常年期第廿八主日（甲年）
主題：天主為我們預備了的盛宴
近半個月來，我們不斷聽到「去飲」的新聞報導。所以，今天就和大家一起，默想一點「去飲」的聖經意義。
耶穌時代，大部份人的生活水準低，貧困簡陋。一生人恐怕祗可以安排一次婚宴。能夠參加婚宴，盡情飲食，並不是常有的事，可以說是非常難得。所以，耶穌在描述天國的奧秘時，用了婚宴的圖像，以表達出天國的隆重、矜貴。
人類雖然犯罪遠離了天主，天主卻並沒有放棄祂創造的肖像。雖然人類忘記了、否認了他們的創造主，但天父仍不離不棄，想盡辦法與人溝通，啟示自己，甚至為了償還人類的罪債，派遣聖子降生受難，幫助人類與祂和好，建立一個和平友愛的天國。耶穌用婚宴的象徵告訴我們，天父大排筵席，提供一個我們與祂和解的機會，成為自己人，分享祂豐富的、永恆的神聖生命。在第一篇讀經，依撒意亞先知給我們粗略地素描了這個「美酒佳餚的盛宴」是甚麽一回事。
第一，「上主要永遠取消死亡。」表面上取消死亡是指人類不再老死，人人都可以擁有用不完的時間，可以發揮潛能，可以實現夢想，做從前想做但沒有時間去做的事。其實，罪惡和死亡把天主和人隔絕了，「取消了死亡」表示天主主動打破祂與罪人之間的隔膜。耶穌斷氣時，聖所的帳幔從上到下分裂為二正展示出這個意義。天主要以耶穌的死永遠地取消死亡。
第二，「上主要從人人臉上拭去淚痕，消除一切恥辱。」在天國裡人人不再受日曬雨淋、沒有休息的奴隸之苦，不再有疾病，不再有流淚，不再有惡霸欺凌，人人豐衣足食。注意，不是「眼淚」而是「淚痕」，是過去了的傷痛。即是說，天主不是止痛藥，不是人民的鴉片。祂不但安慰我們目前的痛苦，而且徹底地，從每個人童年的陰影開始，掃除一切心靈上的創傷。
這一切將會在天主的聖山上實現。「天主的聖山」在那裡？聖保祿說，我們的身體是「聖神的宮殿」。身體最重要的部份是人的內心。所以，這聖山，這個天國就在我們的心內。這「聖山」又是天主聚集祂子民的地方，所以，這聖山，這個天國就是我們，就是教會團體。
教會按福音的精神去生活，並發展出一套放諸四海皆準的普世價值，例如慈善、公義、真理、自由、誠信、包容等。這些就是天主所預備了的佳餚美酒，用來滋養人性，好使埋藏在人心內的天主肖像，得以展現無遺。
在一眾普世價值之中，我想同大家講一講「自由」的重要。天主是自由的，祂的肖像當然是自由的。倘若人沒有自由，他的一切所作所為都是迫不得已的話，他還需要為他所做的事，所犯的錯負責嗎？人民有自由，就有可能「人盡其才、地盡其利、物盡其用、貨暢其流。」(孫文，上李鴻章萬言書，1894)發展他的潛能，展示天主的肖像。所以「自由、自主」是非常重要的。耶穌在若望福音指出，真理使人自由。可惜，當今社會，流傳著很多似是而非的謬論。我想幫大家分析其中兩個同天主教有關的謬論。
第一，耶穌說「凱撒的歸凱撒、天主的歸天主」。表面上，這段福音好像鼓吹「政教分離」。政治歸政府，宗教歸天主，河水不犯井水。但是，試問這世界有甚麽不是屬於天主的呢？連凱撒不也是歸於天主的嗎？那麽教會是否事事都干預政府的運作呢？當然不是。祗有當政府推行的政策，違反福音的精神，違反公義時候，天主的子民就不能袖手旁觀了。例如，近來平等機會委員會提出的反歧視條例修訂法案的諮詢文件，引入澳洲的「事實婚姻關係」的概念，將會把現時一夫一妻的家庭關係，破壞無遺，教會就不能坐視不理了。
第二，很多人誤會，以為天主教選教宗都不是一人一票，就沒有資格講民主。這真是一個荒謬的言論。難道男人不能懷孕生子，就沒有資格做婦產科醫生了嗎？所以，天主教徒絕對有資格講民主。
好了，讓我們回到福音的比喻。很奇怪，今天所讀的比喻中，國王擺酒竟然有人不賞面！這是甚麽意思呢？福音說「有的去耕田，有的去做自己的生意，有的竟捉住僕人，凌辱殺死。」這使我聯想起這半個月來發生的「去飲」事件。
因為各人的恩賜不同，不是人人都有本領站台、有時間在現場分派物資、維持秩序。有的人可以躲在家中，上網起底、作勵志歌曲或者為香港祈禱。各人就按自己的恩賜，共同建立天國。
另一方面，有些人寧願去耕田、去做生意，也不領國王的情去飲。今天，為了目前的經濟損失而反對佔中的，大有人在。福音中的國王也沒有勉強那些農夫和商人去飲。恨祇恨那些使用暴力和恐嚇手段，去撕裂社會的人，天主當然會與他們算帳。
最後，可能有人能夠欺世盜名，混水摸魚。但縱使他們能騙盡天下的人，他們始終都逃不過天主的審判，天主會把那些別具用心、言行不一，沒有穿禮服的人趕出天國。
各位，沒有人願意見到「去飲」會悲劇收場，但沒有人能想得出如何收拾殘局的好方法。讓我們謙遜地承認自己的不足，祈求天主大發慈悲，不要讓青年人受到無辜的傷害。
天主保佑。
28th Ordinary Sunday (Year A)
Theme: God throws a banquet for us
Preface: At the advice of Fr. Milanese, our parish priest, I watered down the homily and chose the wording more cautiously. He allowed me to speak freely whatever in my mind. I thank Fr. Milanese for his guidance and confidence in me.
We have heard a lot of news about “Go Banqueting”** in the past two weeks. Therefore, today, I would like to meditate its biblical meaning.
