The recent obscene photos scandal is a defamation campaign. It leaves everybody a loser. The celebrities captured in the photographs are losers. The way police handled the situation makes it a loser. The sensational reporting by the media makes them losers. In the future, the Internet users may have their freedom restricted. They may become the ultimate losers ... People living in this technologically advanced society are very vulnerable indeed.
Jesus' enemies also tried to defame him, saying that he drove out demons with the power from the prince of demon, Beelzebul (Luke 11:15). Jesus defended himself with a parable of a divided kingdom. In the end, he concluded
But if it is by the finger of God ( δακτύλῳ θεοῦ ) that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Luke 11:20). He was referring to the Holy Spirit.
My God, where is Your finger today? The celebrities are possessed by lust, the police by power, the Internet users voyeurism and the media greed. My God, when will You exorcise them all?
Reading Jeremiah 7 today sent a chill down my spine. The Chosen People had driven God out of their existence. The Temple became for them a placebo. God was not inside (Jeremiah 7:4). God was not inside because there was no God in their hearts, only idols. Their hearts were smothered and they were not able to hear God's voice.
and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer (Jeremiah 7:13).
Are the technological achievements which bring us welcomed comfort real progress? The obscene photo scandal has spoken against it loud and clear! We go backward and not forward.
For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
But this command I gave them, 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.'
But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day;
yet they did not listen to me, or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers (Jeremiah 7:23-26).
And they have built the high place of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind (Jeremiah 7:31). This reminds me of the child pornography victims who are burnt on the altar of the Internet!
The Israelites would not listen because their hearts were occupied by various idols. Their future? Gruesome indeed! Jeremiah seemed to be describing more the 20th century Holocaust than the Babylonian captivity of the 6th century B.C.
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter: for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere.
And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth; and none will frighten them away.
And I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall become a waste.
At that time, says the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs;
and they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped; and they shall not be gathered or buried; they shall be as dung on the surface of the ground.
Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts (Jeremiah 7:32-8:3).
My God, we indulge in idols of different flavours but see not the consequences. The Israelites have suffered a painful lesson. But modern people do not learn from them. Father, You are the God of the living, not of the dead. For the sake of Your holy name, exorcise all the idols in our hearts so that we may truly appreciate Your loving care. Amen.
Friday, 29 February 2008
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Study Deuteronomy
Jesus knew Deuteronomy very well. In the three temptations recorded in Matthew and Luke, he simply quoted passages from Deuteronomy to counter Satan. Therefore, if Christians are true to their master, they should study Deuteronomy as well.
Modern people take it for granted that as citizens of a country, it is their responsibility to know the law. Of course, if one leads a moral life, there is no need for him to know the letters of the law because his life follows naturally. If you know the law, you are able to protect your interests. You have law-enforcers to protect your life and property. Of course, people may abuse the law for their advantage. For example, the recent speeding case of a Hong Kong tycoon, Mr. Lxxxx.
In ancient times, common people were not allowed to know the law. Only nobles and aristocrats knew. Moreover, laws were subject to the whims of kings. Therefore, we would expect a lot of injustice happening around. In ancient China, 536 B.C., it was revolutionary for 子產 to inscribe the laws on bronze tripods to make them known to all the people【左傳‧魯昭公六年】. At first, the nobles complained. Two decades later, other warring states followed suit【左傳‧魯昭公廿九年】. Confucius 孔子 lamented the situation because all people, nobilities as well as commoners, had become equal before the law. Then, people would not know their distinct status in a country. This country would soon collapse.
In sharp contrast, Deuteronomy 4 opens a window for us to take a glimpse of how the Israelites saw themselves. Yahweh entered into a covenant with them. They had to keep all the statues and ordinances taught by Moses, God's representative. Instead of seeing them as restrictive, the Israelites were proud of these statues and ordinances instead. There were no nobilities worrying about making known the laws to the commoners. There were no political philosophers lamenting for a confusion of roles and status, leading to the collapse of a country.
Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?
And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:6-8)
These statues and ordinances are righteous because they were given by God. They were guidelines to help the Israelites lead a holy life (Exodus 19:6).
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ; וְאוֹר, לִנְתִיבָתִי (Psalm 119:105)
Therefore, keeping them is wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations. Even Jesus affirmed their importance.
Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, it is foolish for Christians to disregard them.
My God, Your wisdom is beyond comprehension. For Your loving care, You gave the Israelites the Torah to lead a holy life and pass on this wisdom to mankind. May we study them diligently, love them with all our heart and live them up. We are feeble and insignificant. Strengthen us so that we may lead a life pleasing and acceptable to You. Amen.
Modern people take it for granted that as citizens of a country, it is their responsibility to know the law. Of course, if one leads a moral life, there is no need for him to know the letters of the law because his life follows naturally. If you know the law, you are able to protect your interests. You have law-enforcers to protect your life and property. Of course, people may abuse the law for their advantage. For example, the recent speeding case of a Hong Kong tycoon, Mr. Lxxxx.
In ancient times, common people were not allowed to know the law. Only nobles and aristocrats knew. Moreover, laws were subject to the whims of kings. Therefore, we would expect a lot of injustice happening around. In ancient China, 536 B.C., it was revolutionary for 子產 to inscribe the laws on bronze tripods to make them known to all the people【左傳‧魯昭公六年】. At first, the nobles complained. Two decades later, other warring states followed suit【左傳‧魯昭公廿九年】. Confucius 孔子 lamented the situation because all people, nobilities as well as commoners, had become equal before the law. Then, people would not know their distinct status in a country. This country would soon collapse.
In sharp contrast, Deuteronomy 4 opens a window for us to take a glimpse of how the Israelites saw themselves. Yahweh entered into a covenant with them. They had to keep all the statues and ordinances taught by Moses, God's representative. Instead of seeing them as restrictive, the Israelites were proud of these statues and ordinances instead. There were no nobilities worrying about making known the laws to the commoners. There were no political philosophers lamenting for a confusion of roles and status, leading to the collapse of a country.
Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?
And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:6-8)
These statues and ordinances are righteous because they were given by God. They were guidelines to help the Israelites lead a holy life (Exodus 19:6).
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ; וְאוֹר, לִנְתִיבָתִי (Psalm 119:105)
Therefore, keeping them is wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations. Even Jesus affirmed their importance.
Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, it is foolish for Christians to disregard them.
My God, Your wisdom is beyond comprehension. For Your loving care, You gave the Israelites the Torah to lead a holy life and pass on this wisdom to mankind. May we study them diligently, love them with all our heart and live them up. We are feeble and insignificant. Strengthen us so that we may lead a life pleasing and acceptable to You. Amen.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
To forgive 70 x 7 times
Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic gospels because they follow a similar plot and can be put 'side-by-side' to study together, to do comparison. Some materials are shared by all three or even 4, including John. E.g. The story of 5 loaves and 2 fish. Some materials are unique to a particular gospel. E.g. The parable of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son are found in Luke only. Very often, the same story are told differently, probably to cater for the needs of the different communities for which the gospels were written, or because they grew from the different traditions in different communities. For example, Mark 10 tells us that Jesus cured blind Bartimaeus when he came to Jericho, without touching him. Matthew 20 tells us that Jesus cured two anonymous blind men by touching their eyes when he came to Jericho. I think we should not try to harmonize the two different versions but to accept them as they are. Scholars generally agree that Matthew based on Mark to write his gospel. There must be a reason for Matthew to have 2 blind men instead of one even though we may never know what it was.
Today, we read Matthew 18. It is a collection of different sayings of Jesus, but put in different contexts from those parallel passages in Mark. Of course, I would eye passages unique to Matthew. For example,
See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:10). From this, we know that all of us have our own guardian angels in heaven taking care of our spiritual good.
Matthew 18:15-17 deals with the way we should settle our disputes. First, between the 2 of you in private. Failing that, brought in 2 witnesses. Then bring the matter to the church. If all attempts failed, "and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:17b). Does it mean we should ex-communicate him, or we should start evangelizing him all over again, like a tax collector? This is open to interpretation. No matter what, Matthew agrees with St. Paul that we should not make use of worldly courts to settle our disputes, to attack our brothers in Christ. You may defend that Jesus teaches us to "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21b) Therefore, we should be a good citizen of Hong Kong and cooperate with the government to beat crimes. However, the remaining verse continues with "... and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21c) Now, is there anything not God's? No. God's policy overrides SAR government's. Therefore, we should follow Matthew's precepts.
Then we read of yet another famous line from Matthew.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). This beautiful verse is the true spirit of the Church, a gathering of redeemed in Jesus' name. Unlike other wisdom religions in which an individual can attain enlightenment all by himself, our faith is communal. We unite with God in our community. We cannot do it all by ourselves.
The remaining chapter deals with the question of forgiveness. Jesus answered Peter's question by telling him to forgive forever.
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22). Hypothetically, if someone offends you 7 times and you have already forgiven him 7 times and yet, he continues. What does that mean? He has learnt nothing! Then, should you be angry with someone so low in IQ? I doubt very much if someone can be so stupid as to offend you 490 times without learning anything. More often than not, the offender usually does not have the courage to seek forgiveness. We don't even have one single chance to forgive. I am afraid we will never be able to use up all those 490 chances throughout our life. If I sound too pessimistic about the human nature, just too bad.
The parable of the Unforgiving Steward that follows (Matthew 18:23-35) illustrates vividly the nature of forgiveness. The one who forgives is already in an advantaged & superior position. When your brother offends you, immediately you are in a superior position because he owes you at least an apology. So, if he repents and seek reconciliation but you withhold your forgiveness, you are abusing your superiority. Moreover, it breeds bitterness and resentment in our hearts. Forgiveness provides a chance for both parties to mend fences for the benefit of the future and a chance for both to grow up.
My God, it is not easy to forgive, but I don't think I will be able to exercise fully the 490 chances to forgive. Worse still, many a sinner like me finds it even harder to seek forgiveness. Is it because I have not forgiven enough so that I become stiff-necked not to seek forgiveness? Unplug me from my egoism that I may travel light to my heavenly home. Then I will be able to visualize Your glory. Amen.
Today, we read Matthew 18. It is a collection of different sayings of Jesus, but put in different contexts from those parallel passages in Mark. Of course, I would eye passages unique to Matthew. For example,
See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:10). From this, we know that all of us have our own guardian angels in heaven taking care of our spiritual good.
Matthew 18:15-17 deals with the way we should settle our disputes. First, between the 2 of you in private. Failing that, brought in 2 witnesses. Then bring the matter to the church. If all attempts failed, "and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:17b). Does it mean we should ex-communicate him, or we should start evangelizing him all over again, like a tax collector? This is open to interpretation. No matter what, Matthew agrees with St. Paul that we should not make use of worldly courts to settle our disputes, to attack our brothers in Christ. You may defend that Jesus teaches us to "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21b) Therefore, we should be a good citizen of Hong Kong and cooperate with the government to beat crimes. However, the remaining verse continues with "... and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21c) Now, is there anything not God's? No. God's policy overrides SAR government's. Therefore, we should follow Matthew's precepts.
Then we read of yet another famous line from Matthew.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). This beautiful verse is the true spirit of the Church, a gathering of redeemed in Jesus' name. Unlike other wisdom religions in which an individual can attain enlightenment all by himself, our faith is communal. We unite with God in our community. We cannot do it all by ourselves.
The remaining chapter deals with the question of forgiveness. Jesus answered Peter's question by telling him to forgive forever.
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22). Hypothetically, if someone offends you 7 times and you have already forgiven him 7 times and yet, he continues. What does that mean? He has learnt nothing! Then, should you be angry with someone so low in IQ? I doubt very much if someone can be so stupid as to offend you 490 times without learning anything. More often than not, the offender usually does not have the courage to seek forgiveness. We don't even have one single chance to forgive. I am afraid we will never be able to use up all those 490 chances throughout our life. If I sound too pessimistic about the human nature, just too bad.
The parable of the Unforgiving Steward that follows (Matthew 18:23-35) illustrates vividly the nature of forgiveness. The one who forgives is already in an advantaged & superior position. When your brother offends you, immediately you are in a superior position because he owes you at least an apology. So, if he repents and seek reconciliation but you withhold your forgiveness, you are abusing your superiority. Moreover, it breeds bitterness and resentment in our hearts. Forgiveness provides a chance for both parties to mend fences for the benefit of the future and a chance for both to grow up.
My God, it is not easy to forgive, but I don't think I will be able to exercise fully the 490 chances to forgive. Worse still, many a sinner like me finds it even harder to seek forgiveness. Is it because I have not forgiven enough so that I become stiff-necked not to seek forgiveness? Unplug me from my egoism that I may travel light to my heavenly home. Then I will be able to visualize Your glory. Amen.
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Where is your God?
Today, we read of the story of the prophet Elisha and the Syrian leper, Naamen in 2 Kings 5. Starting from 1 Kings 17, scholars were able to identify a collection of folk tales and legends etc. about 2 great prophets of old, Elijah and his successor, Elisha. Unlike the 4 major prophets and 12 minor prophets we found in the Bible, both of them did not leave any writings behind, but lots of miracle stories. These stories are not simply fairy tales or legends. They convey many moral lessons for the Jews to lead a religious life acceptable to God. For many times, both prophets struggled with the kings who set bad examples that led the people away from God.
2 Kings begins near the end of Elijah's career. Ahaziah, the king of Israel, fell sick. He sent messengers to inquire Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, of his sickness. An angel of the Lord told Elijah to confront the messengers with this warning: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? (2 Kings 1:3). The messengers returned and instead of repenting, Ahaziah sent a captain with 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah. Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume them all. Ahaziah sent a second batch which met the same fate! The captain of the 3rd batch was afraid and he begged Elijah to spare them and come along with them. An angel of the Lord told Elijah to go and at last Ahaziah died as foretold by Elijah.
In 2 Kings 2, we read of the story of Elijah going up to heaven in a chariot of fire and Elisha succeeded him. Then Elisha worked a string of miracles, many of which are similar to those worked by Elijah, but far more spectacular. For example:
Christians, where is your God? Sometimes He works wonders in spectacular ways (sending fires from heaven), sometimes so inconspicuously that you barely notice them (washing in Riven Jordan).
My God, open my heart so that I may be able to discern Your loving presence. Have pity on this poor soul of mine. You are merciful and delight in seeing sinners repent. Now is the time of acceptance. Will You receive this stiff-necked Alex and fill him with Your Spirit? Amen.
