主題：不戀棧過去的成就
今天的福音，承接上星期的故事。讓我們重溫一些背景資料。
今天的福音，帶出兩個重要的思想。
從個人的成長角度看，享受努力的成果是合理而且應該的。它肯定了自我的價值，提升了自信心，並且鼓勵一個人朝下一個更遠大的目標前進，促進個人的成長。倘若一個人戀棧著過去的成就，不願跳出過往成就所築成的安樂窩，試問他何來動力超越舊我，發展自己的潛能，向更高的目標邁進呢？到時，你不是被忘恩負義的皇帝殺死，而是被舊我所局限以至窒息死。因此，不戀棧目前的成就，纔能推動個人的成長。
同樣，從靈性成長的角度看也是這樣。領聖事和唸經是天主教徒天經地義的事，很多虔誠的教徒都隨身帶備玫瑰唸珠，每個主日辦告解和領聖體，成了他們的習慣。但這樣足夠嗎？天主真的希望你一生就是這樣度過了嗎？執事不是批評這種生活方式，虔誠不足。因為天主在這種生活方式之中，同樣給予教友很多的恩寵。不過，執事始終認為，天主為我們所預備的聖寵，決不會是這樣少的。其實天主為我們預備了很多的恩寵，祂希望我們不斷跳出自己的安樂窩，接受祂為我們擺設了的盛宴，一道又一道的美酒佳肴。你有每天撥出時間讀經祈禱嗎？你有閱讀「每日聖言」，在讀經之中尋求到天主的旨意嗎？你有探訪天水圍區內的獨居長者、外判清潔工人、到醫院探病、與聖雲先會探訪難民，在冬天為他們編織頸巾，送給他們嗎？甚至當在祈禱中聽到天主的呼召時，有沒有求天主聖神賜予的力量，勇敢慷慨地回應呢？天主在每個階段，在領洗入教，作為教友的階段；在社區內愛德服務，作為門徒的階段；在回應天主聖召，作為牧者的階段，都預備了豐富的恩寵給我們，等待我們踏出新的一步領受。
在今天的福音中，我們看到耶穌基督初出茅廬，在葛法翁的成就。他在會堂講道驅魔，在安德肋和西滿的家中落腳，吸引到全城的人聚集在那裡，求祂治病驅魔。馬爾谷說：「全城的人都聚在門前。」（谷1:33）雖然「全城」的寫法有點兒誇強，但可想而知，這並不是一個安息日的功夫所能成就的。無論如何，耶穌傳福音的事業，肯定是成功的。不過，耶穌並沒有被勝利衝昏了頭腦。當人人還未起牀時，耶穌已跑到城北的「荒野地方」祈禱。（1:34）耶穌基督雖然身為天主子，但祂在世時，尤其是在重要的時刻，總是不斷地一個人到安靜的地方祈禱，與天主聖父交談，尋求聖父的旨意。
各位兄弟姊妹，耶穌基督的榜樣提醒我們要檢視自己的祈禱習慣。可能我們生活繁忙，祗能在乘坐交通工具時祈禱，可能祗在用餐前唸飯前經，可能在臨睡前祈禱。耶穌基督何嘗不是個忙碌的人呢！上述的祈禱方式，都不是優質的祈禱，因為我們沒有給予自己充足的時間，領受天父啟示我們祂的聖意。相信大家對近來中梵建交的傳聞，感到混亂，甚至因為教廷好像向無神論政權屈服而感到忿怒。這是個考驗信德的時刻，因此，大家更加需要效法耶穌基督的榜樣，騰出時間，找個可以讓自己靜下來的空間，與天父蜜談，尋求天父的聖意。縱使我們心目中最惡劣的情況出現，我們仍深信天父喜歡把惡事化為美善。
其次，耶穌基督並沒有戀棧祂在葛法翁的成就，繼續往鄰近的村鎮傳福音（1:38）。當然，你們可能認為耶穌基督是一個滿懷大志的人，祂志不在葛法翁，而是整個世界。對！正因為耶穌基督和我們都懷有同一個志向，就是讓我們身邊的每一個人，恢復天主子女的身份，將來在天上，同享天主聖父的永恆生命。因此，我們不能停留在以往成就的安樂窩之中，我們要繼續迎難而上，慷慨地回應天父的邀請。
首先，葛法翁是座落加里肋亞海北岸的一條漁村，有點像未割讓給英國前的香港。雖然福音說她是一座城，即是有城牆圍繞著居住生活的地方，有一座城門供居民及商旅出入，有點像我們新界的一些圍村。但考古隊伍並沒有發現任何城牆的遺跡。所以，福音可能是指葛法翁的人口，可媲美一座城市，即大概一千五百人，而不是說她有一座城牆。
按馬爾谷福音的記載，耶穌在約旦河接受了洗者若翰的洗禮後，進入曠野四十天接受魔鬼的考驗之後，返回城市，以葛法翁作為基地，開始他的傳教活動。耶穌依照猶太人的習慣，在安息日進入會堂施教。眾人對他的教訓，感到驚訝，耶穌既不落俗套，又充滿權威。而且，耶穌的權威並非空談，而是有實在的驅魔和治病作印證的。
所謂「飛鳥盡，良弓藏；狡兔死，走狗烹。」這種中國謀臣的智慧，道盡作為獻計者的進退之道。倘若你戀棧、享受自己爭取得來的成果，而不懂得及時引退，必然招至殺身之禍。固然，在一個權力遊戲之中，這種忠告是正確的。但不要以為這種意見，祗適用於權力遊戲；其實，當中也有真正的人生智慧。
天主保祐！
2015年講道
Fifth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Let Go of Previous Achievements
The gospel passage today is the continuation of the story we read last week. Let us recollect some background details.