In Jesus’ time, the living standard of most of the people was low. Their life was poor and simple. At most, they could only afford to organize only one wedding banquet throughout their life. Going banqueting and eating to their full was not common, if not rare. Therefore, when Jesus uses the image of wedding banquet to describe the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, he wants to show the solemnity, nobility and rarity of the Kingdom.
Though men disobeyed God and rejected God, God had never abandoned the image He created. Though men forgot and denied their Creator, the Father had never forsaken us, trying hard to communicate and reveal Himself to us. He even sent His son to incarnate and died for us to repay our debts, to reconcile with us to build up a peaceful Kingdom of Love. Jesus makes use of the image of wedding banquet to tell us that God throws a party to provide an opportunity for our reconciliation with Him, to become an insider, to share His overflowing, eternal and sacred life. In the first reading today, Isaiah sketched a picture of what “a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees” is all about. (Isaiah 25:6)
Firstly, “The Lord shall swallow up death forever” (25:8a). Superficially, swallowing up death may mean that men will no longer age and die. All possess infinite amount of time, to realize their potentials, to materialize their dreams and to do what they previously could not afford the time to do. Actually, sins and death cut men off from God. Therefore, swallowing up death means God will take the initiative to abolish the separation between Him and sinners. The moment Jesus died and gave up his spirit, the curtain of the Holy of the holies was torn from top to bottom into two. This illustrated the reconciliation between God and men. God made use of the death of Jesus to swallow up death forever.
Secondly, “the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, the reproach of His people, He will take away from all the earth” (25:8b). In the Kingdom of Heaven, people will not suffer in the scorching sun as slaves without a brief moment of rest. There will not be diseases, tears and bullies. Everybody is well-fed. The “tears” come not only from recent sufferings, but also sufferings in the past. God is not an instant pain-killer, not the opium of the people. Not only does God console our sufferings at the present moment, He will thoroughly, and starting from trauma in the childhood, clear and clean up pains in the heart.
