God inspires human authors to write up the Bible texts. Therefore, the texts are cultural refractions of God's messages. These cultural refractions cannot be self-explanatory. They need to be interpreted and thus the Bible cannot be read literally. On the other hand, our interpretations are also culturally constrained. It is not easy to jump out of our cultural box to achieve a bias-free reading of the Bible. In the second reading of the First Letter of St. Peter, we encountered such a verse. St. Peter was exhorting the readers to suffer patiently persecutions for righteousness' sake
For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong.
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; (1Peter 3:17-18)
Christians should suffer patiently because it might be God's will. Furthermore, Christ has set up an example to suffer for righteousness' sake so as to bring us to God. Our sufferings can bring people to God. So, suffering has attained a new purpose. Suffering is redemptive.
However, a problem arises when we read the last part of the sentence: Christ ... was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit!
For readers of Greek dualistic background, this sentence suggests that the resurrection of Jesus is only spiritual. His flesh is not resuscitated! That goes against basic Christian belief. St. Peter would not have meant this but how should this text square with the basic Christian article of faith? I am not sure whether I can satisfactorily handle it but I have to try.
Peter was a Jew and we need to take into consideration the Hebrew conception of man.
The first chapter of Genesis tells us that man was created in the image of God. It does not deal with flesh and spirit separately. In the second chapter of Genesis, we read of the famous story of the creation of Adam in which God made the flesh of Adam out of adamah (dust) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life so that man became a living soul nephesh (Genesis 2:7).
When a man dies, his whole being sees corruption and his soul nephesh is left in Sheol (Psalm 16:10).
That is to say, Jews never separate flesh and soul/spirit. The soul/spirit is the animating principle of the flesh which is made of dust. The dust and the spirit together form one whole.
What people can see is the flesh/dust. An animated flesh people see is a living soul (Genesis 2:7). When a man dies or put to death, we see the flesh corrupt and (re)turn to dust. A Jew would say that the living soul is left in Sheol, so to speak. Therefore, when Peter says that Christ is made alive in the spirit, probably he had Genesis 2:7 in mind. It is very likely that he meant the soul/spirit re-enter (through the nostrils perhaps) the flesh which has not yet turned to dust. The living soul (the whole being) of Christ returns from Sheol, in both flesh and spirit. St. Peter was not brought up in Greek culture. He did not possess the slightest trace of Greek dualism in his thought. When he wrote the verse, he did not mean the resurrection of Jesus' spirit only. He meant the living soul/spirit of Jesus and the expression "living soul/spirit" means the whole being of Jesus. I hope I have said correctly enough.
Today, my mum wanted to follow me to attend the monthly permanent deacon sharing. At first, I did not want to bring her along. In a second thought, I should not deny her an opportunity to know more while she is still able to walk around. The day will come when she cannot walk freely unaided, she will not be able to see the mission God has designed for me. At last, I took her along. The deacons, their wives and the Vicar General were all very courteous though her appearance came as a surprise. My mother is very sociable and have no problem in mixing along with total strangers. This is her charisma. In the end, we left after the snack break, contented but a bit exhausted.
Dear Lord, I thank you for giving my mother and me an adventurous opportunity. Have mercy on her and I pray that one day, she may receive baptism. Amen.
Sunday 25 May 2014
Sunday 18 May 2014
Can we do greater works than Jesus?
The quotation in question is the following.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father." (John 14:12)
Last night, when Deacon Tsang did his homily, he did not question Jesus' words. He simply expressed the pressure he felt this verse had put on him as a deacon. This morning, Fr. Joseph Liu, a young priest, did not touch on the verse but went to discuss how only the Father could satisfy all our needs. But when I meditate about the verse, my brainy me quickly takes over and a lot of questions start to pop up.
Jesus once said that a servant is not greater than his master (15:20). Though this verse appears later than the one in question, there should not be any contradiction between them. Though Jesus treats us like friends (15:14-15), we are commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the gospel (Matthew 28:19). In this sense, we are servants. If we are not greater than Jesus, our master, how can we do greater works than Jesus? Moreover, Jesus is God and works miracles and we do not possess Jesus' power. How can we do greater works than Jesus' works? Furthermore, how does Jesus' going to the Father enable us to do greater works than his?
