How to Keep Humility in A Competitive World? 怎樣在競爭的世代保持謙卑？

Twenty Second Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: How to Keep Humility in A Competitive World? 怎樣在競爭的世代保持謙卑？

We are living in a modern commercial city called Hong Kong. Our existence is measured by our economic value: how capable we are in making money and how many houses, stocks and credit cards etc. we possess. In such a utilitarian milieu, most people would avoid those disadvantaged, marginalized, aged, sick, homeless and mentally deficient because they are economically worthless. Economically active people in lower rungs would develop an ambitious attitude and an assertive, outspoken manner to seek the attention of their bosses in order to facilitate their climbing up. People in the middle would gang together to compete with rival factions to attain control of a larger share of resources. Their minds are full of strategies and tricks, ready to betray without hesitation even their comrades. Nobody is able to stay long at the top …

In ancient times, people lived on the produce of the land and life was simple. It was natural and easy to support each other in extended families. However, it is impossible for extended families to exist in post-industrial societies and there’s no longer a kindred system based on blood-line to support each other. Alas! Though blood is thicker than water, river water can never meddle with underground water! People have to fend for themselves and there are more and more rivals who are marketing their talents in order to get employed! Today, many a Catholic would wonder how one might be able to stay humble in such a competitive world.

Jesus Christ is our Saviour and our Lord. We should follow His instructions to be humble. He says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) We should listen to His instructions with a pure heart (Matthew 5:8) and do not turn humility into a strategy! If you humble yourself in order to be exalted, then your humility is not genuine but hypocritical. Lord Jesus would not want us to become hypocrites. Therefore, Jesus is stating a reality which modern societies have blurred. Modern societies breed ambitious people and most of the ambitious usually overestimate themselves and easily ignore unfavourable elements. Overconfidence combined with ignorance is a sure formula for failure! In the end, those ambitious people would be humiliated. Their successes would only be brief.

Early in my meditation, I blamed the modern society for breeding ambitious people. It is insufficient because not all modern people are outspoken and ambitious. Indeed, there are introverts and autistic people too. Moreover, the chances of modern societies to revert to farming and feudalism are slim. Therefore, we need to consider the psychological factors as well. Why do people want to be exalted? If we are able to dig up the root causes of ambitions, perhaps we would be able to cure this arrogance disease.

When one is exalted, one becomes the focus of attention. Thus, people who hunger and thirst for exaltation are most probably infantile attention seekers! They have a certain group of people in mind and want this target group of people to know their presence and the work they are doing. Aren’t they similar to young children doing unreasonable things to catch the attention of their mothers? Most mothers play into their strategies, wishing to set up a rapport with their children and start teaching them something good. But seen from another perspective, those attention seekers are conditioning their “significant others”. Sometimes, it is hard to tell who is conditioning whom! On another level, take a look at how the advertising industry is keeping our economy in momentum and you will appreciate how wide reaching the attention-seeking culture is in modern societies. Ambitious people would resort to all sorts of means to assure themselves that they are important and indispensable! Our psychology is by and large moulded by this competitive society. How hard it is to resist the arrogance advocated in the societies nowadays.

Superficially, the first reading sounds hollow and irrelevant for us nowadays. “What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.” (Sirach 3:21) This is not the kind of modern life that we know of. In our dictionary, there are no such phrases as “too sublime for you” and “beyond your strength”. No, they are “challenges” which are meant to accept and attempt! Only losers and defeatists would decline! Consequently, more people suffer mental illnesses nowadays! Humanity pay a huge price to lead their life in a competitive environment. People believe in “social evolution” and believe that competitions will eliminate the weakest. In long run, humanity would become stronger. Such an oversimplification has ignored the fact that losers are not necessarily the weakest! In the end, ambitious people become losers when they burn out or are locked up in institutions.

The book of Sirach is a collection of wisdom sayings which are able to withstand the test of time. The wisdom enables us to keep our sanity in an insane world. Time is the key. “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens … a time to be silent, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7) I’m sure all of you know that Einstein started speaking at four. So, there is no need to worry and pressurize children to achieve milestones set up by so-called experts. How can you say that when a child does not speak, it is deaf-mute? When the time comes and a child is psychologically ready, it will speak. Now, the advice of Sirach rings true. When you are not prepared and ready to lift a 78-kg dumbbell, accepting such a “challenge” is foolish and disastrous. Therefore, it is wise to remain humble when you’re not ready! On the other hand, many geniuses shine forth at an early age. It would be a waste to straitjacket their development in formal schooling! Anyhow, they belong to the minority otherwise they are not geniuses! Thus for most of us, it is wise to remain humble to wait for the appointed time!

