主題：充滿聖神的喜樂
主耶穌基督，以天主子身份，接受洗者若翰的洗禮，展開祂的傳福音，拯救世人的工程，是一個很有意義的事蹟。我們既可以默觀天主三位一體的奧秘，或者天主子為了拯救罪人，而樂於與罪人同行的真理。今天，讓我們姑且從洗者若翰的角度，默想這片肥沃的靈修園地。
綜合其他對觀福音的記載，洗者若翰與耶穌基督是表兄弟的關係。他們還各自在母腹的時候，便初次接觸。福音說，瑪利亞請安的聲音一入耳，還是胎兒的洗者若翰，就在依撒伯爾腹中，歡喜踴躍（路1:44）洗者若翰必定是感受到充滿聖神的天主子的力量，被祂觸動，使他「歡喜踴躍」！對，接觸到聖神，就會充滿力量，充滿喜樂！相信大家都已經領過堅振聖事，曾藉著傅油禮，領受了聖神。「喜樂」正是聖神九個效果的第二個（迦5:22）。各位兄弟姊妹，大家領堅振後喜樂嗎？大家今天仍然喜樂嗎？我們有沒有因為受到生活壓力，例如忙於讀書、工作和交際，憂心考試成績、收入、健康或者人際關係，遺失了這份聖神的禮物呢？如果這份喜樂減弱了，甚至消失了，快點調整自己生活的節奏，研讀福音、祈禱、找蘇喜樂神父辦告解…恢復減弱了的聖神喜樂！
直到有一天，在群眾當中，來了一個似曾相識的人，到他面前，接受他的洗禮。這人身上，發放出一種似曾相識，令他「歡喜踴躍」的力量！對了，就是聖神的力量！各位兄弟姊妹，請緊記這份聖神的喜樂，否則，我們會不知不覺，被俗世生活的快樂，混淆了真正的，永生的喜樂。對！我們生活在俗世中，會追求溫飽，安居樂業，甚至名成利就。但請不要被俗世所同化，隨波逐流，喪失了對永生的盼望，喪失了對獲得永生的堅持。永生是甚麼？「永生就是：認識祢，唯一的真天主，和祢所派遣來的耶穌基督。」（若17:3）請注意，猶太人所說的「認識」，有結合的意思。例如聖母瑪利亞曾對天使加俾額爾說：「這事怎能成就？因為我不認識男人。」（路1:34）除了與天主結合，分享天主聖三的生命之外，永生還可以是甚麼？
在福音的另一處，洗者若翰曾作證說：「那派遣我來以水施洗的，給我說：你看見聖神降下，停在誰身上，誰就是那要以聖神施洗的人…祂就是天主子」（若1:33-34）所以，當他感受到那股強烈的聖神力量的時候，洗者若翰意識到站在他面前，準備領洗的人，就是天主子！很自然地他說：「我本來需要受你的洗，而你卻來就我嗎？」（瑪3:14）各位兄弟姊妹，我們是多麼有福氣！我們領受的，不單是水的洗禮，更是洗者若翰，夢寐以求的聖神洗禮。其實他在母腹時，已經領受了聖神的洗禮。三十年來，這份喜樂可能已經淡忘了。今天耶穌基督主動來到他面前，再次讓洗者若翰，重溫這份喜樂；也來到我們中間，藉「聖道禮」和「聖祭禮」，幫助我們重溫這份聖神的喜樂；並提醒我們，為了獲得完滿的救贖，即福音所說的「完成全義」（3:15），領受聖洗聖事，並非繁文縟節，而是必要的！
各位兄弟姊妹，讓我重覆一次，大家要緊記這份聖神的喜樂。請多讀聖經，加深對天主聖父，對耶穌基督，對天主聖神的認識。多祈禱，向天父祈禱，向耶穌基督祈禱，向天主聖神祈禱，建立更密切的關係。勤領聖事，尤其是聖體聖事與及修和聖事，讓這些聖事滋養我們，治療我們。
天主聖三保祐大家！
2014年講道
圖片鳴謝：https://steemit.com/in-christ/@abrish/spirit-filled-with-joy
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Year A
Theme: Filled With The Joy of the Holy Spirit
The Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ receives the Baptist's baptism to kickstart His evangelization and salvation project. This incident is pregnant with meanings. We may meditate the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, or the truth that in order to redeem sinners, how the Son of God walks hand in hand with sinners. Today, let us meditate the richness of this piece of spirituality garden from the perspective of John the Baptist.
