常年期第六主日，乙年
主題：真正的痊癒
癩病，即痲瘋病，是可見的。結果令痲瘋病人受到社會的歧視，被排斥。按【聖經】所載，以色列人認為癩病是不潔的（肋13:3）。因此，癩病亦成了罪的一個標記，癩病人被定性為罪人。不與罪人為伍是《舊約》鮮明的立場（詠1:1），所以排斥歧視癩病人是合理的（肋13:44-45）！幸好，癩病的痊癒是可見的，病人可以從投社會。
排斥是抗拒可見邪惡的其中一種手段，旨在保護自己和身邊的人，是權宜之計。發明了有效的疫苗或治病方法，例如抗生素之後，纔是解決問題的徹底方法。倘若有了解決方法，而仍然使用排斥和歧視之類的權宜手段，便是不公義了！今天新冠肺炎在全球疫情反覆，控制遙遙無期，讀到今天的福音，別有一番滋味。
罪惡有如病菌病毒，在人類的群體中漫延。為了保護人類，天主制定了死亡，切斷罪惡的潛伏和散播（創6:3）；天主曾以洪水清洗被罪惡污染了的世界，但始終都是一個消極的手段，沒有徹底解決罪惡的問題。後來天主與以色列人立約，頒下「十誡」，加強人類對罪惡的免疫能力。這是一個好開始，但不足以解決問題。一向相信法律的優越性的法利塞人掃祿，後來對法律重新評價：「沒有一個人能因遵守法律，而在祂前成義；因為法律祇能使人認識罪過。」（羅3:20）保祿運用法律的觀點看死亡，認為死亡是罪惡的薪俸（6:23），是犯罪後要付出的代價。所以法律解決不了罪惡的問題，甚至連原本是聖的、正義和美善的法律和誡命，反過來使罪惡變成了極端的凶惡（7:12-13）！最後，天主親自降臨，犧牲自己作為贖罪祭，並以復活轉化死亡，作為進入永恆的門戶，這樣纔徹底地把罪惡的問題解決。
因此，在耶穌基督降生前，對罪人排斥和歧視，是無可厚非的。耶穌基督降生了，死在十字架上償還了所有罪債，復活升天了，我們還可以合理化對罪人的排斥和歧視嗎？這樣做，就好像發明了有效的疫苗和治療方法後，仍堅持做無聊的測試一樣！表示你不相信天主子耶穌基督的救贖功效，仍躲在法律框架的安樂窩中。你覺得不安全，仍然需要保護自己和身邊的人！你的不安是可以理解的，因為你身處危險之中。對不起，不是罪人威脅著你的安全，而是你的無信把你漸漸牽往地獄！天主教徒，甚至是資深的教友，一樣歧視他們心目中的「罪人」；不但排斥教會外的「罪人」，對教會內的「罪人」也不放過。當遇上無可奈何的「罪人」神長時，便對教會大失所望。他們愛耶穌，但不愛教會，嚷著要脫離教會！合理嗎？更令人擔心的，是這群資深教友，真的得救了嗎？
我們可以用甚麼作為痊癒的標誌呢？再沒有病徵足夠嗎？今天的「新冠病毒」教導了我們一個真相：在病毒潛伏期，可以是沒有病徵的。所以，沒有病徵不足以作為安全的指標。應用到信仰上，按十誡和聖教五規生活，不足以作為得救的指標！那麼還有甚麼可作標誌呢？
今天福音中的癩病人的表現，值得參考。醫治他的是天主子，所以無論在靈魂上及肉體上，他是徹底痊癒了的。但他的反應令人困擾，他好像沒有服從上主的吩咐，為耶穌基督帶來了麻煩，令祂不能公然進入城中（谷1:45）。可是，耶穌基督有因此而怪責他嗎？當然沒有。上主是全知的，癩病人的反應是意料中事，所以不會怪他。
另一方面癩病人如此極力宣揚，不是出於理性的謀算，而是出於蒙恩得救的喜樂，加上感恩之情。倘若出於謀算，他不宣揚纔對，因為這是耶穌基督吩咐的，宣揚反而有違禁令的危險！而且不宣揚並不會使癩病復發。這是一種「不做不錯」的心態，作為公務員還可以，但作為信徒，真是不敢恭維了！所以，真正得到痊癒，真正得到解放，不再是罪惡奴隸的天主教徒，應該好像這個癩病人一樣，極力宣揚自己得救的經驗！不是出於謀算，而是出於感情。
各位兄弟姊妹，倘若洗禮入教，並不帶來蒙恩得救的喜樂，你應該找「司祭」，檢查你是否真正痊癒了，真正得救了！倘若你洗禮後提不起勁去宣揚福音，這是一個尚未真正痊癒，真正得救的訊號，你應該感到不安！
天主保祐！
2018年講道
圖片鳴謝：redeeminggod.com
Sixth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Genuine Recovery
Leprosy is visible. Consequently, lepers suffer discrimination and rejection from the society.According to the Bible, the Israelites deemed leprosy unclean (Leviticus 13:3). Thus leprosy was a sign of sin. Lepers were labelled sinners. Not staying in the company of sinners is a clear cut moral stance of the Old Testament (Psalm 1:1). Therefore, rejecting and discriminating lepers was reasonable (Leviticus 13:44-45). Fortunately, recovery is visible. Lepers may return to the community.
