主題：一次搶購減五個福
在香港，連日來確診武漢肺炎的個案持續上升。二百日來的社會動盪，令市民對政府缺乏信任，政府官員說甚麼「急民之所急」，聽來祇不過是口號。加上社交媒體上充斥著各式各樣的偽資訊，不少市民為了自保，搶購疑似可以防疫的物品，包括口罩、消毒火酒 、潔手液、廁紙和廚房紙等等，幾達瘋狂程度。可憐很多有需要的長者及弱勢人士，例如外判清潔工人，反而買不到，以至多日來祇能用同一個口罩！更有甚者，當政府計劃尋找地方，把與確診者曾接觸過的人士隔離及觀察，住在被選中地區附近的居民，即時群起反對。這是可以理解的，檢疫中心設在近民居的地方，的確帶來散播疫症的憂慮。加上市民對政府管治已缺乏信心，令政府舉步維艱。作為基督徒，連日來困在家中，看了這一切，默存在心裡，反覆思想（路2:19）。正如一位日本詩人有感而發，寫了發人深省的一句話：「沒有不停的雨，天一定會晴。爭奪惹來不足，分享纔有剩餘。」，貼有超市的窗上。的確，目前的瘋狂祇是暫時的，總有一天，囤積的人會明白「獨善其身」是不理想的。
忿怒的原因有很多：例如在別人面前掉面、或者期望某些待遇而得不到，覺得受到不公平的對待、或者別人妨礙了你達到某些目的等等。歸根究底，很多情況都是求而不得，卻不能埋怨令您失望的對方，於是遷怒他人：可能是競爭的對手，可能祇是路過的無辜者。加音便是這樣的一個典型例子！耶穌基督提醒我們，在天主眼中我們都是兄弟，應該彼此守望相助（4:9）。倘若你希望得蒙天主的悅納，你必須先與自己的兄弟和解，解除了心中的鬱結和怨氣。因為你的怨氣會污染了你和你的禮品，天主又怎會悅納呢？所以先放下祭品，與兄弟和解，回頭再來奉獻（瑪5:24）；保祿宗徒更具體地說：「不可讓太陽在你們含怒時西落」（弗4:26）。
大家很自然要問，錯不在我，為甚麼我要主動提出和解？是受感染者的錯，他們缺乏自律，不自我隔離，反而四出散播病毒；是政府的錯，她未能果斷地採取有效的政策，杜絕病毒的入侵和散播，引起恐慌；是中央政府透明，公開疫情，並且…
退一步想，我們真的沒有錯嗎？幾時我們不去愛，愛得不足夠；不去為對方設想，不去為弱勢社群的需要設想…簡而言之，我們自私了。作為沒有信仰的人，無可厚非。但作為基督徒，這些態度與耶穌基督跟隨者的身份不相稱。囤積用品，違反了「神貧」和「憐憫」的態度；信賴自己多於信賴天主的照顧，違反了「饑渴慕義」渴望天主救贖的態度；搶購爭奪，違反了「溫良」與「締造和平」的態度…
各位兄弟姊妹，每一個指責，祇會煽動自己的忿怒情緒，不但無補於事，更進一步傷害自己。能主動提出和解，表示你已經戰勝了自己，你康復了！提出和解是希望對方也得到治療，倘若對方接受，這個世界便少一個「病人」了！倘若對方拒絕，你已完成了作為兄弟守望相助的義務，其餘的就交給天主吧！
各位兄弟姊妹，一個搶購行為，竟然令人喪失了五個「真福」，可怕嗎？讓我們懷著希望，求天父堅定我們的信德，增強我們的愛德，好能安渡這個難關。
天主保祐！
Sixth Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: One Hoarding Kills Five Beatitudes
In Hong Kong, more and more confirmed cases of Wuhan pneumonia surfaced. After going through more than two hundred days of social unrest, citizens have lost their confidence in the local government. Utterances of government officials such as "Citizens' worries are our worries" sound more like propaganda. Compounding with all sorts of misinformation on social media, many citizens, for the sake of survival, went on a hoarding frenzy, buying whatever appears to help fight against the plague, including surgical masks, sterilizing alcohol, sanitizing liquid, toilet paper and even kitchen towel etc. It is pitiful to see those who are most in need, the elderly and the disadvantaged such as outsourced janitors, fail to secure one to the extent that the same mask is used for many days! Worse still, when the government plans to set up quarantine centres to take care of people who have made contact with those diagnosed positive, people in the neighbourhood immediately take to the streets to protest. This is understandable. Setting up quarantine centres in the neighbourhood of residential areas raises a fear of spreading the plague. On top of a lack of confidence on the part of the citizens, the government is having a difficult time to govern. As Christians self-quarantining at home, we "keep all these things, reflecting on them in our hearts" (Luke 2:19). A Japanese poet wrote an inspirational stanza and posted it on a supermarket window. It reads, "No rain can fall non-stop. The sun will emerge. Hoarding brings insufficiency, while sharing leftovers." Truly, the present hoarding frenzy can only be temporary. One day, hoarders will understand that they cannot survive alone.
All legislations set out the minimum requirements for interpersonal interactions. As time goes by, the attitude towards keeping the law deteriorates. Observing the Ten Commandment is no exception. Jesus says He comes to fulfil the Law (Matthew 5:17). With the authority of the Son of God, He then restores and elevates the original spirit of the Mosaic Law. The Ten Commandments forbid murder. Jesus Christ reminds us that not only shall we not murder, but we need to manage our anger because murder starts from anger. When Cain failed to control his anger, he murdered his brother Abel (Genesis 4:5-8). Why was Cain angry? It was because God looked with favour on Abel's offering and not on Cain's. In the eyes of outsiders, Cain's anger was unreasonable! But emotions are irrational and no reasoning is able to convince emotions. However, emotions can be very detrimental to oneself and to the others. Whatever, we have to manage our emotions well. Otherwise, we shall be overwhelmed. God advised Cain as such (4:7). Regrettably, Cain did not listen to God's advice and consequently murdered Abel. Subsequently, mankind let loose their emotions to murder, burn, rape and rob etc. Even though God had given us the Ten Commandments through Moses to set down the minimum requirements for human engagement, out of selfishness men cut corners and even made use of the law to satisfy one's desires. So when Jesus came to fulfil the Law, He reminds us of the importance of managing our emotions, not to be controlled by our wrath, jealousy, lust, greed and pride etc.
There are many reasons for us to be angry. For example, we lose face in front of people, or we expect something failing which we feel unfairly treated, or somebody frustrates your purpose etc. In all, we fail to obtain what we anticipate but we cannot blame the one who frustrates us. Thus we project our anger to others: probably our rivals, or an innocent passer-by. Cain's is such a typical case! Jesus Christ reminds us that in God's eyes, we are brothers. We should be keepers of each other (4:9). If we wish God to look with favour on our offering, we must reconcile with our brothers first to remove our grudges and frustration which contaminate us and our offerings. How shall God look with favour on such contaminated offerings? Put down your offerings and reconcile with your brothers first. Only after that shall you return to offer (Matthew 5:24). St. Paul makes it more concrete, "Do not let the sun set on your anger" (Ephesians 4:26).
Naturally you will ask. It is not my fault. Why should I take the initiative to apologize? It is the fault of those infected who lack self-disciple, do not self-quarantine and spread virus around. It is the fault of the government not to be decisive in stopping the invasion and spread of virus, thus making people panic. It is the transparency of the Central Government to open up the plague and …
Take one step back. Are we really faultless? Whenever we refuse to love or don't love adequately, whenever we refuse to be considerate, to care about the needs of the disadvantaged etc., in a word, we are selfish! If you're a non-believer, it is forgivable. But as Christians, this attitude is incompatible with our identity as followers of Jesus Christ. Hoarding goods goes against spiritual poverty and mercy. Trusting in ourselves more than on the providence of God goes against hunger and thirst of justice which is a desire for God's deliverance. Fighting for goods goes against meekness and acting as peace makers etc.
Brethren, every accusation will fan our anger. Not only is it unhelpful, but it further harms ourselves. When you are able to take the initiative to reconcile, it is a sign which shows that you have overcome yourselves. You are healed! To reconcile, you want the other party to be healed as well. If he accepts, the world shall have one victim less! If he rejects, you have fulfilled your duty as your brother's keeper. Leave the rest to God!
Brethren, one act of hoarding kills five beatitudes. Isn't it terrible? Let us pray with hope and beg our heavenly Father to strengthen our faith and charity so that we may weather through the present crisis in peace.
God bless!
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