主題：聆聽天主的召叫
復活期第四主日是「善牧主日」，默想耶穌的善牧身份。這個主日同時又是「聖召主日」，為司鐸的聖召祈禱。作為一個終身執事，今天我想自私一點，趁機介紹「終身執事」的職務。
讓我們重溫自己的蒙召過程，反省自己的職務。在今天的福音裡，耶穌說：「我的羊聽我的聲音。」（若10:27）我們曾聽到耶穌的召叫，領洗入教，成為一個天主教徒，分擔了耶穌的君王、先知和司祭的三重職務。我們每一個都成了君王、先知和司祭。當我們幫助有困難的人，服務有需要的人的時候，我們在替天行道，拓展天國，我們在履行君王的職務。當我們與所接觸到的人分享我們的信仰，捍衛教會的立場的時候，我們向世人傳達了天主的教訓，我們在履行先知的職務。當我們祈禱，參加彌撒，祭獻天主，我們在履行司祭的職務。不過，我們不是主祭。其實，我們所履行的，全是一般的君王、先知和司祭職務。
另一方面，天主教會是一個約有十二億天主子民所組成的龐大團體，媲美世上的超級大國。有如一個國家，教會需要公務員，為這些天主子民服務。因此，便需要有人負擔起這些「公務君王職」，負責管治堂區、教區、傳教區等的工作；負擔起「公務先知職」，負責訓導的工作，確保天主子民的信仰和道德正確；負擔起「公務司祭職」，負責主持祭禮，施行聖事，靈修培育等工作。這些公務員便組成了教會中的「神職班」。和俗世的政府機關一樣，這些教會的公務員，行使權力，就是為了服務天主的子民。
戰後，隨著經濟的復甦和發展，社會變得富裕，生活水準提高了，結果人變得更自私，更自我封蔽。在貧困的時候，人懂得「守望相助」的重要。為其他人的益處，一己的損失算不了甚麼。可是，一旦人富裕了，自給自足了，便忘記了為大眾謀福利的重要，自己變得最重要。在這種氛圍之下生活，越來越少人回應天主的呼召，獻身為天主的子民服務。
讓我舉兩個例子，讓大家反省缺乏聖召的後果如何嚴重。
恢復了「終身執事」聖職，雖然可以暫時應付缺乏司鐸聖召的燃眉之急，但在香港，大部份的終身執事都是在接近退休的年齡時，纔領受聖職。他們頂多祗能為教會奉獻出二十年的生命，為天主子民服務。不久，到了七十五歲，又再一次退下來了。因此，終身執事的聖召，是不能取代司鐸聖召的。倘若在可見的將來，大家不願意見到沒有神父主持彌撒聖祭，祗能從執事手中領受「隔夜」聖體的話，請大家認真用心聆聽耶穌的聲音，慷慨地回應祂的聖召。並祈求天主聖神賦予恩寵，能明辨天父的計劃，有充足的力量和勇氣，踏出回應聖召的第一步。
「終身執事」不同於「過渡性執事」。他們是晉鐸過程的最後實習階段，當執事一年半載後便晉鐸。我們永遠停在執事的品位，奉主教的任命，主要從事愛德服務、宣講聖言和服務祭台的工作。終身執事與其他神職人員不同之處，在於已婚男士也可被祝聖為終身執事。因此，我們有幸可以在妻子有生之年，領受所有的聖事（我這樣說是接受了男性的壽命比女性短的現象）。 這是我們的優勢，我們的吸引之處。不過，大家不可不知，作為終身執事的限制。
首先，終身執事沒有神權聽告解，赦罪。引申第二個限制，終身執事不能為病人傅油，因為傅油聖事有赦罪的功效。第三，終身執事不能祭獻天主。即是說，他們不能舉行彌撒聖祭和祝聖聖體聖血。
在港島有一所由修女主理的著名女校，因為修會缺乏聖召，現有的修女已不能負擔繁重的教學工作。後來修會找到了另一個女修會作為辦學團體，使學校可以繼續運作下去。又過了一段時間，接手的女修會同樣因為缺乏聖召的問題，要撤離香港。最後，由一個平信徒的團體接辦。注意，我並不質疑這個平信徒團體的辦學質素。我祗想指出缺乏聖召，可以帶來很多不理想的後果。
另一個修會也是缺乏聖召，在加拿大的總會祗餘下年紀老邁的修女。為了供養照顧她們，修會不得不變賣土地和物業，修會的前景並不樂觀。
天主保祐。
Fourth Easter Sunday (Year C)
Theme: Listen to God's Call
The fourth Easter Sunday is the Sunday of the Good Shepherd. We meditate how Jesus discharged his shepherd role. This Sunday is also the Vocation Sunday to pray for priestly vocation. As a permanent deacon, I will be a bit selfish to take this opportunity to explain briefly the ministry of permanent deacons.
