主題：相信復活有多難？
相對耶穌的門徒，我們的信仰經驗可能沒那麼深刻。不是因為我們沒有同耶穌生活過，或者沒有親眼見過耶穌所行過的神蹟；而是我們「事後孔明」，明知耶穌會三日後復活，所以他經歷的受難變得不那麼痛、門徒在耶穌死後的三天不需要那麼徬徨、相信耶穌的復活有多難？祂的復活是理所當然的。殊不知這得來容易的信仰，失去亦容易。
今天選讀的福音，我不會默想瑪利亞瑪達肋納的部份。可能我是個比較理性的人，很難明白瑪達肋納祗見到堵住墓門的石頭滾開了，根本未進入墳墓，憑甚麼說耶穌的屍體被人搬走了呢？希望各位女仕在默想福音的這一部份的時候，若有甚麼得著，請不吝賜教，我真的沒有這個恩寵，去明白聖女瑪達肋納的思想。
今天我想和大家分享另外兩個門徒的經驗。請大家注意，凡是在若望福音提到的若望，總是若翰洗者，沒有例外。那麼，十二宗徒之中的若望呢？福音用了另一個稱號，就是「主所愛的門徒」。在宗徒大事錄的記載中，初期教會，特別是新成立的耶路撒冷教會的事蹟之中，經常把伯多祿與若望，相提並論。參考過宗徒大事錄之後，我們可以作出以下的結論：那個在若望福音所記載的「主所愛的門徒」是指若望。
一如我在開始時提及過，我們都是「事後孔明」，已經知道耶穌復活了。這信仰得來太容易了！讓我挑戰大家。你憑甚麼相信耶穌復活了呢？你見過復活了的耶穌基督嗎？各位兄弟姊妹，我大膽地說，耶穌是真的，而且耶穌是認真的。倘若你要我拿出客觀的証據，對不起，欠奉。我是在領職前的七天退省中，每天跪在聖體櫃前九個小時，默想指導神師指派的聖經章節，受到耶穌基督的感動，連續七天都痛哭流涕。耶穌，祢是真實的；祢的呼召是認真的。
且看福音的記載。若望到了墳墓，俯身看到了殮布，卻沒有進去。伯多祿剛好相反，他到了，進入了墳墓，看到了殮布和汗巾。當若望進入墳墓，一看便相信了（若20:8）。相信了甚麼？若望一看到殮布和汗巾，就相信主耶穌基督復活了。用今天的法証要求，這樣的所謂証據，又怎能排除其他的可能性，例如有人盜墓呢？若望相信是因為他熱愛耶穌，這空的墳墓，這曾包裹耶穌的殮布已足夠了。另一方面，福音卻沒有記載伯多祿看見後相信了。可能在伯多祿的心中，暗叫不妙，對於猶太宗教領袖或羅馬政府的指控，肯定百辭莫辯。兩種心情，看見相同的物件；結果是一個相信了，一個仍然很煩惱。
各位兄弟姊妹，大家曾經領洗，可以獲得天主的恩寵，分享祂的永恆生命。可是，大家洗禮前有的病，今天還有；從前有的壞習慣，今天仍未戒除；以前坐輪椅，今天仍要坐輪椅…為甚麼領了洗，我仍會犯罪，仍然有病呢？所以我說，我們必須經歷伯多祿的掙扎，努力行動，實踐耶穌的誡命，履行神形哀矜，並且勤力讀經祈禱，在生活中，在弱勢社群中，重新發現復活了的耶穌基督，並且愛慕祂，達到若望的境界。那時，我們可以快快樂樂地坐在輪椅上，享受我們的病、我們的惡習，因為一切都已成了新的。說不定，慈悲的天主會命令我們離開輪椅，去為祂的復活，為祂的慈悲做見証。
耶穌被釘死，被埋葬，已是第三天了。安息日過了，門徒們躲藏著，有如驚弓之鳥，恐怕公議會會探取行動，剷除耶穌的餘黨。大清早，忽然瑪達肋納跑來說耶穌的屍體被人搬走了，他們當然半信半疑，要去墳墓看過究竟。若望比較年青，跑得比伯多祿快，先到了耶穌的墳墓，這是很合理的。不過，除了年齡之外，還有另一個理由解釋為何若望先到墳墓，就是因為若望深愛耶穌，或者說，若望比伯多祿更愛耶穌。他的心是多麼想念耶穌，多麼渴望再次見到耶穌的臉。
另一方面，伯多祿是一個行動型的人，非常衝動，且看他如何在耶穌被捕時拒捕，拔劍砍下大司祭僕人的耳朵，可見一班。伯多祿一定很希望事件可以儘快得到澄清，因為耶穌已經死了，倘若耶穌的屍首失了蹤，大司祭就會指控他們偷了屍，然後散播謠言…那就更麻煩了。兩種心情，同一個行動，結果是愛耶穌的先到達墳墓，相解決問題的，反而遲來。各位兄弟姊妹，我們應該自我檢討，我們親近耶穌，是出於熱愛耶穌，想望耶穌而去親近他；還是為了想解決問題而去親近耶穌呢？請注意，我不是說伯多祿的心情或者動機是錯誤的，相反，是必要的。為甚麼是必要的呢？因為我們沒有經歷那三天失去耶穌的痛苦。所以我們必要經歷伯多祿的掙扎，纔能有若望的境界。
天主保祐。
Easter Sunday
Theme: Is believing in resurrection that difficult?
