主題：耶穌基督的節制
聖伯多祿曾這樣勸勉信徒：「你們要節制，要醒寤，因為，你們的仇敵魔鬼，如同咆哮的獅子巡遊，尋找可吞食的人。」（伯前5:8）這話說得真合時！
作為耶穌基督的大使（格後5:20），向世人，包括當權者，宣講與天主修和的福音，我們無疑是「送羊入虎口」（羅8:36；詠44:23）。但保祿宗徒憑著耶穌基督對我們的愛，是滿懷希望的。他信賴天主，雖泰山崩於前而色不變。「面對這一切，我們可以說甚麼呢？若是天主偕同我們，誰能反對我們呢？」（羅8:31）這是何等的氣慨！我們在香港，尚未淪陷到「饑餓、赤貧和刀劍」的地步！可惜身邊很多朋友，已被忿怒衝昏了頭腦，有如加音一樣，失去節制，在社交媒體肆無忌憚地詛咒謾罵，以語言暴力，發洩情緒！這樣做於事無補，且讓自己失去醒寤，誠為可惜。
當然，耶穌基督是沒有可能收歛鋒芒的，祂自己可以四十日、四十夜守齋祈禱，拒絕把石頭變成麵包，向魔鬼證明自己是天主子（瑪4: 4）。但在五千饑餓的群眾前，祂動了憐憫心，不怕被魔鬼發現祂的行蹤，行了增餅神蹟，解決了群眾的物質需要，實踐了天主藉先知所許下的承諾（依55:1-2）！固然，耶穌基督滿足了群眾的物質需要，但祂更關心的，是依撒意亞先知所許諾的「心靈的喜悅」（55:2）。後來，在第十五章，祂教訓法利塞人和經師有關祖傳的問題後，耶穌基督又一次「離開那裡，就退往提洛和漆冬一帶去了」（瑪15:21）。難道耶穌基督又是「時辰還沒有到」嗎？祂害怕法利塞人和經師的迫害嗎？絕對不是，而是祂憐憫他們。耶穌基督明白，倘若與他們硬碰，他們反而會更加硬起心腸，斷絕了他們悔改之路！這是何等的慈悲，對猶太知識分子何等的憐愛！耶穌基督所關注的，是全面的物質與心靈需要。我們呢？因著「原罪」的傷害，令我們在心靈與物質之間，顧此失彼，甚至為了「賺得了全世界，卻賠上了自己的靈魂」（16:26），值得嗎？我們經常不能兩全其美，真是可憐！所以選擇貧窮（5:3），讓我們可以更輕鬆地妥善照顧自己的靈魂，向成聖邁進，的確是一個明智的決定！
今天對神蹟後收拾「剩餘的碎塊」（14:20）有另一番感受。這些剩餘的碎塊令我記起「拉匝祿和富翁」的比喻（路16:19-31）。為甚麼要收拾呢？為了環保？為了施捨給窮人？不想浪費？不是，是為了促進人與人彼此的聯系！耶穌基督增餅後，「遞給門徒，門徒再分給群眾」（瑪14:19）。十二宗徒怎樣親自分派到五千人手上呢？雖然瑪竇沒有提及把群眾分五十人一組坐下（谷6:40，路9:14），但五千人分佈的空間不可能是細少！所以群眾一定有份參予分派的工作，而且他們之間，一定有很多群組，絕不是完全的陌生人。因此，這分派與後來的收拾工作，絕對是一個治療「關係貧窮」的好練習！
耶穌基督對我們的愛，與父母對子女無微不至的愛，有過之而無不及！所以我們可以好像聖保祿宗徒一樣，放心大膽，向當權者宣講與天主修和的福音了。
天主保祐！
2014默想
圖片鳴謝：古詩學習網，wikimedia.org
Eighteenth Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: The Temperance of Jesus Christ
St. Peter advised the disciples, "Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) How timely this saying is!
Indeed, since ancient time, there was a monster and its deputies roaming about devouring people to fatten themselves with bloody teeth and claws. Even when people overthrew one such monster, the hero who replaced it would turn into a more intelligent monster. In ancient time when people still believed in deities, they would make use of the deities to counter balance tyranny. Theocracy was truly a double-edge sword that cuts both ways. Not only did it bestow legitimacy on rulers, but it also would be a war-cry to dethrone them. After Enlightenment, men believed that rationality would help them achieve self-perfection. They confidently believe that laws would restrain tyrants and limit their powers. People advocated "the separation of powers". Regrettably, rulers learnt the new rules of the game. They aggregate legislation, administration and jurisdiction into their hand to expand their power beyond control. They claim to rule by laws. 2500 years ago, Confucius had never seen lions and St. Peter had never seen tigers too. Since lions and tigers are felines, I believe St. Peter would concur with Confucius, who while crossing Mount Tai, taught that "harsh administration is more horrible than tigers" (Book of Rites, Tangong II). Confucius showed temperance and sobriety!
Being ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) to proclaim the gospel of reconciliation to everybody, including rulers, we are surely "sheep to be slaughtered" (Romans 8:36, Psalms 44:23). But with the love of Jesus Christ for us, Paul was full of hope. He believed in God, unmoved by catastrophes ahead. "What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) How bold he was! We in Hong Kong today have not yet suffered from "famine, or nakedness, or the sword"! Unfortunately, many friends of mine are so infuriated that like Cain, they have lost their temperance, cursing obscenities on social media to vent their frustrations! It doesn't help at all. It would be a pity to allow oneself to fall from sobriety.
All four canonical gospels mention the miracle of five loaves and two fish which took place after Herod Antipas had killed John the Baptist. Mark and Luke were second generation disciples whom I think were not on the spot. When they lay out the narrative, they put it after the first commission of the twelve apostles (Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6). The miracle happened after they returned and reported their successes to Jesus, giving the readers an impression how successful their evangelization had been! Matthew was different. The first commission was found in chapter 10, rather "far away" from the miracle in chapter 14. Not a hint of success could be read. Matthew's "When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself" (Matthew 14:13) gives readers an impression of a fugitive. Matthew was on the spot. I believe he was able to feel directly what Jesus felt at that time. His narrative is more credible. Don't forget, it was only Matthew who mentioned the Holy Family fled from Herod the Great's murderous scheme soon after Jesus' birth. Now that He had grown up and began His public ministry, Jesus Christ prudently covered up His presence and retreated to the wilderness, unlike John the Baptist who emerged from the wilderness and engaged in a frontal combat with Antipas. Jesus knew clearly His mission. He knew what to do at what time. "His hour has not yet come" (John 7:30). How impeccable Jesus' judgment and timing are!
Of course, it was impossible for Jesus Christ to hide His power. For Himself, He was able to fast for forty days and nights, refusing to turn stones into bread to prove to Satan that He is the Son of God (Matthew 4:4). But before Him were 5000 hungry people. Jesus was filled with compassion. Not fearing to reveal His location to the Devil, Jesus performed this multiplication miracle to satisfy the physical needs of the crowd in order to honour the pledge God made through the prophets (Isaiah 55:1-2)! On one hand, Jesus Christ satisfies the physical needs of the crowd. But He is more concerned with the pledge of "delight in rich fare" (55:2). Later in chapter 15, after teaching the Pharisees and scribes about ancestral traditions, once more "Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon" (Matthew 15:21). Again had His hour not yet come? Was He afraid of the persecutions from the Pharisees or scribes? Absolutely not! He had mercy on them. Jesus Christ understood that had He continued the combat, it would have further hardened their hearts, cutting off their option to repent! How merciful Jesus was, in particular towards the intelligentsia of the Jews! Total, physical and spiritual needs are Jesus' concerns. What about us? We have been impaired by the Original Sin and are unable to handle both spiritual and physical at the same time. "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (16:26) Is it worthwhile? We are always unable to attain the best of both worlds. What a pity! Therefore, choosing poverty (5:3) enables us to unload the burden on our souls and to travel light on the path of sanctification. It is a wise option!
Today, I have a new feeling about picking up "the fragments left over" after the miracle (14:20). Those crumbs remind me of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19-31). Why did they pick them up? To protect the environment? To give them to the poor? Don't want to waste food? No, for the cementing of interpersonal relations! After breaking the loaves, Jesus "gave them to the disciples who in turn gave them to the crowds." (Matthew 14:19) Could the twelve apostles distribute the loaves to the 5000 people by hand? Although Matthew does not mention arranging the crowds into groups of fifties (Mark 6:40, Luke 9:14), the 5000 people must have occupied a huge space. Therefore, the crowd had to be involved in the distribution. Among them, there must have been companies. They could not be total strangers. Thus, the distribution and subsequent picking up is an absolutely perfect therapeutic exercise to heal relational poverty!
Jesus Christ loves us more meticulously than parents love their children! Therefore, we can be as bold as St. Paul to proclaim the gospel of reconciliation to people in power.
God bless!
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