主題：「心裡潔淨」的意義
聖經告訴我們，雖然天主是人類的造物主，但祂與人類建立的關係，卻有如人類的「婚姻」關係。是一個排他的、愛的關係，是一個永遠的盟誓。出於愛，祂把以色列人從埃及解放出來，在西乃山頒布「十誡」，以結盟的方式表達祂對以色列人的愛。請注意，全能的天主，竟然用盟約來約束自己，的確是匪夷所思。惟一的解釋就是天主愛按祂肖像所造的人類。從這個角度看，十誡對我們的約束，是為了人類的益處，是出於天主的愛。
有很多的事物會障礙我們，使我們不能保持心靈的潔淨，不能一心一意信靠天主。
其次是生活中的「掛慮」。人的能力和注意力都是有限的，所以我們應該把精力放在最重要的事物之上。可惜，我們經常把我們的精神和注意力，放到次要的事物上。甚麼東西是次要的呢？就是那些必需的事物。聽來很奇怪，為甚麼必需的事物反而是次要的呢？很簡單，缺乏空氣和水，人會死。但平日你會否注意自己的呼吸，注意飲水呢？不會。除非您生了病，靠機器協助呼吸或者「吊鹽水」。食物必需經過消化纔能吸收，可是，我們不需要注意我們的腸胃是如何蠕動的。衣食住行是必需的，但既然是必需的，祗需要做到最低的要求便可以了。在社會上生活，金錢是必需的，祗要賺取到足夠養妻活兒便可以了。例如運動員，他們當然必需注意飲食，但他們的注意力和能力，決不會放在飲食之上，而是在操練之上；同樣，設計師或工程師，是不會把精神和注意力放在自己的衣著和住屋之上。因此，我們應正確地分配我們的注意力，把少許的精力放在必需的事物之上，而把大部份的精力放在追求夢想，追求理想之上。誠然，沒有理想或夢想，人依然可以生活。所以，理想和夢想是不必要的。可是，您們沒有聽過這樣的電影對白嗎：「做人如果無夢想，同條鹹魚有咩分別呀？」這是有道理的。雖然追求夢想理想是不必要的事物，卻是符合天主的旨意，因為是尋求和建設天主的國。天主在眾人身上埋下了祂的肖像，埋下了潛質，有待我們每個人好好地發揮，配合起來建設天國。所以，耶穌在今天的福音裡，提醒我們「不要憂慮說：我們吃甚麼，喝甚麼，穿甚麼？」（瑪6:31）這些是必需的，所以做到最低要求就可以了，不應把全副精神放在那裡。耶穌跟著說：「你們先該尋求天主的國和它的義德，這一切自會加給你們。」（6:33）耶穌再一次提醒我們要全心全意，一心一意地信靠天主，尋求天國的臨現，追逐天主所引領的理想，發揮天賦的潛質；其他的，天主自會照顧，這就是「心裡潔淨」的精神所在。
在婚姻生活方面，對配偶全心全意，對第三者不作非份之想，就是「心裡潔淨」的意義，我們稱這德行為「貞潔」。夫婦一起生活，柴米油鹽是必需的，工作賺錢交租是必需的，教育兒女是必需的，所以不要把全副精神放到那裡。玫瑰花不是必需的，所以要精心選購最美麗的玫瑰花，送給妻子。不祈禱不會失業，不能與太太一起祈禱仍可以生活。所以要努力安排家庭中的靈修，爭取與太太一起參加彌撒，在四旬期一起領聖灰、守齋和拜苦路。教宗方濟各在【愛的喜樂】說：「以天主的目光默觀我們所愛的人，並在他們身上看見基督。」（AL#323）既然在配偶身上可以看見基督，看見天主，我們還會三心兩意嗎？
第一誡禁止我們敬拜別的神，「上主，你的天主是忌邪的天主」（出20:5）。即是說，天主是「呷醋」的，排他的。天主要求我們對祂專一，這就是「心裡潔淨」本來的意義。真福八端是這樣說的：「心裡潔淨的人是有福的，因為他們要看見天主。」（瑪5:8）就是說，耶穌許下諾言，當我們一心一意信靠天主，全心全意地事奉祂的時候，我們便能看見祂，便能在天主內獲得滿足。但是，如果我們三心兩意，希望透過其他方法加大自己的益處，例如擺風水陣改變命運、或者練習靜坐冥想來增加自己的智慧，超越自我、或者到黃大仙廟求「平安符」；或者賺更多的錢來買更大的權力來控制更多的別人。這樣做，我們會更肖似天主的愛子耶穌基督嗎？我們佩接受天主的愛嗎？這是天主所願意看到的嗎？
第一是金錢。人生在世，總不能朝不保夕，惶恐終日。人需要有「安全感」。在現代社會，金錢可以增加人的安全感。在今天的香港社會，有樓就有安全感。因此，累積的金錢愈多，居住面積愈大，安全感就愈大。而且，為了預防意外造成的損失，買保險便應運而生。可惜安全感是很主觀的，因為每個人對承受風險的能力不同，有些人無論賺多少錢，擁有多少個住宅單位，心裡永遠都不會感到安全，結果變成了金錢的奴隷，成了「樓奴」，喪失了自我。所以今天的福音提醒我們「…不能事奉天主而又事奉錢財。」（6:24）
讓我們認真想一想，金錢和物業真的能保証我們的安全，能供給我們安全感嗎？舊約聖經有很多故事，告訴我們現實並非如此。例如著名的「納波特葡萄園」的故事（列上21），為了保衛祖傳的葡萄園，納波特惹來殺身之禍。後來，天主為納波特復仇，懲罰那陷害他的君王與王后，令他們相繼死於非命。納波特是被自己的物業所害死的。相信大家也聽過達尼爾先知在獅子坑中過了一晚的故事。試問面對一群飢餓的獅子，你拿著千萬家財，可以保存你的性命嗎？那麼，天主內可以給我們安全感嗎？這樣就要檢討我們自己與天主的關係了！
天主保祐！
Eighth Ordinary Sunday (Year A)
Theme: The meaning of Purity of Heart
The Bible tells us that although God was the Creator of men, the relationship He builds up with humanity is like marriage. It is an exclusive, loving relationship, an eternal covenant. Out of love, God liberated the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. He brought them to Mount Sinai to give them the Ten Commandments, expressing His love in the form of a covenant. Indeed, it is mind-boggling for an almighty God to submit Himself to the constraints of a covenant. The only explanation is His love for men whom He made in His image. From this perspective, the constraints which the Ten Commandments impose on us are for our good and come from God's love.
