主題：趁可以找到天主的時候
瑪竇福音有五大論述：即山中聖訓（瑪5-7），傳教訓令（10）、天國比喻（13）、教會生活（18）和末世言論（23-25）。今天福音的選段，便是進入末世言論的部份，耶穌以比喻說明在末日，天國圓滿地實現的情況。今天的教訓，不用多說，耶穌已很清楚地說明，沒有人知道那日子，那時辰（25:13）。即是說，所有「何時何日是世界末日」的預言，都是假的，為了騙財的。當然，我們也可以把「那日子」，引申為自己的死期。即是說，沒有人知道自己何時去世，連自殺的人，也有可能成為「企圖自殺」而已。不過，今天的故事，有一個頗為耐人尋味的元素，值得花點時間一起默想。故事中的「油」象徵甚麼呢？
教會傳統的解釋，認為「油」象徵了「恩寵」。
首先，用這樣簡單化了的解釋，人們很容易聯想到「賣油的地方」（25:9）就是教會。天主教教會有七件聖事，以可見的標記，如水、油、麵餅和酒，給予信友無形的恩寵。可以說，教會是一個「恩寵的寶庫」。例如，對臨終的人，教會施予「臨終傅油」和「臨終聖體」，幫助他們走人生最後的一段路程。可是，教會真是一個買賣的地方嗎？可以用金錢賣恩寵嗎？對不起，病人傅油、聖體聖事和其他的聖事一樣，全部都是免費的！
的確，「諸聖相通功」或者用今天比較正確的說法，「諸聖的共融」 ，很容易具體地變成金錢上的交流。例如【宗徒大事錄】也記載過，當其他地方教會知道了耶路撒冷有饑荒，便捐錢並託巴爾納伯和掃祿前往救濟他們（宗11:27-30）。時移世易，到了十六世紀，教會需要大量金錢支付「十字軍東征」和修建各地教堂的經費，有人便想出了售賣「大赦證書」來籌募經費，這「大赦證書」即華語基督教會錯誤地翻譯的「贖罪卷」，結果引發了五百年前的「宗教改革」！可見把一個觀念簡單化，是會引來不良後果的。
且看今天的福音，明智的童女不願意把自己的油分給糊塗的童女（瑪25:9），她們豈不是很自私嗎？有違「諸聖相通功」的道理嗎？其實，恩寵的確是可以互通的，因為全都是天主白白送出的。當遙遠的地方發生災難，或者當地的基督徒受到迫害，我們的遠水救不了他們的近火時，惟有為他們祈禱。相信大家也曾為聖召祈禱，為患病的親友，應付考試或面試的同學祈禱，甚至為他們禁食一段時間。這樣做表現了對天主的信賴，我們深信天主會因為我們的祈求，會解救他們的困難。例如，亞巴郎曾為索多瑪的居民向天主求情，討價還價（創18），梅瑟在以色列人拜金牛後，曾為以色列人向天主求情，不要消滅整個民族，另起爐灶（出32）。這就是「諸聖的共融」的真正意義，為有困難的兄弟向天主求情。後來，當信徒以金錢救濟有急需的窮人和把天主的恩寵量化起來時，便出現了把「剩餘」的恩寵，輸送給缺乏恩寵的靈魂的概念，出現了為亡者獻彌撒，買「大赦証書」的習俗。
所以，我不贊成把「油」象徵「恩寵」，我建議把「油」解釋為，無論是信徒與否，每一個人與天主的關係。既然是每個人與天主的關係，試問怎能分給別人呢？所以，明智的童女之所以明智，在於她們與天主有良好的關係。糊塗的童女之所以糊塗，在於她們與天主的關係疏離，有需要補救。整個世界都是賣油的地方，都是與天主建立良好關係的地方。世上有哪些地方，不能愛主愛人呢？沒有！在教會內固然可以愛主愛人；在教會外，在家庭，在學校，在工作的地方，在乘坐公共交通工具時，在商場食肆中，哪裡不能愛主愛人，與天主建立良好關係呢？問題在於我們有沒有在世界末日之前，在自己死之前，掌握機會去愛主愛人。倘若明天就是世界末日，相信到時纔去排隊領洗辦告解，恐怕已來不及了！
與天主建立良好關係的方法很多！特別在將臨期，是預備耶穌基督再度來臨的時節。堂區為大家預備了退省，和其他服務區內有需要人士的活動，請大家留意堂區報告，並積極參與。趁還可以找到天主的時候尋找祂（依55:6）；在新郎出現前，為自己準備多一點油。
假如你去世時有足夠恩寵，你便可以進入天堂。假如你沒有足夠恩寵，你便不能立刻進去，可能會花點時間在「煉獄」，更惡劣的可能要進入地獄。這個解釋容易明白，但一如其他「簡單化」了的觀念一樣，破綻百出，誤導群眾！讓我們看看這種解釋出了甚麼毛病。
天主保祐！
Thirty Second Ordinary Sunday (Year A)
Theme: Seek the Lord while He May Be Found
There are five major discourses in the gospel of Matthew: Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Evangelization Instructions (10), Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (13), Life in the Church (18) and Eschatology (25). The gospel passage chosen today belongs to the last discourse. Using parables, Jesus tells us how the Kingdom of Heaven shall be fully realized at the end of the world. The teaching today is crystal clear. Jesus explicitly tells us that nobody knows the day or the hour (25:13). That is to say, all those "Doomsday" prophecies are frauds, to cheat people of their money. Of course, we can understand "the day" to be our death. That is to say, nobody knows when he shall die. Even people who commit suicide might turn out to be "attempted suicides" only! But there is one intriguing element in the parable which is worth spending time to meditate. What does "oil" symbolize?