But when is the appointed time? How do we know when the appointed time is? Thus, it brings up another essential factor in life: knowledge! Without knowledge, the chances of getting things done properly would only be fifty-fifty. Not to mention scientific endeavours, even the act of loving needs knowledge! In “The Art of Loving”, Erich Fromm argues that knowledge is one of the four basic elements of love. Thus, it is impossible for true love to be blind! If the feeling of love is blind, it can only be infatuation etc. Thus, chances of success would be enhanced with knowledge and it is only logical and sensible to accumulate knowledge. But it takes time to accumulate knowledge and further distillation to attain wisdom. Alas! Patience is in short supply for modern people because time is money! Few people are willing to complete reading documentations and manuals. They look for quick fixes and shortcuts because time is money! Sirach’s advice rings truth again. “The mind of the wise appreciates proverbs, and the ear that listens to wisdom rejoices.” (Sirach 3:29)

Brethren! Our Lord is “The Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). If we are able to establish an intimate relationship with Him, we’ll be able partake in the Truth with which we’ll have the ultimate knowledge of everything. Be humble of heart and learn from our Lord, Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). When we’re in Him and He in us, we’ll surely be exalted. Amen.
2019 Reflection
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一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主 A Prudent, Righteous and Merciful God

一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主（瑪25:14-30）

主人是個知人善任的人，他在遠行之前，召集了自己的僕人，「把財產托付給他們：按照他們的才能，一個給了五個『塔冷通』，一個給了兩個，一個給了一個。」（瑪25:14-15）有些僕人不負所托，領了五個的，另外賺了五個；那個領了兩個的，也賺了另外兩個（25:16-17）。證明主人分散投資，是正確的做法！

從這個觀察所得，在這個比喻發生的宇宙裡，僕人最高的成就，就是把本錢加倍。即是說，把全數八個『塔冷通』交給第一個僕人所得的成果，與分散托付到不同僕人的成果都是一樣！
主人的明智，不但顯示在他懂得分散投資上；而且這樣分散投資，更反映了他的公義。倘若全數投放到最有本領的僕人手上，其餘的僕人祇會游手好閒，坐享其成。這不是僕人求之不得的安排嗎？可惜這樣做，便剝削了他們展露自己能力的機會，對他們不公平！所以，主人分散投資在幾個，而不是一個僕人身上，既明智，又公義！

主人在處理第三個僕人時，顯示了他的慈悲！此話何解？
首先，第三個僕人對主人的評價，即「你是個刻薄的人，在你沒有下種的地方收割，在你沒有散布的地方聚斂」（25:24），是正確的嗎？不可能！且看主人把自己的財產托付給他們，對他們是多麼信任。一個這麼信任自己僕人的主人，又怎可能會刻薄自己的僕人呢？事實上，在這個比喻的宇宙裡，有主人沒有下種的地方嗎？有主人沒有散布的地方嗎？沒有！所以第三個僕人是想把責任推卸到主人身上。

其次，即使主人明知這個僕人在推卸責任，但主人並沒有直接揭露他，反而順應他的指控，教導他正確的做法：「該把我的銀子，交給錢莊的人，待我回來時時， 把我連本帶利取回。」（25:27）雖然這個僕人最後受到應得的懲罰，但主人的慈悲是不容否定的。

各位兄弟姊妹，天主就是這樣的一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主，我們尚有何求呢？
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：smartchurchsolutions.com

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A Prudent, Righteous and Merciful God (Matthew 25:14-30)

The master knew the capabilities of his servants. Before he was going on a journey, he called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. “To one he gave five talents; to another two; to a third, one --- to each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15) Some servants met the master’s expectation. “The one who received five talents … made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two” (25:16-17). It proves that the master’s strategy of diversification was the right thing to do!

From this observation, in the universe of this parable, the greatest achievement a servant could make is to double the capital. That is to say, giving all eight talents to the first servant would yield the same results as distributing the talents to different servants!
The wisdom of the master is shown in his diversification of investment. But this diversification also shows his justice. Had he entrusted all talents to the best servant, the rest would have been sitting idly to enjoy the fruit of the first servant’s labour. Wouldn’t it be the wishes of the servants? Unfortunately, such an arrangement would have denied the opportunities for them to show off their talents. It would have been unfair to them. Thus diversification shows that the master is both prudent and just!

In dealing with the third servant, the master shows his mercy! Why?
First of all, was the evaluation of third servant on the master, viz. “You were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter” (25:24) a correct one? Impossible! See how the master entrusted his possessions to the servants, how he trusted them! Would a trusting master be mean and demanding on his servants? In fact, in the universe of this parable, would there be a place where the master did not plant? Would there be a place where the master did not scatter? No! Therefore, the third servant was trying to pass the blame onto the master.

