What did God promise?

The speech Paul made in Antioch of Pisidia is important because it is a Christian understanding of the history of salvation for all men. The history of ancient Israel was only part of a bigger picture. Of course, Jews might not agree with St. Paul.

It is a beneficial exercise to contrast the speech Stephen made before the Jewish Council (Acts 7:2-53) and the speech Paul made here in Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41). Of course their audiences were different and the speakers had adjusted the contents to cater for them. Today, I would like to focus on the different promises made by God.

In the speech of Stephen, we find the promise which God made to Abraham in Genesis. God would give Abraham land and children though at that time, Abraham had none of these.
Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living;
yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child(Acts 7:4-5, Genesis 12:7).
God had fulfilled His promise. God gave him Isaac when Abraham was 100. In time, Jacob was born and moved to Egypt with his children. After 400 years, the Israelites had multiplied and, led by Moses, left Egypt to conquer Canaan. Then Stephen fast-forwarded to David and Solomon to bring up the Temple issue for which he was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60). All the Jews were familiar with this part of their history.

In his speech, Paul quickly repeated a similar history. When he came to David, Paul slowed down a bit and mentioned a different promise.
And when he had removed him (King Saul), he raised up David to be their king; of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.'
Of this man's posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised (Acts 13:22-23).
Paul had a different perspective. Instead of a promise of land and children, Paul had God promised a Saviour from the posterity of David. But when and where did God make such a promise?
We need to look for this promise outside the Torah and among the prophets.
It all began with the famous Nathan Oracle. When David expressed his wish to build God a Temple, God promised that David's dynasty would never end. This is the Nathan Oracle.
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

God's promise did not work out as expected. Israel and Judah were conquered by the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively. The Israelites had no more land on their own. They were ruled by the Gentiles. Then came the prophets to console them. The prophets gave the Israelites a promise of a Messiah. Jews pinned their hope on this Messiah who would restore their independence. This Messianic hope was sustained by the prophets. Isaiah had made several prophecies about the Messiah. For example, the Messiah would be born of a virgin.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good (Isaiah 7:14-15).
Isaiah further foretold the "origin" of this Messiah and his charisma.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear (Isaiah 11:1-3) etc.
Jews have been waiting for this Messiah for ages. They rejected Jesus because he did not fit their expectations. After Jesus, in the span of 60 years, the Jews had followed two different self-proclaimed Messiahs and suffered great casualties. Christians have a different interpretation of the concept of Messiah and pin their hopes on the resurrection of Jesus. Since he had come back to life, Jesus was the Messiah in the belief of Christians who saw themselves the new Israel, replacing the old one.

Dear Lord, Your way is not our way. Help us know Your will better. Amen.

400, 430 and 450 years

History is not my strength. Yet, studying the Bible requires sieving through messy history. Of course, you can settle for a rough outline and timeline. But time and again, you will feel confused and impatient.

When Paul arrived at Antioch in Pisidia, he spoke to the Jews in the synagogue on Sabbath. He outlined how God chose their fathers, settled them in Egypt to grow great before they left (Acts 13:17). God bore the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years (Acts 13:18), destroyed seven nations and gave their land to the Israelites as an inheritance. The whole process lasted 450 years (Acts 13:19). In Paul's speech, God was the Subject and Israel was the Object. Though men are players in history, they should not be arrogant. There is a God above them all.

Now, which seven nations were driven out by God? This question is easy. Deuteronomy 7 gives the answer.
When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than yourselves (Deuteronomy 7:1).
What about the number 450. How did Paul calculate? Let's proceed slowly. The first clue comes from Genesis.
Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years." (Genesis 15:13)
The Israelites would settle in Egypt for 400 years. St. Stephen followed Genesis in his speech before the Sanhedrin.
And God spoke to this effect, that his posterity would be aliens in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and ill-treat them four hundred years(Acts 7:6).
However, 400 may be an approximation, a round number. Other sources give a slightly different answer. For example
The time that the people of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.
And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:40-41).
Again, this minor difference is enough to remind us that the authorship of the Pentateuch, the so called "5 Books of Moses", is a rather complicated matter. Had Moses been the author of these 5 books, he would have ironed out this difference. Therefore, authorship means the authority behind the writing of these 5 books rather than the person(s) who wrote these books.
Paul also mentioned a related 430 years in his letter.
Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many; but, referring to one, "And to your offspring," which is Christ.
This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void (Galatians 3:16-17).
Obviously, Paul did not mean 430 years after making the promise to Abraham, God gave the Law in Mount Sinai. If we take the Israelites' slavery in Egypt to be 400 years, then the Israelites received the Law at Mount Sinai 30 years after leaving Egypt. That is contrary to the Exodus narrative. If we accept that the Israelites reached Mount Sinai to receive the Law in less than a year after leaving Egypt, getting impatient and made the golden calf, thus receiving the punishment of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, then the 430 years must refer to their stay in Egypt. Therefore, Paul was following the Exodus tradition.
However, 430 years in Egypt plus 40 years in the wilderness plus several years or decades of conquest of Canaan, then they added up to more than 480 years, instead of 450. Why didn't the Paul in Acts agree with the Paul in Galatians? Why didn't Paul follow the Genesis tradition like Stephen had? For the time being, I know of no satisfactory answer. I can only say that history is really messy!

Dear Lord, let me learn from St. Paul to put God as the Subject of my life. Amen.

Where have all the prophets gone?

Sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920) explained the relations between leaders and the followers; rulers and the subjects in three ways. Their relation is a power relation in which one party exercises control over the other party. This power comes from different sources. For example, at the beginning of a movement, a revolution, the charisma of the leaders is so enchanting that the followers are willing to surrender their autonomy to the leaders. However, charisma is a gift you are born with. It is rather unstable and unpredictable if such a charisma comes from God. Therefore, charismatic leaders would set up some routines, which in time would become customs, to reinforce their control over the crowd and to pass on the control to their handpicked successors. This kind of authority no long depends on the charisma of the leaders. It comes from tradition. For example, the Church and the British monarchy. This kind of power relations have survived in human history for many centuries until they are challenged by rationalism of the modern age. It is difficult to defend traditions rationally. There arises rational legal system which confers authority, for example, to policemen to search your house for incriminating evidence. Does this analysis sound reasonable? It does appeal to the modern ears. In fact, this kind of reasoning is the outcome of the historicism to which Weber subscribed. You don't have to agree with him.

The Church is huge and needs a structure to support. In order to prevent her collapse, disruptive elements have to be eliminated whenever they arise. In the early church, there were apostles, prophets, teachers etc.
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Gradually, prophets vanished from the hierarchy. Where have all the prophets gone?
Prophets are spokesmen of God. They contribute their gifts to the running of the church. For example, Agabus had foretold a famine and the disciples collected relief to be sent to Judea (Acts 11:28). In the Church of Antioch, Barnabas and Saul were prophets among them (Acts 13:1). In time however, prophets become critics to the establishment. This has been testified throughout the ages. They become disruptive elements in the church and vanished from the hierarchy.

