我們必須下山 We must Descend from the Mountain

四旬期第二主日，乙年
主題：我們必須下山

今天的福音開始時說：「六天後。」（谷9:2）那麼，六天之前發生了甚麼事呢？耶穌基督傳福音的工作，已接近尾聲。他準備前往耶路撒冷受死，完成他拯救世界的任務。耶穌基督需要建立教會，留給世界一個有形可見的組織，賜予無形恩寵的基本聖事。誰將會領導這個教會呢？於是六天之前，在斐理伯的凱撒勒雅地方，耶穌基督向門徒做了一個簡單的「民意調查」，以他們所知，在群眾心目中，耶穌是誰。然後，當門徒回答時，耶穌問了一個核心的問題：「你們說我是誰呢？」十二人之中，祇有西滿能夠答：「你是默西亞。」（8:27-29）瑪竇福音進一步報導，耶穌基督憑藉這個答案，明白了是天父揀選西滿作教會的基石。所以耶穌為西滿起名為伯多祿，並宣佈在這磐石上建立他的教會，惡勢力不能戰勝教會。耶穌在這個場合把天國的鎖匙交給伯多祿等等。（瑪16:17-19）

耶穌基督既然要把救贖工程交給教會，當然要透露這個救世計劃的大綱。豈料當他說出要到耶路撒冷受難，然後三日後復活時，伯多祿第一個提出反對。伯多祿的表現實在令人失望，耶穌基督高估了門徒的能力。耶穌基督要趕在逾越節在耶路撒冷受難，因為到時會有很多群眾聚集在耶路撒冷。所餘時間無多，怎樣補救呢？唯有為三個入室弟子「補課」吧。所以六天後，耶穌帶領這三個入室弟子上了一座高山，那自己的真身顯現給他們，讓他們明白復活是甚麼一回事，死亡其實並不可怕！這就是今天「耶穌顯聖容」的來龍去脈。

這事件給我們兩個啟示：

1. 無論人類如何邪惡，天主對人類仍然不離不棄。為那些犯罪的人，憑自己的努力，根本沒有能力補償自己的過錯。試問一個令數十個無辜的人喪失生命的校園槍擊手，憑自己的一條生命如何補償呢？天主明白人不能自救，祂竟然安排自己的聖子死在十字架上，為人類贖罪。祂的慈愛，令人難以明白。無論人類如何不中用，祂竟然放心把祂的教會建立在因為怕死而三次否認祂的伯多祿身上，並把教會委託給那些好大喜功，好逸惡勞，但又軟弱無能的人管理。祂的慈悲，真是難以估計。
2. 伯多祿看到了耶穌基督復活的光榮之後，心滿意足了。用今天的靈修術語，天主賞賜伯多祿靈修的最高境界。「師傅，我們在這裡真好！」（谷9:5）的確，在聖堂內祈禱，領聖事，參加禮儀，促進個人的靈修真好；又有彼此關懷的兄弟姊妹，又有團體活動，促進友誼真好！我們也會好像伯多祿一樣說：「師傅，我們在這裡真好！」但我們不能永遠停留在高山上，享受這份溫馨。因為我們的信仰是憑兩條腿走路的。一是靈修，二是關顧窮人，兩者互相配合，缺一不可。祇顧服務，與社工有甚麼分別呢？我們很快便會油盡燈枯！祇顧靈修，我們可領會到天主的旨意。但大自然中的山川雨雪，何嘗不領會天主的旨意呢（依55:10）？那麼，我們與一塊石頭有甚麼分別呢？因此，我們必須下山，按天主的旨意實行愛德，關愛窮人！

在四旬期，讓我們繼續努力，祈禱，守齋和施捨，報答天主對我們的慈悲，實踐我們的信仰。
天主保祐！
2015年反省

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Second Sunday of Lent, Year B
Theme: We must Descend from the Mountain

The gospel passage today begins with "And after six days" (Mark 9:2). So what had happened six days earlier?
The public ministry of Jesus Christ was coming to an end. He was prepared to go to Jerusalem to suffer and complete His salvation mission. Jesus Christ needed to set up the Church, leaving behind a visible institution to give invisible grace to the world, the Fundamental Sacrament. Who would lead this Church? Thus, six days earlier in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus did a simple opinion poll with His disciples. As far as they knew, what did people say about him? Afterwards, when the disciples gave their answers, Jesus asked a crucial question, "But who do you say that I am?" Among the twelve, only Simon dared to answer, "You are the Christ." (8:27-29) The gospel of Matthew further reports that with this answer, Jesus Christ understood that the Father had chosen Simon to be the foundation stone of the Church. Thus, Jesus gave Simon a new name Peter and on this rock He would build His Church. Evil forces shall not prevail against her. And Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven etc. (Matthew 16:17-19)

Since Jesus Christ gave the salvation project to the Church, naturally He would reveal to them the outline of His action plan. When He told them that He would die and come back to life after three days, Peter was the first to rebuke Him! The reaction of Peter was disappointing. Jesus Christ had overestimated the capacity of His disciples. Jesus Christ had to reach Jerusalem before the Passover to suffer because by that time, many people would gather in Jerusalem. But time was running out. What remedial measures could He do? He had to give the inner circle of disciples an extra lesson! So six days later, Jesus brought the three disciples up a high mountain to show them His actual being, make them understand what resurrection meant and there was nothing to fear in death! This was the context of the Transfiguration.

This incident teaches us two lessons:

1. No matter how evil men are, God shall never abandon them. Since sinners, on their own, have no way to compensate their faults. Think about a shooter who kills tens of innocent people on the campus, what could he do to compensate with his only one life? God understands that men could not save themselves. He arranged His own Son to die on the cross to redeem our sins. His love is difficult to fathom. No matter how impotent men are, Jesus Christ entrusted the foundation of His Church on a Peter who out of fear denied Him three times, and entrusted the management of His Church to those ambitious, sloth and impotent people. His mercy is difficult to estimate.
2. After seeing the resurrection glory of Jesus Christ, Peter was satisfied. Using the jargon of spirituality today, God has granted Peter the highest level of spirituality. "Master, it is well that we are here!" (Mark 9:5) Truly, it is good for our spirituality to pray in the Church, receive sacraments and partake in liturgy. We have brethren who love and care about us. We have social functions to promote friendship. Naturally, we shall say like Peter, "Master, it is well that we are here!" But we can never remain on the high mountain to enjoy the comfort. It is because our faith is built on two legs: Spirituality and Option for the Poor. The two complement each other. We cannot walk on one leg! If we focus only on service, we are not different from social workers! We will quickly burn out! If we focus solely on spirituality, we are able to grasp the will of God. But don't mountains, rocks, rain and snow do the will of God? (Isaiah 55:10) Then, how are we different from a rock? Thus we need to descend from the high mountain to practise charity according to God's will to serve the poor!

During this Lenten Season, let us work hard in praying, fasting and almsgiving to repay God's mercy and put our faith into practice.
God bless!