There are two important messages in the passage today.
From a personal developmental perspective, enjoying the fruits of one's effort is reasonable and appropriate. It affirms our values, elevates our confidence and encourages us to move on to higher goals and thus facilitating personal growth. If one indulges in achievements in the past and is not willing to jump out of the comfort zone the achievements have built up, is there anything left to motivate one to transcend the old self, actualize one's potentials and move ahead to more lofty causes? By then, you are not beheaded by an ungrateful emperor, but are smothered to death by your old self. Only by letting go of the present achievements can one be motivated to grow up.
Similarly, our spiritual development is the same. Reciting prayers and receiving sacraments are trademarks of Catholics. Many of them carry rosaries in their pockets and go to confession as well as receiving the Holy Communion every Sunday. This has become their habit. But is that enough? Does God really want you to lead such kind of life? I am not criticizing this life-style as not pious enough because God gives a lot of grace to the faithful whose life-style is as described. However, I always believe that God has prepared more grace for us than that. In fact, God has prepared much more grace for us, wishing us to jump out of our comfort zone to join the banquet He has laid out for us, delicious dishes after delicious dishes. Do you take out a time slot to pray every day? Do you read the "Daily Gospel" and discover God's will? Do you visit the elderly who live alone and outsourcing janitors who work in Tin Shui Wai, sick people in hospitals or refugees with volunteers from the St. Vincent de Paul Society? In this cold snap, do you knit neckerchiefs to give them? Do you, even in your prayers hear God's call, ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength to answer God bravely and generously? At every stage, when we were baptized to be a Catholic, when we serve the needy in the community as a disciple of Jesus, when we answer God's call to be a shepherd of His flock, God has prepared abundant grace for us, waiting for us to put forth a new step.
In the gospel passage today, we read of the great achievements of Jesus in Capernaum when He newly emerged from the wilderness. He preached and drove out an unclean spirit in the synagogue. He stayed in the house of Andrew and Simon, attracting the whole city to flock there to beg him cure diseases and drive out demons. Mark says, "And the whole city was gathered together about the door" (Mark 1:33). Although "the whole city" was a bit exaggerating, we can imagine that this was not achieved in one single Sabbath. No matter what, the public ministry of Jesus was surely successful. But Jesus was not carried away by this achievement. Before people got up, Jesus had already gone out to a lonely place to pray (1:34). Although Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he kept on praying alone in some quiet places, especially during some crucial moments, to talk with the Father to seek His will.
Brethren, the example Jesus set us reminds us of the need to examine our praying habits. Probably we are too busy. We can only have time to pray when we travel to work, or only say grace before meals or before going to bed. But was Jesus not busy as well? The modes of prayer mentioned above are not quality prayers because we have not given ourselves sufficient time to receive the Father's revelation of His will. I believe all of us are very confused by the rumours of the Curia reaching a deal with mainland China. Some of us are even angry of Vatican's seemingly kowtow to an atheist regime. This is a testing time of our faith. Thus, we need to follow Jesus' example to spare time to look for a space to calm down and have an intimate talk with the Father to seek His will. Let me assure you, even if the worst comes to the worst, we should trust God that He is able to turn evils into blessings!
Secondly, Jesus Christ did not cling to his achievements in Capernaum but continued to preach the good news to the next towns (1:38). Of course, you may think that Jesus Christ was ambitious. He would only be contented, not with Capernaum but with the whole world. Right! Just because we share the same ambition with Jesus Christ, viz. to restore the identity of God's sons and daughters of each and every one around us so that in the future, we shall partake in the eternal life of the Father. Thus, we should not stay inside the comfort zone of our past achievements. We should brave the hardship ahead and answer generously the invitation of the Father.
First of all, Capernaum was a fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, like Hong Kong before it was ceded to Britain. Although the gospel describes her as a city, that is to say, there was a wall surrounding the land on which people lived, a gate for people and merchants to go through, something like the walled-villages in the New Territories, archaeologists were not able to locate any remnants of a city wall. Therefore, the gospel probably refers to the population of Capernaum which might be comparable to that of cities, i.e. around 1500, and not to her city wall.
According to the gospel of Mark, after Jesus had received the baptism of the Baptist in River Jordan, he spent 40 days in the wilderness to undergo tests from Satan. Then he returned to the urban area, using Capernaum as his evangelization base. Jesus followed Jewish customs to enter a synagogue on the Sabbath to preach. People were amazed by his teaching which was full of authority. In fact, Jesus' authority was not empty talks but was back up by exorcisms and healings.
As a Chinese aphorism goes, "When there is no more birds flying in the air, good bows are buried. When cunning rabbits die out, running hounds are boiled." This Machiavellian aphorism aptly explains how strategists in royal courts should position themselves. If you enjoy the fruit of your efforts and do not know the proper time to stay away, you end up being beheaded. Surely, this aphorism is correct in power games. But do not belittle it and think that it applies to power games only. Indeed, there is wisdom for life.
God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment