主題：如何培養信德
今天，我想和大家一起默想福音中的一句說話。宗徒們向主耶穌說：「請增加我們的信德吧。」（路17:5）這句話有甚麼意思呢？
為甚麼今天的福音，好像前後沒有關聯呢？前半段是宗徒與耶穌之間有關「信德」的對話，後半段有關門徒服事主應有的態度。一個關於「信德」，一個關於「工作、服務」，好像毫無關係。這種誤會，是出於對聖保祿宗徒的「因信稱義」的道理的曲解。很多基督教派，引經據典，強調「惟獨聖經」，聖經沒有記載的就不可信。「惟獨信德」，祗要心裡相信耶穌基督是救主，口中承認耶穌基督是天主子，就能得救，用不著做任何善功，任何愛德服務。可惜，他們的引經據典大都是斷章取義，並沒有從聖經的整體教訓去理解，犯了「以偏概全」的毛病。路加是與聖保祿宗徒同生共死的入室弟子，在路加福音，我們沒有讀過「惟獨信德」的教訓，反而有如雅各伯書的教訓一樣，活潑的信德是在愛德服務表達出來的。例如，聖母瑪利亞在路加福音中，是一個充滿信德的榜樣。她的信德，不在於口頭上相信天主的諾言，而是在耶穌的一生歲月裡，聖母伴隨著他，直到十字架下。
今天討論「信德」的上文下理是甚麼？這幾個星期的福音教訓過甚麼？首先，耶穌要求門徒捨棄所有的一切跟隨他，然後用亡羊、失錢和蕩子的比喻，說明悔改，回歸父家的喜樂。接著說了「不義管家」和「乞丐拉匝祿」的故事，提醒門徒善用金錢，積財於天。在宗徒請求耶穌增加信德之前，耶穌嚴厲警告，作為他的門徒，不可引人犯罪，並要每一天不斷寬恕犯錯而悔改的兄弟。這種種要求，宗徒們覺得為難。他們沒有要求耶穌降低水準，卻請求耶穌增加信德，信德有用嗎？
縱觀耶穌的教訓，尤其是瑪竇福音五至七章的山中聖訓，例如借錢不望還、打左面頰再迎右頰、為迫害你的人祈禱…，按本性是不可能實踐的。沒有天主的聖寵支持，是不可能實行的。為甚麼求信德，而不是其他的恩寵呢？請想一想，很多我們認為沒可能做的事，都是出於缺乏信心所致。捨棄一切跟隨耶穌是一個很重大的抉擇，你有信心，好像宗徒們一樣，辭去現有的工作，回應司鐸聖召嗎？很多青年人沒有足夠的信心作出回應。人人都知道悔改、戒毒是好的，但很多有毒癮的人，沒有信心戒毒後能擺脫從前慫恿他吸毒的人。做愛德工作的時候，你真心相信你在服事耶穌，而不是被人利用你的愛心呢？最後，寬恕那些認錯的人，你相信他們真的會悔改嗎？凡此種種，都是基督徒所必須實行的。他們所需要的，是多一點兒信德，好使他們能踏出第一步。
當你寬恕過之後，你沒有怨恨了，你的心平安了。你會樂意繼續寬恕，形成一個良性循環。當你服事那些沒有能力報答你的人（請支持明愛），你會看見耶穌向你微笑，你被耶穌的微笑溶化了。當你鼓起勇氣辦完告解之後，你會清楚地感受到天父的憐憫，你有了從新做人的的力量。當你放下身段，探訪外判清潔工，表達教會對他們的關心，你會發覺到很多人是渴望認識天主，可惜沒有人告訴他們來聖葉理諾堂聽福音。原來信德與行動必須相輔相承，缺一不可。原來踏出第一步之後，你會發覺天主正與你同行，你會更加相信天主。所以信德是需要實際行動培養，而行動又需要信德來推動。
各位兄弟姊妹，讓我們也學習宗徒們的榜樣，求主增加我們的信德，踏出第一步，實踐愛德，反過來增強我們的信德。
首先，宗徒們已有了信德，纔會請主耶穌增加他們的信德。為一個沒有信德的人，他應該說，「請給我信德」，而不是「請增加我的信德」。
其次，耶穌告訴宗徒們，有小如芥子的信德，已經足夠了。但耶穌的答案並沒有否定信德是可以增加，可以栽培的。否則，開辦為期十八個月的慕道班，或者三年制的聖經文憑課程，甚至四年制的宗教學學位課程，豈不是多此一舉？雖然信、望、愛三德是「超性之德」，是天主的恩賜。但始終是一種德行，是可以把天主所賜的種子，栽培訓練，使之茁壯成長。反之，倘若我們疏於祈禱讀經，恐怕連僅有如芥子的信德，遲早亦會化為烏有。
天主保祐！
Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Sunday (Year C)
Theme: How to build up faith
Today, I want to meditate with you one sentence in the gospel reading. The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5) What does that mean?