From the other Synoptic gospels, we know that John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were cousins. They first met while they were still in their mother's wombs. One gospel says, the moment the sound of BVM's greeting reached Elizabeth's ears, the infant in Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy. (Luke 1:44) John the Baptist must have felt the power of the Holy Spirit filled Son of God, touched and leaped with joy! Right! Getting in touch with the Holy Spirit will fill you with power and joy! I trust all of you have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Through anointment, you have received the Holy Spirit. Joy is the second fruit of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Galatian 5:22) Brethren! Were you joyful after receiving Confirmation? Are you still joyful now? Have you, out of pressures in daily life, such as studies, work and social intercourses, worried about your results, income, health and interpersonal relationships, and lost this gift of the Holy Spirit? If this joy is diminished or even lost, adjust the rhythms of your life, study the gospels, pray and go to Fr. Santoso, SCJ to do your confessions etc. to restore the weakened joy of the Holy Spirit!
Let's fast forward. After nativity, in order to evade Herod the Great's massacre, the Son of God hid in Egypt. After return, He stayed anonymously in Nazareth of Galilee for thirty years. I suppose the two cousins took different paths in their developments and had not met ever since. Under the formation of St. Joseph, Jesus Christ became a carpenter in Nazareth in the north (Mark 6:3). John could have inherited his father's position, serving as a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem in the south. But God called him to be a prophet in the wilderness of the River Jordan, preaching repentance and baptizing (Matthew 3:2, 6). At that time, the Jews were expecting a Messiah to liberate them from the colonial rule of the Roman Empire. But John the Baptist did not meet such an expectation. Thus, the Jewish religious authority came to investigate why he baptized. The Baptist answers, "I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (3:11) John the Baptist knows his positioning. Even though he was successful and popular (3:5), he would not allow himself to be deluded into believing that he was the Prophet! Brethren! I trust you have tasted successes and have been praised by others. Congratulations! But learn from the Baptist and be humble. Otherwise, it would be extremely embarrassing to fall in the future!
The day came when among the crowd a seemingly familiar face came before him to be baptized. A seemingly familiar power which made him joyful radiated from this person! Right! It is the power of the Holy Spirit! Brethren! Hold dearly in your heart this joy of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, imperceptibly this genuine and eternal joy shall be diluted by secular happiness! Right! We seek meeting physiological needs stability needs and even fame and achievement in our daily life. But don't follow the current and lose our desire for eternal life, lose the perseverance of pursuing eternal life. What is eternal life? "Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) Pay attention! For the Jews, "to know" means to be in union. For example, the BVM said to Angel Gabriel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34) What else is eternal life but union with God, partaking in the life of the Blessed Trinity?
In another place in the gospel, John the Baptist bears witness and says, "The one who sent me to baptize with water told me, on whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit ... he is the Son of God." (John 1:33-34) Thus, when he felt the strength of the Holy Spirit, the Baptist recognized that the one who was standing before him, ready to be baptized, was the Son of God! Naturally, he says, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" (Matthew 3:14) Brethren! How blessed we are to have received, not just baptism by water but the baptism of the Holy Spirit which John the Baptist had longed for. In fact, he was baptized by the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb. In the subsequent thirty years, this joy might have diminished. Today, Jesus Christ took the initiative to come before him to refresh this joy in him again. Jesus Christ also comes into our midst, through the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist to help us refresh this joy of the Holy Spirit. He also reminds us that in order to fulfil redemption, that "to fulfil all righteousness" (3:15), the Sacrament of Baptism is not a rite but a necessity!
Brethren! Let me repeat! Hold dearly in your heart this joy of the Holy Spirit. Study the Bible more to deepen our knowledge of the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Pray more, to the Father, to Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit to establish a more intimate relationship with them. Receive the sacraments more, in particular the Holy Communion and Reconciliation. Let these sacraments nourish us and heal us.
May the Blessed Trinity bless you all!
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