Theme: How Jesus Has Loved Us
Suppose you are going away for a short trip overseas. What would you do since you are leaving your beloved ones behind for a couple of days? You would probably leave behind enough money to ensure that their daily needs would be met. If your children are very young, perhaps you would send them to your close relatives to stay there for a couple of days. In this way, your kids might play with their cousins. If your kids are old enough to take care of themselves at home, perhaps you would tell your kids to report to some uncles or aunts in the village regularly instead. These close relatives, uncles and aunts take up the roles of foster parents.
What if you are going away for a couple of years? I'm sure the arrangements would be very different. Who could come over to take up your role, to take your place for a couple of years? But you need to. So, perhaps you would ask somebody close, somebody whom you trust, to come over to take care of them during your absence. You wouldn't have left behind one whole sum of money to last for several years. A better arrangement would be remitting money home regularly from overseas instead. Meanwhile, your kids would go through stages of development, perhaps finishing their college and dating their girl friends etc. Now, how could you ensure that your kids would behave themselves well during your absence? The best way is to leave behind something to show that no matter what happens, you still love them. Now suppose you are going away, not just for a few years, but for centuries and even millenia?
Exactly. This is the problem which Jesus has to handle when He has accomplished His redemptive mission. He could not stay behind because God respects our freedom. God doesn't want to force us to believe in Him. We have a choice to believe in Jesus or to reject Jesus. Moreover, Jesus has to take care of other business. According to the gospel of John, He told the disciples during the Last Supper that He returned to the Father to prepare room for them (John 14:2). Therefore Jesus had to leave His disciples behind not for a couple of weeks, or months or years but millenia. Like all of you, Jesus has to do something to take care of the well-being of His beloved ones, all of us. So, what has Jesus done for us?
First of all, Jesus Christ chose Simon Peter to be the Rock upon which He would build His Church. During His absence the Church takes up the role of a foster mother, just like the uncle or aunt mentioned above. Like any foster mother who can never replace the genuine mother, the Church which is not perfect, cannot totally replace Jesus Christ. But no matter how imperfect the Church is, Jesus Christ trusts in the Church to take care of us, His beloved ones. So, don't despise the Church even when she is infested with scandals. Remember, Jesus Christ trusts her.
On the other hand, the Church protects the People of God entrusted into her hands. The Church stands firm on moral grounds and takes up the prophetic role of telling the world of God's truth. The Church teaches the dignity of human person. So, Catholics are pro-life. We say no to abortion and euthanasia. The Church advocates the protection of the common good. So, on one hand, the Church fight for human rights and freedom. For example, in view of the recent controversy over the proposed amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, the Apostolic Administrator, Cardinal John Tong appeals to all of us to pray for the personal saftety and liberty of the citizens. Without the protection of personal safety or liberty, our God given potentials may not be actualized. On the other hand, the Church also objects to excessive, disorderly indulgences on personal rights at the expense of the common good. So, Catholics oppose the passing of same-sex marriage ordinances.
Just as what I have mentioned above, in order to make sure that your kids behave well even when you are absent for a long time, you need to leave behind something to guarantee your love for them. The Church is what Jesus left behind as a guarantee of His love for all of us. In order to help us remember and understand His teachings, Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit (14:26) through the Church. Through the imposition of hands and anointment of oil, the Church gives the recipients the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders and Anointment of the Sick. In particular, the sacrament of Holy Orders ordains different ministers of the Hierarchy. Through the hands of bishops, chrism is consecrated to anoint the sick, the catechumens and priests. Through the hands of priests and bishops, the Holy Spirit is invoked to consecrate unleavened bread into Holy Communion to nurture the souls of the faithful. This is like the mothers working overseas. They remit money home regularly. Similarly, Christ regularly invites people to answer the priestly vocation generously to feed and tend His sheep. (21:16-17)
Today, Jesus gives us a new commandment to love one another just as he has loved us (14:34). He has shown us how He has loved us by laying down His life on the cross to pay for the debts of our sins. He came back to life to give those who believe in him a new life which would eventually lead to eternal life. To feed our spiritual needs, He leaves behind His body and blood to nurture us. He sends the Holy Spirit to warm up our frozen hearts to love one another generously and to enlighten our mind to remember and understand His teachings etc. All in all, Jesus Christ teaches us the true meaning of love. Love is to do things for the good of the others even at the expense of our life. More concretely, we work hard to earn the livelihood for our family members. We share the house chores. We care about the physical and emotional health of our spouses and children. We teach our children God's truth. We relieve the sufferings of the needy in the community and we guide the ignorant etc.
Brethren, all these little things we do for the good of the others in our daily life is the LOVE which Jesus Christ has commanded us to share. When love is inspired and motivated by the Holy Spirit, it becomes powerful and is able to heal the wounds of the world and renew it. Since God is love (1 John 4:8). If we love one another, God remains in us (4:12). May the Holy Spirit work in and among us to heal our wounds and the wounds of the world. Amen.
God bless!