Traditionally, the Church explained that "oil" symbolizes "grace".
First of all, using this simplified explanation, people can easily associate "the dealer" (25:9) with the Church. There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church. They are visible signs, such as water, oil, bread and will, which give the faith invisible grace. The Church can be seen as a "treasure trove of grace". For example, for dying people, the Church administers Extreme Unction and Viaticum to help them go through their last journey. But is the Church a trading ground? Can money buy grace? Sorry, Anointment of the Sick, Holy Communion and the remaining sacraments are free of charge!
Truly, the "Communion of Saints" can easily materialize into an interflow of money. For example, when the local churches learnt that Jerusalem would suffer a severe famine, they donated money and asked Barnabas and Saul to bring it to the Church in Jerusalem. (Acts 11:27-30) Time changed. In the sixteenth century when the Church needed a huge fund to pay for the Crusades and the renovation of church buildings, somebody thought up the brilliant idea of selling indulgences, thus triggering the Reformation five centuries ago! See, an oversimplified idea can bring disasters.
Take a look at the gospel today, the wise maidens refused to give the foolish ones some of their oil (Matthew 25:9). Were they selfish? Did they violate the teaching of the "Communion of Saints"? Indeed, grace is transferrable because it is given by God freely. When disasters strike in far off places, or Christians being persecuted there, it is too far away for us to send them relief. We can only pray. I trust you have prayed for Vocation, for relatives and friends who suffer illnesses, for students who have examinations and interviews. You may even fast for a period of time. This shows our trust in God. We firmly believe that God will relieve them of their plights when we intercede. For example, Abraham had bargained with God for the people in Sodom (Genesis 18). Moses had convinced God not to destroy the Israelites after they worshipped the golden calf (Exodus 32). This is the true meaning of the "Communion of Saints". That is we intercede for the plights of our brethren. Later, when believers gave alms to the poor and started to quantize grace, the idea to transfer our "spare" grace to the souls which lacked it emerged. Catholics began to offer masses for the dead and buy indulgences.
Thus, I don't think it is a good idea to symbolize "grace" with "oil". I propose to explain "oil" in terms of everybody's relation with God, whether you are a believer of not. Since it is a personal relation with God, how can we give this relation to other people? Thus, the wise maidens were wise because they had already built up a good relation with God. They foolish maidens were foolish because they were alienated from God and needed to mend their relation. The whole world is where you can buy oil and build up a good relation with God. Where on earth can we not love God and men? Nowhere! Of course we can love God and men within the Church. Outside the Church, in our families, our schools, our working places, when we are taking public transports, in shopping arcades and restaurants, where can't we love God and men and to build up a good relation with Him? The problem lies in whether we are able to take up the opportunity to love God and men before the end of the world or before we die. If the end of the world came tomorrow, I believe it would be too late to line up and get baptized or to go to confession!
There are many different ways to build up a good relation with God, especially during Advent which is a season to prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ. The parish has arranged a retreat and some other charity services for the needy in this community. Pay attention to the parish bulletin and participate. Seek the Lord while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). Before the bridegroom arrives, get yourself some spare oil.
If you have enough grace at your death, you shall enter Paradise immediately. If you do not have enough grace, you cannot enter immediately and need to spend some time in the Purgatory. Worse still, you may end up in Hell. This idea is easy to understand, but like any other oversimplified concepts, there are many loopholes and they are misleading! Let us see what's wrong with this kind of explanation.
God bless!
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