主題：洗禮是必要的嗎？
與大家分享福音的教訓之前，請大家先做一點思想上的熱身運動。在你們的朋友中，有沒有以下所描述的人呢？他是一個普通人，有固定收入，並無不良嗜好，又不是個作奸犯科的壞人。他對信仰沒有反感，甚至認為天主教的教義對社會很有益處，但始終沒有決心洗禮入教。他的理由很簡單：祗要信就足夠了，不需要洗禮這種繁文縟節。如果有類似這樣的朋友，請鎖定他的形像。首先，你認同他的看法嗎？洗禮的確是可有可無的。如果你不同意他的意見，你認為洗禮是必需的話，那你怎樣游說他領洗入教呢？
首先，這位朋友的論點，聽來振振有辭，可惜是錯誤的。更可惜，目前社會上有很多人都掉進這種思想的陷阱裡。他錯在那裡呢？他把「必須」的條件，變成為「充份」的條件。例如：身高165公分是做消防員的「必須」條件，但充份嗎？足夠嗎？當然還要考慮視力正常否，體能及格否？怎可以說，身高165公分就可以當消防員呢？例如：男女一起生活，最重要的是相愛。有愛就足夠了，不必結婚。的確，相愛是一起生活的必須條件，但祗有愛是不足夠的，還要考慮其他經濟、社會和法律等因素。又例如做生意講信用，有信用就足夠了，不必簽合約。的確，信用是做生意的必須條件，但祗有信用是不足夠的，還要考慮營商的社會及法律因素。所以，信耶穌得永生，係講個「信」字，洗禮入教是多此一舉的。你愛你的女朋友，但從來沒有任何行動表示，你真的愛她嗎？你相信耶穌，但從來沒有按耶穌、按教會的指示，做出相稱的行動，你真的相信耶穌嗎？
舊約有一個故事，相當有啟發性。話說一個敘利亞大將軍，名叫納阿曼，患有痲瘋。他妻子的一個女僕告訴主母在以色列有一個先知，名叫厄里叟，行過很多神蹟，相信他一定可以治好主人的痲瘋。於是納阿曼預備了厚禮，南下拜訪厄里叟，滿懷期望先知會在他面前一展身手，行神蹟治好他。豈料厄里叟在屋內，由他的僕人傳話，吩咐他到約旦河浸七次。納亞曼受到這樣的待遇，當然氣憤。便說，「難道敘利亞的河水，不比以色列所有的河水嗎？」當他轉身要走的時候，他的僕人上前勸諫他說：「主人，如果先知要求你做一件難事，你一定會做，何況他祗要求你去約旦河浸浸罷了。」（列下5:13）終於納阿曼放下自己的傲氣，到約旦河浸了，潔淨了。的確，天主又不是要求我們經歷九九八十一劫，纔得永生。倘若真的如此，我們絕對樂意遵從。現在，天主祗要求我們做一件區區小事，以表達我們相信耶穌。洗禮又有何難呢？難就難在好像納阿曼一樣，放下自己的驕傲。
一般人，包括這位朋友，拒絕受洗，多少是出於一份我行我素，不願跟隨別人所定下的規矩行事。這是一種過份看重自己的驕傲，忘記了自己是社會的一份子。人嚮往自由，不受約束是正常的，但人始終不過離開團體去生活。與其他人一起生活，總要放下一些自己的執著，互相遷就，守望相助，這樣纔合理，合乎公義。且看在今天的福音裡，耶穌亦願意放下天主子的尊嚴，接受一個受造物為他施洗。難道我們比耶穌還更神聖，不需要洗禮，清除我們的原罪、本罪嗎？
透過洗禮，我們不但獲得罪赦，而且，我們成為了天父的子女，並加入了一個蒙恩得救者所組成的團體，就團體就是教會。在這個擁有共同信仰的團體中，我們的天主子女身份，得到栽培，得以成長。教會透過不同的聖事，在不同的場合，祝福這靈性生命。教會團體舉行不同的禮儀、讀經、祈禱，強化我們的信仰。在座各位可能兒時已經領洗，可能二、三十年前領洗，恐怕已忘記了領洗的情況和感受了。所以參加教會的禮儀，尤其是復活節前夕的逾越禮儀，我們可以重溫成為天父子女的經歷，再次蒙受天主祝福的恩典。這不是我行我素的生活方式，可以獲得的幫助。
另一方面，教會本身亦是一件聖事。天主藉著這一個有形可見的團體，把祂的恩寵分施給全人類。教會不單內向地，為團體內的兄弟姊姐服務，教會更加要那天主的福音傳揚開去，使更多的人蒙受天主的祝福。這樣，教會便成為一個福源，一件聖事。履行傳福音的使命，亦非習慣單打獨鬥，我行我素的人所容易完成的。因此，領洗入教，成為天主的子女，互相支持，合力傳揚福音，是必要的。
在今天的主受洗節，但願天主慈悲對待我們，繼續降福我們，讓我們認清作為天主子女是何等恩寵；並賞賜我們勇氣和力量，在生活中作耶穌基督作証，讓眾人得救，讓我們成為一個福源。
天主保祐。
Feast of the Lord's Baptism
Theme: Is Baptism necessary?