Secondly, even though the master knew that the servant was trying to evade responsibility, he did not bluntly expose him. On the contrary, the master followed the servant’s logic and taught him the proper way, “Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?” (25:27) Although the servant received his due punishment, this did not negate the master’s mercy.

Brethren! God is such a prudent, righteous and merciful God. What else can we demand?
God bless!

「燈油」象徵天主的恩寵嗎？ Does “Oil” symbolize God’s grace?

「燈油」象徵天主的恩寵嗎？（瑪25:1-13）

傳統上，我們把「燈油」解釋為「恩寵」。但這個過份簡單的解釋，會引起很多毛病！
倘若「燈油」真的象徵「恩寵」，那些明智的童女（瑪25:4），便可以輕易地解釋為臨終時擁有足夠恩寵的信徒，死後可以順利地與主耶穌基督進入天堂；那些沒有的，自然就是臨終時沒有恩寵的信徒，死後便被耶穌基督拒諸天堂門外了。臨終時沒有恩寵怎麼辦？按明智童女的意見，到「賣油的那裡去，為自己買吧！」（25:9）這樣解釋看來漂亮，殊不知問題開始浮現了！

首先，自己擁有的恩寵，真的不可以分給別人嗎？即使「恩寵」真的不能分給別人，但為甚麼明智的童女不去幫助糊塗的童女買「恩寵」呢？這樣顯得她們有點自私！倘若我們真的不能為別人求恩寵，那麼我們所相信的「諸聖相通功」，我們為生者死者及罪人祈禱，豈不是白費心機嗎？所以，就憑「諸聖相通功」的道理，我們肯定可以把恩寵「過戶」給缺乏恩寵的人。

第二個問題便來了，那裡是「賣油」，即是「賣恩寵」的地方呢？小心！是教會嗎？濫用「贖罪券」觀念所帶來的教訓，相信大家不會忘記吧！教會是明智的，否則她便重犯壟斷天主救恩的錯誤，否定了天主至高無上的地位！所以把「燈油」解釋為「恩寵」，是很有問題的！

新郎怎樣說？祂對糊塗的童女說：「我不認識妳們。」（25:12）原來問題根本不在於糊塗的童女沒有「燈油」，而在於「認識」與否！但新郎是耶穌基督，祂怎會不認識所有人呢？所以這個「不認識」，必另有外指。
我們不妨參考教宗方濟各的教導。【你們要歡喜踴躍】宗座勸諭說：「真福八端就像基督徒的身份證。」（GE #63）這是基督徒與及所有懷有善意的人的生活態度，當然不能假手於人或者分給別人！在末日審判時，君王所提出的六項「形哀矝」，並沒有教會壟斷的餘地。所以，把「燈油」象徵「真福八端」，我覺得比較妥當。
主祐大家！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：dailydevotions.blog.fc2.com

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Does “Oil” symbolize God’s grace? (Matthew 25:1-13)

Traditionally, we explain “oil” to be a symbol of “grace”. But this over-simplified explanation is problematic!
If “oil” truly symbolizes “grace”, those wise virgins (Matthew 25:4) can easily be interpreted as those faithful who die with sufficient grace to enter heaven together with Jesus Christ without any impediment. Those without “oil” are logically faithful who die without grace and shall be denied entrance into heaven. What should be done for those without grace on the dying bed? According to the opinion of the wise virgins, “Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves” (25:9) The answer looks smart but problems start to arise!

Firstly, can’t we share the grace we possess with others? Even if “graces” can’t be shared, why then don’t the wise ones help the foolish ones buy “graces”? The wise ones look selfish! If we are truly unable to obtain graces for the others, what’s our point in believing in the “communion of saints” and praying for sinners, for the living and the dead? Thus, with the truth of the “communion of saints”, we are certain that we are able to “transfer” graces to those who are in need of graces.

Then the second problem arises. Where can people “buy graces”? Beware! Is it the Church? I trust all of us won’t forget the lesson of abusing the concept of “indulgence certificates”! The Church is prudent. Otherwise, she would commit again the mistake of monopolizing God’s salvation and denial of the supreme status of God! Therefore, interpreting “oil” as a symbol of “grace” is problematic!

What does the bridegroom say? He replies, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” (25:12) Therefore, it is not an issue of foolish virgins not having “oil”, but the bridegroom not knowing them! However, the bridegroom is Jesus Christ. How can He not know all? Therefore, this “not knowing” must mean something else.

