Salvation outside the Church

I am one day behind in reading the First Epistle of John. Still, I want to meditate more on the topic of "salvation outside the Church" in the light of 1 John.
In the 1960's, the Catholic Church went through a transformation by convoking the Second Vatican Council. Some 2500 bishops from all over the world attended to kick off this reformation. The Catholic Church had to proclaim the gospel to the modern world. She needed to enter into dialogue with the pluralistic environment in which she was living. However, she was burdened with the dogma which claims that outside the Church, there is no salvation. She needed to refashion this exclusive chain because God's salvation is meant for the whole world.
and he (Jesus) is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
Jesus has opened up the possibility for all mankind to receive God's salvation. This mission is left to the Church he set up on the Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is to accompany her to accomplish this mission.

When John wrote his epistles, there was no hierarchical Church as it is today. There were only communities of believers. The boundary was fluid. It was through the behaviour of the individual members that decided who was in and who was out. Therefore, membership was determined by "knowing Jesus". Of course, the Jewish conception of "knowing somebody" was more than intellectual. It involved actions. "Knowing Jesus" was only a summary way to express the complexity of becoming a follower of Jesus.
And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments (1 John 2:3).
Therefore, keeping Jesus' commandments was the first criterion of membership. In the gospels, we are able to find the teachings and thus commandments of Jesus. Inheriting the Jewish tradition, keeping the 10 Commandments was the initial step. For example, when the rich young man wanted to follow Jesus, the first condition Jesus put forth was the 10 Commandments (Mark 10:19). When a teacher of the law challenged Jesus' knowledge of the Torah, Jesus quoted him the famous Greatest Commandment in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18. This is a summary of all the 613 laws in the Torah. As such, Jesus did not come to change the law, but to affirm and fulfill it. Lastly, in the Last Supper, Jesus gave a new commandment.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35).
This new commandment is more demanding than the Torah. Previously, in the Beatitude in Matthew 5-7, Jesus had already reset a higher standard than that stipulated in the 10 Commandments. Now, near the end of his ministry on earth during the Last Supper, Jesus set an even higher standard. It is more than loving your neighbour as yourself because to be the disciples of Jesus, we have to love as Jesus has loved. To love ourselves, we love our life. But to love as Jesus has loved, we have to be ready to forsake our life for the love of our neighbour!

That was why when John wrote his epistle, he said that he was not writing them a new commandment.
but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him:
he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard (1 John 2:5-7).
It was nothing new because disciples ought to follow the footsteps of Jesus, to walk in the same way in which Jesus walked, all the way from Galilee to Mount Calvary. On his way, Jesus preached the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. He reached out to the disadvantaged and the abandoned with compassion. He healed their illnesses and freed them from the demons. He challenged the rigidity of ritual observations and the abusive authority of the powerful. At last, he lay down his life to free all mankind from the bondage of sins. He taught with words and actions.

If membership is determined by how we behave, as long as we do what Jesus has told us to do, we abide in him.
In Matthew 25, Jesus has set us a "syllabus" of six actions. Salvation is attained by fulfilling these six.
Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' (Matthew 25:34-36)
Jesus did not require us to be baptized, He did not ask us to attend Sunday mass. He gave non-Christians all the opportunities to attain eternal life by feeding the hungry, satisfying the thirsty, welcoming the homeless, guarding the dignity of men, attending to the sick and siding with the imprisoned. These can be achieved by all, Christians and non-Christians alike. Therefore, there is no doubt about salvation outside the Church. So, what is the advantage of becoming a Christian? I will leave this for tomorrow or later.

Dear Lord, to follow Your footsteps, we have to preach the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven. May Your Holy Spirit continue to guide us and empower to fulfill our duties. Amen.

Making God a liar revisited

Yesterday, I was puzzled by the last verse of chapter one of the First Epistle of John, which reads
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:10).
I was confused because by definition, a liar lies. If you do not say anything, you cannot be a liar. If you tell the truth, you cannot be a liar. If I lie, I am a liar, not somebody else. I could not understand how John could say that I made God a liar when I denied I have sinned.

However, my logic missed a crucial point. I should allow for the peculiar thinking process of the Jews who lived 2000 years ago. Actually, I touched upon it yesterday but I missed it. Let me go back to the "liar" in the Gospel of John.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
Jesus criticized the Jews for hardening their hearts and rejecting him despite the fact that he had already performed many signs to show that he was the Messiah. The Jews rejected the truth and Jesus warned them of the seriousness of the consequences. They chose the Devil to be their father!

"Like father like sons" was a common Jewish aphorism. But it was expressed in a different way.
The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge (Jeremiah 31:29, Ezekiel 18:2).
This proverb expresses the effects of parental influence on children. By extension, it suggests that children would suffer the consequences of the sins of parents. For example, once Jesus' disciples asked him what made the man born blind, the man's own sins or his parents'.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth.
And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:1-2)
The children would inherit the parents' sins and their consequences. Therefore, this seemed to be a very common idea among the Jews. This is also the basis for the argument of the Original Sin. It is not our own fault. Yet, we inherit this state of sinfulness because of the disobedience of our first parents.
Return to the proverb above. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel quoted this proverb in order to disprove it. They tried to make the individuals shoulder their own responsibilities. They did not seem to be successful.

Return to the first Epistle of John. John called his readers no less than 10 times "children", "little children" and "my little children". John was an elder, more or less a father to them all. Therefore, when he wrote about the relation between God and his readers, John was thinking in terms of a father and his sons. In fact, he showed them that they were "God's children" in chapter 3.
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:1-2).
Our making God a liar makes sense to me now. Since God has made us His children. Applying the "like father like son" Jewish proverb, we make God a liar when we tell lies, when we deny that we have sinned. God is our father. We inherit His nature. Applying Jesus' words above in John 8, if we lie, it reveals our lying nature and somehow reflects the nature of God. This is how our lying makes God a liar.

Suddenly, I begin to appreciate what dangers incarnation entails. The Word became flesh and moved among us in history, in time and space. Though sometimes he defied natural laws to work miracles, he still had to undergo natural growth, experience sadness and anger, hunger and thirst, exhaustion and fear. At last he died. Yes, the incarnate God was able to die.
But what is worst, Jesus has made us all the adopted children of God. God the Father exposes Himself to the danger of becoming a liar! What a contamination of divinity! Here, we are not talking about the pain we inflict on Jesus when we sin. We are talking about the contamination we inflict on God the Father when we lie. Redeeming human beings by incarnation, God the Father opens Himself to malicious risks, making Himself vulnerable to Satan's attack.

Dear Lord, incarnation is no fun to You. Thank you for believing in human nature. Purify us so that we may be made worthy to share Your eternal life. Amen.

