Pray For the Abolition of the Death Penalty

Pray For the Abolition of the Death Penalty

Deacon Alex Kwok

The God we believe in is a God of life. In His unfathomable wisdom and love, He created us in His own image and put us in a universe suitable for our existence with a Big Bang. At the moment, our scientists and cosmologists are still struggling to understand its mechanisms and new discoveries keep flooding in. These discoveries manifest the intellectual faculty of our souls which are beautiful. With the advancements of information technology and artificial intelligence in recent years, morality is becoming our last stance to differentiate what is human and what is non-human. Regrettably our morality is lagging far behind our sciences and technologies. For example, the Ten Commandments forbid us from stealing and upholds the right to private property. Yet today we can easily download any movie from the Internet without paying one cent simply with a click without any remorse!

The Ten Commandments also upholds the sacredness and dignity of human life and forbids the killing of innocent persons. Wait a minute! Who allows you to qualify this Commandment with the word “innocent”? Who decides who is innocent and who is not? Only the author of life may decide, not you, not me, nor any chief justice in courts! Our technologies of killing have been refining throughout the ages whereas our appetite for revenge remains unchanged. The death penalty has become less bloody and less brutal these days but still it terminates life. We justify the killing by declaring the defendant guilty of crimes so serious that only death is the most suitable retribution.

“An eye for an eye” is the rationale behind sentencing a murderer/treasonist to death. Yet death penalty is a retribution and not a restitution because the death of the murderer/treasonist compensates nothing and restores nothing. It is unable to bring the victim(s) back to life. In case of serial killers, the death of one killer is not in proportion to the deaths of tens of victims. Worse still, if the electrocuted “murderer” is later found to be innocent when the true “murderer” turns himself in, it is impossible to undo the miscarriage of justice! In case of a treasonist, had the administration been impeccable, the treasonist would have had no opportunity to incite rebellions/riots. So, instead of putting up a patriotic show, would it not be better for the administration to spend more resources and to focus more on improving the governance of the country?

God is the author of life which is a gift to all humanity, whether one is innocent or guilty, intelligent or stupid, dissident or loyalist etc. Only the giver of life can withdraw the gift of life. When we decide to kill legally, whether it be abortion, euthanasia and even death penalty, we are denying God’s majesty and declare that God is wrong in allowing those people to continue living. In short, we play God! It is a sin as ancient as Cain’s refusal to be the keeper of his brother Abel. It shows that we have made very little progress in our morality. No wonder it takes God the Son to incarnate and to die a bloody and shameful death on the cross for us in order to redeem us.

Brethren! Let’s pray together with Pope Francis for the abolition of the death penalty in each and every country on earth. Let us acknowledge the majesty of the author of life, the sacredness and dignity of human persons and stop abusing our authority to eliminate unlikable people. Remember, whether you like them or not, they are also images of God.
God bless!

The Prodigal Son Is NOT The Lost Son 誰是真正的蕩子？

Twenty Fourth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: The Prodigal Son Is NOT The Lost Son 誰是真正的蕩子

We have been talking about God’s mercy all the time. But what exactly is God’s mercy? How does God express His mercy in the Bible? In the Old Testament, God seems to be extremely cruel. He ordered the Israelites to commit genocide, (e.g. 1 Samuel 15)! In the New Testament, God did not kill as ferociously as He did in the Old Testament. Still He sent worms to eat up Herod Agrippa because Agrippa did not ascribe the honour to God (Acts 12:23). Is the Old Testament God really an evil demigod not the one and the same merciful Father of Jesus Christ? It’s regrettable that many readers have the appetite for bloody events and ignore less spectacular ones. Perhaps it is high time we enumerated some of those merciful and yet uneventful incidents of God.

Firstly, when our First Parents disobeyed God and had eaten the Forbidden Fruit, logically God punished them. And yet before He banished them from Eden, God made them and clothed them with garments of skin (Genesis 3:21). Not only do garments keep warmth but they also give dignity! Being naked is shameful in all ages and places. Secondly, though God had warned that on the day Adam ate the Forbidden Fruit he would die (2:17), eventually Adam died at a ripe old age of nine hundred and thirty, the 4^th longest lifespan in the Bible (5:5). Thirdly, Cain killed Abel and became a fugitive on earth. God put a mark on him to protect him so that nobody would kill him at sight (4:15). Lastly, allow me to skip and fast forward to the notorious King Ahab (1 Kings 16:30-34). When prophet Elijah condemned him (21:17-26), Ahab tore his own garments and repented. God spared him (21:29)!

