常年期第十六主日，乙年
主題：善牧的心
過去的探監經歷，補充了我從前當老師時所累積的，單一的人生經驗。不同背景的囚友都異口同聲說，監獄是一個很理想的荒野，可以重新發現天主，與祂重建一個更有意義的關係。誠然，困在監獄裡失去了寶貴的自由，而且資源貧乏，想多讀一點書也諸多限制！不過正因為這些不足，讓我們失去了慣常的倚恃，反而更能親近天主，領受祂的慈愛。
進入常年期，沒有甚麼隆重慶典；彌撒的讀經，騰出了空間，讓我們更能細心回味耶穌基督的心意。今天的福音承接派遣十二宗徒出外傳教的事蹟，他們回來作出「業績」報告（谷6:30）。雖然福音沒有直接描述宗徒們報告的內容，但從後來聚集的人數看，宗徒們宣講的成果是非常理想的。他們為了宣講福音，可算是不遺餘力，沒有半點怠慢。
這是我們應該自我檢討的！梵二大公會議後，聖職人員再沒有宣講福音的專利，生活在人群中的平信徒，他們宣講福音的地位，已受到教會的重視。可是，在半個世紀之後的今天，有多少平信徒仍然把傳福音的責任推卸到聖職人員身上呢？這情況並不樂觀，因為信仰有如逆水行舟，不進則退。信仰要進步，就必須從信仰中，找到喜樂甘飴之處（伯前2:3）。福音的喜樂從何而來？就是從傳福音而來！看到別人領受福音後，獲得自由，可以長進，這是一件何等喜樂甘飴的事！所以，不傳福音，我們的信仰必然倒退！倘若信德失去了，難道單憑一張領洗紙，能葬在天主教墳場內，便可以進入天堂嗎？
固然這是天主的慈悲，但這也是我們應該自我檢討的！堂區團體，是一個實踐信仰，親近天主的地方，一個增強信、望、愛三德的地方。從彌撒的禮儀，衍生了不少善會組織，例如輔祭會、聖言宣讀組、非常務送聖體員和聖詠團等。原本是一個更精細，更能實踐信仰的地方，可惜這些善會普遍缺乏了信仰的分享和培育成份，變得事工性，使善會的效能大打折扣。另一方面，為了做好業績而本末倒置，祇追求做好自己負責的細節，忘記了禮儀的整體氛圍，提升教友的積極參與，獲得實在的神益！我們缺乏了主耶穌那份對成敗的淡薄，不知不覺地陷入了教宗方濟各在【你們要歡喜踴躍】宗座勸諭中，警告過的成聖障礙：「白拉奇主義」的誘惑！我們應該聽從主的命令，不一定要進入監獄裡，但一定要找到一個「荒野」的地方去休息一會兒，親近天主，享受和領悟禮儀的神髓；重整旗鼓，重振傳福音的心火！
「無牧之羊」或者「沒有牧人的羊」在聖經中出現過三次。第一次當梅瑟求天主安排一個領導人給以色列時，他就是這樣描述以色列人說：「望上主，賜給一切血肉氣息的天主，委派一人管理會眾，叫他處理他們的事件，領導他們出入，免得上主的會眾如無牧之羊」（戶27:16-17）。天主安排了若蘇厄繼承梅瑟，領導以色列人進入預許的福地；而若蘇厄的名字，希臘文就是「耶穌」！可見天主的計劃，何其遠大，祂的慈愛，永遠常存！這詞語第二次出現在以色列王阿哈布計劃與猶大聯手攻打阿蘭，猶大王約沙法特想從先知口中確定是天主所認可時，先知米加雅按上主的吩咐作虛言說：「我看見全以色列散在山上，好像沒有牧人的羊群。上主說：這些人既然沒有主人，就讓他們各自平安回家罷！」（列上22:17，編下18:16）。天主曾把自己的選民，無奈地交託給以色列的領導人照顧（撒上8:7）！可惜，這些領導人大多是殘民以自肥的人，能夠像梅瑟一樣無私地履行這職務的，寥寥無幾！雖然天主在末日會向那些邪惡的領導人算帳，但天主總不會讓祂的子民，沒有牧者照顧，讓他們自生自滅的。當這詞語第三次在福音中出現時，天主兌現了這善牧的承諾（瑪9:36，谷6:34），那份牧者的心以五餅二魚神蹟，表露無遺！
各位兄弟姊妹，雖然我們沒有耶穌基督行神蹟的能力，但最少也應該有梅瑟那份對天主所許必踐的信德，應該有愛人如己的愛德，關心近人靈魂的生死存亡，向他們宣講得救的福音。否則，我們的信仰將會倒退，自身難保了！
天主保祐！
2018年講道
圖片鳴謝：sjnews.org
Sixteenth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: The Heart of the Good Shepherd
My prison ministry has supplemented the previously simple life experience I had accumulated in my teaching career. Inmates from different backgrounds unanimously agreed that the prison is an ideal deserted place to discover God anew and to cultivate a more meaningful relationship with Him. Frankly, the imprisoned lose their precious freedom and there the resources are inadequate. There are many restrictions even on reading materials. And just because of this deficiency, we are able to come close to God and receive His blessings when we lose supports which we usually rely on.