Compared to the disciples of Jesus, our religious experience is probably not so profound. It is not because we have not lived with Jesus, or seen his miracles. Rather, it is because we are too familiar with the resurrection of Jesus. We know that Jesus came back to life on the third day. Therefore, his Passion becomes less painful. His disciples need not to be so desperate within those three fateful days. What makes it so difficult to believe in Jesus' resurrection? His resurrection is taken for granted. But it turns out that what comes easily goes easily as well.
I will not meditate on the Mary Magdalene part of the gospel today. Perhaps I am a rather rational person. It is difficult for me to understand how Magdalene, who had only seen the stone rolled aside and had not entered the tomb, could jump to the conclusion that someone had taken Jesus' corpse away. I hope the ladies in the audience could share with me what you get after you have meditated on this part of the gospel. Frankly speaking, I do not have the grace to fathom the thought of St. Mary Magdalene.
Today, I want to share with you the experience of two other disciples. Take note that whenever "John" is mentioned in the gospel of John, it is always without exception John the Baptist. What about the John of the Twelve? The gospel makes use of another title, "the disciple whom the Lord loves". In the narration of the early Church in the Acts of the Apostles, in particular the Church of Jerusalem, Peter and John were always mentioned together. From Acts, we can draw the following conclusion: John was the disciple whom the Lord loved.
Just as what I have mentioned earlier, we are familiar with the resurrection of Jesus. This faith comes too easily. Let me challenge you. By what do you believe in Jesus' resurrection? Have you seen the risen Jesus Christ? Dear Brethren, I boldly claim that Jesus is real and he is for real. If you ask me for objective proofs, sorry there is none. During my pre-ordination 7-day retreat, I knelt before the tabernacle for nine hours a day, meditating the scriptures assigned by my spiritual director. I was touched and wailed for seven days. Jesus, you are real. Your call is for real.
Take a look at the narrative in the gospel. When John came to the tomb, he stooped to look in and saw the linen cloths lying there. He did not enter. Peter was just the opposite. He arrived, entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths and the napkin. When John then entered, he saw and believed (John 20:8). What did he believe? John saw that linen cloths and napkin. Then he believed that Jesus Christ had risen. Following the standard of forensic science today, how can this so called evidence exclude other possibilities such as tomb raiding? John believed because he loved Jesus. This empty tomb and the linen cloths which had wrapped up the corpse of Jesus were enough. On the other hand, the gospel does not tell us whether Peter believed after seeing. Perhaps in Peter's mind, he became more uneasy. There would be no defence against the accusations of the Jewish authority or the Roman government. Seeing the same objects, but with two different frames of mind, one believed and the other was troubled.
Brethren, you were baptized and are able to receive God's grace and partake in His eternal life. But the illness you had before baptism, you still have today. The bad habits you had, you still cannot kick them. You sat on wheelchair before and today you are still sitting on it... Why, after baptism, do we still commit sins and are still sick? That is why I said we need to undergo Peter's struggle, act hard, put Jesus' commandments into practice, perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy, study the scripture earnestly and pray hard etc. in order to rediscover the risen Jesus Christ and love him in our daily life and among the disadvantaged. By then, we may sit happily on our wheelchairs; enjoy our illnesses and bad habits because he has made all things anew. Perhaps the merciful God may command us to get up from our wheelchairs to bear witness for His resurrection and mercy.
It was already the third day after Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Sabbath was over and the disciples were hiding like sitting ducks. They feared that the Sanhedrin would take action to wipe out the accomplices of Jesus. Early in the morning, Magdalene suddenly came to tell them that the body of Jesus was stolen. Of course they would not totally believe her. They needed to find out. John was younger and ran faster than Peter. He arrived at the tomb first. It was reasonable. But besides age, there is one more factor that explains why John arrived first. John loved Jesus deeply, or put it in another way, John loved Jesus more than Peter did. How much John missed Jesus! How much John desired to see Jesus again!
On the other hand, Peter was a man of action. He was impulsive too. Look at how he drew a sword to resist arrest and cut off an ear of a servant of the High Priest. Peter must have wished to clear up the mess as quickly as possible because Jesus had already died. If his corpse went missing, the High Priest would accuse them of stealing the corpse and spreading rumour ... That would become more troublesome. Here, we have two different frames of mind but the same action. In the end, the one who loved Jesus arrived first while the one who wanted to clean up the mess came later. Brethren, we should examine ourselves. When we want to come closer to Jesus, do we do it out of love or do we want to solve our problems? Be careful, I did not say that Peter's mind or motivation were wrong. On the contrary, they were necessary. Why? It is because we have not experienced the pains of losing Jesus for three days. Therefore, we need to experience the struggles of Peter before we can attain John's state of mind.
God bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment