主題：可以在天堂留位嗎？
有一位天主教徒公開說自己在天堂留了位。她並沒有說錯，領洗入教，的確是拿了永生的入場券，在天堂留了位。所以，所有領了洗成為天主教徒的人，死後都有權埋葬在天主教墳場內。問題是：留了位的人，一定可以兌現手上的入場券嗎？即使買了機票，也不一定可以成功登機的。所以在天堂留了位，便以為一定可以通過伯多祿把守的一關，進入天國（瑪16:19），的確是天真！
今天的福音，啟示了一些有關得救，有關進入永生的端倪。耶穌說；「你們竭力由窄門而入罷！因為將來有許多人…要想進去，而不得入。」（路13:24）就是說，即使「天主是愛」（若一4:8），即使天主「願意所有的人都得救」（弟前2:4），即使因信可以成義（羅3:28），即使不停呼號「主啊！主啊！」的人（瑪7:21-23），不竟，我們要「竭力由窄門而入」，是沒有捷徑的，是要努力的！
天主說：「人單獨不好。」（創2:18），所以不可能一個人信仰天主，我們需要加入一個團體，互相支持，協助彼此的靈性生命，得到長進。領受入門聖事，加入了天主教，一個由罪人組成的得救團體，祇是一個開始，目標是好好地栽培從天主領受了的靈性生命，達到成義，成聖的境界。天主教會保留了二千年的傳統，仍然有七件聖事，包括聖體聖事。教會每天舉行祭天大典，即是彌撒。在彌撒中，主禮宣講天主的聖言，並且把餅酒祝聖為救主耶穌基督的聖體聖血，分施給教友領受，滋養他們的靈性生命。這不就是今天福音所說的「我們曾在你面前吃過喝過；你也曾在我們的街市上施教過」嗎（路13:26）？很明顯，在參加彌撒時聽講道和領聖體，是不足以送我們到永生的！在末日時，耶穌會說：「我不認識你們是那裡的」（13:27）。
原來參加主日彌撒，聽講道，領聖體，不一定加深我們與主耶穌基督的關係，以至在末日，祂把我們看待為陌路人！祂是天主，是全知的！祂知道我們的一切，比我們更認識自己！所以，祂一定認識我們，祇不過我們的所作所為，與我們的身份，一點也不相稱，以至祂不知道我們是屬於那裡的！即是說，領洗紙絕不能證明我們的基督徒身份，它祇是一張出世紙罷了，不是一張身份證！那麼，甚麼是基督徒的身份證呢？
教宗方濟各在去年頒布的宗座勸諭【你們要歡喜踴躍】（以下簡稱GE），教導我們如何回應天主在當代世界，召叫我們成聖，很清楚地說：「真福八端」是基督徒的身份證明（GE#63）！的確，當代世界，充斥著各式各樣的錯謬和誘惑，妨礙著所有基督徒成聖。回應天主的召叫，首先要聽到天主的聲音。在那裡可以聽到呢？在教會內，在聖經內，在所接觸到的兄弟姊妹身上！怎樣纔可以聽到呢？在祈禱靈修之中，在服務弱勢社群之中。瑪爾大和瑪利亞兩姊妹的故事，就是講述這端道理（路10:38-42）。靈修和服務，是走近天主的兩條腿，彼此相輔相成！
教宗方濟各說：「當我們心裡認為自己很富有，就會變得那麼自滿， 以至於沒有空間聆聽天主的聖言、愛我們兄弟姊妹。」（GE#68）所以神貧是一份聖德。「這世界是一個驕傲和虛榮的國度，每一個人都認為自己有權支配他人…但基督教導我們良善心謙。」（GE#71-72）所以溫良是一份聖德。「人們花費許多精力逃避苦難的處境…殊不知藉著幫助痛苦的人，藉著了解他們的憂苦，藉著緩解他們的痛苦，我們找到生命的意義。」（GE#75-76）所以哀慟是一份聖德。「…為窮人和弱者伸張正義時，正義就開始在每一個人的生命裡實現…正義是特別實行在無助的人身上時，得以彰顯。」（GE#79）所以飢渴慕義，是一份聖德。「天主非常慷慨地恩賜和寬恕我們。當我們施予和寬恕別人時，就是儘量在生活中稍微反映這位成全的天主。」（GE#81）所以慈悲是一份聖德。「真心真意愛主愛人而不流於空談的心，纔是純潔的心，可以看見天主。」（GE#86）。所以心裡潔淨是一份聖德。「締造和平…包括不排擠任何人，還得接納那些有點古怪、麻煩或難相處的人，以及那些需要人關注、有異於常人、飽受生活打擊或心懷私意的人。這是難事，需要開放的思想和廣闊的心胸。」（GE#89）所以締造和平是一份聖德。「每日奉行福音之道，即使可能因此面對困難，也堅持下去，這就是聖德」（GE#94）。
各位兄弟姊妹，所謂「知易行難」，讓我們祈求天主聖神，再次擊活在我們心中的聖神七恩，幫助我們在當代世界中，活出「真福八端」的精神，兌現手上升天堂的入場券。
天主保祐！
2016講道
圖片鳴謝：https://www.philipchircop.com/post/170319654392/user-name-and-password-dont-match-i-engaged-the
Twenty First Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Is It Possible to Reserve a Place in Heaven? One Catholic openly claims that she has a place reserved for her in heaven. She is not wrong. Being baptized a Catholic, we have received an entry ticket and have reserved a place in heaven. Therefore, a baptized Catholic is allowed to be buried in a Catholic cemetery after death. The question is: are you able to cash in this entry ticket? Even though you have obtained a boarding pass to take a flight, you may not be able to board a plane successfully. Similarly, even though you have reserved a place in heaven, if you think that you may get past St. Peter to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:19), you are truly naïve! For example, for all Catholics, including both the laity and the clergy, if you do not obey the magisterium of the Church and openly oppose the Church, you shall be excommunicated; or if you are upset by the actions of the Church and decide to leave her, refusing to reconcile with her during your life time on earth; or Catholics who commit suicide. Since the act of suicide denies God to be the author of life, it is against our faith etc., the Church has the authority to refuse the burial of such people in Catholic cemeteries. This clearly shows that even if you were baptized and have reserved a place in heaven, it does not guarantee that you shall attain eternal life.
