Theme: Build Up Our Store of Goodness
Jesus Christ made use of parables to preach the Kingdom of Heaven to simple people. Therefore, we should not find fault with his parables, complaining that they are not accurate. For example, Jesus Christ says, "No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:40) Well, as a teacher for forty years before I was ordained, it is difficult for me to agree because my students almost always do better than I did as lawyers, doctors, engineers and professionals in the society. Furthermore, if no disciple were superior to the teacher, how would we make advances in science, technology, music and arts etc.? There would not be any progress in societies and civilizations! However, this way of thinking is hair-splitting. We should focus on the message of the parables as a whole, rather than debating on the validity of the details.
What does Jesus Christ want to tell the crowd with the parable of the blind leading the blind? Of course they all knew that a blind man should not lead another blind man. It was very obvious and no explanation was needed! What the crowd did not know was that they were also blind, one way or the other.
Many a blind person does not think he is blind, does not see his own blindness. He offers to help, to lead other blind men. Many people think that they are good enough and are even experts. They enjoy thinking that their opinions are the only correct ones. Other people's ideas are faulty and even wrong. They enjoy telling others that they are wrong, they are inferior and they need help! "Brother! I'm OK. You ain't OK. Let me fix you! Let me remove the splinter in your eyes. Let me teach you the proper way to do things, the right way to interpret the Bible and the right way to save your marriage etc..." Gradually, they do not feel the need of God's forgiveness and salvation.
In his Apostolic Exhortation, "Gaudete et Exsultate", which explores the call of Christians to holiness in the modern world, Pope Francis warns us of two subtle enemies of holiness. One of them is a modern version of Pelagianism which overemphasizes the importance of human will and human efforts over that of grace. Like the Prodigal Son who thought that by working hard as a servant, he would be able to win the father's forgiveness (15:19). Similarly, modern Pelagians think that they can be justified by their own efforts and with their own abilities. They don't need God's grace or the support of the Holy Spirit. They are obsessed with the law, absorbed with social and political advantages, meticulous concern for the Church's liturgy, doctrine, prestige, programmes of self-help and personal fulfilment etc. (GE #57) The recent controversy over the proper manner to receive the Holy Communion is a good illustration of this subtle Pelagianism. Some people find pride in their particular manner of receiving the Holy Eucharist. Other manners are inferior. In short, I'm OK. You ain't OK. Let me remove the splinter in your eyes!
Let us return to the basics. We Catholics are called to be saints, to lead a life of holiness. Pope Francis tells us that we should always bear in mind that there is a hierarchy of virtues the most important of which are the three theological virtues --- faith, hope and charity which have God as the object and motive. At the centre is charity. (GE#60) In today's gospel, Jesus Christ says, "A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good ... for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)
So Brethren, let all of us remember St. Paul's words, "And those God predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8:30) So, let us store up more holiness by practising the Beatitudes so that we shall be shining brilliantly in the age to come. Amen.
What does Jesus Christ want to tell the crowd with the parable of the disciple and the teacher? Most of them were farmers, craftsmen, fishermen, perhaps a few Pharisees and teachers of the law. There was no need for Jesus Christ to tell them that they were better than their disciples. They all knew it. What the listeners did not know was that all of them were disciples and not teachers! They, and all of us, need to be fully trained.
What does Jesus Christ want to tell the crowd with the parable of the wooden beam and the splinter in the eyes? It is easy to discover mistakes in other people, but not in ourselves. So, Jesus Christ was warning us NOT to be hypocrites. What we are not aware of is that most of the time, we too are hypocrites.
By combining the three parables together, we begin to see a pattern. We see that Jesus Christ is trying to stop a natural human tendency: Pride. "I'm OK. You ain't OK. Let me fix you!"
Brethren, inspect your store of goodness in your heart now. Is your store empty, half-full or full? I'm sure nobody in this Church whose store is empty. Otherwise, you will not be sitting here. Nor is it full. There is always room in our hearts to put in more goodness. How do we fill up our store of goodness? Of course, we fill it up by doing charity! We follow the teachings of the gospel to serve the hungry, to clothe the naked, to shelter the refugees, to nurse the sick and to visit the imprisoned. When we do these Corporal Works of Mercy, we love one another and at the same time, we love God. It is because Jesus Christ says, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40) This is also what Pope Francis repeats in his "Gaudete et Exsultate". Furthermore, Pope Francis says that the Beatitudes are the ID card of Christians (GE#63) He spends the whole Chapter 3 on how we should put the Beatitudes into practice. The Beatitudes are more than goodness. They are holiness! With poverty in spirit and a merciful heart, we shall never be proud. With meekness and empathy, we will never judge others and volunteer to correct their "mistakes". With hunger for righteousness and purity of heart, we shall see God and are not blind. In making peace and suffering persecution, we shall be fully trained to become mature Christians. Therefore, in practising the Beatitudes, we are building up not just a store of goodness, but a store of holiness.
God bless!