Let’s take the cue from the teaching of Pope Francis. The apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate says, “The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card.” (GE #63) This is the attitude live up by Christians and people of goodwill. Of course, this can’t be given away! At the Last Judgment, the Church has no room to monopolize the six corporal works of mercy demanded by the King. Thus, I opine that it’s better for “oil” to symbolize “the Beatitudes”.
God bless!

原來假善人就是惡僕 Hypocrites are Wicked Servants

原來假善人就是惡僕（瑪24:42-51）

為甚麼惡僕與假善人會遭受同樣的命運呢（瑪24:51）？
惡僕「拷打自己的同伴，甚或同醉漢一起吃喝」（24:49），是個明目張膽的惡人。他並沒有偽裝自己是善人，為甚麼他們與假善人會遭受同樣的命運呢？
那些經師和法利塞假善人，有拷打自己的同伴，同醉漢一起吃喝嗎？都沒有！為甚麼他們與惡僕會遭受同樣的命運呢？

雖然經師和法利塞假善人沒有拷打其他經師和法利塞人，但是他們憑自己的專業知識，「吞沒了寡婦的家產，而以長久的祈禱作掩飾」（23:14），與惡僕拷打自己的同伴，傷害自己的同胞，沒有分別。倘若有，就是惡僕不作任何掩飾罷了！經師和法利塞假善人本末倒置，輕重不分，與一個醉漢的行為有甚麼分別？所以，那些有權勢有地位的假善人，本質上就是一個與醉漢酗酒，拷打自己同伴的惡僕！

雖然惡僕未必擁有好像經師和法利塞人的專業知識，但是他們都是坐在應受尊敬的位置上，行使權力，為人民服務（羅13:1）。當他們善盡職守的時候，天主當然會獎勵他們（瑪24:47）；但當他們「憑權位，張爪牙，殘民以自肥」的時候，他們與濫用專業知識，吞沒寡婦家產的法利塞假善人，沒有分別！

默想到這裡，我們不得不牽掛著教會內的神職班。感謝天主，我們有很多充滿聖德的神長；但亦有惡行昭彰，令人側目，披著羊皮的豺狼。教會的確是一個罪人的教會，教我們怎可以不謙卑呢？可幸教會也是至聖的教會，耶穌基督一定會愛護祂的淨配，使她毫無瑕疵（弗5:27）！

且讓我們請求聖母瑪利亞，天地的母皇，諸寵中保，為天主子民所有的公務員轉禱，保護他們的聖召。縱使跌倒了，仍然屢敗屢戰，繼續跑到終點，打完這場好仗（弟後4:7）。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：myfathersworldsite.wordpress.com

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Hypocrites are Wicked Servants (Matthew 24:42-51)

Why is the wicked servant assigned a place with the hypocrites (Matthew 24:51)?
The wicked servant who “beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards” (24:49) is a blatant rascal. He does not put up a good face. Why is he counted among the hypocrites?
On the other hand, did the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees beat their fellow scribes and Pharisees? Did they eat and drink with drunkards? No! Why then are they counted among wicked servants?

Although the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees have not beaten their fellow scribes and Pharisees, they abuse their expertise to “devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers” (23:14). Their harming their own countrymen is not different from the wicked servant who beats up fellow servants. The only difference is that the wicked servant does not pretend to be good! The scribes and Pharisees put the cart before the horse and set the priorities wrong. How are they different from drunkards? Therefore, those hypocrites in power are essentially wicked servants who beat up fellow countrymen and get drunk among themselves!

Although wicked servants may not possess expertise like scribes and Pharisees do, they are seated in respectable authorities to serve the people (Romans 13:1). When they do, certainly God will reward them (Matthew 24:47). But when they abuse their authority to fatten themselves, they rank among the hypocritical Pharisees who abuse their expertise to devour the houses of widows!

When I come to this point in meditation, I can’t help but am concerned with the clergy within the Church! Thanks be to God because we have many saintly clergymen. Yet, there are also scandalous wolves in sheep’s clothing. The Church is truly a Church of sinners. How can we not be humble? Fortunately, the Church is also holy. Jesus Christ loves His Spouse and will make her “without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27)!

Let us pray to Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Mediatrix of all graces, to intercede for the civil servants of the People of God to protect their vocation so that they might continue fighting to finish the race despite repeated fallings (2 Timothy 4:7). Amen.

福傳有何難？ Is Evangelization Really Difficult?

福傳有何難？（若1:45-51）

在傳福音的事業上，天主教徒與基督教徒相比，的確望塵莫及。天主教徒相當「內歛」，他們托辭甚麼「身教」比「言教」有效，又「謙遜地」說自己沒有足夠的神學訓練，恐怕說了異端，誤人子弟云云…便祇做愛德服務，甚少向教外人宣講；倒喜歡在教友之間發表高論，該怎樣領聖體纔算虔誠！

今天福音所選讀的章節，記述斐理伯宗徒示範了傳福音時應有的步驟。讀過之後，誰還可以說自己沒有傳福音的能力呢？
猶太人是天主的選民，他們有法律和先知作為他們的文化背景。因此，在辨別事物的真偽時，會參考法律和先知。斐理伯向自己的同鄉納塔乃耳所說的，並不是甚麼生澀的神學論述，而是他們共同擁有的文化背景。「梅瑟在法律上所記載」（若1:45）的，大概是指「上主你的天主，要由你中間，由你兄弟中，為你興起一位像我一樣的先知，你們應聽信他。」（申18:15，34:10）。而在【依撒意亞先知書】，我們可以找到很多有關默西亞的預言，這些都是猶太人所熟悉的。

斐理伯示範了傳福音的三個要素：第一，不是運用嚴謹的哲學或者動聽的詭辯，更不是為了譁眾取寵而犧牲了真理。而是從實際的和共同的經驗中，指出天主的臨在。第二，宣講的內容不是自己精闢的高論，而是「納匝肋的耶穌」（若1:45）。斐理伯不是在宣傳自己，而是宣傳耶穌基督。第三，尊重聽眾，不強迫聽眾接受自己的宣講，而是讓聽眾自己決定，「你來看一看吧」（1:46）。

請注意，令納塔乃耳信服的，並非斐理伯，而是耶穌基督自己（1:48-49）。斐理伯祇要帶領納塔乃耳到耶穌基督的面前，便功德圓滿。斐理伯在十二宗徒之中，並不算是一個特出的人物。朋友，如果他也可以做到，難道你不會做得更出色嗎？
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：wikimedia.org

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Is Evangelization Really Difficult? (John 1:45-51)

Catholics are far more inferior in evangelization than Protestants. Catholics are more reserved. They make excuses such as, “actions speak louder than words” or “humbly” confess that they have not attained sufficient theological trainings lest they would speak heresies etc. So, they would mostly do charitable services and seldom proclaim the gospel to non-believers. Instead, they enjoy airing their opinions among parishioners about which way of receiving the Holy Communion is more pious!

In the gospel passage today, we see how Philip demonstrated the proper manner of evangelization. After reading it, who can deny his own ability to proclaim the good news?
The Jews were God’s Chosen People. Torah and Prophets were their cultural backdrops. Thus, in discerning the truth of something, they would refer to Torah and Prophets. Philip did not speak to his fellow Jew Nathanael in heavy theological treatise but their common cultural background. “The one about whom Moses wrote in the law” (John 1:45) probably refers to “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among their kindred; that is the one to whom you shall listen.” (Deuteronomy 18:15, 34:10) And in the book of Isaiah, we will be able to find many prophecies about the Messiah. All Jews knew this well.

Philip demonstrated three essential elements in evangelization: Firstly, we do not speak to people with stringent philosophy or eloquent sophism. Nor can we please them by watering down the truth. Instead, we point out the presence of God with practical and common experiences. Secondly, the proclamation is not our refined researches but the “Jesus from Nazareth” (John 1:45). Philip did not promote himself but proclaim Jesus Christ. Thirdly, we should respect our audience and do not shove our proclamation down their throats. Let them decide. “Come and see.” (1:46)

Note that it was not Philip who convinced Nathanael but Jesus Christ Himself (1:48-49). Philip simply brought Nathanael before Jesus and his mission was accomplished. Among the Twelve, Philip was not outstanding. My friends, if Philip could do it, can’t you do better?
God bless!

本末倒置 Putting the Cart before the Horse

本末倒置（瑪23:23-26）

法律有可見的「條文」部份，和不可見的「精神」部份。試問，守法的人一定是本著法律的精神履行法律嗎？不一定。例如，政府制定納稅的法律，旨在「劫富濟貧」，減輕社會上貧富懸殊的問題。試問那一位納稅人是本著減輕貧富懸殊的精神納稅呢？同理，不按法律行事的人，就沒有遵守法律的精神嗎？例如，制定安息日的法律，旨在慶祝自由人的身份，能夠騰出時間休息，可以有時間紀念上主的創造和解放（出20:11；申5:15）耶穌卻經常在安息日治病！試問誰可以說耶穌沒有遵守安息日法律的解放精神呢？

再推演多一步，守法並不保證這個人擁護法律的精神；同理，不守法並不表示這個人反對法律所維護的倫理價值。所以，教會內就「口領聖體」與「手領聖體」，誰孰虔誠的爭論，既不能辨明真理，又傷害兄弟共融，何苦挑起爭論呢？「口領聖體」並不保證這個人尊重耶穌基督的聖體；另一方面，我們憑甚麼判斷「手領聖體」的人不虔誠呢？祇注重法律的條文而忽略了法律的精神，便犯了「本末倒置」，不分輕重的毛病！當代的經師和法利塞人，正是犯了這個毛病。所以耶穌說：「你先應清潔杯的裡面，好叫它外面也成為清潔。」（瑪23:26）掌握著法律的精神行事，雖不中亦不遠矣！

福音中的經師和法利塞人，不但犯了本末倒置的毛病，更把法律變成武器，攻擊異己！他們不但指摘耶穌不遵守法律，在安息日治病；更請君入甕，企圖搜集耶穌的犯罪證據（12:10）！他們熟悉法律條文，但並沒有培養出對倫理價值的熱衷，約束不了對錢財權勢的私慾，最後成了殺死耶穌的兇手之一，的確可悲。
主啊！讓我們對祢聖言的熱愛，有助我們獲得真實的心靈解放。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：youridioms.com

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Putting the Cart before the Horse (Matthew 23:23-26)

Law consists of visible letters and invisible spirit. Allow me to ask, do law-abiding people obey the laws in the spirit of the law? Not necessarily! For example, governments set up taxation laws in order to minimize the problem of polarization of wealth in the society. Which taxpayers pay tax with the intention to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor? Similarly, do people who don’t follow the law oppose the spirit of law? For example, the Sabbath law celebrates the freedom from slavery. People are free to take a rest and to remember God’s creation and liberation (Exodus 20:11; Deuteronomy 5:15). However, Jesus always cured the sick on Sabbath! Can we say that Jesus opposes the spirit of liberation enshrined in the Sabbath law?

Take a step further, obeying the law does not guarantee a person supports the spirit of the law. Similarly, not obeying the law does not mean that person opposes the moral values enshrined in the law. Therefore, the controversy over which is more pious and appropriate, receiving the Holy Communion on the tongue or in the hand is fruitless. The quarrel is unable to unearth the truth and it damages fraternal communion. Why started the fight! Receiving the Holy Communion on the tongue does not guarantee that the person respects Jesus Christ present in the host. On the other hand, with what evidence can we judge that a person who receives the Holy Communion in the hand is impious? Focusing on the letters of the law and ignoring its spirit is putting the cart before the horse. It is a mistake of wrong priorities! The contemporary scribes and Pharisees were making such a mistake. Thus Jesus says, “Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” (Matthew 23:26) Act in accordance to the spirit of the law, though missed would never go astray.

Not only did the scribes and Pharisees misplaced their priorities, but they also deployed the law as a weapon to attack those who opposed them! Not only did they accuse Jesus of not obeying the law, healing the sick on Sabbath, but they also set up traps to collect evidence incriminating Jesus (12:10)! They knew the letters of the law thoroughly and yet such knowledge did not cultivate a love of moral values in them nor restrain their thirst for wealth and power. In the end, they were among the murderers of Jesus Christ. How pitiful!
Lord! Let our passion for Your word help us attain spiritual liberation. Amen.

日久見人心 Authenticity Will Manifest In Time

日久見人心（瑪23:13-22）

「毋忘初心」是近年來流行的「潮語」，我覺得這句話膚淺有餘，浪漫不足！有些人真的是放棄了理想，改變了初衷，向現實低頭了嗎？抑或他們根本在混水摸魚，是我們自己天真，以為這些人有高尚的「初心」而已！所謂「路遙知馬力，日久見人心」，我們終於認識到他們的真面目。

公元前586年，巴比倫帝國滅了南國猶大，把猶太人充軍到巴比倫去。耶路撒冷聖殿被毀，再沒有舉行祭祀的地方。所有司祭突然失業，人民的宗教生活蕩然無存。眼見天主選民的身份漸漸消失，就在這時候，出現了一群經師和法利塞人，制定了猶太的法律和經典，拒絕與外族通婚，拒絕為巴比倫帝國服務，以保天主選民的身份和血統的純正。他們真是高風亮節，以不流血的筆墨，救國救民。在充軍到巴比倫時，這些經師和法利塞人，可算是金庸所定義的「大俠」了。