Feast of the Holy Innocents 2010

Like St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, the children under 2 murdered by Herod the Great in Bethlehem are considered by the Church to be martyrs. They died in Jesus' stead. The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Innocents today to remember these powerless martyrs who did not even have the chance to open their mouths to proclaim Jesus!
BBC has produced a 9-part TV series "Mysteries of the Bible". One episode poses to defend Herod the Great. The narrator says, quite correctly, that there is only one single verse in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:16) which incriminates Herod but no extra-biblical record whatsoever. However, in the end, BBC does not have the guts to deny the probability of such a massacre! The episode only manages to show that Herod the Great was a master builder for security reasons and himself a victim of paranoia. From the article "Holy Innocents" by Holweck (1910) found in the Catholic Encyclopaedia, one can find most of the figures and reasoning employed by BBC.

Today and the next couple of days, we will be reading the First Epistle of John. Scholars agree that it was penned, if not by John the Apostle himself, by one member of the John community. This epistle shares a lot of vocabulary with the Gospel. One particular verse puzzles me deeply. It reads
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:10).
This verse is the last of 5 consecutive verses beginning with "if" and a parallel of verse 8 which reads
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).
Verse 8 is easily understood. We are sinners because we miss the target set by God. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But why do we make God a liar if we claim we have not missed the mark? Wouldn't it make more sense if we say we have not sinned, we make ourselves liars? Herod the Great killed the innocent children. If Herod said he had not sinned, wouldn't Herod make himself a liar, rather than God a liar? I am confused.
In the Gospel of John, the word "liar" appears twice in chapter 8. The first one refers to Satan.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
The Devil is a liar because it is in its nature to tell lies.
But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word (John 8:55).
If Jesus lies, Jesus will be a liar like the Jews he was speaking to.
So, liars tell lies. Telling lies makes a person a liar, not others liars. When we, for whatever reason, tell lies, the truth is not in us, but still in others. We become liars, not others. To make God a liar, God must have said something not true. What possibly has God said that is not true? Impossible! It is because God is the Truth. God cannot deny Himself. God does not tell lies. He can never be a liar. So how is it that when we lie, we make God a liar? I am more confused.

Is it a particular lie, viz. that we have not sinned, that makes God a liar? Let us reason.
Suppose it is true that we have not sinned. Then we are telling the truth when we say we have not sinned. Telling the truth can make God a liar if God lies when He says we have sinned. God, through Paul, does say that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Does God lie when He says all have sinned?
Negative. Our present situation bears witness to the reality that we have sinned. Then God is a liar only if He says we have not sinned. Throughout the Bible, we cannot find a verse saying that we have not sinned. Instead we find many verses saying that God has forgiven our sins. Once again, we cannot make God a liar. Would somebody explain to me the meaning of 1 John 1:10? I wish I were like one of the Holy Innocents.

Dear Lord, my reasoning has come to a dead end. Open my heart, Lord. Show me the proper way to meet You in the Scripture. Amen.

Feast of the Holy Family (Year C)

This Christmas season, we attended several masses celebrated by Fr. Martin within just a few days. Christmas season is really very demanding on priests because they have to think up different topics to talk about in the homily. Today, the theme is family. So, Fr. Martin humbly declined the leading role in the homily. Instead, he invited a young couple to share their views on family life with the congregation. The couple was very humble in admitting that they still had to learn from many of couples present.

Ray and Vonnie have been married for roughly 2 years. Vonnie is 8 months into her pregnancy. They are so happy and so sweet. Both of them are working and will be very tired after work. Despite this, Ray will cook when he returns first. He does not take advantage of the traditional mindset, thinking that a woman's place is the kitchen. He does not mind cooking and is happy that Vonnie appreciates the dishes he makes.
They are not immune to arguments, but they know when they should stop arguing and start listening. There have been problems beyond their capabilities to handle. They pray together. Vonnie is more vocal and articulate in expressing her thoughts and feelings about their family life. Ray looks very protective, especially because Vonnie is pregnant. However, something was missing from their sharings. They did not mention the relationships with the in-laws. Anyway, I am grateful for their candid sharing and here I pray for their marriage and their baby. May their marriage grow sweeter day by day and their baby healthy and intelligent.

It was Fr. Martin's turn to speak. He told us that in preparing for Sunday homilies, he usually prays. But this time, he could not help laughing when he was meditating the following verses.
And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."
And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:48-19)
In his prayerful mind, he would envision a youngster returning home in the small hours after Christmas Eve celebration. His mother would probably jump out of bed, telling her son off with Mary's words. Then, the young man would retort, repeating words similar to the 12-year-old Jesus'.
Fr. Martin was speaking to the adults. He did not tell the young people to return home early next time. Instead, he talked about "Passive Coordination" in family relations. Referring back to Ray and Bonnie who are able to stop arguing and start listening, Fr. Martin told the parents to learn from them and from the reaction of Mary.
And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.
and his mother kept all these things in her heart (Luke 2:50, 51b).
It was not profitable to win an argument at the expense of family relations. There are times when it is wiser to listen than to speak. But we should not forget God either. Invite God into our family life. Then ours can also be a Holy Family too.

In the afternoon, Erminia and I went to the Christmas gathering for the permanent deacons. It was truly a family gathering. Many deacons and candidates brought along their family members, children and grandchildren. I even met an old student of mine. He is the son of Deacon Sung.
The Vicar General told us that the feast of the Holy Family was an appropriate occasion for this gathering. We have commitment to at least seven families: The Holy Family in Heaven, the Universal Church, the Hong Kong Diocese, the Hong Kong Community, the parish, the diaconate community and our own family. Husband, wife and God are the basic unit of the Holy Family. Therefore, he would be very happy to see greater development of "Husband and Wife Spirituality" in the near future.
There were self-introduction, party games, performances, Yoga demonstration, lucky draw, evening prayer and a substantial dinner. Many people had contributed financially and physically to make this gathering a success. The atmosphere was familial.

Dear Lord, the institution of family is under siege in modern society. Many people do not appreciate their needs for a family. I pray for the dysfunctional families. Lord, You are able to turn the tide, transform sorrows into joy and distill goodness out of evil. Grant them Your grace. Amen.

Feast of St. Stephen 2009

The first day after Christmas is not Boxing Day when people unwrap the Christmas presents they receive. Rather, it is the feast day of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen of Jerusalem. His story is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.

When the number of believers in Jerusalem increased, the Apostles had to deal with a practical internal problem.
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution (Acts 6:1).
The disputes between Jewish Christians (the Hebrews) and Greek-speaking Jewish Christians (the Hellenists) were disputes between local Jews and overseas Jews who came back to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, joined the Jesus movement and stayed behind. Hellenist widows being neglected was only a trigger. Just imagine. The Hebrews sold all their property and donated the money to the Apostles to distribute. What had these Hellenists donated? Would they go home, sell their property and travel back to Jerusalem to donate all the proceeds to the Apostles? At first, the Hebrews might be generous. After all, Jesus would soon return. However, when Jesus kept postponing and the number of believers kept increasing, it was not going to be easy to defuse the dissatisfaction.
The believers then selected seven Greek-speaking helpers who were men of good repute, full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). To them the Twelve delegated authority to handle this alms distribution business (Acts 6:6). Perhaps they had to be fund-raisers as well.
They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch (Acts 6:5b).
Among them, the stories of Stephen and Philip are recorded in the Acts. Stephen was more than a server at the table (Acts 6:2).
And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen.
But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke (Acts 6:8-10).

