主題：我們真的平安嗎？
今天的福音提及到「主另外選定了七十二人，派遣他們兩個兩個，在祂前面」去傳揚福音（路10:1），可見傳福音不單是宗徒們，或宗徒們的繼承人，即當今教宗，樞機，教區主教等等的任務，而是所有被主耶穌召選者的任務。既然我們已經受洗成為天主教徒，我們也有這個使命；不是單打獨鬥，而是兩個兩個去宣揚福音。福音是甚麼呢？就是保祿宗徒所說：「天主在基督內使世界與自己和好，不再追究他們的過犯。」（格後5:19）天主與世人和好，與我們有甚麼關係呢？有，聖保祿繼續說：「我們是代基督作大使了，好像是天主藉著我們來勸勉世人。」（5:20）所以你和我，都成了基督的大使，宣講天主與人修和的福音，就是天主不再追究他們的過犯。既然成了基督的修和大使，我們自己也不再追究他人的過犯了。
做這個「修和大使」危險嗎？為甚麼我會這樣問呢？因為耶穌基督說：「看！我派遣你們猶如羔羊往狼群中。」（路10:3）這句說話聽來頗為血腥恐怖，與「送羊入虎口」相似，但其實並不一樣！「送羊入虎口」的確是「九死一生」，但耶穌所說的「羔羊往狼群中」，是指著舊約依撒意亞先知的默西亞王國圖像而說的。先知首先道出天父要賜給默西亞聖神七恩，默西亞就憑著這聖神七恩，以正義和真理，治理祂的王國。到時「豺狼將與羔羊共處，虎豹將與小山羊同宿…大地充滿了對上主的認識，有如海洋滿溢海水。」（依11:6-9）所以，我們做修和大使的時候，就是建立天國的時候。當我們宣佈並實踐修和，建立天主的國時，「豺狼與羔羊共處，虎豹與小山羊同宿」的局面便會展開。當我們看見紋身大漢讓座給老太婆的時候，當我們看見撐警大叔，掩護著青年人離開立法會陷阱的時候，我們看見到默西亞王國，看見天主的拯救，天主的公義，出現在我們中間了！請注意，豺狼的本性仍是豺狼，虎豹仍是虎豹，牠們仍然擁有鋒利的爪牙，否則牠們祇是貓狗寵物，不是虎豹豺狼。因此，默西亞王國不是一個天下太平，沒有衝突的世界；而是一個有衝突，但不是一個你死我亡的局面；而是一個有矛盾，但仍可以求同存異，解決紛爭，最後達至和平共存的局面。
今天的福音說：「那裡如有和平之子，你們的和平就要停留在他身上；否則仍歸你們。」（路10:6）無論這「和平」指的是甚麼，倘若我們自己沒有「和平」，又怎能把我們的和平，傳送給別人呢？那麼，這「和平」是指甚麼呢？剛纔我們提及過依撒意亞先知所說的聖神七恩之外，還有保祿宗徒所說聖神的九個效果。包括了「仁愛、喜樂、平安、忍耐、良善、溫和、忠信、柔和、節制。」（迦5:22-23）。即是說，我們既然領受了堅振聖事，擁有了聖神七恩，我們的言行，應該表現出上述的九個聖神效果。亦即是說，我們這些修和大使，在傳福音的時候，遇上堪當領受聖神的平安的人，他們便被我們平安的氣質所感染，接受天主的修和，得到天主所賜予的平安！
在剛過去的六月份，大家平安嗎？不平安，眼見四個生命犧牲了！社會被分裂了！很多從前的朋友，因為彼此意見不同，竟然互不相讓，互相割席！家庭中的代溝問題，更趨惡化了！怎能保存平安呢？
其實，問題出在天主按祂自己的肖像，創造了我們！（創1:26）因此，人類與生俱來，便渴望成為天主。可惜魔鬼利用人類沒有耐性的缺點，乘虛而入，以變成天主來引誘人類。結果，厄娃信以為真，吃了天主禁止人類吃的「知善惡樹的果子」，結果人類喪失了原始的恩寵所保護，被私慾偏情所操控。
人類受魔鬼勞役，實在太長久了，以至我們害怕真理，害怕面對現實。我們不斷尋找所謂的證據，加強自己的偏見，令自己感到舒服，感到平安！有人說：外國的防暴警察所用的武力，比香港警察所用的武力不知大多少倍。這論點對嗎？這論點是錯的，但可以令他們舒適地支持警察使用過份的暴力。試想想，其他人做錯了，又怎能讓自己的錯成為正確呢？又有人說：通識科教育出了問題，令青年人如此激進！把責任推到別人身上，找過代罪羔羊，自己可以脫身，是多麼舒服，多麼平安啊！試想想，從2012年開始考DSE，每年有七萬多考生，七年來約有五十萬青少年接受過通識科教育！試問可有五十萬激進的青少年衝擊立法會嗎？這些以偏蓋全的論點，祇是在逃避問題，尋求虛假的平安，而不能解決問題，獲得真正的平安。還有那些所謂「外國勢力」等等的謊言，既簡單，又容易明白，令人心安理得。試問全球化的今天，連古巴和北韓也要向外國開放，衣食住行，看的電影和電視節目，和教會所辦的名校，那有一樣絕對沒有外國勢力的干預呢？但今天相信「外國勢力」的，仍然大有人在。試想想，為甚麼信奉無神論的中國大陸，在改革開放初期，重開聖堂，供外商祈禱崇拜？是向錢看！但對國內的天主教會，仍可以隨時隨地，指控她鈎結梵蒂岡，鈎結外國勢力，顛覆國家安全！
讓我們祈求天主聖神，祂是真理之神。求聖神再次賞賜我們智慧，選擇天主的旨意，而不是俗世的利益；擦亮我們的聰敏，在紛亂的世事中，看到天主的手在不斷地工作；冷靜我們的超見，明辨是非，選擇合乎天父旨意的行動；堅強我們的剛毅，不怕勞苦與迫害；光照我們的明達，認識教會的社會訓導，抗衡俗世的荒謬；暖化我們孝愛天父的心，做天父喜歡我們做的事；更讓我們看見天父大能的手，對天父起敬起畏，不敢冒犯天父的神聖。
各位兄弟姊妹，讓聖神七恩幫助我們，渡過今天困惑的生活，結出真正喜樂平安的效果，把這平安分施給我們所接觸到的廣大市民！
天主保祐！
2016年講道
圖片來源鳴謝：
https://kknews.cc/news/39ll84a.html
Fourteenth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Do We Have Genuine Peace?