2 Kings begins near the end of Elijah's career. Ahaziah, the king of Israel, fell sick. He sent messengers to inquire Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, of his sickness. An angel of the Lord told Elijah to confront the messengers with this warning: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? (2 Kings 1:3). The messengers returned and instead of repenting, Ahaziah sent a captain with 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah. Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume them all. Ahaziah sent a second batch which met the same fate! The captain of the 3rd batch was afraid and he begged Elijah to spare them and come along with them. An angel of the Lord told Elijah to go and at last Ahaziah died as foretold by Elijah.
In 2 Kings 2, we read of the story of Elijah going up to heaven in a chariot of fire and Elisha succeeded him. Then Elisha worked a string of miracles, many of which are similar to those worked by Elijah, but far more spectacular. For example:
- parted River Jordan with Elijah's cloak (2 Kings 2:14)
- made bad water wholesome & drinkable again (2:19-22)
- cursed small boys who had teased him baldhead and 2 she-bears tore 42 of them (2:23-24)
- supplied allied army with water (3:20-22)
- increased oil for a widow to pay debt (4:1-7)
- gave a Shunammite woman a son and later restored him to life (4:8-37)
- cleansed poisoned food (4:38-41)
- multiplied 20 loaves to feed 100 men (4:42-44)
- cleansed Naaman, the Syrian leper (5:1-18)
- passed on Naaman's leprosy to his own greedy servant Gehazi (5:19-27)
- made an iron axe-head float in River Jordan (6:5-7)
- telepathy, read the mind of the king of Syria (7:8-12)
- temporarily blinded the whole Syrian army and brought them into Samaria (7:18-19) etc.
Christians, where is your God? Sometimes He works wonders in spectacular ways (sending fires from heaven), sometimes so inconspicuously that you barely notice them (washing in Riven Jordan).
My God, open my heart so that I may be able to discern Your loving presence. Have pity on this poor soul of mine. You are merciful and delight in seeing sinners repent. Now is the time of acceptance. Will You receive this stiff-necked Alex and fill him with Your Spirit? Amen.
Monday, 25 February 2008
3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A)
Today, the elected went through the first time, the Rite of Scrutiny. They will go through three times before their baptism this Easter. We read several highly significant passages in the Bible.
In Exodus 17, we read of the story of the Israelites demanding water from Moses.
But the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" (Exodus 17:3)
Following the instruction from God, Moses struck the rock at Horeb to give the Israelites water to drink. Then
he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the faultfinding of the children of Israel, and because they put the LORD to the proof by saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7) The Israelites were very human. The Exodus story blames them for putting God to the test.
In John 4, we read of the famous story of the dialogue between Jesus and a Samaritan woman.
Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water (from the Well of Jacob) will thirst again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) This Samaritan woman and the Israelites in Exodus were asking for physical water. But Jesus intended to give us something far better, rivers of living water leading to eternal life, the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39). God truly transcends us.
But we are still hungry even when our thirst is quenched. During Exodus, the Israelites ate manna and quails sent from heaven. The Samaritan woman did not ask Jesus for food. But in John 6, Jesus fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. In the Last Supper, he gave us his body for food. Of course, this is the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Now Christians, aren't you hungry and thirsty no more? I wish to find time to reflect on this. For the moment, just for curiosity, do you know what food Jesus ate?
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work" (John 4:34).
In Romans 5, we read of the famous lines
suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us, (Romans 5:3b-5a)
In a few lines, St. Paul summarizes the three theological virtues of Christians:
-- We are justified by faith,
-- We hope to share the glory of God,
-- Through the Holy Spirit, God's love fills our hearts (Romans 5:1-5).
And going through sufferings is the essential procedure to bring about the maturity of a Christian, and indeed, any person.「天將降大任於斯人也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨，餓其體膚，空乏其身，行拂亂其所為，所以動心忍性，增益其所不能。人恒過，然後能改；困于心，衡於慮，而後作；徵于色，發於聲，而後喻。」 【孟子‧告子下】
My God, I pray for those elected. May the Holy Spirit they will receive satisfy their thirst and carry them onward to eternal life. May the sacrament of the Holy Communion feed us, unite us closely with Jesus our Saviour. May we grow in maturity in our spirit so that, one day we will be assumed in Your glory. Amen.
In Exodus 17, we read of the story of the Israelites demanding water from Moses.
But the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" (Exodus 17:3)
Following the instruction from God, Moses struck the rock at Horeb to give the Israelites water to drink. Then
he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the faultfinding of the children of Israel, and because they put the LORD to the proof by saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7) The Israelites were very human. The Exodus story blames them for putting God to the test.
In John 4, we read of the famous story of the dialogue between Jesus and a Samaritan woman.
Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water (from the Well of Jacob) will thirst again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) This Samaritan woman and the Israelites in Exodus were asking for physical water. But Jesus intended to give us something far better, rivers of living water leading to eternal life, the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39). God truly transcends us.
But we are still hungry even when our thirst is quenched. During Exodus, the Israelites ate manna and quails sent from heaven. The Samaritan woman did not ask Jesus for food. But in John 6, Jesus fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. In the Last Supper, he gave us his body for food. Of course, this is the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Now Christians, aren't you hungry and thirsty no more? I wish to find time to reflect on this. For the moment, just for curiosity, do you know what food Jesus ate?
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work" (John 4:34).
In Romans 5, we read of the famous lines
suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us, (Romans 5:3b-5a)
In a few lines, St. Paul summarizes the three theological virtues of Christians:
-- We are justified by faith,
-- We hope to share the glory of God,
-- Through the Holy Spirit, God's love fills our hearts (Romans 5:1-5).
And going through sufferings is the essential procedure to bring about the maturity of a Christian, and indeed, any person.「天將降大任於斯人也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨，餓其體膚，空乏其身，行拂亂其所為，所以動心忍性，增益其所不能。人恒過，然後能改；困于心，衡於慮，而後作；徵于色，發於聲，而後喻。」 【孟子‧告子下】
My God, I pray for those elected. May the Holy Spirit they will receive satisfy their thirst and carry them onward to eternal life. May the sacrament of the Holy Communion feed us, unite us closely with Jesus our Saviour. May we grow in maturity in our spirit so that, one day we will be assumed in Your glory. Amen.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
We are Micah
Today, we read Micah 7, the last chapter of a minor prophet. Micah מִיכָה (who is like our God?) was a contemporary of Isaiah and it is interesting to find some parallel texts between the two. For example, both walked naked as a sign (Micah 1:8, Isaiah 20:2-4); bald and cut their hair (Micah 1:16, Isaiah 22:12); criticized the elites for exploiting the people (Micah 3:2, Isaiah 5:20); bribed judges (Micah 3:11, Isaiah 1:21); nations come to the holy mountain to be instructed (Micah 4:1-2, Isaiah 2:2-4); "and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks" (Micah 4:3, Isaiah 2:4). Of course, Micah will be most remembered for his prophecy of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.
But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days (Micah 5:1, Matthew 2:6).
His situation was grim.
Put no trust in a neighbor, have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom;
for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house (Micah 7:5-6). It sounds very much like what had happened during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960's in mainland China. Prophets really are able to see into the future! In such time of social upheavals, our only trust is in the Lord.
But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me forth to the light; I shall behold his deliverance. (Micah 7:7-9).
We have sinned and we deserve sufferings. But our God is merciful and is a loving Father.
Who is a God like thee מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger for ever because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion upon us, he will tread our iniquities under foot.
Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:18-19).
Who is like our God? Micah was. We can be. Each of us should be. Like Him, we should be merciful and forgive. In forgiving, we are Micah.
When we fall, we have no courage to stand up again. Our guilty conscience is too heavy and weighs us down. But our Father is merciful and He will tread our iniquities under foot and cast our sins into the depths of the sea. What burden is there to weigh us down?
My God, I am not worthy to be like You. But grant me the generosity and mercy to wipe off the grudges I hold against our brothers. In relieving them, I am able to relieve myself. Then, together, we may travel lightly and continue our pilgrimage towards our heavenly home, to enjoy seeing Your glory, seeing You face-to-face, to be Micah. Amen.
But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days (Micah 5:1, Matthew 2:6).
His situation was grim.
Put no trust in a neighbor, have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom;
for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house (Micah 7:5-6). It sounds very much like what had happened during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960's in mainland China. Prophets really are able to see into the future! In such time of social upheavals, our only trust is in the Lord.
But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me forth to the light; I shall behold his deliverance. (Micah 7:7-9).
We have sinned and we deserve sufferings. But our God is merciful and is a loving Father.
Who is a God like thee מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger for ever because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion upon us, he will tread our iniquities under foot.
Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:18-19).
Who is like our God? Micah was. We can be. Each of us should be. Like Him, we should be merciful and forgive. In forgiving, we are Micah.
When we fall, we have no courage to stand up again. Our guilty conscience is too heavy and weighs us down. But our Father is merciful and He will tread our iniquities under foot and cast our sins into the depths of the sea. What burden is there to weigh us down?
My God, I am not worthy to be like You. But grant me the generosity and mercy to wipe off the grudges I hold against our brothers. In relieving them, I am able to relieve myself. Then, together, we may travel lightly and continue our pilgrimage towards our heavenly home, to enjoy seeing Your glory, seeing You face-to-face, to be Micah. Amen.
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Chair of St. Peter
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. The story is recorded in Matthew 16:13-19. I use to fancy that Jesus needed to identify the future leader of the believers' community. Among the twelve, Matthew seemed to be the most learned. Judas was not too bad. He was assigned to handle financial matters of this in-group. James and John were too hot-tempered. One Simon was a 'terrorist', a Zealot. Had Simon led this in-group, they would very likely have become another group of guerilla warriors to drive away the Romans. In the Gospel of John, Philip had been given quite a lot of appearances. He seemed to have good relations with the Greeks. Simon the fisherman was enthusiastic but he was not educated. As for the rest, we know very little about them.
Then, in Caesarea-Philippi, Jesus put forth a sort of opinion poll and asked the twelve what the general public thought about him. Most people thought him a prophet and even John the Baptist came back to life. Then Jesus asked the most crucial question. What did this in-group think about him? (Matthew 16:15) It was Simon the fisherman who gave the correct answer: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Now, Jesus knew who the future leader would be. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 16:17). Then Simon was given a new name Peter, the Rock on which Jesus would build his church etc (Matthew 16:18-19).
From this has grown various doctrines / dogmas. E.g. the Pope is the successor of St. Peter, while other bishops are the successors of the remaining apostles and the infallibility of the Pope etc. Of course, no Christians of Protestant strains or the Orthodox strain would like it. As for us Roman Catholics, we will hold on to the Creed which says that "We believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church." We are proud of being able to trace our 'genealogy' all the way back to the apostles.
Many will find the possibility of abuse of authority (by the Roman Pontiff) unacceptable. Jesus said,
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).
However, what about the anxiety inherited in the exercise of authority? Authority carries with it responsibilities which weigh down on the authority-bearers with anxiety. I myself am anxiety aversive. So, I stay away from authority and try hard not to take up nor exercise any authority. I don't envy authority figures. Now, how did Peter handle this anxiety?
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you.
Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you (1 Peter 5:6-7). I think Peter exercised his authority with humility (what a contradiction!) before God. He threw all anxieties to Him. God will take care of them. In the Acts of the Apostles, we are able to see many instances in which Peter invoked the authority of God to defend his position (Acts 4:19; 5:4, 29; 10:34; 11:17; 15:10). Either he was very tactful, or he understood very well that as a fisherman, he had no authority nor any power base of his own. Recourse to God seemed to be his only option.
My God, I praise Your faithfulness. Salvation solely comes from You. You have the entire universe at Your service. Be with me always. I know You do. Coach me like a naive boy. Cleanse me of my impurities so that I may be filled with Your sweetness. I ask this, through Jesus Your Son, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Then, in Caesarea-Philippi, Jesus put forth a sort of opinion poll and asked the twelve what the general public thought about him. Most people thought him a prophet and even John the Baptist came back to life. Then Jesus asked the most crucial question. What did this in-group think about him? (Matthew 16:15) It was Simon the fisherman who gave the correct answer: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Now, Jesus knew who the future leader would be. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 16:17). Then Simon was given a new name Peter, the Rock on which Jesus would build his church etc (Matthew 16:18-19).
From this has grown various doctrines / dogmas. E.g. the Pope is the successor of St. Peter, while other bishops are the successors of the remaining apostles and the infallibility of the Pope etc. Of course, no Christians of Protestant strains or the Orthodox strain would like it. As for us Roman Catholics, we will hold on to the Creed which says that "We believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church." We are proud of being able to trace our 'genealogy' all the way back to the apostles.
Many will find the possibility of abuse of authority (by the Roman Pontiff) unacceptable. Jesus said,
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).
However, what about the anxiety inherited in the exercise of authority? Authority carries with it responsibilities which weigh down on the authority-bearers with anxiety. I myself am anxiety aversive. So, I stay away from authority and try hard not to take up nor exercise any authority. I don't envy authority figures. Now, how did Peter handle this anxiety?
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you.
Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you (1 Peter 5:6-7). I think Peter exercised his authority with humility (what a contradiction!) before God. He threw all anxieties to Him. God will take care of them. In the Acts of the Apostles, we are able to see many instances in which Peter invoked the authority of God to defend his position (Acts 4:19; 5:4, 29; 10:34; 11:17; 15:10). Either he was very tactful, or he understood very well that as a fisherman, he had no authority nor any power base of his own. Recourse to God seemed to be his only option.
My God, I praise Your faithfulness. Salvation solely comes from You. You have the entire universe at Your service. Be with me always. I know You do. Coach me like a naive boy. Cleanse me of my impurities so that I may be filled with Your sweetness. I ask this, through Jesus Your Son, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Friday, 22 February 2008
Hardened Hearts
Today, I read Jeremiah 17. It deals with our hearts. Later in Jeremiah 31, God announced a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31) in which His laws would be engraved in our hearts instead of stone tablets. By then, we would follow God's statues not because they are imposed from outside. We would not observe out of fear of punishments. We obey His instructions from within because we will love Him and want to share His eternal life.
Jeremiah 17 is a collection of a judgment speech (17:1-4), a psalm (17:5-11), a hymn (17:12-13), a lament (17:14-18) and a sermon (17:19-27). The heart is the theme that links them all. But what is in a man's heart? Sins.
