聖體聖血節，乙年
主題：群體免疫
作為造物主，上主天主在行使祂的權威時，是可以為所欲為，不受約束。所以，當聖經記載有關祂與諾厄立約（創9:11）、與亞巴郎立約（17:7-11）、透過梅瑟作中保，與以色列人立約（出19:5-6），到最後透過耶穌基督，親自與全人類訂立新約（谷14:24），真是令人驚訝！為甚麼當權者竟然會約束自己呢？請留意不同盟約的內容，包含著天主不可以做的甚麼事，例如禁止祂用水消滅所有生物；和祂不可不做的事，例如永遠保存以色列民族，不會在人類歷史上消失；甚至保證最少有部份人類，可以享受祂的永恆生命！這表示了甚麼？除了是愛之外，我找不到更令人滿意的解釋了。試想想，無限的天主與渺小的人類來往，就好比科幻電影中的「金剛」，牠以碩大無朋之軀，竟然可以細膩地與脆弱的小女孩來往一樣，是充滿著何等的溫柔呵護！天主對人的關愛和保護，的確無微不至。
舊約的不足之處，在於讓人以為遵守法律，便可以成為「義人」，可以在天主的面前無可指摘。這種思想，忽略了恩寵的角色。殊不知沒有天主的恩寵，所有努力都是徒然。法律是天主白白所賜，教導我們行善避惡。所以法律也是天主的恩寵之一。可惜很多人，尤其其有學問的法學士，以為遵守法律便是一種功勞，足以用來賺取救恩。這種思想，就是後世的白拉奇主義。雖然聖保祿提出「因信成義論」，與及後來的聖奧思定提出「恩寵論」，糾正這異端的錯謬；但直到今天，這思想仍陰雲不散，以其他形式出現在教會內！關鍵在於我們必須相信並接受天主對世人，尤其是罪人的愛。沒有這份信任、信靠，即使天主有多大的善意，世人是不會領情的！
疫症已肆虐了一段日子，全世界沒有一塊土地，沒有一個國家的人民，得以倖免。終於，科學家已研發了一些疫苗，供緊急使用。這場抗疫戰爭，漸露曙光。祇要有相當多的人口接種了疫苗，專家估計要70%，纔能達到「群體免疫」的效果。所以各國政府，不會獨善其身，有義務與貧窮落後地區，分享疫苗。同理，為了公益，市民應按政府的安排，依次序接種疫苗：首先是前線醫護人員，繼而是高危的長者等等。環視世界各地接種疫苗的進度，香港實在落後。截到今天，疫苗接種計劃已進行了超過一百天，但接種了兩劑疫苗的市民不足15%！這樣推算，若要達到70%的群體免疫門檻，恐怕要用大概15個月的時間。但病毒變異是不會等候人類的，到時，疫苗還有效嗎？這個社會現實帶給我們甚麼反省？
我們生活在一個被罪惡污染了的世界，罪惡有如病毒，感染了每一個人。天主憐憫人類，以自己的體血，作為解藥，拯救被罪惡奴役的人類。罪惡有如病毒，不斷「變種」。從前的罪惡，例如殺人、姦淫、搶劫等等，比較個人化；今天的罪惡，變得制度化，通過法例，屠殺未能為自己喊冤的胎兒、准許離婚和同性婚姻、剝削外判工人等等。信徒生活在這樣的環境下，可以倖免嗎？
天主子耶穌基督在升天前，曾派遣門徒向世人宣講福音，使萬民成為門徒。這樣，當大多數的世人信從了福音之後，我們便能達到對罪惡「群體免疫」的效果，可以享受到不受騷擾的宗教自由了！可見，傳福音是何等重要的任務。
各位兄弟姊妹，我們都領受了聖體聖事，領受了天主子耶穌基督的大愛。我們有沒有吸收到基督聖體的恩寵，成為基督的肢體呢？我們既然是基督的肢體，基督充滿著愛的心，有沒有推動我們去拯救其他在羊棧外的羊呢？聖體既然在我們內，我們便是一個聖體櫃了！我們是在聖堂內的聖體櫃，還是在社區內的流動聖體櫃，把天主的大能和救恩，分施給得救的人，邀請他們加人救得的團體，我們的教會呢？
天主保祐！
2018年講道 圖片鳴謝：biblegraphics.com
Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Year B
Theme: Herd Immunity
When the Lord God exercises His authority as the Creator, He can do whatever He wishes without any constrain. Thus when the Bible tells us about His making covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:11), with Abraham (17:7-11), with the Israelites through Moses as a mediator (Exodus 19:5-6) and at last built a covenant with all humanity Himself through Jesus Christ (Mark 14:24), it is truly shocking! Why would somebody in power agree to restrain himself? Take a look at the contents of the covenants. They include what God is NOT allowed to do, for example, forbidding Him from destroying all living things with flood. They also include what God MUST do, for example, to ensure the existence of the Israelites throughout the ages and even to guarantee that at least some human beings are able to partake in His eternal life! What does it mean? Other than love, I find no explanation more satisfactory. Just think about it. An infinite God interacts with negligible humanity is just like a King Kong in sci-fi movies, which is able to handle delicately a fragile child with its gigantic hand. How mild and caring it is! God’s love and protection of humanity covers every minute detail.
