both you and those you serve benefit in a positive feedback loop.
On the other hand, those who serve without a grateful heart tends to serve like almsgiving without respect. You feel superior and refuse any gratitude from the beneficiaries. Your focus is yourself but you do not see your own inadequacies. Nor do you see the real needs of the others. Consequently, both you and those you serve do not benefit at all, and may even end up hurting each other. Therefore, we need to cultivate a grateful heart to serve.
Let us recap. During the season of Advent, we need to prepare our hearts to receive the coming of the Saviour. The preparatory work is to remove pride, to open up our hearts in humility and let God fill them. Then we may cultivate a grateful heart to perform the seven corporal works of mercy so that we may stand in front of the Lord in the end.
God bless.