These are just a few examples in which God shows mercy towards individuals. What about the whole city or nation? Yes, we read of how the Israelites butchered the whole city of Ai (Joshua 8) and how Saul lost favour in God’s sight for failing to exterminate the Amalekites. In the latter case, God left no room for interpretation. His instruction was crystal clear, "Now attack Amalek and destroy completely all that he has. Do not spare them, man, woman, infant or suckling, or or sheep, camel or ass." (1 Samuel 15:3). This is clearly genocide. But let’s read the instructions God gave Joshua. God says, "I have delivered Jericho, its king, and its warriors into your power …" (Joshua 6:2). What does "have delivered … into your power" mean? Then we hear Joshua giving his interpretation to the Israelites, "The city and all that is in it shall be given in anathema to Yahweh ...be careful not to touch anything, big or small since everything shall be consecrated in anathema; do not take anything for yourself lest the curse be upon the camp of Israel and bring trouble into it. All the gold, silver, copper … are to be consecrated to Yahweh and shall go into the treasury of Yahweh." (6:17-19) Then "They seized Jericho. And with sword in hand, they killed all the men and women, both young and old, as well as the oxen, sheep and asses, and they gave these as anathema or, rather, sacrificed them to God." (6:21)
I can’t help but wonder whether God had really asked for such a sacrifice! Was Joshua over eager to show the Lord his loyalty? Or did Joshua, as a strategist, want to ensure that Jericho would never be able to rise again and to strike back? A similar over-eagerness happened in the story of Elijah. After winning the competition against 450 false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, thus proving to the Israelites that Yahweh was the one true God, Elijah incited the Israelites, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Let none of them escape!" (1 Kings 18:40) But we’re unable to find even "I have given the false prophets into your hand"! Would it be possible that a handful of false prophets of Baal repented after seeing the miracle? It was unbecoming for God to kill the righteous with the wicked (Genesis 18:25). Who then gave Elijah the authority to kill the wicked together with the repentant, thus the righteous? Ai suffered the same fate. God told Joshua, "I have delivered the king of Ai into your power, with his people, city, and land. Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king --- except that you may take its spoil and livestock as plunder…" (8:1-2). Does this show God’s approval of Joshua’s interpretation for annihilating Jericho? Of course, I dare not to speculate that the Israelites justified their genocides in the name of God. After all, God doesn’t need me to defend His actions, does He?

However, we should not ignore the stories that God had allowed Abraham to intercede for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:23-32) as well as Moses’ intercession for the Israelites who had grown impatient and made a golden calf while Moses was negotiating the Covenant with God for forty days and nights on Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:7-14). Abraham’s intercession failed because he was not confident enough to demand more. Had Abraham played safe and had set the number below five, Sodom in which Lot’s family lived would have been spared! Perhaps Moses had learnt from the "failure" of Abraham. Today, we read of his story in which Moses interceded for all, both the innocent as well as the guilty! Subsequently, Moses succeeded in saving 600,000 while he ordered the execution of 3,000 idolaters (32:28).

This story is thought provoking in another aspect which is worth meditating.
God told Moses, Go down at once because your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have acted corruptly." (32:7) Wait! "your people", i.e. "Moses’ people"? When did the Israelites become Moses’ people? When God called Moses in the burning bush, God said, "I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry against their taskmasters …" (3:7). Later, through Moses and Aaron God told Pharaoh, "… Let my people go that they may hold a feast for me in the wilderness." (5:1) God instructed Moses to say to the Israelites, "I am the Lord … I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God…" (6:6-7) All along, no less than 17 times from chapter 3 to chapter 12, did God call the Israelites His own people. Why the sudden change?
A similar tone can be detected in the following stories. When God asked Adam why he had eaten the Forbidden Fruit, Adam replied, "The woman whom you put here with me …" (Genesis 3:12). When God asked Cain the whereabouts of Abel, Cain retorted, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" (4:9) In the parable of the Prodigal Son we read today, the elder brother complained in the face of the father saying, "All these years I served you … but when your son returns …" (Luke 15:29-30) In the cases quoted above, the speakers seem to abdicate all responsibilities and even to sever all relationships. They put the blame onto the others, or declared that it was none of their business.

Now, was God so angry that He intended to abdicate all responsibilities and sever all relationships with the Israelites? Or since the Sinai Covenant had not yet been rectified, the Israelites were not yet God’s people? No, we cannot argue in this manner because God is timeless and eternal. Once He has spoken, it will be done regardless of the costs. Moses served the ball tactfully back to God’s court. "Why, O Lord, should your anger burn against your people, whom …" (Exodus 32:11) Then Moses appealed to the faithfulness of God, "Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel …" (32:13). But does God need our reminders? No, I think God was actually playing the devil’s advocate in this case. When He revealed Himself in the burning bush to commission Moses to liberate the Israelites in Egypt, Moses declined five times until God imposed His will on him (4:14-17)! At that time, Moses the fugitive Egyptian prince was unable to relate to the Hebrew slaves in Egypt with whom he had lost touch for forty years. On Mount Sinai, God wanted to strengthen his relationship with the Israelites and his identification as the Hebrew Liberator. He was to be the keeper of his brothers, his people!

