主題：天父要尋找的果實
先此聲明，執事並沒有實際種植葡萄的經驗，對葡萄的接枝技術，祇是一知半解而已。
在今天的福音，耶穌選擇了葡萄樹的象徵，表述了祂與信徒的關係。讓我們默想其中的意義。
除了召叫人聖潔地生活，彰顯上主聖潔的一面之外，天父更進一步，召叫我們成為天主教徒，成為天主聖子，真葡萄樹上的枝條，好能分享耶穌基督所通傳的永恆生命。請注意，全人類在本質上，是與取了人性的天主子，耶穌基督，是同「品種」的。耶穌基督沒有選擇降生成為天使，而是降生成人。所以祂與我們是相同品種，而不是與天使有相同品種。
其實，即使嫁接到真葡萄樹上，也並不保證能成功地結出果實。即是說，即使領洗入教，並不保證你會成為一個名副其實的天主教徒。所以耶穌基督說：「凡在我身上不結實的枝條，我父便剪掉。」（若15:2）是的，所謂「樹大有枯枝」，那些嫁接在耶穌基督身上的枝條，總有些未能成功地連結在一起的。他們領了洗，名義上是天主教徒，拿到了入學的額外5分，結婚時可以在美麗的教堂行禮，死後可以埋葬在天主教的墳場裡。這些都是他們應得的，沒有甚麼不妥當。問題是，他們有沒有和耶穌基督連結起來，結出天父想尋求的果實呢？倘若我們未能結出天父要求的果實，天父便會剪掉我們，「丟在外面而枯乾了，人便把它拾起來，投入火中焚燒。」（15:6）
那麼，天父尋求怎麼樣的果實呢？
實踐真福八端，談何容易！倘若沒有聖神的幫助，人類是沒有能力實踐「真福八端」的要求。最新的宗座勸諭，意味著天主教徒，要度一個充滿聖神的生活。天父希望在我們身上找到的果實，不是每年參加了多少次彌撒，領了多少次聖體，辦了多少次告解或者參加了多少次退省等。這些都是重要的。天父希望在我們身上找到的果實，也不是引領了多少人領洗入教。不要誤會，傳福音令更多人領洗入教，分享天父的永恆生活，固然是重要的。但更重要的，就是我們的信仰生活，能否結出美善的果實，聖神的果實。聖保祿宗徒在書信中，提及了聖神的九個果效，就是：仁愛、喜樂、平安、忍耐、良善、溫和、忠信、柔和、節制（迦5:22-23）。這就是天父希望在我們身上找到的氣質，聖神的氣質；希望我們用這些態度，服務弱小者身上的耶穌基督，成為一個名副其實的天主教徒。
一株葡萄樹，約有三十年夀命。為了保存，散播甚至把好的葡萄樹配種，園丁會挑選好的嫩枝，用接枝的方法，嫁接到另一棵葡萄樹上去。接枝的方法節省了撒種和栽培幼苗的階段，符合經濟效益。
首先，天主按照自己的肖像創造了人（創1:26），並召叫所有的人，成為聖潔的天主肖像（肋19:2）。雖然天主已把成聖的種子，即創世紀所說的「天主的肖像」，放在每個人的心中。可惜，不是所有的人都回應這個聖潔的召叫。有些人拒絕了天主的召叫，並投靠了撒殫的陣營，做了許多傷天害理的事。有些人雖然良心未泯，不做壞事，但他們對天主的真理，沒有多大興趣；又迫於環境，沒有決心和勇氣按良心生活，去做個頂天立地的人。有些人排除萬難，按良心生活。他們滿足了做天主肖像的基本要求，就是做一個表達出上主天主聖潔一面的人！
園丁會嘗試把所有的枝條，即全人類，嫁接到耶穌基督身上，領受生命。有些枝條成功嫁接了，有些卻失敗了。即是說，縱然天主願意所有的人得救，獲得生命。可惜不是所有蒙召的人，都能成功地領洗成為天主教徒，好能在教會內，領受聖事，預先享受到天父的永恆生命；並吸取養份，抗拒世俗的污染。
天主保祐！
2015年反省
Fifth Easter Sunday, Year B
Theme: Fruits that God Seeks in Us
Disclaimer: I have no practical experience growing vine. I know very little about the techniques of vine grafting.