But has God bestowed no more this prophetic gift to members of the Church? Has time so changed that God no longer sends us this charisma? Very unlikely. But where can we find prophets in the Church?
In baptism, Christians partake in the three offices of Jesus: king, priest and prophet. Christians are kings to carry out God's will. Christians are priests to pray and offer sacrifices for the people. Christians are prophets to proclaim God's messages. Therefore, all Christians are potential kings, priests and prophets. I saidpotential because if Christians don't exercise their offices, these gifts will remain dormant. Though prophets have been displaced from the hierarchy, all Christians are called to carry on with the prophetic role. Beware, there are true prophets as well as false ones!
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:2-3).
The Holy Spirit woke up their prophetic charisma to proclaim God's message to the world. The Church sanctioned it with her routines: fasting, praying and laying of hands. The Holy Spirit is our constant source of charisma. The Church formalizes it in sacraments.

Dear Lord, You are an inexhaustible source of heavenly gifts. We praise You. May we make good use of these gifts to build up the Church, to reconcile the world to the Father. Amen.

A question of legitimacy

Let us recall who had opposed and disputed with Stephen in his preaching.
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 (Acts 6:9).
They were Jews, or so-called God-fearers belonging to the synagogues of the Freedmen, the Cyrenians, Alexandrians and those from Cilicia and Asia. They were Greek-speaking.
Now, fast forward to Acts 11 and take a snapshot at the situation of the Church after Saul's persecutions.
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:19-20).
Who were "Those who were scattered" because of the persecution? Let us assume that they were Greek-speaking Jewish Christians from Jerusalem. They travelled as far as Antioch. This Antioch was in Syria, not the one in Pisidia in Acts 13. These Christians preached to Jews only. St. Paul followed their tactics in his missionary journeys. However, Acts 11:20 tells us that some of them came from Cyprus and Cyrene. Therefore, the persecution was more widespread and was not confined to Jerusalem. These believers preached the gospel but they preached to the Greeks also. How and when did they become disciples? Perhaps they were converted by witnessing the martyrdom of Stephen but Luke did not have any record of it. We have to go further back than the story of Stephen.
On Pentecost, many Jews from all over the known world gathered in Jerusalem on pilgrimage.
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Acts 2:10).
Three thousands were converted to Christianity. Among them must have been Alexandrians (Egyptians) and Cyrenians. When persecution arose, they too fled and spread the gospel all over the world.

Nowadays, missionaries are sent out by various departments in the Church. They come from religious orders such as the Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits etc. They also come from the Church Hierarchy. In short, these missionaries are officially sanctioned and are legitimate. But in the time of the early Church when a formal structure had not yet been evolved, any Christians could take up the mission to preach the gospel. Without any formal training, there was no guarantee of the quality of preaching. Each preached according to his own understanding and fervour. No wonder Paul complained about the acceptance of a "different gospel" by the Corinthians and Galatians (2 Corinthians 11:4, Galatians 1:6). Orthodoxy and heresy spread hand in hand. It seems to be inevitable for Christians to live with heresy.

Let's return to Antioch. Luke reported the thriving of the Church in Antioch.
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord (Acts 11:21).
Well, this statement is anachronistic because a great increase in membership does not guarantee quality. The early Church needed to investigate whether this increase was authentic and the faith of the believers was genuine. How did the Jerusalem Church handle it? They sent Barnabas.
News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose;
for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord (Acts 11:22-24).
The Jerusalem Church still held a primacy position. The Church in Rome was not yet established.
Barnabas was sent. But where was Peter? Well, Peter was not able to do everything. He might still be working in Samaria. Moreover, he might not be the most competent person to deal with the believers in Antioch, especially the Greek ones. Once more, we see that the Church needs collaboration even from the beginning.
What did Barnabas see? The grace of God. What does it mean? I think it is not a simple question and when opportunity arises, I hope I will be able to deal with this concept.
Barnabas did not simply investigate as a legitimate officer from the mother church in Jerusalem. He participated and shared the mission with the disciples in Antioch. Moreover, he involved more people in the mission.
So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul;
and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians (Acts 11:25-26).
Truly, the Church grows when the ministers work in collaboration. Later, Barnabas became an integral part of the Antioch Church.

Dear Lord, restore in us the spirit of collaboration. Let us recognize and utilize the gifts You have generously bestowed on us to build up Your Kingdom on earth. Amen.

Peter admitted the first Gentiles

Most of us have the impression that Paul was the Apostle for the Gentiles and Peter for the Jews. This impression is reinforced by a line written by Paul in hisEpistle to the Galatians. This epistle was written in about 57 A.D. after the Jerusalem Council in 50 A.D.
for he who worked through Peter for the mission to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles,
and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Galatians 2:8-9)
This impression is not quite true because wherever Paul preached, he started in synagogues with the Jews first. Only when his preaching was rejected did Paul go to the Gentiles. For example, in Antioch of Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas had this to say.
And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:46)
Earlier on, Peter had already admitted Cornelius, a Roman centurion, into the Church.

After the martyrdom of Stephen, the gospel was spread to the Samaritans. The Samaritans were not Gentiles because they were descendants of Israelites. Romans were. In Acts 11, we meet for the first time, the "circumcision party" who insisted on circumcising Gentiles believers. They were in Jerusalem. They criticized Peter for sharing table with Gentiles.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him,
saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" (Acts 11:2-3)
A healthy community should be able to tolerate differences and diversities as long as they are not harmful to the community. The circumcision party saw the admission of Gentiles as a threat to the purity of the community. It is understandable but wrong. Diversity stimulates the growth of the community. Furthermore, it is the wish of God to bring salvation to all. Ironing out the differences would only make the community stagnant and withered. Peter defended the rights of the Gentiles and his action. He retold the story and how the Holy Spirit had instructed him to go forth to the Romans. Peter was prudent in bringing along six other Jewish members to bear witness to the whole incident. When the Holy Spirit descended on the Romans, all doubts were cast away.
If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"
When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:17-18)
Who am I that I could withstand God? Who are you that you could withhold God's hand? The circumcision party was silenced, for the time being only. Obviously, appeal to authority could only temporarily silence opposition. It would not convince. Opposition would turn around when opportunity arose. The circumcision party would come back again to bug Paul.

Dear Lord, help us seek common ground and conserve diversities. Teach us to live with disagreements. Amen.

Fourth Easter Sunday (Vocation Sunday) 2010

I was attending a "Collaborative Ministry" seminar which took up two evenings and two full days on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, I attended the anticipatory mass on Saturday. It was Vocation Sunday. Fr. Milanese invited Brien Wong to share with us his vocation journey.

Brien entered the Seminary last September. We were colleagues in La Salle for a couple of years. Then I quitted and joined Shung Tak until now. We keep in contact with each other and I am honoured to be the sponsor of his baptism. Both of us grow spiritually in La Salle through leading religious activities for the students. This is the education philosophy of the La Salle Brothers. They dedicate their life for the Christian formation of students as well as teachers. St. John Baptist de La Salle. Pray for us.

Brien is a faithful Catholic. He further equipped himself by studying in the Catechical course offered by the Diocese. Then he conducts catechumen classes as an instructor in our parish. Like most Catholics, Brien prays for priestly vocation but does not think it has anything to do with him.
One day, a La Salle boy told him that he wanted to become a priest. Of course, Brien supported and encouraged him and promised to pray for him. He did not think about his own vocation.
In another occasion, Brien participated in the celebration for the Golden Anniversary of perpetual profession of a nun. He saw that most of the nuns and the priests were very old. He deeply felt that the Church was badly in need of new blood. The seed of vocation was imperceptibly embedded in his mind.
Some time later, another La Salle boy came to him and confided that he also wanted to become a priest. Naturally, he encouraged him and promised to pray for him. Suddenly, he faintly heard a voice saying, "What about you?" Then he began to think about his own vocation more seriously. He searched the Internet and found the Diocesan Vocations Commission. Then he sent an email to them, expressing his wish to explore more about his own vocation. But he did not hear from them for a long time.
One day, La Salle informed him that he was promoted to the panel chair of Chinese History. On the same day, he received a call from Sr. Louise Lam, FDCC of the Commission. They preferred personal contact to electronic communications.
Brien began his exploration of vocation. He had little difficulty in giving up his teaching job. The harder part is the family. His mother is a Catholic but no longer practises. His father is a traditional Chinese. Family opposition was not too steep. The hardest part is rather his emotional attachment to his parents. The day he packed his luggage and bade goodbye to his parents, Brien had a tearful embrace with his mother. He wept all the way on the bus heading to the Seminary.

Brien entrusts his parents in the hand of God. He is sure that God will take care of them better than he is able to do. At the moment, he is undergoing preparatory training with the priests in the morning. He has to manage his own time in the afternoon, praying and studying. He has adapted well and his spirit is gaining strength. I wish I could have more opportunities to share with him.

Dear Lord, I pray for Brien and myself. We have taken the first step to respond to Your call. Guide us gently on this path. Amen.

Mission within the Church

Fr. Paul Leung Kon-chiu, SDB was on holiday from UlaanBataar, Mongolia. To be a missionary has always been his dream. Three years ago, his Superior General granted him this wish and he was sent to Mongolia. He is still learning the Mongolian language and appreciating the Mongolian culture. It is an enriching experience for him.
Fr. Paul was generous enough to conduct a Missiology course for the Diaconate in Hong Kong. Previously, he had taught Dogmatic Theology, but not Missiology in the Holy Spirit Seminary. He admitted that it was the first time for him to "teach" this course and the schedule was so tight. Therefore, he preferred sharing his Mongolian experience to going through Missiology academically. Of course, he would lay down all the essential theological background for us so as to enable us to search the information we need on our own in the future.

In the first evening, Fr. Paul clarified for us some of the basic terms. "Evangelization" is an umbrella concept covering all sorts of missionary activities. "Re-evangelization" targets the baptized and non-practising believers. Churches in Europe are badly in need of this action as they are filled with tourists instead of Catholics. "Pastoral Ministry" aims at raising the spirituality of practising believers. This is what most parish priests are supposed to be doing today. Lastly, "Mission" refers to the proclamation of the gospel to non-believers (Missio ad Gentes). It is more challenging and heroic, the dream of all missionaries. In the book of Acts, we see both "Missio ad Gentes" and "Pastoral Ministry".

Today, we read of Peter's work after he returned from Samaria. Saul had been converted and the new wave of Jewish persecutions had not yet begun. The Church took this gap of relative peace and prospered for a while.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.
Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda (Acts 9:31-32).
It seemed that Peter had handed over the business of the Jerusalem Church to other apostles. He was now consolidating the evangelical work done by Christians fleeing persecutions. Unlike St. Paul, Peter did not break new grounds. Judea, Galilee and Samaria had already heard the witnesses of the travelling Christians. As a member of the inner core of first generation Christians and the witness of the Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord, Peter understood that it was an irreplaceable responsibility for him to travel around to strengthen the faith of the believers. He had to go out of his "comfort zone" in Jerusalem to wherever he was needed. The early Christians worked as team members. They worked together and shared the responsibilities. Now that he had to travel extensively, Peter had to enable the others to continue his mission. James, the brother of the Lord, was now the head of the Jerusalem Church. We will meet him later in Acts 15.

Luke portrayed Peter as the presence of Jesus. Today, we read of two miracles Peter worked, the healing of a paralysed man Aeneas in Lydda (Acts 9:33-34) and the resurrection of Tabitha in Joppa (Acts 9:36-41). They were the continuation of the work of Jesus, the breaking in of the Kingdom of God on earth through the Church. Here, Luke called the disciples saints. Truly, the Church is one and holy. We will read of her Catholicity very soon.

Dear Lord, may Your redemptive work continue through us to liberate our brothers. May we be Your handy instruments of grace. Amen.

Conversion of Saul

We are reading the familiar story of the "Conversion of Saul" in Acts 9.
Saul was on his way to Damascus to stamp out the Christ movement there. He was struck to the ground by a great light and Jesus revealed himself to Saul. Saul was blinded temporarily by the great light and had to be led by the hand into Damascus.
Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus (Acts 9:8).
Luke was very artistic in his writing. At first, Saul was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1). In your imagination, Saul must have looked very detestable law-enforcer. Now, he looked more like a prisoner himself, being led by the hand into Damascus. What an irony! 

Ananias was a disciple in Damascus. Jesus appeared to him in a vision, instructing him to heal Saul so as to regain his sight. Naturally, Ananias would not expose his life to unnecessary dangers.
But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem;
and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name." (Acts 9:13-14)
I am sure all of you know Jesus' answer.
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." (Acts 9:15-16)

No Christian would cast any doubt on Christ's choice. Saul was chosen because he had a good credential. Immediately comes to our minds is his language ability. He knew several languages. He spoke to the Jews outside the Temple in Hebrew (Acts 21:40). He wrote many epistles to the churches he had established in koine Greek. As a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37), very likely Saul spoke Latin.
From the extensive quotations he made in his epistles, we can concluded that Saul was very learned in Judaism. This was how he testified for himself before the Jewish crowd outside the Temple.
I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day (Acts 22:3).
However, knowledge alone is not good enough. Otherwise, why didn't Jesus choose Gamaliel under whom Saul received his Judaism training? Moreover, Gamaliel was more sympathetic towards the Christ movement, as shown in his defence for the apostles before the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts 5:34-40).
So, what was so good about Saul? His passion for the truth.

It was the first time the students of all four years took part together in the same seminar organized by the Holy Spirit Seminary College. It was about "Collaborative Ministry". The most impressive topic we went through was "Embracing Conflict". The worst thing a ministry can possibly meet is not conflict but indifference. Where there is conflict, there is life. You may find it only rhetorical. But think about it. Conflicts arise from differences in opinions, from clashes of values. Conflicts arise between the people involved because they care. Saul persecuted the Christ movement because he cared. He cared about the purity of Judaism. He could not tolerate heretics. His passion was commendable.
Do I care enough about the salvation of my parents, my friends and my students? Out of courtesy, I seldom bring up the topic in front of my parents and my friends, not wanting to embarrass them.

Domine, intellectum illumina, affectum inflamma. Amen.

The Holy Spirit speaks

How does the Holy Spirit speak?
At first, the Holy Spirit inspired people to speak.
For example, Christians believed that David wrote many psalms under the inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus (Acts 1:16, Pss 69:26, 109:8)
The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues on Pentecost. They thought that the Holy Spirit was an empowering gift from God.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).
The Holy Spirit empowered them to speak boldly with wisdom such that others could not rebut (Acts 4:8-12, 6:10).

