主題：善用資訊科技傳福音
今天我們慶祝耶穌升天節，這事蹟有甚麼值得慶祝呢？
這個「天」是否指外太空呢？不是。「天」是指天主的居處。所以，集禱經說是一個「境界」。天主創造了我們，到末日，耶穌基督將會重臨，帶領我們回歸天主的懷抱。
今天我們選讀瑪竇福音，它非常注重教會的生活。首先，如何加入教會這個基督的奧體呢？是透過洗禮。但在教會的初期，洗體的形式並未統一，有些以宗徒的名義洗禮，有些以耶穌基督的名義洗禮。自從瑪竇福音提出以天主聖三的名義洗禮之後，教會的洗禮形式統一了。耶穌基督升天，坐在天主聖父的右邊，享有最尊貴的地位。但祂並沒有完全脫離這個世界。祂升天前許下，「我與你們天天在一起，直到今世的終結。」（瑪28:20）。耶穌基督在升天後，仍然在教會內與世人在一起。所以，世人加入教會，便有如亡羊回歸羊棧，與善牧基督天天在一起，直到世界的終結。
作為耶穌基督奧體的肢體，教會的成員，我們在世有甚麼任務呢？主基督說：「你們要去使萬民成為門徒…教訓他們遵守我所吩咐你們的一切。」（28:19-20）所以，我們的任務是給世人一個與天主和好的機會，就是把耶穌基督的教訓，告訴他們，讓他們選擇，加入基督的奧體。這就是教會存在的目的，就是耶穌基督升天離去，讓我們參與拯救世界的原因。
今天互聯網發達，大部份人都可以享受互聯網的方便，人人都可以發表意見，發放消息已經不再是政府或大財團的專利。言論更加自由，資訊可以更快速，更廣泛地散播。這本來是基督徒一個傳福音的黃金時代，因為福音也可以更快捷，更廣泛地傳揚。可惜，假消息，謠言也同樣更快捷更廣泛地在Facebook, WhatsApp散播！讓我舉一個近期發生在印度的例子。香港的媒體沒有報導，因為這事件與香港市民沒有直接的關係，沒有新聞價值。不過，有了互聯網，足不出戶而知天下事，不再是奢侈了。
這件事與我們有甚麼關係呢？
散播謠言，嚴重的可以傷害人命，可以給政府一個藉口，封殺社交媒界，限制言論自由。縱使好像沒有殺傷力的資訊，亦會令讀者真假難辨，失去信心。試問在劣質消息泛濫的情況下，真正需要幫助的人，如何求救；正義的訴求，如何獲得群眾的支持呢？
過去兩個主日所讀的若望福音，告訴我們耶穌基督要求我們彼此相愛，如同祂愛了我們一樣。（若13:34）又因為好心會做壞事，所以耶穌基督許下賜予我們天主聖神，祂是真理之神（14:17），愛德之神，祂會保証我們在真理中實踐愛德，不會好心做壞事。
讓我們祈求聖神，幫助我們明辨明非，不要輕率地轉發短訊，妥善地運用資訊科技，傳揚福音。
首先，耶穌基督升天，與我們有甚麼關係呢？
今天的集禱經告訴我們，主耶穌基督的升天，「預示了我們的歸程」。因為祂是我們的頭，我們都是祂奧體的肢體。祂怎樣升天，將來我們也怎樣升天。
其次，耶穌基督為甚麼祗顯現給祂所揀選的人，而不是向全人類顯現呢？第一，我們都是祂的肢體，所以耶穌基督所做的事，我們也應該做。再者，在耶穌基督以後的世代，還有億萬人民尚未出現，他們有待後世的我們作出努力，引領他們加入耶穌基督的奧體。倘若耶穌基督繼續存留在世上，他們便沒有選擇的餘地，不得不加入了。
事緣在五月初，有一個「拐帶兒童」的謠言，透過WhatsApp廣泛地散播。結果，從五月十二日至十八日，在印度東部的賈坎德邦，發生了三宗群眾濫用私刑事件，一共毆斃了九個人。即便警察到場，亦因寡不敵眾，祗能袖手旁觀。
相信大家也是WhatsApp的用戶。很多時候朋友傳來的短訊，尤其是一些貼上名人，例如教宗方濟各、或者聖德蘭修女名字的短訊，都不假思索地轉發出去。我們這樣做是不負責任，並且有違耶穌基督的教訓。當我們收到訊息時，我們有沒有核實資訊的真偽呢？如果資訊是假，我們便成了散播謠言的幫兇！貼上了教宗的名字，就真是教宗所說的話嗎？我們可以在網上可靠的、正式的媒體，核對資訊的真偽。教宗的言論，有梵蒂岡的電台和新聞網頁可以核對，有其他天主教華語的網站翻譯成中文。香港教區在公教報、教區網頁、教區視聽中心等確實。文字可以做假，圖片一樣可以移花接木，迷惑讀者。曾收過不 少連鎖信，利用我們的善心，要求轉發，幫助附圖中可憐的兒童。幸好Google可以根據圖片作出搜尋，幫助我們確定圖片曾在那裡出現過。
天主保祐！
Solemnity of Ascension (Year A)
Theme: Make good use of IT to evangelize
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Ascension. What are we celebrating?
