常年期第十二主日，乙年
主題：天主不管我們的死活嗎？
無論你相信聖經的啟示與否，大部份人也相信世界有末日，而且末日前會發生大災難。教會明白世人的喜樂與憂慮，所以她喜歡借用「諾厄方舟」來比喻自己。教會相信在天主的照顧下，她能安然渡過末日的災難。就好像洪水到來前，人和動物進入了方舟便能得救一樣。若把洪水象徵末日，在末日審判前加入教會，便能得救，獲得永生。
可是，天主不是承諾過不用洪水來毀滅有血肉的生物（創9:15）嗎？是的！但這承諾並不否定末日的來臨，而且耶穌基督在對觀福音中，論述了末日的情況。因此末日的來臨是肯定的，而洪水祇不過是末日的象徵而已。所以教會負擔著傳福音的使命，讓更多人在末日前加入教會，進入這艘在塵世中航行的方舟，好能在審判時得到好的判決，享受永生。
今天疫情仍在漫延，世上沒有一個民族，沒有一個地區能倖免，全球有如陷入海上的風暴一樣。倘若教會就是在波濤凶湧中的其中一條小船，我們並不孤獨，因為「還有別的小船」（4:36）。這些其他的小船可能是不同的宗教、各國政府和跨國企業…他們用自己的方法：例如以封關手段來約束病毒的散播、研發疫苗、舉行祈福求神儀式等，各單位以自己可行的方法，聯手對抗這疫症的衝擊。信仰耶穌基督的教會在這疫情中，可以如何自處呢？因為各地的文化政治及經濟環境不同，各個地方教會應該有不同的對策！容許我祇就香港的環境反省。
和讀聖經一樣，反省任何社會事件，也應該要注意事件發生前的情況！疫症爆發前，香港經歷了十多個月的社會動蕩，很多市民看見政府官員的無能與不公義，不再信任他們的管治了。所以今天當政府推出接種疫苗計劃時，三個多月來，祇有18.3%的人口接種了兩劑疫苗，距離群體免疫的70%目標還很遠！這些都情緒管理上出了問題，不是理性上出了亂子。負責的官員也承認很多市民正在「鬥氣」。可是，當今的形勢，是追究誰是誰非，是互相指摘的時候嗎？
教會也要面對類似的衝擊。教會應該是團結合一的，但分裂的元素始終存在著，祇不過一場社會運動，把以往看不見的分裂更表面化而已。在香港的天主教徒人數，雖然不及人口的十分之一，但很多都是中產階級。在社會運動期間，部份教友揚言對教會失望，要脫離天主教。今天更出現了明顯的移民潮。當然，即使離開教會、離開香港，祇要心中仍有耶穌基督，仍不失得救的機會。至於教會，作為基督的奧體和基督的淨配，這條船是不會沉沒的！但主教/教宗作為這條船的舵手，有責任喚醒睡著了的耶穌基督，喝停風浪，讓這條船能夠平安到達彼岸。天主子耶穌基督睡在我們這條船上，是我們的優勢，是其他小船不能奢望的。我們反而有責任，憑天主子的力量，平息這場風暴，讓其他小船也能得到安全！
像福音中的門徒一樣，我們的信德並不特別堅強，也看不懂時代的徵兆。甚至為了自保，與權貴同流合污。但天主接受和包容我們的軟弱，並趁機淨化我們、提拔我們。且看，相信是今次平息風浪的經驗，令伯多祿有足夠的膽量，在耶穌基督步行水面時，跳到海裡跑向他的主（瑪14:28-29）！雖然這一次以失敗告終，但伯多祿經過這些磨煉之後，耶穌基督立伯多祿為教會的磐石（16:18-19）。所以，今次的疫情也是天主賜給我們的機會！不是倚靠自身的能力，而是信靠天主子的力量。
且看，今天的權貴已經自身難保（詠146:3-4）了，我們惟有尋求天主的救助。我們請主教神父們舉行多幾台為消滅疫症的彌撒嗎？還是響應教宗的呼籲，整個五月每天唸玫瑰經嗎？看來這些傳統的方法並不見效，否則今天還會圍繞著疫情默想嗎？看來我們是求錯了，疫情是不會因為唸經祈禱而消失的。
各位兄弟姊妹，我們不須要祈求疫情的減退，因為「天下任何事皆有定時…殺戮有時，治療有時」（訓3:1，3）。而事實一再證明，天主是不會掉下我們，不理我們的死活。所以，學習在疫情下生活，與病毒共舞吧，說不定天主出於對人類的憐憫，設下疫情，防止更大的災難出現，亦未可知！我們所面對的，是情緒的管理問題，給我們帶來了信仰上的危機，懷疑天主的存在，懷疑天主對罪人的愛意！我們儘管向主求救，不要指望「跳船」會帶來生存的希望。
天主保祐！
2015年講道
圖片鳴謝：caruthers.com
Twelfth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Doesn’t God Care About Our Perishing? Whether you believe in the revelations from the Bible or not, most people believe that the world would end one day before which there would be great disasters.
The Church understands the joys and worries of mankind. Thus, she likes to identify herself with Noah’s Ark. The Church believes that with God’s providence, she would safely pass over the end of the world disasters. When men and animals entered the Ark before the arrival of the Great Flood, they would be saved. Similarly, if the Great Deluge symbolizes the End of the World and if people can join the Church before the Last Judgment, they would be saved and enjoy eternal life.