Indeed, we have been wrong in calling the 3^rd parable the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Read this parable in the context of all three parables, we see that the lost sheep does not know the way home. It needs the good shepherd to leave 99 sheep behind to seek it. The lost coin, though it was still inside the house, needs the woman to clean up the house to seek it. But in the 3^rd parable, the younger son was able to remember his father and to return home on his own initiative, albeit a rather low motive! Thus, the younger son is NOT the lost son. Then who was the lost son? The elder brother was! Though he was living in the house, he was unconnected with the father. Like Abraham, he did not have the faith/confidence to demand even a young goat, not to mention a fattened calf (Luke 15:29-30)! God’s mercy is brilliantly illustrated in the father’s words, "My son, you are here with me always, everything I have is yours" (15:31).

Brethren, how paradoxical that we always complain God for not hearing our demands/prayers when God makes it clear that we have the whole known universe at our disposal! We should be grateful because the Son of God goes all the way out the seek us. We were baptized and partake in His threefold ministry of king, priest and prophet. Let us rejoice with heavenly angels for our being lost and found. Let us put our faith in the mercy of the Father and go out to seek other lost sheep, lost coins and lost sons with Christ.
God bless!
2019 Reflections
Picture Credit: wikipedia

Second Attempt to Harmonize the Contradiction再試調和矛盾

Twenty Third Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Second Attempt to Harmonize the Contradiction再試調和矛盾

The previous meditation attempted to harmonize the contradiction between total renunciation in discipleship and filial piety through Chinese classics. That is just one among many approaches. Some homilies bypass Luke 14:26 altogether and focus more on discipleship while others would dodge the contradiction by appealing to the language aspect. They point out that the Hebrew language lacks comparison constructs. When Israelites wanted to express the idea of “loving A more than loving B”, they would say “loving A and hating B”. So, Jesus did not tell us to hate our family members but to love them less in comparison to our love of Jesus! While this approach is correct, probably it might not be applicable in this verse because it is not a comparison at all! On a second thought, I intent to take yet another approach.

I always advise people not to read bible texts out of context. Yet, I might have made the very same mistake when I attempted to focus on one single verse alone. Indeed, Jesus was teaching about total renunciation for the sake of discipleship. Not only should disciples renounce familial relationships, but they should also renounce their lives. This is “his own cross” which every disciple should carry in order to come after Jesus (14:27). Suddenly, Jesus turns “utilitarian” and tells potential followers to calculate the costs to follow Him. If it is beyond their resources, think again and try something else! Now, I have not only one but two issues here! Firstly, how do I fit hating family members into the context of calculating costs? Secondly, does Jesus buy utilitarianism? I have touched upon this topic in another post. So, I will simply focus on the first.

Hatred is a strong feeling which is the very opposite of love. Unlike anger, rage or wrath which are more or less impulsive, temporary and shallower, hatred is relatively more permanent and therefore deeper! When rationality is involved and is unable to neutralize the hatred, violent actions become premeditated. No wonder hatred is not among the seven capital vices but wrath is. Regrettably, we’re witnessing more and more hate-speeches and hate-crimes nowadays.
Psychologically speaking, angry people hurt both ways. Their victims suffer physically and possibly even psychologically traumatized. But so are the angry people physiologically themselves. Their pulses race and their adrenaline level rises. Their internal harmony is disrupted and there is a physiological price to pay when one vents his anger towards his victims! When anger becomes internalized into hatred, the physiological damages would go deeper and more permanent!

Family members are supposed to be one’s loved ones. It hurts deeper when one is offended by loved ones! Similarly, it is more painful to hate family members than insignificant others. Therefore, hating all family members is as costly if not costlier than building a tower or even going to war! Reading Luke 14:26 in this perspective does not need to modify the ordinary meaning of the word “hate” and fits into the context of cost calculation. Indeed, how often do people build towers or go to wars? Not always. Similarly, we don’t hate family members all the time. It is amazing to discover that the hint has always been there in the Old Testament. Now, I may quote Ecclesiastes 3:8 in full, “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace”!

Jesus’ calling disciples is both an invitation and a challenge. He challenges us to go to war against God! Yes, the mightier king who has double your troops in hand. What an understatement! In the end, we should find peace with Him before the Last Judgment. Jesus challenges humanity to build the Babel Tower and in the end, infusing us with the Holy Spirit, we speak the universal language of love. He challenges us to forsake all familial relationships in great pains and in the end build a universal family for all humanity!