Today, we choose a passage from the gospel of Matthew which emphasizes life in the Church. First of all, how do people enter into this Mystical Body of Christ? It is through baptism. But during the time of the early church, the forms of baptism varied. Some baptized in the name of the apostles while other in the name of Jesus Christ. Since the gospel of Matthew promoted baptism in the name of the Blessed Trinity, the form of baptism was standardized.
Jesus ascended into heavens and seated at the right hand of the Father to enjoy the supreme position. But He has not completely cut Himself off from the world. Before ascension, He promised, "I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Thus, after ascension, Jesus still accompanies humanity in the Church. Thus, when people join the Church, they are like lost sheep returning to the fold to stay with Christ the Good Shepherd to the end of the world.
As members of the Mystical Body of Christ, what is our mission on earth? Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (28:19-20) Thus, our mission is to provide an opportunity for humanity to reconcile with God. That is to say, we tell them Jesus' teachings. Let them choose to join the Mystical Body of Christ. This is the raison d'être of the Church. This is the reason why Jesus ascended into heaven, allowing us to participate in the redemption of the world.
Today, most people are enjoying the convenience of the Internet. Everyone can express their views. Broadcasting news is no longer the monopoly of governments or cartels. Speech enjoys greater freedom. Information can be spread faster and more extensively. Regrettably, fake news and rumours also spread faster and more extensively on Facebook and WhatsApp. Let me take an example recently happened in India. Media in Hong Kong do not cover it because this incident is not directly related to Hongkongers. It is not newsworthy. But with the Internet, knowing what is happening around the globe is no longer a luxury.
What has these lynchings to do with us?
Spreading rumours can kill and give the government an excuse to ban social media and to restrict the freedom of speech. Even for innocent looking information, it confuses the readers and erodes their confidence. When poor quality information becomes overwhelming, how can genuinely needy people seek help and how can righteous causes gain popular support?
During the past two weeks, we read the gospel of John. It tells us that Jesus commands us to love each other even as he has loved us (John 13:34). But the path to hell is littered with good intentions. So Jesus promises to grant us the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth (14:17), the Spirit of love. He will guarantee us to practise charity in truth so that we will not do evil with good intentions.
Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to help us know right from wrong, not to forward messages without a thought, to make good use of Information Technology to evangelize.
First of all, what has Jesus' ascension to do with us?
In the Collect today, we are told that Jesus' ascension "is our exaltation". It is because He is our head and we are members of His Mystical Body. We will ascend to heavens the way he ascended.
Does "heavens" mean the outer space? No. Heavens means the abode of God. God created us. When the end of the world comes, Jesus Christ will come again to bring us back to the bosom of God.
Secondly, why did Jesus appear to the chosen ones and not to all humanity? Firstly, we are members of His Body. What Jesus did, we should do too. Moreover, billions of souls have not appeared in the future generations. They need our efforts to bring them into the Mystical Body of Christ. Had Jesus Christ continued to stay on earth, they would have had no choice but to believe in Him.
Early in May, a children trafficking rumour spread through WhatsApp in Jharkhand, eastern India. Consequently, from May 12 to 18, nine people were killed in three instances of lynching. Even when the police had arrived, they were outnumbered and could take no action.
I trust all of us are WhatsApp users. Many times when we receive messages from friends, especially those attached with names of celebrities such as Pope Francis or St. Mother Teresa, we forward them without giving it a thought. In so doing, we are irresponsible and go against the teachings of Jesus Christ! When we receive messages, do we verify their truthfulness? What if the information is fake, we become accomplice in spreading rumours. When the Pope's name is attached, is it really the Pope's? We have reliable and official media on the Internet to verify the truthfulness of the information. There are Vatican Radio and news feeds to verify. There are Chinese Catholic websites which follow and translate the Pope's messages. We have Kung Kau Po, Diocesan webpage and the Diocesan Audio Visual Centre to check in the Hong Kong Diocese. Texts can be hoax. Pictures can be transplanted to cheat. I have received many chain-letters which take advantage of my charity with pictures of pitiful children requesting me to forward them. Luckily, Google can search by pictures, helping us to determine when and where these pictures have appeared.
God bless!
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