了解我們的老闆 Know Our Boss

常年期第十一主日，乙年
主題：了解我們的老闆

我們大部份人都是不同形式的僱員，按照老闆的指示工作。無論你是為了糊口還是為了興趣，倘若不能在工作上找到滿足感，生活一定很苦！工作上的滿足感因人而異，各有所求：有人看在金錢份上，有人看在成就上；有人為了滿足顧客的需要，有人為了滿足老闆的要求…無論如何，老闆是讓你在工作上獲得滿足感的決定性因素。所以，了解我們的老闆是必須的！ 天主/耶穌基督是我們的終極老闆，我們對祂了解多少呢？
請嘗試反省及回答以下兩條問題，幫助自己更認識天主。然後用不多於二十字，舉例說明天主/耶穌基督，在以下的範疇內的態度：

1. 耶穌基督的經濟學
2. 祂的人事管理哲學

讀經必須要了解經文的上文下理，掌握經文片段的取向。例如今天的福音之前的一句，是「因為凡有的，還要給他；凡沒有的，連他所有的，也要從他奪去。」（谷4:25）這一句經文，可以怎樣指導我們解釋跟著的「種子自長比喻」和「芥子比喻」呢？這兩個天國的比喻，一般是用來解釋傳福音的事業。即是說：種子是天主的福音，「種子自長比喻」教訓我們傳福音時，「祇問耕耘，不問收獲」。因為聽眾怎樣信從福音，我們是不知道的（4:27），所以收獲豐富與否，也不是我們努力的成果。「芥子比喻」鼓勵我們不要對傳福音的「業績」灰心，微小的開始在天主聖神的助祐之下，將會有豐盛的成果。以上是傳統的解釋，而前一句擴闊了我們的視野。

梵蒂崗第二次大公會議之後，天主教提出了「新福傳」。不是對教外的人傳福音，而是鼓勵已領洗的教友，接受持續的培育，以提高他們的信仰質素！原來我們有責任向自己傳福音！這樣的話，前一句的「富者越富，貧者越貧」，便給我們解決了「不知道種子怎樣生長」的疑問了。對於那些接受了洗禮的人，信仰有如逆水行舟，不進則退。「不進則退」，這不就是靈性上「富者越富，貧者越貧」的寫照嗎？倘若以為接受了洗禮，便畢業了，上了岸，不思進取，不作持續地自我培育，我們的靈性生命，將會日漸萎靡不振。因此，教會有幫助教友成聖的責任，「新福傳」是正確的方向。教友自己亦要認識這不進則退的道理，對聖神開放，日進於德。假以時日，大家的信仰質素，必會像芥子一樣，提升成為大樹！這「富者越富，貧者越貧」，不就是耶穌基督的「經濟學」嗎？

我們祇讀了上文的後半段，仍然犯了斷章取義的毛病。「富者越富」之前是這樣說的：「你們用甚麼尺度量給人，也要用甚麼尺度量給你們，且要多加給你們。」（4:24）字面上的意思，是鼓勵大家對別人慷慨。倘若你對人慷慨，天主會對你慷慨，而且要對你更加慷慨；倘若你對人吝嗇，天主也祇能對你吝嗇…但天主是悲慈的，祂怎樣對你更加吝嗇呢？讓我們轉換另一個概念看：權力。權力有如一柄雙刃劍，既方便行事，卻會腐化運用權力的人。接下一句的時候，變成「有權的越有權，無權的被剝去僅有的權力」！當你運用權力（尺度）來服務（量給人）的時候，天主會給你所需要的權力，而且多加權力給你服務，你變成「最大的」。當你運用權力謀私，不是「量給人」的時候，天主會給你權力謀私，而且多加權力反過來腐化你，最終你會一敗塗地！所以耶穌基督教訓我們說：「你們中那最大的，該作你們的僕役。」（瑪23:11）這不就是耶穌基督的「人事管理哲學」嗎？

但這句「權力是為了服務」，與兩個傳福音的比喻，有甚麼關係呢？
在結構上看，天主教確是一個很有制度，從上而下，階級權力分明，換句話說，很「官僚」的組織。2020年7月，教廷「聖職部」向全球的聖職人員發出指令，要求本地教會，從堂區層面開始，為傳福音作出適當的「牧民歸依」。這不是再一次印證天主教很「官僚化」嗎？請耐心地讓我說下去，不要過早下判斷。在這份文件裡，「聖職部」探討在目前的聖教法典框架內，堂區可以怎樣把權力和責任，下放到堂區教友的手上，使堂區更能成為一個「眾團體的團體」，共聚一起欽崇天主的團體，一個既能從天主聖言獲得滋潤的團體，更能在身處的社區（因為互聯網的普及，打破了舊有的地域觀念，而成為存在的空間），宣揚天主聖言，基督福音的團體。看來，教廷開始認識到種子如何生長的奧妙，並且有勇氣地從微末的景況下，向沒有把握的前程出發，信靠天主聖神的帶領，使由一小撮有如芥子般的神職人員所掌管的傳福音工作，變成大樹一樣，群策群力，以服務世人為目標的傳福音事業。