For the first time in human history, the Holy Spirit opened its mouth and spoke.
And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." (Acts 9:29)

Of the seven deacons, Luke only wrote of Stephen and of Philip. When Saul persecuted the Jerusalem Church, Philip fled to Samaria, bringing the good news to the Samaritans (Acts 9:5). Many believed and were baptized by Philip (Acts 9:12).
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:14-15).

As a digression, the way in which Luke told the story was interesting. So far, Luke seemed to have established the leadership of Peter among the apostles. Yet, Peter was sent by the apostles to Samaria. Expressed in this way, Peter was not above the rest of the apostles. He followed their instruction. Therefore, the relationship between Peter and the other apostles was NOT simply one of a leader and followers. The apostles formed a team with a higher authority than the individual members. Peter or any other apostles might have proposed the action. But finally, it was the decision of the whole team and Peter followed. Therefore, when we talk about the Primacy of Peter or of the Popes over the college of bishops, we should think more cautiously about the issue. Let us return to Samaria.

After Peter and John had finished their task, they left with Philip. But God had some other plans.
But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road (Acts 9:26).
On his way, Philip saw an Ethiopian eunuch. We cannot tell whether Philip was praying throughout the whole process or not. Yet, the Holy Spirit spoke to him.
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” (Acts 9:29)
We have come back to where we began.
Now, shall we conclude that before we can hear the Holy Spirit speak to us, we must befriend the angels first? Perhaps. At the Ascension of Jesus, an angel appeared to the disciples, telling them about the Second Coming of Jesus (Acts 1:11). That was before the Pentecost. Later, an angel appeared to Cornelius, instructing him to send for Peter in Joppa (Acts 10:3-6). That was before he and his family received the Holy Spirit when Peter visited him (Acts 10:44).

However, in other cases, the Holy Spirit came even without the herald of any angels. When Peter and John were released from the Jewish Sanhedrin to join the disciples, they prayed and the Holy Spirit descended a second time on them (Acts 4:31). In the church at Antioch, when the disciples were praying, the Holy Spirit instructed them to send Barnabas and Saul on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:2). From these two incidents, we can conclude that the Holy Spirit came when Christians prayed. If we want to take angels into account, we must include them in our prayers. That is to say, whenever Christians pray, they pray with angels! This piece of reflection is a bit crude and cannot be ranked as theological. But I think it makes sense.

Dear Lord, I feel privileged to be able to pray with angels. May I be empowered by the Holy Spirit to allow me to plunge into whatever You have arranged for me. Amen.

The Church spread

Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus commissioned his disciples to bear witness for him to the end of the earth.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).
This is how the Acts begins and in subsequent chapters, we are able to get a glimpse of how the disciples evolved into a church. As a result, the raison d'être of the Church is mission.

We can safely conclude from reading the first few chapters of the Acts that missionary work of the early Christians was individual. Their main tasks were to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus, to debate with the Jewish authority the Messianic status of Jesus and to celebrate the breaking of bread in the houses etc. Their organization was loose and mainly centred around the Apostles. They had not yet reached out beyond Jerusalem. Therefore, the Christian community in Jerusalem was already the whole Church!
The word "church ἐκκλησίαν" appears once in Matthew, Romans, Galatians, Philippians and Colossians, twice in 1 Corinthians, 4 times in Ephesians but 9 times in the Acts. This is reasonable because Luke intended to write a history of the early church.
In the Acts, the word ἐκκλησίαν first appears in Acts 5, unfortunately, in an unhappy context of the deaths of Annanias and Sapphira.
And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things (Acts 5:11).
At that time, the Jerusalem Church was indeed the whole Church.
After the death of Stephen, Saul began a systematic program to persecute the Jerusalem Church.
And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (Acts 8:1b).
Written in such a way, Luke was hinting at the existence of churches in other cities. But how many Christians had fled? All the disciples except the apostles? Imagine the existence of only 12 apostles bearing witness to the resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem. This was rather unlikely. Moreover, why were the apostles able to withstand Saul's persecution and stay? The most likely scenario was the fleeing of Greek-speaking Jewish Christians only. The whole trouble came from them and the deacons, in particular Stephen.

But why didn't the Christians spread the gospel the very first day the Church was born? No way. They were too feeble and loose. Like a baby, the early Church needed to be fed and to grow stronger before she could take the first step outside her home, Jerusalem.
Oh, Jerusalem! You are the Mother of the Church. In your bosom, the first Christians were nourished in brotherly love. They listened to the teaching of the eye witnesses of the risen Lord. They experienced the great power of the Holy Spirit. They shared their property and their living. What was more, they expected the Lord to return very soon. Oh, Jerusalem! You were also their "comfort zone".
However, it was also on your lap that they were beaten up by their Jewish brothers. Because of the opposition they met, the first Christians grew stronger and stronger in their belief. Oh, Jerusalem! You were their training ground. The death of Stephen opened their eyes to what the belief in Jesus could amount to. It was a wake-up call. They had grown up and were strong enough. It was time to leave their mother behind. It would not bother them because the Apostles stayed to take care of her. The word of the Lord had to be fulfilled. The Church will continue to spread wherever and whenever she meets opposition and persecution. She is full of the Spirit and is holy.

Dear Lord, help us embrace sufferings for Your sake. Let us endure patiently because in so doing, we help spread Your good news of reconciliation to all men. Amen.

The Martyrdom of St. Stephen

The Apostolic Age was a heroic age. Both the Apostles and the disciples were full of the Holy Spirit. They were able to work miracles. They were not afraid to bear witness unto death. St. Stephen the Deacon was the first Christian martyr. The Church celebrates his feastday on December 26 because he was the first to die for Jesus our King. Therefore, St. Stephen was allocated this privileged bodyguard position.

Acts 7 is a Christian summary of the history of Israel. One of the main themes of this version of history was that God was wandering along with the Israelites. He did not dwell in a fixed location, hinting that Temple worship was not as important as the Jewish authority had insisted.
The second theme was that the Israelites had all along persecuted the elected ones of God, from Joseph (Acts 7:9), Moses (Acts 7:35) down to Jesus.
The third theme was that the Israelites had been rebellious and did not obey the Law (Acts 7:53). These themes were the major conflicts between Christians and the Jewish authority in the Apostolic Age. This summary was put into the mouth of Stephen to explain his martyrdom.

Luke depicts the martyrdom of Stephen in a beautiful way. Before he told the summary history of Israel, Stephen was angelic.
And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel (Acts 6:15).
Before he died, Stephen had the vision of the glory of God and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56). Moreover, like Jesus, Stephen prayed to God not to hold this murder against them (Acts 7:60). His death was described as falling asleep, hinting at his waking up at resurrection.

My Lord, allow us to follow the footsteps of St. Stephen to lead a heroic life of Christian witness. Amen.

