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Sunday, 16 June 2019

天主聖三的內在生命 The Inner Life of the Blessed Trinity

天主聖三主日,丙年
主題:天主聖三的內在生命

聖若望宗徒不愧是耶穌基督所愛的門徒,經過了幾十年的默想,他以一句說話,點破了天主的奧秘:「天主是愛。」(若一4:8)不可能有更好的論述了!
愛是充滿力量的,所以是外向的。否則,便是自戀,內陷,成為一個黑洞,最終自我滅亡。這個祇顧自己,自私的力量,就是罪!因為是外向的,所以愛必須有一個對象。有一個主體,加上一個對象,便成為了一個關係。在這個宇宙存在之前,首先出現的這個關係,我們稱這個關係為「聖父」及「聖子」的關係!請注意,倘若不是天主聖父,藉著降生成人的耶穌基督啟示給我們,我們是不會認識到天主之內,有聖父聖子的關係。這就是世界三大一神宗教,即猶太教,基督宗教與伊斯蘭教,的主要分別。

基督徒相信耶穌基督是天主聖子降生成人,把不可見的天主聖父啟示給我們。耶穌基督來不是為了廢除猶太教,廢除舊約,而是為成全它(瑪5:17)。怎樣「成全」它呢?就是把天主的內在生命啟示給我們。
原來天主不是一個單純的個體,而是一個三合一的個體。首先,在混沌空虛,一片黑暗之中,天主的神在水面上運行,天主聖父以祂的說話,即天主聖言(若1:1),創造了這個美麗,有秩序和適合人類生活的宇宙(創1:2-3)。從「大爆炸」的星塵中,形成了星宿與太陽,形成了有大氣層的地球,在陸地上出現了植物,釋放出高等生物所賴以生存的氧氣,然後從水裡生出單細胞生物,進化出海裡的魚,空中的鳥和在地上爬行的動物。最後,天主按自己的肖像,創造了我們人類,安放在伊甸園中,委派我們管理大地。這首創造的詩歌,暗示了天主是「三位一體」的,但有待後世的教父,例如聖奧思定,和神學家,有系統地發展出三位一體的神學,述說天主聖三的道理。

創世紀不但記載了創造的詩歌,更記載了人類墜落的經過。雖然人類受誘惑,不遵守天主的指示生活(2:17),妄想自己變成天主(3:5),但天主並沒有放棄祂所創造的肖像,天主聖父派遣天主聖子降生成人,死在十字架上,償還一切罪債,恢復我們失落了的恩寵。天主聖子完成在世的任務之後,留下兩份禮物給我們,並吩咐我們以天主聖三之名付洗(瑪28:19),然後升天返回天主聖父的右邊。第一份禮物就是今天福音中所提及的真理之神(若16:13),即天主聖神。祂是聖父聖子之間的父子之情,一份愛的力量。在舊約聖經中,祂不但是那在混沌黑暗中,產生秩序的「上主的神」,而且祂降臨到不少天父所揀選的人物身上,例如民長,先知和君王,拯救黎民百姓。就是這位天主聖神,祂降臨到聖母瑪利亞身上,使她孕育出天主聖子。祂也在耶穌受洗時降臨在他身上,首次向世人呈現天主是三位一體的。
至於第二份禮份,就是聖體聖事。上個主日我們慶祝聖神降臨節,紀念教會的生日。這個天主子民所組成的得救團體,在聖神的扶持下,向萬民傳播修和的福音,告訴世人天父不再計較他們的罪債(格後5:18-20)。在信徒的聚會中,我們呼求天主聖神降臨在無酵餅和葡萄酒上,轉化它們成為天主聖子的聖體聖血,兌現了耶穌基督對世人的諾言,就是「天天與你們在一起,直到今世的終結。」(瑪28:20
所以,基督徒所相信的天主,不是一個簡單的個體,而是一個三合一的個體,天主聖三!祂是一個滿溢著愛的個體,由慈悲的聖父,服從的聖子,充滿聖化力量的聖神所組合而成。我們每一個人都是天主的肖像,有能力與天主溝通,回應天主的召喚!所有人都蒙召憑良心生活,做一個問心無愧,頂天立地的人。部份人更進一步回應天主聖父的召喚,成為基督徒,加入教會,與天主聖子一同生活,並藉著天主聖神的恩賜,向世人宣講修和的福音。我們在家庭中,「以天主的目光,默觀所愛的人身上的基督,是何等深度的靈修經驗!」(【愛的喜樂】#323);在教會中,與堂區的兄弟姊妹互相支持,並在社區內為弱勢社群服務,在社會上爭取公義。在教區主教及教宗的領導下,與普世基督徒共融合一,體驗到相愛共融的天主聖三。一言以蔽之,在各色各樣的團體中,我們初嘗到天主聖三內在的豐盛生命。這就是天主肖像的成聖之路!
不少人挑戰我們,質問我們,「既然你們的天主是全能的,祂能否創造一塊祂不能移動的石頭呢?」,或者「一加一再加一,怎可能等如一呢?」,甚至「叫你嗰耶穌出嚟見我!」等等。的確,人類有限的智慧,經常嘗試把無限天主,局限在有限的邏輯之中。不過,慈悲的天主仍會欣賞我們所作過的努力。天主是無限的,無限的聖父,加上無限的聖子,再加上無限的聖神,形成一個無限的天主聖三!為甚麼一加一再加一,不能等如一呢?天主連死也可以,為甚麼不可以使一塊不肯移動,冥頑不靈的石頭改變過來呢?當初,掃祿迫害基督徒,後來不是歸化成為偉大的聖保祿嗎?耶穌說:「在人所不能的,在天主是可能的。」(路18:27)或許慈悲的耶穌,顯現給這位防暴警察,召喚他成為祂的器皿(宗9:15)也未定。因此,要彰顯天主聖三的愛,不要判斷人(瑪7:1)。
各位兄弟姊妹,讓我們在天主聖三的愛內,尋求並服從天父的旨意,在俗世的生活中,與聖子耶穌基督同行,藉著聖神的力量,活出福音的精神,邁向成聖! 天主保祐!