Today, the gospel passage says, "The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs" to proclaim the good news (Luke 10:1). Thus we see that evangelization is not the mission exclusively of the apostles, or nowadays successors of the apostles, i.e. the Pope, Cardinals and bishops. Rather it is the mission of all of us whom Lord Jesus has called. Since we were baptized Catholics, we too share this mission, not working alone, but in pairs to proclaim the good news. What is the good news? St. Paul says, "God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them." (2 Corinthians 5:19) What has God reconciling the world to Himself to do with me? St. Paul continues, "So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us" (5:20). Thus you and I are ambassadors for Christ to proclaim the gospel of reconciliation, telling people that God does not count their trespasses against them. Since we are reconciliation ambassadors of Christ, we too shall not count trespasses against others.
Is it dangerous to be reconciliation ambassadors? Why do I ask such a question? It is because Jesus says, "Behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves." (Luke 10:3) This verse sounds rather bloody and horrible, similar to "Feeding tigers with lambs". But the two idioms are not identical. The chance of survival is indeed slim when lambs are fed to tigers but what Jesus says points to the image of the Messianic Kingdom portrayed in Isaiah. The prophet says that God gives the Messiah seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. With these gifts, the Messiah shall rule his kingdom with justice and truth. By then, "The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ... the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea." (Isaiah 11:6-9) Thus, when we serve as reconciliation ambassadors, we are building up the Kingdom of Heaven. When we proclaim and practise reconciliation, when we build up the Kingdom of Heaven, "the wolf and the lamb become guests. The leopard and the kid lie down together" shall be seen. When we see a tattooed guy gives up his seat to an elderly lady, when we see the supporters of policemen escort the young people out of the Legco chamber trap into safety, we shall see the Messianic kingdom appear, we see the salvation of God as well as the righteousness of God present in our midst! Pay attention! Wolves are still wolves and leopards are still leopards. Their teeth and claws are still sharp. Otherwise, they are only pet cats and dogs, not wolves and leopards. Thus, the Messianic kingdom is not a world without conflicts. Rather, there shall still be conflicts, but not mortal conflicts. There shall be contradictions but still we are still able to seek common ground to resolve conflicts and attain a peaceful co-existence.