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, (Jeremiah 17:1). How can sins be written in our hearts with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond unless our hearts are hardened. Our hearts are hardened with our sins. Sins harden our hearts.
My God, I beg You. Melt my heart together with my sins. My neck is stiffened as well. Soften it so that I may bow it humbly to admit my sins, that I may pound my chest to shake my heart out of its stubbornness. Amen.
He did not apologize for his promiscuous relationships with the ladies.
He did not apologize for shooting the videos.
He did not apologize for exposing young children to these obscene photos in the media ...
No wonders, many teachers and parents doubted his sincerity.
I the LORD search the mind and try the heart,
to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:10).
My God, Jesus had defended the adulteress caught in the act of adultery. Edison was caught pants down. I believe Jesus would defend Edison as well even though many would like to see him punished. I pray for Edison that he would admit fully all his misdeeds, and repent. I pray for all who are 'luckily' not caught. They have no pressure to repent. Merciful Lord, give us a chance. Amen.
Jeremiah 17 is a collection of a judgment speech (17:1-4), a psalm (17:5-11), a hymn (17:12-13), a lament (17:14-18) and a sermon (17:19-27). The heart is the theme that links them all. But what is in a man's heart? Sins.
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, (Jeremiah 17:1). How can sins be written in our hearts with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond unless our hearts are hardened. Our hearts are hardened with our sins. Sins harden our hearts.
My God, I beg You. Melt my heart together with my sins. My neck is stiffened as well. Soften it so that I may bow it humbly to admit my sins, that I may pound my chest to shake my heart out of its stubbornness. Amen.
Update:
Edison Chen Koon-hei appeared at a packed press conference at the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kowloon Bay to apologize for his involvement in the recent obscene photo scandal on the Internet. He admitted that he had taken the photos himself. But he defended that "But these photos were very private and have not been shown to people and were never intended to be shown to anyone." He further disclaimed all responsibilities for the circulation of these photos on the Internet. He only apologized for the pains inflicted on his parents, loved ones and the ladies in the photos. He apologized for not setting an example for the young people. That's all.He did not apologize for his promiscuous relationships with the ladies.
He did not apologize for shooting the videos.
He did not apologize for exposing young children to these obscene photos in the media ...
No wonders, many teachers and parents doubted his sincerity.
I the LORD search the mind and try the heart,
to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:10).
My God, Jesus had defended the adulteress caught in the act of adultery. Edison was caught pants down. I believe Jesus would defend Edison as well even though many would like to see him punished. I pray for Edison that he would admit fully all his misdeeds, and repent. I pray for all who are 'luckily' not caught. They have no pressure to repent. Merciful Lord, give us a chance. Amen.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Potter & Clay
Today, I read Jeremiah 18:18-20. But in order to understand its message better, it is always advisable to read the immediate context as well. This is how I came across the story of the 'Potter and Clay'. I use 'story' instead of 'vision' because the incident was not extraordinary at all. God told Jeremiah to go down to the potter's house and let him hear His words there (Jeremiah 18:2). Why did God take the trouble? Why didn't God tell immediately and directly His message to him? The scene Jeremiah was going to see was anything but extraordinary. A potter was working at his wheel. The vessel he was working was spoiled in his hand. The potter reworked it to his satisfaction (Jeremiah 18:3-4).
I think Jeremiah must have seen potters working with their clay many times before. What moral lesson could Jeremiah make out of this commonplace situation? Of course, the lessons drawn will very much depend on the character of the observers. A Chinese classic captures the spirit:
「仁者見之謂之仁，智者見之謂之智。」【繫辭傳上】 "A virtuous man will see virtues, a wise man, wisdom." An observant man will be able to learn a lot of things from the surrounding. So, pay attention to whatever things and events we come across. We may discover some important truths about the world we live in. Further down the classic, it advises people to observe far and near. 「近取諸身，遠取諸物。」【繫辭傳下】
God called Jeremiah to be His prophet, His spokesman before Babylon conquered Judah. It was already too late to warn the people not to follow the mistakes of Israel which had been conquered more than a century earlier. People relied more and more on their own instead of putting their faith in Yahweh. With this milieu, what moral lesson did Jeremiah draw from this 'potter and clay' scene?
O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,
and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil that I intended to do to it.
And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it,
and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will repent of the good which I had intended to do to it (Jeremiah 18:6-10).
Jeremiah was telling the people that even if God had already sent Babylon to punish them, God would change His mind if they repented. They were like the clay in the potter's hand (Jeremiah 18:6). God is willing to reform us any time we repent. However, if we stay on in our sinful state for too long, if we are too lazy to make improvements in our life, we would become hardened. Then, the potter could only smash this hardened vessel.
Jeremiah was a tragic figure because nobody listened to the truth he spoke. Though he had defended the people before God's wrath, just like Moses did, the people still rejected him because his view opposed the mainstream illusion entertained by most people. In the end, the people even murdered him. He was an Old Testament prototype of Jesus.
Is evil a recompense for good?
Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before thee
to speak good for them,
to turn away thy wrath from them (Jeremiah 18:20).
Therefore, be prepare to receive evil as a recompense for good when Jesus calls you to follow him. But who would be so stupid, so suicidal? Anyone who is able to do a cost-benefit-analysis will never follow Jesus' invitation. Therefore utilitarianism is not able to explain the decision made by disciples to follow Jesus (ASL Ethics and RS topic!) Had Jeremiah never given up? He had but later he took up his cross again. What kept him going?
My God, You have set before me exemplars of how to be a prophet. In baptism, we are baptized into the offices of king, priest and prophet. As an RS teacher, I am licensed to proclaim Your truth to my students. But I have not done a good job. Your message has not been received the way it deserves. My God, console me and keep me going. Have mercy on my students. They are pieces of clay in Your holy hands. You would not delight in seeing them smashed. Mould them into useful vessels. Amen.
I think Jeremiah must have seen potters working with their clay many times before. What moral lesson could Jeremiah make out of this commonplace situation? Of course, the lessons drawn will very much depend on the character of the observers. A Chinese classic captures the spirit:
「仁者見之謂之仁，智者見之謂之智。」【繫辭傳上】 "A virtuous man will see virtues, a wise man, wisdom." An observant man will be able to learn a lot of things from the surrounding. So, pay attention to whatever things and events we come across. We may discover some important truths about the world we live in. Further down the classic, it advises people to observe far and near. 「近取諸身，遠取諸物。」【繫辭傳下】
God called Jeremiah to be His prophet, His spokesman before Babylon conquered Judah. It was already too late to warn the people not to follow the mistakes of Israel which had been conquered more than a century earlier. People relied more and more on their own instead of putting their faith in Yahweh. With this milieu, what moral lesson did Jeremiah draw from this 'potter and clay' scene?
O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,
and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil that I intended to do to it.
And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it,
and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will repent of the good which I had intended to do to it (Jeremiah 18:6-10).
Jeremiah was telling the people that even if God had already sent Babylon to punish them, God would change His mind if they repented. They were like the clay in the potter's hand (Jeremiah 18:6). God is willing to reform us any time we repent. However, if we stay on in our sinful state for too long, if we are too lazy to make improvements in our life, we would become hardened. Then, the potter could only smash this hardened vessel.
Jeremiah was a tragic figure because nobody listened to the truth he spoke. Though he had defended the people before God's wrath, just like Moses did, the people still rejected him because his view opposed the mainstream illusion entertained by most people. In the end, the people even murdered him. He was an Old Testament prototype of Jesus.
Is evil a recompense for good?
Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before thee
to speak good for them,
to turn away thy wrath from them (Jeremiah 18:20).
Therefore, be prepare to receive evil as a recompense for good when Jesus calls you to follow him. But who would be so stupid, so suicidal? Anyone who is able to do a cost-benefit-analysis will never follow Jesus' invitation. Therefore utilitarianism is not able to explain the decision made by disciples to follow Jesus (ASL Ethics and RS topic!) Had Jeremiah never given up? He had but later he took up his cross again. What kept him going?
My God, You have set before me exemplars of how to be a prophet. In baptism, we are baptized into the offices of king, priest and prophet. As an RS teacher, I am licensed to proclaim Your truth to my students. But I have not done a good job. Your message has not been received the way it deserves. My God, console me and keep me going. Have mercy on my students. They are pieces of clay in Your holy hands. You would not delight in seeing them smashed. Mould them into useful vessels. Amen.
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Preach & Practise
In today's reading of Matthew 23:1-12, Jesus slammed the scribes (or teachers of the Law) and the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. He advised his disciples:
so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice (Matthew 23:3).
Boys and girls, don't complain that Jesus is not fair. Whatever your teachers tell you, just do it! But don't follow their examples. This is not being unfair. Jesus is simply trying to protect you. Your teachers tell you to finish your assignments. Just do them, even if your teachers do not do any homework. I tell you not to smoke. Just don't, even if Mr. Kwok smokes his pipe at home. Your RS teachers warn you not to engage in casual sex, not to go dating etc. Just obey even though ...
At present, the schooling system (note that I do not use the term 'education system') in Hong Kong, like those in many other cities, follows the manufacturing/production model. Students are raw materials we teachers work on to churn out skilled workers, assembly line supervisors, technicians, engineers and managers demanded by the society. The newer model is the so called 'student-centred' model where students are our clients. Teachers provide services for their needs, services such as custodian, babysitting, counselling, language skills etc. Whichever model teachers are in, they only have to pass on skills to the students. In the former model, the skills were more specific bread-earning skills. In the latter model, the skills are hazier ones such as problem-solving skill, presentation skill, communication skill, examination skills etc. Compared to earlier eras, teachers are not expected to pay attention to the formation of students' character. An Economics teacher is not a discipline teacher! Preaching and practices are further divorced. Teachers don't have to practise what they teach. Of course, if we teachers practise what we preach, our teachings will be more authentic and more forceful. Students will be lucky to have a Chemistry teacher conducting experiments at home, a D & T teacher taking up robotics as a hobby, an Economics teacher trading stocks and commodities, a Mathematics teacher winning Mark Six 62% of the time, a Music teacher holding annual recitals, an Art teacher exhibitions and of course, an English teacher speaking English all the time like a native speaker etc. But do their personalities provide them with role-models to imitate?
Currently, the talk of the town is still the circulation of obscene photographs of the local celebrities. In the morning assembly yesterday, the Principal told the whole school that RS teachers would discuss the issue with them in class. He simply took things for granted. There had not been any prior notification (to us, RS teachers), not to mention briefings or consultations. So, should other teachers simply fold their hands and watch the RS teachers run the show? Should the issue be simply discussed in class and no more follow-up? This kind of top-down approach is very outdated! It only engenders superficial and decorative actions.
Let me ask one simple question. Should RS teachers download and examine those photographs before they (know what to) talk about them with the students? I have to confess that I have. So, I can say with confidence that those photographs have not been doctored as the entertainment spokesmen have claimed. I can tell my students that they are not artistic though I have to refrain myself from judging them obscene. They are neither doctored nor artistic. What more can I offer my students? Of course, I can draw up a long list of biblical quotations to criticize the circumstances when the photos were taken, the indecent behaviour of the 'lovers', the abuse of Internet skills, the selective prosecution of the police, the irresponsible reporting of the media etc. etc. But how much would my students swallow them? How much can I stimulate their reflection on the issue and make resolutions on their own lives? I regret to admit that there is not much. I am sure parents won't discuss with their children on their being forced to this compulsory exposure of obscene photos. They rely on us teachers to do the task for them. Sorry, the situation is beyond my control. Though the RME has supplied us with suggested teaching schemes, I throw up my hands.
My God, I am not a competent teacher, not even a decent one. I have failed Your faith in me in entrusting so many students in my hand. But of course, I have to continue. So help me Lord. Amen.
so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice (Matthew 23:3).
Boys and girls, don't complain that Jesus is not fair. Whatever your teachers tell you, just do it! But don't follow their examples. This is not being unfair. Jesus is simply trying to protect you. Your teachers tell you to finish your assignments. Just do them, even if your teachers do not do any homework. I tell you not to smoke. Just don't, even if Mr. Kwok smokes his pipe at home. Your RS teachers warn you not to engage in casual sex, not to go dating etc. Just obey even though ...
At present, the schooling system (note that I do not use the term 'education system') in Hong Kong, like those in many other cities, follows the manufacturing/production model. Students are raw materials we teachers work on to churn out skilled workers, assembly line supervisors, technicians, engineers and managers demanded by the society. The newer model is the so called 'student-centred' model where students are our clients. Teachers provide services for their needs, services such as custodian, babysitting, counselling, language skills etc. Whichever model teachers are in, they only have to pass on skills to the students. In the former model, the skills were more specific bread-earning skills. In the latter model, the skills are hazier ones such as problem-solving skill, presentation skill, communication skill, examination skills etc. Compared to earlier eras, teachers are not expected to pay attention to the formation of students' character. An Economics teacher is not a discipline teacher! Preaching and practices are further divorced. Teachers don't have to practise what they teach. Of course, if we teachers practise what we preach, our teachings will be more authentic and more forceful. Students will be lucky to have a Chemistry teacher conducting experiments at home, a D & T teacher taking up robotics as a hobby, an Economics teacher trading stocks and commodities, a Mathematics teacher winning Mark Six 62% of the time, a Music teacher holding annual recitals, an Art teacher exhibitions and of course, an English teacher speaking English all the time like a native speaker etc. But do their personalities provide them with role-models to imitate?
Currently, the talk of the town is still the circulation of obscene photographs of the local celebrities. In the morning assembly yesterday, the Principal told the whole school that RS teachers would discuss the issue with them in class. He simply took things for granted. There had not been any prior notification (to us, RS teachers), not to mention briefings or consultations. So, should other teachers simply fold their hands and watch the RS teachers run the show? Should the issue be simply discussed in class and no more follow-up? This kind of top-down approach is very outdated! It only engenders superficial and decorative actions.
