三月八日聖灰瞻禮後星期五（瑪9:14-15）
耶穌對他們說：「當新郎從他們中被劫去時，那時他們就要禁食了。」（瑪9:15）
「新郎被劫去」（瑪9:15）是甚麼意思？是指耶穌基督受難嗎？不但如此，更進一步指我們會否因為眼見耶穌基督受難，而像伯多祿一樣否認祂？抑或像在刑場上的右盜，眼見一個被虐待到不成人形的死囚，仍然承認祂是君王？我們當然不會否認耶穌基督！可是，不要忘記，教會是基督的奧體。當她被性侵醜聞纏身時，我們仍會信任她嗎？當教宗與迫害信徒的無神論政權簽訂協議時，我們會失望地離開天主教嗎？
保祿宗徒曾這樣問：「誰能使我們與基督的愛隔絕？是困苦嗎？是窘迫嗎？是迫害嗎？是饑餓嗎？是赤貧嗎？是危險嗎？是刀劍嗎？」（羅8:35）他跟著說，他深信世上現存的或將來的事物，沒有一樣能使我們與基督的愛隔絕（8:38-39）。是我們有不離不棄基督的本領嗎？沒有！而是基督對我們不離不棄，耐心地等著我們回頭，讓祂望我們一眼，熔化我們的恐懼，幫助我們悔改（路22:61）！政治交易、性侵醜聞、赤貧甚至迫害等等，都不會使基督放棄我們！
既然如此，「禁食」又有甚麼作用呢？禁食不但戒吃熱血動物的肉，更要絕食，令自己饑餓，令我們感到空虛無力！這樣，我們便會渴求天主來填滿這份空虛！因此，禁食並不會救出被劫去的新郎，而是騰出心靈的空間，去接受不符合我們心意的教宗，去原諒性侵醜聞纏身的教會，去渴求耶穌基督轉身望我們一眼！
天主啊！不要讓我們陷於「自以為是」的誘惑，教導我們禁食，渴求祢的拯救。亞孟。
On Separation
March 8, Friday after Ash Wednesday (Matthew 9:14-15)
Jesus answered them, "They days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." (Matthew 9:15)
What does "the bridegroom is taken away" (Matthew 9:15) mean? Jesus' Passion? Not only this, but also whether seeing the sufferings of Christ, we would deny him like Peter had done? Or whether seeing a broken, disfigured and condemned prisoner on the cross, we would still acknowledge him king, like the repentant thief? Of course we shall not deny Jesus Christ. However, remember that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. Will you still trust her when she is scandalized with sexual abuses? Will you leave her in disappointment when she signs agreements with an atheist regime which persecutes believers?
St. Paul once says, "What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?" (Romans 8:35) Then he continues and claims that neither present things or future things will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (8:38-39). Are we able not to abandon Christ? No, we aren't. It is Christ who does not abandon us, patiently waiting for us to return, allowing him to gaze upon us, melt our fear and help us repent (Luke 22:61)! Political deals, scandals of sexual abuses, poverty and even persecutions are unable to make Christ abandon us!
Then, what's the use of fasting? We abstain from meat of warm-blooded animals and fast in order to make us hungry and void. With an empty stomach, we feel our powerlessness. Then, we shall desire God to fill up this void! Thus, fasting will not release the bridegroom who was taken away, but will make room in our heart to accept a Pope who doesn't follow our wishes, to forgive a Church which is scandalized by sexual abuses and to desire Jesus Christ to turn and gaze at us!
God! Lead us not into the temptation of self-righteousness. Teach us fasting and hunger for your salvation. Amen.
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