主題：從安樂窩中解放出來
人類的適應能力很強，為了生存，他們會改變自己，甚至改造環境。為了得到源源不絕的食物供應，他們會開墾土地，治理河道，種植各種穀物蔬菜，蓄牧雞鴨牛羊。他們從穴居到建屋圍城，並發展文化法律，團結一起應付惡劣的大自然環境。為了獲得團體的保護，他們願意放棄部份的自由，遵守法律。他們發明了燈，不再依賴太陽提供照明，增加了生產力。做這一切的目的祗有一個，就是為了生存，為了安居樂業。不過，在改造環境和改變自己的過程中，有時會作了錯誤的抉擇，結果對自己造成了傷害。例如，邁長的工作時間，固然增加了收入，卻影響了健康和家庭生活。今天的福音，要求我們反省生活上所作的抉擇，是使我們更親近天主，還是遠離天主？
撒瑪黎雅人與猶太人是世仇，因為撒瑪黎雅人是以色列國被亞述征服後，亞述帝國進一步種族清洗，強迫以色列人與外族通婚的後裔，他們的血統並不純正。後來猶大國被巴比倫征服，前車可鑒，他們堅守梅瑟法律，為了保持自己的民族血統純正，拒絕與外族通婚。猶太人對自己的血統引以為榮，瞧不起撒瑪黎雅人。撒瑪黎雅人豈會示弱，在新的統治者如波斯，希臘帝國統治之下，處處與猶太人作對。
在地理上，猶太省在南，加里肋亞省在北。如果直接北行，必須經過撒瑪黎雅省。如果你怕撒瑪黎雅人找麻煩，你會繞道而行。路加福音曾記載過耶穌和門徒被撒瑪黎雅人拒絕，門徒非常氣憤，他們想呼求天上的火降下，毀滅那些不識抬舉的撒瑪黎雅人，被耶穌制止，並繞路走了（路9:53-56）。為甚麼今次耶穌不繞道而行呢？繞道而行固然免了麻煩，不受被拒絕的屈辱。但是，耶穌知道這次是收割的時機，如果不進入村莊，便會錯過了傳福音，使撒瑪黎雅人更親近天主的機會了，所以他和門徒要冒這個被拒絕的險，進入撒瑪黎雅人的村莊。
好了，既然傳福音，當然要找多人聚集的地方。福音說耶穌「順便坐在泉旁」（若4:6）其實並非「順便」，因為村民總要來這裡汲水。地點是對了，但時間卻錯了。第六時辰是正午十二時，天氣酷熱，在一般的情況下，不會有人來打水的，卻徧徧來了一個撒瑪黎雅婦人。很明顯，那個撒瑪黎雅婦人是為了避開其他村民，纔會等到這個時候出來汲水。她改變自己的生活習慣，很明顯是不願意聽別人對她說的閒言閒語。其實，這是一種十分消極的做法。妳不願意聽，別人就不會說嗎？問題在於她有沒有決心和能力改善自己的處境。
耶穌當然知道，他說：「妳曾有過五個丈夫，而妳現在所有的，也不是妳的丈夫。」（4:18）這反映了古代婦女的不幸，她們不能在社會上獨立存在，她們必須附屬男人，這男人可以是她的父親/家主、丈夫或者兒子。這個婦人曾有五個丈夫，即是說，她曾經歷五次喪夫或被休棄的組合，甚至六個男人也祗是與她同居而沒有名份，在其他人的眼中，她是「狐狸精」！無論是那一種境況，她對自己的命運已經放棄了，她沒有打算改變、改善她的處境，她的婚姻狀況，直到救主耶穌基督的出現。這個婦人可有甚麼出路呢？在今天的福音中，我們看到很多撒瑪黎雅人因婦人的作証而信了耶穌。所以，這撒瑪黎雅婦人有可能成了耶穌的門徒，跟隨耶穌上耶路撒冷。
除了個人，一個民族也會做出苟且偷安的有害決定。「在這座山上崇拜天主」（4:20）原來以色列十二支派經過達味和撒羅滿統一成為以色列王國。可惜撒羅滿王死後，王國分裂成北方的以色列國和南方的猶大國。撒羅滿王興建的聖殿在南國的首都耶路撒冷，倘若讓人民繼續往耶路撒冷崇拜天主，北國便會喪失民心。於是，北國的君王雅洛貝罕出於政治理由，打造了兩隻金牛，興建了祭壇，自立自聖了一批司祭，告訴人民不用再前往耶路撒冷崇拜天主了！（列上12：26-33）二百年來，天主不斷差遣先知勸導他們悔改無效。結果，二百年後，北國以色列亡國於亞述帝國手中。
各位兄弟姊妹，四旬期是親近天主的好時機。今天的福音提醒我們，為了更親近天主，不要害怕跳出自己的安樂窩；拿出決心，放棄阻礙我們親近天主的舒適安逸生活，繼續禁食、祈禱和施捨吧。
我們不得不承認，作為一個二千年前的中東婦女，她所能做的事是非常有限的。與中國人差不多，女子一生要「三從：在家從父，出嫁從夫，夫死從子。」但事實並非如此簡單，「在家從父」，但父親可以把女兒賣掉，解決財政困難。「出嫁從夫」，但男人可以三妻四妾，甚至運用「七出之條」休妻！「夫死從子」，但沒有兒子，或者兒子不孝又如何呢？
耶穌與婦人的對話，進展良好，那婦人愈來愈願意和耶穌說話，直到耶穌說：「叫妳的丈夫來。」（4：16）這句話正中她的要害，婦人一句「我沒有丈夫」（4：17），立刻關上對話的大門。「我沒有丈夫」有四種可能。一，她待字閨中；二，她是棄婦；三，她是寡婦；四，她與男人同居。是哪一種情況呢？
天主保祐！
Third Sunday of Lent (Year A)
Theme: Liberation from our Comfort Zone
Our adaptability is very strong. For the sake of survival, we change ourselves and even modify our environment. In order to ensure the continuous supply of food, we cultivate the land, change the course of rivers, plant crops and vegetables, graze cattle and keep poultry. From living in caves to building houses and cities, men develop culture and laws to stand together to ward off the hostility of the nature. In order to gain protection from the community, men were willing to forsake some of their freedom to obey the law. They invented lamps so that they didn't have to rely on the lighting of the sun, thus increasing their productivity. They have done all these for one single purpose: to survive, to lead a stable life. However, in the course of changing ourselves or the environment, sometimes we make wrong choices and thus do harm to ourselves. For example, extended working hours increases incomes but harms our health and family relations. The gospel today demands us to reflect if our choices bring us closer to God or farther away from God.