同樣是亡國，猶大成為了羅馬帝國的殖民地。但時移勢易，「大俠」已無用武之地，經師和法利塞人已經變成了協助統治者迫害自己同胞的幫兇。加入這個行列的人，從來沒有救國救民的「初心」。 他們掌握的，是讓人得救的法律和經典。可惜他們所追求的，不是天主的救贖（天國），而是一己的私利。難怪耶穌批評他們「給人封閉了天國：自己不進去，也不讓願意進去的人進去。」（瑪23:13）

各位兄弟姊妹，耶穌基督是慈悲的，即使經師和偽善的法利塞人不再是「大俠」，耶穌基督絕對不會放棄任何一個「以色列的師傅」（若3:10）。所謂「愛之越深，責之越切」，難怪耶穌用「禍哉」這樣嚴厲的語氣斥責他們。希望能喚醒他們，悔改回頭，信從福音。
主啊！讓我們認識祢的「初心」，跟隨祢的引導，邁向天國。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：ifiwalkedwithjesus.com

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Authenticity Will Manifest In Time (Matthew 23:13-22)

In recent years, “Forget Not the Initial Aspiration FNIA” is a popular slang. I think it is more naïve than romantic! Do people really forsake their ideal, give up their initial intention and yield to reality? Or we have been too naïve to think that their “initial aspiration” is noble but in fact, they fake to take advantages! As the aphorism goes, “The stamina of a horse will be known in long distance and in time the authenticity of the heart will be revealed.” At last, we know their true colours.

In 586 B.C., the Babylonian Empire conquered Judah and the people were exiled to Babylon. The Jerusalem Temple was destroyed and there was nowhere to offer sacrifices to God. Suddenly priests became unemployed and people had no more religious life. Their identity as God’s Chosen People was vanishing. At this critical moment, a group of scribes and Pharisees emerged to formalize their laws and scriptures. In order to defend their identity as God’s Chosen People and the purity of their bloodline, they refused to marry Gentiles nor to work for the Babylonian Empire. Their character was truly noble and they saved the country and her people, not with steel and blood but ink. During the Babylonian Captivity, those scribes and Pharisees were heroic.

Now that they were under the Roman colonial rule, the situation had changed. The scribes and Pharisees were national heroes no more but accomplices of colonial rulers to subjugate their own fellow countrymen. Those who joined the rank did not have any “initial aspiration” to save the country at all. They possessed the laws and scriptures that are salvific. Regrettably, they sought not God’s redemption (aka kingdom of heaven) but self-interests. No wonder Jesus criticized them, “You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.” (Matthew 23:13)

Brethren! Jesus Christ is merciful. Though the scribes and Pharisees were national heroes no more, He would not forsake one single “teacher of Israel” (John 3:10). The deeper the love is, the more burning the chastisement is. No wonder Jesus uses such harsh words as “Woe to you” against them, hoping to wake them up to repentance and belief in the good news.
Lord! Allow us to know Your “IA”, follow your lead to march towards the KH. Amen.

Can’t Afford to Be Complacent 不能安於逸樂

Twentieth First Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Can’t Afford to Be Complacent 不能安於逸樂

Even though some Chinese reject Christianity, saying that it is an alien religion, actually a lot of Jesus’ teachings sound very much like traditional Confucian teachings. Of course, if you want to, you are able to find a lot of differences. After all, the two cultures speak different languages and employ different images to convey similar messages. Today, Jesus uses the metaphor of a ”narrow door” to tell the followers that they need to be strong enough in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven which is liken to a walled city with only one opening, a narrow door (Luke 13:24). This is a very vivid image which his audience knew well.
It is true even in China that ”A man’s home is his castle”. In China, the houses of the rich and powerful were a miniature of a walled city. There was a huge middle door in the front to receive government officials and dignitaries and a narrower side door for daily uses. Some even have a small narrow opening for dogs which carries a famous ambassador story 晏子使楚which goes like this. A king wanted to insult an ambassador from a rival kingdom who was short in stature but was very quick-witted. The welcoming party attempted to insult him and showed the visiting ambassador to a narrow opening to enter the capital. The witty ambassador says, ”People enter a country of dogs through a door for dogs. Am I visiting a country of dogs?” The story continues to show off the wits of the ambassador to accomplish his mission in dignity. So, Chinese audience might not find resonance in this ”narrow door” metaphor because it will conjure up a different image in the Chinese mind. Don’t worry. The Chinese have the same teaching expressed in other ways.