The term “challenge” is probably a misnomer. It is more appropriate to name it a “revelation” of our inner secrets than a “challenge”. We play God and rebel against Him. We sin and go to war with God. Our pride drives us to build all sorts of towers, making the Creation a wasteland. Probably angels are the onlookers (Luke 14:29). Family is supposed to be the ideal place for growth and development, love and raising children. In reality, familial relationships hurt the most. Paradoxically, this is how humanity mature and grow. Once pains are overcome and love is established, complacency sets in and another round of pains would brew imperceptibly … It demands more efforts and pains to dismantle the existing relationships in order to build a healthier and stronger family bond! Not many people can emotionally afford it …

In view of such harshness, who is able to respond and be saved?

I think many people have overlooked the fact that Jesus is divine. He is able to command inexhaustible resources. For example, He fed 5000 with only five loaves and two fish. Therefore, when we find peace with God, we don’t need to spend our energy doing stupid and unproductive things going against God. With His resources, we’ll be able to build any number of mega-projects we are able to fancy. When we get connected with our Lord Jesus Christ, all our “costs/cross” become nothing because the Good Shepherd would put us, together with our crosses, on His shoulders to carry us home (15:5)!
Brethren! Cheers! Call upon the name of the Lord and He’ll save. Amen.
2022 23^rd Ordinary Sunday
Picture Credit:shutterstock.com

How to Hate Parents & Keep the 10 Commandments 如何憎恨父母而遵守十誡？

Twenty Third Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: How to Hate Parents & Keep the 10 Commandments 如何憎恨父母而遵守十誡？

My parents passed away a few years ago. Like many grown-up children, a sense of regret for not doing enough while parents were still alive always lingers on. I’m not fluent enough to narrate such feelings to relieve my regrets. It is in this mood that I meditate on the theme above.

Among different schools in ancient Chinese philosophies, Confucianism was very fluent in articulating filial piety. By extension, it advocated loyalty to rulers and patriotism. Thus, emperors in ancient China bought the idea and promoted filial piety across the empire. For example, in Han Dynasty, i.e. before the institution of selecting government officials through public examination system, the state appointed people renowned for their filial piety to fill up government posts. In Chinese mentality, filial piety is taken for granted and is not to be challenged. So, when Christian missionaries talked about the Ten Commandments, the Chinese did not find it too foreign to accept. Instead, they would find biblical morality too simplistic and not elaborate enough. On the other hand, missionaries would try to avoid talking about the institution of marriage (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:6-9) and Jesus’ teaching of total renunciation demanded of disciples (Luke 14:26-33). Of course, if we believe in Jesus Christ, we can’t be selective in what we want to believe. At the moment, we might not be able to harmonize those seemingly contradictory teachings. Even if we might never be, we should not give up trying.

In both the Old Testament and the New, we are able to find scores of texts telling us to honour and to obey our parents: Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 20:9, Proverbs 30:17, Sirach 3:14-18, Luke 18:20, Romans 1:28-32, Colossians 3:20 and 1 Timothy 5:1-2 etc. to name just a few. The Torah has laid down the rules. The Lord promises to reward obedient children with longevity, “Honour your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). Those who curse their parents would be banished to hell, “Anyone who curses father or mother shall be put to death” (Leviticus 20:9). Then, how could Jesus require his disciples to hate their parents, “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26)? Jesus claims that He did not come to abolish the laws but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17). Then how do Jesus’ disciples hate their parents and at the same time keep the Ten Commandments?

As a Chinese Catholic, I sense that there might be a way out in Confucian teachings on filial piety which have developed into a comprehensive system. It encompasses beyond merely the material level such as supporting the livelihood of aging parents. Showing them care and respecting them cater for their psychological needs as well. Beyond security and love, filial piety also includes maintaining the esteem and fame of parents. Therefore, a person should avoid doing things that scandalize or bring shame & dishonour to parents etc. In short, one must be a virtuous person for the honour of parents! Allow me to quote Zengzi 曾子, a disciple of Confucius renowned for his filial piety, “The body is that which has been transmitted to us by our parents, dare any one allow himself to be irreverent in the employment of their legacy?「身也者，父母之遺體也。行父母之遺體，敢不敬乎」?” (The Book of Rites, Meaning of Offerings禮記．祭義) The Book of Rites is a collection of essays written in 476-221 B.C. Doesn’t it sound like the Theology of Body by St. Pope John Paul II in the 20th century? Zengzi continues to list five manners which go against filial piety: not grave in his privacy, not loyal to his rulers, not reverent in office, not sincere to friends, not brave in battles 「居處不莊，非孝也；事君不忠，非孝也；蒞官不敬，非孝也；朋友不信，非孝也；戰陣無勇，非孝也。」He explains that those manners would bring parents disasters. How dare we not to be reverent 「五者不遂，災及於親，敢不敬乎」?