Samaritans and Jews were enemies because after the Israel Kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians, the Assyrians enforced mixed marriages as a means of ethnic cleansing. Samaritans were offspring of these mixed marriages. Later, the Judah Kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians. Jews had learned from the Israelites. In order to maintain the purity of their blood, they strictly observed Mosaic laws and forbade mixed marriages. Thus, the Jews were proud of the purity of their blood and despised Samaritans. Of course the Samaritans would fight back. They always stirred up troubles with the Jews under the new conquerors such as the Persians and Greeks.
Geographically, Judah was in the south and Galilee the north. If a Jew wants to go straight to the north, he has to go through Samaria. If he does not want troubles from Samaritans, he needs to take a longer route. The gospel of Luke records an incident in which the Samaritans did not receive Jesus and his disciples. The disciples were angry and wanted to bid fire come down from heaven to burn the Samaritans. Jesus rebuked them and went on to another village. (Luke 9:53-56)Why did Jesus not take another route this time? Of course, taking another route would save the trouble and the hard feelings of rejection. But Jesus knew that it was time for harvesting. If they did not enter the village, they would miss the opportunity of evangelization, thus depraving the Samaritans an opportunity to come closer to God. Therefore, Jesus and his disciples took the risk of rejection and entered the Samaritan village.
Since it was evangelization, you should choose a location frequented by many people. Jesus had chosen well. He sat down beside Jacob's well (4:6). The location was right but the timing was wrong. It was the sixth hour, i.e. twelve noon. It was hot and usually nobody came to draw water at this hour. But a Samaritan woman did come! Obviously she wanted to avoid other villagers such that she waited until this hour to come and draw water. She changed her living habit because she did not want to hear the gossips about her. In fact, this was rather passive. Even if you don't want to hear, will the others stop the gossiping? The problem was whether she had the determination and ability to change her situation.
Of course, Jesus knew. He said, "You have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband." (4:18)This shows the unfortunate fate of women in ancient times. They could not exist independently in the society without men. The man could be her father/master, husband or son. This woman had had five husbands. That is to say, she had undergone a combination of 5 widowhoods or divorces. Even worse, she might have cohabited with six different men without any legal status. She was the Seductress in the eyes of the public! Whatever the case, she had resigned before her fate. She had given up and did not intend to change, to improve her situation, her marital status until Jesus Christ came into her life. What choice could she make? The gospel today tells us that many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of her testimony. Therefore, this Samaritan woman might have become one of his disciples and followed him to Jerusalem.
Not only individuals, a people can also make choices harmful to themselves. The Samaritan woman said, "Our fathers worshipped on this mountain." (4:20)What happened? The 12 tribes of Israel were unified by Kings David and Solomon into a kingdom. Unfortunately, after the death of King Solomon, the kingdom was split into the northern kingdom of Israel and southern kingdom of Judah. King Solomon had built the Temple in Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom after the breakup. If the king allowed the people to offer sacrifices at Jerusalem, their hearts would go back to the house of David. So, King Jeroboam built two golden calves, made altars and appointed priests himself and told the people it was no longer necessary to worship God in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:26-33). For more than two centuries, God sent prophets to exhort them to no avail. Consequently, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians two hundred years later.
Brethren, Lent is a good opportunity to come closer to God. The gospel today reminds us not to be afraid to get out of our comfort zone to come close to God. Make up your resolution. Forsake the comforts that prevent you from coming close to God. Continue to fast, pray and give alms.
We have to admit that for a woman living 2000 years ago in the Middle East, there was little she could do. Similar to her Chinese counterparts, the life of a woman was dominated by three men: her father before marriage, her husband after marriage and her son after the death of her husband. But things were not so simple. Before marriage, a father might sell the daughter off to repay debts. A husband was allowed to have concubines (in the case of Chinese men)or to write a certificate of divorce to put her away. In case a husband had died, he might leave the widow no son or an ungrateful son.
The dialogue between Jesus and the woman proceeded smoothly. The woman was more and more willing to open up until Jesus said, "Go, call your husband" (4:16). This was her Achilles' heel. The woman shut herself off immediately with "I have no husband" (4:17). There were four possibilities: 1) she was unmarried; 2) she was divorced; 3) she was widowed and lastly she was cohabiting with a man. Which one?
God bless.
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