Let us recall the experience of our vocation and reflect on our ministry. In the gospel reading today, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice." (John 10:27) We have heard Jesus' call, baptized and become Catholics to share Jesus' threefold ministry of a king, prophet and priest. Each and every one of us has been turned into a king, a prophet and a priest at baptism. When we help people in difficulties and serve the needy, we do God's will to expand the Kingdom of Heaven. We are doing a kingly ministry. When we share our faith with people we meet and defend the position of the Church, we are bringing God's teachings to the world, doing a prophetic ministry. When we pray and offer the sacrifice of Mass to God, we are performing a priestly ministry. But we are not the chief celebrant. In fact, all of us are only doing ordinary kingly, prophetic and priestly ministries.
On the other hand, the Catholic Church is a huge community made up of about 1.2 billion People of God, comparable to any superpowers in this world. Like a country, the Church needs civil servants to serve the People of God. Thus, we need people to take up the "ministerial kingly office" to govern the parishes, dioceses and apostolic vicariates etc.; to take up the "ministerial prophetic office" to teach and proclaim the Gospel, to ensure that the faith and morality of the People of God are right; to take up the "ministerial priestly office" to celebrate mass, to administer sacraments and to promote spiritual formation etc. These civil servants make up the Hierarchy. Like civil servants in secular governments, the clergy is endorsed authority for the service of the People of God.
With the revival and growth of economies after the War, societies have become rich and the living standards have been raised. As a result, people become more self-centred and autistic. When people were poor, they understood the importance of mutual support. For the benefits of the others, self-sacrifice was taken for granted. But when people become rich and self-sufficient, they forget the importance of the common good. Self has become the most important. Living in this milieu, less and less people respond to God's call to commit themselves to the service of the People of God.
Let me quote two examples to help you reflect on the seriousness of the lack of vocation.
Although the reinstallation of permanent diaconate can temporarily ease the acute shortage of priestly vocation, in Hong Kong, most of the permanent deacons have been ordained near their retirement. They have less than twenty years to serve the People of God. Soon, when they reach seventy-five, they have to retire once more. Thus, the vocation of permanent deacons cannot replace priestly vocation. In the foreseeable future, if you do not want to see no priests celebrating masses, only permanent deacons to administer "overnight" hosts, listen attentively to Jesus' voice and response generously to his call. Pray to the Holy Spirit for grace to discern the Father's plan and sufficient strength and courage to take the first step to answer God's call.
Permanent deacons are different from transitory deacons who are in the final stage of priestly formation. After half a year or one, they will be ordained priests. On the other hand, we will serve permanently as deacons, following the bishop's placements to do charity works, to serve the Word and assist at the altar. Unlike the other clergy, married men can be ordained permanent deacons. Thus, we are able to receive all the sacraments during the lifespan of our wives (I make this statement because I accept the phenomenon of shorter lifespans for men). This is our advantage, the attractive part of the ministry. But I don't want you to be ignorant of the limitations of the ministry of permanent deacons.
First of all, permanent deacons cannot hear confessions and forgive sins. From this, it follows that they cannot anoint the sick because the sacrament of Anointment has the effect of forgiving sins. Lastly, permanent deacons cannot offer sacrifice to God. That is to say, they cannot say mass and consecrate the Host.
In the Hong Kong Island, there is an elite girl school run by the nuns. When vocation dried up, the remaining nuns could not afford the heavy teaching loads anymore. They sought another religious order to take over as the new sponsoring body. After a period of time, the religious order also faced the same vocation shortage. They even had to withdraw from Hong Kong. In the end, a laity community has taken up the sponsorship. Note, I do not question the quality of education offered by this laity community. I just want to point out the many unpleasant consequences of vocation shortage.
Another religious order also suffers from vocation shortage. There remain only aged nuns in their Mother House in Canada. In order to support and take care of these fragile nuns, the religious order could only sell off their land and property. The future is bleak.
God bless.
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