Before we share the gospel teaching today, I would like to do some mental warmup exercises with you. Find out, among your friends, whether anybody fits the following description. He is quite ordinary with fixed income, no adverse habits and not a criminal. He has no objection against religions. He even thinks that Catholic doctrines are beneficial to the society. But he could not make up his mind to get baptized and becomes a Catholic. His reason is very simple: Faith alone is enough. We don't need these rituals to be saved. If you have friends who fit this description, focus on one of them. First of all, do you agree with his view? Baptism is optional. If you disagree and think that baptism is essential, then how would you convince him to get baptized and become a Catholic?
Firstly, the logic of this man sounds reasonable. Unfortunately, it is a fallacy. Even worse, nowadays many people in this society fall into this mental trap. What is wrong with this logic? Simply put, he turns a necessary condition into a sufficient condition. For example, having a height of 165 cm is a necessary condition to be a firefighter in Hong Kong. But is height alone sufficient? Is it adequate? Of course not. We need to consider other factors such as good eye-sight and a strong body. How can we say having a height of 165 cm is enough to make you a firefighter? Similarly, love is the most important factor for a couple to live together. But can you say that having love is enough? It is not necessary to get married. Truly, love is a necessary condition for a couple to live permanently together, but love alone is not sufficient. We need to consider other financial, social and legal factors as well. Yet another example, doing business is based on trust. Having trust is enough. There is no need to enter into a contract. Indeed, trust is a necessary condition to do business, but trust alone is not enough. We need to consider entrepreneurship, social and legal factors. Therefore, in order to attain eternal life, we should have faith in Jesus. Faith alone is the determining factor. Baptism is irrelevant! You claim that you love your girlfriend, but you never show any signs of love. Do you really love her? You claim to believe in Jesus, but you never follow the instructions of Jesus or his Church to perform acts compatible with your faith. Do you genuinely believe in Jesus?
An Old Testament story is enlightening in this case. Once upon a time, there was a Syrian general, Naaman, who was a leper. A maid of his wife told the mistress that Elisha, an Israelite prophet, had worked many miracles and might be able to cure his leprosy. So, Naaman prepared a lot of gifts, went south to visit Elisha, expecting to see him work a miracle to cure him. However, Elisha stayed inside a house and sent his servant to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times. Receiving such ‘hospitality', it was only natural for Naaman to be furious. He said, "Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be cleansed?" When he turned and went away in a rage, his servant went up to advise him. "My Lord, if the prophet had commanded you to do some difficult things, would you not have done it? How much rather he only asked you to wash in the Jordan?" (2 Kings 5:13) At last, Naaman put down his pride, washed in the Jordan and was cleansed. Indeed, God does not ask us to go through "81 tribulations" 1in order to attain eternal life. Even if God did, we definitely would be willing to comply. Now, God only asks us to do a very minor thing to show our faith in Jesus. What is it that makes baptism so difficult? Like Naaman, it is difficult to put down our pride.
Most people, including our friend we focus on above, refuses baptism out of individualism, out of a reluctance to follow instructions laid down by the others. A sense of pride makes them forget they are members of a society. A desire for freedom from restrains is normal but man cannot live alone in isolation. When we stick together in a community, we need to put down our idiosyncrasies, to give and take as well as to become a keeper of each other. That is reasonable and fair. Take a look at the gospel story today, Jesus was willing to put down his dignity as the Son of God and received baptism from the hand of one of his own creatures. Are we holier than Jesus and do not need baptism to cleanse us of our Original Sin and actual sins?
Through baptism, not only are our sins forgiven, but we also become children of the Heavenly Father and are admitted into a community of the redeemed. This community is the Church. Our identity as children of God grows and gets nourished in this community which shares the same faith. The Church blesses our spiritual life in different occasions through sacraments. The Church community strengthens our faith in different liturgies, bible sharing and prayer meetings etc. We were baptized at our infancy or perhaps twenty, thirty years ago. I am afraid most of us have forgotten the scene and feelings of our baptism. Therefore we experience once again, receive God's blessings once again, how we became God's children in Church liturgies, especially during the liturgy of Passover in Easter Vigil. This support cannot be obtained in an individualistic life style.
On the other hand, the Church is a sacrament herself. Through this visible community, God bestows his grace to the whole world. The Church does not only serve inwards the brethren in the Church, but she also needs to spread the gospel, to make more people receive God's blessing. Then, the Church becomes a source of blessing, a sacrament. It is rather impossible for the individualistic, for the lone rangers to accomplish this mission of evangelization. So, in order to become children of God, to support each other, to cooperate to spread the baptism, baptism is indispensable.
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Lord's Baptism. May God have mercy on us, continue to bless us and allow us to see clearly what grace it is to become God's children. Bestow on us courage and strength to bear witness to Jesus Christ in our daily life so that all may be saved. Let us be a fountain of blessing.
God bless.
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