各位兄弟姊妹，在傳福音的使命上，你願意置身事外，讓自己的靈性生命漸漸枯萎？還是響應普世教會的「牧民歸依」，投身福傳工作，使自己的信仰，日漸壯大成長起來呢？
天主保祐！
2018年講道
圖片鳴謝：Wikipedia

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Eleventh Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Know Your Boss

Most of us are employees of some sorts and follow the instructions of our bosses. No matter you work to earn a living or to enjoy your interest, life would be difficult if you don’t find satisfaction in the tasks at hand! People differ in the job satisfaction they pursue. Some find it in monetary returns while others in achievement. Some work to satisfy customers’ needs while others in meeting the demands of their bosses … In whatever situation your boss is a decisive factor in your job satisfaction. Therefore, it is essential to know your boss! God/Jesus is our ultimate boss. How much do we know Him?
Try to reflect on the following two questions to help you better understand God. Then, in less than 20 words, illustrate Jesus’ attitude in the following areas:

1. Economics
2. Human Resource Management

When we study the texts of the Scripture, we should know their context in order to take a proper orientation in interpretation. For example, the verse before the gospel passage today reads, “To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”(Mark 4:25) How does this verse guide us to understand the parables of the growing seed and mustard seed? Usually, we interpret these two parables of the Kingdom of Heaven as a reference to evangelization. That is to say, the seed is the Word of God. The parable of the growing seed teaches us that when we evangelize, we only focus on the effort and not the outcome because we don’t know how the audience accepted the gospel (4:27). The outcomes are not the fruit of our efforts. The parable of the mustard seed encourages us not to be disheartened for the poor performance of evangelization. With the support of the Holy Spirit, a meagre beginning can have a bounty harvest. Verse 4:25 above extends the horizon of our interpretation.

After the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church started talking about a “New Evangelization”. It is not the proclamation of the gospel to non-believers. On the contrary, it is an effort to encourage those who were baptized to undergo continual formation to enhance the quality of their faith. It turns out that we have the responsibility to evangelize ourselves! Thus, the earlier verse, “The rich becomes richer and the poor poorer” solves the problem of “knowing not how the seed grows”. For those who were baptized, faith is like rowing a boat against the current. If you don’t make progress, you retreat. Isn’t “Progress or Perish” a correct description of our spiritual life? If we think we are graduated after baptism, we have reached the shore and have no intention to keep going and undergoing formation continually, our spiritual life will wither. The Church has the responsibility to sanctify the faithful. “New Evangelization” is the proper direction to go. The faithful should also understand the wisdom of this aphorism “Progress or Perish”. They should open up to the Holy Spirit and make progress in virtues. In time, the quality of our faith will be like the mustard seed which grows into the largest of plants. Isn’t this “The rich becomes richer and the poor poorer” the economics of Jesus Christ?

If we only read the one verse just before our passage, we still make the mistake of reading out of context. The verse before the “Rich becomes richer” reads, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.” (4:24) The verse literally encourages us to be generous towards the others. If we are generous to others, God will be generous and more generous to us. If we are miserly, God can only be miserly to you … But God is merciful. How can He be more miserly to you? Let us consider again by switching to another concept: authority. Authority is a double-edged sword. It facilitates our projects but at the same time, it corrupts the owner. When we read the verse together with the next, it becomes “People with authority get more authority. People without authority would be striped of the little authority they have”! When you exercise your authority (the measure) to serve (measure) others, God will give you the authority you need and still more will be given to you so that you become the greatest. When you abuse your authority to obtain privileges and not to serve others, God will give you the authority you need and still more will be given to you to corrupt you. In the end, you fall! Thus, Jesus Christ teaches us that “The greatest among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11) Isn’t this the human resources management policy of Jesus Christ?

What has this “Authority is for Service” to do with the two evangelization parables?
Structurally speaking, the Catholic Church is highly top-down hierarchical. In other words, she is very bureaucratic. In July 2020, the Congregation for the Clergy of the Roman Curia issued an Instruction to clergy all over the world, demanding local churches to undergo appropriate pastoral conversion on the parish level. Didn’t it prove once more how bureaucratic the Catholic Church is? Be patient. Don’t pass judgment too early. In this document, the Congregation explores how parishes can delegate authority and responsibilities to parishioners within the framework of the Canon Law. The aim is to make the parish become “A community of communities” coming together to worship God. It is a community nourished by the Word of God and a community to proclaim the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus to the neighbourhood. The popularity of the Internet has changed the concept of parish from a territorial space to an existential territory! This indicates that the Curia begins to understand the mystery of the seed which grows by itself. The Curia has the courage to start with a meagre situation and to move towards an uncertain future. Trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let the “mustard” group of clergy who have been in charge of evangelization become an inclusively great plant embracing all the faithful to serve the people on earth for evangelization.

Brethren! Would you stay away from the mission of evangelization, allowing your spiritual life to wither gradually? Or would you answer the call of “Pastoral Conversion” from the universal Church, involve yourself in evangelization and strengthening your faith day by day?
God bless!