四旬期第一主日，乙年
主題：悔改的環保幅度
「悔改」的第一步，就是知錯。倘若不知道錯，又怎會產生後悔的感覺和良心的責備，推動悔改呢？倘若找不到錯在哪裡，又怎會思考如何改過呢？例如，不知道攝取過多的糖分會損害健康，做成癡肥、蛀牙或者糖尿病等，又怎會後悔好食甘肥呢？倘若不知道糖分來自碳水化合物，不知道運動幫助消耗體內糖分，又怎會改變飲食習慣和生活習慣呢？今天疫情肆虐，源自新冠病毒。這種在動物身上發現的病毒，怎樣傳染給人類呢？本來人類與動物各自在自己的棲息處生活，河水不犯井水，彼此是安全的。但人類貪圖發展，開發土地及資源的同時，把動物趕出了牠們的棲息地，增加了彼此接觸的危險；更有甚者，中國人好食野生動物，增加了感染病毒的可能性…疫症發展到今天的地步，雖然已開發了疫苗，但在分配疫苗的安排上，又一次突顯了貧富懸殊的矛盾！疫症在短時間內，在全球各地爆發。除了因為交通發達之外，亦反映了生活有同一艘太空船的人類，已不能妄想可以獨善其身。任何國家的一舉一動，可以影響到地球另一角落的國家。人類理應更清楚合作的重要，可惜因為意識形態的分歧和政治利益的考慮，各國之間浪費了很多寶貴的時間，互相推卸責任；在研發疫苗上，拒絕交流研究成果，互相指責對方偷竊情報，真是可惜！
耶穌基督今天在福音中的訓示：「你們悔改，信從福音罷！」（谷1:15）在疫情下，別具意義。今天的悔改，又怎可以忽略被破壞了的生態環境呢？保祿宗徒真是一位先知，二千年前已寫下這樣的一段話：「…受造之物被屈伏在敗壞的狀態之下」（羅8:20）「…直到如今，一切受造之物都一同歎息，同受產痛；不但是萬物，就是連我們這已蒙受聖神初果的。也在自己心中嘆息，等待着義子期望的實現，即我們肉身的救贖。」（8:22-23）疫情肆虐，是自食「破壞生態，自私自利」之果。
我們該怎麼做呢？教會傳統以守齋克己，作為善度四旬期，悔改更新的實踐，這是智慧！知進而不知退，不留餘地，是盲目的特徵，是失敗的溫床！守齋克己，不但是為了節制和節約，為未來儲存實力，更是讓自己慢下來，審視各方面的形勢，把珍貴的資料，投放到更有益，更有價值的事上。這種心態，對於保護和恢復生態環境，在今天更為重要，因為大自然反撲了！
其實，有甚麼事情比與鄰人，與天主改善關係更有益，更有價值呢？所以傳統上，在四旬期教會呼籲教友施捨和祈禱。施捨是自我的損失，但施捨卻造就了他人的生命！這種個人的「損失」是不會浪費的，反而改善了四周的經濟環境！當然，更積極和徹底的「施捨」，就是推翻造成貧窮的剝削制度。但在時機未成熟前，不可輕言革命！事實上，保護生態環境是昂貴的，例如污水應該先經過處理，纔讓它流入大海，否則會做成海水的污染，食物鏈的污染！污水處理是不方便的，是昂貴的，但是必要的，是把資源投放在正確的，可持續發展的地方。堅持污水處理的環保人士，比那些短視的，貪圖眼前盈利而不理會未來要付出沉重代價的商人，更為明智！即使他們不會在有生之年還債，這些債務，祇會由他們的後代子孫償還！人又豈可以短視呢？
祈禱讓我們謙遜地走近造物主的面前，領會天父的旨意，向祂乞求力量的機會。在創造之初，天主很欣賞自己的傑作，說了八次「好」！祂委託我們管理這個傑作（創1:26），我們卻污染破壞了它。我們不是缺乏能力，而是心中的貪婪做成的惡果！若不除去這貪婪，它將會是我們重返天家，親近造物主的絆腳石。
各位兄弟姊妹，既然知錯了，並且知道錯在哪裡，便有悔改的條件了，我們應該各如其位地悔改。四旬期是悔改的適當時機，開始克己、施捨和祈禱吧！
天主保祐！
2018年講道
圖片鳴謝：commonwealmagazine.org
First Lent Sunday, Year B
Theme: The Ecological Dimension of Repentance
The first step to repentance is to know that you are wrong. Otherwise, from where do the regret and guilty conscience come to drive repentance? If you are unable to locate where you go wrong, what enables you to think about how to make changes? For example, if you don’t know the harms of excessive sugar intake, such as obesity, rotten teeth or diabetes, will you regret eating too many candies? If you don’t know that sugar comes from carbohydrates, or that doing exercises helps burn the sugar in your body, will you change your diet or living style?The pandemic today came from Corvid-19. This virus was discovered in animals. How did it infect men? At first, men and animals lived in their own habitats within which they were safe. But men were greedy in development and extraction of natural resources. They displaced animals out of their habitats, increasing the risks of mutual contacts. Worse, wild animals are favourite delicacies for the Chinese, thus increasing the possibility of contracting Corvid-19 … At this moment, although vaccinations are undergoing production, the distribution of vaccines manifests once more the contradiction of polarity of wealth gap! This pandemic spreads rapidly thanks to the advances in transportation. It also shows clearly that as residents in a space ship, this planet earth, it is impossible for groups of mankind to remain intact. Any action of a country will affect other countries on the other side of the globe. Mankind should know more clearly the importance of cooperation. Regrettably, due to differences in ideologies and political considerations, many countries have wasted much precious time in blaming each other. In the development of vaccination, it is a pity to see them refuse to share fruits of research and accusing rivals of stealing information!
The first reading today shows without ambiguity that the family of Noah and all other animals were survivors of the Great Deluge. All of them took part in God’s covenant. Not only did God establish covenant with Noah’s family, but He also established covenant with these “remnants” of animals which He elected to enter the Ark (Genesis 9:9-10). Unfortunately, men had forgotten animals as partners of the same covenant due to greed. Undeniably, it is also in the same chapter of Genesis that God declared, “Any living creature that moves about shall be yours to eat” (9:3). From then, men were no longer vegetarian, but omnivorous. Taking in more proteins enables human brain to develop exponentially. This is God’s special care of mankind, restoring the outstanding status of the “image of God” (1:26). With great authority and aloft status, shouldn’t men be more careful in exercising their authority? Sadly, many people fatten themselves at the expenses of commoners and the Creation! When Mother Nature is no longer able to withstand unending contamination and over-extraction, she falls sick and resists with self-adjustments. On a macro scale, global temperatures go extreme, typhoons become more destructive, earthquakes and landslides become more frequent. On a micro level, poisonous substances enter the food chain, the air we breathe and the water we drink. We even open the door to invite virus from animals … When commoners fall sick of tyranny, they take to the streets to protest. If these protestations are not met properly, bloody revolutions will erupt. In Chinese history, we find many last emperors who were still ignorant of why they fell. Of course there are famous emperors who, near the end of their reign when the nation reached the zenith of power and glory which covered the underbelly of the empire, issued a “Penitent Bull”, trying to steer the empire back to the right track! See, even good kings repent!
In today’s gospel, Jesus Christ instructs us, “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). It acquires a new meaning during this pandemic. When we talk about repentance, how can we ignore the damaged ecological situation? Paul is truly a prophet. Two millennia ago, he wrote, “… creation was made subject to futility” (Romans 8:20) “… all creation is groaning in labour pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (8:22-23). This pandemic is the bitter fruit of destruction of ecology and greed.
What should we do? Traditionally, the Church fasts and abstains to put repentance into practice in Lent. This is genuine wisdom! Knowing only advances but not retreats and taking no prisoners are signs of blindness and hotbed of failures! Not only do fasting and abstinence help self-mastery and saving resources for future projects, but they also allow us to slow down, make sound judgment of the situation and put precious resources on more beneficent and worthy causes. Bearing this attitude in the protection and restoration of ecology is particularly important today because Mother Nature is striking back!
In fact, what can be more beneficent and worthy than improving our relations with neighbour and God? Therefore, traditionally the Church appeals to the faithful to give alms and pray during Lent. Alms giving is self-inflicted harm but it builds up others’ lives! This personal harm won’t be wasted. On the contrary, it improves the surrounding economic situation! Of course, more proactive and complete “alms giving” is to overthrow the exploitative institutions which create poverty. But before time matures, there’s no point in talking about revolution! Indeed, ecological conservation is expensive. For example, waste water should be treated before flowing into the oceans. Otherwise, water and food chain will be contaminated. Water treatment is inconvenient and expensive but necessary. It is putting resources in the right and sustainable places. Environmentalists who insist on water treatment are wiser than those myopic and greedy merchants who ignore the heavy tolls to pay in the future for the sake of making profits here and now. Even if they don’t repay the debt during their life time, debts shall be repaid by their offspring for sure! How can men afford to be myopic!
We approach our Creator with humility in prayers to know His will and beg for strength. In the beginning during Creation, God enjoyed very much His masterpiece and “saw it good” eight times! He commissioned us to take care of this masterpiece (Genesis 1:26), but we abuse it. We are not incompetent in management but the greed in our hearts makes us mismanage! If not removed, this greed will be the obstacle which prevents us from getting back home and our Creator.
Brethren! Since we know our wrongs and where we make mistakes, we meet the necessary requirements to repent. Let us repent in accordance with our stations of life. Lent is the right time to repent. Start fasting, alms giving and prayers now!
God bless!
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