Theme: What Should We Do?
Today is the midway through the season of Advent. The liturgical colour is not purple which is penitential but rose-colour which is joyful. Like the season of Lent which prepares us for the resurrection of the Lord, the season of Advent prepares us for the incarnation of the Lord. St. John the Evangelist says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." (John 3:16) God loves us and does not abandon us even though we are sinners and have disappointed Him. Advent celebrates the coming of the Saviour. But our Saviour has already come and has been living among us for more than two millenia. Then, what's the point of spending four weeks every year in anticipation for His coming? Perhaps the story of John the Baptist might enlighten us on this point.
The Saviour had already arrived but people did not recognize him. St. Luke the Evangelist tells us that Jesus was born "and laid in a manger because there was no room for the Holy Family in the inn." (Luke 2:7) Similarly, when John the Baptist pointed out to his disciples that Jesus was "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), at that time, Jesus was no more than a carpenter who came from Galilee in the north. Therefore, even though Jesus Christ has been staying with us for more than two millenia, the world needs many many John the Baptist's to bear witness to his presence, to bear witness to this visible mercy of God the Father. All of us who were baptized Catholics are these John the Baptist's. Our mission is to bear witness to the mercy and righteousness of the Father. Read carefully and learn from what John the Baptist told the people to do in today's gospel passage.
The crowds asked John the Baptist what they had to do. The Baptist says, "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise." (Luke 3:11) I have two. You have none. John the Baptist told me that I should give you one. The world is full of injustice for many different reasons. Some people are rich while others are poor. There are many causes resulting in such a situation. For example, some people were born to arid and unproductive land. They are poor and there is not much they can do to improve their life situation. The Baptist's advice is simple justice. It doesn't do much. It will not change the situation overnight. Yet, it is the first step to make the world a better place. Notice that the key word is "share". It involves some sacrifices on our part. Without love, such sacrifices are meaningless.
Sometimes poverty and injustice are caused by greed and exploitation. For example, in the New Testament, tax-collectors were despised by the Jews not only because they collected tax for the colonial government, but also because they were greedy and were "collecting more than what is prescribed" to make themselves rich and fat (3:13). Soldiers were deployed by the Roman Empire. They stationed in Judeae to ensure that tax-collectors were able to collect enough tax. Moreover, the local governments had to feed them and pay them. Most of the time, the soldiers were not satisfied with their wages and because they had weapons, they would have no reservation in using them. That is why the Baptist says, "Do not practise extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages." (3:14) Truly, in preparation for the coming of the Saviour, the Baptist tried to make straight crooked paths, tried to make the world a better place, a place where righteousness might reign.
In a similar manner, we Catholics should not only prepare ourselves to receive the Saviour, but we should also prepare the world as well for the coming of the Saviour. Beginning with ourselves, we should follow the advice of the Baptist to make this world a better place, a place where righteousness reigns. Whose righteousness? Of course, it is God's righteousness. But God's righteousness demands more than just equal sharing of resources, or following the laws of the land and not using violence. More than that! God wants all of us to be holy like Him. "Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy." (Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:16) What should we do in order to be holy? Pope Francis has given us a piece of practicable advice.
On March 19, 2018 the Feast of St. Joseph the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our beloved Pope gave us his third Apostolic Exhortation, "Gaudete et Exsultate: On the call to holiness in today's world". Joy is a trademark of Pope Francis. The titles of his three Apostolic Exhortations are all about joy: Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) 2013, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) 2016 and this one, Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad) 2018. He doesn't want Christians who have just come back from a funeral (EG#10). He wants us all to wear a smile always. In this latest Exhortation, he tells us that the Beatitudes is the ID card of Christians (GE#63). That is to say, we should lead a life according to the teachings of the Beatitudes. Be poor in spirit, be mornful, be meek, be merciful, hunger and thirst for God's righteousness, be pure of heart, be peacemakers and be ready to suffer persecutions for the sake of the good news. This is the sure path to holiness. It is not easy because all these beatitudes go against the current secular mentality. The governments may even find the behaviour of Christians unsettling to their rules. Therefore, they do not hesitate to persecute us. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we shall be able to accomplish it.
Brethren! Be joyful because God created us in His image. Be joyful because God has sent Jesus Christ to redeem our sins. Be joyful because God has chosen us and called us to be holy like Him. This is our destiny. Let's work towards our sanctification and live up to the promises of the Beatitudes.
God bless!