From the Acts, we know that Stephen was a man of good repute. He was full of faith, wisdom and power. So far, only the apostles were able to work miracles. Stephen was the exception. Luke applied the word grace χάριτος to Stephen.
In the gospel of Luke, the word χάρις is used in 8 verses and is translated as favour. In Acts, it appears in 17 verses, 8 of which are translated as grace. It refers to the special favour granted by God.
Stephen made good use of the grace granted him by God. He engaged in disputes with those Greek-speaking Jews and earned his martyrdom. They brought him in front of the High Priest in the Jewish Council, accusing him of blaspheming Moses, the Torah and the Temple. His speech recorded in Acts 7 was a Christian view of Jewish history. Even before Stephen was able to mention the message of Jesus of Nazareth, he was already stoned to death. Luke said that Stephen was speaking with wisdom and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:10). Stephen was a good instrument of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord, You have chosen and given us St. Stephen to be Your good Deacon. Hear his prayers.
St. Stephen, pray for all the deacons that they will follow your footsteps, each making good use of the grace the Lord grant him to bear witness to His great love for the needy. Amen.

Christmas 2009

It has become a tradition in our parish to baptize babies on Christmas Day. For these lucky babies, every year when people all over the world celebrate the birth of our Saviour, they will  also be celebrating the joy of their new life in Christ. How meaningful it is!
Many readers may object to infantile baptism, saying that the infants are not in the position to take up such a fundamental option as to believe in a personal Saviour. Furthermore, the parents have deprived the infants of their right to choose their faith.
The first objection is right. The infants are too young to take up the option. That is why we do not baptize the infants because of their faith. Rather, we baptize them because of the faith of their parents. The parents believe in God, believe in Jesus as their Saviour. Shouldn't the infants follow the faith of their parents? Subsequently, it is also the responsibility of the parents to provide adequate religious education for their children.
The second objection is not quite right. As parents, we bring them to this world without seeking their consent. We breast-feed them or bottle-feed them without asking for their opinions. We send them to the "best" kindergartens or primary schools without ... This is not a question of the rights of the infants. Rather, it is a question of the duties of the parents. As parents, it is our duty to give the best to our children.  

Again, Fr. Martin officiated at the 11 a.m. mass in which some 20 infants were baptized. Many of the parents were young couples. One or two mothers were pregnant as well. The whole atmosphere was pregnant with vitality. The gospel reading was taken from the first 14 verses of John 1. It is a highly theological reflection on the part of John. I was wondering how Fr. Martin would handle it.
Perhaps taking the cues from so many young couples, Fr. Martin began by quoting the results of sociological researches on marriages. Free love was a romance. Marriages across social strata were myths. These were inventions by fiction writers. In reality, people would marry people with similar sociological background, such as income, education level and religious affiliation etc. Some psychological researches further revealed that people would choose spouses possessing similar character traits as the parent of their opposite gender. In short, many girls tend to marry men of their father-figures and boys their mother-figures.
If you are wondering what Fr. Martin was aiming at, here comes the main theme of his homily.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father (John 1:14).
In order to make His salvation more accessible to us, God takes up the challenge to become a man. In order to make Himself known to us, God becomes one of us. To build up a relationship with us, God leaves heaven to become baby Jesus. With similar socio-psychological background, we may choose him, build up a trust relationship with him and attain transformation and salvation. As Christian parents, it is our duty to make Jesus more accessible to our children.

---

CHRISTMAS GREETING 

Blessed be Jesus, the
Incarnate Word of God, who
Descended from heaven so as to
Elevate us to
Greater heights.

Let us remember to
Lower ourselves a little,
Humble ourselves a bit so as to
Come closer to Jesus, our Destiny.
AMEN.
MERRY CHRISTMAS

Yours in the Risen Lord
Alex Kwok
2009 Christmas

Christmas Eve 2009

As usual, Fr. Martin Ip celebrated the 8 p.m. Christmas Eve mass. He arranged the helpers of the Sunday School to perform a mini-drama to convey the Christmas message for the congregation. This year, the message was a bit deep and the congregation did not quite get it. They did not know the drama had finished!
The plot was very simple. St. Joseph guarded the entrance to the Land of Happiness. People who wanted to live in this piece of Land had to bring a gift to prove that they were peaceful people. Then came three modern magi. The first one brought gold. He explained that he would buy anything, even love, with his gold. The second one brought knowledge. With knowledge, he would be able to solve all problems on earth. The last one brought Uranium! He would blow up anybody who threatened peace! Of course they were rejected by St. Joseph when they came to the entrance. In the ear of each magi, St. Joseph whispered a few words and each one of them went away crestfallen. The narrator told the congregation that St. Joseph said, "You have not brought Baby Jesus." Then, she stopped there. St. Joseph stood there motionless. There was silence (reflection?) for more than 10 seconds.

The drama was based on the famous line from Isaiah which Handel also wrote one of the most famous chorus in his Oratorio, Messiah.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
The Baby Jesus was the Prince of Peace. The three modern magi failed to become an instrument of peace themselves. Therefore, they were denied entrance into the Land of Happiness.
Then, Fr. Martin shared an experience he had while he was still working in a hotel. An employee, Mr. A, had won the Most Hospitable Employee Award. In the prize giving ceremony, Mr. A shared with the audience what he had learned from Mr. B, a winner of this award many years ago. Once Mr. B served an Arabian customer very well. This client generously gave Mr. B a Rolex wristwatch. Hoping to get the same generosity, Mr. A worked very dedicatedly in his work. Though he had no luck to receive a Rolex wristwatch, he found other satisfactions in his work. His customers were more cooperative when Mr. A served them. In return, Mr. A could feel the warmth displayed by his customers.

Fr. Martin encouraged us to be the first one to take the first step to extend a friendly hand to the others. Jesus was God. He has taken the first step to lower himself, to be born of a woman in order to save us. Peace has become a possibility on earth. So, let us contemplate the mystery of incarnation. Let us follow the humble example of the BVM. Let us not insist on our superiority or our being right. When everybody does this, the world will become peaceful.

Dear Lord, I pray that in the year ahead, Brien and I may attain greater heights to reach You. Amen.

The duties of priests

I was on holiday with Erminia in Macau. The following was written 2 days later, on Christmas.

Malachi was the last of the 12 minor prophets. He condemned Jews who divorced so as to marry foreign women.
Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god (Malachi 2:11).
Therefore, his prophetic ministry probably took place in the time of Nehemiah. It was a colonial time without kings. Judah was only a province of Persia, a foreign power. Priests held the highest authority under colonial rule. But could priests be immune to corruption?