2016年講道

Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity, Year C
Theme: The Inner Life of the Blessed Trinity
St. John is indisputably the beloved disciple of Lord Jesus Christ. After spending decades to meditate, he was able to articulate in a single phrase the mystery of God: "God is love" (1 John 4:8). There can never be any better statement!
Love is full of potency. It is outward going. Otherwise, it is narcissism, implosion and it becomes a black hole, collapsing into its own annihilation. This inward going, selfish power is sin. Since it is out-going, love needs an object. With a subject and an object, a relationship is created. Before the existence of this universe, there first appeared such a relationship. We call it the Father and the Son! Pay attention! Had God the Father not revealed through the Incarnate Son of God to us, we would never have known the existence of this Father-Son relationship within God. This is the primary difference between Christianity and Judaism as well as Islam, these three major monotheistic religions of the world.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the incarnated God the Son to reveal to us the invisible God the Father. Jesus Christ does not come to abolish Judaism or the Law but to fulfil it (Matthew 5:17). How does he fulfil it? To reveal the inner life of the Godhead.
Indeed, God is not a simple entity but a trinite entity. At first, the Spirit of God hovered over the void and darkness. God the Father spoke, that is the Logos (John 1:1) and a beautiful, ordered and habitable universe was created for humanity (Genesis 1:2-3). From the Big Bang, star dust formed galaxies and suns, an earth wrapped in an atmosphere was formed, plants appeared on land, releasing oxygen which higher living organisms depended; then single-celled organisms appeared and evolved into fishes in the waters, birds in the air and animals creeping on land. Lastly, God created mankind in His own image, put them in Eden to manage the universe. This creation hymn suggests that God is trinite but it took Church Fathers and theologians in later ages to systematically develop the theology of the Blessed Trinity to be able to discuss it meaningfully.

Not only does Genesis sing a Creation hymn, but it also describes the fall of humanity. Although men were tempted not to obey God's instruction (2:17) and desired to become God (3:5) God did not abandon His images. God the Father sent the Son to incarnate, to die on the cross to repay all debts and to restore lost graces. After accomplishing His mission, God the Son left behind two gifts for us and told us to baptize in the name of the Blessed Trinity (Matthew 28:19) before He ascended into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father. The first gift was the Spirit of truth mentioned in the gospel passage today (John 16:13), that is the Holy Spirit. He is the love between the Father and the Son, a love which is full of power. In the Old Testament, not only was it the Spirit which hovered upon and created order from the void and darkness, but it was also the Spirit which descended on people chosen by the Father, e.g. Judges, Prophets and Kings, to save the commoners. This Holy Spirit descended up the BVM so that she became pregnant with God the Son. It was also the Spirit which descended upon Jesus during his baptism to reveal for the first time the Blessed Trinity to all present.
As for the second gift, it is the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Last Sunday, we celebrated the Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. This is a redeemed community formed by the People of God. With the support of the Holy Spirit, she preaches the good news of reconciliation to all peoples, telling them that God the Father shall not count their trespasses against them (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). In the gatherings of saints, we invoke the Holy Spirit to come down upon unleavened bread and wine to transform them into the body and blood of the Son of God, honouring the promise of Jesus Christ, "I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
So, the God in whom Christians believe is not a simple entity but a trinite entity, the Blessed Trinity! He is an entity of overflowing love, formed by the merciful Father, the obedient Son and the sanctifying Spirit. Each one of us is an image of God. We are able to communicate with Him and respond to His call! All men are called to lead a conscientious life without any regret. Some of us further respond to God's call to become Christians, to join the Church and live with the Son of God. With the charismas and graces from the Holy Spirit, we preach the gospel of reconciliation to all peoples. In our families, "It is a profound spiritual experience to contemplate our loved ones with the eyes of God and to see Christ in them." (Amoris Laetitia #323) In the Church, with the mutual support of parishioners, we serve the disadvantaged in our neighbourhood to fight for social justice. Under the leadership of the diocesan bishops and the Pope, we are in communion with Christians all over the world to experience the mutual love and communion of the Blessed Trinity. In short, in all sorts of communities, we enjoy the foretaste of the abundant inner life of the Blessed Trinity. This is the path of sanctification for all images of God.
Many people challenge and confront us, "If your God is almighty, can't he create a rock which he cannot move?" Or "How can 1+1+1=1?" And even, "Tell your Jesus to come to see me!" etc. Indeed, with limited intelligence, mankind always try to confine an infinite God within some finite logic. Don't worry, the merciful Lord will appreciate the efforts we have put in. God is infinite. The infinite Father plus the infinite Son plus the infinite Holy Spirit form an infinite Blessed Trinity! Why not? God can die for us, why can't He create a rock which He cannot move and a stubborn rock which He shall convert? At the beginning, Saul persecuted the Christians fanatically. Later, he was converted into the famous apostle Paul. Jesus says, "What is impossible for human beings is possible for God." (Luke 18:27) Perhaps the merciful Jesus would appear to the riot policeman, calling him to be His chosen instrument (Acts 9:15). Thus, we should manifest the love of the Blessed Trinity. Do not judge! (Matthew 7:1)
Brethren! Let us seek and obey the Father's will in the love of the Blessed Trinity. Walk with the Son of God, Jesus Christ in this secular world. With the power of the Holy Spirit, lead a life in the spirit of the gospel to march towards sanctification!
God bless!







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