Theme: A Good News of Great Joy
First of all, before we begin meditating on the Christmas messages, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a blessed and peaceful Christmas as well as a fruitful New Year ahead. May God continue to give us, opportunity after opportunity to love Him and serve Him in return for the grace He has been generously showering upon us.
Our God is the master of human history. When time comes, He shall intervene to deliver us, His Chosen People, from all sorts of troubles and difficulties. The Israelites had suffered from more than 400 years of slavery in Egypt. God raised a Moses to liberate them. When Judah was conquered and the people were exiled to Babylon for about 70 years, God raised Cyrus, the Persian King to liberate them. For the next 500 years, the Jews were ruled by succesive colonial empires and finally, the time came, the Son of God was born to a virgin. He is Messiah and Lord (Luke 2:11).
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ which is truly a good news of great joy (2:10). Why? Previously, God only sent human saviours to liberate a nation. But finally, God takes matters into His own hand. He came down and "became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). He became a man in order to liberate us. He became one of us, became visible. He does not liberate just one nation, but the whole human race from the bondage of sins. The angel told the shepherds that this infant, this Saviour is both Messiah and Lord, "Messiah" because he is a human person. "Lord" because he is God himself. Here, divinity and humanity meet in one person. Miraculously, God does something beyond human understanding. By becoming flesh, by combining divinity and humanity into one person, God elevates human nature to a high level so that we are able to partake in His eternal life! Death is no longer our destiny. Eternal life is! Isn't this truly a good news of great joy?
If it is truly a good news of great joy, why then did He choose to be born in such a lowly situation? Born and laid in a manger does not look like anything promising to celebrate about! Jesus would have been born in the house of the richest man in the world. That seems to be promising for an economic saviour. No. Jesus had not. It was because money hardens human hearts. Redistribution of wealth and resources is not the way to save the world. Or, Jesus would have been born in the court of the Roman Caesar who commanded absolute obedience and authority from his subjects. That seems to be promising for a political saviour. No. Jesus had not. It was because authority corrupts. Military might or political reforms are meant for personal ambition to conquer the world but not to save it. Or, Jesus would have been born the greatest wizard in the world, some sort of Harry Potter. No. Jesus had not. It was because magic turns people away from God. It is a long road to salvation which cannot be achieved by waving a magic wand. Jesus chose to be born in such a lowly situation in order to show us the truth of salvation, the way to return to our Heavenly Father. How? Here is the answer.
This Christmas, our Bishop Michael Yeung gives a very simple message: a message of hope and joy for all the people, young and old alike. He says, "Many people in Hong Kong, especially the young and the elderly are faced with grave hardship and challenges. The Church must accompany them in their practical ordinary living ... Everyone is called to holiness, to be saints, in the very ordinariness of daily life. So, despise all the daily frustrations and sufferings, we must learn to offer to God heartfelt gratitude, rejoice and be glad! Be lovingly attentive to the needs of others, especially the most vulnerable."
His message expresses the true meaning of Christmas. The birth of Christ invites all of us to holiness, to become saints. We should be grateful and joyful because God has prepared for us a high level of life, eternal life. In order to achieve sanctification, we must extend our hearts and our hands to the poor and the needy in the society, people who are wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. So, make an effort to reach out to a person or a family in need this Christmas and see what you can do to help relieve their sufferings. Have a blessed Christmas!
God bless!
2018年子夜彌撒
主題：一個大喜訊
首先，在默想聖誕訊息之前，謹祝各位一個有福平安的聖誕，與及來年豐盛。願上主不斷賜予愛祂和服事祂的機會，回報祂賞給我們滿溢的恩寵。
我們的天主是人類歷史的主宰。時期一滿，祂會干預歷史，拯救祂的選民脫離一切危難。以色列人曾在埃及為奴超過四百年，天主遂興起一個梅瑟，解放他們。當猶大被征服，人民充軍巴比倫約七十年，天主差遣波斯王居魯士，解放他們。跟著的五個世紀，猶太人先後淪為各個帝國的殖民地。最後，時期一滿，天主子由童貞女誕生，「他是主默西亞。」（路2:11）
聖誕節慶祝一個大喜訊（2:10），是慶祝基督的誕生。有甚麼值得慶祝呢? 從前，天主派遣一個人作為救世者，解放一個國家民族。但最後，天主親自出馬，祂降來「成了血肉，寄居在我們中間。」（若1:14）為了拯救我們，祂變成了一個人。祂成為我們的一份子，有形可見。祂不但解放一個國家民族，祂要把全人類從罪惡的奴役出解放出來。天使告訴牧羊人，這個嬰兒，這個救世者是「主默西亞」。「默西亞」指他是一個人，「主」指出他是上主天主。在祂身上，人性與神性結合成為一個位格。天主奇妙地做了一些超乎人能理解的事。當祂成了血肉時，把人性與神性合而為一時，天主把人性提昇到一個足以分享祂永恆生命的高層次！死亡不再是人的宿命，永生是！這豈不是一個大喜訊嗎？
倘若真是一個大喜訊，為何祂選擇降生在如此低賤的地方呢？生下的嬰兒竟要放在馬槽，何來慶祝的理由哩！耶穌原可以選擇出生在世上最富有的人家裡，這樣看來很適合一個經濟的救世主。可是耶穌沒有。因為財富令人心硬，重新分配財富及資源不是救世的方法。或者耶穌應該出生在羅馬凱撒的宮中，這樣看來，很適合一個政治的救世主。可是耶穌沒有。因為權力令人腐敗，軍事力量或者政治改革祇為滿足個人征服世界的慾望，而不是拯救世界。又或者耶穌應該生而成為最偉大的術士，如哈利波特。可是耶穌沒有。因為魔法令人遠離天主。得救的道路相當邁長，不是把魔法棒一揮，便可以成功的。耶穌選擇降生在如此貧寒的光景，為了顯示得救的真理，指示回歸天父家鄉的道路。怎樣做？這裡就是答案。
這個聖誕節，我們的楊鳴章主教發表了一篇簡單的賀辭：「一則為『全民族』，特別是青年和長者，關於希望與喜樂的信息。在香港，很多人要面對種種艱辛和挑戰，特別是青年和長者。在他們的日常生活中，教會常應伴隨…眾人都蒙召，在平凡的日常生活中，度聖潔的生活，成為聖人。雖然在日常生活中有著種種挫折甚或痛苦，我們要學習以感恩、歡欣和喜樂的心奉獻給天主。當懷著愛去專注於別人的需要，特別是最脆弱者的需要。」
楊主教的賀辭表達出聖誕的真正意義。基督的降生邀請們成聖。我們應感恩和喜樂，因為天主為我們預備了高層次的生命，永生。邁向成聖，我們必須向社會上有需要的人，那些「裹著襁褓，臥在馬槽」的人，敞開心靈，伸出援手。「讓我們嘗試接觸最少一位有需要的人士或一個家庭，看看可以怎樣實際地幫助他們。」祝大家有一個福樂的聖誕！
天主保祐！
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