Let me ask one simple question. Should RS teachers download and examine those photographs before they (know what to) talk about them with the students? I have to confess that I have. So, I can say with confidence that those photographs have not been doctored as the entertainment spokesmen have claimed. I can tell my students that they are not artistic though I have to refrain myself from judging them obscene. They are neither doctored nor artistic. What more can I offer my students? Of course, I can draw up a long list of biblical quotations to criticize the circumstances when the photos were taken, the indecent behaviour of the 'lovers', the abuse of Internet skills, the selective prosecution of the police, the irresponsible reporting of the media etc. etc. But how much would my students swallow them? How much can I stimulate their reflection on the issue and make resolutions on their own lives? I regret to admit that there is not much. I am sure parents won't discuss with their children on their being forced to this compulsory exposure of obscene photos. They rely on us teachers to do the task for them. Sorry, the situation is beyond my control. Though the RME has supplied us with suggested teaching schemes, I throw up my hands.
My God, I am not a competent teacher, not even a decent one. I have failed Your faith in me in entrusting so many students in my hand. But of course, I have to continue. So help me Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Butterfly Effect
Human beings live in complex, interlocking systems. Due to the connections among them, these systems form a lot of feedback loops. The outputs of a system become the inputs to other systems and the system itself. The Internet is one of these systems. Its complexity is comparable to the neural circuits in our brains, to the oceans and the atmosphere because 'Internet' is a giant network of networks of further networks etc. In view of the current trend of globalization and our increasing dependence on the computer and the Internet, it is no exaggeration to say that the Internet is somewhat like the ocean we swim in, the air we inhale and exhale.
One of the most exciting achievements in the last century is the development in the 'Chaos Theory'. It studies the behaviour of non-linear dynamical systems, that is feedback systems. These systems are very sensitive to small variations at the beginning of a process. That is, short term small variations, through feeding back amplified variations from the output, will in the long run, produce very large variations in the end. This is the famous 'Butterfly Effect', which is variously paraphrased as "A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, we get a hurricane off the coast of Florida."
A pair of lovers 'innocently' captured their love-making scenes with a hand-held camera. As long as the video remains in the camera, nothing extraordinary will happen. Then, someone (editor) put his hands on the video to edit out some photographs. These pictures are innocent enough outputs. Meanwhile, the lovers, the video-camera, the editor and the computer software do not form a feedback system. No big deal. However, someone uploaded some of these photographs on the Internet. Now, the situation is completely changed. Once these pictures enter the Internet, a gigantic complex feedback system, they initiate a chain-reaction because of the looping back mechanism. The media started rolling, putting more fuel onto the fire. More photos surfaced. Then the police system mowed in, arresting people improperly and consequently had agitated more waves of obscene photos on the Internet ... We will not be able to predict the final outcome accurately. After all, obscene photos are just flaps of butterfly wings. The hurricane? You bet!
Today, we read Daniel 9. He sought God "by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). No wonder, Lent is an appropriate time to seek God because we pray and fast in Lent. How did Daniel pray? His was a confession of sins, not his personal sins, but the sins of Israel. "We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances; we have not listened to thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land" (Daniel 9:5-6).
In ancient times, though people were not able to articulate the mechanism of complex interlocking systems in 'Chaos Theory', they were fully aware of effects of the complex system they lived in. In other words, they were more aware of the 'butterfly effect', how the sins of individuals, whether of kings or of ordinary people, would affect all the people of the land. They acknowledged and shouldered their responsibilities towards the society at large. Modern men are different. They advocate 'individualism', 'human rights' and 'privacy'. They turn a blind eye to the tremendous effects their individual actions have on the society. The question is: Can they do anything in private, whatever they fancy? The answer seems to be no because with a webcam, whether hidden or not, you can exhibit your bedroom worldwide real-time! An ancient Chinese aphorism rings true even today:君子慎其獨。We must be cautious in our privacy. The walls don't just have ears. Nowadays, they have eyes!
My God, we are too self-centred and sheltered. We are blind to the butterfly effect we impart on the world. We have to admit that it is beyond our intelligence to know the consequences in full. Grant us the grace to repent and be more cautious in our privacy. May the little good work we do generate big enough ripples to counter the evils on earth. Amen.
Comment from Ruth:
Hi, Mr. Kwok! I have a little comment on your last paragraph.
People in ancient times were more aware of the "butterfly effect" because when the Lord's anger kindled, all of them would suffer.
However, nowadays, sins flood the whole world. Sometimes, we stay in the wrong path too long and too far. We even do not recognize or feel that we're wrong. Besides, our Father in Heaven is upset, but He let us choose our paths as He loves us. He doesn't punish all of us just because one of the students cheat in his or her exam. This also makes us don't aware of the "butterfly effect". It's because we believe we are "individuals".
Thanks Ruth for your input. But your logic is flawed. God was, and is and will be the same. He loved, and loves and will love us. When the Lord's anger kindled, all of them (ancient people) would suffer. Did God not love them as well? If God loved them, why did God 'love' them in a different way? Why was sending calamities to ancient people a more suitable way to love them?
Worse, you are making God responsible for our ego-centric behaviours, by making us not aware of the 'butterfly effect'! We should not put the blame on God's patience and justice for our being self-centred. That is not fair!
Ruth, I am glad to see that you have made tremendous progress in your language, in your enthusiasm. May God bless us all. Keep commenting!
One of the most exciting achievements in the last century is the development in the 'Chaos Theory'. It studies the behaviour of non-linear dynamical systems, that is feedback systems. These systems are very sensitive to small variations at the beginning of a process. That is, short term small variations, through feeding back amplified variations from the output, will in the long run, produce very large variations in the end. This is the famous 'Butterfly Effect', which is variously paraphrased as "A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, we get a hurricane off the coast of Florida."
A pair of lovers 'innocently' captured their love-making scenes with a hand-held camera. As long as the video remains in the camera, nothing extraordinary will happen. Then, someone (editor) put his hands on the video to edit out some photographs. These pictures are innocent enough outputs. Meanwhile, the lovers, the video-camera, the editor and the computer software do not form a feedback system. No big deal. However, someone uploaded some of these photographs on the Internet. Now, the situation is completely changed. Once these pictures enter the Internet, a gigantic complex feedback system, they initiate a chain-reaction because of the looping back mechanism. The media started rolling, putting more fuel onto the fire. More photos surfaced. Then the police system mowed in, arresting people improperly and consequently had agitated more waves of obscene photos on the Internet ... We will not be able to predict the final outcome accurately. After all, obscene photos are just flaps of butterfly wings. The hurricane? You bet!
Today, we read Daniel 9. He sought God "by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). No wonder, Lent is an appropriate time to seek God because we pray and fast in Lent. How did Daniel pray? His was a confession of sins, not his personal sins, but the sins of Israel. "We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy commandments and ordinances; we have not listened to thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land" (Daniel 9:5-6).
In ancient times, though people were not able to articulate the mechanism of complex interlocking systems in 'Chaos Theory', they were fully aware of effects of the complex system they lived in. In other words, they were more aware of the 'butterfly effect', how the sins of individuals, whether of kings or of ordinary people, would affect all the people of the land. They acknowledged and shouldered their responsibilities towards the society at large. Modern men are different. They advocate 'individualism', 'human rights' and 'privacy'. They turn a blind eye to the tremendous effects their individual actions have on the society. The question is: Can they do anything in private, whatever they fancy? The answer seems to be no because with a webcam, whether hidden or not, you can exhibit your bedroom worldwide real-time! An ancient Chinese aphorism rings true even today:君子慎其獨。We must be cautious in our privacy. The walls don't just have ears. Nowadays, they have eyes!
My God, we are too self-centred and sheltered. We are blind to the butterfly effect we impart on the world. We have to admit that it is beyond our intelligence to know the consequences in full. Grant us the grace to repent and be more cautious in our privacy. May the little good work we do generate big enough ripples to counter the evils on earth. Amen.
Comment from Ruth:
Hi, Mr. Kwok! I have a little comment on your last paragraph.
People in ancient times were more aware of the "butterfly effect" because when the Lord's anger kindled, all of them would suffer.
However, nowadays, sins flood the whole world. Sometimes, we stay in the wrong path too long and too far. We even do not recognize or feel that we're wrong. Besides, our Father in Heaven is upset, but He let us choose our paths as He loves us. He doesn't punish all of us just because one of the students cheat in his or her exam. This also makes us don't aware of the "butterfly effect". It's because we believe we are "individuals".
February 18, 2008.
My Reply:Thanks Ruth for your input. But your logic is flawed. God was, and is and will be the same. He loved, and loves and will love us. When the Lord's anger kindled, all of them (ancient people) would suffer. Did God not love them as well? If God loved them, why did God 'love' them in a different way? Why was sending calamities to ancient people a more suitable way to love them?
Worse, you are making God responsible for our ego-centric behaviours, by making us not aware of the 'butterfly effect'! We should not put the blame on God's patience and justice for our being self-centred. That is not fair!
Ruth, I am glad to see that you have made tremendous progress in your language, in your enthusiasm. May God bless us all. Keep commenting!
February 19, 2008.
Monday, 18 February 2008
2nd Sunday of Lent (Year A)
The Rite of Election is supposed to be held on the First Sunday of Lent. Catechumens are officially elected to receive baptism this Easter. But last Sunday was the 4th day into the Lunar New Year. It would not be convenient for them to attend this Rite. Therefore, our parish held the Rite today. This year, more than 80 adults in our parish will be baptized. Praise be to God and thank be to the hard work of the instructors. Of course, these catechumens deserve praises as well because it is not easy to attend classes for nearly 18 months before they can receive baptism.
This morning Deacon Charles Tsang spoke from the pulpit. He is one of the Perpetual Deacons of the Diocese and has been serving us ever since his consecration. He was a retired primary school principal, a very down-to-earth married man. He began by quoting the phrase, 'but I have grown up', from Gillian Chung, one of the victims of the obscene photographs circulating on the Internet lately. She was the first to come out to speak to the media in the incident. This phrase immediately rang resonance in the congregation. Deacon Tsang is truly a principal! He tried to drive home the point that we are capable of making good things out of evils.
Today's gospel is the story of Jesus' Transfiguration recorded in Matthew 17. Jesus is truly a man. His humanity was clearly demonstrated in his Passion. But Jesus is truly God as well. In Transfiguration, he revealed his divinity to the 3 special apostles in order to strengthen them so that they might go through his imminent Passion unscathed. Deacon Tsang told the congregation that we, like Jesus, are human but we also have a spark of divinity in us. Our task is to work hard to realize this divinity potential in us. Encountering evils is inevitable. But with God's help, we can grow out of them. We can grow up. Then he told us a lovely Andersen fable. Briefly, an old man brought his only ox to the market to barter for a sheep; then with the sheep, he bartered for a chicken and lastly with the chicken, a basket of rotten apples. When he returned home to tell his wife about the transactions, she was happy to hear each of them because, though the sheep was less valuable than the ox, she would have sheep milk. Though the chicken was less valuable than the sheep, she would have eggs and lastly, she would make apple-pies with the rotten apples! With this simple story, Deacon Tsang showed us that we are capable of making good things out of 'evils'.
This evening, we planned to visit Saturnia's godmother, Mary. She did not get married and had devoted her life to take care of her parents. After their demise, she lives alone and has gone through periods of depression. Now, she has grown out of them and helps out parish work in Yuen Long. Wulstan, my second son, promised to go along with his girlfriend as well. It is not appropriate for me to criticize them here but to be candid, both of them are very much affected by their youthful fluctuating emotions. So, this evening, they did not turn up. Among my children, Wulstan is always very considerate towards the elderly. He showed this virtue even at a very tender age. Recently, he even volunteered to visit grandma with his girlfriend themselves in order to soften the tension between me and my mum. He is always very sensitive and kind-hearted. As parents, Erminia and I are worried about harmful effects their sometimes tumultuous relationship has on them. Can they manage to make good things out of their emotions?
My God, we always find faults with our brothers. Very easily, we focus on their evils and forget that we can, with Your grace, turn evils into good. Father, teach us to see Your image and likeness in our neighbours and colleagues, to see things positively. Enlighten us to perceive the possibilities to turn evils into good. May we continue to work hard to realize Your image and likeness in us all, ourselves as well as our neighbours. Amen.
This morning Deacon Charles Tsang spoke from the pulpit. He is one of the Perpetual Deacons of the Diocese and has been serving us ever since his consecration. He was a retired primary school principal, a very down-to-earth married man. He began by quoting the phrase, 'but I have grown up', from Gillian Chung, one of the victims of the obscene photographs circulating on the Internet lately. She was the first to come out to speak to the media in the incident. This phrase immediately rang resonance in the congregation. Deacon Tsang is truly a principal! He tried to drive home the point that we are capable of making good things out of evils.
Today's gospel is the story of Jesus' Transfiguration recorded in Matthew 17. Jesus is truly a man. His humanity was clearly demonstrated in his Passion. But Jesus is truly God as well. In Transfiguration, he revealed his divinity to the 3 special apostles in order to strengthen them so that they might go through his imminent Passion unscathed. Deacon Tsang told the congregation that we, like Jesus, are human but we also have a spark of divinity in us. Our task is to work hard to realize this divinity potential in us. Encountering evils is inevitable. But with God's help, we can grow out of them. We can grow up. Then he told us a lovely Andersen fable. Briefly, an old man brought his only ox to the market to barter for a sheep; then with the sheep, he bartered for a chicken and lastly with the chicken, a basket of rotten apples. When he returned home to tell his wife about the transactions, she was happy to hear each of them because, though the sheep was less valuable than the ox, she would have sheep milk. Though the chicken was less valuable than the sheep, she would have eggs and lastly, she would make apple-pies with the rotten apples! With this simple story, Deacon Tsang showed us that we are capable of making good things out of 'evils'.
This evening, we planned to visit Saturnia's godmother, Mary. She did not get married and had devoted her life to take care of her parents. After their demise, she lives alone and has gone through periods of depression. Now, she has grown out of them and helps out parish work in Yuen Long. Wulstan, my second son, promised to go along with his girlfriend as well. It is not appropriate for me to criticize them here but to be candid, both of them are very much affected by their youthful fluctuating emotions. So, this evening, they did not turn up. Among my children, Wulstan is always very considerate towards the elderly. He showed this virtue even at a very tender age. Recently, he even volunteered to visit grandma with his girlfriend themselves in order to soften the tension between me and my mum. He is always very sensitive and kind-hearted. As parents, Erminia and I are worried about harmful effects their sometimes tumultuous relationship has on them. Can they manage to make good things out of their emotions?
My God, we always find faults with our brothers. Very easily, we focus on their evils and forget that we can, with Your grace, turn evils into good. Father, teach us to see Your image and likeness in our neighbours and colleagues, to see things positively. Enlighten us to perceive the possibilities to turn evils into good. May we continue to work hard to realize Your image and likeness in us all, ourselves as well as our neighbours. Amen.
Sunday, 17 February 2008
Be Perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect
Today, we read of, I believe, one of the oldest creeds of the Jews.
A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage.
Then we cried to the LORD the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression;
and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders;
and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O LORD, hast given me (Deuteronomy 26:5b-10a). Their belief is embedded in history, in particular, their Exodus experience. They are very much conscious of their bond with the ancestors. They offer sacrifice, lead their life according to the Torah. They walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his ordinances, and will obey his voice (Deuteronomy 26:17b).
Christianity was an offshoot from Judaism and has grown much bigger in scale. Our creeds, the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed we say in Mass, are a summary of Christian beliefs. It is a string of theological statements trying to clarify the mystery of the humanity and divinity of Jesus, the Blessed Trinity and the Church etc. They are distillations of centuries of theological debates. But they are also embedded in a history: the life of Jesus and the in-pouring of the Holy Spirit. If we do not know the life of Jesus and the works done by the Holy Spirit on the believers, we cannot count ourselves Christians. If we do not lead our life according to the Gospel teaching and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are Christians in name only. We are indeed very much similar to the Jews.
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς τέλειοι ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν.(Matthew 5:48). τέλειοι means 'complete, perfect, fully developed'. This is what Jesus commanded us to achieve. Christians, in fact all mankind, are instructed to fully develop whatever talents God has bestowed on them, to attain perfection within their potential. 大學之道，在明明德，在新民，在止於至善。「至善」perfect goodness is never attainable. Yet this ancient precept instructs us to stop only when we reach perfect goodness. We know then that to attain perfection is a never-ending mission for us all.
What potentials do we have? Music? Sports? Performing art? Whatever we can do! We may not appreciate how lucky we can lead our life 'normally'. We are able to eat, to sleep, to walk, to talk and to enjoy music without any difficulties but many people are suffering from physical and mental disabilities. I always complain about how unappreciative my students are. They just don't treasure their opportunities of studies. They give up too easily when a 'difficult' problem pops up. What about me? I let a lot of opportunities slip by. I also give up too challenging a responsibility and prefer working under no pressure. We have the ability to make friend, to love, to forgive. But more often, we make enemies, we hate and we refuse to reconcile. We waste a lot of our potentials to make our immediate environment a better place to live in.
My God, I am very much like a spoilt Symphorian, my 6-year-old son. I am lazy and only indulge in the things I enjoy doing. Being a diabetic has given me a lot of excuses not to do many things that I should have done. I have not done my part to realize the potentials You have generously bestowed me. Heal me for I have sinned against You. May I be able to see Your face again. Amen.
A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage.
Then we cried to the LORD the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression;
and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders;
and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O LORD, hast given me (Deuteronomy 26:5b-10a). Their belief is embedded in history, in particular, their Exodus experience. They are very much conscious of their bond with the ancestors. They offer sacrifice, lead their life according to the Torah. They walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his ordinances, and will obey his voice (Deuteronomy 26:17b).
Christianity was an offshoot from Judaism and has grown much bigger in scale. Our creeds, the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed we say in Mass, are a summary of Christian beliefs. It is a string of theological statements trying to clarify the mystery of the humanity and divinity of Jesus, the Blessed Trinity and the Church etc. They are distillations of centuries of theological debates. But they are also embedded in a history: the life of Jesus and the in-pouring of the Holy Spirit. If we do not know the life of Jesus and the works done by the Holy Spirit on the believers, we cannot count ourselves Christians. If we do not lead our life according to the Gospel teaching and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are Christians in name only. We are indeed very much similar to the Jews.
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς τέλειοι ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν.(Matthew 5:48). τέλειοι means 'complete, perfect, fully developed'. This is what Jesus commanded us to achieve. Christians, in fact all mankind, are instructed to fully develop whatever talents God has bestowed on them, to attain perfection within their potential. 大學之道，在明明德，在新民，在止於至善。「至善」perfect goodness is never attainable. Yet this ancient precept instructs us to stop only when we reach perfect goodness. We know then that to attain perfection is a never-ending mission for us all.
What potentials do we have? Music? Sports? Performing art? Whatever we can do! We may not appreciate how lucky we can lead our life 'normally'. We are able to eat, to sleep, to walk, to talk and to enjoy music without any difficulties but many people are suffering from physical and mental disabilities. I always complain about how unappreciative my students are. They just don't treasure their opportunities of studies. They give up too easily when a 'difficult' problem pops up. What about me? I let a lot of opportunities slip by. I also give up too challenging a responsibility and prefer working under no pressure. We have the ability to make friend, to love, to forgive. But more often, we make enemies, we hate and we refuse to reconcile. We waste a lot of our potentials to make our immediate environment a better place to live in.
My God, I am very much like a spoilt Symphorian, my 6-year-old son. I am lazy and only indulge in the things I enjoy doing. Being a diabetic has given me a lot of excuses not to do many things that I should have done. I have not done my part to realize the potentials You have generously bestowed me. Heal me for I have sinned against You. May I be able to see Your face again. Amen.
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Repent and Live
At the time of Babylonian exile, what did it mean to be righteous? Keeping the 10 commandments? Let's read Ezekiel. Don't feel strange even if Ezekiel does not list the 10 commandments like Exodus. Leviticus does not either. Here are the verses.
if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of impurity,
does not oppress any one, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,
does not lend at interest or take any increase, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between man and man,
walks in my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances --- he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 18:6-9). Nearly identical wordings are repeated in 18:15-17.
Jews are a very pragmatic people, like us Chinese. They do not speculate on the nature of righteousness. They care less about abstract principles but concrete actions. Do such and such and a man is righteous. God will reward according.
The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself (Ezekiel 18:20).
Then Ezekiel turns to talk about repentance.
But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ezekiel 18:21-23).
God does not find any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Rather, God wants to see that they repent and live. God is not God of the dead, but of the living (Mark 12:27).
Then Ezekiel turns to warn the righteous.
But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die (Ezekiel 18:24). Oh, righteous man, God will not remember your righteousness when you commit iniquity! So, don't stay in your comfort zone. Repent and live!
Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the Lord GOD; so turn, and live (Ezekiel 18:31-32). Repent and live. With this, Ezekiel concludes God's words.
My God, I have sinned. But my heart is so hardened that I am not willing to admit them, not courageous enough to see them. Have mercy and heal me. Tame my arrogant heart that I may humbly admit them and receive Your new Spirit. Amen.
if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of impurity,
does not oppress any one, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,
does not lend at interest or take any increase, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between man and man,
walks in my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances --- he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 18:6-9). Nearly identical wordings are repeated in 18:15-17.
Jews are a very pragmatic people, like us Chinese. They do not speculate on the nature of righteousness. They care less about abstract principles but concrete actions. Do such and such and a man is righteous. God will reward according.
The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself (Ezekiel 18:20).
Then Ezekiel turns to talk about repentance.
But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ezekiel 18:21-23).
God does not find any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Rather, God wants to see that they repent and live. God is not God of the dead, but of the living (Mark 12:27).
Then Ezekiel turns to warn the righteous.
But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die (Ezekiel 18:24). Oh, righteous man, God will not remember your righteousness when you commit iniquity! So, don't stay in your comfort zone. Repent and live!
Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the Lord GOD; so turn, and live (Ezekiel 18:31-32). Repent and live. With this, Ezekiel concludes God's words.
My God, I have sinned. But my heart is so hardened that I am not willing to admit them, not courageous enough to see them. Have mercy and heal me. Tame my arrogant heart that I may humbly admit them and receive Your new Spirit. Amen.
Friday, 15 February 2008
Esther's prayer
Today, we read of the prayer of Queen Esther of Persia in Esther 4. The prayer is not found in the shorter Hebrew version, but the longer Greek version. The story of Esther is the origin of the Jewish Festival of Purim. She was yet another heroine to deliver the Jews from their enemies.
Esther began her prayer with "Thou, O Lord, didst take Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers from among all their ancestors, for an everlasting inheritance, and that thou didst do for them all that thou didst promise." Yes, Esther had knocked at the right door. God always fulfilled His promises and covenant to the ancestors of Israel. There was no better place to go in times of serious troubles. Then she confessed the national guilt of worshipping foreign gods. Yes, we should know of our weaknesses, our shortcomings and our needs of God. Our sins should make us know of our unworthiness to receive God's grace. Yet, God our Father is all merciful and powerful. Esther then begged God "to make thyself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage ... and put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him." Our times of needs are also occasions to glorify our God. He will take care and the rest is history.
Then we read Psalm 138. My heart holds dear the following verses:
For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou dost preserve my life;
thou dost stretch out thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and thy right hand delivers me (Psalm 138:6-7). God is lofty, yet He regards the lowly. How consoling and reassuring it is in times of troubles. With so much technological achievements, we have become so self-centred that we easily forget that God transcends all. Yet, God is our Father. He is always near though we always ignore Him, disregards His guidance.
Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11)
My God, I dare not ask because I do not know how. I seek but always blindly. I never knock for there are so many doors behind which lie so many unknowns. Father, teach me to ask properly like Esther. Show me my needs for I always ask for the wrong kind of things. Guide my hand to knock at the right door that I may enter Your sanctuary. Amen.
Esther began her prayer with "Thou, O Lord, didst take Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers from among all their ancestors, for an everlasting inheritance, and that thou didst do for them all that thou didst promise." Yes, Esther had knocked at the right door. God always fulfilled His promises and covenant to the ancestors of Israel. There was no better place to go in times of serious troubles. Then she confessed the national guilt of worshipping foreign gods. Yes, we should know of our weaknesses, our shortcomings and our needs of God. Our sins should make us know of our unworthiness to receive God's grace. Yet, God our Father is all merciful and powerful. Esther then begged God "to make thyself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage ... and put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him." Our times of needs are also occasions to glorify our God. He will take care and the rest is history.
Then we read Psalm 138. My heart holds dear the following verses:
For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou dost preserve my life;
thou dost stretch out thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and thy right hand delivers me (Psalm 138:6-7). God is lofty, yet He regards the lowly. How consoling and reassuring it is in times of troubles. With so much technological achievements, we have become so self-centred that we easily forget that God transcends all. Yet, God is our Father. He is always near though we always ignore Him, disregards His guidance.
Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11)
My God, I dare not ask because I do not know how. I seek but always blindly. I never knock for there are so many doors behind which lie so many unknowns. Father, teach me to ask properly like Esther. Show me my needs for I always ask for the wrong kind of things. Guide my hand to knock at the right door that I may enter Your sanctuary. Amen.
Thursday, 14 February 2008
A greater than Solomon is here
Jonah is one of the 12 minor prophets of the Old Testament. Even the Jewish Scripture put it in the Prophets group, even though scholars fail to locate him in history. (Strictly speaking, Jewish Scripture is not identical with the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is divided in 3 groups: Torah, the Prophets and the Holy Writings. Interested readers may visit the Mechon Mamre site to take a look. The Christian Old Testament is actually a Greek translation called Septuagint which is divided into 4 groups instead of 3: Pentateuch, the so-called 5 books of Moses; history books; wisdom books and the Prophets. The positioning of different Old Testament books in the Christian Bible follows that of Septuagint.) The story of Jonah is more likely a short fiction to criticize the prejudice of self-righteous people.
God commissioned Jonah to preach to the Ninevites against their wickedness. But Jonah was angry with the mercy God shown towards them (Jonah 4:1). He overwrote God's commission and ran to the opposite direction instead. God had to take the troubles to send a heavy storm and a big whale to carry Jonah to Nineveh. Jonah 3 tells how Jonah causally yelled "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4) and the people believed God and repented! How amazing! Jonah did not work any miracles nor tell the people what remedies to take and yet they repented. So, it must be God's work, not Jonah's. (Remember the parable of seeds that grow by themselves (Mark 4:26-29)? It is God's work, not the preachers that makes the good news bear fruits.) All that commission, that runaway, that storm, that whale and that repentance were God's arrangement. Therefore, the whole story targets not the sinners, but the self-righteous Jonah. Be careful. I am reading the New Testament back into the Old Testament. It may not be a legitimate procedure. Without the light of the New Testament, I am sure the Jews would interpret the whole story in a totally different way. In their eyes, Jonah might not be self-righteous at all.
When we talk about self-righteousness, we will surely remember Jesus' famous line: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17b). St. Paul says "since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We have to admit that we have soft-spots and weaknesses. Some are hidden. Others are more conspicuous. All of us need God's healing. Sinners are more aware of this need. Only the righteous do not see such needs. They are in greater danger of losing their souls. The learned Pharisees were in such a danger. Didn't they know Jonah's story? Why did they still criticize Jesus for his dining with tax-collectors (Mark 2:16)? And why didn't Jesus answer them with Jonah's story, but give them a metaphor of physicians instead (Mark 2:17)? Probably the readers of Mark were not familiar with Jonah's story but this explanation is not satisfactory because Luke quoted Jonah. Still, the failure of the Pharisees to apply Jonah's lesson is harder to explain. Therefore, the only conclusion is that Jesus and his contemporary Jews understood Jonah's story in a totally different way from ours. We need to find out how they interpret Jonah's story. Beware, learned people can be very blind.
In the reading of Luke 11:29-32, Jesus was disappointed by the demand of a miracle from the Pharisees. While Mark (8:12) says Jesus refused them bluntly, Matthew (16:4) and Luke (11:29)say that the sign of Jonah (meaning his resurrection) would be given. Luke continues to warn that the Queen of Sheba and the people of Nineveh would arise on Judgment Day to condemn the unbelieving Jews. The Queen of Sheba came to hear the wisdom of Solomon and
behold, something greater than Solomon is here (11:31 RSV).
behold, a greater than Solomon is here (KJV).
看，這裡有一位大於撒羅滿的! (思高)
ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶνος ὧδε.
πλεῖον means 'more than' and the gender is neuter. This time, I like the KJV translation better because it is nearer to the Greek original.
