主題：天主的公義是怎樣的
人是按天主的肖像所做，故此，雖然人並不完美，但人仍有很多天主的特質。例如，天主是愛，人亦懂得愛的喜樂、愛的藝術；天主聖三是創造者，人亦有很多創意，並且在集體創作時，造出很多比個人獨力所能開發的更偉大的事業；天主是自由的，人亦享有自由，使他能把天主所賜的潛質，發揮到淋漓盡致。我們發覺到，人能做怎麼，或者擁有甚麼，都是出於天主，與天主有關的。且看，天主聖三是一個團體，人亦必須在團體中纔能生存。人在社群中生活，經常要作出取捨，放棄部份自由，遵守規矩，使整個社群能健康地運作和成長。甚麼規矩呢？就是運用一些「公平原則」去分配有限的資源。於是，我們反過來推測，天主也是公平的，公義的。不過，人的公義，始終和天主的公義，有天淵之別。
首先，人沒有能力掌握完全的資訊，所以作出決定時，是有一定程度的誤差。例如，法庭在証據不足的時候，不得不釋放一個殺人兇手或者錯判一個無辜的人。再加上人的貪念和自私，很多的公營或私營機構所作出影響民生的決定，都祗能在形式上公平（例如在投票決定時得到多數票地通過），但實質上是不公義的決定（例如一小撮人享受不合比例的利益）。
今天的福音，耶穌以「真福八端」有關「渴慕正義」的精神，來反省人類的「公平原則」。首先，耶穌針對看來公平的「以牙還牙、以眼還眼」原則，希望我們反省天主的公義要求的是甚麼。在人的層面，「以牙還牙」已經是非常公平了。在原始的人類社會，有力就是有理。你傷害我一個成員，我報仇殺你十個，來展示我的實力，讓你以後不敢再來侵犯。但梅瑟提出「等價交換」的原則，就是限制以色列人一個換一個。殺人就要填命，所以你殺我一個人，就把殺人兇手交出處決吧；你打脫我一顆牙，就讓我打掉你一顆牙！真的是公平嗎？我們很容易便看到這原則不能放諸四海皆準，很容易會發現到不合理的光景。例如，連環殺人犯殺害了十條人命，但他祗得一條命，又怎能等價交換呢？另一方面，一個已經沒有牙的人，又可以拿甚麼來還一隻牙給別人呢？因此，「殺人填命，以牙還牙」，說來動聽，但實行起來卻引出諸多的不公平。
在天主的眼中，所有人都是祂的子女，所以祂不希望骨肉相殘。「殺人填命」是錯的。既然一個天主的肖像，天主的傑作已經被殺害了，為甚麼要殺死另一個天主的傑作來陪葬是公平呢？殺死他可以令亡者復生嗎？在天主的眼中，豈不是雙重的損失嗎？
你會問做人怎可能沒有底線呢？還有原則可言嗎？甚麼也容許嗎？
所以，我們要泛愛眾人，包括我們的仇人，為迫害我們的人祈禱。（5:44）其實，最能傷害我們的，不是外人，而是自己人，自己的親人。正如教宗方濟各在【愛的喜樂】宗座勸諭所說，「家家有本難唸的經」，沒有家庭是完美的（AL#325）。但相信天主，祂要以家庭的愛幫助我們成長、成熟、成聖。「渴慕正義」的精神不在於把資源、把家務「平均分配」、不在於「以牙還牙」，在家中互相糾纏廝殺，而是在於每個人能從罪惡的束縛中釋放出來，得以自由地，沒有束縛地發展到天主心目中的目標。耶穌邀請我們不要為容忍設下底線，把左頰也轉給攻擊我們的人，有心理準備陪伴傷害我們的人付出多一倍的損失，是為了幫助自己，幫助他人，達到天父給我們各人定下的目標。大家努力，祈求聖神的助祐，在家中按「真福八端」的精神生活，互相扶持，在家庭生活中成聖。
上星期已分析了殺人是出於忿怒，若能掌握和管理好自己的忿怒，便不會殺人了。報復不是即時的，故此不是出於衝動，而是懷恨在心，冷靜地部署復仇大計。因此要處理的，是容人的量。要有足夠大的寬容，使報復的心理不會滿溢。所以耶穌說，「若有人掌擊你的右頰，把另一面也轉給他…拿你內衣的，你連外衣也讓給他…強迫你走一千步，你就同他走兩千步。」（瑪5:39-41）就是說，不要為自己設下容忍的底線。例如，我頂多祗陪你走五百步，迫我陪你行一千步實在太過份了。耶穌說，看在天主份上，不設底線，多多益善。陪天主的肖像走一千步太少了，行二千步罷；祗給天主的傑作一件內衣，太不敬了，連外衣也讓給他。誠蒙賜教，掌擊我的右頰。可是，我是個愚蠢的人，一掌未能領教，請連左頰也打罷。
要知道天主的公義，是人類公義的基礎。但天主的公義是甚麼呢？就是祂的旨意得以承行。人世間所有冤假錯案，祗有在末日公審判時，來一個了斷，所有枉死的人得到申冤。依撒意亞先知和聖詠集，不斷強調天主的正義在於祂的拯救。人被罪惡所傷害，不能完滿地發揮和完成天賦的潛質。天主的救贖在於釋放我們，使我們能達標，能完成目標。這就是天主的公義。從另一個角度看，天主是完美的，所以祂的作品是有質素保証的，但祂不會消極地毀滅不完美的作品來保証質素。每一件未完美的，天主會仔細琢磨他，使他完美。天主樂意看到祂的傑作能完滿發展，不願意看見他們互相破壞，互相殘殺。所以，「天主使太陽上升，光照惡人，也光照善人；降雨給義人，也給不義的人。」（5:45）天父就是這樣彰顯了自己的公義。同樣，耶穌期望我們，如同天父一樣成全（5:48）
天主保祐！
Seventh Ordinary Sunday (Year A)
Theme: What is God's justice like?
Men were created in the image of God. Thus, though imperfect, men possess many characteristics of God. For example, God is love. Man is able to appreciate the joy of love, the art of loving. The Blessed Trinity is the Creator and man is creative. In collective creation, men are able to do greater things than an individual alone. God is free and men also enjoy freedom so that their God given potentials may fully develop. We discover that what we can do or possess all come from God, related to God. Take a look. The Blessed Trinity is a community and men must live in a community to survive. When men live in a community, they must give and take. They have to sacrifice some of their freedom, follow rules so that the whole community may move and grow. What are those rules? We apply some equality principles to distribute limited resources. Thus, we deduce that God must be fair and just. However, the justice of men is far below par God's justice.
Why? First of all, men are unable to gain access to complete information. When we make decisions, there will always be inaccuracies. For example, the court has to acquit a murder suspect or find an innocent person guilty because of incomplete or inaccurate evidence. On top of that, there is human greed and selfishness. Many decisions affecting the public can only be fair on the surface (e.g. passing a motion by a majority vote) but in fact an unfair one (e.g. a minority getting a disproportionate share of advantages).
In the gospel today, Jesus makes use of the spirit of "hunger and thirst for righteousness" to reflect on our principles of justice. First of all, Jesus took on the equality principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" to help us understand the principle of divine justice. On the human level, "a tooth for a tooth" is already very fair. In savage societies, might is right. You harm one of my members, I will kill yours ten to show my might and deter you from coming back. But Moses laid down a principle of "homovalent exchange" to contain damages. Blood is repaid by blood. So, you kill one of my men. Then, hand over the murderer for execution. You break one of my teeth. Then I break one of yours. Isn't it fair enough? We can easily see the flaws in this principle. For example, imagine a serial killer who has killed ten people but he has only one life. How can any exchange be of the same value? On the other hand, what can a toothless man give in exchange for another man's tooth? Therefore, "a tooth for a tooth" sounds fair but in practice, it brings out much injustice.
In God's eyes, all of us are His children. Therefore, He does not want to see us kill each other. Blood is repaid by blood is wrong! An image, a masterpiece of God is killed, how can killing another masterpiece to bury with the dead masterpiece be fair? Will the killing bring the dead back to life? In the eyes of God, isn't this a double loss?
You may ask how there can be no bottom line and no principle. Is anything permissible?
Thus, we need to love all men, including our enemies, "to pray for those who persecute you." (5:44) In fact, those who hurt us most are not outsiders, but family members. Just as what Pope Francis says in Amoris Lætitia, "No family drops down from heaven perfectly formed; families need constantly to grow and mature in the ability to love…" (AL#325) Believe in God, He will help us grow, mature and sanctified. The spirit of "hunger and thirst for justice" does not mean sharing resources, time, space and house chores equally. It does not mean applying "a tooth for a tooth" within the family but to release every member from the bondage of sins so that they may freely develop into the target God intends them. Jesus invites us not to set a bottom line of tolerance. Turn the other cheek. Be prepared to pay double the price in order to help ourselves and others to reach the target God sets for everybody. Let's work hard and pray to the Holy Spirit for support. Let us lead our family life in the spirit of the Beatitudes, supporting each other in our sanctification in family life.
Last Sunday, we learn that murder springs from anger. If we can manage our anger, we will not kill. But revenge is not immediate. It is not impulsive but rationally planned. Therefore, we need to manage our tolerance. We must have a big enough tolerance so that vengeance will not overspill. Jesus says, "But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if anyone would … take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (Matthew 5:39-41) That is to say, do not set yourself a bottom line of tolerance. For example, I am prepared to walk half a mile. It is unreasonable of you to force me to walk a mile. Jesus tells us, for the sake of God, not to set any bottom line. The more is the better. It is too little to walk with the image of God for one mile. Walk two miles. It is not respectful to give the masterpiece of God your coat only. Give him your cloak as well. The image of God strikes my right cheek to teach me a lesson. But I am not smart. One strike is not enough to press the message across. Strike my left cheek as well.
Firstly of all, we need to know that the justice of God is the foundation of human justice. But what is the justice of God? It is that His will be done. There are many cases on earth in which justice is miscarried. They can only be rectified in the Last Judgment at the end of the world. Isaiah and the Psalms stress repeatedly that the justice of God is His salvation. Humanity is harmed by sins and is unable to fully actualize the potentials given by God. God's salvation is our liberation from bondages so that we may reach the target which God intends for us. This is the justice of God. From another perspective, God is perfect so the quality of His production is guaranteed. But God will not destroy His products to guarantee the quality of His production. He will carefully polish any imperfect product to make it perfect. God loves to see the full development of His masterpieces. He does not want to see them harming, killing each other. Thus, "he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (5:45) This is how the Father manifests His justice. Similarly, Jesus expects us to "be perfect, as your heavenly Father, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (5:48)
God bless!
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