主題：我們送甚麼禮物給耶穌？
『出於對墮落了的人類的關愛，天父送了一份大禮給我們，就是祂的聖子。聖誕紀念天主子降生成人，以耶穌基督的身份與我們共處，並以祂的逾越，帶領人類出死入生，回歸父家。禮尚往來，人類又怎樣回禮給天父呢？除了賢士的三份禮物外（瑪2:11），還有：安葬耶穌的墳墓（27:60），一百斤沒藥及沉香（若19:39），洗頭的香液（谷14:3）和眼淚（路7:38），款待耶穌的情誼（10:38），送給窮人的一半家財（19:8）…』雖然不用講道，但仍希能以上一段文字，作為默想「主顯節」的開場白。結果用不著了！這兩天參加了四台彌撒，都是非常感動我的。
第一台是容旭輝先生的出殯彌撒。他是八十五歲高齡的容偉松執事的長子。容老先生以執事身份，與其他三位執事後輩，為羅國輝神父襄禮。神父講述保祿至弟茂德德後書的「賽跑」時（弟後4:7），強調人生和信仰，都是一場接力賽。講得非常有意義，把承先啟後，薪火相傳的精神演繹得很好。可惜為容執事，他在這場接力賽中跌了棒！能不令人唏噓嗎？在彌撒後的辭靈禮中，當他向兒子的靈柩灑聖水和獻香時，我已不能強忍自己的眼淚了。但我卻看到他的信德，有如亞巴郎獻子時的心情：「他想天主也有使人從死者中復活的能力。」（希11:19）結果，亞巴郎得回了依撒格，作為世人復活的預像！今天，容執事憑著信德，把長子先獻給天主，他日在天重聚。這份對天主堅毅的信德，是處身在今天的香港信徒所極度需要的！
那麼，婚姻是否賽事的終點，有如世俗人所說，「結婚是戀愛的墳墓」呢？大錯特錯！今天下午有幸為一位喇沙書院舊生的婚配彌撒襄禮，新郎與主禮神父，當年曾一起在修院探索自己的聖召。今天，一位是澳門教區的秘書長，另一位是幸福的金童。彌撒中大部份的詠唱部份，全是出自新娘的創作！彌撒前在祭衣房內，劉偉傑神父隨口說了句「婚姻也是聖秩，今天新郎新娘領受婚姻的聖秩聖事。」的確有道理！講道中，劉神父把賢士的三份禮物，應用到婚姻生活中，演繹得淋漓盡致！按身體神學的教導，配偶二人都是對方的一份寶貴禮物！黃金象徵君王，替天行道。夫妻就是彼此的君王，服事對方，建樹對方！乳香代表司祭，為人民轉禱和祭祀天主。世上沒有其他人，比夫妻更能彼此在天主前，作為中保了！沒藥象徵先知，向人民轉達天主的旨意，天主的安慰與治療。夫妻成了先知，代表著天主，撫慰對方的傷痛，表達安慰，彼此提點！就這樣，夫妻倆在婚姻生活中成聖。太美麗了！
兩天之內，領會了四個聖召：執事及司鐸聖召，基督徒的聖召和婚姻聖召。誠如教宗方濟各在【你們要歡喜踴躍】宗座勸諭所說，每個人的成聖之路都不一樣，但總離不開對天父恩寵的開放（GE#15, 24, 129, 149, 172）。接受過天主的禮物之後，就不應浪費，反而要努力加工，回饋給天主。
天父啊！請不要嫌棄，但願我們的一生，是一份美好的禮物，在世人前見證祢的慈愛。亞孟！
圖片鳴謝：公教報
Epiphany, Year A
Theme: What Gifts Do We Bring Jesus?
"Out of love and care for the fallen humanity, the Father gave us a big gift, His Son. Christmas commemorates the Son of God taking up human flesh to stay with us as Jesus Christ through whose Passover He delivers us from death and brings us home to the Father. It would be impolite not to reciprocate. What gifts do we return to the Father? Other than the 3 gifts of the Magi (Matthew 2:11), there are a burial tomb (27:60), a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39), perfumed oil on the head (Mark 14:3) and tears (Luke 7:38), hospitality (10:38) and half of his possessions to the needy (19:8) ..." Although I didn't have to deliver homily, I still wanted to open my meditation on Epiphany with the words above. In the end, I don't have to! The 4 masses I joined on these two days have been very touching.