喜樂主日，丙年
主題：我們該作甚麼呢？
今天，將臨期已過了一半，禮儀的顏色不是懺悔的紫色，而是喜樂的玫瑰紅色。我們在四旬期，預備主的復活。同樣，我們在將臨期，預備迎接主的降生。聖史若望說：「天主竟這樣愛了世界，甚至賜下了自己的獨生子，使凡信祂的人不至喪亡，反而獲得永生。」（若3:16）天主愛我們，縱使我們是罪人，令祂失望，祂並沒有放棄我們。將臨期慶祝主快要來臨。但我們的救主二千年前已降生，並生活在我們當中，有二千年之久了。那麼，每年用四個星期去期待祂的來臨，有甚麼意義呢？或者若翰洗者的事蹟，可以給我們一點啟發。
救世主已經來臨，但世人卻沒有認出祂來。聖史路加告訴我們，耶穌出生了，「放在馬槽裡，因為在客棧中為他們沒有地方。」（路2:7）同樣，當若翰洗者向門徒指出耶穌就是「天主的羔羊，除免世罪者！」（若1:29）時，耶穌祇不過是個來自北方加里肋亞的一個木匠。所以，雖然耶穌基督已經和我們在一起超過二千年，世界仍然需要很多的若翰洗者，為基督的臨在作見証，為天父可見的慈悲作見証。我們領洗成為天主教徒的，人人都是若翰洗者。我們的使命，是為天父的慈悲和公義作見証。讓我們細心閱讀今天的福音，並學習 若翰洗者對群眾的教誨。
群眾問若翰他們該作甚麼？若翰說：「有兩件內衣的，要分給那沒有的；有食物的，也應照樣作。」（路3:11）我有兩件，你沒有。若翰洗者教訓我要分一件給你。有很多不同的原因造成世上的不公義。一部份人富有，其他人赤貧。很多原因造成這種情況。例如：有些人生於乾旱貧瘠的土地上，無論他們如何努力，亦不能改善他們貧窮的境況。洗者的教訓是簡單的公義。它的成效不大，它亦不能一夜之間改變了環境。但最少，它是令世界變得更美好的第一步。請注意那個「分」字。我們是要作出犧牲的，沒有愛，這些犧牲是沒有意義的。
有時，貧窮與不公義是出於貪婪和剝削。例如在新約中，猶太人十分鄙視稅吏。不但因為他們為殖民地政府服務，而且他們貪婪，多徵收所規定的以自肥（3:13）。羅馬帝國步署士兵在猶大境內，保証稅吏能徵收到充足的稅款。同時，地方政府要負責供養這些士兵。當士兵不滿糧餉不足的時候，他們會毫不猶豫使用手上的武器。所以洗者說：「不要勒索人，也不要敲詐；對你們的糧餉應當知足！」（3:14）真的，為了預備救主的來臨，洗者試圖修直崎嶇的途徑，令這世界變得更美好，一個公義得到伸張的地方。
同樣，作為天主教徒，我們不但要預備自己去迎接救主，並且要預備這個世界，好去迎接主的來臨。從我們自己開始，我們應跟隨洗者的忠告，令世界變得更美好，令公義得到伸張。誰的公義？當然是天主的公義！但天主的公義所要求的，比「平均分配資源，奉公守法甚至不探用暴力」更高！天主希望我們像祂一樣神聖：「你們應該是聖的，因為我，上主，你們的天主是聖的。」（肋19:2，伯前1:16）我們該作甚麼來成聖呢？教宗方濟各給了我們很實用的忠告。
今年三月十九日，大聖若瑟，聖母之淨配瞻禮，我們可愛的教宗發表他任內第三份宗座勸諭《你們要歡喜踴躍─論於當代世界成聖的召叫》。「喜樂」是教宗方濟各的「註冊商標」。他發表的三份宗座勸諭的名稱，全部與喜樂相關：《2013福音的喜樂》、《2016愛的喜樂》與這一份《2018你們要歡喜踴躍》。他不願意基督徒看似「剛奔喪回來般的樣貎。」（EG#10）他希望我們經常把微笑掛在嘴邊。在最新的勸諭裡，他告訴我們真福八端是基督徒的身份証（GE#63）。即是說，我們應按真福八端的教導生活。神貧、哀慟、溫良、饑渴慕義、慈悲、心裡潔淨、締造和平與及願意為義而受迫害。這是成聖的不二法門。是不容易的，因為真福的取向，與世俗的智慧，背道而馳。政府感到基督徒的行徑，動搖她們的管治，會毫不猶豫地迫害他們。但是藉著聖神的扶持，我們是可以成功的。
各位弟兄姊妹！喜樂吧，因為天主按祂的肖像創造了我們。喜樂吧，因為天主派遣了耶穌基督救贖了我們。喜樂吧，因為天主擇選了我們，召叫我們成聖，有如祂一樣。這是我們的命運。讓我們朝著成聖之路邁進，生活出真福的許諾。
天主保祐！
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