The Queen of Sheba came to Solomon because of Solomon's fame of wisdom. But I don't think Jonah was famous in Nineveh. Yet, the Ninevites repented at his preaching (Luke 11:32). His preaching would probably stir up their conscience. However, the most satisfactory reason would be God's grace. While wisdom brings life and preaching that leads to repentance also results in rebirth, Jesus was in fact, claiming greater authority over Solomon and Jonah because He is the very source of life. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
My God, Your mercy overcomes our self-righteousness. Enlighten us that we may see clearly weaknesses we are blind to. Purge our hearts of arrogance that we may humbly receive Your wisdom, share Your eternal life. Amen.
God commissioned Jonah to preach to the Ninevites against their wickedness. But Jonah was angry with the mercy God shown towards them (Jonah 4:1). He overwrote God's commission and ran to the opposite direction instead. God had to take the troubles to send a heavy storm and a big whale to carry Jonah to Nineveh. Jonah 3 tells how Jonah causally yelled "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4) and the people believed God and repented! How amazing! Jonah did not work any miracles nor tell the people what remedies to take and yet they repented. So, it must be God's work, not Jonah's. (Remember the parable of seeds that grow by themselves (Mark 4:26-29)? It is God's work, not the preachers that makes the good news bear fruits.) All that commission, that runaway, that storm, that whale and that repentance were God's arrangement. Therefore, the whole story targets not the sinners, but the self-righteous Jonah. Be careful. I am reading the New Testament back into the Old Testament. It may not be a legitimate procedure. Without the light of the New Testament, I am sure the Jews would interpret the whole story in a totally different way. In their eyes, Jonah might not be self-righteous at all.
When we talk about self-righteousness, we will surely remember Jesus' famous line: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17b). St. Paul says "since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We have to admit that we have soft-spots and weaknesses. Some are hidden. Others are more conspicuous. All of us need God's healing. Sinners are more aware of this need. Only the righteous do not see such needs. They are in greater danger of losing their souls. The learned Pharisees were in such a danger. Didn't they know Jonah's story? Why did they still criticize Jesus for his dining with tax-collectors (Mark 2:16)? And why didn't Jesus answer them with Jonah's story, but give them a metaphor of physicians instead (Mark 2:17)? Probably the readers of Mark were not familiar with Jonah's story but this explanation is not satisfactory because Luke quoted Jonah. Still, the failure of the Pharisees to apply Jonah's lesson is harder to explain. Therefore, the only conclusion is that Jesus and his contemporary Jews understood Jonah's story in a totally different way from ours. We need to find out how they interpret Jonah's story. Beware, learned people can be very blind.
In the reading of Luke 11:29-32, Jesus was disappointed by the demand of a miracle from the Pharisees. While Mark (8:12) says Jesus refused them bluntly, Matthew (16:4) and Luke (11:29)say that the sign of Jonah (meaning his resurrection) would be given. Luke continues to warn that the Queen of Sheba and the people of Nineveh would arise on Judgment Day to condemn the unbelieving Jews. The Queen of Sheba came to hear the wisdom of Solomon and
behold, something greater than Solomon is here (11:31 RSV).
behold, a greater than Solomon is here (KJV).
看，這裡有一位大於撒羅滿的! (思高)
ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶνος ὧδε.
πλεῖον means 'more than' and the gender is neuter. This time, I like the KJV translation better because it is nearer to the Greek original.
The Queen of Sheba came to Solomon because of Solomon's fame of wisdom. But I don't think Jonah was famous in Nineveh. Yet, the Ninevites repented at his preaching (Luke 11:32). His preaching would probably stir up their conscience. However, the most satisfactory reason would be God's grace. While wisdom brings life and preaching that leads to repentance also results in rebirth, Jesus was in fact, claiming greater authority over Solomon and Jonah because He is the very source of life. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
My God, Your mercy overcomes our self-righteousness. Enlighten us that we may see clearly weaknesses we are blind to. Purge our hearts of arrogance that we may humbly receive Your wisdom, share Your eternal life. Amen.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Holy be Your name
God is aloft and yet very close to us. What do you feel about the following words of His?
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:8-11). Majestic, aren't they? God is holy indeed. Amen.
Psalm 34 consists of 22 verses (not counting the heading which explains that David feigned madness before Abimelech to escape). There are 22 Hebrew alphabets and indeed, Psalm 34 is an alphabetical psalm, each verse begins with a Hebrew alphabet in order. Structurally, I think it is chiastic. The form is ABCDEE'D'C'B'A'. You can locate the theme in the centre. The fear of the Lord brings good life. There are many possible permutations and I hope you enjoy the following rearrangement. In ordinary time, I love the 7-16 group best. Verses 18-19 are best for now. Message me when you come up with another one.
"Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD" (Psalm 34:11).
What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good? (34:12).
O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want! (34:9)
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing (34:10).
Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit (34:13).
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it (34:14).
O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him! (34:8)
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears toward their cry
(34:15).
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them (34:7).
The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth (34:16).
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles (34:6).
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles (34:17).
I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears (34:4).
Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed (34:5).
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit (34:18).
Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all (34:19).
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! (34:3)
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken (34:20).
My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad (34:2).
Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous will be condemned (34:21).
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth (34:1).
The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned (34:22).
Matthew teaches the Lord's Prayer today (Matthew 6:9-13). Pope Benedict XVI devotes a whole chapter in his book Jesus of Nazareth. It would be presumptuous of me to comment on this prayer. But I would like to meditate on 'Holy be Your name ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου'.
Jews do a good job in venerating God's name. There is a commandment to forbid taking God's name in vain. Whenever they have to pronounce the 4 alphabets (יהוה) of God's name in their Scripture, they say Adonai (the Lord) or Elohim (God) instead. (Just a point of interest, after her death, Empress Dowager Cixi was honoured with a title of 25 characters 孝欽慈禧端佑康頤昭豫莊誠壽恭欽獻崇熙配天興聖顯皇后, to sing praises of her virtues!) God is extremely economical in naming Himself, allowing a lot of room for scholars to speculate on the nature of His divinity.
God is holy. Everything His is holy. But why did Jesus teach us to venerate holy His name only? Probably, it had to do with the Jewish religious beliefs of his days. As for me, God is holy.
Holy, Holy, Holy God. Holy, Holy, Holy God. Holy, Holy, Holy God. No string of holies is enough to express my awe. May Your holiness shine forth and inspire fear in my heart to tame it. Amen.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:8-11). Majestic, aren't they? God is holy indeed. Amen.
Psalm 34 consists of 22 verses (not counting the heading which explains that David feigned madness before Abimelech to escape). There are 22 Hebrew alphabets and indeed, Psalm 34 is an alphabetical psalm, each verse begins with a Hebrew alphabet in order. Structurally, I think it is chiastic. The form is ABCDEE'D'C'B'A'. You can locate the theme in the centre. The fear of the Lord brings good life. There are many possible permutations and I hope you enjoy the following rearrangement. In ordinary time, I love the 7-16 group best. Verses 18-19 are best for now. Message me when you come up with another one.
"Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD" (Psalm 34:11).
What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good? (34:12).
O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want! (34:9)
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing (34:10).
Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit (34:13).
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it (34:14).
O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him! (34:8)
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears toward their cry
(34:15).
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them (34:7).
The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth (34:16).
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles (34:6).
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles (34:17).
I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears (34:4).
Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed (34:5).
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit (34:18).
Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all (34:19).
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! (34:3)
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken (34:20).
My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad (34:2).
Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous will be condemned (34:21).
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth (34:1).
The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned (34:22).
Matthew teaches the Lord's Prayer today (Matthew 6:9-13). Pope Benedict XVI devotes a whole chapter in his book Jesus of Nazareth. It would be presumptuous of me to comment on this prayer. But I would like to meditate on 'Holy be Your name ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου'.
Jews do a good job in venerating God's name. There is a commandment to forbid taking God's name in vain. Whenever they have to pronounce the 4 alphabets (יהוה) of God's name in their Scripture, they say Adonai (the Lord) or Elohim (God) instead. (Just a point of interest, after her death, Empress Dowager Cixi was honoured with a title of 25 characters 孝欽慈禧端佑康頤昭豫莊誠壽恭欽獻崇熙配天興聖顯皇后, to sing praises of her virtues!) God is extremely economical in naming Himself, allowing a lot of room for scholars to speculate on the nature of His divinity.
God is holy. Everything His is holy. But why did Jesus teach us to venerate holy His name only? Probably, it had to do with the Jewish religious beliefs of his days. As for me, God is holy.
Holy, Holy, Holy God. Holy, Holy, Holy God. Holy, Holy, Holy God. No string of holies is enough to express my awe. May Your holiness shine forth and inspire fear in my heart to tame it. Amen.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Holiness Code
Today, we reflect on Leviticus 19, the famous 'Holiness Code' and Psalm 19.
Leviticus 19 is called the 'Holiness Code' because it calls on all Israelites to a life of holiness:
"Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ; for I the LORD your God am holy קָדוֹשׁ" (Leviticus 19:2). Then it touches on all the 10 commandments and the reason for keeping the commandments is simply "I am the LORD אֲנִי יְהוָה". God is holy (however you understand the term קָדוֹשׁׁ) and He called Israel to be His possession סְגֻלָּה among all peoples (Exodus 19:5) because God intended to bring forth salvation to all mankind through Israel, His first-born (Exodus 4:22). To be God's possession must, therefore, be holy itself and keeping the 10 commandments will make you holy and acceptable to God. This is Judaism.
What makes it difficult to keep the 10 commandments? Had God given us something impossible to achieve? The first command He imposed on Adam was not to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:17). It looked simple enough to follow, didn't it? Yet, Adam failed. Why? [Note that Adam did not die the very day he ate the fruit as forewarned by God. Had God exaggerated the harm? Or was God merciful enough not to mete out the pronounced punishment, sort of probation?] The 10 commandments look reasonable enough. They secured Israel as one people instead of 12 loose tribes of nomads, to be packed for convenience and security only when circumstances arose. The 10 commandments maintained social stability where everyone respected everyone else's property. They maintained social continuity when the aged were taken care of. In short, they helped Israel survive in a hostile environment. Therefore, it was essential for the Israelites to keep the 10 commandments, even if they were difficult to keep, but they were reasonable, right? Yet, the very fact that the 10 commandments were codified shows that those were the very problems Israelites had to struggle against back in those days. Why was it so? I have raised too many questions. Probably I have not understood enough human beings, including myself. Frankly speaking, I must have breached many times some of the commandments, especially the "Honor your father and your mother". Mother, forgive me for being impatient, but I really don't want to engage in the games you play. We all need to grow up.
Psalm 19 is a lovely prayer. I like the following verses most.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:8-11)
I suppose I understand how the Torah is able to revive the soul, make the simple wise, rejoice the heart and enlighten the eyes. The Torah is true and righteous because it shows God's wisdom. For the Israelites and mankind, the Torah is the most precious gift from God. In the Old Testament, 'the fear of the Lord' is equated with wisdom. Therefore, I suppose I appreciate what it means by 'the fear of the Lord is clean and enduring'. Torah is a guideline for living. Naturally, it is more to be desired than gold. However, I am not able to feel how it is sweeter than honey. Perhaps I am not advanced enough in my spiritual maturity to taste the sweetness of God's commandments. My heart has not yet caught up with my head.
My God, I thank You for revealing Your wisdom to us. I wish to follow her throughout my days. Tame my wild and arrogant heart so that one day, I may be able to taste her sweetness. Amen.
Leviticus 19 is called the 'Holiness Code' because it calls on all Israelites to a life of holiness:
"Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ; for I the LORD your God am holy קָדוֹשׁ" (Leviticus 19:2). Then it touches on all the 10 commandments and the reason for keeping the commandments is simply "I am the LORD אֲנִי יְהוָה". God is holy (however you understand the term קָדוֹשׁׁ) and He called Israel to be His possession סְגֻלָּה among all peoples (Exodus 19:5) because God intended to bring forth salvation to all mankind through Israel, His first-born (Exodus 4:22). To be God's possession must, therefore, be holy itself and keeping the 10 commandments will make you holy and acceptable to God. This is Judaism.
What makes it difficult to keep the 10 commandments? Had God given us something impossible to achieve? The first command He imposed on Adam was not to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:17). It looked simple enough to follow, didn't it? Yet, Adam failed. Why? [Note that Adam did not die the very day he ate the fruit as forewarned by God. Had God exaggerated the harm? Or was God merciful enough not to mete out the pronounced punishment, sort of probation?] The 10 commandments look reasonable enough. They secured Israel as one people instead of 12 loose tribes of nomads, to be packed for convenience and security only when circumstances arose. The 10 commandments maintained social stability where everyone respected everyone else's property. They maintained social continuity when the aged were taken care of. In short, they helped Israel survive in a hostile environment. Therefore, it was essential for the Israelites to keep the 10 commandments, even if they were difficult to keep, but they were reasonable, right? Yet, the very fact that the 10 commandments were codified shows that those were the very problems Israelites had to struggle against back in those days. Why was it so? I have raised too many questions. Probably I have not understood enough human beings, including myself. Frankly speaking, I must have breached many times some of the commandments, especially the "Honor your father and your mother". Mother, forgive me for being impatient, but I really don't want to engage in the games you play. We all need to grow up.
Psalm 19 is a lovely prayer. I like the following verses most.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:8-11)
I suppose I understand how the Torah is able to revive the soul, make the simple wise, rejoice the heart and enlighten the eyes. The Torah is true and righteous because it shows God's wisdom. For the Israelites and mankind, the Torah is the most precious gift from God. In the Old Testament, 'the fear of the Lord' is equated with wisdom. Therefore, I suppose I appreciate what it means by 'the fear of the Lord is clean and enduring'. Torah is a guideline for living. Naturally, it is more to be desired than gold. However, I am not able to feel how it is sweeter than honey. Perhaps I am not advanced enough in my spiritual maturity to taste the sweetness of God's commandments. My heart has not yet caught up with my head.
My God, I thank You for revealing Your wisdom to us. I wish to follow her throughout my days. Tame my wild and arrogant heart so that one day, I may be able to taste her sweetness. Amen.
Monday, 11 February 2008
New Wine in Old Wineskin
Today is the First Sunday of Lent (Year A). However, since it is also the first Sunday after Lunar New Year, Fr. Patrick Sun chose another set of readings.
The first reading was taken from Genesis 12. It is the well known story of God calling Abraham to leave everything behind and begin an adventure. It was truly an adventure, full of promises and unknowns. Fr. Patrick did not dwell on this passage. Instead, he took issue on the circulation of obscene photos of the local celebrities.