Ideally speaking, priests were men of God. God appointed them to govern the people since the era of judges and kings was over. They had the responsibility to listen carefully to God, guard His revelation with devotion and explain it faithfully to the people. When the people did not know what to do, they should seek instruction from the priests and obeyed them with respect because priests were messengers of God. Even if the people thought they knew what to do, they should also make sure that their actions were not contrary to the teachings of the priests.
True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.
For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts (Malachi 2:6-7).
Therefore, under normal condition, when priests spoke, it was as if God was speaking. They were the soul, the conscience of the people, turning people away from iniquity. If they were wrong, the whole people would perish. Due to such grave demands on them, what psychological qualities were required of priests?
My covenant with him (Levi) was a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him, that he might fear; and he feared me, he stood in awe of my name(Malachi 2:5).
God is the God of life and peace. He would give the people such blessings. Priests were the middle men. They were the interface between a powerful God and a stiff-necked people. Of course, they feared. It was impossible to please both sides. They had to take side. If they sided with God. They should stood in awe of God though they might be unpopular among men. If they sided with men, they would extract a lot of advantages from the people in the name of God. Then they said yes to whatever the people asked in order to please them. Siding with men seemed a better option. Then priests became corrupt.
But what if priests really became corrupt? Who would challenge them, unmark them? In the Jewish context, prophets.
At the end of time, the last prophet sent by God would be Elijah.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse (Malachi 4:5-6 RSV, 3:23-24 MT).
While the Jews are still waiting for Elijah to come, Christians have long ago interpreted this Elijah to be John the Baptist (Matthew 17:13). John the Baptist was the last spokesman of God because in Jesus, God speaks directly to us.

Nowadays, the situation has totally changed. People do not seek instruction from men of God because many people do not believe in God anymore. There are other forms of authority. People solve their problems and increase their convenience and comfort through science and technology. They uphold scientists to ward off the ghost of God. In ancient times, governments sought mandate from God. Now, they coerce their subjects with gun barrels, manipulate their opinions with propaganda and deliberately omit God from their constitutions and laws. Priests, bishops and popes are relegated to celebrants of rituals. People close their ears to the moral teachings of the Church.
If modern people need priests to fill the void in their hearts created by the lack of life and peace promised by God, they would consecrate scientists, politicians and media gurus to do the task. But will the gods behind these gurus be capable to bring them life and peace? No, gods do not exist. The gurus themselves will be their solutions. The question has changed into whether these gurus, who are themselves flesh and blood, will be able to fill the void. I know no answer to this question.

Dear Lord, this was written after the Chinese dissident, Mr. Liu Xiao Bo, was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Christmas. The sentencing is a disgrace to the Chinese government and a disrespect to You, the Prince of Peace. You have already sent all Your prophets. What other trump cards do You have in hand? Are You going to China Yourself to set the dissidents free? Or You have already substituted these dissidents instead and wait for Christians to visit You? Merry Christmas, Chinese Communist Party.

Hannah lent Samuel to the Lord

Today, we read a few verses only. They talked about how Hannah, the mother of Samuel, decided to lend Samuel to the Lord.
For this child I prayed; and the LORD has granted me my petition which I made (שָׁאַלְתִּי) to him.
Therefore I have lent him (הִשְׁאִלְתִּהוּ) to the LORD; as long as he lives, he is lent (שָׁאוּל) to the LORD (1 Samuel 1:27-28).
This is a rather strange expression. Who can lend something to God?
But let's briefly review the story of Hannah first. Her husband was Elkanah.
He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children (1 Samuel 1:2).
Though Elkanah loved Hannah (1 Samuel 1:8), Peninnah kept provoking and irritating her (1 Samuel 1:6).
Hannah prayed to the Lord in the temple of Shiloh and wept bitterly. Eli was the priest of Shiloh.
Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have made (שָׁאַלְת) to him (1 Samuel 1:17).
Then Hannah conceived and gave birth to Samuel. After weaning, Hannah brought young Samuel (שְׁמוּאֵל meaning "name of El". But it seems to be related toשָׁאַל) to Eli and said the 2 verses above.
A few years ago, Eli gave Hannah the word "ask/request/demand (שָׁאַל)". In return, Hannah made use of the Hiphil stem of the word to answer Eli and the word becomes "borrow/lend (הִשְׁאִל)". Hannah had given birth and fulfilled the duty of a woman. God had restored her dignity. Of course, Samuel was hers. In return, Hannah surrendered the use of (lend) Samuel to God. She understood perfectly well that Samuel was a gift from God. It was enough that her reproach was erased. Later, she was able to give birth to 3 more sons and 2 more daughters to her husband (1 Samuel 2:21).
Once, Paul asked in his epistle to the Romans the following question.
Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? (Romans 11:35)
Paul was paraphrasing Elihu (Job 35:7) and God (Job 41:11).
If you are righteous, what do you give to him; or what does he receive from your hand? (Job 35:7)
Who has given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine (Job 41:11).
Even Hannah has not! Samuel was actually given by God to her.

Hannah has sung a prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-10) which was similar to the Magnificat by Mary (Luke 1:46-55). Both of them praised the "reversal of fortune" for believers.
The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts (1 Samuel 2:6-7).
In reflecting the life of Hannah, we can see that humiliation will not last forever and we do not part with what we give. God is generous to those who seek Him. So, let us enjoy being generous.

Dear Lord, Christmas is a time to give. Help us open our heart in giving as well as in receiving. Amen.

The Lord is in your midst

Zephaniah was one of the twelve minor prophets. His ministry was in the southern kingdom Judah. It began some time before the religious reforms of King Josiah. Today, we are reading the last section of Zephaniah. The prophet consoled the people, telling them that the Lord was in their midst (Zephaniah 3:5a, 15b, 17a). He would remove judgments against them.

Now is not a time of judgment but a time of grace. God has tried to be fair to Satan. That explains why Jesus has to suffer and died on the cross. But in the end, God shall cast out Satan, the enemy. The Accuser has prevailed for long enough. God must intervene to save us.
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more(Zephaniah 3:15).
What then is salvation? It is God in our midst. That was what Paul had in mind when he asked the following rhetoric question.
When God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31b)
That is why we shall fear evil no more because God is on our side.

Zephaniah 3:17 is another verse of salvation. It tries to explain what life in salvation is like. But different versions offer different translations!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (RSV)
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing (KJV).
RSV seems to refer to LXX in her translation.
καὶ καινιεῖ σε ἐν τῇ ἀγαπήσει αὐτοῦ (And shall revive you in his affection).
KJV follows MT in her translation.
יַחֲרִישׁ בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ (he will be silent in his love)
So, which one is the correct interpretation? Will God be silent / take a rest in His love? or Will God revive / renew you?
Personally, I prefer the RSV interpretation. God's love is transformative. He redeems us with His love through Christ.
The KJV translation seems to reflect a contemplative state. Both God and I are engaged in a silent encounter. There is no more language around. God is the giver of this love. Out of His initiative, He poured out His Love.

Dear Lord, when You are in our midst, we are all safe. Be with us always to guide us home. Amen.