On the negative side, if parents are doing wrong, children should politely dissuade them so that parents wouldn’t become unrighteous. To quote Confucius, “… And the father who had a son that would remonstrate with him would not sink into the gulf of unrighteous deeds. Therefore when a case of unrighteous conduct is concerned, a son must by no means keep from remonstrating with his father … how can obedience to the orders of a father be accounted filial piety「父有爭子，則身不陷於不義，故當不義則爭之…從父之命，又焉得為孝乎」” (Classic of Filial Piety孝經).

So, contrary to the assumptions of most of the missionaries, there exists an entry point which enables us to harmony Jesus’ teaching on total renunciation with filial piety. The key to untie the knot is righteousness. But bear in mind that in Confucianism, righteousness is not something impersonal and impartial. Familial relationships are taken into consideration. For example, “The Duke of She informed Confucius, saying, ‘Among us here are those who may be styled upright in their conduct: if their fathers have stolen a sheep, they will bear witness to the fact.’ Confucius said, ‘Among us in our part of the country, those who are upright are different from this. The father conceals the misconduct of the son, and the son conceals the misconduct of the father. Uprightness is to be found in this「葉公語孔子曰：『吾黨有直躬者，其父攘羊，而子證之。』孔子曰：『吾之直者異於是。父為子隱，子為父隱，直在其中矣』」” (Analects, Zi Lu論語．子路)

Familial relationships are the fabrics of a society. Confucius gave them heavier weight during moral deliberations. But nothing surpasses loyalty to the emperor. There were several often quoted historical incidents in which for the well-being of the state or the integrity of the clan「上為國計，下全宗族」, brothers killed their siblings and a father did not spare his son. These incidents are: viz. Duke Dan executed his brother Guanshu in the Rebellion of the Three Guards 「三監之亂，周公誅殺管叔」; Zhou Yu州吁 of Wei衛 usurped the throne. Shi Hou 石厚befriended Zhou Yu. Shi Jing 石碏the father Shi Hou was a loyal official. He sought the help of Chen 陳state to kill Zhou Yu and did not spare Shi Hou, his son 「石碏戮子」；Duke Huan of Lu 魯桓公had four sons. The eldest son of the first wife succeeded and became Duke Zhuang魯莊公, while the other three brothers, Meng Qingfu 孟慶父(the eldest son of the second wife), Ji You 季友(the second son of the first wife) and Shu Ya叔牙 (the second son of the second wife) became chief officers of Lu. Before Duke Zhuang died, he intended the son of his second wife to succeed. Shu Ya suggested Meng Qingfu instead. Ji You poisoned Shu Ya in Duke Zhuang’ name and after some more incidents, Meng Qingfu hanged himself「季友鴆兄…慶父自縊」. Historians interpreted the intention of Ji You as trying to prevent the children of the second wife from usurping the throne. Thus I suppose in the Chinese mentality, for the sake of higher causes such as loyalty to rulers and patriotism, it is acceptable for Chinese to put aside familial relationships between husband and wife, parents and children and among siblings.

Brethren! The contradiction is a very thorny one. I don’t think I have satisfactorily settled it once and for all. Though Jesus likes to impress His audience with hyperboles, (for example the miraculous seeds in the Sower Parable which yield a hundredfold) we are unable to dismiss this one as one such hyperbole. Time is the issue. Jesus is the embodiment of the Word of God (John 1:1) and He claims to be the Truth (14:6). He does not qualify His teachings in terms of time because God is eternal and timeless! But while we are living on earth, we act within the time dimension. Therefore, contradiction arises when we have to love and hate our family members at the same time! Perhaps, we should seek help from the Wisdom Literature. “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under heavens … A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8)

Therefore, I would boldly speculate that the norm of Christian actions is charity. Thus Jesus expects us to obey the Ten Commandments as well as His new commandment (John 13:34). Most of the time we and our parents, siblings, spouses and children etc. should be loving each other as He has loved us. But when it comes to higher causes, viz. to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, we need to set the priority right. Perhaps it is here that Confucianism will be able to lend us a helping hand in deciding what the right thing to do is. At the end of the day, a Catholic has to ask himself how seriously he accepts Jesus Christ as his King (Matthew 25:31-32), how obedient he is to His commission to evangelize the world (28:19-20) and how deep his love is for the salvation of his parents, siblings, spouses and children.
May the Holy Spirit help us discern and strengthen us. Amen!
God bless!
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: https://www.zhdate.com/tw/news_history/445470.html
English translations of Chinese classics are taken from Chinese Text Project @ https://ctext.org