The gospel today says, "If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it will return to you." (Luke 10:6) Whatever the word "peace" means, if we don't have peace ourselves, how can our peace be conveyed to others? Then, what is this "peace"? Besides the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit we have just mentioned in Isaiah, we have the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit St. Paul talks about. They are "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). That is to say, since we have received the Sacrament of Confirmation, we possess the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our words and deeds should display these nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. That is to say, when we proclaim the good news as ambassadors of reconciliation, and when we meet people who are worthy to receive the peace of the Holy Spirit, they should be influenced by our fragrance of peace to reconcile with God and receive the peace of God!
But brethren! Were you in peace last June? Categorically no! We see four lives sacrificed and our society divided! Many of our friends unfriended because we disagree and do not agree to disagree! The generation gap within our families worsens! How can we be in peace?
In fact, the root of the problem lies in God's creating us in His image (Genesis 1:26)! Thus, mankind is born with the desire to become God. Unfortunately, Satan makes use of our impatience and our desire to become God to tempt us. Consequently, Eve was tricked into eating the forbidden fruit on the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then, mankind lost the protection with the Original Grace and were enslaved by concupiscence.
Nobody is able to grasp the whole truth of the current situation which is marred by sensational coverage of the social media. Everybody is like the blind touching an elephant. But all of us think that we are omniscient God. Thus, we refuse to listen to the evidence of our rivals. We disagree and cut our ties! Unbeknown to ourselves, we are wrong when we see the photo of a policeman holding a brick in his hand but we refuse to view the video of confrontation between policemen and demonstrators where somebody threw bricks to the line of policemen. When the policeman picked up the brick, the scene was captured in a camera! When you see a foreign correspondent yelling at policemen shooting demonstrators, "This is not China" but does not see what he previously yelled, "Shoot me! Don't shoot citizens!" Worse still, there are people spreading rumours and fear mongers who edit news clip subtitles to fan hatred and smearing the rivals, thus gaining advantages!
We have been under the bondage of Satan for too long that we fear to confront the truth. We continuously seek so called evidence to reinforce our prejudice, to make ourselves feel comfortable and peaceful! Some people say that foreign riot police resort to more severe violence than our police force. Is this a valid argument? Of course not but it makes people feel comfortable to support excessive brute of our policemen. Just think about it! How can the wrong of the others make our wrongs right? Again, some people claim that our Liberal Studies syllabus has produced a generation of radical young! How comfortable and peaceful it is to push responsibility upon others, to find scapegoats! Just think about it, since DSE in 2012, each year there are about 70,000 candidates. All in all, more than 500,000 young people have received teachings in Liberal Studies. But were there 500,000 radical young people storming the Legco Chamber? This is a fallacy of cherry picking! It evades the issue and seeks fake peace. It does not solve the problem to attain genuine peace! There is the so called "foreign intervention" fallacy. It is simple, easy to understand and soothing! Just think about globalization today, even Cuba and North Korea have to open to foreign countries. Just think of all the daily necessities, mass media entertainments and elite schools run by the Church etc., which one of them can be absolutely immune from foreign interferences? But today, many people prefer believing in this. Behold! Why did an atheist mainland China reopen churches during the early period of reform for foreigners to pray and worship? All because of money! As for the Catholic Church in mainland China, the central government may accuse her at any time guilty of joining force with external influences, viz. Vatican, to overturn national security!
Let us pray to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. Grant us Wisdom to choose God's will, not secular advantages; to illuminate our Understanding to see God's hands working continuously; to cool our Counsel to discern the right from the wrong and to choose actions according to the Father's will; to strengthen our Fortitude to endure hardship and persecutions; to enlighten our Knowledge to know the social teachings of the Church to overcome the fallacies of the secular world; to warm up our Piety to the Father, to do what pleases our Father and lastly to let us see the wonders of the Father's hands and prompt our Fear of the Lord, afraid to offend the divinity of the Father.
Brethren, let the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit help us weather through the difficult situation today and bear the genuine fruits of joy and peace. Let us share this peace with the citizens we meet!
God bless!
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