主題：受洗穿上基督
在聖誕期，基督徒慶祝天主子降生成人的奧蹟，祂把卑微的人性，提昇到高超的神性。今天是整個聖誕期的最後一天，明天是常年期第一周的星期一了。上一個星期的「主顯節」，慶祝天主聖子把自己，啟示給代表所有外邦人的東方賢士。今天的「主受洗節」，是「主顯節」的另一個表達方式。它慶祝天主聖三，把自己啟示給所有的人。天主子耶穌基督接受若翰的洗禮後， 祈禱的時候，天開了（路3:21）。古代的人所認識的「天」，不是今天我們所認識的外太空，而是天主的居所！所以，耶穌基督祈禱的行動，從下而上，打開了天門，貫通了人間和上天。從前，祇有天主纔能打開天門，與受造界溝通。今天，作為人類一份子的天主子一樣可以做！於是，天主聖神降臨到人間，人類又再一次可以聽到天父的聲音了！
若翰的任務是為耶穌基督作證，告訴當時的猶太人，他自己不是他們所期待的默西亞，因為默西亞比他強，以至連解他的鞋帶，若翰也自覺不配。為甚麼呢？因為若翰祇用水施洗，但默西亞要以聖神和火來施洗。（3:16）若翰不是默西亞，耶穌基督纔是。因為耶穌基督升天後，派遣了聖神，以狂風、巨響和火舌的形態，降臨在120位門徒身上，並建立了教會（宗2）。所以，除了臨危的垂死人士之外，大家領洗之後，也會領受堅振聖事，圓滿大家的洗禮。不是嗎？耶穌基督在洗禮之後，聖神不是降臨在祂上面嗎？（路3:22）
有關於洗禮的道理，聖保祿宗徒這樣教訓說：「凡是領了洗歸於基督的，就是穿上基督。」（迦3:27）「穿上基督」是甚麼意思呢？保祿的教訓，給我聯想起舊約一個有名的故事：話說亞巴郎的兒子依撒格，有一對孿生兒子，名叫厄撒烏和雅各伯。長子厄撒烏全身長毛，好動，喜歡狩獵。弟弟雅各伯好靜，喜歡思考。一天，雅各伯以一碗紅豆湯，交換了厄撒烏的長子名份。創世紀的作者批評厄撒烏輕視長子名份，反而沒有批評雅各伯利用長兄的弱點而獲利（創25:34）！後來，厄撒烏娶了兩個外族女子為妻，這兩個女子，令厄撒烏的父母「傷心難受」。（26:35）後來，依撒格年老失明，他計劃在去世前，給厄撒烏長子的祝福。這時，母親慫恿雅各伯穿上厄撒烏的衣服，衣服上帶有厄撒烏的香氣（27:27），「變成了」厄撒烏，騙取長子的祝福，結果成功了！大家以為依撒格真的沒有懷疑這個所謂「厄撒烏」是雅各伯假扮的嗎（27:22）？天主真的好像依撒格一樣失明，不知道「穿上基督」的基督徒不是耶穌基督嗎？當然不是！天主是真心的愛護人類，正如依撒格愛護兩個兒子，寧願相信雅各伯是厄撒烏一樣，有意給他祝福！同樣，天主願意拯救墮落了的我們，寧願相信我們，並祝福我們。回答上一段的問題，「穿上基督」是甚麼意思呢？就是「變成了」另一個基督！他怎樣思想，我們便怎樣思想；他怎樣說話，我們便怎樣說話；他怎樣行動，我們便怎樣行動！
套用聖母瑪利亞的一句話：「這事怎能成就呢？」（路1:34）非常簡單，就是「堅振聖事」。領了洗的教友，藉著堅振聖事，領受了聖神，獲得「聖神七恩」的能力，一份耶穌基督的「香氣」。聖神七恩，幫助我們好像耶穌基督一樣思想，尋求天父的旨意；幫助我們好像耶穌基督一樣說話，宣揚福音，講述天國的道理；幫助我們好像耶穌基督一樣行動，解放受著各種各樣貧窮壓迫的人們；不但物質上的貧窮，還有知識上的貧窮、關係上的貧窮和靈性上的貧窮。即是說，聖神七恩，幫助我們過「穿上基督」的生活！這樣做，天父對聖子耶穌基督的話，也應用到我們身上，我們領受了入門聖事的人，穿上基督之後，我們也成了天父所喜悅的兒子。（3:22）天主子紓尊降貴，取了人性，為的是把人性提昇到神性的層面，可以分享天主聖三的永恆生命。所以，人生的終極目標，就是成聖，領洗入教，是第一步！
各位兄弟姊妹，記得「聖神七恩」是甚麼嗎？倘若忘記了，彌撒後尋找答案吧！記得耶穌基督所教訓的成聖之道，「山中聖訓」嗎？倘若忘記了，彌撒後翻查瑪竇福音第五至七章溫習吧！有勇氣在這俗世實踐這些具有挑戰性的教訓嗎？不用怕，一會兒領聖體，帶著耶穌基督到街上、回到家裡、學校裡、公司裡 。有耶穌基督在一起，成聖又有何難呢？
天主保祐！
Feast of The Baptism of the Lord, Year C
Theme: Baptized and Clothed with Christ
During Christmas Season, we celebrate the Mystery of Incarnation. The Son of God took up the humble humanity and elevated it to supernatural divinity. Today is the last day of the Christmas Season. Tomorrow will be the Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time. Last Sunday was the Solemnity of Epiphany. We celebrated the revelation of the Son of God to the Oriental Magi who represented all Gentiles. Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It is another expression of Epiphany. It celebrates the revelation of the Blessed Trinity to humanity. After Jesus Christ, the Son of God, "had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened." (Luke 3:21) The "heaven" which ancient peoples knew was not the same outer-space we know today. It was the abode of God! Thus, Christ's prayer opened up heaven from below, connecting the world with heaven. Previously, only God could open up heaven to communicate with His Creation. Today, as a member of humanity, the Son of God is able to do the same! Thus, the Holy Spirit came down to earth. Men were able to hear the Father's voice once more!