常年期第八主日，丙年
主題：填滿我們的善庫
耶穌基督運用比喻，教導平民百姓天國的道理。因此，我們不應挑剔那些比喻，抱怨它們不正確。例如，耶穌基督說：「沒有徒弟勝過師父的：凡受過完備教育的，僅相似自己的師父而已。」（路6:40）曾執教鞭四十年的我，不敢苟同。當年的學生，今天大多數已成為了律師、醫生、工程師或者其他專業人士，貢獻社會。而且，倘若沒有「青出於藍」的話，何來科技藝術的發展，何來社會及文明的進步呢？不過，這種思想，祇不過是在雞蛋裡挑骨頭。我們應該注意比喻的整體意義，而不應爭辯細節上的合理性。
耶穌基督運用「瞎子給瞎子領路」的比喻，告訴群眾甚麼呢？當然大家都知道瞎子不應給其他的瞎子領路。這是清楚不過而無需解釋的。但群眾卻不知道，他們在某方面也是瞎子。
很多人心盲，並不以為自己盲，看不到自己的盲點，他們樂意幫助盲人。很多人認為自己有本事，甚至是專家。他們樂於認為自己的意見是惟一正確的見解，其他人的見解不是千瘡百孔，就是完全的錯誤。他們喜歡指出別人是錯的，是不濟的，需要他們的幫助！「兄弟！我掂，你唔掂，等我攪掂你！等我攞走你眼中嘅木碎，等我教你點去做嘢，點樣正確讀經，點樣挽回你段婚姻…」等等。漸漸地，他們不再感到需要天主的寬恕和拯救。
在他探討基督徒在當代世界成聖的召叫的宗座勸諭【你們要歡喜踴躍】中，教宗方濟各警告我們要提防「潛伏於成聖旅程上的兩個仇敵」。其中一個，就是當代的白拉奇主義，它過份重視人的意志和個人努力，忽視了恩寵的重要。有如蕩子一樣，以為當一個傭工，憑努力可以贏取父親的寬恕（15:19）。同樣，當代的白拉奇主義者，以為憑一己的努力和能力，可以成義，不必倚賴天主的恩寵或聖神的幫助。他們「偏執法律，迷戀社會和政治的得益，炫耀禮儀、教義或教會的威望…為自我提升和自我實現的項目而著迷。」（GE#57）近來在有關領聖體方式的爭論，可見一斑。有些人把他們領聖體的方式，引以為榮，不屑使用其他的方式。一言以蔽之：「我我掂，你唔掂。等我幫你攞走你眼中嘅木碎！」
讓我們回歸本源。作為天主教徒，我們蒙召成聖，度聖潔的生活。教宗方濟各說「我們應當時常提醒自己，德行有等級之分，要掌握最必要的部份。最基本的就是信、望、愛三德。這三種神學美德以天主為對象和動機，其核心就是愛德。（GE#60）在今天的福音中，耶穌基督說：「善人從自己心中的善庫發出善來…因為心裡充滿甚麼，口裡就說甚麼。」（路6:45）
各位兄弟姊妹，請銘記聖保祿的說話：「天主不但召叫了祂所預定的人，而且也使祂所召叫的人成義，並使成義的人分享祂的光榮。」（羅8:30）所以，讓我們實踐真福八端，充實我們神聖的寶庫，在來世光輝地照耀罷。亞孟。
耶穌基督運用「徒弟和師父」的比喻，告訴群眾甚麼呢？聽眾多是農民、工匠、漁夫或者一些法利塞人和法學士。他們不需要耶穌基督告訴他們比自己的徒弟優勝。他們全知道。但聽眾卻不知道，他們全部都是徒弟而不是師父！他們，與我們，都需要完備的教育！
耶穌基督運用「眼中的大樑和木屑」比喻，告訴群眾甚麼呢？我們很容易找到別人的錯處，至於自己的，就視而不見。因此，耶穌基督警告我們不要做假善人。但我們察覺不到的，在大部份的時候，我們都是假善人。
把三個比喻合併來看，我們可以看到一個共同點。耶穌基督想制止一個本性的自然傾向：驕傲。「我掂，你唔掂。等我攪掂你啦！」
各位兄弟姊妹，現在就檢查你們心中的善庫吧！是空的？半滿的？抑或是全滿了？相信在座各位心中的善庫，決不會是空的，否則你們就不會坐在這裡。亦不會是全滿了的，我們的心永遠都有空間，容納更多的善。怎樣填滿這善庫呢？當然是行愛德！我們遵從福音的教訓，飢者食之、裸者衣之、接待難民、看顧病弱和探望在囚人士。當我們履行這些「形哀矜」的時候，我們彼此相愛，同時愛天主。因為耶穌基督這樣說：「凡你們對我這些最小兄弟中的一個所做的，就是對我做的。」（瑪25:40）教宗方濟各在【你們要歡喜踴躍】一再強調這一點。再進一步，教宗方濟各更說：「真福八端乃基督信徒的身份證明！」（GE#63）他用整個第三章述說了我們應怎樣實踐真福八端。真福八端不單是善，更是「賴以成聖的聖德」！當我們神貧和擁有一顆憐憫的心的時候，我們不再驕傲。當我們溫良和擁有一顆同理心的時候，我們不會判斷別人，樂意改正別人的「錯謬」。當我們饑渴慕義，擁有一顆純潔的心的時候，我們將看見天主而不至盲目。在締造和平和遭受迫害時，我們接受完備的教育，成為成熟的基督徒。因此，實踐真福八端時，我們不但充實我們的善庫，更是一個神聖的寶庫。
天主保祐！
2016年沒有常年期第八主日
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