The gospel passage today sheds some lights on the question of salvation and attaining eternal life. Jesus says, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many … will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough." (Luke 13:24) That is to say, despite the fact that "God is love" (1 John 4:8), that God "wills everyone to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4), that "a person is justified by faith" (Romans 3:28), that we say to Jesus all day long "Lord, Lord" (Matthew 7:21-23), we have to "strive to enter through the narrow gate". There is no short-cut. We have to put in efforts!
God says, "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Therefore it is impossible to believe in God alone. We need to join a community to support each other, to help each other build up their spiritual life and to grow and develop. Receiving the Sacraments of Initiation to join the Catholic Church, a community of redeemed sinners, is only a beginning. Our target is to cultivate this God-bestowed spiritual life to attain justification and sanctification. The Catholic Church has preserved a tradition for two thousand years. There are still seven sacraments, including the Sacrament of Eucharist. Every day, the Church offers heavenly sacrifice, i.e. the Mass. During mass, the celebrant expounds on the word of God in his homily and consecrates the bread and wine into the Holy Eucharist to feed the spiritual life of the faithful. Isn't this what the gospel says, "We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets" (Luke 13:26)? Obviously, listening to homily and receiving the sacrament during mass is insufficient to catapult us into eternal life! On Judgment Day, Jesus would say, "I do not know where you are from" (13:27).
Listening to homily and receiving communion during Sunday mass do not necessarily deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ so that at the end of the world, He sees us as strangers! But He is God and omniscient! He knows all about us, even more than we know ourselves! Thus, He definitely knows us. Only that our actions are incompatible with our identity so that He doesn't know where we belong to! That is to say, a baptismal certificate is unable to prove our identity. It is only a birth certificate, not an identity card! What then is the identity card of a Christian?
Last year, Pope Francis promulgated the apostolic exhortation "Gaudete et Exsultate", teaching us how to answer God's call to sanctification in the contemporary world. He makes it clear that "The Beatitudes are like a Christian's identity card." (GE#63)!
Indeed, the contemporary world is full of fallacies and temptations that hinder Christians' sanctification. In order to answer God's call, firstly we need to hear His voice. Where do we hear it? In the Church, the Bible and the brethren we encounter! How do we hear? In prayers and in serving the disadvantaged. The story of Mary and Martha demonstrates this doctrine (Luke 10:38-42). Spirituality and Service are the two legs which carry us to God. They support each other!
Pope Francis says, "Once we think we are rich, we can become so self-satisfied that we leave no room for God's word, for the love of our brothers and sisters." (GE#68) Thus, being poor of heart is holiness. "It is the reign of pride and vanity, where each person thinks he or she has the right to dominate others … But Christ teaches us to be gentle and humble of heart" (GE#71-72). Thus reacting with meekness and humility is holiness. "Much energy is expended on fleeing from situations of suffering … Christians discover the meaning of life by coming to the aid of those who suffer, understanding their anguish and bringing relief" (GE#75-76). Knowing how to mourn with others is holiness. "True justice comes about in people's lives when they pursue justice for the poor and the weak …It is shown especially in justice towards those who are most vulnerable" (GE#79). Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is holiness. "Giving and forgiving means reproducing in our lives some small measure of God's perfection, which gives and forgives superabundantly" (GE#81). Seeing and acting with mercy is holiness. "A heart that loves God and neighbour genuinely and not merely in words is a pure heart; it can see God" (GE#86). Keeping a heart free of all that tarnishes love is holiness. "It is not easy to make this evangelical peace, which excludes no one but embraces even those who are a bit odd, troublesome or difficult, demanding, different, beaten down by life or simply uninterested. It is hard work; it calls for great openness of mind and heart" (GE#89). Sowing peace all around us is holiness. "Accepting daily the path of the Gospel, even though it may cause us problems is holiness" (GE#94).
Brethren, it is easier said than done. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit, ask Him to activate once more His seven gifts in our hearts and help us lead a life of beatitudes in the contemporary world and to cash in our entry ticket to heaven.
God bless!
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