Throughout history, covenants have been made between countries and peoples so that they might maximize their mutual benefits. They went through ceremonies in which cattle’s blood is smeared on their lips to demonstrate fidelity to the pact. Had they breached the covenant, they would have perished like the slaughtered cattle. Israelites also took part in similar ceremonies. For example, from the first reading today, we read that before Moses went up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments, the Israelites offered burnt offerings to God. Then Moses took half of the blood and splashed it on the altar. He read the covenant to the people and splashed the blood on the people (Exodus 24:4-8). Thus, building a covenant is a solemn business, using one’s life as a guarantee! The second reading today tells us that when the new covenant was set, God did not use cattle’s blood but His own blood. The solemnity is indescribable (Hebrews 9:11-12). The Son of God incarnated and took up human flesh. At last He poured out all of his blood on the cross to take away the sins of the world. He left behind His body and blood to nourish the lives of repentant sinners. Let us ask ourselves, for the repentance of sinners, what has God left undone which He is capable to do?
The insufficiency of the Old Testament is the illusion that observing the laws justifies a man so that he is without fault before God. This logic has left out the role of grace. Without grace, all human endeavours are nothing. The law is given us without our merit by God, teaching us to do good and to avoid evil. Thus, the law is also a grace. Regrettably, many people, in particular the learned scribes believed that observing the law is a merit, enabling us to earn our salvation. This mentality was the Pelagianism in the future. Although St. Paul refuted this heresy with “Justification by Faith” and St. Augustine with his “theology of grace”, to this date, Pelagianism still lingers on in different disguises within the Church! The crucial point is that we must trust and accept God’s love for us, in particular His love for sinners. Without this trust and reliance, no matter how much God loves us, humanity would never respond!
The pandemic has been around for a while. No piece of land or people from any country is exempted from infection. At last, scientists have developed vaccines and obtained approval for emergency use. Dawn has broken over the horizon in this pandemic war. When enough people, experts estimate at 70%, are vaccinated, herd immunity would be achieved. Therefore, no government is an island. Each has the obligation to share vaccines with the poor or underdeveloped regions. Similarly, for the sake of common good, citizens should follow the government’s arrangement to receive vaccination: firstly the frontline medical staff. Then go senior citizens of high risk groups etc. Surveying the situation of global vaccination today, Hong Kong is falling behind. As of this writing, more than 100 days of vaccination programme have elapsed, less than 15% of the population is fully vaccinated! From extrapolation, I’m afraid it would take about 15 more months before we might achieve 70% vaccination. But virus does not wait for us to mutate. By then, would the vaccine be effective? This social reality forces us to reflect!
We’re living in a sins-infested world. Sins are like virus, infecting everybody. The Lord is merciful. He makes use of His body and blood to be our antidote to deliver us from the slavery of sins. Sins mutate like virus. Previously, sins such as murder, adultery and theft etc. were individual. Nowadays, sins become more structural. Through legislation, innocent foetuses are butchered, divorce and same-sex marriages are permitted and outsourced workers are exploited etc. Living in such an environment, can believers be exempted?
Before His ascension, the Son of God Jesus Christ commissioned His disciples to proclaim the gospel and to make disciples of all peoples. Thus, when the majority of people believe in the gospel, we shall achieve herd immunity against sins. We shall be able to enjoy religious freedom without fear! Thus evangelization is an extremely essential mission.
Brethren! We have received the Sacrament of Eucharist, the undeserved love of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Have we absorbed the grace from the Holy Communion and become members of the Mystical Body of Christ? If we are members of the Mystical Body, does the love-overflowing heart of Christ move us to deliver other lambs outside this fold? Since the Holy Communion is inside us, we have become a tabernacle. Are we tabernacles stationed inside the Church or mobile tabernacles in the neighbourhood, sharing God’s power and salvation with people, inviting them to join the community of the redeemed, the Church?
God bless!
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