主題：著眼小處
上一個主日，我們聽到門徒辛勞地傳福音後，向耶穌基督匯報成果，耶穌便帶他們往荒野去休息。休息是重要的，它不但能恢復我們的體力，更幫助我們靜下來，沉澱我們的意識和經驗，從中體會天父對我們的旨意和慈愛。當耶穌基督和門徒來到目的地的時候，一大夥群眾正在等候著他們。上一個主日的福音說，「耶穌…就對他們動了憐憫的心，因為他們好像沒有牧人的羊。」（谷6:34）今天的福音，承接上一個主日的事蹟。讓我們放下馬爾谷，試從若望宗徒的角度，看跟著發生的「五餅二魚」神蹟。
為甚麼我說「從若望宗徒的角度看」呢？要知道四位聖史寫福音，是宣講同一個耶穌基督的不同面貎，從而建立一個更立體的耶穌基督。四部福音都有記載耶穌基督的受難始末和五餅二魚神蹟，但焦點各有不同。以五餅二魚為例，若望為甚麼要提及「逾越節」呢（若6:4）？為甚麼沒有提及耶穌基督對沒有牧人的群眾動了憐憫的心，卻反而在試探考驗斐理伯（6:5）呢？五餅二魚來自一個兒童（6:9），這個細節是若望所獨家記載的，連在場的瑪竇也沒有提及，若望想藉著這個細節，表達甚麼訊息呢？最後，亦祗有若望記載耶穌吩咐他們，「把剩下的碎塊收集起來，免得糟蹋。」（6:12）這些都是值得我們靜下來默想反省的！
首先，讓我們處理若望沒有把焦點放在耶穌動了憐憫的心，卻來試探斐理伯一事。這是若望反省了幾十年來的心得，他告訴我們三位一體天主的聖子，就是天主聖言，就是天父在創造宇宙萬物時所說的話（1:1）。這「聖言成了血肉，居住在我們中間。」（1:14）這個天主聖子，天主聖言，就是耶穌基督。來到世上，「他自己原知道要做甚麼。」（6:6）從而門徒們可以親眼看見祂的光榮。所以若望為我們塑造出一個控制大局，按天父旨意行事的天主子。在記述耶穌基督的受難始末時，這個「服從天父旨意」和「控制大局」的形象，更為明顯！
其次，為甚麼要提及「逾越節」呢？猶太人慶祝「逾越節」，是慶祝天主施展大能，從埃及拯救解放了他們。他們每年慶祝，不但是為了紀念一段歷史，更是呼籲天主今天繼續履行祂的盟約，來解放他們。天主聖子正是為此而來到世上，為的是彰顯天父的慈愛，兌現天父的承諾，把世人從罪惡的勞役中解放出來。怎樣彰顯，怎樣兌現呢？就是在「逾越節」受難，然後第三天復活。若望看到這個「五餅二魚」神蹟，與後來在舉行「最後晚餐」時所建立的聖體聖事及十字架上犧牲的關係，所以寫下這個「逾越節」標記。
耶穌基督問斐理伯「從哪裡買餅給這些人吃」（6:5），問題的焦點是「哪裡」。耶穌基督期望這個荒野的現場，和這個「哪裡」的問題，可以觸動斐理伯，聯想到天主以「瑪納」，養活六十萬在曠野流浪的以色列人。耶穌希望跟著發生的神蹟，令群眾想起天父會照顧我們的需要，一如當年祂照顧了在曠野裡的以色列人一樣。斐理伯捉錯了用神，把焦點放在「買餅」上，從而計算出二百個「德納」。群眾亦捉錯用神，想擁立可見的耶穌基督為王，而忘記了歸光榮於那看不見的慈悲天父。
天主喜歡鋤強扶弱，例如達味擊敗巨人哥肋雅；祂慣常以一小撮人殲滅大多數人，例如基德紅民長的故事。固然，這樣做纔突顯出天主正在為以色列人作戰，而不是以色列人憑他們的兵器或戰術取勝。另一方面，天主希望我們不要忽視微不足道的事物，例如五餅二魚是出自一個兒童，而不是一個成年人；是五餅二魚而不是二百德納的餅；最後，更要收集剩下的碎塊，不可糟蹋！一如聖德蘭修女所說，我們應該以「大愛做小事」，不要「以善小而不為」。是的，天主不會強迫人相信祂，所以祂喜歡逗留在微不足道的事物裡。其實那些事物並不真的是微不足道，祇是我們太忙碌，沒有注意到它們的重要性。常言道「魔鬼在細節」，更正確地說，應該是「天主在細節」。祂喜歡躲在貧窮的，弱小的，患病的和無家可歸等等的人身上，等待我們去親近祂，好讓我們領受祂的祝福。祂喜歡運用我們所奉獻的小善，做出驚天動地的大事。
各位兄弟姊妹，我們怎樣纔能在這些有待我們伸出援手的，微不足道的人身上，認出耶穌基督和服事祂呢？我們需要休息，需要把波動的心靈靜下來，著眼小處，好能聽到天父的聲音，而不會像斐理伯一樣，誤會了天主的旨意。
天主保祐！
Seventeenth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Pay Attention to the Negligibles
Last Sunday, we read that after the hard work of evangelization, the disciples reported to Jesus what they had done and taught. Then Jesus took them to a deserted place to rest. Rest is important. Not only does rest refresh our strength but it also helps us calm down and it allows our consciousness and experiences to precipitate, thus illuminating us about the will and mercy of the Father. When Jesus Christ and his disciples arrived at a deserted place, a great crowd was already waiting for them. Last Sunday, the gospel says, "His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd." (Mark 6:34) The gospel passage today picks up where we had left last week. Let us put Mark down and try to look at the subsequent Five Loaves and Two Fish miracle from the perspective of John.
Why did I say "from the perspective of John"? We should know that the four Evangelists proclaim the same Jesus Christ from different perspectives in order to paint a multi-dimensional portraital of Jesus Christ. All four canonical gospels tell the same Passion and this Five Loaves and Two Fish miracle but with different foci. Take the example of this Five Loaves Two Fish miracle, why does John mention the "Jewish Feast of Passover" (John 6:4)? Why does John not mention how Jesus was moved with pity by the crowd who were like sheep without a shepherd, but instead tested Philip (6:5)? The five barley loaves and two fish came from a boy (6:9). This detail was exclusively reported by John. Even Matthew who was on the scene does not mention it. What message does John want to convey with this detail? Lastly, only John mentions Jesus telling them to "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." (6:12) These details worth our quietude to meditate and reflect!
First of all, let us handle the case of testing Philip without mentioning Jesus' compassion on the crowd. John reached this conclusion as a result of decades of meditation! He tells us that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, i.e. the Word was what the Father spoke while He was creating the universe (1:1). This "Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (1:14) This Son of God, Word of God is Jesus Christ. He came to earth, knowing "what he was going to do." (6:6) Then his disciples would be able to witness His glory. John painted a Son of God who is in full control and is doing the Father's will. This obedient and taking full-control portrait is more obvious in the Passion!
Secondly, why is Passover mentioned? Jews celebrate Passover in order to celebrate how God delivered and liberated them from Egyptian bondage with great might. Every year they celebrate, not just to remember a historical event, but to appeal God to continue honouring His covenant to liberate them. God the Son came to earth just to do this. He came to manifest the Father's mercy, to honour His promise and to liberate humanity from the bondage of Sins. How did He manifest and honour? To suffer on Passover and on the third day came back to life again. When John saw the link between this Five Loaves and Two Fish miracle with the Holy Eucharist which was established during the Last Supper as well as the sacrifice on the cross, he put down this Passover sign.
When Jesus Christ asked Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" (6:5), the focus was "where". Jesus Christ expected this deserted scene and this where question could trigger Philip to associate how God fed the 600,000 wandering Israelites with Manna. Jesus hoped that the subsequent miracle would remind the crowd of the Father's providence, just like how He provided for the Israelites in the wilderness in those years. Philip misplaced the focus and concentrated on "buying food", thus he came up with 200 days' wages. The crowd also misunderstood the situation. They wanted to carry him off to make the visible Jesus king and forgot giving glory to the invisible merciful Father.
God likes to beat the strong with the weak, for example David defeated Goliath. God used to destroy the out-numbering with a minority, for example the story of Gideon the Judge. Of course, in this way, it became obvious that God was fighting for the Israelites who did not win with their weaponry or tactics. On the other hand, God doesn't want us to ignore the negligible. For example, the five loaves and two fish came from a child and not from an adult; it was five loaves and two fish and not bread purchased with two hundred days' wages. Lastly, they had to gather the fragments left over so that nothing will be wasted! Just as what St. Mother Teresa says, "Do small things with Great Love". We should not refuse to do good because it is negligible. Yes, God does not force people to believe in Him. Thus He likes to stay with the insignificant things. In fact, those things are not really insignificant. We are just too busy to notice their importance. We usually say, "The Devil is in the Details". But it is more correct to say, "Deus is in the Details". He likes to hide Himself among the poor, the weak, the sick and the homeless etc. He waits for us to come close to Him so that we may be blessed. He enjoys doing earth shaking things with the negligible offerings we make.
Brethren, how can we recognize Jesus Christ and serve Him among those negligible people with hands out-stretched? We need to rest, to calm down our restless spirit. Focus on the negligible. Listen attentively to the whisper of the Father. Do not mistake God's will like Philip.
God bless!
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