This is a good example of the difficulties one meets when he reads the gospel of John. When Jesus speaks, he speaks equivocally. When the disciples asked some concrete earthly questions, Jesus almost always brought out the spiritual dimensions in his answers. For example, when he said he was going to his Father's house to prepare rooms for the disciples, we cannot blame Thomas for understanding it in a rather physical way. That is Jesus was going to a physical location, to a house of concrete stones to prepare rooms, perhaps 12, for them. Today, even if we understand Jesus to mean his upcoming passion, resurrection and ascension, and that we would like Jesus to show us the means, the way, to be our guide to heaven, his answer "I am the way, and the truth and the life" (14:6) seems not to be the kind of answer we expect. We expect a road-map, a game-plan or whatever but not "I am something ...". Jesus did not seem to have answered our question. But in a profound way, he did answer our question. In order to go to heaven, to return to the Father, we need to establish and maintain a good relation with Jesus. We need to know him. This, I think is what Jesus meant when he said "I am the way".
Now, what about our doing greater works than Jesus's work?
What works has Jesus done on earth?
First of all, Jesus confined his mission to Israel. For example, when a Canaan woman begged Jesus to drive out the demon in her daughter, Jesus replied that he was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). Now, the gospel is spread throughout the world, as instructed by him. In a sense, we have done greater works than Jesus's works.
Secondly, Jesus cured diseases, leprosy, blindness and even exorcism. Nowadays, we do the same and better still, we nearly eliminate most of the diseases in ancient times. Of course, our life expectancy is longer and we have newer medical challenges to deal with. Moreover, our attitude towards illness has changed. Instead of seeing it as a punishment from God, we are more compassionate, like Jesus, towards the sick. Thanks to the teaching of Jesus which was rather revolutionary at his time. Today, we are more Christianized and civilized. We respect human rights and we do charities in greater scale.
Thirdly, Jesus preaches a kingdom of God which is to be established through self-renunciation, through putting God at the centre of our life. Nowadays, many ideologies have sprung up from Jesus' inspiration to build a utopia on earth. Though they could only establish a totalitarian regime instead, we cannot deny that they have done greater works than Jesus in scale. These failed experiments indicate that it is not easy to remove the aspirations to power and might over his fellow men from the heart of man.
Of course, there are still works which we have not yet excelled him. For example, Jesus fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Today, we are still unable to eradicate world hunger. Poverty and slavery in the form of human-trafficking and prostitution are still around. Fortunately, we still have time to work humbly on the solution. This is not yet the end.
Dear Lord, I thank You for empowering us to do greater works than what you have begun. Help us along the way to build up a better relationship with You and the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father." (John 14:12)
Last night, when Deacon Tsang did his homily, he did not question Jesus' words. He simply expressed the pressure he felt this verse had put on him as a deacon. This morning, Fr. Joseph Liu, a young priest, did not touch on the verse but went to discuss how only the Father could satisfy all our needs. But when I meditate about the verse, my brainy me quickly takes over and a lot of questions start to pop up.
Jesus once said that a servant is not greater than his master (15:20). Though this verse appears later than the one in question, there should not be any contradiction between them. Though Jesus treats us like friends (15:14-15), we are commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the gospel (Matthew 28:19). In this sense, we are servants. If we are not greater than Jesus, our master, how can we do greater works than Jesus? Moreover, Jesus is God and works miracles and we do not possess Jesus' power. How can we do greater works than Jesus' works? Furthermore, how does Jesus' going to the Father enable us to do greater works than his?
This is a good example of the difficulties one meets when he reads the gospel of John. When Jesus speaks, he speaks equivocally. When the disciples asked some concrete earthly questions, Jesus almost always brought out the spiritual dimensions in his answers. For example, when he said he was going to his Father's house to prepare rooms for the disciples, we cannot blame Thomas for understanding it in a rather physical way. That is Jesus was going to a physical location, to a house of concrete stones to prepare rooms, perhaps 12, for them. Today, even if we understand Jesus to mean his upcoming passion, resurrection and ascension, and that we would like Jesus to show us the means, the way, to be our guide to heaven, his answer "I am the way, and the truth and the life" (14:6) seems not to be the kind of answer we expect. We expect a road-map, a game-plan or whatever but not "I am something ...". Jesus did not seem to have answered our question. But in a profound way, he did answer our question. In order to go to heaven, to return to the Father, we need to establish and maintain a good relation with Jesus. We need to know him. This, I think is what Jesus meant when he said "I am the way".
Now, what about our doing greater works than Jesus's work?
What works has Jesus done on earth?
First of all, Jesus confined his mission to Israel. For example, when a Canaan woman begged Jesus to drive out the demon in her daughter, Jesus replied that he was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). Now, the gospel is spread throughout the world, as instructed by him. In a sense, we have done greater works than Jesus's works.
Secondly, Jesus cured diseases, leprosy, blindness and even exorcism. Nowadays, we do the same and better still, we nearly eliminate most of the diseases in ancient times. Of course, our life expectancy is longer and we have newer medical challenges to deal with. Moreover, our attitude towards illness has changed. Instead of seeing it as a punishment from God, we are more compassionate, like Jesus, towards the sick. Thanks to the teaching of Jesus which was rather revolutionary at his time. Today, we are more Christianized and civilized. We respect human rights and we do charities in greater scale.
