主題：我是拉匝祿
**舉行考核禮，選用甲年讀經。
四部福音之中，若望福音成書最晚，距離耶穌基督的復活升天事件，超過半過世紀。當時，三部對觀福音，即馬爾谷、路加和瑪竇已經流傳了大約二十年以上。所以除了一些重大事件，如若翰洗者的見証、醫治瞎子、癱子、五餅二魚、復活死人和受難復活等等之外，若望沒有重複其他福音的記載。他經過半過世紀的反省，領會到耶穌是降生成人的天主聖言。從這個角度出發，耶穌的一切言行，有了很超越的幅度。所以，若望福音是一部很深奧，但又必須閱讀反省的福音。
「復活拉匝祿」的故事，內容非常豐富，足以作為七日退省的默想材料。所以今天祗選讀短式，並默想其中部份片段。請大家在這個星期內，在家中誦讀並默想故事的全部。
故事的主角，除了耶穌之外，應該是拉匝祿了。在希伯來文，「拉匝祿」是「上主是救援」的意思。他的際遇，的確表達了天主的救援。不過，在整個故事中，甚至在所有的福音中，他並沒有說過一句話。他過著一般猶太人的生活，在他生前，沒有發生過有如他的姊妹瑪利亞那麼戲劇化的事件。他祗是默默地生活，默默地患病，默默地死去。雖然他祗是個最平凡不過的人，但令他的生命突出的，是他的兩個姊妹。我們不知道拉匝祿患的是甚麼病，但他患病時，他的姊妹便派人找耶穌，因此他的病並不輕。也正是瑪爾大和瑪利亞的信德，令拉匝祿得以復活，令許多猶太人也相信了耶穌。各位兄弟姊妹，做天主教徒並不一定要做轟轟烈烈的殉道者，或者做一個有如真福德蘭修女一樣聖德超著的聖人。就算是平凡有如拉匝祿的人，祗要配合天主的慈悲，一樣能令周圍的人，相信耶穌基督，接受耶穌基督為救主。
拉匝祿的遭遇與我們沒有分別：他有姊妹，他患病，他死去；我們一樣有自己的親人，也會患病，也會死去。不要以為信了耶穌便一帆風順，人見人愛，無災無難。作為耶穌的好朋友，耶穌所愛的人，也一樣會病，一樣會死。難道耶穌會願意看見他的好朋友受苦嗎？對不起！耶穌會！所以準備在復活節領洗的候洗者，請三思。作為耶穌的好朋友，拉匝祿和我們要也忍耐。倘若沒有耐性，也要學習忍耐罷！天主有祂的時間表，有祂的計劃。時機未成熟卻輕舉妄動，祗能落得失敗收場。所以，與耶穌做朋友，除了認識他，相信他，愛慕他之外，更要鍛鍊耐性。這就是我們經常說的「望德」了。望德就是在困難中所表現出的忍耐。
故事中，瑪爾大與耶穌的一段對話，非常微妙。首先，她埋怨耶穌來遲了。原來我們是可以埋怨天主的！而且耶穌並沒有因此而生氣。所謂「不如意事十常八九。」遇到病苦，遇到挫折失敗，遇到惡人當道等等，埋怨天主是可以的。天主是體諒的，祂不會因此而生氣。瑪爾大的埋怨始終掩蓋不了她的渴望。請注意瑪爾大祈求的方法，她的祈求是正確的，因為她並沒有指定天主要為她做甚麼。很多時候，當我們所關心的人病了，我們自然會求天主使他們痊癒。當我們看見惡人橫行霸道，我們自然會祈求天主鏟除他們等等。這樣的祈禱是錯誤的，因為我們這樣祈禱，是在吩咐天主怎樣做，這是試探而不是祈禱。我們應該求天主，賜力量予病者及家人，共渡難關；求天主給了惡人悔改的機會，造福市民。這個病、這個社會環境，是一個獲得天主恩寵，天主慈悲的機遇。
各位兄弟姊妹，「復活拉匝祿」的事蹟，提醒我們要與耶穌基督，建立並保持良好的關係。信從祂，渴望愛慕祂，在艱難困苦之中保持忍耐。在日常生活中這樣實踐信望愛三德，我們現在及在末日，便能享受天主源源不絕的永恆生命。各位候洗者，「復活拉匝祿」的事蹟，向您們保証了耶穌基督是生命的主宰。請您們忍耐，並恆心祈求，不久，耶穌基督要從黑暗之中，墳墓之中，解放您們。
整個故事是非常簡單的。耶穌來到伯達尼傳福音的時候，這一家人，包括瑪爾大、瑪利亞和拉匝祿，接待了耶穌，成為耶穌的好朋友。耶穌每次經過的時候，都會逗留在他們的家中。這個瑪利亞，就是曾經以香液傅抹耶穌，並以自己的頭髮擦乾耶穌的腳的婦人。今次，弟弟拉匝祿病了，耶穌過了幾天纔去探望他。結果，耶穌來遲了，拉匝祿已經死了。為了周圍的人的得救，耶穌決定到墳墓那裡，復活他的好朋友拉匝祿。結果，很多素來不接受耶穌的猶太人，也相信了耶穌。
瑪爾大祈求了，於是耶穌提示她，她是可以祈求她弟弟的復活。瑪爾大是相信復活的，但她以為復活是末日的事。於是耶穌糾正她，復活也是現世的事。耶穌說了一句很重要的道理，是整個事件的核心。耶穌說：「我就是復活，就是生命。」（若11:25）等一等，耶穌是一個人，復活卻是一個事件，一個過程，二者如何等同呢？其實，耶穌說這句話，旨在要我們注意到我們與祂的關係。耶穌基督是生命的主宰，生命的根源。如果我們快要死，甚至好像拉匝祿一樣死了，憑著我們與祂的關係，祂會令我們出死入生；如果我們生活著，憑著我們與祂的關係，祂會令我們的生命更豐富。當然，倘若我們犯罪，我們背叛祂，破壞了與祂的關係，我們的生命便會出現危機了，甚至埋沒良心，喪失生命。
天主保祐。
The Fifth Lent Sunday (Year A)
Theme: I AM LAZARUS
John was written last among the 4 canonical gospels, more than half a century from the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. At that time, the three Synoptic gospels, Mark, Luke and Matthew had been circulating for more than two decades. Except for some important incidents, such as the witness of John the Baptist, healing of the blind, the paralyzed, five loaves and two fish, raising the dead and the Passion/Resurrection narratives etc., John does not repeat what the Synoptic have written. After half a century of reflection, John realized that Jesus is the Word of God incarnate. From this perspective, the words and deeds of Jesus have assumed a transcendental dimension. Thus, John is a deep, but a must-read gospel.