But didn’t God pledge that “the waters would never again become a flood to destroy every mortal being” (Genesis 9:15)? Yes, but that pledge does not rule out the imminence of the End of the world. Moreover, Jesus Christ teaches about the situation of the end of the world in the Synoptic gospels. Thus, the end is a certainty and the Great Deluge is only a symbol of the End. Therefore, the Church accepts the commission to evangelize, allowing more people to join the Church before the End. When they enter this Ark which is sailing all over the world, they would receive a favourable judgment and subsequently receive eternal life.
Undeniably, human psychology is extremely complicated. Though they are able to think rationally to work out gigantic projects, their emotions, such as anger, fear, jealousy, love and hatred are like uncontrollable wild horses off harness! For example, Cain did not heed God’s advice to manager his anger. Consequently, he murdered his brother Abel. David did not care about the guidance of the Ten Commandments. He committed adultery and murder … These evils were not consequences of impulses but failures of emotional management! The gospel passage today tells us that in imminent disaster, the disciples desperately sought help from their teacher, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) Think about it. How much did they know their teacher? How powerful was He? Forget about the authority Jesus showed in His teachings (1:22), He was only a “miracle healer” who had special power to heal lepers, to drive out demons, to cure the paralyzed and withered hands etc. What use had this healing power before those raging elements? It showed that like most people, the disciples were seized by a fear which rationality could not prevail! In fear, most people would resort to irrational actions, including violence! Fortunately Jesus Christ calmed the storm just in time to relieve the disciples of their fears, averting an even greater disaster!
Today, not a people or a region on earth is exempted from the Covid-19 pandemic. The whole world is tossing on sea during a storm. If the Church is a small boat in the raging waters, we are not alone because “Other boats were with Him” (4:36). These other boats could be other religions, governments or multinational corporations etc. They deploy different methods, for example, locking down a city to contain the spread of virus, vaccination research, benediction rites etc. to fight against this pandemic. Each unit does whatever they can and join hand to fight against the impact of this pandemic. How does Christianity conduct itself in this situation? Since different churches operate within different cultural, political and economic environments, their strategies should be different! Allow me to reflect on the situation of Hong Kong only.
Like bible studies, we need to pay attention to what happened before in the reflection of social incidents in context! Before the pandemic, Hong Kong underwent more than a year and a half’s social unrest. Many citizens see clearly the incompetence and injustice of government officials and they no long trust in the governance of the Special Administration Region. Thus, when the government implements the vaccination project, only 18.3% of the population have done 2 shots after more than three months, very much behind the target of 70% for herd immunity! This is an emotional management problem, not a rational problem. Government officials in charge of the project admit that the citizens are holding grudges against the government. But at this moment, is it a time to play the blaming game?
The Church is also facing similar impacts. She is supposed to be united and in communion. However, there exist elements of schism which remain invisible until the social unrest and pandemic manifest them. In Hong Kong, the Catholic population is less than 10% but most of them are middle class. During the social unrest, many aired their disappointment of the Church and claimed to leave the Catholic Church. Today, an exodus is on the horizon. Of course, leaving the Church and leaving Hong Kong do not deny one’s salvation as long as one has Jesus in his heart. As for the Church, she is the Mystical Body and Spouse of Christ. She will never sink! As helmsmen of the Noah’s Ark, bishops and Pope has the responsibility to wake Jesus Christ up to calm the storm so that the Ark might safely arrive at the other shore. Jesus Christ the Son of God is resting in our ship. This is our advantage over the other boats. Rather, we have the responsibility, with the power of the Son of God, to calm the storm so that the rest of the boats may reach safety!
Like the disciples in the gospels, our faith is not particularly strong and we fail to discern the signs of the times. In order to survive, some of us even go along with the powerful. But God accepts and tolerates our frailties and takes the opportunity to purify us and raise us up. Look, I trust this experience of witnessing Jesus’ calming of the storm had encouraged Peter to walk towards Jesus Christ on the water (Matthew 14:28-29)! Although he had failed again, after all these challenges Jesus Christ made him the Rock of the Church (16:18-19). Thus, this pandemic might be an opportunity provided by God! Don’t rely on our efforts but the power of the Son of God. Where are the princes and officials today? They are powerless and nothing (Psalms 146:3-4). So, we have to turn to God. Shall we ask the clergy to celebrate masses to eliminate the pandemic? Or shall we follow the exhortation of the Pope to recite the Rosary every day in May? It seems that these traditional methods are ineffective. Otherwise we don’t have to meditate on this pandemic today! Perhaps we have prayed for the wrong thing. The pandemic will never vanish because of prayers.
Brethren! We don’t need to pray for the disappearance of the pandemic because “There is an appointed time for everything … a time to kill and a time to heal” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3). The fact is God will not leave us behind and does not mind our perishing. Thus, learn to live with the virus. Perhaps out of His mercy, God allows this pandemic to divert an even greater disaster! What we need to confront is a temptation to forsake our faith because of our failure of emotional management. It is a crisis of faith, a doubt of God’s existence and a doubt of God’s love for sinners. Let us beseech the Lord’s help. Jumping shipping might not bring hope of survival.
God bless!
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