In the gospel reading today, Jesus chooses the image of a vine to articulate His relationship with the disciples. Let us meditate its meanings.
The Father even goes further. Besides calling us to lead a holy life to manifest the holiness of the Lord, He invites us to become Catholics and to be branches on the Son of God, the True Vine so that we may share the eternal life transmitted by Jesus Christ. Notice that we have the same human nature as the Son of God who incarnates as a man. Jesus Christ and us belong to the same "species". Jesus Christ did not choose to incarnate as an angel but as a man. Thus we belong to the same species whereas angels do not.
The vinedresser tries to graft all the branches, i.e. all humanity, onto Jesus Christ in order to receive life. Some are successful but some are not. That is to say, even though God wants all men to be saved and to attain life, not all of the called ones can successfully become Catholics to receive Sacraments within the Church, to enjoy a foretaste of the Father's eternal life. With the nourishment, the successful ones can fight against secular contamination.
In fact, even though branches are grafted onto the True Vine, there is no guarantee that they shall bear fruits successfully. That is to say, even though one was baptized Catholic, there is no guarantee that he shall be a genuine Catholic. Thus, Jesus said, "Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, He takes away." (John 15:2) Indeed, there bound to be withered branches on a huge tree. Some of those branches that are grafted onto Jesus Christ might not be successfully linked. They were baptized Catholic. They got 5 extra marks for enrolment in Catholic schools. They may get married in beautiful Catholic churches. They shall be buried in Catholic cemeteries etc. They deserve all these benefits. There is nothing wrong about it. Rather, the problem is whether that person has been linked with Jesus Christ to bear the fruits that the Father seeks. If he is not able to bear fruit, the Father shall take him away. "He is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." (15:6)
Then, what kind of fruits does the Father seek?
It is more easily said than done to lead a life according to the Beatitudes. Without the help from the Holy Spirit, nobody is able to live up to the demands of the Beatitudes. Thus, the latest apostolic exhortation suggests that Catholics should lead a Spirit empowered life. What the Father wants to find in us is not how many times we attend masses annually, receive Holy Communion, go to confessions and join retreats etc. These are essential. What the Father wants to find in us is not the number of people got baptized. Don't take me wrong. Evangelization to bring people into the Church to share the eternal life of the Father is surely important. But more important is whether our spiritual life bears fruit, the fruits of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul writes of these nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) These temperaments are what the Father seeks, the temperaments of the Holy Spirit. He wishes to see us serve Jesus Christ in the least of the needy with these attitudes and become a genuine Catholic.
A vine lives for about thirty years. In order to preserve, to propagate and to cross breed a good vine, farmers will choose some healthy scions and graft them onto another rootstock. Grafting saves the time of sowing and growing seedlings and serves economic purposes.
First of all, God created men in His image (Genesis 1:26) and called them to become holy images of God (Leviticus 19:2). Although God has implanted the seed of sanctification, the "image of God" mentioned in Genesis, in the heart of each one of us, not everybody responds to this call to holiness. Some refuse to respond and even join Satan's camp to do evil. Though some refuse to do evil, they are not interested in God's truth. Some do not have the determination and courage to live by their conscience. Some are able to overcome tons of obstacles to lead a conscientious life. They meet the basic requirements to be an image of God, i.e. they are able to manifest the holiness of the Lord God with their lives!
Isaiah the Prophet has sung "a love song concerning His vineyard" to describe how God attended to the Israelites who repeatedly did disappointing things to God. "He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes." (Isaiah 5:2) Thus, negatively we should avoiding making the same mistakes as the Israelites. For example, the Israelites mingled with their neighbouring tribes and worshipped idols together, forsaking Yahweh. Thus we should not worship money and power, using them to be the measures of everything and do not lead our lives according to God's will (Luke 4:1-12). Positively, we should lead our lives in the spirit of the Beatitudes. In Jesus' time, the Pharisees insisted on the letters of the Law and fed their greed with legal technicalities. They swept the spirit of the Ten Commandments under the carpet. Thus, we should not follow the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Instead, we should understand the spirit of the gospel and serve the Jesus Christ in the least of the needy (Matthew 25:40). On April 9, Pope Francis issued yet another apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate to guide us how to put the Beatitudes into practice in our daily life and to be sanctified joyfully and exultantly.
God bless!
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