The story of Stephen

The following exchange took place between Symphorian and me when we went for breakfast before going to Church. Symphorian is eight years old now and finds going to Church on Sundays boring.
S: Believing in God is unscientific.
M: What makes you think that it is unscientific?
S: Scientists do not do this.
M: Son, you are wrong. Some famous scientists, like Newton and Einstein, believe in God.
S: Only some believe in God. Which means some do not believe. If some scientists do not believe, then believing in God is unscientific.
M: (My God, being your father is really challenging!) ...
At that moment, I did not have any satisfactory answer. I am happy that Symphorian is able to articulate his thoughts in his logic. Perhaps what Symphorian needs is not answers but something else. Perhaps he will listen to the same message from the lips of other people but not his father. Father and son should spend more quality time together doing something else.

Miracles are unscientific. But they are elements of all religions and meaningful only to believers. For us Christians, miracles are signs of God's presence. For modern men brought up in this technological age, they are counter-logical and become obstacles to believing in God. Therefore, some Biblical scholars prefer to explain them away. For me, I take them for granted without giving them much thought.
In the Acts, miracles used to be done through the hands of the apostles only.
Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico (Acts 5:12).
Things began to change. Though not an apostle, Stephen also worked miracles.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8).
This was a blessing as well as a curse. Stephen had a price to pay. Instead of being grateful to Stephen, his people began to attack him.
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 (Acts 6:9).
I think these were Greek-speaking Jews and Stephen must have been one of them. Alas! How hard it is to spread the gospel among one's countrymen. Though they share the same cultural background, it is hard to convince them. They need other peoples to persuade them in a different tongue. They need missionaries. Familiarity does breed contempt! My Lord, send us more missionaries and commission us to spread Your good news elsewhere.

I don't know. Perhaps my mood is low. I feel that I have reached the end of my wits. Maybe it is time I took a break and stopped writing.
My Lord, do stay by me. Amen.

p.s. Today is the 40^th anniversary of Confirmation.  I sent the following email to my brothers in Christ as well as our Godfather.
Dear Brothers,
It is 0:50 in Hong Kong. Forty years ago, we received the sacrament of Confirmation from the hand of the late Bishop Francis Hsu, the first Chinese Bishop of Hong Kong. May the Holy Spirit continue to empower us in everything we do in the days to come.
Brothers, I have not heard from our beloved Godfather for quite some time. Please look him up and tell me his whereabout.

Yours in the Risen Lord
Alex Kwok

Then, I hear their replies.

---

Hello All,
Alex got to be kidding me! From all the email address within this mail, I guess I've got a price on my head! Here I am still alive! Can you imagine forty years have slipped by us so fast ? Continue to be the witness of God's love through your celebration of life.
I have always been praying to God to give me 70 for which I still have a few years to go. However, every day tomorrow is an extra bonus and let us appreciate it fully.
Joseph

Praise the Lord indeed!
May God continue to guide us to be WSSF, to carry out God’s purpose on earth, to continue spreading love and not hatred or discrimination, and to make this a better place than when we found it.
WSSF is an acronym I created for my children, stands for “Wisdom, Strength, Stamina, and Flexibility”. It is both a noun and an adjective.  It is simply an encompassing prayer: “May God give us the WISDOM to tell right from wrong and to uphold justice for all; may God give us the STRENGTH to execute the action that God have asked us to carry out; may God give us the STAMINA so that we have the energy to complete the tasks God have planned for us; and may God help us to have the FLEXIBILITY to be able to adapt and adjust to situations, and to understand others’ perspectives.”  The enlightenment came across when I was in karate, that it is the ancient martial art philosophy that a martial artist must acquire WSSF, and that the martial art grandmaster is WSSF.
If we can be WSSF, we shall be happy when the time comes, for our lives on Earth have fulfilled the purpose.  When the time comes, God just need us to move on to another project.
Just want to share with you.  May we all have another 40 years to celebrate.  Happy Anniversary!
Eric 

Third Easter Sunday (Year C)

Fr. Milanese is truly a Biblical scholar. He explained John 21 in a scholarly and yet accessible manner to the congregation.

Firstly, he confidently told us that John 21 was an appendix. It was added after John had finished the gospel. The Johannine community was facing a few challenges. One of them was the status of Peter. How could a man who had denied Jesus three times be one of their leaders? No problem. Jesus gave Peter a chance to declare three times that he loved the Lord more than the rest.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." (John 21:15-17)
Secondly, there was rumour that John, the disciple whom the Lord loved, would not die. But John was already dead. Jesus dismissed this rumour. It was a misinterpretation of his word.
Jesus said to him (Peter), "If it is my will that he (the disciple whom Jesus loved) remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!"
The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" (John 21:22-23)
Thirdly, the community had been working very hard to evangelize. Yet, the efforts seemed to be futile. The story in John 21 reassures the community that with Jesus, they would be able to see the good harvest.

The Apostles followed the instruction of the risen Jesus to meet him in Galilee and returned north (Matthew 28:10). They stayed at the seaside where Jesus had multiplied the loaves. Seven people were mentioned: Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, sons of Zebedee and two other disciples. Peter decided to go out fishing and the rest followed. After working the whole night, they did not catch anything.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing(John 21:3).
Fr. Milanese interpreted fishing as preaching the gospel. But the Johannine believers had no luck. They worked hard but saw no results. It was frustrating. No problem. Jesus appeared.
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No."
He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish (John 21:5-6).
Sounds familiar? The same miraculous catch story can also be found in Luke 5:1-11. Here is the catch.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5:8)
Some Biblical scholars think that this miraculous catch story was anachronistic. It should have happened after Jesus' resurrection. Their argument is that Jesus was addressed as the Lord only after his resurrection, not before. Moreover, it explains better why Peter called himself a sinful man. It was because he had denied Jesus three times. So, Peter confessed his sins after Jesus' resurrection. To serve his writing plan, Luke moved the story back to the beginning of Jesus' public ministry when he called his first disciples.
Back to John's story. The moral is straight forward. However hard we work, it will be futile without Jesus.
Jesus call us to follow him. We follow his call but very often, we do things in our own ways. We pursue our goals instead of Jesus'. A Chinese idiom should serve as a good reminder. 「謀事在人，成事在天。」"To calculate is human. To fulfil is divine."

Dear Lord, without You, I can accomplish nothing. Allow me to follow Your call patiently and depart not too far away from You. Amen.

Three stages in life

Today, we are reading the election of 7 deacons to share the burden of the Apostles in the early Church (Acts 6:1-6).
The Church was expanding and the Apostles found it difficult to handle preaching and alms giving at the same time.
And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:2-4)
Deacons are men of good repute; full of the Spirit and of wisdom.
I am aspiring to be a permanent deacon. However, I am still struggling to clarify my vocation.

Today in the Religion & Life course conducted by Fr. Edward Chau, he mentioned the 3 stages of life experienced by everybody seeking their goals. Fr. Chau is much imbued in Chinese culture. He wants to make Christianity relevant to the Chinese civilization. In his theology course, he works hard to help the Word of God incarnate in the Chinese world. The three stages of life were mentioned by a late-Qing scholar Wang Guo Wei. S6 students studying AS Chinese Culture should be familiar with them. I searched the Internet and found the following. I would like to quote in full. 

自古以來，人們把求學成才的經歷劃分為三個過程，來激勵自己或他人。凡拜讀過王國維【人間詞話】之人，都應該知道他所講得三種境界。這位最有影響的晚清一代宗師王國維在其【人間詞話】中富有詩意地提出了：“古今成大事業，大學問者，必經過人生三重之境界：
第一種境界是“昨夜西風凋碧樹，獨上高樓，望盡天涯路”; "Last night, the west wind withered the budding green tree. Alone I scaled a tall building, looking beyond the end of the path."
第二種境界是“衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴”; "Clothes and belts are sagging but in the end I regret not. For her I am worn thin and pallid."第三種境界是“眾裏尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在燈火闌珊處”。"Among the multitude I sought her thousands of times. Suddenly I turned back my head, only (to discover that) she was in the waning lights."
第一境界詞句出自晏殊的《蝶戀花》。原詞：“檻菊愁煙蘭泣露，羅幕輕寒，燕子雙飛去。明月不諳離恨苦，斜光到曉穿朱戶。昨夜西風凋碧樹，獨上高樓，望盡天涯路。欲寄彩箋無尺素，山長水闊知何處！”原意是說我上高樓眺望所見的更為蕭颯的秋景，西風黃葉，山闊水長，案書何達？在王國維此句中解成，做學問成大事業者，首先要有執著的追求，登高望遠，瞰察路徑，明確目標與方向，瞭解事物的概貌。
第二境界詞句出自宋代詞人柳永的《蝶戀花》。原詞是：“佇倚危樓風細細，望極春愁，黯黯生天際。草色煙光殘照裏，無言誰會憑闌意。擬把疏狂圖一醉，對酒當歌，強樂還無味。衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴。”王國維在這裏，顯然也已超出了原詩相思懷人的情緒了。他想說明，對事業，對理想，要執著追求，忘我奮鬥，為了達到成功的彼岸，一切都要在所不惜。所謂書山有路勤為徑，學海無涯苦作舟；寶劍鋒從磨礪出，梅花香自苦寒來。 
第三境界王國維則採用了宋代詞人辛棄疾《青玉案》中的詞句。原詞是：“東風夜放花千樹，更吹落星如雨。寶馬雕車香滿路，鳳簫聲動，玉壺光轉，一夜魚龍舞。蛾兒雪柳黃金縷，笑語盈盈暗香去。眾裏尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。”王國維用在此處，是指在經過多次周折，多年磨練之後，就會逐漸成熟起來，就能明察秋毫，豁然領悟。這就達致了最後的成功。所謂踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費功夫。這是厚積薄發，功到自然成。
追求這三種個境界的人，才會自覺地，不知疲倦地讀書，求知，把讀書視為工作之餘的第一需要。“寧可食無肉，不可案無書”，“人間自有讀書癡，此事不幹名與利”，此之謂也。望天涯，終無悔，驚回首--治學三境。這三句本是描寫相思詩句，但王國維卻用以表現“懸思—苦索—頓悟”的治學三重境界，巧妙地運用了三句中蘊含的哲理意趣，把詩句由愛情領域推繹到治學領域，賦予了它以深刻的內涵。 
細品王國維歸納的這三境界，第一境界為求學與立志之境，此為“知”之大境界；第二境界為“行”之境界，為實現遠大理想而堅忍不拔；第三境界為“得”之境界，功到自然成。

“驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。”(辛棄疾青玉案·元夕)。這首詩寫上元之夜，燈月交輝，車馬喧鬧。觀燈女郎，笑語幽香，飄然而過。然而意中人千尋萬覓，杳無蹤影，似乎已經絕望了。誰料驀然回首，竟看見他在燈火闌珊之處。悲喜交集，戛然而止，令人回味無窮。王國維以此比喻為第三境界：豁然開朗，親手得之。故也稱為“獲得”。

Downloaded tonight from http://www.51wenwenti.com/116/64784.html

Dear Lord, allow me to struggle until I become thin. I know You are around me. Amen.

Franciscan Spirituality

Our school will join the Spiritual Education Project in the coming September. The project is an outgrowth of the Spirituality Theology designed by Fr. Thomas Kwan in the Centre for Catholic Studies in Chinese University Hong Kong. While he was preparing the course materials, he wondered whether it would be better if he designed this course to benefit more secondary school teachers than a few postgraduates. So, he wrote a QEF proposal to start promoting Spiritual Education in secondary schools. Seven Diocesan schools took part in the pilot scheme. Our school and seven other Catholic, Protestant and even Government schools are member schools in the second batch.
Last month, they organized a visit to the Our Lady of Joy Abbey in Lantau Island to experience Benedictine Spirituality. I did not go because it was too remote for me. Health was always my concern. Today was the second training session. We went to the Martyrs Saints of China Chapel in Shek O. I was able to join because the location is closer to the urban area. Brother William Ng, O.F.M. conducted this training session on Franciscan Spirituality.

Brother William is in his early forties, bearded and not imposing in stature. He was humourous in his ability to tease himself. For example, in his PowerPoint, he introduced himself by showing a fifty-cent coin, a Vitasoy label and a poster of the movie "The Chariot of Fire", each indicating a Chinese character of his name. His presentation was well designed. First, he introduced St. Francis of Assisi against two other St. Francis! Then, he asked a few questions of increasing difficulty to reinforce our understanding of the life of St. Francis. Near the end, he clarified a "happy misunderstanding". People usually attribute the "Lord, make me a channel of Your peace" to St. Francis, but it turned out to be a myth. He did this to introduce the "Canticle of the Sun". Contrasting with the Song of Azarias and Psalm 148, Canticle of the Sun calls all creatures brothers and sisters: Brother Sun, Sister Moon and lastly Sister Bodily Death! This oneness with Creation and self-emptying are major characteristics of the Franciscan Spirituality. Then we spent one hour feeling the environment with our five senses.

The afternoon was more stimulating. Brother William began by telling us one particular story of St. Francis: the taming of the fierce wolf of Gubbio (The Little Flowers of St. Francis, 21). He used this story to introduce the seven elements of Reconciliation.
1) Risking: leaving our comfort zone.
2) Relying on God
3) Respectful: encounter our "enemy" with respect. Brother William reminded us to meet one wolf at a time.
4) Recognizing: name the pain. Face it squarely. Evasion is no solution.
5) Reconciliation: accept our limitations
6) Repent: take to the road again
7) Rejoice: celebrate life.
Of course, my brief sketch here does no justice to the depth of the Franciscan Spirituality. But it opens up my eyes to discern something profound in reconciliation. Many of us are not able even to take the first step. Our boss stayed through the whole workshop. But we did not eat lunch together. Though she fell into the last group sharing with Adrian and me, she did not say anything. In the end, she left on her own.
As for me, I enjoy the workshop a lot, in solitude as well as in group sharing. I have been very rational and intellectual to protect myself. Now, I begin to tap more into my feelings and my vulnerability.

Dear Lord, help me to love my enemy more. Amen.

An unsuccessful evangelization

The first Christians were Jews. But when they preached their brand of Christianity to the fellow Jews, the results were mixed. They were successful among the common Jews but unsuccessful among the rulers. By the time we reach Acts 5, there were about 5000 Christians in Jerusalem among the Jews. Christians were a sect within Judaism. They had the Apostles who were leaders outside Judaism. They took part in the breaking of bread on top of the Jewish rituals. They shared their possessions among themselves, making them separated from the ordinary Jews. In short, they had new leaders, a new liturgy and a new way of life. They formed a distinctive community situated within Jerusalem, the heart of Judaism.

When Christianity met Orthodox Judaism, clashes were inevitable. Christians believed in a crucified criminal in whom God did not curse but raised from the dead. They believed that salvation came from him and not in obeying the Torah. Sins were forgiven through believing in him instead of offering sacrifices in the Temple. This was the testimony Peter gave in front of the Jewish authority.
God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him (Acts 5:31-32).
How could the Jewish authority accept such heretical views? Peter's testimony was doomed to failure. No wonder these Jewish Christians had to turn to Gentiles.

The deacons are learning the history of Christian mission. Early in this mission history, the Apostles preached to their fellow Jews. They shared the same cultural background. In their preaching of the gospel of Jesus, they could quote the Scripture which was their common heritage. So, what was the obstacle that made the Jewish authority so difficult to overcome? St. Paul, the greatest missionary, has the following explanation.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:22-23).
Jews demanded signs and miracles. But Jesus and the apostles had already worked many miracles. Yet, a million miracles were not enough to convince them to believe in a crucified Jesus. This was the stumbling block because for the Jews, a crucified man was cursed by God.
And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God; you shall not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
Have you ever tried to preach a crucified Jesus? To children? To a marginal member of the society? To the learned or respectable of the society? God can't be serious. Nowadays, we find less and less statues of the crucified Jesus in churches. We have the resurrected glorified Jesus instead. The focus of Christian theology has shifted. I am not advocating a return to the crucified Jesus. After all, the crucified Jesus has proved to be a stumbling block for people in general to accept Christianity. The Church has to grope for other ways to make Jesus more acceptable to the modern man.

Dear Lord, without Your grace, it is difficult even for us to accept a crucified You. All of us seek for a happy life. Help us discern Your redemptive work on the cross. Amen.

The status of Peter in the early Church

When we read the Acts, we must bear in mind that the target audience were Gentiles. Therefore, Luke was eager to portray the apostles who were better known to the Gentiles. These apostles might not have the top jobs in the Jerusalem Church. Such was the case of Peter.

The book of Acts can be roughly divided into two parts. The first part was devoted to Peter and the second Paul. Peter was active in the first 12 chapters until he left Jerusalem to run away from Herod's persecution. Peter appeared one last time in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and was not mentioned any more in the Acts.
Before Pentecost, it was Peter who proposed a replacement of Judas (Acts 1:15-26). On Pentecost, Peter rose up to deliver the first kerygma to the Jerusalem crowd (Acts 2:14-40). He worked the first miracle to heal a man lame from birth and delivered the second speech (Acts 3). His shadow healed the sick (Acts 5:15-16). He was the spokesman of the Christians before the Jewish Council (Acts 4, 5). It was Peter who condemned Ananias and his wife Sapphira (Acts 5:1-9). Probably, it was Peter who proposed to elect 7 Greek-speaking deacons to share the tasks of daily distribution (Acts 6:1-6). Peter was the first apostle to admit Cornelius, a Roman centurion, a Gentile into the Church (Acts 10-11). After killing James, the brother of John, Herod arrested Peter and wanted to execute him to please the Jews (Acts 12).

Luke had successfully painted a brilliant career for Peter in the Jerusalem Church. However, the fact that Herod first killed James, instead of Peter, suggested that James, and not Peter, was the leader in the Jerusalem Church. No matter what, after Peter had fled from Jerusalem, the leadership fell into the hand of James, the brother of the Lord. When Peter returned to participate in the Jerusalem Council to debate the question of admitting Gentiles into the Church, his speech which silenced the assembly was recorded. Yet, it was James, the brother of the Lord, who had the final say (Acts 15:13-21).

I have no intention to challenge the status of Peter in the Jerusalem Church. No doubt, he was the spokesman of the Apostles in the canonical gospels and in the Acts. Yet, Peter goes down in history, not as the bishop of Jerusalem, but the first bishop of Rome, the first Pope. Though the first batch of Christians were Jews, the Jerusalem Church has vanished from history. I am sure God has not abandoned the Chosen People and there are Jewish Christians nowadays. But Jews are defined by Judaism. It is their identity. They have very little incentive to embrace Christianity. In his mercy, God must have other plans to bring salvation to the descendants of Abraham.

Dear Lord, we are privileged to join Your kingdom and share Your eternal life. Let us humbly learn our lessons in the history of the Church and discern Your will. Amen.

Barnabas, the Levite, sold a field

Levi was the third son of Jacob by Leah (Genesis 29:34). When the family of Jacob settled in Egypt for more than four hundred years, this tribe brought forth Moses and his elder brother Aaron (Exodus 2:1-2). During the forty years of wandering in the desert, Moses had the support of his tribesmen. Therefore when the Israelites divided up Canaan, Joshua followed the instruction of Moses to order the eleven tribes to support the Levites. Probably the Levites settled all over Canaan in different tribes and were given the tithe, i.e. one tenth of the produce of the land. From this bare information, we gain the impression that the Levites did not own any land. But was it true? No. We need to read more.

I was always puzzled by the story of Barnabas. Here are the puzzling lines.
Thus Joseph who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas (which means, Son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet (Acts 4:36-37).
Why did Barnabas, a Levite, own a field? Were Levites not supposed to own any land? Wrong! A search with the key words "Levite" and "field" yields three entries: 2 Chronicles 31:19, Nehemiah 12:44, 13:10. The last one confirmed that Levites owned fields after the Babylonian exile.
I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field(Nehemiah 13:10).
Due to the mismanagement of the Temple by Eliashib the priest, the tithe for the Levites were neglected and they had to flee each to his field to earn his living. Of course, the situation was rectified by Nehemiah. But how did this ownership of field come about? We need to go all the way back to Moses.
The LORD said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho,
"Command the people of Israel, that they give to the Levites, from the inheritance of their possession, cities to dwell in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands round about the cities." (Numbers 35:1-2)
Therefore, the Levites were given cities to dwell in and pasture lands round about the cities. Joshua carried out this command.
The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasture lands (Joshua 21:41)
Therefore, the Levites were given 48 cities with their pasture lands after the Israelites had entered Canaan. A lot of events had taken place before the age of the Apostles. Yet, the Levites were always entitled to own land. The impression that Levites did not own any land is wrong and it is the result of not reading enough Bible.

Priests dedicate their life for the service of God and His people. They deserve to be supported by God's people, following the Levite model. However, life on earth has evolved from being simple agricultural to complex industrial. The Church has grown from a simple community to a complex hierarchy. During the Apostolic age, believers could sell their property and lay the proceeds at the feet of the Apostles to distribute according to the need of each.
Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common (Acts 4:32).
But it lasted only for a short while in Jerusalem before the persecutions from the Jewish authority. Since then, this communist way of life was no more. Priests have to find ways to fend for themselves in this modern age.

Dear Lord, You teach us to lead a life of spiritual poverty. We rely on Your providence. You will provide (Genesis 22:8). Amen.