Thirdly, Jesus preaches a kingdom of God which is to be established through self-renunciation, through putting God at the centre of our life. Nowadays, many ideologies have sprung up from Jesus' inspiration to build a utopia on earth. Though they could only establish a totalitarian regime instead, we cannot deny that they have done greater works than Jesus in scale. These failed experiments indicate that it is not easy to remove the aspirations to power and might over his fellow men from the heart of man.
Of course, there are still works which we have not yet excelled him. For example, Jesus fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Today, we are still unable to eradicate world hunger. Poverty and slavery in the form of human-trafficking and prostitution are still around. Fortunately, we still have time to work humbly on the solution. This is not yet the end.
Dear Lord, I thank You for empowering us to do greater works than what you have begun. Help us along the way to build up a better relationship with You and the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
Sunday 11 May 2014
神職人員的聖召 Priestly Vocation
復活期第四主日（甲年讀經）講道
【主題：神職人員的聖召】
人人皆有聖召。人是按天主的肖像所造，而且具備天主所賜的恩寵去生活。所以每個人都有聖召，去活出天主的肖像。
天主還預備了很多其他的恩寵，找機會去賜予人類。所以祂好像牧羊人尋找亡羊一樣，在人群中不斷尋找召叫我們。部份人回應了天主的召叫，學道理，領洗加入教會成為基督徒，分享了耶穌基督的君王、先知和司祭的職務與及這些職務所帶來的恩寵。耶穌升天時把傳福音的任務交給宗徒，於是宗徒建立教會去完成這個神聖的任務。因此，每個基督徒就在他們的生活中，以不同的方式執行這個傳福音的任務。當他們服侍有困難的人的時候，他們在履行君王的職務，拓展天國。當他們傳達和堅持天主的教訓的時候，他們在履行先知的職務，宣講福音。當他們每日祈禱，代表世人參與彌撒，祭祀天主的時候，他們履行司祭的職務。做君王、先知和司祭就是每一個教友的聖召。
前面提到每個基督徒以不同的生活方式執行傳福音的任務。大部份的基督徒成家立室，生子育女，建立一個公教家庭，一個小型教會。教會祝福婚姻，並提升婚姻成為一件聖事，把天主的恩寵通傳給每一個家庭成員，幫助他們在家庭生活中成聖。這就是婚姻的聖召。
另一方面，教會日益壯大，福音傳遍普世。這樣龐大的團體需要有組織，需要公務員去管理、教導和聖化。所以天主從教會團體中，召叫部份成員，為他們預備更多的恩寵，成為天主子民的公務員，成為主教、神父和執事，擔任管理、教導和聖化的職務，去服務教會團體。這就是神職人員的聖召。
今天剛好是母親節，今個月又是聖母月，讓我們默想一下聖母與耶穌之間的母子關係，從而進一步明瞭神職人員聖召的挑戰。
聖母與天下間所有的母親沒有多大的分別，她一樣眠乾睡濕，竭盡所能，把這個獨生子撫養成人。雖然這個兒子是她懷胎十月所生的，但始終「生仔唔知仔心肝」 ，對於發生在這個獨生子身上的一切，她並不完全明白，福音說聖母祗會「默存心中，反覆思量。」同大部份的母親一樣，聖母不知道這個親生的兒子的前途將會是怎麽樣，她造夢也想像不到耶穌會被釘十字架。聖母之所以「在女人中蒙受祝福」，是因為她對天主的完全信靠，她願意天主的旨意在她身上成就。假如聖母把耶穌留在身邊孝順她，她是絕對有權這樣做的。最後，她祗會是納匝肋眾多的母親中的其中一個。但聖母並沒有理所當然地把耶穌留在身邊。聖母成功的地方，在於她能放手，讓天主在耶穌身上的計劃得到完滿的開展和完成。最後，她不但是耶穌的母親，還成為教會的母親，眾生的母親，二千年後的你如我的母親。
各位母親，妳可能會說我又不是聖母瑪利亞，我不像她那麽充滿恩寵，我又怎能與她相比呢？各位青年人，你亦可能會說我又不是耶穌，我沒有耶穌的神能，我又怎能與他相比呢？此言差矣。
天主是愛心「爆棚」的天主，是恩寵「爆棚」的天主。「祂為我們所預備的，是眼所未見，耳所未聞，心所未想」，連造夢也不敢想像的恩寵。天主把聖母和耶穌放在我們面前，就是為了告訴我們「為天主，一切都是可能的。」「不要怕，祗要信。」倘若我們不敢放手去投靠天主，我們就永遠依然故我，永遠失去發展的機會，失去出頭的機會，失去實現理想的機會。最後失去的，就是天主心目中的我，真正的自我。
父母反對青年人回應神職人員聖召時，不一定是出於自私，很多時是對自己的兒子，甚至對自己和對天主缺乏信心的表現。試看看周圍，香港的經濟好了，出生率降低了，現在追求的是貴精不貴多。試問做父母的又怎捨得送兒子入修院呢？再想，入修院幾年卻不能晉鐸，豈不是浪費青春？在分秒必爭的香港怎可以這樣呢？
誠然，放手讓自己的兒子做神父一定要作出犧牲，一定會帶來痛苦的。這痛苦與聖母的痛苦相比，可謂不相伯仲。但這些犧牲和痛苦又怎能與天主所預備的寵祐可以相比呢？各位父母，你的兒子有聖召的榮幸嗎？
各位青年人，你們一方面充滿理想，但另一方面對將來缺乏信心。這是最自然的現象。一方面你們需要建立自我，但另一方面你們需要身邊的人給予充份的肯定。這有賴父母及朋輩的支持。所以青年人不敢回應神職人員的聖召，其實是對父母，對自己和對天主缺乏信心的反應。我離開父母去做神父，父母的心理可以承受嗎？試想，在生活水準這麽高的香港，將來誰來供養年邁的父母呢？想到這裡，不少蒙召的青年會放棄做神父的念頭。這樣，不但一家人損失了接受天主特殊祝福的機會，更多的人都會因為教會少了一個神父、少了一個主教而錯過了蒙恩得救的機會，殊為可惜。誠然，投身做神父一定要作出犧牲，一定會帶來痛苦，這些犧牲和痛苦與耶穌所受的痛苦，可以不分高下。但為人靈的救贖，為教會的發展，是值得的。年青人，你聽到天主召叫你嗎？
當我們為神職人員的聖召祈禱的時候，請大家為青年人和他身邊的父母的信心祈禱，求主增強他們的信德，使他們安心，天主自會照顧一切，並為他們的將來作出最好的安排。願我們天上的母親，安慰支持子女有聖召的父母，使他們得享天主為他們安排了的特殊恩寵。
天主保祐。
Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Theme: Priestly Vocation
All men have vocation. Men are created in the image of God. They are bestowed with God’s grace to lead their lives. Therefore, all men are called to live out the image of God.