The first one was the funeral mass of Mr. Anthony Yung who was the eldest son of the eighty-five year old Deacon Joseph Yung. Mr. Yung Senior, together with three other deacons assisted Fr. Thomas Law in the funeral mass. In his homily, Fr. Thomas explained that the race which St. Paul mentions in his letter to Timothy was a "relay" (2 Timothy 4:7) Life and faith is a relay race. Fr. Thomas elaborated the spirit of handing down of tradition very well. Unfortunate for Deacon Yung, his baton dropped before he finishes his relay! How regrettable! During the final commendation and farewell when Deacon Yung sprinkled holy water and later incensed the coffin, I couldn't withhold my tears anymore. But I saw his faith, like Abraham when he offered up Isaac, "He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead." (Hebrews 11:19). Consequently, Abraham received Isaac back as a symbol of resurrection of the dead in the future! Today, Deacon Yung offers up his son in faith to God and they meet again in heaven in the future. This persistent faith in God is what believers in Hong Kong definitely need today!
The next mass was the ordination mass for Deacon Timothy Yan. Although I have read his sharing on KKP, I was surprised by his candour in his valedictorian speech after communion. He openly admitted to be brought up in the shadow of domestic violence. Moreover, the date of his ordination coincided with the date of death of Fr. Formenti, PIME who gave him his personal chalice. While seminarian Yan was at the crossroad of his vocation, he was sent to serve at the home for the aged where he met Fr. Formenti who wished Timothy would use his personal chalice in his first mass. Indeed, Fr. Timothy Yan used it in his ordination mass. After mass, Fr. Yan gave his first benediction to the Hong Kong society which has suffered a lot of "domestic violence" recently. Like him, Fr. Yan blesses that Hong Kong would weather through the social unrest with God's grace. Fr. Yan totally offers up his battered self to God in order to save more souls. How wonderful when we wrap our offerings to God with love!
During the Epiphany mass this morning, the Rite of Catechumen Election was held. In his homily, Fr. Simon Li reminded the catechumens not to underestimate the difficulties of the process. Like the Magi, the starting point (astrology) could be wrong; the journey would be difficult and they might give up midway; the people they meet might not be all good; the Saviour they found might not meet their expectations! But we believe that all these were arranged by God! After the Magi had gone through the journey, they established a relationship with God without regret! In order to adapt to the standard of the catechumens, Fr. Li only mentioned the theological meanings of the three gifts briefly, leaving further elaboration to the catechists in the future. Truly, life is a race, a journey. Whatever we do is only further processing of what is given by God and pay Him back. Thus, the most important thing is to establish a relationship with the Creator!
Then, is marriage the finishing line of a race, like what some people say, "Marriage is the tomb of love"? There is nothing more wrong than this! This afternoon, I was blessed to assist in the nuptial mass of a LaSalle old boy. The presiding priest was one who had searched for vocational discernment with this LaSallian in a seminary. Today, one has become the Chancellor of the Macau Diocese and the other is a lucky happy man whose bride wrote most of the music for the nuptial mass! In the sacristy before mass, Fr. Jerome Cyril Law causally commented that "Marriage is an order in its own right. Today, the bride and groom received the Sacrament of Holy Orders of matrimony." I totally agree. In his homily, Fr. Law applied the three gifts of the Magi to married life. His elaboration is superb. Following the teachings of the Theology of Body, the couple are a gift to their spouses! Gold symbolizes kingship, serving God's will. Husband and wife are kings to each other, serving and edifying each other! Frankincense represents priests who intercede for the people and offer sacrifice to God. In this world, there is no better intercessor before God than one's spouse! Myrrh symbolizes prophets who pass on God's will, God's consolation and healing. Husband and wife are prophets to each other, representing God to soothe the spouse's pains, to nurse the spouse's wounds and remind the spouse of God's will. In this way, husband and wife are sanctified in married life. How beautiful it is!
Within two days, I am able to experience four different vocations: diaconal and priestly vocations, Christian and marriage vocations. Like what Pope Francis says in the apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, the path to sanctification for each one of us is unique. But one must open to the grace of the Father (GE#15, 24, 129, 149, 172). We should not waste the gifts God gave us. On the contrary, we should add value to them and return them to God.
Heavenly Father! Do not despite the gifts we offer. May our lives be gifts that bear witness to Your merciful love. Amen!
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