主題：聖神的催促
在乙年，我們可以細心欣賞馬爾谷所寫的福音。
今天的福音用了「立即」，把耶穌基督的「受洗」與「受試探」緊扣起來；馬爾谷還用了「催」，而不是「引」或者「領」。縱使馬爾谷的希臘文並不優雅，但他卻為我們展示了天主聖神的動力！讓我為大家分享聖神曾在我身上的推動吧！
我在2015年領受執事聖職之前，是一個在中學教了39年聖經的老師，而且祇任教過兩所天主教中學。老實說，我的工作經驗和人生閱歷是非常單薄的。領職後，湯漢樞機除了委派我到聖葉理諾堂服務之外，還指派了兩個任務：聖經牧民和天主教勞工事務委員會。聖經牧民總算是駕輕就熟，勞工事務就要虛心地從頭學起了。
即使是「初生之犢」的衝動，也是天主聖神的帶領。回顧整個籌備的過程，令我深深體會到「慈悲」的意義。是包容別人的過失，是對別人不離不棄，滿懷希望。我們開始探訪天水圍區的外判清潔工人，發覺他們並不抗拒福音，原來很多教外人士是非常渴望認識耶穌基督的福音，福傳工作並不是我們想像中的困難。「安樂茶飯」是為他們舉辦的慈悲善工，今年是第三屆，已擴展到天水圍北的工友了。為我的另外一個收獲是探監。雖然領職時已申請到一個「監獄專職教士」通行証，在指定監獄之中「自由行」，但是都是因為慈悲禧年的原故，領職後一年纔實實在在地到監獄裡，探望失去自由的耶穌基督！從他們的故事中，獲得很多靈性上的啟發，充實了不少人生的閱歷。這不但是實踐「形哀矜」的機會，更是靈修上的功夫。福音說，樹的好壞由果子判斷。（瑪7:17-18）因此，我肯定當日自薦，是聖神的催促。
各位兄弟姊妹，天主曾在輕微細弱的風聲中向厄里亞說話。（列上19:12）我們便認為天主的旨意很難觸摸，以為祂喜歡在我們內心的深處，以微弱的聲音向我們說話。所以我們強調在寧靜的環境中祈禱，與主交談。這是對的。但請大家不要忽略了陌生的天主聖神。請向天主聖神開放，認識祂，讓祂認識您。祂有如風一樣，不受約束。（若3:8）天主聖神可以像微風一樣安慰我們，但祂一樣可以催促剛受洗的耶穌基督，一樣可以像烈風一樣，在五旬節催促120個門徒宣講，（宗2:2-4）也可以不同程度的風力，催促我們，結出九種聖神的果子。（迦5:22-23）
聖經學者對他的寫作風格，有這樣的評語：馬爾谷的希臘文比較粗糙，並不優美，文學價值不高。但正是這個原因，馬爾谷的福音，卻充滿動感。例如，耶穌接受若翰的洗禮後，瑪竇說：「忽然天為他開了。」（瑪3:16）；路加簡單地說：「天開了。」（路3:21）馬爾谷卻說：「天裂開了。」（谷1:10）。如果你認為這是偶然，讓我們再看今天耶穌受試探的故事。瑪竇說：「那時，耶穌被聖神領往曠野，為受魔鬼的試探。」（瑪4:1）「那時」一詞給讀者一個「受洗」與「受試探」相隔了一段時間的印象。且看路加如何處理，他在耶穌受洗後，列出共16節長的耶穌族譜（路3:23-38），把「受洗」與「受試探」分隔了。而且，路加這樣說：「耶穌充滿聖神，由約旦河回來，就被聖神引到荒野裡去了，四十天的工夫受魔鬼試探。」（路4:1-2）兩位聖史有意無意地把兩件事情分開，其背後的原因，自有聖經專家研究。但為甚麼我們的印象，是兩件相連的事呢？這就是馬爾谷的貢獻了。
教宗方濟各在2015年四月頒布「慈悲面容宗座詔書」，宣告為紀念梵蒂崗第二屆大公會議閉幕五十周年，舉行「慈悲特殊禧年」，慶祝天主的慈悲。除了開啟聖門、朝聖、頒全大赦、舉行「24小時獻給上主」祈禱會、派遣慈悲傳教士到各教區赦免特殊的大罪等活動之外，每個月都為特定的對像舉行慈悲善工，例如：兒童、青少年、長者、慕道班導師、工人、病患者、難民、獄中的囚犯等。香港教區為響應教宗的號召，便成立了一個「慈悲禧年專責小組」在教區內推動慈悲活動。小組成員除了教友總會代表外，還包括了安老服務的安貧小姊妹會，為貧苦大眾和難民服務的聖雲先會和聖艾智德團體，教區禮儀委員會的青年代表，教區視聽中心的職員，當然還有教區勞工事務委員會的代表。
我是勞工事務委員會的委員之一，在一次例會上，大家推選一位代表加入「慈悲禧年專責小組」。當時，我感受到今天福音所說的「聖神催促」。這是一種很難描述的感覺，是一種血液中的暖流，一種心靈的振奮。我在心中一再默禱，「主！是祢的旨意嗎？」。最後，我舉手自薦。其實，這不是經過深思熟慮的決定。論經驗，我是新人，對工人在香港社會的處境所知不多，對勞工法例和外判清潔工人被剝削的情況，更是一無所知。委員中比我經驗多的，大有人在。論組織能力，為校內同學組織宗教活動還可以，為整個教區組織大型活動卻是非同小可。所以，當天舉手自薦，可能是「初生之犢」的衝動而已。
天主保祐！
First Sunday of Lent, Year B
Theme: The Urge of the Holy Spirit
In Year B, we can enjoy in greater details the gospel written by Mark.