God has also prepared other graces and he looks for opportunities to give them to man. He is like a shepherd looking for lost sheep, seeking us among mankind. Some of us respond to God’s call, attend catechumen classes and get baptized to join the Church. These people become Christians to share Christ’s three-fold offices of king, prophet and priest; as well as the grace that accompany these offices. When Jesus ascended to heaven, he commissioned the apostles to preach the gospel to all peoples. The apostles established the Church to accomplish this sacred mission. Therefore, all Christians discharge this evangelical mission in their different stations of life. When they help the needy, they carry out the kingship office to extend the Kingdom of Heaven. When they convey and insist on the teachings of God, they fulfill the prophetic office to preach the gospel. When they pray daily and represent all humanity in offering masses and sacrifice to God, they discharge their priestly office. To be king, prophet and priest is the vocation of all Christians.
Earlier, it was mentioned that every Christian discharges his evangelical mission in different stations of life. Most Christians get married to raise children. They set up a Catholic family, a mini-church. The Church blesses their matrimony and elevates it into a sacrament to channel God’s grace to all family members, helping them in sanctification through family life. This is the vocation of marriage.
On the other hand, the Church expands and the gospel is preached all over the world. Such a huge community needs a structure and administrators to manage, to teach and to sanctify. Therefore, God calls some members in the Church community, gives them more grace to become the civil servants of the People of God, to become bishops, priests and deacons, to take up the governance, teaching and sanctification offices to serve the Church community. This is the priestly vocation.
Coincidentally, today is the Mother’s Day and May is the month of Our Lady. Let us meditate on the mother-child relation between the BMV and Jesus so as to understand more the challenges of priestly vocation today.
Our Lady is not much different from all mothers in the world. Like them, she worked hard and dedicatedly to raise her only son. Though she carried Jesus to terms for nine months, she did not totally understand what had been happening around her son and what was going on in his head. The gospel reports that the BVM could only keep everything in her heart, pondering over them (Luke 2:19, 50-51). Like most mothers, Our Lady did not know what would happen to her son in the future. She would never dream that Jesus would be crucified on the cross. What made Our Lady blessed among women (Luke 1:42, 45) is that she totally trusts in God, making it possible for God’s will to be accomplished on her. If Our Lady were to insist on keeping Jesus on her side, she would absolutely be entitled to do so. In the end, she would be one of the ordinary Nazarene mothers. But Our Lady did not. Her success lied in her letting go of Jesus, allowing God’s plan to enfold and complete perfectly on her son. At last, not only was she the mother of Jesus, but Our Lady is also the Mother of the Church, the Mother of all men, the mother of you and me two thousand years later.