He began with an explanation of "to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God" (Romans 12:1). We offer a living sacrifice θυσίαν ζῶσαν, not a dead one to God. A sacrifice is something dedicated exclusively to God. In most religious rituals, sacrifices usually involve death, either because the sacrifices will be sent to the other world or because the sacrifices take our place to die for our sins. So, death becomes inevitable in all sorts of sacrifices. However, St. Paul asks us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, something good and valuable, exclusively to God. As long as we belong exclusively to God, we are already, whether alive or dead, a sacrifice, not for ourselves but for the others. But St. Paul urges us to be a living, not a dead sacrifice. Now, this is more demanding because death is a one-off event and you remain in that state. This means that the sacrifice carries the blemishes at the moment of its death. But to be living is a drawn-out process, where there are lots of up's and down's. Surely we have demerits and weaknesses, but we still have time to improve on them before we die. In our dedication to God, we may at times, be enthusiastic or indifferent, but we still have opportunities to attain perfection before we die.
A sacrifice is something good, respectable and valuable. So, our bodies should be good and respectable too. Many religions despise the body and treat it with contempt because it is the source of many temptations. Marriage is a necessary evil because it involves sex and sex is a taboo, to be frowned upon if the topic is brought up publicly. Though Christianity has its own dose of conservativism, it treats the body in a more positive manner. It believes in the resurrection of the body, not just of the dead (Be careful of the translation. In the ancient Apostles' Creed, it was still the resurrection of the body σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν, whereas in the Nicene Creed we recite in Mass today, it is the resurrection of the dead ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν). Sexual pleasure is not something bad, on condition that it is sought between husband and wife and for the purpose of procreation. (Pretty conservative, uh?) Therefore, pornography is something Christianity condemns. Man is created in the image and likeness of God but pornography reduces the human body into an object for pleasure seeking. (Don't tell me you are appreciating God's image when you are reading a porno!) Human dignity is ignored and the relationship between the two sexes is distorted. What is worse, it is detrimental to the development of a healthy sexual attitude among the youngsters. Obviously, the circulation of those obscene photos of celebrities debases the female body to the status of an object of lust, something to be spent, to be exploited. This is blatantly immoral. In view of the easy accessibility of the Internet to the youngsters, this incident is something every responsible adult should be worried about.
My attention wandered off again when Fr. Patrick touched on the issue of new wine in old wineskin (Matthew 9:17). I remembered a mistake I made in dealing with Mr. Peter Tse, a colleague in La Salle.
Mr. Peter Tse was the English panel chair in the Junior Forms and an experienced RS teacher. He even sat for the first notorious Language Proficiency Benchmark Test for English teachers after his retirement! I met him in the examination centre where I sat for my test. Peter graduated from the teaching college and taught in La Salle Primary for some years before he taught English in La Salle. He had been a senior Scout Master for a long time and had coached Speech Festival competitors all the years he taught in La Salle. A very dedicated Catholic indeed. He insisted on speaking in English even with his colleagues in those days, though regrettably, this admirable act had not been properly reciprocated. (That is one of the reasons why I feel that Shung Tak is providing a far better English speaking environment than La Salle. I make more use of English here than in La Salle!) After his retirement, he remains active in the Rosary Parish, translating the lyrics of Chinese hymns into English for the Philippino community there.
I made my mistake when Peter was approaching his retirement. He got used to using stencils in typing examination papers. But I was so used to using computer that I was insentitive to his situation. Amending a single mistake in stencil amounts to retyping everything all over again! In one RS paper he set, I asked him to make corrections for three times!! How stupid I was! I was forcing my new wine into his old wineskin! No apology is enough to soothe his frustrations. Mind me, my wineskin is getting worn. There are so many new technologies popping up that it is my turn to burst.
My God, I pray for the youngsters who are exposed and excited by the circulation of those obscene photos. Blessed are the pure in heart. May You move the adults to keep the purity of the hearts of our youngsters. I pray for the victims. May their traumas be reduced to a minimum. I pray for the soul of those culprits. Damages have been done and many may have fallen. May their conscience recall them to repentance and obtain Your mercy. I pray for my soul in this Lent season. May all these incidences purify me so that I may be a living sacrifice acceptable to You. Amen.
The first reading was taken from Genesis 12. It is the well known story of God calling Abraham to leave everything behind and begin an adventure. It was truly an adventure, full of promises and unknowns. Fr. Patrick did not dwell on this passage. Instead, he took issue on the circulation of obscene photos of the local celebrities.
He began with an explanation of "to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God" (Romans 12:1). We offer a living sacrifice θυσίαν ζῶσαν, not a dead one to God. A sacrifice is something dedicated exclusively to God. In most religious rituals, sacrifices usually involve death, either because the sacrifices will be sent to the other world or because the sacrifices take our place to die for our sins. So, death becomes inevitable in all sorts of sacrifices. However, St. Paul asks us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, something good and valuable, exclusively to God. As long as we belong exclusively to God, we are already, whether alive or dead, a sacrifice, not for ourselves but for the others. But St. Paul urges us to be a living, not a dead sacrifice. Now, this is more demanding because death is a one-off event and you remain in that state. This means that the sacrifice carries the blemishes at the moment of its death. But to be living is a drawn-out process, where there are lots of up's and down's. Surely we have demerits and weaknesses, but we still have time to improve on them before we die. In our dedication to God, we may at times, be enthusiastic or indifferent, but we still have opportunities to attain perfection before we die.
A sacrifice is something good, respectable and valuable. So, our bodies should be good and respectable too. Many religions despise the body and treat it with contempt because it is the source of many temptations. Marriage is a necessary evil because it involves sex and sex is a taboo, to be frowned upon if the topic is brought up publicly. Though Christianity has its own dose of conservativism, it treats the body in a more positive manner. It believes in the resurrection of the body, not just of the dead (Be careful of the translation. In the ancient Apostles' Creed, it was still the resurrection of the body σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν, whereas in the Nicene Creed we recite in Mass today, it is the resurrection of the dead ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν). Sexual pleasure is not something bad, on condition that it is sought between husband and wife and for the purpose of procreation. (Pretty conservative, uh?) Therefore, pornography is something Christianity condemns. Man is created in the image and likeness of God but pornography reduces the human body into an object for pleasure seeking. (Don't tell me you are appreciating God's image when you are reading a porno!) Human dignity is ignored and the relationship between the two sexes is distorted. What is worse, it is detrimental to the development of a healthy sexual attitude among the youngsters. Obviously, the circulation of those obscene photos of celebrities debases the female body to the status of an object of lust, something to be spent, to be exploited. This is blatantly immoral. In view of the easy accessibility of the Internet to the youngsters, this incident is something every responsible adult should be worried about.
My attention wandered off again when Fr. Patrick touched on the issue of new wine in old wineskin (Matthew 9:17). I remembered a mistake I made in dealing with Mr. Peter Tse, a colleague in La Salle.
Mr. Peter Tse was the English panel chair in the Junior Forms and an experienced RS teacher. He even sat for the first notorious Language Proficiency Benchmark Test for English teachers after his retirement! I met him in the examination centre where I sat for my test. Peter graduated from the teaching college and taught in La Salle Primary for some years before he taught English in La Salle. He had been a senior Scout Master for a long time and had coached Speech Festival competitors all the years he taught in La Salle. A very dedicated Catholic indeed. He insisted on speaking in English even with his colleagues in those days, though regrettably, this admirable act had not been properly reciprocated. (That is one of the reasons why I feel that Shung Tak is providing a far better English speaking environment than La Salle. I make more use of English here than in La Salle!) After his retirement, he remains active in the Rosary Parish, translating the lyrics of Chinese hymns into English for the Philippino community there.
I made my mistake when Peter was approaching his retirement. He got used to using stencils in typing examination papers. But I was so used to using computer that I was insentitive to his situation. Amending a single mistake in stencil amounts to retyping everything all over again! In one RS paper he set, I asked him to make corrections for three times!! How stupid I was! I was forcing my new wine into his old wineskin! No apology is enough to soothe his frustrations. Mind me, my wineskin is getting worn. There are so many new technologies popping up that it is my turn to burst.
My God, I pray for the youngsters who are exposed and excited by the circulation of those obscene photos. Blessed are the pure in heart. May You move the adults to keep the purity of the hearts of our youngsters. I pray for the victims. May their traumas be reduced to a minimum. I pray for the soul of those culprits. Damages have been done and many may have fallen. May their conscience recall them to repentance and obtain Your mercy. I pray for my soul in this Lent season. May all these incidences purify me so that I may be a living sacrifice acceptable to You. Amen.
Sunday, 10 February 2008
To God what belongs to God
Today, we reflect on Isaiah 58:9-14.
Unlike histories which have plots to follow, prophecies are difficult to handle. They are bits and pieces without any chronology. If we take them as snapshots of God's revelation, and trust the prophets in their efforts to capture and articulate God's words, we lack a structure to piece these jigsaws together. Despite the difficulty, trying to interpret these prophecies is exciting. Somehow, the revelation is progressively clearer to us.
"If you turn back your foot from the sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 58:13-14).
Isaiah does not complain too much about the observance of Sabbath. There are only 4 places out of 66 chapters where he warns against profaning it [doing your pleasure, talking idly] (Isaiah 1:13; 56:2, 6; 58:13). Keeping the Sabbath is one of the major features of Judaism. Jews celebrate Sabbath because God rested after 6 days of Creation. Moreover, they remember God's deliverance from Egyptian bondage on Sabbath. It was important for them because in Egypt, they were slaves and were denied rests. Therefore, celebrating Sabbath is, in fact, a celebration of being a freed man. In the Gospels, the Pharisees challenged Jesus for healings on Sabbath, for allowing his disciples to pluck the ears of the wheat on Sabbath. They had been freed from Egyptian bondage, but had fallen back into the bondage of rigid ritual observances. Of course, Jesus observed the Sabbath but he transcended the observance. He observed it while retaining his freedom to do charity. The Son of Man is the Lord of Sabbath.
Observing the Sabbath is essential for our well being. It sanctifies our freedom from labour. We can leisurely enjoy God's creation on Sabbath. Sabbath makes sure that we maintain a healthy relation with God's creation and reminds us that we are also God's creatures. After labouring ourselves for six days, observing the Sabbath uplifts our souls and carries us closer to God, our Creator. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17).
Modern men profane the Sabbath at their peril. They do not respect God's creation and abuse her. Pollutions and natural disasters fight back. They accumulate their wealth and exploit their fellow men. Human history is laid out with corpses of social unrests and revolutions. They know no God and starve their own souls. Many fall prey to Satanism ... Men! Repent and turn back to your God, to your fellow men and His creation!
My God, I thank You for giving us the Sabbath to lay back, to appreciate Your wonderful creation and to remember our salvation. May we make good use of it to mend fences with our neighbour and to celebrate with them our undeserved redemption. Amen.
Unlike histories which have plots to follow, prophecies are difficult to handle. They are bits and pieces without any chronology. If we take them as snapshots of God's revelation, and trust the prophets in their efforts to capture and articulate God's words, we lack a structure to piece these jigsaws together. Despite the difficulty, trying to interpret these prophecies is exciting. Somehow, the revelation is progressively clearer to us.
"If you turn back your foot from the sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 58:13-14).
Isaiah does not complain too much about the observance of Sabbath. There are only 4 places out of 66 chapters where he warns against profaning it [doing your pleasure, talking idly] (Isaiah 1:13; 56:2, 6; 58:13). Keeping the Sabbath is one of the major features of Judaism. Jews celebrate Sabbath because God rested after 6 days of Creation. Moreover, they remember God's deliverance from Egyptian bondage on Sabbath. It was important for them because in Egypt, they were slaves and were denied rests. Therefore, celebrating Sabbath is, in fact, a celebration of being a freed man. In the Gospels, the Pharisees challenged Jesus for healings on Sabbath, for allowing his disciples to pluck the ears of the wheat on Sabbath. They had been freed from Egyptian bondage, but had fallen back into the bondage of rigid ritual observances. Of course, Jesus observed the Sabbath but he transcended the observance. He observed it while retaining his freedom to do charity. The Son of Man is the Lord of Sabbath.
Observing the Sabbath is essential for our well being. It sanctifies our freedom from labour. We can leisurely enjoy God's creation on Sabbath. Sabbath makes sure that we maintain a healthy relation with God's creation and reminds us that we are also God's creatures. After labouring ourselves for six days, observing the Sabbath uplifts our souls and carries us closer to God, our Creator. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17).
Modern men profane the Sabbath at their peril. They do not respect God's creation and abuse her. Pollutions and natural disasters fight back. They accumulate their wealth and exploit their fellow men. Human history is laid out with corpses of social unrests and revolutions. They know no God and starve their own souls. Many fall prey to Satanism ... Men! Repent and turn back to your God, to your fellow men and His creation!
My God, I thank You for giving us the Sabbath to lay back, to appreciate Your wonderful creation and to remember our salvation. May we make good use of it to mend fences with our neighbour and to celebrate with them our undeserved redemption. Amen.
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Avoid being superficial
Today, we meditate on Isaiah 58:1-9.
God told Isaiah to declare the sins of Judah. However, Judah looked extremely good.
Yet they seek me daily,
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God (Isaiah 58:2)
To seek God daily, to delight in the knowledge of God's ways, to do righteousness, to keep the ordinance of God, to ask God of righteous judgments and to draw near to God ... What more can we expect from any Christians? When we talk of the Christian goal of perfection, the 6 characteristics mentioned above will surely be among the criteria. Here, we find the will (to seek), the intellect (to know), the determination (not to forsake) and the emotion (to delight). It is man in his totality. Moreover, the goal is a noble one --- the righteousness of God. All of these are good as long as they do not remain superficial.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, we paid visit to the godmother of Wulstan and had lunch together. Then we paid Sam, my godson, a visit. Sam used to be a driver before he was paralysed from stroke. His right side was impeded. In the earlier days, he insisted to take a daily walk to maintain his movements. Unfortunately, he was knocked down by a careless young man. Screws were installed in his hip and further impeded his movements. Slowly, the sight of his right eye is lost. In this cold spell, he cannot even bend his right leg. He cannot get on his wheelchair and is confined in his flat. He cannot recall many of his precious memories. He tries hard to retain his mental power by rehearsing whatever is at hand. Using the computer becomes one of the limited ways he can handle in keep his mind alert. Helen, his wife, is his steadfast support. It is really a big, big cross Sam is carrying. May God have mercy on him and grant him consolations to carry this cross. Sam is sometimes bitter because friends he expects to see do not turn up to console him. I regret not visiting more often enough.