The Baptist's mission was to bear witness to Jesus Christ, telling the Jews that he was not the Messiah they were expecting because the Messiah was mightier. He was not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. Why? It was because John baptized with water but the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. (3:16) John was not the Messiah. Jesus Christ is. It is because after his Ascension, Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to descend upon the 120 disciples in the signs of strong wind, blast and tongues of fire to establish the Church (Acts 2). Thus, other than those who receive baptism on the verge of death, all of us have received / will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation to seal our baptism. Didn't the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus Christ after his baptism? (Luke 3:22)
As for Baptism, St. Paul the Apostle has this teaching, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:27) What does "clothed with Christ" mean? This reminds me of a famous story in Genesis. Isaac, the son of Abraham had a pair of twins called Esau and Jacob. Esau the elder brother was hairy, sporty and loved hunting. The younger brother Jacob was quiet and loved thinking. One day, Jacob cheated Esau's birth right with a bowl of lentil stew. The author of Genesis criticizes Esau for treating his right as firstborn with disdain but does not condemn Jacob for taking advantage of his brother's weaknesses! (Gensis 25:34) Later, Esau married two Gentile women who became a source of bitterness to his parents.(26:35) Subsequently, Isaac was old and his sight had failed. He wanted to bless Esau before he died. Their mother persuaded Jacob to put on Esau's cloth which carried Esau's fragrance. (27:27) "Becoming" Esau, Jacob successfully received the firstborn blessing! Had Isaac not suspected this "Esau" was Jacob (27:22)? Is God blind like Isaac so that He cannot tell Christians who "clothed with Christ" from Jesus Christ? Of course not! God genuinely loves humanity, like Isaac who loved his two sons. Isaac preferred believing Jacob to be Esau and blessed him! Similarly, God wills to redeem the fallen humanity, prefers to trust us and bless us. To answer the question above, what does "clothed with Christ" mean? It means to become another Christ! We think as Christ thinks, speak as Christ speaks and act as Christ acts!
To quote the Blessed Virgin Mary, "How can this be?" (Luke 1:34) Simple. It is the Sacrament of Confirmation. Through this sacrament, the baptized would receive the Holy Spirit and its strength from the seven gifts, a fragrance of Christ. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit help us think like Jesus Christ, seeking the will of God. They help us speak like Jesus Christ, proclaiming the gospel and the teachings of the Kingdom of Heaven. They help us act like Jesus Christ, liberating people from all sorts of poverty: not only material poverty, but also intellectual, relational and spiritual poverties. That is to say, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit help us lead a life of "Clothed with Christ"! In this way, the Father's word to Jesus Christ also applies to us. Those of us who have received the Sacrament of Initiation have clothed with Christ and become the well-pleased sons of God. (3:22) The Son of God came down to take up flesh in order to elevate humanity to divinity, to partake in the eternal life of the Blessed Trinity. Thus, the ultimate target in life is sanctification. Receiving baptism is the first step!
Brethren, do you remember the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit? Forgotten? No problem. Check them out after mass! Do you remember the way to sanctification, the Sermon on the Mount? Forgotten? No problem. Look up Matthew chapters five to seven after mass. Do you have the courage to practise those challenging teachings? Don't worry. We shall receive the Holy Communion and carry Jesus Christ with us on the street, in our home, school or office. With Jesus Christ, sanctification is not beyound reach!
God bless!
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