主題：信天主有如品酒
時值農曆新年，雖然處於「武漢肺炎」的陰霾之下，但親朋戚友團拜賀歲，在所難免。席上總要碰杯祝酒，高談闊論。年青一輩對於飲酒有相當要求，不似老一輩的我們，喜歡牛飲，以示豪氣！年青人批評我們浪費了種植者和釀酒者的一番心血，他們的批評不無道理！年青人飲酒，先用眼細看酒的顏色和「掛杯」程度，再用鼻嗅出酒的香氣，甚麼肉桂、拖肥、呍呢拿…，含在口中，讓味蕾品嚐箇中滋味，嚥下再慢慢回味…，真不可小覷一杯酒，原來品嘗起來，可以有這麼豐富的色香味回甘學問！「品酒」和「飲酒」的確不可同日而語！
猶太教、基督宗教和伊斯蘭教，都是一神宗教，而且是相信同一個神明。但大家對所相信的天主，卻「品嘗」出不同的滋味。基督宗教奉耶穌基督為天主聖子，祂不但捨身拯救世人，並把天主的內在生命─三位一體，啟示給我們。猶太教否認耶穌是他們所期待的默西亞，而伊斯蘭教祇把耶穌當作一位先知。倘若我們把品酒和宗教信仰作類比，猶太教和伊斯蘭教對天主的認知，相對地粗枝大葉，不及基督宗教那麼細緻！的確，倘若我們不知道一杯酒可以從色香味與回甘的方向體會，就祇有獨沽一味了！同樣，倘若我們不知道天主是三位一體，祂的本體是愛，祂以慈悲展示祂的大能，祂願意以聖言及聖體，與人類同在…等，恐怕信仰就祇有「敬畏」，別無選擇了！
倘若牛飲會浪費種植者和釀酒者的心血，同樣道理，倘若我們不讀聖經，不領聖事，豈不同樣浪費了天主對我們的一番美意，浪費了我們堂區主保聖葉理諾，翻譯聖經的一番辛勤嗎？教宗方濟各以自動手諭《開啟他們的明悟》，頒布設立「天主聖言主日」時，開宗明義引述了聖葉理諾的名句：「誰不認識聖經，誰就不認識基督。」所以，即使勤領聖體，亦需要勤讀聖經，認識清楚所領受的聖體是何等寶貴的禮物，把聖體的功效，發揮得淋漓盡致！
大家都知道聖經是一個小型圖書館。沒有人進入圖書館，從書架上第一本書讀到最後一本，總是按自己的需要和興趣選讀！同樣道理，從【創世紀】順序讀到【默示錄】並不是一個理想的讀聖經方案。作為基督徒，不是應該先讀福音，了解耶穌基督的言行，再參考其他書卷嗎？同樣，也不應從【瑪竇福音】順序讀到【若望福音】，除非你是一個猶太人！為甚麼？因為聖史寫福音給不同的對象：瑪竇寫給有猶太教背景的信徒，證明耶穌是他們所期待的基督；馬爾谷和路加寫給外邦人，告訴他們天主是大能的，更是慈悲的；而若望的福音，是一部深刻的神學反省！因此，執事我的讀福音順序是：馬爾谷、路加、宗徒大事錄（路加福音的續集）和瑪竇。最後纔是若望。
雖然雅各伯的家庭生活並不完美，但天主的恩寵卻補充了當中的不足！
雅各伯有十二個兒子，由兩個表妹和她們的婢女所生。雅各伯心儀的表妹是辣黑耳，她一直不育（創30:1），最後祇為他生了兩個兒子便難產死了（35:16-19）。則步隆是大表妹肋阿最後生的第六個兒子（35:23）！而納斐塔里是辣黑耳的婢女所生的（35:25）。所以，後來這兩族後裔在福地，祇分到北方邊陲之地，外族入侵時首當其衝！可見他們在十二支派中，地位卑微，備受歧視。加里肋亞正位於納斐塔里地，即使耶穌的門徒，也曾看不起加里肋亞的納匝肋（若1:46）！
雅各伯被騙而娶了肋阿，對她沒有好感（創29:25）。可是，天主祝福了她，讓她多產，並且在她的第三子肋未的後裔中，出了偉大的梅瑟；第四子猶大，出了人類的救主耶穌基督！天主的慈愛，的確偉大，經常為受委屈的人出頭（撒上2:4-8）！今天的福音，再次引證了天主對被歧視者的眷顧。且看，耶穌基督的福音，並不是出自富裕的南方，不是源於宗教的權力中心耶路撒冷，而是出自備受冷落歧視的北方，出自「外方人的加里肋亞」（瑪4:15），是他們最先領受到救贖（4:16）！
各位兄弟姊妹，天主的聖言，蘊含豐富的色彩和味道。請細心品嘗，有不明白的地方，便請教神長；或者參加聖經分享小組，甚至報讀一些聖經課程。請不要浪費天父為了拯救我們所預備的一番美意。
天主保祐！
圖片鳴謝：aigle2vie.over-blog.com
Sunday of the Word of God, Year A
Theme: Belief in God is Like Tasting Wine
It is Lunar New Year. Although we are overshadowed by Wuhan pneumonia, relatives and friends still gather to celebrate. Wining, dining and speech making are part and parcel of celebration. Young people are meticulous in wining, unlike the older folks who gulp to show off their masculinity! Young people criticize us for wasting the craft and labour of planters and brewers. Their criticisms are reasonable! When they drink, they begin inspecting the colour and viscosity (wine tears) with their eyes. Then they smell the aromas with their nose to figure out the mixture of cinnamon, toffee and vanilla etc. Rinse their taste buds with the wine and swallow slowly. Then catch the aftertaste until there is no more ... Wine tasting can be such an elaborate process. No wonder drinking wine is not on a par with wine tasting!
Judaism, Christianity and Islam are monotheistic and all of them believe in the one and the same God. But the "tasting" is different. Christianity worships Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Not only did He sacrifice Himself to save humanity, but He also reveals us the inner life of the Godhead. God is a Blessed Trinity! Judaism rejects Jesus as their anticipated Messiah and Islam respects Jesus as one of the prophets only. If we attempt an analogy between wine tasting and religious faith, Judaism and Islam understand God in a relatively crude manner, unlike the sophisticated refinement of Christianity. Indeed, if we do not know that we can enjoy a glass of wine with our sight, smell, taste and imagination, there can only be one way of drinking --- swallowing! In the same way, if we do not know that God is a Trinity, that His essence is love, that He demonstrates His might with mercy and that He is willing to be present with us in His words and sacraments ... etc. then there is only one way to believe in God. Fear!
If drinking like a fish is a waste of the efforts of planters and brewers, then similarly, if we do not study the Bible or do not receive the sacraments, isn't it a waste of God's mercy and the effort of the patron saint of our parish, St. Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin? When Pope Francis institutes the "Sunday of the Word of God" in his Apostolic Letter "Aperuit illis" in the form of motu proprio, he quotes from St. Jerome, "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." Thus, frequent receptions of the Holy Communion must be supported by frequent studies of the Bible to understand clearly how precious the Communion is. Then the reception can be fully effective!
We all know that the Bible is a mini library. Nobody enters a library, picks the first book on the shelf and reads until the last. We read according to our interests and needs! Similarly, reading from Genesis to Revelation is not an ideal bible study schedule! As Christians, shouldn't we begin reading the gospels in order to know the words and deeds of Jesus Christ before we refer to other books? In a similar manner, you should not read from Matthew to John, unless you are a Jew! Why? It is because the Evangelists wrote for different target audiences: Matthew wrote for Jewish disciples to prove that Jesus is their awaited Christ. Mark and Luke wrote for Gentiles, telling them that God is powerful and merciful. John's is an in-depth theological reflection! Thus, the sequence I suggest is: Mark, Luke, Acts (the sequel to Luke) and Matthew. Lastly, it is John.
Therefore, we shall come across many Jewish "colours" in Matthew. For example, the passage today mentions "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali" (Matthew 4:15). What does it mean? This is not simply a geographical name but a complex status problem among the twelve tribes of Israel!
Although the family life of Jacob was far from perfect, God's grace made up the imperfections!
Brethren! The Word of God is rich in colours and texture. Taste it with a mindful heart. When you meet something difficult, consult the clergy, or join a Bible sharing group and even taking biblical courses. Don't waste the good things God has prepared for our salvation.
Jacob's twelve sons were born of two cousins and their maids. Jacob loved Rachel but she had always been barren (Genesis 30:1). Rachel died after giving birth in distress her second son (35:16-19). Zebulun was the sixth and last son of Leah (35:23), Jacob's elder cousin and Naphtali was the son of Rachel's maid (35:25). Subsequently, the two tribes occupied the northern border of the Promised Land, bearing the first brunt of alien invasions! We may safely conclude that among the twelve tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali were lowly and despised. Galilee was in the land of Naphtali. Even one of Jesus' disciples despised Nazareth in Galilee (John 1:46)!
Jacob was cheated into marrying Leah whom he had never liked (Genesis 29:25). But God blessed her with six sons. From the third son Levi came great Moses and from the fourth son Judah, Jesus Christ the saviour of mankind! God's mercy is tremendous, always raises the lowly high (1 Samuel 2:4-8). The gospel passage today proves once again that God remembers the despised. Behold, the good news of Jesus Christ did not come from the rich south, nor from the power centre of Jerusalem, but from the ignored north, from "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Matthew 4:15) who were the first to receive salvation (4:16)!
God bless!
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