Fourth Advent Sunday (Year C)

Eight members from the youth choir went on a retreat from Saturday to Sunday in Honeyville. They invited Fr. Patrick Sun to be the spiritual director. I have not gone on a retreat for many years and am badly in need for one. Therefore, after the Church History lesson in the Seminary, I rushed to the Retreat House in Mount Davis Road. The choir members took up a very active role in this retreat. They planned the schedule with Fr. Patrick. They ran part of the show. For example, by the time I arrived and had my dinner, Wulstan was conducting an activity in which a blind-folded member had to listen to his partner's instruction to walk through a maze made up of thumb pins! These young people can take care of themselves. They decorated the chapel and fully immersed themselves in the different prayer exercises conducted by Fr. Patrick who introduced and practised with us the Divine Mercy devotion as well as the Lectio Divina. We also had a Taizè evening prayer service in the chapel. The service was conducted around a crucifix. After several rounds of Taizè hymns and Bible reading, each of us took turn to prostrate before the crucifix, touching it and pour out our pains, prayers, sins and worries to the crucified Lord. Fr. Patrick taught us that our achievements could somehow be traced back to God who made our good possible. But our sufferings and our sins were definitely the work of man. When we offer our achievements to God, we are giving back to God what should have belonged to God. But when we offer our pains and our sins, we are offering ourselves. When I prostrated myself in front of the crucifix and stayed in such a posture for about three minutes, I did not sense any outpour of emotions. Rather, I sensed the Lord told me that I was NOT yet ready.

In the morning after breakfast, we read Psalm 103 together before we went down to the beach to reach God through getting in touch with the nature. Fr. Patrick told us to rely less on our sight but more on hearing the birds, hearing the waves. He encouraged us to pick up rocks on the beach to feel the texture, smell the salty air etc. When I reached the beach, I chose a slab of stone nearest the sea to sit down. After a long period of depression and withdrawal, I am able to come out a bit. These days, a phrase kept cycling around my ears, telling me to try out newer experience. The Sweet Lord is asking me to come out from my comfort zone, equip myself to serve others. We did our sharing afterwards and Wulstan showed us a piece of rock he picked up. He sensed that the Lord told him to choose a verse from the Bible for the rock and write on it. From the rock, he saw all men being rocks. For each of us, God has prepared a verse.
After sharing, Fr. Patrick taught us Lectio Divina. He gave us 3 passages to choose from and prayed with the passage. I chose the second reading of the Sunday Mass, Hebrews 10:5-10 which turns out to be the most popular choice among us. Wulstan chose the gospel reading from Epiphany instead. We headed off to different places to do Lectio Divina. We read the passage aloud several times. When we come to a verse which we receive some special feelings, we keep reading the verse until we internalize it. If we are lucky (i.e. if it be God's will), we may enter the last stage --- contemplation, a face to face encounter with God.
After reading aloud the passage for about 10 times, I gradually narrowed down the reading to less verses and at last focused on this verse.
He abolishes the first in order to establish the second (Hebrews 10:9b).
I found it difficult to articulate the feeling about this half-verse. God speaks to me through this half-verse. What did He want to abolish through me, in me? What did He want to establish through me, in me? Unfortunately, I was not able to reach contemplation. The answer remains out of reach.
Wulstan did not just focus on one verse but verses related to the Magi. The first one was a half-verse.
Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? (Matthew 2:2a)
He did not simply read it aloud. He sang it. In the end, he sang "The king of the Jews is here!"
He also had specially feelings on the gifts from the Magi. He asked himself what gifts he had brought. Then he was aware that he had nothing to offer but his worries and frustrations at this moment. Thank you Lord, my son is growing up, physically as well as spiritually.
I came to this retreat, trying to reflect on my position at this moment. Perhaps I am too much occupied and have not given myself enough time to reflect seriously on my career. Perhaps I need to give up some good things in order to establish a better thing.

Dear Lord, may Your coming refresh my vision. Allow me to see more clearly my way ahead. I am lack of confidence. Amen.

The birth of Samson

Today, we read the story of the birth of Samson the tragic hero, in Judges 13.
As usual, Judges begins Samson's story with the background, blaming the Israelites for worshipping idols.
And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years (Judges 13:1).
This was the last and the worse situation the Israelites had experienced in this era of confederation. Cushan-rishathaim oppressed them for 8 years (Judges 3:8) and Othniel delivered them. Eglon the Moab king oppressed them for 18 years (Judges 3:14) and Ehud delivered them. Jabin the king of Canaan oppressed them for 20 years (Judges 4:3) and Deborah delivered them. The Midians oppressed them for 7 years (Judges 6:1) and Gideon delivered them. The Ammonites oppressed them for 18 years (Judges 10:8) and Jephthah delivered them. Now, the Israelites suffered under the Philistines for 40 years, the longest so far. The era of Judges would soon end and the Israelites wanted no more ad hoc heroes to deliver them. They would demand a king.

In Zorah, there was a man called Manoah of the tribe of Dan. His wife was barren (Judges 13:2). Though she remains anonymous throughout the story, she demonstrated more sensibility than her husband Manoah. And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, for we have seen God."
But his wife said to him, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a cereal offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these." (Judges 13:22-23).
I only know that Samson was a Nazirite and he should observe certain rules stipulated in Numbers 6:2-21, such as no hair-cutting, no wine, no defiled food etc. I did not know that Samson's mother had to do the same. Therefore, when I read the following verses for the first time, I thought the angel was referring to Samson. Actually, it was not.
And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son.
Therefore beware, and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,
for lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from birth; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines." (Judges 13:3-5)
Looking back, I can now see that the instructions were included inside "you shall conceive and bear a son". These instructions were meant for her as well. As the mother of a Nazirite whose whole life was consecrated to God, Samson's mother had to observe the same rules during, at least her pregnancy if not for her whole life. Here again, the ambiguity of the angel's word caused a misunderstanding. The angel said "a Nazirite to God from birth". Yet Samson's mother understood it differently.
but he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; so then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.' (Judges 13:7)
The angel had left it open for Samson to opt out any time after a fixed period of time. There was a time for the completion of this separation from the world (Numbers 6:13). Perhaps it was the wishful thinking of Samson's mother to see her son being a Nazirite for his whole life. Which understanding was the correct one, the angel's or the mother's?
I support the understanding of Samson's mother. Remember, she had been barren before the angel appeared. So, this child was a gift from God. Out of gratefulness, it was only natural for her to offer this son to God.

This topic of Nazirite brings to mind the last prophecy quoted by Matthew about the birth of Jesus.
And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:23)
No such prophecy has been located in the canonical Old Testament. Not giving up before putting up a fight, some scholars suggest that "Nazarene" might actually be "Nazirite". In such case, Jesus must be a Nazirite for life. Then, the BVM must follow the example of Samson's mother not to drink wine, to touch defiled things etc. at least during her pregnancy. Jesus would not cut his hair but worse of all, he should not touch things unclean such as corpse and he should not drink wine! That would make some miracles and the establishment of the Holy Eucharist during the Last Supper impossible, unless Jesus had been a Nazirite for only a limited period of time, say during his childhood.
But that is not reasonable. A Nazirite is separated from the world and is totally dedicated to God for only a period of time. But Jesus is God Himself. It is not meaningful for Jesus to be dedicated to the Father only for a period of time.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1-2)
From eternity, the Word has been with God. Therefore, the suggestion that Jesus was a Nazirite for a limited period of time is not likely to stand.

Dear Lord, You sent Judges to save Your people. But in the end, You came to sacrifice Yourself to make all mankind Your people. We adore You and praise Your holy name forever. Amen.

Judah will be saved

The Israelites have gone through 2 calamities which nearly wiped them out of human civilization.
More than 400 years after Jacob and his family settled in Egypt, a Pharaoh felt the threat of the presence of Israelites. He wanted to control their population by killing all newly born male babies (Exodus 1:15-17). Had his plan been successful, there would not have left any more pure-blooded Israelites after the first generation. Their genes could only be passed through females, but their culture would not because ancient civilizations were male-oriented. Judaism would never had come into existence. Luckily, a saviour was born and some eighty years later, he came to liberate the oppressed Israelites, brought them to a holy mountain to establish a covenant with God and they wandered into Canaan to build up an empire some 250 years later.
The next calamity came some 300 years later. Around 722 B.C., the Assyrians conquered Israel, the kingdom in the north; exiled the people to Mesopotamia and colonized the land with outsiders. 10 tribes of Israelites had vanished from human history.
Around 586 B.C., the Babylonians defeated the Assyrians, conquered Judah, the kingdom in the south; exiled the people to Babylon and colonized the land with outsiders. Luckily 50 years later, history repeated itself, but with a difference. Cyrus the Persian king defeated the Babylonians but sent the Jews home to rebuild their Temple (Ezra 1:1-2). Had Cyrus failed to defeat the Babylonians, the remaining 2 tribes of Israelites would have vanished in human history like their brothers in the north. Judaism and Jews would never had come into existence. Luckily, the prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled.
In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ.' (Jeremiah 23:6)
However, how shall we account for "Israel will dwell securely"?
Among the prophets, Jeremiah was fond of talking about the house of Israel and the house of Judah in the same breath. He wanted to see the two re-united somehow, some time in the future (Jeremiah 3:18). If Jeremiah was thinking in terms of the two divided kingdoms, he probably would have to wait until humanity goes well into the 21^st century. But nowadays, we don't have a nation called Judah, but Israel only. Therefore, I don't think Jeremiah was talking about the two kingdoms but the people. Judah, the part and the remnant, would represent Israel, the whole. This is a Hebrew literary device commonly found in psalms and oracles.

Then come two further verses which could be disturbing for the Jews because their God had changed!
"Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when men shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'
but 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land." (Jeremiah 23:7-8)
"As the Lord lives" is a formulaic expression commonly used in making an oath. This expression appears 18 times in 1 & 2 Samuel, 14 times in 1 & 2 Kings and 9 times in Jeremiah! Here, we find Jeremiah re-defining this expression, re-defining the concept of God! God was no longer the God of Moses who brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but the God who had delivered them out of Babylon ("the north country") and out of Diaspora ("all the countries where He had driven them"). If you are like me, who subscribes to the theory of evolution of civilizations, then you will have no difficulty seeing Judaism as an evolving institution. Otherwise, you will be offended and I apology.

In the study of theology, there is a concept every theology student has to master: "already, but not yet". I find the theory of evolution very helpful in the understanding of this concept. The whole tree is already present in an acorn. But an acorn is not yet a tree. God's revelation is already fully given to us through Jesus Christ but we have not yet fully understood it.
God is not only the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, but also the God of Moses, the God of David and was no less the God of Temple worship. However, the first Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. The Jews would not give up. They built the second Temple only to be burnt down in 70 A.D. by the Romans. On its site now is an Islamic mosque. Judaism has to evolve in order to survive. It has since shed many of its cultic practices and focused more on the Torah and Talmud since there is no more Temple for them to worship God.
Despite all these changes, there are some core elements which will not change. Our God is always a God who delivers, a God who saves, like what Jeremiah has proclaimed above.

Dear Lord, how sweet Your name is. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Amen.

The story of Judah

Judah was the fourth son born of Leah, the elder cousin of Jacob. Judah means "praise".

וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה(יָדָה) אֶת־יְהוָה עַל־כֵּן קָרְאָה שְׁמוֹ יְהוּדָה וַתַּעֲמֹד מִ‍לֶּדֶת

And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "This time I will praise the LORD"; therefore she called his name Judah; then she ceased bearing (Genesis 29:35).
When on his dying bed, Jacob called his sons and blessed them. His blessing on Judah was very special and this is the reading today.
Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you.
Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who dares rouse him up?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Binding his foal to the vine and his ass's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes;
his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk (Genesis 49:8-12).
Though he was the fourth son, Judah, instead of Reuben, appears in the genealogy of Jesus.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers (Matthew 1:2).
Therefore, his story is worth studying.

The story of Judah is embedded in the story of Joseph who was the apple of the eye of Jacob because his mother was Rachel whom Jacob loved. The in-fighting between the two sisters continued among their sons. The other sons of Jacob were jealous of Joseph and one day when Joseph was sent to inspect their shepherd work, most of his brothers wanted to kill him. Reuben stopped them.
But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life."
And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him" -- that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father (Genesis 37:21-22).
Reuben went away for a while and before he returned, a caravan of merchants passed by. Judah thought up another idea to save Joseph.
Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him (Genesis 37:26-27).
After selling Joseph to the merchants, Judah parted company with his brothers and spent at least 15 years or more to complete his story with Tamar, his daughter-in-law (Genesis 38). Judah appeared to become more mature. He was willing to acknowledge his own mistakes.
In the meantime, Joseph had his share of adventure in Egypt. He was imprisoned for an indefinite period of time and met the butler and baker of Pharaoh. After two years, he interpreted the dream of Pharaoh and became his vizier; managed the seven "fat" years to prepare for the up coming seven "lean" years.
When his brothers were forced to buy grains in Egypt, Joseph tested them and kept Simeon behind as a prisoner so that the next time, his brothers had to bring Benjamin along (Genesis 42:24).
The next time, Joseph tested them again and implanted a silver cup in Benjamin's sack of grains (Genesis 44:2). After the departure of his brothers, Joseph sent his steward to chase them back. This time, Joseph intended to keep Benjamin behind. Here, Judah played a prominent role instead of Reuben. He delivered a touching speech that moved Joseph.
Now therefore, let your servant, I pray you, remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord; and let the lad go back with his brothers.
For how can I go back to my father if the lad is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would come upon my father (Genesis 44:33-34)
Once, Judah saved Rachel's elder son. This time, he tried to save Rachel's younger son. Joseph, the elder son of Rachel, could no longer pretend. Brothers were reconciled. Jacob's family moved and settled in Egypt.