Mothers, perhaps you may complain that you are not the BMV. Unlike her, you are not full of grace. How can you compare to her? Young men, you may also object that you are not Jesus. You do not have his supernatural powers like him. How can you compare to Jesus? Unfortunately, you are totally wrong.
God is the God of overflowing love, the God of overflowing grace. What he has prepared for us is, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived” (1 Corinthians 2:9) grace that we even dare not to dream of. God puts Our Lady and Jesus before us to tell us that “For God, all things are possible” (Mark 9:23, 10:27) “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36). If we do not let go and call on the Lord, we will forever be the same, losing the chance to develop, the chance to raise our horn, the chance to realize our ideals. In the end, we lose the “me” in God’s mind, our true “self”.
When parents oppose to their children’s responding to God’s vocation, their motive may not be selfish. Many times, it is a lack of faith in their children, in themselves and in God. Look around us in Hong Kong. The economy is thriving while the birth rate is plummeting. Nowadays, we aim at quality, not quantity. In such a situation, how can parents let go their sons to enter the seminary? Think further, what if they do not get ordained after a few years? Wouldn’t it be a waste of time? How can it be profitable when time is money in Hong Kong?
Truly, letting go your children to become priests demands sacrifice and it must be painful. This pain is comparable to that of Our Lady’s. But how can this pain and sacrifice be comparable to the grace prepared by God? Parents, do your children have the honour to be called?
Young men. On one hand, you are idealistic but on the other, you lack confidence. This is very natural. You need to build up your identity while you need a lot of affirmations from your parents and your peers. Therefore, for young people failing to respond to God’s vocation, it is in fact a lack of faith in their parents, in themselves and in God. If I leave my parents to become a priest, will they be able to bear the psychological burden? Think further, who will take care of my ageing parents under such a high living standard in Hong Kong? When they come to this, many young people would abandon the thought to become a priest. Consequently, not only will one family lose the opportunity to receive the grace God has prepared for them, many more people will lose the opportunity to be saved because the Church has lose a priest, a bishop. What a pity! Truly, becoming a priest calls for sacrifices and it must be painful. Such sacrifices and pain is comparable to Jesus’. But for the salvation of souls and the development of the Church, it is worthwhile. Young men, do you hear God’s call?
When we pray for priestly vocation, let us pray for the faith of young men and their parents. May the Lord strengthen their faith, ease their minds. God will provide and make the best arrangement for their future. May our heavenly Mother console and support parents whose children are called by God so that they may enjoy the special grace which God has prepared for them.
God bless.
【主題：神職人員的聖召】
人人皆有聖召。人是按天主的肖像所造，而且具備天主所賜的恩寵去生活。所以每個人都有聖召，去活出天主的肖像。
天主還預備了很多其他的恩寵，找機會去賜予人類。所以祂好像牧羊人尋找亡羊一樣，在人群中不斷尋找召叫我們。部份人回應了天主的召叫，學道理，領洗加入教會成為基督徒，分享了耶穌基督的君王、先知和司祭的職務與及這些職務所帶來的恩寵。耶穌升天時把傳福音的任務交給宗徒，於是宗徒建立教會去完成這個神聖的任務。因此，每個基督徒就在他們的生活中，以不同的方式執行這個傳福音的任務。當他們服侍有困難的人的時候，他們在履行君王的職務，拓展天國。當他們傳達和堅持天主的教訓的時候，他們在履行先知的職務，宣講福音。當他們每日祈禱，代表世人參與彌撒，祭祀天主的時候，他們履行司祭的職務。做君王、先知和司祭就是每一個教友的聖召。
前面提到每個基督徒以不同的生活方式執行傳福音的任務。大部份的基督徒成家立室，生子育女，建立一個公教家庭，一個小型教會。教會祝福婚姻，並提升婚姻成為一件聖事，把天主的恩寵通傳給每一個家庭成員，幫助他們在家庭生活中成聖。這就是婚姻的聖召。
另一方面，教會日益壯大，福音傳遍普世。這樣龐大的團體需要有組織，需要公務員去管理、教導和聖化。所以天主從教會團體中，召叫部份成員，為他們預備更多的恩寵，成為天主子民的公務員，成為主教、神父和執事，擔任管理、教導和聖化的職務，去服務教會團體。這就是神職人員的聖召。
今天剛好是母親節，今個月又是聖母月，讓我們默想一下聖母與耶穌之間的母子關係，從而進一步明瞭神職人員聖召的挑戰。
聖母與天下間所有的母親沒有多大的分別，她一樣眠乾睡濕，竭盡所能，把這個獨生子撫養成人。雖然這個兒子是她懷胎十月所生的，但始終「生仔唔知仔心肝」 ，對於發生在這個獨生子身上的一切，她並不完全明白，福音說聖母祗會「默存心中，反覆思量。」同大部份的母親一樣，聖母不知道這個親生的兒子的前途將會是怎麽樣，她造夢也想像不到耶穌會被釘十字架。聖母之所以「在女人中蒙受祝福」，是因為她對天主的完全信靠，她願意天主的旨意在她身上成就。假如聖母把耶穌留在身邊孝順她，她是絕對有權這樣做的。最後，她祗會是納匝肋眾多的母親中的其中一個。但聖母並沒有理所當然地把耶穌留在身邊。聖母成功的地方，在於她能放手，讓天主在耶穌身上的計劃得到完滿的開展和完成。最後，她不但是耶穌的母親，還成為教會的母親，眾生的母親，二千年後的你如我的母親。
各位母親，妳可能會說我又不是聖母瑪利亞，我不像她那麽充滿恩寵，我又怎能與她相比呢？各位青年人，你亦可能會說我又不是耶穌，我沒有耶穌的神能，我又怎能與他相比呢？此言差矣。
天主是愛心「爆棚」的天主，是恩寵「爆棚」的天主。「祂為我們所預備的，是眼所未見，耳所未聞，心所未想」，連造夢也不敢想像的恩寵。天主把聖母和耶穌放在我們面前，就是為了告訴我們「為天主，一切都是可能的。」「不要怕，祗要信。」倘若我們不敢放手去投靠天主，我們就永遠依然故我，永遠失去發展的機會，失去出頭的機會，失去實現理想的機會。最後失去的，就是天主心目中的我，真正的自我。
父母反對青年人回應神職人員聖召時，不一定是出於自私，很多時是對自己的兒子，甚至對自己和對天主缺乏信心的表現。試看看周圍，香港的經濟好了，出生率降低了，現在追求的是貴精不貴多。試問做父母的又怎捨得送兒子入修院呢？再想，入修院幾年卻不能晉鐸，豈不是浪費青春？在分秒必爭的香港怎可以這樣呢？
誠然，放手讓自己的兒子做神父一定要作出犧牲，一定會帶來痛苦的。這痛苦與聖母的痛苦相比，可謂不相伯仲。但這些犧牲和痛苦又怎能與天主所預備的寵祐可以相比呢？各位父母，你的兒子有聖召的榮幸嗎？
各位青年人，你們一方面充滿理想，但另一方面對將來缺乏信心。這是最自然的現象。一方面你們需要建立自我，但另一方面你們需要身邊的人給予充份的肯定。這有賴父母及朋輩的支持。所以青年人不敢回應神職人員的聖召，其實是對父母，對自己和對天主缺乏信心的反應。我離開父母去做神父，父母的心理可以承受嗎？試想，在生活水準這麽高的香港，將來誰來供養年邁的父母呢？想到這裡，不少蒙召的青年會放棄做神父的念頭。這樣，不但一家人損失了接受天主特殊祝福的機會，更多的人都會因為教會少了一個神父、少了一個主教而錯過了蒙恩得救的機會，殊為可惜。誠然，投身做神父一定要作出犧牲，一定會帶來痛苦，這些犧牲和痛苦與耶穌所受的痛苦，可以不分高下。但為人靈的救贖，為教會的發展，是值得的。年青人，你聽到天主召叫你嗎？
當我們為神職人員的聖召祈禱的時候，請大家為青年人和他身邊的父母的信心祈禱，求主增強他們的信德，使他們安心，天主自會照顧一切，並為他們的將來作出最好的安排。願我們天上的母親，安慰支持子女有聖召的父母，使他們得享天主為他們安排了的特殊恩寵。
天主保祐。
Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A
Theme: Priestly Vocation
All men have vocation. Men are created in the image of God. They are bestowed with God’s grace to lead their lives. Therefore, all men are called to live out the image of God.
God has also prepared other graces and he looks for opportunities to give them to man. He is like a shepherd looking for lost sheep, seeking us among mankind. Some of us respond to God’s call, attend catechumen classes and get baptized to join the Church. These people become Christians to share Christ’s three-fold offices of king, prophet and priest; as well as the grace that accompany these offices. When Jesus ascended to heaven, he commissioned the apostles to preach the gospel to all peoples. The apostles established the Church to accomplish this sacred mission. Therefore, all Christians discharge this evangelical mission in their different stations of life. When they help the needy, they carry out the kingship office to extend the Kingdom of Heaven. When they convey and insist on the teachings of God, they fulfill the prophetic office to preach the gospel. When they pray daily and represent all humanity in offering masses and sacrifice to God, they discharge their priestly office. To be king, prophet and priest is the vocation of all Christians.
