主題：辨別天主的聲音
近來，「是天主吩咐我做的」成為了城中的熱門話題。遠的不用說，2003年，美國總統小布殊，對伊拉克發動戰爭，要摧毀她的大殺傷力武器。他曾向巴肋斯坦的首相和外長，聲稱是天主吩咐他向阿富汗和伊拉克發動戰爭，消滅恐佈份子 。在2015年美國總統大選之初，共和黨的16位候選人，便有9個聲稱是天主吩咐他們出來競選總統 。不過，當選的特朗普不是其中之一。去年十月，菲律賓總統杜特爾特，聲稱在訪問日本回國時，在飛機上聽到天主命令他不可再說粗言穢語，否則飛機會在半空墜毀。於是他決定不再說粗言穢語 。注意，這些個案都是在有基督宗教背景的地方發生。在回教國家，或佛教國家，恐怕是真主吩咐或者佛祖吩咐了。其實，很多人都有使命感。他們想為人民服務，而且相信是天主、真神或佛祖吩咐他們去做的。這是一種聖召。在天主教聖召缺乏的今天，在教會之外卻出現了很多的「聖召」。天主真的非常幽默。
聖經記載了人類獲得救贖的歷史，其中不乏「聖召」的故事。例如舊約記載了天主在焚燒的荊棘中召叫梅瑟，在各種不同的光景中召叫了各個大先知；福音就記載了「聖母領報」、在聖誕故事中，天主曾運用一顆星，召叫了東方的賢士來朝拜耶穌、後來耶穌召選十二宗徒、宗徒大事錄就記載了掃祿歸化的故事等。所以，我們可以作出三個結論：（一）天主會用不同的方式向我們說話，例如焚燒的荊棘、奇異的星光。（二）耶穌降生之後，天主透過耶穌基督向我們說話。希伯來書就有這樣的記載：「天主在古時，曾多次並以多種方式，藉著先知對我們的祖先說過話。但在這末期內，他藉著自己的兒子對我們說了話。」（希1：1-2）（三）天主召叫了這些偉大的人物之後，他們的生命，總是多災多難，崎嶇不平的。
其實，怎樣辨別是天主的召叫，抑或是魔鬼假借天主的名義向你發聲，甚至是自己個人的意願，是一個大學問，亦是所有天主教徒不能逃避的課題。的確，我們如何判斷在我們心中泛起的聲音，是我們的良心、我們的護守天使、抑或是耶穌甚至是天父的聲音呢？當我們與別人交談的時候，我們如何判斷，是天主透過他向我們說話呢？今天，讓我們從洗者若翰的榜樣，作一個初步的反省。
首先，在甚麼情況之下可以聽到天主向我們說話呢？耶穌基督曾給我們立下榜樣。他經常獨自一人祈禱，尤其在處理重大事情之前，例如：召選十二宗徒、施行五餅二魚神蹟之後、山園祈禱和最後被釘在十字架上的時候。所以，最能夠聽到天主聲音的場合，是在祈禱的時候。是一個人靜下來的時候，不是一群人吃喝玩樂、看電視、打機或乘搭交通工具的時候。或者你會抗議說：「天主不會透過別人的口，向我們說話嗎？且看，在聖經中，天主總是藉著先知向以色列人說話，很少親自向他們說話。」所以答題是肯定的。天主會透過不同的渠道向我們說話，祂不一定要親自向我們說話。不過，我們仍然要面對一個辨別的課題。我們能辨別到是天主向我們說話，抑或是一個普通人，或者陌生人向我們說話呢？
在今天所讀的福音之中，洗者若翰說了兩次，「我也不曾認識祂。」（若1:31, 33）所以，在我們的生活中，聽不到，看不到耶穌基督是「正常」的。但不可以把聽不到、看不到習以為常，變成「正常化」。天主教徒不可以是這樣的！
最後，熟悉聖經是很重要的。因為聖經提供了很多例子，幫助我們辨別那些是天主的行動，那些是人的私慾徧情。好了，讓我在這裡作一點總結。（一）天主會透過不同的途徑向我們說話。（二）耶穌降生之後，天主主要透過耶穌基督向我們說話。（三）天主的說話，主要是解決全民族、全人類的問題，解決私人的問題是絕無僅有的。（四）我們需要熟悉聖經的內容，纔能正確地辨別到天主的聲音。
在結束之前，我想和大家分享一個天主透過一個陌生人向我說話的例子。昨天出席夏志誠輔理主教父親的出殯彌撒，在講道中，主教提及他父親八十多歲纔領洗，然後入住安老院，安享晚年。這令我又想到自己父母的領洗問題。祗有家母在主日返聖堂，家父留在家中休息，「避開」家母。家母雖然喜歡聖堂熱鬧，而且她又是眾人注意力的焦點，但對於上慕道班，領洗入教就沒有興趣了。今早如常去飲茶的時候，車上有一位陌生的，年約六七十歲的女士主動問我們是否上教會崇拜。她注意到我們每主日在相若的時間乘車到碼頭總站。我告訴她我們先飲茶，再返教會（我注意到她的基督教用語。）她問家母受浸了沒有，我說她記性差，對於信主很反覆。一方面她對家母說主耶穌愛妳，另一方面鼓勵我多向聖靈祈求，祂必應許，使家母信主受浸！這不是天主的說話，是巧合嗎？
洗者若翰肯定是個祈禱的人，因為他說：「那派遣我來以水施洗的，給我說…」（1:33）他是在與天主談話的時候，即在祈禱的時候，獲得啟示。一個不祈禱，沒有祈禱習慣的人，又怎能聽到天主向他說話呢？
但如何辨別是自己的聲音，抑或天主的聲音呢？在祈禱之中，天主啟示洗者若翰，「聖神降下，停在誰身上…祂就是天主子」（1:33-34），要來的那一位！這裡給我們一點線索，天主的啟示是一個「答案」，一個解答全民族，甚至全人類的渴求的答案。眾人都在問同一個問題：我們在羅馬帝國統治下受苦，天主何時派遣默西亞來拯救我們呢？誰是那要來的默西亞呢？這些問題，不是自己的良心有能力解答的，所以不是出於自己的慾望所能發出的聲音。這個也不是魔鬼的聲音，因為這啟示指向耶穌基督，它有如宣佈魔鬼的滅亡。這個可否是天使的聲音呢？可以。按聖經的記載，天主經常派遣天使代表祂發言，例如有名的「聖母領報」。無論是天主親口向洗者若翰說，還是派天使向他說，這都是來自天主的啟示。
