包神父、校長、各位老師、各位同學：
甚麼是終身執事呢？執事在新約的【宗徒大事錄】第六章與及一些保祿宗徒的書信中都有提及過，已有二千年的歷史。在服式上，大家可以見到，終身執事的聖帶是斜揹的，表示他們是僕人。神父的聖帶是直的，表示他們是祭司。所以雖然大家都是神職人員，但大家的工作範圍不同。執事是為了愛德服務，類似大家熟悉的社會福利工作；神父是做祭獻，教訓和管理的工作。在教會的歷史中，執事聖職曾一度被司鐸聖職所吸納，成為晉鐸的過渡階段。直到五十年前，天主教在梵蒂岡舉行第二屆全球主教的大公會議，落實天主教的現代化計劃。天主教因應世界的需要與及教會的內部的需要，恢復了終身執事的聖職，使福音能更有效的世上傳播。有別於過渡性的執事，終身執事是不會晉鐸成為神父、主教的。
人類經過文藝復興、啟蒙運動、法國大革命、美國獨立等事件的洗禮，以人為本的人權的思想逐漸抬頭。可惜，人心變得更自私、更邪惡，今日的世界變得更弱肉強食，有錢有權勢的一少撮人剝削，貧窮和弱勢的大多數。例如，今天在早會中與大家分享過的保護環境的問題，就是其中一個有財有勢的人，有財有勢的國家剝削貧窮和弱勢的人和國家的例子。美國最高法院上星期剛作出裁決，全國五十個州必須承認同性婚姻。世界各國馬首是瞻，香港的平機會主席也不甘後人。試問尊重同性戀者的人權的同時，有沒有尊重不能為自己爭取人權的嬰兒的人權呢？無論科技如何先進，嬰兒始終都是由異性結合所生的。現代化的天主教就要代表這些貧窮的人，貧窮的國家，未來世代的人和而現在沒有機會沒能力為自己發聲的人，本著福音的精神向強勢大國發出勸諭，「人在做，天在看。」
今天的福音講述伯多祿的故事。聖伯多祿原名是西滿。伯多祿Πέτρος是耶穌給西滿改的名字，是石頭rock的意思。中文翻譯為磐石，希臘文原文、拉丁文和英文的翻譯都祗是石頭，有聖經學者甚至認為它是一塊碎石pebble。無論翻譯成磐石還是碎石，耶穌的意思是在這塊石頭之上建立祂的教會。
同學們，不要低估天主的救恩，天主的智慧。為天主是沒有不可能的事的。以Mr. Kwok為例。他祗不過是一個在廉租屋邨長大，和你們一樣在教區中學就讀的學生，父母沒有能力供我到外國升學，我祗是靠政府免息貸款讀完大學，就立刻到社會找工作，供養父母，成家立室的一個普普通通的香港人。四份一個世紀之前，因為好性、沉迷拆解電腦軟件的鎖，結果引發糖尿病，每日要靠注射胰島素來保命。但天主仍揀選我做終身執事，為香港社會的弱勢社群做僕人。 所以各位同學，各位老師，向天主保持一個開放的心。因為天主在您們的身上，懷有慈愛的計劃，要求您們本著福音的精神，保衛香港，保衛這艘太空船。
現在我不是以Mr. Kwok的身份，而是以終身執事的身份與大家分享天主的說話。如果以Mr. Kwok的身份，好像今天的早會一樣，我會用英文與大家分享。但以終身執事的身份，大家現在所見的，是天主教神職人員中最低級的公務員，所聽的是香港天主教教區的語文政策，縱使我不認同，但我會服從用中文與大家分享。
的確，西滿祗不過是一個未有接受過教育而且性格衝動的漁夫，而且在人面前為了保命，三次否認自己的師父，犯下欺師滅祖的大罪。他的確是一塊微不足道的碎石；而且在歷史上，他的265個繼任人之中，大奸大惡的壞人，大有人在。但耶穌仍滿懷信心，把教會交託給這些卑微軟弱的人去管理，天主的智慧和恩寵是何其偉大，彌補了人性的軟弱和不足。
天主保佑。
Homily at Patron Saints’ Mass in STC
Supervisor, Principal, Teachers and students,
So, what is a permanent deacon? Acts 6 and several letters of St. Paul in the New Testament mention the works of deacons. So, they have been in existence for about 2000 years. As you can see from our vestments, the stole I wear runs diagonally across the chest, showing that deacons are servants. The stole worn by priests hangs vertically, showing that they are sacerdos. Though all of us are clergy, our ministries are different. Deacons do charity works, very much like social welfare nowadays. Sacerdos offer sacrifices, teach and govern. In the long history of the Catholic Church, the ministry of deacons was once incorporated by the priests, becoming a stepping stone to priesthood. Half a century ago, the Catholic Church convened the Second Vatican Council. More than 2000 bishops from all over the world came together to discuss and implement the modernization of the Catholic Church. In order to meet the needs of the modern world and her internal needs, the bishops decided to reinstall the ministry of permanent deacons so as to evangelize better. Unlike transient deacons, permanent deacons will remain deacons forever and will not be ordained priests or consecrated bishops.
Ever since the baptism of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the American Independence, the idea of humanistic human rights began to emerge. Unfortunately, men became more selfish and evil. The world today has become more jungle-like. The rich and powerful minority exploits the poor and disadvantaged majority. For example, the problem of environmental problem I shared with you in the morning assembly today. It is a prime example of how the rich and powerful people and the rich and powerful countries are exploiting the poor and disadvantaged. Last week, the US Supreme Court ruled that all US states must recognize same-sex marriage. Countries all over the world are expected to follow. The Chairman of our Equal Opportunity Commission has already voiced his view. Ask yourself, when we respect the human rights of homosexuals, have we honoured the human rights of babies who cannot defend their own rights? No matter how advanced technology is, babies can only be born of heterosexual parents. The modernized Catholic Church chooses to stand by the poor people, poor countries, the future generation and those whose opportunities as well as abilities to voice out their plights have been denied. Following the spirit of the Gospel, the Church exhorts the powerful that “God is watching your acts.”
The gospel story today talks about one of our patron saints, St. Peter. Simon was his original name. Jesus gave Simon a new name Πέτρος, meaning a rock. It was translated into bedrock in Chinese. However, some scholars disagree and think that it is only a pebble. No matter how the word is rendered, Jesus wants to build his Church on this rock, bedrock, pebble or whatever.
Shungtakians, do not underestimate God’s salvation and God’s wisdom. There is nothing impossible for God. Take me for an example. I was only a nobody grown up in a low-cost housing estate. Like all of you, I studied in one of the Catholic diocesan secondary schools. My parents could not afford to send me abroad to further my studies. I graduated from a local university on interest-free government loan. Like any other ordinary citizens of Hong Kong, I found a job after graduation to support my parents, got married to start my own family. More than a quarter of a century ago, I concentrated too much on cracking protected computer software that diabetes erupted. Consequently, I have to inject insulin daily to sustain my life. But God calls me to become a permanent deacon to serve the disadvantaged people of Hong Kong. Students and teachers, keep your hearts open to God. God has a loving plan in you, asking you to follow the spirit of the Gospel to protect Hong Kong, to protect this spaceship --- the Earth.
I am now sharing with you the Word of God, not in the capacity as Mr. Kwok but the capacity of a permanent deacon. If I were to speak as Mr. Kwok, like what I did this morning, I would be using English. But as a permanent deacon, as you now can see, a clergy of the lowest rank in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, I have to follow the language policy of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese even though I personally do not agree with it.
Indeed, Simon was only a fisherman. He had not received any formal education and his temper was impulsive. In order to save his own skin, he had even denied his master 3 times in front of all people. This is truly unforgivable and he is truly a meagre pebble. Throughout history, there have been many scalawags and devils among his 256 successors. But Jesus still has faith to allow them to govern the Church. How great God’s wisdom and grace is! He can make up the weaknesses and inadequacies of human nature.
God bless.
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