主題：聖神乃喜樂之源
教宗方濟各自2013年上任後發表的一系列宗座勸諭，都是環繞著「喜樂」的主題：2013年《福音的喜樂》、2016年《愛的喜樂》、2018年《你們要歡喜踴躍》，即使是2019《生活的基督》，文中多處提及「喜樂」。在他的第一份宗座勸諭中，教宗方濟各開宗明義地說：「福傳者絕不能像剛奔喪回來般的樣貎！讓我們找回…在基督那裡先已領受了（的）喜樂。」（EG#10）每一個領了洗的天主教徒，都是福音的傳播者。所以我們的信仰，應該帶給我們喜樂。那麼，你喜樂嗎？
耶穌基督教我們唸天主經的時候，要求我們在每天的生活中，奉行天父的旨意（瑪6:10）：唸經，望彌撒，守齋，捐獻，傳福音，不准離婚和墮胎…樣樣都好像是苦差。我們惟有埋怨，天父沒有清楚明白地啟示祂的旨意，令我們無所適從。心理上，我們感覺舒服一點！
天父願意所有人得救，並認識真理（弟前2:4），願意所有人在基督內經常喜樂，在基督內不斷禱告，在基督內事事感謝！怎樣做呢？就是在事奉天主的時候，例如幫助窮人、弱勢社群和探監等愛德服務時（依61:1；瑪25:30-40），不要因為有成果便得意忘形，自我膨脹，把耶穌基督也擠出門外；在受到挫折時仍然保持喜樂，因為耶穌基督陪伴著我們受挫折！所以不論成敗，都感謝天父賞賜我們事奉的機會，讓我們在輸送天父恩寵的同時，也有所得益。這份喜樂，不言而喻！這份明達，是經過不斷的禱告而鍛鍊出來的！
今天所選讀的福音，好像有點「留白」，言不盡意。四部福音都有引述洗者若翰的作證，其中一點就是洗者若翰以水洗，主耶穌基督將以聖神給我們施洗。可是，今天的福音選段中，洗者祇說自己以水洗而沒有說將來基督要以聖神施洗。其實，若望福音的記載，較為細緻詳盡，若望在往後的經文中說了（若1:33）。
保祿在書信中也有提及聖神的效果（迦5:22-23），其中也包括了「喜樂」，可見「喜樂」就是聖神臨在的標記之一。行仁愛，看見別人有所得益，有所長進，我們應該感到歡喜；我們忠信地按耶穌基督的教訓行事，心安理得，即使被人誤會，也會感到平安，帶來一絲喜樂；面對逆境，憑著忍耐，得見天父的旨意，喜出望外地逐漸實現，內心不勝滿意和安慰…可見在聖神的九個效果中，即使喜樂並不是核心，它亦與其他幾個效果緊扣！所以，做天主教徒而愁眉苦臉，應該是例外而不是常態。
教宗方濟各在《你們要歡喜踴躍》宗座勸諭，論及基督徒如何在現代世界成聖的課題時，提醒教友「真福八端」是基督徒的身份證（GE#63）。一聽到「真福八端」，難免又泛起「苦差」的念頭了：既要神貧，又要哀慟，最後甚至為義而受迫害…不是苦差是甚麼？貧賤而喜樂，恐怕祇有顏淵之流纔做得到；哀慟同時喜樂，簡直是精神分裂；受迫害而喜樂，難道人人都要做殉道者嗎…
各位親愛的兄弟姊妹，在這「喜樂主日」，大家呼求天主聖神降臨吧！求祂啟示真理，讓我們看清我們的蒙召，有甚麼令我們喜出望外的；還要祈求天主聖神，灼熱我們冰冷的心，慷慨大方地服務有需要的弟兄姊妹，並藉著愛近人而愛天主。
保祿在今天的讀經二，勸勉我們：「應常歡樂，不斷禱告，事事感謝，這就是天主在基督耶穌內對你們所有的旨意。」（得前5:16-18）是天主對我們「所有的旨意」，再沒有其他了！看來，不是天主的旨意難料，而是我們沒有讀經祈禱而已！保祿的勸勉不夠清楚明白嗎？
請平靜下來，且把眼光移到後半句，移到那些天主的許諾：獲得天國、安慰、土地、滿足感、能看見天主、和成為天主的子女…作為天主教徒，這一切不都是大家夢寐以求的嗎？這一切都是天主樂意賜給我們的，祇不過我們叛逆，失落了天父的恩寵。耶穌基督來了，教導我們回歸之道，並許下護慰者聖神，作我們的支援；然後纔為我們受難贖罪。試問天父還有甚麼沒有做到呢？我們尚有何求呢？有！保祿教訓我們不斷禱告，所以我們還可以求！
天主保祐！
2017年講道
圖片鳴謝：bibleinfo.com
Gaudete Sunday, Year B
Theme: The Holy Spirit Is the Source of Joy
Since Bergoglio became Pope Francis in 2013, all the Apostolic Exhortations he issued bore the theme of joy: Evangelii Gaudium 2013, Amoris Laetitia 2016, Gaudete et Exsultate 2018, even Christus Vivit 2019 mentions joy in many paragraphs. In his first Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Francis clearly states, "An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral! Let us recover … receive(d) the joy of Christ." (EG#10) Every baptized Catholic is an evangelizer. Our faith should bring us joy. Then, are you joyful?
Jesus Christ teaches us the Lord's Prayer which requires us to do the Father's will in our daily life (Matthew 6:10): saying prayers, joining mass, abstinence and fast, alms-giving, evangelization, divorce and abortion are not allowed etc. … All of these look like tough jobs. To relieve the burden, we can only complain that the Father does not reveal His will clearly enough!
God wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He wills everyone to rejoice always in Christ, to pray unceasingly in Christ and to give thanks in Christ. How do we do that? When we serve God, e.g. help the poor, the disadvantaged and visit prisoners (Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 25:30-40), we do not indulge in vainglory of our achievements, do not self-inflate so much so as to squeeze Jesus Christ outside. We continue to be joyful in frustrations because Jesus Christ accompanies us in frustrations! Whether successful or crestfallen, we thank the Father for granting us opportunities to serve, allowing us to share the blessings when we channel His graces to others. This joy is beyond words! This knowledge comes from unceasing prayers!
The gospel reading today seems to have left something out. All canonical gospels talk about the Baptist's witness. One of the points is that the Baptist baptized with water but the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit. But the part about Christ's baptizing with the Holy Spirit is missing in today's passage. In fact, John's narration is more detailed. He mentions the point later (John 1:33).
The Holy Spirit takes up an essential role in the life of the believers. On one hand, He is the "Spirit of Truth" (14:17) who liberates us from the bondage of sins and thus set us free (8:32). But freedom carries with it the danger, the opportunity for the flesh. Only by serving each other in love can we put freedom in proper use (Galatians 5:13). Thus besides being the "Spirit of Truth", the Holy Spirit is also the "Spirit of Charity" helping us to obey the commandment Christ gave us to love each other (John 15:12) and to bear fruit that will remain (15:16). After the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit motivates the newly born Church in Jerusalem to love each other, to lead a communal life of primitive communism (Act 2:44-45). It bore fruits. The Church in Jerusalem enjoys "favour with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." (2:47) Accompanied by the Holy Spirit, evangelization is simply a piece of cake!
Paul mentions the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) among which is joy. Thus joy is a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. When we love, seeing others benefit and grow, we should be joyful. When we are faithful in following Jesus Christ's teachings, there is peace in our heart even when others misunderstand us. We should be joyful. In adversity, with patience, we see God's will unfolding in surprises. We should be satisfied and consoled … Thus even though joy may not be the core of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit, it is closely linked with a few of them! Thus Catholics who look like coming back from funerals are exceptions!
In the Apostolic Exhortation "Gaudete et Exsultate", Pope Francis talks about the call to holiness in today's world. He reminds us that "The Beatitudes are like a Christian's identity card." (GE #63) OMG, the Beatitudes, tough jobs again: poor, mournful and lastly persecuted for righteousness' sake … what else if not tough jobs? Only Confucian sages could be joyful in poverty. Being joyful and mournful at the same time is definitely a schizophrenic symptom. Demanding us to be joyful in persecution, does Jesus want all of us to be martyrs?
Brethren! On this Gaudete Sunday, let us invoke the Holy Spirit! Pray that He reveals us the Truth, allowing us to see what surprises await us in our call. Pray that the Holy Spirit inflame our frozen hearts to generously help the needy, thus loving God through loving our neighbour.
In the second reading today, Paul encourages us, saying "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) This is the will of God. No more. No less. Then, God's will is not unfathomable. Rather we have not studied the Bible or prayed enough! Paul's exhortation is clear enough, isn't it?
Calm down and turn your sight to the second half of the Beatitudes, to the promises of God: kingdom of heaven, consolation, land, satisfaction, the sight of God and becoming children of God etc. … As Catholics, are these not our dreams? God is willing to grant all these to us but we have been rebellious and lost the Father's grace. Jesus Christ came to teach us the way back and promised us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to support us. After that, He suffered Passion to redeem us. What has the Father failed to do? What else do we want? Paul teaches us to pray unceasingly. We should pray!
God bless!
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