There are many obstacles which prevent us from keeping our hearts pure so that we cannot trust God in one mind. The first one is money. Men cannot live in fear all the day. Men need a sense of security. In modern societies, money increases this sense of security. In Hong Kong today, owning an apartment gives you security. Thus, the more money you accumulate, the more space you live in, the greater the sense of security. Moreover, to contain losses in accidents, people buy insurance. Unfortunately, the sense of security is very subjective because people differ in their ability to take risks. Some people never feel secure no matter how much money he earns or how many apartments he owns. Consequently, he becomes a slave of money, a slave of apartments and loses his self. Thus the gospel today reminds us that "you cannot serve God and mammon." (6:24)
The second one is daily worries. Our ability and attention are limited. Thus, we need to put them on the most important things. Unfortunately, we often put our strength and attention on secondary things. Which things are secondary? They are the necessary things. Doesn't it sound strange for necessary things to be secondary? It is simple. You die if you are deprived of air and water. But do you pay attention to your own breathing or drinking? No! Unless you are sick and rely on mechanical ventilation or undergo intravenous therapy. Food must go through digestion before absorption but we never pay attention to the peristalsis in our digestive tract. Clothing, food, shelter and transport are daily necessities. Since they are necessary, we can be satisfied with the minimum requirements. Living in a society, money is necessary. We only need to earn enough to feed our wives and children. Think of athletes. Diet is important but they will not put their strength and attention on diet but on coaching. Similarly, a designer or an engineer will not spend time on their own clothes or apartments. Thus, we should have a proper distribution of our attention, a little amount on necessary things and the most part on pursuing ideals and dreams! Surely, a man can survive without dreams or ideals. Thus ideals and dreams are not necessary. But have you not heard the famous line in a movie, "If a man has no dreams, what is the difference with a salted fish?" This is true. Although chasing dreams is not necessary, it fits into God's will because it is the seeking and building of God's Kingdom. God buries His image and potentials in us, waiting for us to make good use of it to build up the Kingdom of Heaven together. Thus, Jesus reminds us today, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'" (Matthew 6:31) These are necessary. Thus simply meeting the minimum requirements is enough. Don't spend all your strength on them. Jesus then continues, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (6:33) Jesus reminds us once more that we should trust God with all our minds and hearts, seek the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven, pursue the ideals inspired by God and actualize our potentials. God will take care of the rest. This is the spirit of "purity in heart".
In married life, spouses devote to each other with all their hearts and minds. There is no room for the third party. This is "purity in heart" and we call this virtue "chastity". When they live together, "fuel, rice oil and salt" are necessities, earning money to pay rent is a necessity, educating children is also a necessity but we should not devote all our strength and attention to them. Roses are not necessary. Therefore, we should choose and buy the most beautiful roses for our wives. We will not lose our job even if we do not pray. We still lead our life even without praying with our wives. Therefore, work hard to organize family prayers, fight to go to masses with our spouses, receive ashes, fast and attend the Stations of the Cross in Lent together. In Amoris Lætitia, Pope Francis says, "... to contemplate our loved ones with the eyes of God and to see Christ in them." (AL#323) If we can see Christ, see God in our spouses, shall we have second thoughts?
The first Commandment forbids us to worship other gods, "for I the Lord your God am a jealous God." (Exodus 20:5) That is to say, God is jealous and exclusive. God demands us to be faithful. This is the original meaning of "the pure in heart." The Beatitudes read, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) That is to say, Jesus promised that when we trust God in one mind, serve Him with all our heart, then we will be able to see Him, be able to obtain satisfaction in God. But if we have second thoughts and want to increase our benefits with other means, e.g. to change our destiny with fung-shui settings, or to increase our intelligence and transcend our ego with meditations, or to implore a "peace charm" from Wong Tai Sin, or to make more money to buy more power so as to control more people, will we become more like Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God? Do we deserve the love of God? Does God want to see this?
Let us think again, can money or property guarantee our safety or provide us with a sense of security? Many stories in the Old Testament tell us otherwise. In the famous story of "Naboth's vineyard" (1 Kings 21), in order to protect the inheritance of his fathers, Naboth got murdered. Later, God revenged for Naboth so that both the king and the queen who orchestrated the murder repaid with their bloods. In short, Naboth was killed because of his vineyard. I believe you must have heard of the story of Daniel in the lions' den. Ask yourself, before a pack of hungry lions, will millions of dollars save your life? Then, can God give us a sense of security? It's high time we assessed our relationship with God!
God bless!
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