常年期第33主日（乙年）
主題：對待末日的正確態度
2003年，當香港人還未認識SARS病毒時，人心惶惶，很多人做了些不理性的行為，例如搶購白醋、搶購板藍根等。這是因為大家不知道真相，謠言滿天，又怕執輸，就很容易掉進思想的陷阱，於是不得不搶購。再加上我們抱怨社會，看不到有出路時，羊群心理變成了最安全的選擇。但人做你做，隨波逐流，你就失去了自主，使你變得不自由，不能做一些對自己真正有益的事了。
另一個群眾容易受騙的思想陷阱就是有關世界末日的預言。相信世界有末日並不是錯的，因為聖經，還有耶穌都有論及世界末日。可惜有些有魅力的人，為了滿足一己的私慾，妖言惑眾，令很多人蒙受金錢、肉體甚至精神上的損失。例如，最近一次的所謂「瑪雅預言」說2012年12月21日是世界末日。末日前，不少末日電影、末日書籍已賺了不少錢。當年還有某個活躍於天水圍銀座的教派，教人預備「末日求生背囊」及其他裝備，教主從每人身上騙取了幾萬元。所以末日這個思想陷阱，可以害人不淺，不可不防。那麼，有關末日，聖經和耶穌有甚麼教訓呢？大家必需認清有關末日的真理。一方面可以自衞，避免蒙受損受；另一方面亦可以幫助身邊的親友。
如果再有人嚇唬你，說某月某日是世界末日，你便告訴他：「朋友，請讀一讀馬可福音13章32節吧！」，即是今天所讀的福音的最後一句。「子」是天主子，是耶穌。連天主子也不知而你知，你的確比耶穌還偉大啊！好了！讓我們認真地認識耶穌對世界末日的教訓。
首先，論說一種內容，必須使用一套配合的語言。例如，說愛情的故事，總少不了一男一女在花前月下，山盟海誓，或者站到船頭說you jump I jump的浪漫語言。如果用這套語言講述兩隊軍隊在戰場上交鋒，又怎能表達到那種「千軍萬馬，鋒煙四起，殺得鬼哭神號，日月無光，血流成河」的慘況呢？因此，要講世界末日，當然就有一套配合末日的語言。問題在於沒有人經歷過末日。所以，聖經的作者或者耶穌祗能用一些象徵性的圖像去表達。當然，十六世紀有一個法國預言家，很受西方社會推崇，因為他很多的預言都應驗了。問題是，十六世紀的他和第一世紀的耶穌，會如何表達他們所看見到的廿一世紀的洲際飛彈，智能電話呢？或三十世紀的不知名物體呢？所以，說末世論的人要用象徵的語言。
讓我們試一試解讀馬爾谷福音的末世論吧。
「在災難以後」是指前段所提及過的戰爭、地震、饑荒、當權者對基督徒的迫害及假默西亞、假先知的出現。這些都是司空見慣的事，每個世紀，無日無之。至於「太陽昏暗」當然不可能是太陽本身的燃料耗盡，溫度降低而變暗，這將會是七十六億年後的事。最大可能的天文現像是日蝕。「月亮不再發光」月亮從來沒有發光，祗有反射太陽的光。太陽昏暗，月亮當然沒有光了。「星辰要在天上墜下」當然是指隕石吧。「天上的萬象也要動搖」。如果真的發生，那就麻煩了。天文學家看天像，最大的障礙是來自保護地球的大氣層，所以科學家設計了哈勃望遠鏡，送到外太空去觀星，把影像傳回地球。如果天上萬象動搖，恐怕是我們賴以生存，保護著地球的這件外衣出了事，那的確是世界末日了。
可是，耶穌不一定在描述天文現像。因為我們所認識的天文學，要到16世紀初纔完全擺脫占星術，科學化地描述及解釋天文現像。所以，耶穌所用的極有可能是占星術的語言。古代的占星術是為帝王服務的，有賢士從東方來朝拜新生王耶穌就是一個好例子。所以，耶穌所說的，可能是指一些政治災難而不是天文災難。有可能是指某次各國領袖聚集在一起，商議世界大局時，發生了恐怖襲擊；導致各國突然出現政治真空，群龍無首，引發失控的社會混亂，也未可知。（是不是很好的電影橋段呢？）因此，凡是言之鑿鑿，用現代科學語言解釋這些末世現象的，錯的機會很大。
其實，耶穌教訓的重點不在這些天災人禍，而在於祂要重臨，收拾殘局，施行判決。有開始就必有結束。天主創造的天地萬物，受到罪惡的污染，是不完美的，不斷變化的。變壞的有變壞的結局，變好的有變好的結局。這是合理的。在一切結束之前，出於慈悲，天主曾降生成人，干預變壞的趨勢，幫助信賴祂的人悔改，變好。並派遣聖神保存所有的信徒，直到世界結束的時候。
為甚麼身為天主子的耶穌，竟然不知道世界末日的時間和日期呢？試想一想，倘若這個日子真的要公開，誰有足夠的權威宣佈，令全人類信服呢？教宗可以嗎？總有人不服教宗的。聖彌額爾總領天使夠實力吧，連撒殫也打敗。通常，天主會給四十天限期的，例如約納先知的故事。公佈後四十天，世界的局勢會變成怎樣呢？金錢還有用嗎？需要搶購及儲備糧食嗎？有甚麼未嘗的心願要了結呢？世局的混亂情況，恐怕連總領天使也沒有足夠的能力控制場面，因為天使也是有限的受造物，而總領天使通常是一個國家的主保。所以，天主是不會給四十天限期，而是直接了當結束這個世界，因為祂而預先張揚了二千年！那麼，天主子也不必知道那日子了。
既然世界在甚麼時候末日是一個不可泌漏的天機，最好的應對辦法當然就是經常保持醒寤，讀經祈禱，愛主愛人。不久就會開始慈悲禧年，是一個重投慈悲天父懷抱的好機會。請密切留意教區的安排，並積極投入。
天主保祐。
Thirty-third Ordinary Sunday (Year B)
Theme: The proper attitude toward the end of the world