How to Keep Humility in A Competitive World? 怎樣在競爭的世代保持謙卑？

Twenty Second Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: How to Keep Humility in A Competitive World? 怎樣在競爭的世代保持謙卑？

We are living in a modern commercial city called Hong Kong. Our existence is measured by our economic value: how capable we are in making money and how many houses, stocks and credit cards etc. we possess. In such a utilitarian milieu, most people would avoid those disadvantaged, marginalized, aged, sick, homeless and mentally deficient because they are economically worthless. Economically active people in lower rungs would develop an ambitious attitude and an assertive, outspoken manner to seek the attention of their bosses in order to facilitate their climbing up. People in the middle would gang together to compete with rival factions to attain control of a larger share of resources. Their minds are full of strategies and tricks, ready to betray without hesitation even their comrades. Nobody is able to stay long at the top …

In ancient times, people lived on the produce of the land and life was simple. It was natural and easy to support each other in extended families. However, it is impossible for extended families to exist in post-industrial societies and there’s no longer a kindred system based on blood-line to support each other. Alas! Though blood is thicker than water, river water can never meddle with underground water! People have to fend for themselves and there are more and more rivals who are marketing their talents in order to get employed! Today, many a Catholic would wonder how one might be able to stay humble in such a competitive world.

Jesus Christ is our Saviour and our Lord. We should follow His instructions to be humble. He says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) We should listen to His instructions with a pure heart (Matthew 5:8) and do not turn humility into a strategy! If you humble yourself in order to be exalted, then your humility is not genuine but hypocritical. Lord Jesus would not want us to become hypocrites. Therefore, Jesus is stating a reality which modern societies have blurred. Modern societies breed ambitious people and most of the ambitious usually overestimate themselves and easily ignore unfavourable elements. Overconfidence combined with ignorance is a sure formula for failure! In the end, those ambitious people would be humiliated. Their successes would only be brief.

Early in my meditation, I blamed the modern society for breeding ambitious people. It is insufficient because not all modern people are outspoken and ambitious. Indeed, there are introverts and autistic people too. Moreover, the chances of modern societies to revert to farming and feudalism are slim. Therefore, we need to consider the psychological factors as well. Why do people want to be exalted? If we are able to dig up the root causes of ambitions, perhaps we would be able to cure this arrogance disease.

When one is exalted, one becomes the focus of attention. Thus, people who hunger and thirst for exaltation are most probably infantile attention seekers! They have a certain group of people in mind and want this target group of people to know their presence and the work they are doing. Aren’t they similar to young children doing unreasonable things to catch the attention of their mothers? Most mothers play into their strategies, wishing to set up a rapport with their children and start teaching them something good. But seen from another perspective, those attention seekers are conditioning their “significant others”. Sometimes, it is hard to tell who is conditioning whom! On another level, take a look at how the advertising industry is keeping our economy in momentum and you will appreciate how wide reaching the attention-seeking culture is in modern societies. Ambitious people would resort to all sorts of means to assure themselves that they are important and indispensable! Our psychology is by and large moulded by this competitive society. How hard it is to resist the arrogance advocated in the societies nowadays.

Superficially, the first reading sounds hollow and irrelevant for us nowadays. “What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.” (Sirach 3:21) This is not the kind of modern life that we know of. In our dictionary, there are no such phrases as “too sublime for you” and “beyond your strength”. No, they are “challenges” which are meant to accept and attempt! Only losers and defeatists would decline! Consequently, more people suffer mental illnesses nowadays! Humanity pay a huge price to lead their life in a competitive environment. People believe in “social evolution” and believe that competitions will eliminate the weakest. In long run, humanity would become stronger. Such an oversimplification has ignored the fact that losers are not necessarily the weakest! In the end, ambitious people become losers when they burn out or are locked up in institutions.

The book of Sirach is a collection of wisdom sayings which are able to withstand the test of time. The wisdom enables us to keep our sanity in an insane world. Time is the key. “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens … a time to be silent, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7) I’m sure all of you know that Einstein started speaking at four. So, there is no need to worry and pressurize children to achieve milestones set up by so-called experts. How can you say that when a child does not speak, it is deaf-mute? When the time comes and a child is psychologically ready, it will speak. Now, the advice of Sirach rings true. When you are not prepared and ready to lift a 78-kg dumbbell, accepting such a “challenge” is foolish and disastrous. Therefore, it is wise to remain humble when you’re not ready! On the other hand, many geniuses shine forth at an early age. It would be a waste to straitjacket their development in formal schooling! Anyhow, they belong to the minority otherwise they are not geniuses! Thus for most of us, it is wise to remain humble to wait for the appointed time!

But when is the appointed time? How do we know when the appointed time is? Thus, it brings up another essential factor in life: knowledge! Without knowledge, the chances of getting things done properly would only be fifty-fifty. Not to mention scientific endeavours, even the act of loving needs knowledge! In “The Art of Loving”, Erich Fromm argues that knowledge is one of the four basic elements of love. Thus, it is impossible for true love to be blind! If the feeling of love is blind, it can only be infatuation etc. Thus, chances of success would be enhanced with knowledge and it is only logical and sensible to accumulate knowledge. But it takes time to accumulate knowledge and further distillation to attain wisdom. Alas! Patience is in short supply for modern people because time is money! Few people are willing to complete reading documentations and manuals. They look for quick fixes and shortcuts because time is money! Sirach’s advice rings truth again. “The mind of the wise appreciates proverbs, and the ear that listens to wisdom rejoices.” (Sirach 3:29)

Brethren! Our Lord is “The Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). If we are able to establish an intimate relationship with Him, we’ll be able partake in the Truth with which we’ll have the ultimate knowledge of everything. Be humble of heart and learn from our Lord, Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). When we’re in Him and He in us, we’ll surely be exalted. Amen.
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: slideplayer.com

一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主 A Prudent, Righteous and Merciful God

一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主（瑪25:14-30）

主人是個知人善任的人，他在遠行之前，召集了自己的僕人，「把財產托付給他們：按照他們的才能，一個給了五個『塔冷通』，一個給了兩個，一個給了一個。」（瑪25:14-15）有些僕人不負所托，領了五個的，另外賺了五個；那個領了兩個的，也賺了另外兩個（25:16-17）。證明主人分散投資，是正確的做法！

從這個觀察所得，在這個比喻發生的宇宙裡，僕人最高的成就，就是把本錢加倍。即是說，把全數八個『塔冷通』交給第一個僕人所得的成果，與分散托付到不同僕人的成果都是一樣！
主人的明智，不但顯示在他懂得分散投資上；而且這樣分散投資，更反映了他的公義。倘若全數投放到最有本領的僕人手上，其餘的僕人祇會游手好閒，坐享其成。這不是僕人求之不得的安排嗎？可惜這樣做，便剝削了他們展露自己能力的機會，對他們不公平！所以，主人分散投資在幾個，而不是一個僕人身上，既明智，又公義！

主人在處理第三個僕人時，顯示了他的慈悲！此話何解？
首先，第三個僕人對主人的評價，即「你是個刻薄的人，在你沒有下種的地方收割，在你沒有散布的地方聚斂」（25:24），是正確的嗎？不可能！且看主人把自己的財產托付給他們，對他們是多麼信任。一個這麼信任自己僕人的主人，又怎可能會刻薄自己的僕人呢？事實上，在這個比喻的宇宙裡，有主人沒有下種的地方嗎？有主人沒有散布的地方嗎？沒有！所以第三個僕人是想把責任推卸到主人身上。

其次，即使主人明知這個僕人在推卸責任，但主人並沒有直接揭露他，反而順應他的指控，教導他正確的做法：「該把我的銀子，交給錢莊的人，待我回來時時， 把我連本帶利取回。」（25:27）雖然這個僕人最後受到應得的懲罰，但主人的慈悲是不容否定的。

各位兄弟姊妹，天主就是這樣的一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主，我們尚有何求呢？
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：smartchurchsolutions.com

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A Prudent, Righteous and Merciful God (Matthew 25:14-30)

The master knew the capabilities of his servants. Before he was going on a journey, he called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. “To one he gave five talents; to another two; to a third, one --- to each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15) Some servants met the master’s expectation. “The one who received five talents … made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two” (25:16-17). It proves that the master’s strategy of diversification was the right thing to do!

From this observation, in the universe of this parable, the greatest achievement a servant could make is to double the capital. That is to say, giving all eight talents to the first servant would yield the same results as distributing the talents to different servants!
The wisdom of the master is shown in his diversification of investment. But this diversification also shows his justice. Had he entrusted all talents to the best servant, the rest would have been sitting idly to enjoy the fruit of the first servant’s labour. Wouldn’t it be the wishes of the servants? Unfortunately, such an arrangement would have denied the opportunities for them to show off their talents. It would have been unfair to them. Thus diversification shows that the master is both prudent and just!

In dealing with the third servant, the master shows his mercy! Why?
First of all, was the evaluation of third servant on the master, viz. “You were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter” (25:24) a correct one? Impossible! See how the master entrusted his possessions to the servants, how he trusted them! Would a trusting master be mean and demanding on his servants? In fact, in the universe of this parable, would there be a place where the master did not plant? Would there be a place where the master did not scatter? No! Therefore, the third servant was trying to pass the blame onto the master.