復活期第五主日，丙年
主題：耶穌怎樣愛了我們
假如你要前往外地數天，要離開你的至親數天，你會怎樣安排呢？或許你要留下一筆金錢，足夠解決他們這幾天的所需。如果你的孩子年幼，你可能會送他們到近親家中幾天，有表弟妹作玩伴。如果他們可以照顧自己，你可能會吩咐他們，向長輩每日匯報。這些長輩便成了他們的監護人。
假如你要離開幾年呢？我相信安排上會完全不同了。有誰能擔任你未來數年的角色呢？但你不能不走。你惟有找一個可以信任的親人來照顧一切。在財務上，你當然不會留下一大筆金錢，一個更好的安排是定期從海外匯錢回家。與此同時，你的孩子會經歷幾個成長的階段，可能完成大學，甚至在談戀愛！那麼，有甚麼辦法保證你不在時，他們能循規蹈矩呢？最好的方法，是留下一些信物，讓他們知道，無論發生了甚麼事，你仍然愛他們。好了，倘若你要離開不是幾年，而是百年，千年呢？
對了！這就是耶穌基督完成了祂的救世任務後所要處理的問題。祂不能留在世上，因為天主尊重我們的自由。天主不想迫我們相信祂，我們可以選擇信耶穌或者拒絕耶穌。況且，耶穌還要處理其他事務。據若望福音記載，在最後晚餐時，耶穌告訴祂的門徒，要回天父家中為門徒預備地方（若14:2）。所以耶穌不得不離開，祂離開不是幾個星期，或者幾個月，幾年而是幾千年！與我們一樣，耶穌為門徒們的益處，必須作出安排。那麼，耶穌為我們做了甚麼呢？
首先，耶穌基督立了西滿伯多祿為教會的磐石。祂不在時，教會承擔起領養母親的角色，有如上述的監護人一樣。正如任何養娘也不能取代生娘一樣，不完美的教會，是不能取代耶穌基督的。但無論教會有多少缺陷，耶穌基督信任教會對我們的照顧。所以，不能因為教會受到醜聞的攻擊便離棄她。要記住！耶穌基督信任她！
另一方面，教會有責任保護天主所託付的子民。在倫理道德方面，教會要立場堅定，擔任先知的角色，向世人宣講天主的真理。教會訓導人性尊嚴。因此，天主教徒支持生命，反對墮胎及安樂死。教會訓導保障公益。因此，一方面教會爭取人權及自由。例如，對於近來因【逃犯條例】的修訂所產生的爭議，我們的宗座署理，湯漢樞機便呼籲教友，為市民的人身安全和自由，祈求上主的眷顧。倘若市民的人身安全和自由失去了保障，又如何發揮天賦的潛能呢？另一方面，教會反對損害公益的過份紊亂的人權濫用。因此，天主教反對同性婚姻合法化。
正如上面提到，為了使孩子們循規蹈矩，我們需要留下一些信物，以表達我們對他們不變的愛。教會就是耶穌基督留下的信物，表達祂對我們的愛。透過教會，耶穌基督賜下聖神，教訓我們一切，並使我們想起祂所說的一切（14:26）。藉著覆手和傅油，教會在聖洗聖事、堅振聖事、聖秩聖事與及病人傅油聖事中，賜予領受者聖神。尤其是聖秩聖事，教會藉著它，祝聖神職班中的各級神職人員：藉主教的手祝聖病人聖油、慕道聖油及至聖聖油；藉主教及神父呼求聖神，把無酵餅祝聖為聖體，滋養信友的心靈。有如到海外工作的母親，定期匯錢回家一樣，主基督亦經常召叫青年人，慷慨地回應司鐸聖召，餵養牧放祂的羊群（21:16-17）。
今天，耶穌給我們一條「彼此相愛，如同祂愛了我們一樣」的新誡命（14:34）。祂顯示了如何愛護我們：祂為了償還我們的罪債，死在十字架上；祂復活了，賜予信從祂的人新生，從而達到永生；為了滋養我們的靈魂，留下了自己的體血；祂派遣聖神，熾熱我們冰冷的心，好能慷慨地彼此相愛，還啟發我們的理智，記憶起並明白到祂的教導等等。總括地這，耶穌基督教導我們愛的真義。愛就是為對方的益處，不惜捨棄自己的生命。具體地，我們為了家人，勤力賺錢，分擔家務，照顧配偶及家人的身心健康，教導兒童天主的真理，在社區內減輕貧困者的疾苦，並教導愚蒙等等。
各位兄弟姊妹，這些每天生活中所做的瑣碎事，就是履行耶穌基督命令我們彼此相愛的誡命。當這些事是出於聖神的推動，它們會變成了強而有力，治療世界的創傷，使大地更新的力量。天主是愛（若一4:8）。如果我們愛，天主就住在我們中間（4:12）。願聖神在我們內，在我們中，治療我們的傷痕，治療世界的創傷。
天主保祐！
No comments:
Post a Comment