In 2003 when Hong Kong citizens knew nothing about the SARS virus, when nearly everybody panicked, many people acted irrationally. E.g. many rushed to stockpile white vinegar and roots of Strobilanthes cusia Kuntze. People acted as such because they did not know the truth and the society was flooded with all kinds of rumours. People did not want to miss anything or to be left behind. They fell easily into fallacies and had no choice but to stockpile. When people had grievances and were not able to see any way out, herd mentality seems to be the safest bet. But if you follow others, you lose your autonomy and are not able to do the right thing for yourself.
People fall prey easily to doomsday prophecies. To believe in the end of the world is not the problem because the Bible and even Jesus teach about the end time. Unfortunately, some greedy charismatic people cheat the public to benefit themselves. Consequently, many people suffer financially, physically and even mentally. For example, the recent “Maya Prophecy” was interpreted as a prediction that the end of the world would come on 21 December 2012. Before this Doomsday, a lot of books and movies have made a lot of money. A particular cult which has been active in Ginza, Tin Shui Wai persuaded believers to prepare a survival kit. The cult leader was reported to have cheated tens of thousands of dollars from each person. Thus, we must be cautious and stay alert against these doomsday prophecies in order to minimize our losses. But what does Jesus teach about the end of the world? We have to learn the truth about the end. On one hand, it is a self-defence, to avoid losing money. On the other, we will be able to help our relatives and friends.
Next time when somebody wants to scare you that the end of the world falls on a certain day, tell him straight, “My friend, please read Mark 13:32!” Mark 13:32 is the last sentence in the gospel we read today. The Son was Jesus, the Son of God. Even the Son of God does not know. Oh! How great you are since you know what the Son of God does not know! OK, don’t be so sarcastic. Let us seriously learn what Jesus teaches about the end of the world.