Secondly, even though the master knew that the servant was trying to evade responsibility, he did not bluntly expose him. On the contrary, the master followed the servant’s logic and taught him the proper way, “Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?” (25:27) Although the servant received his due punishment, this did not negate the master’s mercy.

Brethren! God is such a prudent, righteous and merciful God. What else can we demand?
God bless!

「燈油」象徵天主的恩寵嗎？ Does “Oil” symbolize God’s grace?

「燈油」象徵天主的恩寵嗎？（瑪25:1-13）

傳統上，我們把「燈油」解釋為「恩寵」。但這個過份簡單的解釋，會引起很多毛病！
倘若「燈油」真的象徵「恩寵」，那些明智的童女（瑪25:4），便可以輕易地解釋為臨終時擁有足夠恩寵的信徒，死後可以順利地與主耶穌基督進入天堂；那些沒有的，自然就是臨終時沒有恩寵的信徒，死後便被耶穌基督拒諸天堂門外了。臨終時沒有恩寵怎麼辦？按明智童女的意見，到「賣油的那裡去，為自己買吧！」（25:9）這樣解釋看來漂亮，殊不知問題開始浮現了！

首先，自己擁有的恩寵，真的不可以分給別人嗎？即使「恩寵」真的不能分給別人，但為甚麼明智的童女不去幫助糊塗的童女買「恩寵」呢？這樣顯得她們有點自私！倘若我們真的不能為別人求恩寵，那麼我們所相信的「諸聖相通功」，我們為生者死者及罪人祈禱，豈不是白費心機嗎？所以，就憑「諸聖相通功」的道理，我們肯定可以把恩寵「過戶」給缺乏恩寵的人。

第二個問題便來了，那裡是「賣油」，即是「賣恩寵」的地方呢？小心！是教會嗎？濫用「贖罪券」觀念所帶來的教訓，相信大家不會忘記吧！教會是明智的，否則她便重犯壟斷天主救恩的錯誤，否定了天主至高無上的地位！所以把「燈油」解釋為「恩寵」，是很有問題的！

新郎怎樣說？祂對糊塗的童女說：「我不認識妳們。」（25:12）原來問題根本不在於糊塗的童女沒有「燈油」，而在於「認識」與否！但新郎是耶穌基督，祂怎會不認識所有人呢？所以這個「不認識」，必另有外指。
我們不妨參考教宗方濟各的教導。【你們要歡喜踴躍】宗座勸諭說：「真福八端就像基督徒的身份證。」（GE #63）這是基督徒與及所有懷有善意的人的生活態度，當然不能假手於人或者分給別人！在末日審判時，君王所提出的六項「形哀矝」，並沒有教會壟斷的餘地。所以，把「燈油」象徵「真福八端」，我覺得比較妥當。
主祐大家！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：dailydevotions.blog.fc2.com

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Does “Oil” symbolize God’s grace? (Matthew 25:1-13)

Traditionally, we explain “oil” to be a symbol of “grace”. But this over-simplified explanation is problematic!
If “oil” truly symbolizes “grace”, those wise virgins (Matthew 25:4) can easily be interpreted as those faithful who die with sufficient grace to enter heaven together with Jesus Christ without any impediment. Those without “oil” are logically faithful who die without grace and shall be denied entrance into heaven. What should be done for those without grace on the dying bed? According to the opinion of the wise virgins, “Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves” (25:9) The answer looks smart but problems start to arise!

Firstly, can’t we share the grace we possess with others? Even if “graces” can’t be shared, why then don’t the wise ones help the foolish ones buy “graces”? The wise ones look selfish! If we are truly unable to obtain graces for the others, what’s our point in believing in the “communion of saints” and praying for sinners, for the living and the dead? Thus, with the truth of the “communion of saints”, we are certain that we are able to “transfer” graces to those who are in need of graces.

Then the second problem arises. Where can people “buy graces”? Beware! Is it the Church? I trust all of us won’t forget the lesson of abusing the concept of “indulgence certificates”! The Church is prudent. Otherwise, she would commit again the mistake of monopolizing God’s salvation and denial of the supreme status of God! Therefore, interpreting “oil” as a symbol of “grace” is problematic!

What does the bridegroom say? He replies, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” (25:12) Therefore, it is not an issue of foolish virgins not having “oil”, but the bridegroom not knowing them! However, the bridegroom is Jesus Christ. How can He not know all? Therefore, this “not knowing” must mean something else.

Let’s take the cue from the teaching of Pope Francis. The apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate says, “The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card.” (GE #63) This is the attitude live up by Christians and people of goodwill. Of course, this can’t be given away! At the Last Judgment, the Church has no room to monopolize the six corporal works of mercy demanded by the King. Thus, I opine that it’s better for “oil” to symbolize “the Beatitudes”.
God bless!