天主保祐！
Second Ordinary Sunday (Year A)
Theme: To discern the voice of God
Recently, the most talked about topic in town is "God told me to do so." There is no need to reach far back in time. In 2003, US President Mr. Bush Jr. started a war against Iraq to destroy her so called "Weapons of Mass Destruction" Mr. Bush Jr. told the prime minister and foreign minister of the Palestinian State that God told him to fight against the terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the primary round of presidential election in 2015, nine out of 16 Republican candidates claimed that God told them to run for the presidential office. However, the president-elected Mr. Donald Trump is not one of them. Last October, when the Philippines president, Mr. Duterte was returning from a visit to Japan, he claimed that he heard God tell him to stop swearing. Otherwise his airplane would crash in mid-air. Since then, he stops swearing. Notice that these cases happened in countries with Christian background. I am afraid in Muslim or Buddhist countries, it would be Allah or Buddha who tell people to do things. This hearing of God's voice is a kind of vocation. When priestly vocation is slim today, God must seriously be humorous to make so many calls outside the Catholic Church!
The Bible is a history of redemption. There are many vocation stories. For example, in the Old Testament, God appeared in a burning bush to call Moses. The Major Prophets answered God's call in different situations. We find the Annunciation in the gospel. Then God made use a star to call the wise men from the East to come and adore Jesus. Later, Jesus called the 12 apostles and the story of the conversion of Saul can be found in the Acts etc. Thus, we can come up with three conclusions: (1) God makes use of different media to talk to us, e.g. the burning bush and the Star of Bethlehem. (2) After the incarnation of Jesus, God speaks to us through Jesus Christ. Thus, "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son." (Hebrews 1:1-2) (3) After being called by God, these people usually lead a difficult and turbulent life.