The story of the "Raising of Lazarus" is rich in contents, enough for meditation in a 7-day retreat. So we read the short version and meditate a tiny section of it today. I ask you all to read and meditate the whole story within this week at home.
The story is very simple. When Jesus preached the gospel in Bethany, this family which consisted of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, received him and became Jesus' acquaintance. Every time Jesus came around, he would stay in their house. This Mary was the woman who anointed Jesus and wiped his feet dry with her hair. This time, their brother Lazarus fell sick and Jesus visited them only after he had tarried for a few more days. Consequently, Jesus arrived late and Lazarus had already died. For the sake of the people around, Jesus decided to go to the tomb to raise his good friend Lazarus. In the end, many Jews who had rejected Jesus before believed in him.
Besides Jesus, the main character in this story should be Lazarus. In Hebrew, Lazarus means "God has helped". What happened to Lazarus illustrates this name well. But throughout the whole story, even in all gospels, Lazarus did not say a single word. He led an ordinary life as a Jew. During his life time, nothing dramatic happened to him like Mary, his sister. He lived quietly, fell sick quietly and died quietly. His life was nothing but ordinary. What made his life extraordinary were his two sisters. We do not know of what illness he fell sick. But when he did, his sisters sent for Jesus. So, it must have been a serious illness. And because of the faith of Martha and Mary, Lazarus was raised, making a lot of Jews believe in Jesus. Brethren, it is not necessary for a Catholic to die martyrdom, nor to lead a saintly life like Blessed Mother Teresa. Even if we are as ordinary as Lazarus, working together with God's mercy, we can also convert our neighbour to believe in Jesus, to accept him as our Saviour.
What happens in our lives may not be radically different from that of Lazarus: he had sisters, fell sick and died. We too have our relatives. We do fall sick. We die. Do not think that after believing in Jesus, your life would become smooth, you would be liked by everybody and no harm would fall upon you. As a good friend of Jesus, a man whom Jesus loves, you fall sick and die like any other people do. But could Jesus want to see his good friend suffer? Sorry. Jesus could! Therefore those of you who are prepared to be baptised this Easter, think thrice! As a good friend of Jesus, Lazarus and we have to learn the virtue of patience. If you are short-tempered, learn to be patient! God has His own schedule. When the times were not right, any action would be futile. So, in order to befriend Jesus, besides knowing him, trusting in him and loving him, we need to beef up our patience. We usually call this the virtue of hope. Hope is the patience shown in times of difficulties.
The exchange between Martha and Jesus was subtle in the story. At first, Martha blamed Jesus for coming late. What? We may blame God and Jesus does not mind at all? We have more down's than up's in our life. When we fall sick, are frustrated or suffer unfairly under some bad guys, it is alright to blame God. God will understand. He will not be offended. Martha's frustration could not cover up her desires. Pay attention to how Martha prayed. The way she prayed was correct because she did not tell God what to do for her. Very often, when our loved ones fall sick, we pray to God for their recovery. When we meet bad guys harming the innocent, we pray to God to neutralize them. Praying in this way is wrong because we are telling God what to do. This is temptation rather than prayer. Instead, we should pray God to give strength to the patient and his family members to go through it; pray God to give the bad guys opportunities to repent to do good for the citizens. This illness, this social situation is an opportunity to receive God's grace, God's mercy.
Brethren, the story of "Raising Lazarus" reminds us to keep a good relation with Jesus Christ. Trust in him, desire and love him, keep our patience in times of difficulties. When we practise these theological virtues, we can enjoy the inexhaustible eternal life of God, now and at the hour of our death. Baptizees, the story of Lazarus guarantees you that Jesus Christ is the author of life. Be patient and pray unceasingly. Very soon, Jesus will liberate you from the darkness of your tomb.
Martha had prayed and Jesus prompted her to pray for the resurrection of her brother. Martha believed in resurrection but she thought that it would happen on the last day. So, Jesus corrected her. Resurrection is a contemporary event. Jesus declared an important dogma which is the core of the whole story. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25) Wait a minute. Jesus is a person and resurrection is an event, a process. How could the two be identical? In fact, Jesus wanted to draw our attention to our relationship with him. Jesus Christ is the author of life, the source of life. If we are dying or like Lazarus, dead, with our relationship with him, Jesus can bring us through death to come out alive. If we are living, with our relationship with him, Jesus can make our life more fulfilled. Of course, if we commit sins, rebel against him or compromise our relationship, we put our lives at risks. We even bury our conscience and lose our life.
God bless.
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