First of all, in order to tell a story, we need an appropriate set of vocabulary for that particular genre. For example, love stories. You need romantic words and phrases to describe how a boy and a girl meet in a moon-lit evening in a secret garden, pledge their devotion, or stand at the bowsprit to chant “you jump I jump”. If only this language is available, how can we speak of the engagement of two armies, how tens of thousands of chariots charging into each other in battle cries, smoke spewing, blood spilling and the sun reddening etc. Therefore, we need another set of vocabulary to talk about the end of the world. The problem is that nobody has experienced the end. Therefore, the authors of the Bible and even Jesus had to make use of symbolic languages to describe the “scene”. Nostradamus of the 16th century was widely accepted as a Seer of the future in Western societies. Many of his prophecies have come true. The problem is how would the 16th century Seer or even 1st century Jesus describe what they saw in the 21st century, such as ICBM or smart phones? Or some 30th century objects whose names we know not. Therefore, speakers of eschatology need to employ symbolic languages.
Now, let us try to understand the eschatology of St. Mark.
“After that tribulation” means the disasters mentioned previously, wars, earthquakes, famines, persecutions of Christians, false Messiahs and false prophets etc. There is nothing extraordinary about them. They nearly appear in the newspaper on a daily basis. “The sun will be darkened” does not mean the sun has burnt out and consequently its temperature drops and looks darkened. This will happen 7.6 billion years later. Most probably, it is a natural astronomical phenomenon, a solar eclipse. “The moon does not give its light.” As we all know, the moon has never given any light before. It only reflects the light of the sun. If the sun is eclipsed, the moon will naturally have no light to reflect. “And the stars will be falling from heaven” means of course meteors. But if “The powers in the heavens will be shaken” actually takes place, we will be in deep trouble. The biggest obstacle to astronomical observations is our atmosphere. Therefore, scientists sent the Hubble Telescope to the outer space to capture star images free from atmospheric interferences and send them back. If on earth the stars look shaken, it means the atmosphere which protects us, on which our existence relies, has been compromised. This will truly spell the end of our world.
But Jesus might not be talking about astronomical signs. The astronomy we know today was able to break herself off from astrology since the 16th century, to describe and explain astronomical phenomena scientifically. So, Jesus was most likely speaking in astrological terms. In ancient times, astrology served kings. The Magi from the east is just one such example. Most likely Jesus was talking about some political disasters rather than astronomical ones. Most likely, when all world leaders came together, nobody survived a terrorist attack. A power vacuum appeared in all countries. It was chaotic beyond control. (Does it sound like a movie plot?) Thus, when doomsday prophets package their prophecies in concrete scientific terms, they are very likely to be on the wrong side.
Jesus’ eschatological teaching is not about the disasters but his returning to pick up the pieces and to judge the world. Where there was a beginning, there will be an end. The Cosmo created by God was contaminated by sin. It is no longer beautiful and undergoes continuous changes. Some change for the worse and will end badly while some for the better and will end well. This is logically. But before the end comes, out of His mercy, God took up human flesh to intervene the worsening trend. He helps those who believe in him repent to turn good and sends the Holy Spirit to preserve them until the end comes.
Why doesn’t the Son of God know the end time? Try to imagine, who on earth would have enough authority to command the whole humanity to believe in him once the date were revealed? The Pope? There are many people who do not accept the Pope. What about the archangel Michael? He is able to defeat Satan. Usually, God gives a grace period of 40 days, such as in the case of Jonah. What would happen in those 40 days after the great revelation? What would the world become? Would money be of any use? Stockpiling? Would there be anything you would regret not to do before the end? The world would be so chaotic that not even an archangel would be able to control the situation because angels are also finite creatures. An archangel is authorized to take care of only one country, not the whole world. So, God will not give such a grace period and will end the world directly because He has already told you for more than 2000 years. So, it is not necessary for the Son of God to know when.
Since the end time is a topmost secret, the best strategy is to stay vigilant all the time, to study the Bible, to pray, to love each other and to love God. Very soon, the Jubilee Year of Mercy will begin. It is a good opportunity to repent and return to the merciful bosom of the Father. Pay close attention to the calendar of the Diocese and participate actively.
God bless.