In fact, it is a big and inescapable issue for all Catholics to discern whether the call comes from God, or from Satan who pretends to speak for God, or even from our own selfish wishes. Indeed, how do we discern whether the inner voice comes from our conscience, or our guardian angel, or from Jesus or even the Father? When we talk with other people, how can we tell whether it is God speaking to us through them? Today, let us do a preliminary reflection on the example set by John the Baptist.
First of all, under what circumstances can we hear God speak to us? Jesus Christ has set us a good example. He usually went out to pray alone, especially when he had to deal with important events. E.g. Jesus prayed before the calling of the 12 apostles, after the miracle of 5 loaves and 2 fish, in the Agony and lastly when he was crucified on the cross. Therefore, we can hear God's voice when we pray. It is when we are alone to quiet down, not when we fool around with a bunch of people, watching TV, playing games or taking public transport. You may protest, "Would not God speak through other people to us? See how in the Bible, God spoke to the Israelites through the prophets. He seldom spoke in person." The answer is affirmative. God speaks through different channels to us. He does not necessarily speak in person to us. But we still have to deal with the discernment issue. How can we tell it is God speaking to us, or simply an ordinary person or even a total stranger?
In the gospel reading today, John the Baptist spokes twice that "I myself did not know him." (John 1:31, 33) Therefore, it is normal not to be able to hear or see Jesus Christ in our daily life. But we should not make not seeing or hearing Jesus our norm. A Catholic cannot be like this!
Lastly, knowing the Bible well is important. In the Bible, there are many examples to help us discern which are God's actions and which are human desires. OK. Let me summarize. (1) God speaks to us through different channels. (2) After the Incarnation, God speaks to us through Jesus Christ. (3) God's messages mainly concern the whole nation or the whole humanity. Rarely does He solve personal problems. (4) We need to know the Bible well in order to discern God's voice.
Before the end, I would like to share an incident in which God spoke to me through a total stranger. Yesterday, I attended the funeral mass of the father of His Excellency Bishop Joseph Ha. In his homily, he mentioned that his father was baptized in his eighties and then spent his remaining years in the Home for the Aged. This made me think again the question of the baptism of my own parents. Only my mother enjoys going to Church on Sundays. My father stays away from her and prefers sleeping at home instead. Although my mother enjoys the company of people and the attention she gets in Church, when we mention about attending catechumen class to get baptized, she shows no interest. This morning, we went to the teahouse as usual. On the carriage, a total stranger, a lady in her sixties or seventies asked if we were going to fellowship. She noticed that we almost always caught the LRT at roughly the same time to go to the Ferry Terminus. I told her that we went to teahouse first and afterwards went to fellowship (I noticed her Protestant jargon and answered likewise.) She asked whether my mother had been baptized. I explained that her memory was poor and could not firmly confess her faith in the Lord. She spoke to my mother and told her that Jesus loved her. On the other hand, she told me to pray to the Holy Spirit who would definitely answer and make my mother believe in Jesus and get baptized … Could this be a coincidence and not God's voice?
John the Baptist must be a man of prayer because he said, "but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me …" (1:33) John received the revelation when he was talking with God, i.e. during his prayer. So, how can a person who does not pray, who does not have a habit to pray, be able to hear God's voice?
But still, how can we discern it is our own voice or God's voice? In his prayer, God revealed to John, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is the he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." (1:33) Here is a clue. God's revelation was an "answer", an answer to the desire of a nation or even of all humanity. At that time, everybody was asking the same question, "We are suffering under the Roman rule. When shall God send the Messiah to deliver us? Who will be the One?" These questions cannot be answered adequately by our conscience. Thus they are not voices from our inner yearnings. This cannot be the voice of the Devil either because this revelation pointed to Jesus Christ which spelt the destruction of the Devil. Could this be the voice of an angel? Perhaps. According to the Bible, God often sent angels to make His will known. For example, the Annunciation. Whether God spoke in person to John the Baptist or through an angel, the revelation came from God.
God bless!
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