Earlier, it was mentioned that every Christian discharges his evangelical mission in different stations of life. Most Christians get married to raise children. They set up a Catholic family, a mini-church. The Church blesses their matrimony and elevates it into a sacrament to channel God’s grace to all family members, helping them in sanctification through family life. This is the vocation of marriage.
On the other hand, the Church expands and the gospel is preached all over the world. Such a huge community needs a structure and administrators to manage, to teach and to sanctify. Therefore, God calls some members in the Church community, gives them more grace to become the civil servants of the People of God, to become bishops, priests and deacons, to take up the governance, teaching and sanctification offices to serve the Church community. This is the priestly vocation.
Coincidentally, today is the Mother’s Day and May is the month of Our Lady. Let us meditate on the mother-child relation between the BMV and Jesus so as to understand more the challenges of priestly vocation today.
Our Lady is not much different from all mothers in the world. Like them, she worked hard and dedicatedly to raise her only son. Though she carried Jesus to terms for nine months, she did not totally understand what had been happening around her son and what was going on in his head. The gospel reports that the BVM could only keep everything in her heart, pondering over them (Luke 2:19, 50-51). Like most mothers, Our Lady did not know what would happen to her son in the future. She would never dream that Jesus would be crucified on the cross. What made Our Lady blessed among women (Luke 1:42, 45) is that she totally trusts in God, making it possible for God’s will to be accomplished on her. If Our Lady were to insist on keeping Jesus on her side, she would absolutely be entitled to do so. In the end, she would be one of the ordinary Nazarene mothers. But Our Lady did not. Her success lied in her letting go of Jesus, allowing God’s plan to enfold and complete perfectly on her son. At last, not only was she the mother of Jesus, but Our Lady is also the Mother of the Church, the Mother of all men, the mother of you and me two thousand years later.
Mothers, perhaps you may complain that you are not the BMV. Unlike her, you are not full of grace. How can you compare to her? Young men, you may also object that you are not Jesus. You do not have his supernatural powers like him. How can you compare to Jesus? Unfortunately, you are totally wrong.
God is the God of overflowing love, the God of overflowing grace. What he has prepared for us is, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived” (1 Corinthians 2:9) grace that we even dare not to dream of. God puts Our Lady and Jesus before us to tell us that “For God, all things are possible” (Mark 9:23, 10:27) “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36). If we do not let go and call on the Lord, we will forever be the same, losing the chance to develop, the chance to raise our horn, the chance to realize our ideals. In the end, we lose the “me” in God’s mind, our true “self”.
When parents oppose to their children’s responding to God’s vocation, their motive may not be selfish. Many times, it is a lack of faith in their children, in themselves and in God. Look around us in Hong Kong. The economy is thriving while the birth rate is plummeting. Nowadays, we aim at quality, not quantity. In such a situation, how can parents let go their sons to enter the seminary? Think further, what if they do not get ordained after a few years? Wouldn’t it be a waste of time? How can it be profitable when time is money in Hong Kong?
Truly, letting go your children to become priests demands sacrifice and it must be painful. This pain is comparable to that of Our Lady’s. But how can this pain and sacrifice be comparable to the grace prepared by God? Parents, do your children have the honour to be called?
Young men. On one hand, you are idealistic but on the other, you lack confidence. This is very natural. You need to build up your identity while you need a lot of affirmations from your parents and your peers. Therefore, for young people failing to respond to God’s vocation, it is in fact a lack of faith in their parents, in themselves and in God. If I leave my parents to become a priest, will they be able to bear the psychological burden? Think further, who will take care of my ageing parents under such a high living standard in Hong Kong? When they come to this, many young people would abandon the thought to become a priest. Consequently, not only will one family lose the opportunity to receive the grace God has prepared for them, many more people will lose the opportunity to be saved because the Church has lose a priest, a bishop. What a pity! Truly, becoming a priest calls for sacrifices and it must be painful. Such sacrifices and pain is comparable to Jesus’. But for the salvation of souls and the development of the Church, it is worthwhile. Young men, do you hear God’s call?
When we pray for priestly vocation, let us pray for the faith of young men and their parents. May the Lord strengthen their faith, ease their minds. God will provide and make the best arrangement for their future. May our heavenly Mother console and support parents whose children are called by God so that they may enjoy the special grace which God has prepared for them.
God bless.
Sunday 4 May 2014
Not knowing that he is always there
The story of the two disciples returning to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) is well known to all Christians. The theme of the story has even become the foundation of Christian education. For example, Dr. Francis Chan Nai Kwok advocates a "Pedagogy of Emmaus" while he develops the religious curriculum of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese. It is based on the interaction between daily experiences and Christian stories. From there, daily experiences and Christian stories enrich each other and hence, the life of our students.
The story shares a common aspect in all post-resurrection apparitions. The disciples were unable to recognize Jesus at first (24:16; John 21:4, 12). Why?
The first possibility is that after resurrection, Jesus' body has undergone a transformation so much so that the disciples are unable to recognize him. Theologians in subsequent centuries have developed the opinion that after resurrection, our body will attain its perfection. Therefore, if you die of full age, you will rise again in your youthful vitality. In the case of Jesus, his body is even able to pass through rocks, closed doors and windows without breaking them down!
The second possibility is that the risen Jesus did not fit into their expectations. The Jews, including his disciples, expected the Messiah to be a Davidic king to drive out the Romans (Luke 24:21). Yet, Jesus the Messiah died on the cross instead. Though Jesus raised a few people during his public ministry, his disciples did not expect him to be able to come back to life on his own. "Physician, heal yourself!" (4:23; 23:35, 37, 39) It is this second possibility that block the sight of the disciples and us.
Despite Isaiah's warning that God's thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), we have a tendency to confine God into our frame of mind. We impose our requirements and criteria on God, demanding God to do our wills, to pass our tests. God just doesn't play our games. He follows his own rules, not ours. His rules are love, love and love. Out of love, he created the known universe for us to live in. Out of love, he sent his only son to die for us to redeem us. Out of love, he continues to stay with us and provide for us until the end of time.
Many times, we complain that God has forsaken us. Yet, he is always there for us to call. If only we can put away our preconceptions of what God should do for us, we will never be able to see him. When we are sick, we expect God to heal us and to relieve us of our suffering. Yet, we are not aware that the sickness is a blessing in disguise. There is a lot of grace for us to uncover through the sickness. The same goes to other failures in relationships and works. What we need is to have our eyes opened. Of course, only God can open our eyes. The eyes of the two disciples were opened when Jesus blessed and broke the bread in front of them. Immediately, they were able to see Jesus in this stranger (24:30-31) Therefore, it is important for us to be familiar with the stories of Jesus (24:32) so that we will be more able to recognize Jesus in strangers we meet in our life. Be assured that Jesus is always there.
Dear Lord, open our eyes and inflame our hearts. Amen.
The story shares a common aspect in all post-resurrection apparitions. The disciples were unable to recognize Jesus at first (24:16; John 21:4, 12). Why?
The first possibility is that after resurrection, Jesus' body has undergone a transformation so much so that the disciples are unable to recognize him. Theologians in subsequent centuries have developed the opinion that after resurrection, our body will attain its perfection. Therefore, if you die of full age, you will rise again in your youthful vitality. In the case of Jesus, his body is even able to pass through rocks, closed doors and windows without breaking them down!
The second possibility is that the risen Jesus did not fit into their expectations. The Jews, including his disciples, expected the Messiah to be a Davidic king to drive out the Romans (Luke 24:21). Yet, Jesus the Messiah died on the cross instead. Though Jesus raised a few people during his public ministry, his disciples did not expect him to be able to come back to life on his own. "Physician, heal yourself!" (4:23; 23:35, 37, 39) It is this second possibility that block the sight of the disciples and us.
Despite Isaiah's warning that God's thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), we have a tendency to confine God into our frame of mind. We impose our requirements and criteria on God, demanding God to do our wills, to pass our tests. God just doesn't play our games. He follows his own rules, not ours. His rules are love, love and love. Out of love, he created the known universe for us to live in. Out of love, he sent his only son to die for us to redeem us. Out of love, he continues to stay with us and provide for us until the end of time.
Many times, we complain that God has forsaken us. Yet, he is always there for us to call. If only we can put away our preconceptions of what God should do for us, we will never be able to see him. When we are sick, we expect God to heal us and to relieve us of our suffering. Yet, we are not aware that the sickness is a blessing in disguise. There is a lot of grace for us to uncover through the sickness. The same goes to other failures in relationships and works. What we need is to have our eyes opened. Of course, only God can open our eyes. The eyes of the two disciples were opened when Jesus blessed and broke the bread in front of them. Immediately, they were able to see Jesus in this stranger (24:30-31) Therefore, it is important for us to be familiar with the stories of Jesus (24:32) so that we will be more able to recognize Jesus in strangers we meet in our life. Be assured that Jesus is always there.
Dear Lord, open our eyes and inflame our hearts. Amen.
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