After more than 400 years, Moses led the 12 tribes of Israelites out of Egypt. They conquered and settled down in Canaan. After some years of confederation tribal rule, a kingdom was established. The kingdom grew to her zenith under the rule of the third king Solomon. After his death, the kingdom was divided into two. 10 tribes formed the kingdom of Israel in the north. The remaining two, Judah and Benjamin, became the kingdom of Judah in the south. The sovereignty in the north changed hands often while in the south, kings came from Judah the bigger tribe, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Genesis 49:10. Actually, Genesis 49:3-27 is a poem rather than an oracle. Genesis 49:10 may not be a prophecy. However, Judah could not become a kingdom without a reason. The genealogy of Jesus shows that God favours Judah over the other brothers, even over Joseph who, most scholars agree, was a prototype of Jesus. Can we figure out God's reason? The stories in Genesis are fascinating.

Dear Lord, I marvel at Your choices. I thank You for allowing them to work out their destiny. Be with me so that I do not go astray from Your plan. Amen.

God is behind all

Isaiah occupies the most prominent role in the gospels because it talks about the birth of the Messiah and his mission. Nowadays, most scholars agree thatIsaiah authored the first 39 chapters. The rest were written by his disciple or disciples. So, there was a Second Isaiah and some scholars even propose a Third Isaiah. Therefore, when we read of the name Cyrus, the Persian king who set the Jews free from Babylonian Captivity, it might not be a prophecy of the future, but a telling of history by the disciples of Isaiah. Prophetic books are really difficult to read.

According to Isaiah, Cyrus was the Anointed One, the Messiah.
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1a)
Therefore, the title Messiah, has not been exclusively reserved for Jesus. The Persian king also shares this title.
Historically, Cyrus was literally the liberator of the Jews. No wonder the book of Isaiah calls this liberator, this Persian king, the Messiah. Lest people misunderstood THEIR liberator, God made it clear that
It was He who called Cyrus into service and fought battles for him (Isaiah 45:2-3). No matter how outstanding Cyrus seems to be, God actually did all the jobs through him. Cyrus was only an instrument of God who alone made heaven and earth and everything on it.
I made the earth, and created man upon it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host (Isaiah 45:12).
However, God is not easily discernable. Throughout the ages, very few people have been granted the privilege to enjoy a mystic union with Him. For the rest of us, the ordinary folks, we can share the sentiment of the following verse.
Truly, thou art a God who hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior (Isaiah 45:15).
We are not playing a hide-and-seek game with God in which God hides and we seek. No! In reality, both sides are seeking each other. For many times, we are impatient. We seek immediate gratification. Idolatry becomes an ineffective substitute. Therefore, the criticism of the Marxists is correct to a certain extent. Man did make some gods to numb himself. But such action was ineffective.
They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save (Isaiah 45:20b).
God will not give us up. He seeks us and guides our hands home.
Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other (Isaiah 45:22).
To answer the Marxists, it is true that we make gods, but not God. If God is not willing to reveal Himself to us, we cannot fathom His mystery, His existence and His being. We cannot make a God like the God of Abraham and the God of Jacob.
Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed, all who were incensed against him.
In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory (Isaiah 45:24-25)
This God is a God of compassion and morality. He demands us to keep the laws and to behave ethically.

Dear Lord, May Your name be glorified and may we benefit from serving You. Amen.

Speaking one tongue again

People living in different parts of the world will naturally speak different languages. Given that language is the carrier of our thoughts and our thinking process, it is only naturally that different peoples should speak different languages. There are many factors affecting human languages. The physical and cultural environment in which man lives will provide the stimuli for man to generate his language.

Today, we took the first philosophy lesson taught by Fr. William Yip Hing Wah, an alumnus of my alma mater, Choi Hung Estate Catholic Secondary School. He casually mentioned the relation between language and thoughts. Of course, he did not talk about Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis which would be too radical. But he cited a few examples to show the sociological functions of language. For example, in English, there are only "uncles" and "aunts" to describe the siblings of the parents. However in Chinese, there are many more terms to differentiate the relationship of male and female relatives across several generations. In ancient time, clans lived as extended families. There was a need to define clearly the role each person played. This is just one example to demonstrate how modern people try to explain the socio-psychological functions of natural languages.

Genesis poses a problem for the readers to tackle. How could the descendants of one man, Adam, come to speak different languages? The story of Babel inGenesis 11 tries to explain just this. Out of ambition, pride and deception, men began to speak different languages.
I remember once I was approached by two swindlers, a man and a woman who spoke Putonghua. They posed as listed company executives who had lost contact with the local guide. It was already dark and they needed money to check into a hotel. They gave me their company cards and promised to pay me back once they were able to establish contact with their CEO in Hong Kong. At first, I spoke not-so-fluent Putonghua with them. Gradually, sensing their deception, I pretended to misunderstand and gradually did not understand their Putonghua anymore. What a Babel experience!

In the reading of Zephaniah today, there is an oracle about the remnant of Israel. They signify the end of time. The future Zephaniah foresaw has one particular feature not shared by the other prophets. I may be wrong. So far as I have read, Zephaniah seems to be the only person in the Old Testament who was concerned with the reunification of languages or the resolution of the disputes caused by the Tower of Babel. In the view of Zephaniah, at the end of time, peoples all over the world would be speaking in one (official) language, calling on the name of the Lord and serve Him with one heart and one mind. They understand each other because they speak the same language. Was it just a Utopia? Was it a prophecy of the effect of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples?
Yea, at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering (Zephaniah 3:9-10).

Dear Lord, forgive me for the trick I played on the Putonghua speaking couple I met. In fact, I could simply walk away without pretending. Lord, I pray for the Church that people gathered in her may worship You without obstacles in their hearts. Amen.

Feast of St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) was a mystic. His childhood and adolescence were spent in poverty. Such poverty prepared his soul, emptied it so as to enable it to fully embrace the love of God. Together with St. Teresa of Avila, St. John the Cross worked to reform the Carmelite order. As expected, reformers were met with opposition and resistance even from good-willed people. St. John was even physically restrained inside a narrow cell for nine months! But it was then and there that he composed and left us many mystical poems. Soon after his escape, St. John wrote The Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Dark Night of the Soul which are classics in Spirituality theology.
Yesterday at the mass of the Profession of Perpetual Vow of Sr. Laetitia, Cardinal Joseph Zen quoted some sayings from St. John of the Cross. Our soul/heart is a small cup filled with jealousy. We need to empty our soul/heart before we are able to receive the blessed honey from God. If we count our troubles rather than our blessings, life becomes unbearable for us and our neighbour. This reminds me of the teaching of Mencius.
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。【孟子‧告子下】
Assigning him a major mission, heavens will frustrate his heart and will, exhaust his bones, starve his body, empty his possession and wreak havoc in his endeavours so as to boost up his confidence, master his instincts and empower him to do what he has not been able to do.