My God, though I have the will to seek Your way, if I do not extend a helping hand to my neighbour, I am going the wrong way. Though I have the intellect to know the Scripture, if I do not console my neighbour, I fail to open Your holy book. Though I have the determination to keep Your commandments, if I do not humble myself in doing the work I should have done, I commit sins. Though I delight in coming close to You, if I do not visit Sam in whom You reside, my delight will be empty.
My God, may I truly seek You and not vanity, truly know You in humility, truly keep Your sweet commandments and truly delight in being close to You, like an insignificant child looking up to its wonderful Father, expecting a warm loving hug. Amen.
God told Isaiah to declare the sins of Judah. However, Judah looked extremely good.
Yet they seek me daily,
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God (Isaiah 58:2)
To seek God daily, to delight in the knowledge of God's ways, to do righteousness, to keep the ordinance of God, to ask God of righteous judgments and to draw near to God ... What more can we expect from any Christians? When we talk of the Christian goal of perfection, the 6 characteristics mentioned above will surely be among the criteria. Here, we find the will (to seek), the intellect (to know), the determination (not to forsake) and the emotion (to delight). It is man in his totality. Moreover, the goal is a noble one --- the righteousness of God. All of these are good as long as they do not remain superficial.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, we paid visit to the godmother of Wulstan and had lunch together. Then we paid Sam, my godson, a visit. Sam used to be a driver before he was paralysed from stroke. His right side was impeded. In the earlier days, he insisted to take a daily walk to maintain his movements. Unfortunately, he was knocked down by a careless young man. Screws were installed in his hip and further impeded his movements. Slowly, the sight of his right eye is lost. In this cold spell, he cannot even bend his right leg. He cannot get on his wheelchair and is confined in his flat. He cannot recall many of his precious memories. He tries hard to retain his mental power by rehearsing whatever is at hand. Using the computer becomes one of the limited ways he can handle in keep his mind alert. Helen, his wife, is his steadfast support. It is really a big, big cross Sam is carrying. May God have mercy on him and grant him consolations to carry this cross. Sam is sometimes bitter because friends he expects to see do not turn up to console him. I regret not visiting more often enough.
My God, though I have the will to seek Your way, if I do not extend a helping hand to my neighbour, I am going the wrong way. Though I have the intellect to know the Scripture, if I do not console my neighbour, I fail to open Your holy book. Though I have the determination to keep Your commandments, if I do not humble myself in doing the work I should have done, I commit sins. Though I delight in coming close to You, if I do not visit Sam in whom You reside, my delight will be empty.
My God, may I truly seek You and not vanity, truly know You in humility, truly keep Your sweet commandments and truly delight in being close to You, like an insignificant child looking up to its wonderful Father, expecting a warm loving hug. Amen.
Friday, 8 February 2008
Happy Lunar New Year
Today is the first day of the Year of the Rat. Happy Lunar New Year to you all. Wish you all a fruitful year ahead, full of God's grace.
This morning, we attended the New Year Mass and it was again full-house. The parish priest was obviously very happy about the attendance. It has become a tradition to have lion-dance to lead the procession into the church. The atmosphere was jovial.
Fr. Lejeune was the chief celebrant. He is already over 80 and always jokingly laments why God still does not receive him back in His bosom. He suffers from DM like me. Way back in the LaSallian days, I had looked up for guidance two other religious, Fr. James Lea and Bro. Francis O'Rourke, both of whom had suffered DM. However, I was not able to derive any positive examples from them. May their souls rest in peace. Fr. Lejeune has always been positive. He keeps learning to operate the computer even in his advanced age. He has been a grandfatherly figure in our community and we benefit a lot from him.
In his homily, he talked about making full use of the opportunities God offers us. He was indeed sharing his life motto. He often pays visits to mainland China. He took care of the French community in Beijing while learning Putonghua there a few years ago. Last Christmas, he visited the churches and the parishes in Chungking. He is still very much alive and kicking. Indeed, I shouldn't be that depressed and withdrawn because of my health. Here is a jolly old French priest showing me how to lead my life to its fullness. Thank God for sending us this wonderful missionary priest. May God reward him abundantly for his good work in His fold.
Hilary is my good son. I was a bit worried before we visited grandpa and grandma because he has been absent from this new year visit for several years. Moreover, my younger brother had annoyed him in grandma's birthday dinner last time. But Hilary behaved very well today. The atmosphere was cosy. Of course, I pray that he will return to church to practise his faith soon. May God have mercy on him and bring him home.
Today, we read Deuteronomy 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 7:32-35.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him (Deuteronomy 18:18). This prophet is Jesus. Revelation reaches its fullness in him.
I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:35). In this text, St. Paul called upon the married Corinthian believers to work for their sanctification in marriage. In our married life, take every opportunity to come close to the Lord, be anxious to please the Lord. But how? I feel blessed to be able to work together with Erminia in the parish choir. May the Lord find pleasure in what little we are able to contribute.
My God, at this beginning of the Lent season, let no excuses prevent us from doing the purification work on our hearts. May we stay fast in our prayers and abstinence so that we may truly celebrate Your Passover at the end of this season. Amen.
This morning, we attended the New Year Mass and it was again full-house. The parish priest was obviously very happy about the attendance. It has become a tradition to have lion-dance to lead the procession into the church. The atmosphere was jovial.
Fr. Lejeune was the chief celebrant. He is already over 80 and always jokingly laments why God still does not receive him back in His bosom. He suffers from DM like me. Way back in the LaSallian days, I had looked up for guidance two other religious, Fr. James Lea and Bro. Francis O'Rourke, both of whom had suffered DM. However, I was not able to derive any positive examples from them. May their souls rest in peace. Fr. Lejeune has always been positive. He keeps learning to operate the computer even in his advanced age. He has been a grandfatherly figure in our community and we benefit a lot from him.
In his homily, he talked about making full use of the opportunities God offers us. He was indeed sharing his life motto. He often pays visits to mainland China. He took care of the French community in Beijing while learning Putonghua there a few years ago. Last Christmas, he visited the churches and the parishes in Chungking. He is still very much alive and kicking. Indeed, I shouldn't be that depressed and withdrawn because of my health. Here is a jolly old French priest showing me how to lead my life to its fullness. Thank God for sending us this wonderful missionary priest. May God reward him abundantly for his good work in His fold.
Hilary is my good son. I was a bit worried before we visited grandpa and grandma because he has been absent from this new year visit for several years. Moreover, my younger brother had annoyed him in grandma's birthday dinner last time. But Hilary behaved very well today. The atmosphere was cosy. Of course, I pray that he will return to church to practise his faith soon. May God have mercy on him and bring him home.
Today, we read Deuteronomy 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 7:32-35.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him (Deuteronomy 18:18). This prophet is Jesus. Revelation reaches its fullness in him.
I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:35). In this text, St. Paul called upon the married Corinthian believers to work for their sanctification in marriage. In our married life, take every opportunity to come close to the Lord, be anxious to please the Lord. But how? I feel blessed to be able to work together with Erminia in the parish choir. May the Lord find pleasure in what little we are able to contribute.
My God, at this beginning of the Lent season, let no excuses prevent us from doing the purification work on our hearts. May we stay fast in our prayers and abstinence so that we may truly celebrate Your Passover at the end of this season. Amen.
Thursday, 7 February 2008
Ash Wednesday 2008
Today (Ash Wednesday) sees the beginning of the Lent season. It is time again to turn round from our previous life style to an improved relationship with God. I have already begun daily reflection on the Bible for one month. May God accompany me along and reveal to me what He intends me to know from the message in the Bible. May this knowledge deepen my love for God and make me more ready to reach out for my neighbours. Amen.
We read Joel 2:12-18 and 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2. Let me begin with 2 Corinthians. In this reading, Paul called us to be reconciled to God. We are indeed a rebellious creature. The first sin recorded in Genesis 3 is that our ancestors, though created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) and were able to, among all creatures, enter into a dialogue with the Creator (Genesis 1:28), wanted to be like God, to be autonomous and free from the guiding hands of the Creator (Genesis 3:5b). This was a sin against God and in subsequent chapters, more sins were committed against our fellow men. There is no more harmony on earth. But God did not give up His creation. He initiated our redemption. Glory and praise to the Lord, forever and ever. Amen.
For our sake he (God) made him (Christ) to be sin (man) who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is a mystery. Christ took on our sinful flesh to make us the righteousness of God. O Jesus, you take up all our evils, sicknesses and humiliations. You want us to surrender all our weaknesses so that our perfection may be restored. With your great love, you melt our sins into occasions of grace. May we sing of your great wonders forever and ever. Amen.
Lent is the acceptable time when God shall listen to us (2 Corinthians 6:2). Joel called on a return to God. "now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;" (Joel 2:12). Now, let us fast, weep and mourn with all our hearts. May we empty our sinful hearts to make room for God's love. Amen.
Yesterday evening, we attended the year-end Thanksgiving Mass. It becomes an annual tradition in the parish and it was full-house last night. In his homily, besides the usual stuff, Fr. Kwan put forth a new slogan: "0% tolerance, 100% forgiveness." He urged the parishers to forgive what the religious had failed in their service last year and to be candid. He thought that tolerance could build up an apparent harmony on the surface only. That would do no good to lives in family or in parish. In Christ, let's be candid so that we may forgive and improve. As a slogan, it sounds good. But in reality, it hardly applies to vertical relationships. Can we reduce our tolerance of the stupidities of our superiors? No. Our tolerance has reached fullness. Will our superiors be humble enough to ask for forgiveness so that we can have a chance to forgive them? No again. We have zero chance to forgive our superiors. So, in reality, it is "100% tolerance, 0% forgiveness!" Thanks Fr. Kwan for bringing the issue to the surface and throwing new lights on it.
Today is the Lunar New Year Eve. We are on the verge to enter the Year of the Rat. But let us keep the thousands of stranded migrant workers in mind. The snowstorm has deprived them of the joy of going home to enjoy the reunion with their families. Let us pray for them that they may find consolation in their present plights. There are a lot of things to clean up as well as new things to set up. So are our hearts. This is an annual and perpetual exercise. We know that we will never reach perfection, not until the day we, hopefully, return to God.
My God, may our fasting, weeping and mourning help us repent so that we become lighter to scale new heights in our perfection. I am not fully aware of my weaknesses. May I be able to read from Your Scripture holy words that illuminate my ignorance so that I may feel Your imminence and presence. Will You still accept me when, at the end of the days, I am still imperfect? But I will continue to work hard, whatever my destiny. Amen.
Comment from TheVoiceReturns:
```````
Did the Apostles observe Ash Wednesday or Lent ?
```````
Indeed, Christ set the example.
"...while Jesus was on earth...
He truly worshiped God,
and God listened to his prayers...
(Hebrews 5:7,8)(CEV)-BibleGateway
```````
We read Joel 2:12-18 and 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2. Let me begin with 2 Corinthians. In this reading, Paul called us to be reconciled to God. We are indeed a rebellious creature. The first sin recorded in Genesis 3 is that our ancestors, though created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) and were able to, among all creatures, enter into a dialogue with the Creator (Genesis 1:28), wanted to be like God, to be autonomous and free from the guiding hands of the Creator (Genesis 3:5b). This was a sin against God and in subsequent chapters, more sins were committed against our fellow men. There is no more harmony on earth. But God did not give up His creation. He initiated our redemption. Glory and praise to the Lord, forever and ever. Amen.
For our sake he (God) made him (Christ) to be sin (man) who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is a mystery. Christ took on our sinful flesh to make us the righteousness of God. O Jesus, you take up all our evils, sicknesses and humiliations. You want us to surrender all our weaknesses so that our perfection may be restored. With your great love, you melt our sins into occasions of grace. May we sing of your great wonders forever and ever. Amen.
Lent is the acceptable time when God shall listen to us (2 Corinthians 6:2). Joel called on a return to God. "now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;" (Joel 2:12). Now, let us fast, weep and mourn with all our hearts. May we empty our sinful hearts to make room for God's love. Amen.
Yesterday evening, we attended the year-end Thanksgiving Mass. It becomes an annual tradition in the parish and it was full-house last night. In his homily, besides the usual stuff, Fr. Kwan put forth a new slogan: "0% tolerance, 100% forgiveness." He urged the parishers to forgive what the religious had failed in their service last year and to be candid. He thought that tolerance could build up an apparent harmony on the surface only. That would do no good to lives in family or in parish. In Christ, let's be candid so that we may forgive and improve. As a slogan, it sounds good. But in reality, it hardly applies to vertical relationships. Can we reduce our tolerance of the stupidities of our superiors? No. Our tolerance has reached fullness. Will our superiors be humble enough to ask for forgiveness so that we can have a chance to forgive them? No again. We have zero chance to forgive our superiors. So, in reality, it is "100% tolerance, 0% forgiveness!" Thanks Fr. Kwan for bringing the issue to the surface and throwing new lights on it.
Today is the Lunar New Year Eve. We are on the verge to enter the Year of the Rat. But let us keep the thousands of stranded migrant workers in mind. The snowstorm has deprived them of the joy of going home to enjoy the reunion with their families. Let us pray for them that they may find consolation in their present plights. There are a lot of things to clean up as well as new things to set up. So are our hearts. This is an annual and perpetual exercise. We know that we will never reach perfection, not until the day we, hopefully, return to God.
My God, may our fasting, weeping and mourning help us repent so that we become lighter to scale new heights in our perfection. I am not fully aware of my weaknesses. May I be able to read from Your Scripture holy words that illuminate my ignorance so that I may feel Your imminence and presence. Will You still accept me when, at the end of the days, I am still imperfect? But I will continue to work hard, whatever my destiny. Amen.
Comment from TheVoiceReturns:
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Did the Apostles observe Ash Wednesday or Lent ?
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Indeed, Christ set the example.
"...while Jesus was on earth...
He truly worshiped God,
and God listened to his prayers...
(Hebrews 5:7,8)(CEV)-BibleGateway
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February 6, 2008.
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