常年期第三主日，乙年
主題：天意真的難料嗎?
很多信天主的教友，經常抱怨天意難料。遠的不用說，在疫情仍肆虐的今天，上至教宗、首相，下至清潔工人、露宿者，無一倖免。作為一個悲天憫人的教友，一定曾經問過天主：「為甚麼祢要這樣懲罰我們？」雖然耶穌基督教導我們履行天父的旨意（瑪6:10），但天意難料，我們怎樣履行天父的旨意呢？
希伯來書開始是這樣寫的：「天主在古時，曾多次並以多種方式，藉著先知對我們的祖先說過話」（希1:1）的確，天主已經用多種方種方式，給我們留下了祂的說話。祇要我們願意放眼四望，一定可以察覺到這些說話。首先，整個宇宙也好像一本聖經，記載著天主的說話和慈愛，讓自然科學家可以從各種研究和觀察中，憑著理性推論，找到天主留下的線索。不難發現，這個適合人類進化和生活的可見宇宙，是隨機進化得來的機會，微乎其微！除非你心硬，否則祇有一個合理的結論：「上主天主創造了這個適合我們生活的可見宇宙。」
溝通是雙向的，既然天父已經發出了訊息，除非我們不願意建立溝通，現在應該是我們作出回應的時候了。首先，天父尊重我們的自由，祂不會強迫我們回應。但另一方面，我們的不回應，可能不是出於自願，而是出於惡劣的處境：身陷各種罪惡不同形式的奴役，令我們不能自主。如此，我深信天父會更樂意賜予我們恩寵，擺脫罪惡的束縛，重投造物主的懷抱。
另一方面，我們應否好像首批宗徒一樣，不假思索地回應呢？坦白說，福音給我們的印象太理想化了，我們生活的處境，真的不容許我們好像宗徒們般爽快。而且，耶穌基督曾教導我們「先坐下籌算費用，是否有力完成」（路14:28）。如果做不到，就不應敷衍地回應，後來卻背信棄義！
各位兄弟姊妹，《聖經》記載了天主的說話，那裡有比《聖經》更有效地指示天父旨意的地方呢？即使好像今天，政府因應疫情而禁止了一切宗教活動，沒有公開彌撒，教友不能實領聖體，與耶穌基督結合；但我們仍可以透過閱讀聖經，與耶穌基督相聚。找個讀聖經的方案，用一年、兩年的時間，祈求聖神陪伴，讀完整部聖經，充實自己，減了疑惑吧。
執事我肯定天主很喜歡說話。看！上主天主以說話創造了可見的宇宙和不可見的靈界（記得主日誦唸的《尼西亞信經》嗎？）最重要的，是祂按照自己的肖像創造了人類（創1:26），一種能夠與祂溝通的受造物（我無意否定動物植物，甚至石頭，也能夠與天主溝通！），祂怎會不想把祂的旨意，啟示給我們呢？看！人類不也是與天主一樣，喜歡與四周的事物溝通嗎？除了人類之外，不少人與寵物植物溝通，即使未必存在的物體，例如外星生物，科學家也不斷努力嘗試與他們溝通。可見，祇要我們願意（為了得到安慰或者知識），我們是能夠與天父溝通，得知祂的旨意。
各人的秉性不同，天主沒有對感性的人置諸不理。詩人們說：「高天陳述天主的光榮，穹蒼宣揚祂手的化工」（詠19:2）天主藉著詩人們，把祂的安慰、治療和鼓舞等，留給感性的讀者，讓我們發現祂一直在陪伴著我們。最後，「但在這末期，祂藉著自己的兒子對我們說了話」（希1:2）。若望宗徒很清楚指出，耶穌基督就是天主的聖言，祂降生成人（若1:14），宣講福音，建立宗徒團體，受難復活…，向世人展示一個真理：天父是一位滿溢憐愛的父親，而耶穌基督就是真理的化身（14:6）。天父因材施教，按照不同人的秉性，與他們溝通。試問天父遺漏了甚麼，還沒有做呢？
籌算是應該的，可惜很多人好像驕傲的法國數學家拉普拉斯一樣，不需要「天主」這個假設，天主不在他們的考慮之列。我們據可以掌握的事物來籌算，到頭來漏了一個更肯定卻不可操控的變數─就是天主。我們顧慮沒有足夠的才幹、我們的父母沒有人供養、中途而廢會無地自容…卻忘記了慈悲的天父，一定會照顧（創22:8）。聖保祿說得好：「是天主在你們內工作，使你們願意，並使你們力行，為成就祂的善意」（斐2:13）倘若是天父的旨意，祂怎會讓你破壞祂的工程呢？祇一定會加強支援，確保你（祂）的成功！即使你想逃避，恐怕祇會成為另一個約納罷了！這不是對自己過份自信，而是「在天主前沒有不能的事」（路1:37）。所以，感應到天父的邀請而仍然猶豫不決的話，你實在太低估了自己，太低估天主了。
天主保祐！
2018年講道
圖片鳴謝：praxiscommunities.org
Third Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Is God’s Will Beyond Our Reach?
