主題：細水長流的愛
大約在四十多年前（1976），有一位演化生物學家Richard Dawkins出版了一本書，名為『自私的基因』，解決了「先有雞還是先有雞蛋」的謎題。基因是建構地球上一切生命的基本元素，是由四種蛋白質組合而成的藍圖。它有能力自我複製，與其他組件結合成為更複雜的生命體。基因祗是一些蛋白質，是沒有自我意識的，為甚麼說基因是自私呢？其實這是一個比喻，因為基因好像不惜一切地複製自己，想盡辦法使自己延續下去，看來不是很自私嗎？
其實，Dawkins與我們的信仰並沒有矛盾。在他看來是漫長的進化，在我們的眼中，這一切都是比45億年還更漫長的，永恆的天主，愛的創造。天主聖三的愛不但轟轟烈烈地啟動了138億年前的大爆炸，使它進化成適合人類生存的宇宙，還以祂無盡的、細水長流的愛，孕育著大地，使生物不斷進化發展。基督徒的故事不止於此：當大地被罪惡所污染之後，慈悲的天主並沒有放棄祂愛的創造，遂遣發聖子降生成人，拯救這被污染的世界。出於對聖父的敬愛和對世人的憐愛，耶穌基督曾轟轟烈烈地死在十字架上，清洗了古往今來一切的罪債。而且，祂還留下聖體聖事，細水長流地滋養信徒的生命。我們的觀點與Dawkins不同之處，在於我們相信天主，我們相信愛，因為天主是愛。在Dawkins的論點中，生命出於偶然；但在我們的眼中，生命的出現絕非偶然，生命是出於愛，生命是出於天主。沒有天主的容許，生命不會出現，生命不會終結。
愛可以是轟轟烈烈的，例如殉道者、為國捐軀的士兵和勇敢地在災難現場搶救死傷者的人等等。另一方面，愛可以是細水長流的，例如聖德蘭修女以40多年的生命，回應了耶穌基督對她的第二次聖召，讓不少垂死的人能有尊嚴地去世，讓世人關注身邊被忽視了的不幸的人。
做父親的，辛勤工作，養妻活兒。可能因為工作的關係，工餘已沒有精力說話了，故一般比較寡言。這樣，不是好像處身在聖體櫃內的耶穌基督一樣嗎？祂每天沉默地坐在聖體櫃內，等待著教友們去朝拜祂，領受祂，賜予他們恩寵。耶穌基督在聖體櫃之內，是何等忍耐啊！父親何嘗不是忍耐呢？固然，有些所謂「怪獸家長」望子成龍，強加自己的意願在兒女身上。但有更多的父親，明白子女有自己的天賦，自己的命運。他們明白揠苗助長之為害，故此以有如聖體聖事的耐性，等待子女的成長。例如路加福音中蕩子的父親，不是很有耐性地等候蕩子的回頭嗎？耶穌基督的聖體聖事是慈祥的，是為了我們的神益的。父親何嘗不是慈祥的呢？他們無論做甚麼，出發點全是為兒女的益處。耶穌基督對我們凡事包容，接受我們的罪過。做父親的明白子女的不足，不斷地包容子女的過錯，失敗和冒犯。耶穌基督信任罪人，相信他們總有一天會回頭。作為父親的，怎會不相信反叛期的子女，總會有成熟長進的一天呢？耶穌基督對我們充滿盼望，父親對子女同樣充滿盼望，希望他們能成為頂天立地，負責任的市民…父親，真是一件活生生的聖體聖事！
因為大多數的父親都是寡言的，因此，他們的身教尤其重要。當今世代，知識方面有師長、朋輩和互聯網，已不需要父親傳授了。故此，父親應身教的，是一份虔誠和忠心的態度。倘若父親表現出他是個虔誠的人，子女在耳濡目染之下，亦會對真主虔誠。虔誠可以一朝一夕表現出來的嗎？不可能。虔誠是經得起歲月的考驗的，而且，要在困難的生活環境中鍛練出來的。對妻子忠心、對上司忠心，會訓練子女們對天主忠心。各位父親，願彼此互勉。
有關「先有雞還是先有蛋」的爭論，這位生物學家的結論十分簡單，爭論「先有雞還是先有蛋」是問錯了問題。答案不是先有雞或者先有蛋，而是先有基因，雞或雞蛋祗不過是基因的其中一種表達形式，目的祗有一個，就是讓基因不斷延續下去。聰明的聽眾自然會追問，基因是從那裡來的呢？天真的基督徒會不假思索地說基因是天主創造出來的。可惜寫【創世紀】的時候還沒有「基因」的概念，所以聖經祗能說是天主創造了海裡的魚、空中的飛鳥和陸上的走獸，最後是人類。這位演化生物學家是個無神論者，在沒有造物主的前設下，他怎樣解釋基因的出現呢？他的結論亦是十分簡單：地球有45億年的歷史，在這漫長的歲月裡，祗要適當的條件出現時，甚麼可能性都會發生，總有一些條件有利進化出蛋白質和基因，這些蛋白質和基因，有些失敗了，不能自我複製、或者不適宜生存在四周的環境中而解體了。有些成功了，能自我複製，並發展出新的組合，應付新的環境。就這樣進化出海裡的魚、各種水陸兩棲的爬蟲、恐龍、昆蟲、飛鳥和地上的走獸。是漫長的時間，是細水長流的進化，令基因和它的傑作出現。
我們的家庭生活，是一個細水長流的愛的生活，絕不會是轟轟烈烈的，否則便家無寧日了。因為家庭是栽培下一代的訓練場，是下一代學習與人相處合作，建立關係的學校。這一切都需要時間，需要很長的時間。今天適逢父親節，讓我們向各位偉大的父親致敬之餘，亦反省父親的角色。我覺得父親是一件活生生的聖體聖事，一件愛的聖事！他是有形可見的，卻把無形可見的生命送給妻兒。
天主保祐！
Solemnity of Corpus Christi (Year A)
Theme: Trickling Love
Some four decades ago, Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist published a book called "The Selfish Genes" that solved the "Chicken-Egg Causality Dilemma". Genes are the building blocks of all life forms on earth. They are blueprints made up of four types of proteins. They are able to replicate themselves and combine with other components to form more complex life forms. Genes are simply proteins and do not possess self-consciousness. Why did the author call them selfish? It is only a metaphor because genes do whatever it takes to replicate and extend their existence at all costs. Doesn't that look selfish?
In fact, Dawkins' theory does not contradict our faith. The long history of evolution in his view is, in our eyes love's creation of our God in an eternity longer than the 4.5 billion years. Not only did the love of the Blessed Trinity start vigorously the grand Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago to give birth to a universe habitable for humanity, but His infinite trickling love also nurtures the earth and makes all life forms evolve continuously. The Christian story does not stop here. When the earth was contaminated by sins, the merciful God did not abandon His love's creation. He sent the Son to take up flesh to redeem this contaminated world. Out of love of the Father and compassion for sinners, Jesus Christ showed His love in a spectacular manner by dying on the cross to wipe out all the sins in the past and those to come. More than that, He left behind for us the Holy Eucharist to nourish our spiritual life in a persistent manner. Our views are different from those of Dawkins'. We believe in God. We believe in love because God is love. In Dawkins' view, the emergence of life was random. But in our eyes, it was not. Life came from love, came from God. Without God's permission, life cannot emerge nor can life be destroyed.
Love can be spectacular. For example, martyrs, soldiers who defend their countries or rescue workers in ground zero etc. On the other hand, love can be small, slow and persistent. For example, St. Mother Teresa spent more than four decades of her life in response to the second vocation of Jesus Christ. She had helped many dying people pass away in dignity and made the world aware of those unfortunate and neglected people.
Fathers work hard to earn a living for wives and children. Perhaps out of exhaustion, they lack energy to speak after works. They seldom speak. In this way, don't they look like Jesus Christ inside the Tabernacle? Sitting quietly inside the Tabernacle every day, Jesus waits for the faithful to worship him, receive him and give them grace. How patient Jesus is inside the Tabernacle! Are fathers not patient too? To be fair, some "monster parents" expect too much from their children, even impose their own ambitions on their children. But more fathers understand that children have their own potentials and their own destinies. They understand the harm of excessive pressure on children. So, like the Holy Eucharist, fathers wait patiently for their children to develop. For example, wasn't the father of the Prodigal Son in Luke patient to wait for his son to repent? The Holy Eucharist of Jesus Christ is kind. It is for our spiritual benefits. Are fathers not kind? Whatever they do, they do it for the benefits of their children. Jesus Christ bears all our faults and accepts our sins. Fathers understand the inadequacy of their children. They bear nonstop the faults, failures and offences of their children. Jesus Christ trusts sinners, believing that they would repent one day. As fathers, how can they not believe that one day, their rebellious children shall mature and grow up? Jesus is full of hope for us. In the same way, fathers are always hopeful for their children, hoping that one day, they will be responsible citizens with integrity. Fathers are truly a walking Holy Eucharist!
Since most fathers are reticent. The model they set up is all the more important. Nowadays, there are teachers, peers and the Internet to impart knowledge. Fathers are no longer in demand in this area. So, setting an exemplar of piety and loyalty for their children is paramount. If fathers are pious, under their influence, children will be pious to God. Can piety come overnight? Of course not! Piety must undergo the test of time and is trained up in difficult times. Be loyal to wives and to bosses. Then your children shall be loyal to God. Fathers, let us cheer each other up.
As for the controversy of "Which came first, chicken or egg?" the biologist's solution is very simple. Arguing which came first is asking the question in a wrong way. The answer is neither chicken nor egg, but genes. Chickens or eggs are simply an expression of genes. There is only one purpose, viz. to allow genes to continue their existence. The smart audience would keep asking where came the genes. Naive Christians would immediately answer without thinking that God created genes. Unfortunately, the concept of "genes" did not exist at the time of the writing of Genesis. So, the Bible could only say that God created the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, every living thing that moved upon the earth and lastly human beings. This evolutionary biologist is an atheist. How did he explain the emergence of genes without assuming the existence of a Creator? He has a simple answer: In the long history of 4.5 billion years of the earth, when the right conditions appeared, anything could happen. Some favourable conditions for the evolution of genes and proteins must have appeared. Some proteins and genes might fail, might not replicate themselves or disintegrated because they could not adapt to the surrounding conditions. Some succeeded, were able to replicate and develop new combinations to adapt to the environment. In this way, fishes were evolved in the seas, amphibians, dinosaurs, insects, birds and beasts. It was the length of time and the trickling evolution that allow the emergence of genes and their masterpieces.
Our family life should be a trickling life of love. It cannot be spectacular otherwise there will be no peace at home. Family is the training ground for our next generation, a school for them to learn working with others and building up relationships. It takes time, a lot of time. It is Father's Day today. Let us pay tribute to fathers and reflect on their roles. I opine that fathers are a walking Holy Eucharist, a sacrament of love. They are visible and give life which is invisible to wives and children.
God bless!
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