主題：當耶穌基督向你迎面而來，你會…
耶穌基督是生活在二千年前的人物，你和我都沒有親眼見過他。我們祇見過，藉著媒體，例如名畫，電影等，透過畫家的筆觸，或者憑電影導演的想像力所塑造的耶穌。因此，現代人經常投訴，為甚麼一個在二千年前，在中東生活了三十多年的男士，竟然是一個白種人！這是一個市場的問題，西方的媒體幾百年來佔據了市場的大部份，作為消費者，我們的選擇是有限的！
其實，沒有保存耶穌基督的真面目，反而是一件好事！此話何解？
雖然洗者若翰與耶穌基督是同時代的人，但根據福音所載，二人出生後，一個在南方，一個在北方，一直未有來往。那麼，洗者若翰憑甚麼認出耶穌基督呢？應該是聖神。聖保祿宗徒說：「除非受聖神感動，沒有一個能說：耶穌是主。」（格前12:3）所以洗者若翰，應該是感受到從耶穌基督身上散發出來的那股聖神力量，認出耶穌基督，並宣認祂是「天主的羔羊，除免世罪者」（若1:29）。可惜，當我們接近貧困的人，流離失所的人，失去了尊嚴的人，病人或者坐牢的人時，我們感受到聖神在附近嗎？或者直接感受到，臨在他們身上的耶穌基督，所散發出的那股聖神力量嗎？
我可能對大家苛刻了些。也罷，倘若聖神難以觸摸，讓我們檢查自己，在服務上述最少兄弟中的一個時，有沒有感受到「聖神的果效」呢？就是：「仁愛、喜樂、平安、忍耐、良善、溫和、忠信、柔和、節制。」（迦5:22-23）倘若當我們與「最少兄弟中的一個」交往時，我們之間產生了上述的元素，這表示聖神正在我們中間運作，證明我們正在和耶穌基督相處，而不是自我陶醉！感謝天主，原來耶穌基督由始至終，不離不棄，在我們身旁，與我們同在！原來服務最少兄弟中的一個，使我們反而獲得天主溫柔的安慰、一份帶有喜樂的平安。這份安慰與平安，是寶貴的，因為它能治療我們心靈的創傷。但這份恩寵，需要在忍耐和節制中，纔能領會。天父啊，請教導我節制忍耐！
耶穌基督曾鼓勵我們多行愛德服務，說：「凡你們對我這些最小兄弟中的一個所做的，就是對我做的。」（瑪25:40）正因為沒有人親眼看見過耶穌基督的真面目，所以祂便可以輕而易舉地，臨現在眾人的身上。我們不能好像偵探，拿著一張「通緝犯」的照片去認人，對照每個有困難的人的面孔，看看是否耶穌基督，纔去服事祂！小心，我們對耶穌基督很多的既有觀念，可能會妨礙了我們在窮困者身上，認出主來！例如，耶穌基督是男性，要在弱質女流身上看到耶穌基督，是困難的；又例如祂將會在第二次降臨時，審判萬民。因此祂是正義的，所以祂不會臨現在枉法的人身上，例如「暴徒」或者「黑警」！耶穌基督真的不會臨現在女性、在破壞公共設施的暴徒、在不守法的警察…身上嗎？難道女性永遠都是弱者嗎？難道那些「暴徒」或者「黑警」，都是死不悔改的嗎？請不要以一個標籤，一副有色眼鏡，局限了自己的視野！
天主保祐！
2017年講道
圖片鳴謝：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quo_vadis%3F
Second Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: When You See Jesus Coming Towards You ...
Jesus Christ lived two thousand years ago. You and I have never met him in person. We only see him in the media, such as paintings and movies etc., through the strokes of artists or imagination of movie directors, a human creation. Thus, modern people always complain why a thirty-odd male living in the Middle East two millennia ago was a Caucasian! This is a question of supply and demand. The Western media have taken over the lion share of the market. As consumers, we have little choices!
Indeed, it is better not to have preserved the real face of Jesus Christ! Why?
Although John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were contemporary, according to the gospels, after their births, one stayed in the south and the other in the north. They had never met until the River Jordan. Then how did John the Baptist recognize Jesus Christ? It should be the Holy Spirit. St. Paul says, "And no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3) Therefore, John the Baptist must have detected the power of the Holy Spirit radiating from Jesus Christ so that he could recognize Him and declare, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) Unfortunately, when we approach the poor, the refugees, those who have lost their dignity, the sick and the imprisoned, do we feel the Holy Spirit in the proximity? Or do we directly feel the power of the Holy Spirit as a result of the presence of Jesus Christ in the person?
Perhaps I have been too demanding. Alright, if the Holy Spirit is difficult to capture, let us check ourselves to see if there is any "Fruit of the Holy Spirit" when we serve the least of one of those mentioned above. They are "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23) If these elements emerge when we interact with the least of those mentioned above, it indicates that the Holy Spirit is in our midst, that Jesus Christ is among us. We are not deluding ourselves! Thanks be to God. Lord Jesus Christ has not abandoned us. He always stands by us in our midst! Serving the least of these needy brothers, we receive God's generous consolation and a joyful peace. This consolation and peace is precious. They heal our spiritual wounds. But in order to receive this grace, we need to be patient and have self-control. Heavenly Father, teach us patience and self-control!
John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ walking towards him. Then he bore witness to his disciples that Jesus Christ is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), the antidote to this bedridden world! At last, he was arrested and receded into the background and became a victim of evil. Similarly, in a legend, when Peter was fleeing Rome, he saw Jesus Christ coming towards him. Peter asked, "Quo vadis?" Jesus said that he was returning to Rome to be crucified! At last, Peter returned to Rome himself and became a victim of evil. I prefer Peter's story because his experiences show how lost many Christians are today, not knowing what to do. "Lord, what do you want me to do?" His famous words keep ringing in my head, "Not what I will but what you will." (Mark 14:36)
Jesus Christ has encouraged us to do more works of mercy saying, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40) Since nobody has seen the real face of Jesus Christ, He shall be present easily in anybody. We cannot act like a detective, checking the faces of each and every needy person to see if they match the face on the picture and only then shall we serve him! Beware! We have many preconceived ideas which might prevent us from recognizing the Lord in the needy. For example, Jesus Christ is a male. It is difficult to see Jesus Christ among women. Take another example. We know that He shall come again to judge the nations. Therefore, He is righteous. Therefore, He would not be present in those who breach the laws, for example rioters or bad cops! Is Jesus Christ really not present in women, in those rioters who vandalize public facilities or police officers who do not follow procedures...? Shall women be forever fair? Would those rioters or bad cops never repent? Please do not narrow your vision with labels, with coloured spectacles!
God bless!
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