Why does the gospel reading today look a bit disconnected? The first half is a dialogue between Jesus and his apostles on "faith". The second half deals with the proper attitude in the service of the Lord. One is about faith, the other about good works. They do not seem to be related. This misunderstanding is a result of a misinterpretation of St. Paul's teaching on "Justification by Faith". Many Protestant sects quote extensively to insist on "Sola Scriptura". What is not found in the Bible cannot be dogmas. "Sola Fide" in order to be justified by God, we need to believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Saviour and confess with our lips that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. There is no need to do good works. Unfortunately, most of the quotations are taken out of context and without taking into consideration the teachings of the Bible as a whole. They have committed the fallacy of "hasty generalization". Luke was a coworker and disciple of St. Paul. In his gospel, we do not find any "Sola Fide" teaching. Rather, there are many passages, like the ideas of James' Epistle, teaching that active faith is demonstrated by charity. For example, the BVM in the gospel of Luke is an exemplar of faith. Her faith is not a lip service to the promises of God, but an accompaniment of Jesus throughout his life until she stood under the cross.
So, what is the context of the discussion of faith today? What has the gospel been teaching in the past few weeks? Firstly, Jesus demanded the disciples to renounce everything to follow him. Then he told the parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and the Prodigal Son to show the great joy of repentance, of returning to our Father's home. Following that, Jesus told the parable of the Shrewd Steward and Lazarus the beggar to remind followers to make good use of money, to build up treasures in heaven. Before the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, Jesus sternly warned disciples not to cause the little ones to fall into sin and to forgive always a repentant brother every day. The disciples felt that these duties were too demanding. They did not ask Jesus to lower the criteria. Instead, they asked Jesus to increase their faith. Does faith help?
Consider the teachings of Jesus, in particular the Beatitudes in Matthew 5-7, e.g. not expecting repayment in lending money, turning the other cheek and praying for persecutors ... etc. They go against our human nature. Without God's support, it is impossible to put them into practice. But why did the apostles ask for faith instead of some other graces? Just think about it, many so called "impossible missions" are consequences of a lack of confidence. Renunciation of everything to follow Jesus is a big decision. Do you have the faith like the apostles' to quit your current job to answer the priestly vocation? Many young people do not have enough faith to respond. Everybody knows that repentance, kicking drug-abuse is a good thing. But many drug addicts do not have the confidence to stay away from those drug pushers after kicking the habit. When you do charity services, do you really believe that you are serving Jesus and that your charity has not been abused? Lastly, in forgiving the repentant, do you believe that they are truly repentant? All these are duties of Christians. What they need is a little more faith so that they can put forth the first step.
After you forgive, you do not have grudges. Your heart is peaceful. You will be willing to continue to forgive, thus forming a positive feedback loop. When you help those who cannot repay you (please support Caritas), you will see Jesus smiling at you and you melt in his smile. When you take the courage to do confession, you clearly feel the Father's mercy. You have the strength to turn a new leaf. When you shed your dignity to visit the out-sourced janitors to show the Church's care, you will discover that many people desire to know God, but nobody tells them to come to St. Jerome Parish to hear the good news. Thus, faith and good works go hand in hand. Both depend on each other. After putting a step forward, you will discover that God is accompanying you. You will believe in God more. Faith needs the nourishment of good works and action needs the drive of faith.
Brethren, let us follow the example of the apostles. Beg the Lord to increase our faith, to take the first step to practise charity which reinforces our faith in return.
First of all, the apostles already had some faith. That is why they asked the Lord to increase their faith. For one without faith yet, he should have asked, "Give me faith" instead of "Increase my faith."
Secondly, Jesus assured the apostles that faith as little as a grain of mustard seed was already enough. But Jesus' answer did not negate the possibility to increase, to build up our faith. Otherwise, what is the point of running those 18-month catechumen classes, or three-year Bible diploma courses or even four-year Religious Sciences degree courses? Although faith, hope and charity are "Supernatural virtues" which are gifts from God, after all they are virtues. We are able to cultivate, to develop these God given seeds into maturity. On the contrary, if we are lazy in our prayer and scripture reading, I am afraid our faith of the size of a grain of mustard seed will vanish sooner or later.
God bless.
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