The gospel passage we read today uses the word "straightway" to lock the baptism and the temptation together. Moreover, Mark uses "driveth him forth" instead of "led". Even if Mark's Greek was not elegant, he was able to demonstrate the dynamics of the Holy Spirit. Let me share with you my experience of being driven by the Holy Spirit!
Before I was ordained in 2015, I had been a teacher of Religious Studies for 39 years in two different Catholic schools. To be candid, my working experience as well as life experience are too shallow. After ordination, His Excellency, Cardinal John Tong not only assigned me to serve in St. Jerome's Church but also two more ministries: biblical pastoral work and HK Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs. Biblical pastoral work is my cup of tea but labour affairs are new to me. I need to start from square one humbly.
I am a member of the Commission. In one meeting, members were electing a representative to join the ad hoc committee. At that moment, I felt the urge of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the gospel today. The feeling was difficult to describe, sort of a warm stream winding in my blood and a vibration of the heart. I repeatedly prayed, "Lord, is this your will?" At last, I put up my hand to volunteer. Indeed, this was not a decision with thorough deliberation. As for experience, I was new. I knew little about the workers in the context of Hong Kong. I knew next to nothing about Labour Ordinances and the exploitations suffered by the outsourced janitors. There were many members more experienced than I was. As for programming skills, I was able to run religious activities in schools. But diocesan functions are of a more demanding magnitude! Thus, I was probably too naively impulsive when I volunteered on that day.
Even if I were impulsive out of naivety, I believe that the Holy Spirit was leading me. Looking back at the whole event, I can feel deeply the meaning of mercy. It is a tolerance of other people's faults, a refusal to abandon them and an insistence on hope. We began visiting outsourced janitors in Tin Shui Wai and discovered that they did not resist the gospel. In fact, many "non-believers" desire to know the good news of Jesus Christ. Evangelization is not as difficult as we imagine. This is the third year we organize "Comfort Reunion Banquet" for them as a work of mercy. We have extended to the northern part of Tin Shui Wai. Although after I was ordained, I was given a Prison Chaplain Pass which allows me to roam freely within designated prisons, I only started using it because of the Jubilee of Mercy. I seriously pay visit to those Jesus Christ's who have lost their freedom! From their stories, I gain much spiritual inspiration and they enrich my life experience. Not only are these opportunities to practise Corporal Works of Mercy, they are also spirituality exercises. The goodness of a tree is determined by its fruits (Matthew 7:17-18). Thus I am certain that it was the Holy Spirit who urged me to volunteer on that day.
Brethren, God had spoken to Elijah in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12). From this we think that God's will is difficult to grasp and that He likes to speak to us in a still small voice at the depth of our hearts. Thus, we emphasize praying to God and dialoguing with Him in a quiet environment. That is correct. However, we should not forget the Holy Spirit which we are not so familiar. Open yourself up to the Holy Spirit. Know Him and let yourself be known. He is like a wind which blows where He wills (John 3:8). The Holy Spirit may console us in a breeze. The same Spirit might drive the newly baptized Jesus Christ into the wilderness. Similarly, like a hurricane, the Holy Spirit might urge the 120 disciples to proclaim good news on Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4). And He can drive us with different intensities to bear the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Biblical scholars have come to the following consensus on language of Mark: his Greek was coarse, not elegant. It has little literary value. But just because of this, the gospel of Mark is full of dynamics. For example, after the baptism of Jesus, Matthew says, "And lo, the heavens were opened unto him" (Matthew 3:16, ASV). Luke simply says, "The heaven was opened" (Luke 3:21). But Mark says, "The heavens rent asunder" (Mark 1:10). If you think that it is a coincidence, let us read again the story of Jesus' temptation today. Matthew says, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (Matthew 4:1). The word "Then" gives the readers an impression that the baptism and the temptation were separated for a length of time. Let us see how Luke dealt with it. After writing the baptism of Jesus, Luke separated it from the temptation with 16 verses of the genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:23-38). Then, Luke says, "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness during forty days, being tempted of the devil" (Luke 4:1-2). The two Evangelists hint that the two events were separated. Let the experts settle this topic. As for us it is enough to ask why we have the impression that the two events were linked. This is the work of Mark.
In April 2015, Pope Francis declared the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council with an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in the papal bull "Misericordiae Vultus" to remember God's mercy. Other than opening of holy gates of mercy, pilgrimages, granting plenary indulgences, "24 Hours for the Lord" prayer services and the commissioning of missionaries of mercy to dioceses all over the world to absolve grave sins, works of mercy for particular groups of people were done each month. For example, children, teenagers, the elderly, catechists, workers, the sick, refugees and prisoners etc. In response to the Pope's call, the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong set up an ad hoc committee to implement those works of mercy. Members were made up of representatives from HK Central Council of Catholic Laity, Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Community of Sant' Egidio, a young member from the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, a staff member from the HK Diocesan Audio-Visual Centre and of course a committee member from the HK Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs.
God bless!
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