Many Catholics always complain that God’s will is beyond our reach. Take for instance the present pandemic. From the Pope and Prime Ministers to janitors and the homeless, none is exempted. As kind-hearted Catholics, they must have asked God, “Why do you punish us?” Although Jesus Christ teaches us to do the Father’s will (Matthew 6:10), His will is beyond our reach. How are we able to do the Father’s will?I’m sure that God is very talkative. See how the Lord God created the visible and invisible with a command (Remember the Nicene Creed we recite on Sundays?) The most important of all, He created human beings in His own image (Genesis 1:26). That is to say, we are creatures that are able to communicate with Him (I have no intention to deny the possibility of plants, animals and even rocks are able to communicate with God!). How could He not reveal His will to us? Look, don’t human beings, like God, enjoy communicating with matters around them? Other than human beings, many people communicate with pets and plants. Even things which probably do not exist, like aliens, scientists keep trying to establish communication. Thus, if we are willing, for consolation or knowledge, we are definitely capable of communicating with the Father and know His will.
The Epistle to the Hebrews begins saying, “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets” (Hebrews 1:1). Indeed, God has made use of many different methods to leave behind His words. If we are willing to look around, we may discover them. Firstly, the whole universe is just like a Bible recording God’s words and mercy to allow natural scientists to observe and study. With rational deductions, they may be able to find clues God has left behind. It is not too difficult to discover that the probability of a visible universe which is suitable for human growth and survival emerging from random evolution is next to zero! Unless your heart is hardened, there can only be one rational conclusion, “The Lord God created a visible universe suitable for us to live.”
All of us were born with different endowments. God will never ignore the sentimental. The Psalmist says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands” (Psalms 192) Through the Psalmist, God passes on His consolation, healing and encouragement to the sentimental, allowing us to discover that He has always been staying with us. At last, “In these last days, He spoke to us through a son” (Hebrews 1:2) John the Apostle clearly points out that Jesus Christ is God’s Word who became flesh (John 1:14), proclaimed good news, built up the apostolic community, suffered passion and was risen etc. to show us a truth: the Father is a father overflowing with mercy and Jesus Christ is the embodiment of truth (14:6). The Father communicates with us in accordance to our temperament. What has the Father left undone?
Communication is bidirectional. Since the Father has already sent out His words, unless we are reluctant to establish communication, now is high time we responded. Firstly, the Father respects our freedom. He would not force us to respond. On the other hand, our failure to respond might not be voluntary but due to adverse circumstances: we lose our autonomy because we are enslaved in different forms of sins. Thus, I’m deeply convinced that the Father shall be more than willing to grant us grace to shake off the bondage of sins and return to the bosom of our Creator.
Secondly, there is no need to fear that we have to make huge changes and to pay a heavy price in order to respond to the Father’s invitation. Take a look at the gospel passage today. Jesus Christ called the first batch of apostles to establish the nucleus of the Church. All of them were fishermen. Jesus Christ did not invite them to become soldiers to conquer the world; or Pharisees to legislate the norms of daily life of the People of God; or priest to offer sacrifices. He invited them to become “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). We can see that the Father’s invitation is step by step. He would not require us to do things beyond our capabilities. But don’t underestimate yourself because scientists generally opine that each one of us only make use of one tenth of our brain power to deal with our daily life. We still have a huge reservoir of potentials to develop. Perhaps one day, we’ll be reading the Bible in the original languages! Don’t you see how Simon the fisherman became the Pontifex Maximus in the future?
On the other hand, should we respond like the first apostles without a thought? To be candid, the impression the gospel gives us is too idealistic. Living in our situation, we can’t afford to abandon everything immediately to follow Jesus. Moreover, Jesus teaches us to “sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion” (Luke 14:28). If we aren’t ready to, then we shouldn’t respond casually and subsequently break our vow!
It is right and fair to calculate first. But unfortunately, many people are like the arrogant French mathematician Laplace who did not need the hypothesis of God. They do not take God into consideration. We calculate what are under our control. In the end, we miss one certain but uncontrollable variable --- God. We worry a lack of capability, that nobody would take care of our aging parents and that there is no place to hide if we desert midway etc. But we have forgotten that the merciful Father shall provide (Genesis 22:8). St. Paul says it well, “For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work” (Philippians 2:13). If it is the Father’s will, how could He allow you to ruin His project? He would definitely strengthen the support to ensure your (His) success! Even if you want to run away, you would probably become another Jonah! This is not overconfidence on our part but “nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). Thus if you still hesitate after feeling God’s invitation, you have actually underestimated yourself and God.
Brethren! The Bible carries God’s words. Where else can we find more effective indicators of the Father’s will than the Bible? Even today, when the government ban all religious activities, when there is no public mass, when the faithful are not able to receive physically the Sacrament of Eucharist in order to unite with Jesus Christ, we can still abide in Jesus Christ through studying the Bible. Get a reading scheme. Invoke the Holy Spirit to accompany you to finish reading the Bible in one or two years’ time in order to equip yourselves and to reduce doubts.
God bless!
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