Servant Jesus

Peter and John were released. They returned and reported to their friends "τοὺς ἰδίους their own people" what the chief priests and elders had said (Acts 4:23). They lifted up their voice to praise God, quoting Psalm 2:1-2. They understood the whole Jesus event as a fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus was the Messiah whom kings and rulers raised up against. Understood in this way, the Messiah carried out God's will and thus he was God's servant. No wonder in the second half of their prayer, they called Jesus "thy holy servant τὸν ἅγιον παῖδά σου" (Acts 4:27, 30).

Jesus bore several titles in the book of Acts. For example, He was
Lord Jesus ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς (Acts 1:21; 4:33; 7:59; 8:16; 9:17; 11:20; 15:11)
Jesus Christ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Acts 2:38; 3:6; 4:10; 5:42; 8:12; 9:22, 34; 10:36, 48; 16:18)
(his) servant Jesus τὸν παῖδα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν (Acts 3:13; 4:27, 30)
Lord Jesus Christ τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν (Acts 11:17; 15:26) etc.
Each title carries a different theology. The title "Servant" suggests that Christians at that time had not yet recognized that Jesus was God. The concept of the Blessed Trinity as we know it today had not yet been fully developed.

In the New Testament, only Luke uses this word "παῖδα, παιδός": servant Israel (Luke 1:54), servant David (Luke 1:69), the child (Luke 8:51), the boy (Luke 9:42), servant Jesus (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:25, 27, 30), the lad (Acts 20:12). The more commonly used word is "slave/servant δοῦλος" which occurs 126 times in 118 verses among which Luke-Acts takes up 29 times in 28 verses and none of them refers to Jesus.
Luke's choice of the word "παῖδα, παιδός" was ambiguous. It means a servant as well as a child (Jairus' daughter, epileptic boy) or a young man. Perhaps this is a play of word, suggesting that Jesus was the Son and Servant of God.

Here is the last part of their prayer.
And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness,
while thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus (Acts 4:29-30).
I am sure by now, you will be able to tell which "servant" means servant, which "servant" means son.
The Christians did not ask God to remove the threats, obstacles or persecutions. Rather, they asked God to strengthen them so that they would continue to proclaim the good news with boldness. Christians do not run away from sufferings. They embrace sufferings with boldness.
God answered them by giving all present the Holy Spirit again.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).
We call this the "Second Pentecost".

Dear Lord, we confess that You are the Christ, the Son of God. May we follow the example of the first believers to bear witness to Your resurrection with boldness. Amen.

Appendix:
Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed
ἱνατί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά;
παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.
(Acts 4:25b-26, Psalm 2:1-2 LXX)

Second Easter Sunday (Year C)

We read the famous story of Doubtful/Doubting Thomas today. But Fr. Martin gave us a new perspective to look at the story as well as our life.

Previously, two incidents were assigned to Thomas.
First of all, Jesus had tarried a while before going to raise Lazarus from the dead. When he went, Jesus made it clear that his delay was for the good of the disciples. Only Thomas' reaction was recorded.
Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead;
and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:14-16)
I don't think Thomas meant to be serious. He was making a pun. Of course Thomas had no intention to die. His remark was open to interpretations. I would hypothesize that Thomas was expressing his disbelief in the death of Lazarus in a sarcastic way.
Later in the Last Supper when Jesus told the apostles that he would leave them to prepare rooms for them in his Father's house, Thomas asked Jesus a question, eliciting the most quoted line in the Bible.
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:5-6)
What can we say about Thomas? Was he a doubtful or a practical man?

Here, we have a most pragmatic line from Thomas. Thomas was probably sent out scouting the movements of the Jewish authority. He was not with the other apostles when Jesus appeared in the first Easter evening.
So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25)
Eight days later, Jesus appeared again and Thomas was there. Fr. Martin pointed out how Jesus accommodated himself to the demand of Thomas.
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." (John 20:27)
Of course, Thomas dared not put his fingers where he demanded. He believed and answered "My Lord and my God." (Acts 20:28)

Fr. Martin told us that if we demand others to change, we are working against a lot of obstacles. We have to double our efforts but obtain half the expected results. Instead, we should change ourselves. Then putting half the effort and we will obtain double the results. He told us a story of a taxi cleaner turned driver.
When a tourist got into a taxi, he was very much impressed by the tidiness and decorations in the taxi. The taxi was so comfortable. He could not help but asked the driver. The driver told the tourist that he was once a cleaner of taxi, and most of the taxis were very dirty after service. So, he vowed that once he became a taxi driver, he would make his taxi clean and comfortable. He made it. Throughout his driving career, his clients had never disappointed him. They kept his taxi very tidy and clean.

Fr. Martin concluded that we should be accommodating and considerate. Don't ever try to change others. Change yourself, your attitude and your behaviour. Others will not resist you. They will be most willing to cooperate with you. Jesus did not work one more miracle to convince Thomas. He just accommodated himself to Thomas' demand and Thomas changed without his demand satisfied.
Thank you Fr. Martin for helping us see the same story in a new perspective.

Dear Lord, help us change ourselves to be more accommodating for the good of our neighbour. Amen.

Who has the truth on their side?

When we read the conflict between the Apostles and the Jewish authority in the Acts, we have to bear in mind that it was written in favour of the Apostles. Therefore, we should be very cautious in drawing any conclusion against the Jewish authority. They were not given a "fair hearing", so to speak. They might not be "bad" people at all. Perhaps like Saul before his conversion, they sincerely thought that Christians were heretics and heretics had to be stamped out in any religion, including Christianity.

Why were Christians heretics in the eyes of the Jewish authority? They were heretics simply because they believed in one more God, Jesus, within Judaism. Later, they even admitted Gentiles to dilute their Jewish identity. This was totally unacceptable. They should be expelled and cursed. With this background in mind, let us read how Peter challenged them.

What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is manifest to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to any one in this name (Acts 4:16-17).
This was unrealistic. Peter and John had already been arrested in the Temple. They would be unable to spread the news in custody. It was the crowd who spread the news and it was impossible to make so many people shut up. Moreover, it was not a rumour which they could deny and the news would not die down. So what else could the Jewish authority do? They could only direct their prohibition to a manageable unit, Peter and John.
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18).
Again, this was an unrealistic demand because the Jewish authority did not understand the essence of Christianity. To proclaim the good news in the name of Jesus is the sole mission of Christians. It is the raison d'être of being Christians. Not to do so disqualifies Christians from being Christians. The Jewish authority did not understand that they were asking for the impossible. The only logical response is a categorical no.

But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge;
for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:19-20)
Here, instead of a straightforward no, Peter counter-attacked. Firstly, he put God on the table and then explained the raison d'être of being Christians. At first sight, I did not like the tactic of Peter. He appealed to God to oppress the Jewish authority. It wasn't fair. But let us take another angle.
Peter was trying to seek a common ground for dialogue. Both the Jewish authority and the Apostles believed in God and obeyed God. They were on equal footing. They were equal before God. The Jewish authority should not impose their will on the Apostles. Peter was trying to assert a new and equal authority which the Jewish authority did not and would never acknowledge. This time, it was Peter who was being unrealistic in trying to establish a rapport with the Jewish authority.
And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for all men praised God for what had happened (Acts 4:21).
The Apostles won the first round of contest hands down. They had the truth and the crowd on their side.

Dear Lord, we have nothing to fear when You are on our side. Keep us in You. Do not let us wander off course. Amen.