Now that we have entered the Ordinary Times, there are not many solemnities to celebrate. We have more rooms in the readings to meditate and discover the heart of Jesus Christ. The story today follows the commission of the Twelve. They returned to report all they had done and taught (Mark 6:30). Although the gospel does not show us the contents of the reports, from the number of people gathered subsequently, their proclamation must have been very successful. They must have been very eager in evangelization, not a bit lazy.
We should examine ourselves! After Vatican II, evangelization is no longer the privileges of the clergy. The role of the laity who live among peoples is deemed important by the Church. But today after half a century among the laity, how many of them continue to push the responsibility of evangelization onto the clergy? The situation is not optimistic because faith is like sailing against the current. If you don’t make progress, you regress. In order to make progress in faith, we need to taste the goodness of God, the joy of the gospel (1 Peter 2:3). Where does the joy of the gospel come from? From evangelization! How joyful it is to see people gain freedom and grow after receiving the gospel! Thus, our faith regresses if we don’t proclaim the gospel! If our faith is lost, do you think your baptismal certificate which gives you permission to be buried in a Catholic cemetery is able to admit you to heaven?
The gospel today tells us that the apostles triumphantly reported their achievements but does not tell us whether Jesus Christ was satisfied or not. He simply says, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31) Obviously Jesus Christ has the power to read people’s mind. He saw that the excitement of the apostles was not enough to cover up their exhaustion! His heart was moved with pity for them (6:34) and told them to rest! This is an order, the Third Commandment of the Ten!
Of course God is merciful but we also need to examine ourselves! The parish community is a place to put our faith into practice, a place to come close to God and a place to build up our faith, hope and charity. Some laity associations have sprung up from the rites of the mass such as the acolytes, the lectors, the extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and the choir etc. These are more refined places to practise our faith. Unfortunately, many of these associations lack the sharing and formation of faith. They become very functional. Their effectiveness in building up faith is greatly reduced. On the other hand, for the sake of doing the tasks well, many put the cart before the horse. They seek perfection in discharging their duties at the expense of the overall ambiance of the liturgy, forgetting the active participation of the congregation and the effectiveness of obtaining grace! We lack the indifference toward success and failure which Jesus shows. Imperceptibly we fall into the temptation of Pelagianism, one of the two obstacles to sanctification, against which Pope Francis warned us in his apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate. We should obey the Lord’s order, not necessarily by going into prisons, to go away to a deserted place and rest a while, in order to become intimate with God, to enjoy the spirit of the liturgy, to recoup ourselves and rekindle our zeal for evangelization!
“Sheep without a shepherd” appears in three different occasions in the Bible. In the first, Moses begged God to arrange a leader for the Israelites whom he described as such. He says, “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all humanity, set over the community someone who will be their leader in battle and who will lead them out and bring them in, that the Lord’s community may not be like sheep without a shepherd.” (Numbers 27:16-17). God appointed Joshua to succeed Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The name Joshua in Greek is Jesus! How far-sighted God’s plan is and His mercy endures forever! The phrase appears a second time when Ahab, the king of Israel schemed to attack Aram together with Judah. King Jehoshaphat of Judah wanted to seek God’s assurance before they proceeded. Prophet Micaiah followed God’s instruction to speak in a lying spirit, “I see all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord saying, ‘These have no master! Let each of them go back home in peace.’” (1 Kings 22:17, 2 Chronicles 18:16). God had reluctantly allowed Israelite leaders to govern His Chosen People (1 Samuel 8:7). Regrettably, many of these leaders fattened themselves at the expenses of the people. Only a handful of them had discharged their duties altruistically! Although God would make these evil people accountable at the end of the world, He would not leave His people on their own without a shepherd. So, when this phrase appears for the third time, God honoured His good-shepherd pledge (Matthew 9:36, Mark 6:34) lavishly with the miracle of 5 loaves and 2 fish!
Brethren! Although we don’t have Jesus’ ability to work miracles, at least we should have the faith of Moses who trusted the faithfulness of God and have the charity to love our neighbour as ourselves. We should be concerned with the life and death of our neighbour’s souls and proclaim the gospel of salvation to them. Otherwise, our faith will regress and we can’t even save ourselves!
God bless!
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