The religious experience of mystics is not easily accessible to ordinary people. Neither is it easy for them to pass on their experience to us. We can only thank God for showing us what can possibly be accomplished in the mystical union with Him. The reading of Numbers today paints us the picture of another mystic. Balaam rendered divination services for a fee. Balak, the king of Moab, hired him to curse Israel. God intervened and Balaam blessed the Israelites instead. He uttered several oracles. You will be interested in one of them.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth (Numbers 24:17).
I always wonder how Matthew could have missed this important piece of oracle, telling us the birth of the Messiah in the future.
Of course, Jesus did not crush Moab, nor did he conquer the sons of Sheth. Again, the vision of Balaam might not be very clear. Nor could he have any final say on the canon of the Older Testament. Here is how Balaam described himself. From this, we are able to deduce how mystics like St. John of the Cross, operate.
And the Spirit of God came upon him,
and he took up his discourse, and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes uncovered: (Numbers 24:2b-4)
And he took up his discourse, and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes uncovered (Numbers 24:15-16),
Though it sounds very formulaic, there should be a grain of truth in it.
Balaam claimed that his eye was opened. He could hear the words of God and knew the knowledge of God. He could see the vision of the Almighty. He fell down but having his eyes uncovered. Perhaps, like the life of St. John the Cross had testified, poverty and harshness in life uncover the eyes of man.
On the other hand, I cannot explain why Balaam used "eye עָיִן" but not "eyes עֵינָיִם".
Therefore, I hypothesize that a mystic can both see and hear God in his/her contemplation. However, what he/she sees shall be something extraordinary such that human language may not be able to express fully. After all, man has evolved into a visual animal. He trusts in and relies heavily on his vision for survival. Therefore, an authentic encounter with God in contemplation, in ecstatic state should consist in at least both vision and hearing; and perhaps more. God's revelation is multi-dimensional.

Dear Lord, mystical union with You is the crown of our religious experience. If it be Your will, grant that my path may lead to such a destiny. Amen.

Third Advent Sunday (Year C)

Today, I attended the ceremony of Profession of Perpetual Vow of Sr. Maria Laetitia Crucis, SSVM, in Ss. Peter and Paul parish in Yuen Long. Cardinal Joseph Zen, SDB officiated at the mass. There were other dignitaries such as the Mother Superior who flew all the way from Rome, Vatican representatives in Hong Kong etc. Many Shung Tak teachers and old students also attended because Sr. Laetitia was an old student as well. The ceremony was solemn as well as emotional and many tears, from relatives and old teachers, were shed.

In his homily, the Cardinal told us that the third Advent Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of Joy. It acts as a "breaker" of long penitential seasons (e.g. the Laetare Sunday of Lent). Instead of purple or black, the celebrants put on rose-coloured vestments, indicating the joyful mood of the liturgy. We should be joyful for the Lord is near. But today, there was one more reason to be joyful. It was because God has chosen among us a maid to devote her whole life to serve Him and the world.
Why do we set aside four weeks of Advent to prepare for Christmas. Jesus had already been born. So, what does it mean to prepare for the coming of Jesus? The natural answer is that we should prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus, viz. the end of the world. But today, the gospel reading reminds us that in our daily life, we usually forget how much God loves the world, what He has done for us. God has done what He could have done. It is our turn to answer His call. But we are very forgetful. We need to be reminded!
When John the Baptist carried out his mission to prepare the hearts of the Jews to receive the Messiah, he took a shock approach.
He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Luke 3:7-9)
The trouble is that God works at a different time frame. One thousand years for Him are but just one day. He does not act/react in a "real-time" manner. He has been very patient and giving us a second chance, a third chance ..., a four hundred and ninetieth chance ...
A lack of immediate feedback leads many to draw a dangerous conclusion that crime pays. Our irresponsible deeds carry no consequence. Global warming is just one such situation. People enjoy convenience at the risk of flooding Malta thousands of miles away and driving polar bears to extinction. Similarly, we lead a routine life and God's joy and peace do not cross the threshold of our awareness.
Each of us should be a John the Baptist. It is our duty as a Catholic to bring this awareness of God's mercy to people around us. But first of all, we ourselves should be joyful and peaceful. Only then can we bring this joy and peace to the people we meet. Today, Sr. Laetitia is doing this.
Before the whole congregation, she vowed to devote her life for the service of the Lord, through chastity, poverty and obedience. The whole Church, including the Glorious Church in Heaven and the Pilgrim Church on earth bear witness and pray for her. Spontaneously, I knelt down when the congregation sang the litany of the saints.

Dear Lord, I pray that I may be able to offer a sacrifice acceptable to You, for Your service and the service of the needy. Amen.

When tradition is challenged

Throughout history, a lot of things have been taken for granted until they are challenged. Only then do people think seriously about them and think of better ways to represent them. Paradigm shift then takes place. Of course, things do not develop as tidily as I have just mentioned.
For example, traditional Jewish teachings hold that Elijah will appear three days before the Messiah comes. The mission of Elijah is to prepare the people to receive the Messiah etc. Problem arose during the Transfiguration of Jesus.

It all began when Jesus did an opinion poll. He asked his apostles what the people thought about him after all these years of preaching.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" (Matthew 16:13)
The apostles reported different images of Jesus. Some said John the Baptist. Some said the prophets etc. Then Jesus asked them directly what they thought he was.
Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16).
Then for the first time, Jesus told his apostles his real plan ---- to die and come back to life again. A dead Christ? It was too much for the apostles to swallow. Their traditional concept of Christ was challenged. They expected a military leader to drive out the Romans rather than a dead Jesus. Peter took Jesus aside and tried to dissuade him.
And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you."
But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men." (Matthew 16:22-23)
Obviously, something had to be done and Jesus decided to show them the glory of resurrection so that they had greater faith in his passion. So, six days later, Jesus brought Peter, James and John to go up a high mountain and showed them the glory of resurrection. Moses and Elijah appeared (Matthew 17:1-2). This is known as Transfiguration.
This arrangement is contrary to the traditional interpretation of the role of Elijah. They had found the Messiah in Jesus. Six days later, but not three days before as stipulated in the traditional understanding, they saw Elijah. Christians have to rethink about the traditional Jewish interpretation.
He replied, "Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:11-13).
Like Newton's laws of motion and gravitation, the Jewish interpretation is not totally wrong but inadequate. It is true that Elijah must come to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah. While Newton's laws gave way to Einstein's general theory of relativity, the Jewish interpretation must be modified to fully grasp God's will. The Messiah comes, not to liberate them from the Romans, but from the bondage of sins. Therefore, he would be fight against Satan and not Romans. John the Baptist was the Elijah. The way he died had shown that the Messiah had to be rejected by the Jewish authority. The Messiah must die.
Here is the paradigm shift. The career of the Messiah is understood in a totally different way. A new religion arose. Of course, there were many other factors contributing to the split up between Judaism and Christianity.

During Reformation, Martin Luther raised a lot of issues that had been taken for granted for centuries. Catholics had never questioned that there were seven sacraments and 73 books in the Bible until they were challenged by Luther. Thanks to Luther, the Catholic Church had a chance to reflect on the real characteristics of the Catholic Church, the theology of sacrament and the true characteristics of revelation itself.

Dear Lord, I pray for myself and the Church. May we humbly accept other people's criticisms and suggestions. For the last 4 centuries before Vatican II, the Church has been too defensive. I pray that the modern Catholic Church is able to better re-present You to the world. Amen.