Rejection is one of the mechanisms to resist visible sins, aiming at self-defence and protecting our neighbour. It is meant to be an expedience. Effective vaccination and treatments, such as antibiotics, are the proper ways to eradicate the disease. It would be immoral and unjust to continue using rejection and discrimination once an effective cure is found! Today, the pandemic is still rampant and control is not yet on the horizon. The gospel we read today is meaningful in a different manner.
The pathogen that causes this pandemic is a virus. Once contracted, the virus multiplies during hibernation and the pneumonia starts kicking in once a certain concentration is reached. Since there is a period of hibernation, patients become virus carriers and spread the disease in the community. The mortality is high. The earlier the virus is detected, the more lives can be saved. Scientists have developed test-kits for the virus. When the test result is positive, treatment may start. Unfortunately, negative results only indicate that there was no virus at the moment of testing. It does not guarantee any immunity to future infection. Moreover, perhaps the virus is undergoing hibernation. It has not reached sufficient concentration to erupt. Thus, before the invention of effective vaccination and treatment, testing is an expedience. When effective vaccination and cure are found, testing has no more use. Why? With vaccination, citizens have reached a certain level of immunity. Even if they fall sick, it won’t be fatal because there is effective treatment. Insisting on testing is a waste of resources.
Evil is like bacteria and virus. It spreads among human communities. In order to protect human beings, God instituted death to cut short the hibernation, the spread of evil (Genesis 6:3). God once cleansed this contaminated world of sins with a great Deluge. But this was a passive tactics. The Deluge has not solved the problem of evil. Later, God entered a covenant with the Israelites, giving them the Ten Commandments to enhance their immunity against evil. This was a good beginning but insufficient to solve the problem. Saul, who used to trust in the superiority of the Law which he subsequently re-evaluated, “Since no human being will be justified in His sight by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin” (Romans 3:20) Paul looks at death from the legal perspective and claims that “the wage of sin is death” (6:23). Death is a price to pay for committing sins. Thus, the Law is unable to solve the problem of evil. Even the holy, righteous and good law and commandment make sin become sinful beyond measure (7:12-13)! At last, God came down, sacrificed Himself as a redemptive offering and with resurrection, turned death into the portal to eternity. In this way, the problem of evil is completely eradicated.
Therefore, before the incarnation of Jesus Christ, it was not wrong to reject and discriminate sinners. Now that Jesus Christ has incarnated, has died on the cross to repay all debts, has resurrected and ascended into heaven, can we justify the continued discrimination and rejection of sinners? Doing so is like insisting on meaningless testing after the invention of effective vaccination and treatments! It shows that you doubt the effectiveness of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You are still hiding in the comfort zone of legal framework. You don’t feel safe and need to protect yourself and people around you! Your anxiety is understandable because you are in danger. Sorry, not the kind of threat from sinners against your security. Instead, it is your infidelity which gradually pulls you to hell! Catholics, even jaded Catholics also discriminate perceived sinners. Not only do they despise outsiders but also sinners within the Church. When there are sinful clergy whom they couldn’t do anything, they are disappointed. They claim to love Jesus but not the Church and threatening to leave the Church for good! Is it reasonable? It worries us more whether this bunch of jaded Catholics are genuinely redeemed.
What can we use as an indicator of genuine recovery? Is a lack of symptoms sufficient? Today, the Covid-19 virus has taught us a lesson: there can be no symptoms during hibernation. Thus, a lack of symptoms is not a safe indicator. Applying this to faith, living according to the Ten Commandments and the precepts of the Church cannot act as an indicator of redemption! Then, what else can?
The action of the leper in today’s gospel is worth consideration. The Son of God healed him. Thus, he was totally cured, spiritually as well as physically. It troubles us when he seemed not to obey the Lord’s instruction and brought Jesus Christ some inconvenience, making it “impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly” (Mark 1:45) But did Jesus Christ reprimand him? Of course not! The Lord is omniscient. The reaction of the leper was anticipated. Thus He would not blame him.
On the other hand, the leper publicized not out of rational calculation but of joy and gratitude, the joy of being saved. Had he been calculating, he should not publicize because Jesus Christ told him not to. Publicize and you risk being disobedient! Moreover, the leprosy would not return even if you didn’t publicize. “Act not and make no mistake” is not a decent attitude. Perhaps it is appropriate for civil servants. But as Catholics, such an attitude is not commendable. Therefore, to show genuine recovery, genuine liberation and genuine freedom from the slavery of sins, Catholics should publicize their experience of redemption like the leper, not through calculation but affection.
Brethren! If baptism does not bring you the joy of redemption, seek a priest to inspect whether you have been genuinely recovered and genuinely saved! If you don’t feel like proclaiming the good news after baptism, it is an indicator that you are not yet genuinely recovered and redeemed. You should worry!
God bless!
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