All these will happen “on the mountain of the Lord of hosts” (25:6a). So, where is this holy mountain? St. Paul said, our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 3:16). The most important part of the body is our heart. Therefore, this holy mountain, this Kingdom of Heaven dwells in our hearts. This holy mountain is where God gathers His people. Therefore, this holy mountain, this Kingdom of Heaven is the Church community.
The Church lives up the evangelical spirit from which she derives a collection of universal values which are applicable anywhere in the world. For example, beneficence, justice, truth, freedom, integrity and tolerance etc. These are the “fat things, the wine on the lees” God has prepared for us, to nourish our human nature so that the image of God which is buried in our heart might be able to shine off.
Among the universal values, I would like to talk about the importance of freedom. God is free. So His images should also be free. If a man were not free so that whatever he did was done out of necessity, would he be held responsible for the things, the sins he had done? If people are given freedom, “man can fully discharge his capability, land can fully yield its produce and things can fully be utilized and goods can fully circulate.” (Sun Yat-sen, Letter to Viceroy Li Hongzhang, 1894) Then people can fully realize their potentials and allow the image of God to shine out clearly. Jesus once said, “and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32) Unfortunately, many fallacies are floating around in the city of Hong Kong. Now, I would like to discuss two fallacies related to Catholicism.
Firstly, Jesus said, “Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17) Superficially, this piece of gospel text seems to advocate the separation between the Church and the State: politics belongs to the government and religion to God. “River water does not mix with underground water”. However, tell me, what on earth does not belong to God? Nothing. Without exception, everything belongs to God, including Cæsar. Then, shall the Church meddle with every step in the running of the State? Of course not. Only when the policy of the State contradicts the evangelical spirit, contradicts justice, are Christians justified to intervene. For example, recently, the Equal Opportunities Commission is conducting the consultation of Anti-Discrimination legilation review. EOC introduces an Australian concept of “de facto relationships” which will undermine the family structure of one man and one wife. The Church cannot sit there like a duck.
Secondly, many people misunderstand that since the Pope is not elected through universal suffrage, Catholics are not qualified to talk about democracy. This is truly a fallacy. Wouldn’t it be that men cannot get pregnant and give birth to babies, therefore, men are not qualified to become a gynecologist and obstetrician? Therefore, the fact that the Pope was not voted in with one man one vote, does not disqualify Catholics from airing their views on democracy.
Now, let us return to the parable in the gospel (Matthew 22:1-14). Strangely enough, in the parable we read today, how come there were people who dared not giving face to the king by refusing to attain the king’s banquet (22:3, 5). What does that mean? The gospel reads, “... they went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.” (22:5-6) This made me think of what had happened to “Go Banqueting” in the past two weeks.
Since we are gifted differently, not everybody has the ability to address the crowd, has time to distribute the supplies or to maintain order etc. Some people can stay home to surf the Internet to dig up people’s background information, to write cheering songs or even to pray for Hong Kong. Everyone makes use of the charisma he receives from God to build up the Kingdom of Heaven.
On the other hand, some prefer going off to his farm, to his business and do not give face to the king by refusing to attend the banquet. Similarly, today, many people do not Go Banqueting because of the perceived financial losses. In the parable, the king did not force the farmers and businessmen to go banqueting. Rather, he was infuriated by those who used violence and intimidation to tear the society apart. God will surely make them pay for it.
Lastly, perhaps some people are successful in cheating the whole world, making a name and taking advantages. Although they might be able to fool the world, they will not be able to run away from God’s judgment. Woe to those who harbour ulterior motives, who do not practise what they speak, who do not go banqueting in wedding garments, God will expel them from the Kingdom of Heaven.
Dear brethren, nobody wants to see a tragic ending to the Go Banqueting, but nobody is able to come up with a good solution to the present situation. Let us humbly admit our inadequacy, pray for the mercy of God not to let our young people sustain unjustified injuries.
God bless.
**“Go Banqueting” is the code name of “Occupy Central Movement”, known internationally as the “Umbrella Revolution”
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