Mencius 孟子 belonged to the third generation of Confucius’ disciples. He was responsible for extending Confucianism to new contexts. In one of his treatises, he began by quoting the lives of historically outstanding individuals. He analysed, drew lessons from their lives and came to a paradoxical aphorism that ”People prosper in tribulations and perish in comforts.生於憂患，死於安樂” Of course, we will not be able to find any teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven in Mencius’ writings. However, Confucianism also teaches her version of an ideal society in which every individual is able to fully utilize his talents and every piece of land can fully yield its resources etc. Isn’t this ideal society similar to our concept of the Kingdom of Heaven in which justice and peace prevail?

Moreover, does Mencius’ teaching sound familiar? Yes, we find it in the second reading today. ”My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciples; he scourges every son he acknowledges” (Hebrews 12:5-6) In one stroke, the author of Hebrews answers the perennial mystery of why good people suffer. If God loves good people, why does God allow good people to suffer? The story of Job tries to answer this mystery. But modern people would feel that God was bullying Job, rubbing salts on his wounds instead of answering the mystery. In the light of Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection, the author of Hebrews is able to find meaning in sufferings. God loves good people and therefore disciples them so as to bring the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by discipline (12:11) This ”peaceful fruit of righteousness” is the ”healing” mentioned in 12:13. Whereas in the language of Mencius, it is not ”healing” but ”successes and achievements on the national level”! So, both Christianity and Confucianism agree that sufferings help people develop whereas comforts and complacency would only lead to downfall!

The Jews were proud of their ancestor Abraham because he was a good friend of Yahweh. Yahweh was faithful and pledged to make Abraham’s descendants a Chosen People. God made them wealthy and powerful and the United Kingdom of Israel reached her zenith in the dynasty of King Solomon, the son of King David. They felt secure and became complacent. Inevitably, when their prosperity went up, their morality went downhill and consequently, they were conquered by the Assyrians and again by the Babylonians. Before Jesus’ public ministry, John the Baptist scolded the Jews that ”Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones” (Luke 3:8) because they had ignored Isaiah’s prophecy in the first reading we hear today. It is an excerpt from the last chapter of the book of Isaiah. It is a prophecy about the future Kingdom of Heaven which is catholic, universal and all-inclusive. We read of names of foreign places which had never known God. Therefore, God scattered the Jews all over the world in order to spread the knowledge of God to foreign peoples. God also intended to make the Jews let go of their mistaken concept of being an exclusive Chosen People of God. Isaiah says, ”They shall bring all your kin from all the nations as an offering to the Lord” (Isaiah 66:20). The wordings in the last chapter of Isaiah were ambiguous. The meaning of ”your kin from all the nations” can be interpreted narrowly as the Jews scattered all over the nations. But it can also be interpreted as the converts from all the nations. Those converts had become the brothers and sisters of the Jews.
Despite the ambiguity of wordings, one thing is certain. All those who enter the Kingdom of Heaven must be the best ones because they are worthy like ”an offering to the Lord”. In Genesis, God did not look with favour on Cain’s offering because Cain did not act rightly (Genesis 4:7). We assume that Cain did not offer the best to God. He reserved the best produce for himself and offered to God the spare and disposables. Interpreted in this manner, the best people would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. To further clarify the point, Isaiah continues, ”Some of these I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:21) It was unimaginable for the Jews to have priests and Levites consecrated from Gentiles. Similarly, it is unimaginable to have woman priests in the Catholic Church while it is perfectly legitimate for Protestants to have woman pastors! Nowadays, we know that the narrow interpretation is wrong. The Kingdom of Heaven is catholic, universal and is not exclusively Jewish. It requires an open-mind, not a complacent attitude in order to enter.

Brethren! Jesus has taught us to be poor, mournful and meek (Matthew 5:3-5)? How can we be poor, meek and mournful but at the same time strong enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the narrow door (Luke 13:24)? Obviously, Jesus is not talking about physical strength and a physical door but spiritual strength and spiritual gate. Now, the second reading today becomes even more meaningful. God allows us to suffer not only to discipline us, but also to strengthen us so that we may be strong enough to enter through the narrow door. We become spiritually poor when we are comfortable to let go of our wealth. When we spend our riches to help the needy and disadvantaged in the society, we become less burdened by worldly worries. We become lighter and slimmer spiritually and will easily go through the narrow door of heaven. Look at it from another perspective, good habits become virtues through constant practices. Charity becomes a theological virtue when we establish good habits to serve the needy. In another Last Judgment story in Matthew, Jesus lay down six corporal works or mercy: to feed the hungry, to drink the thirsty, to cloth the naked, to give shelter to the homeless, to care for the sick and visit the imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-36). These works are not exclusively Christian. Any people of goodwill, whether they know Jesus or not, are able to do. Once more, the catholicity of the first reading is confirmed.

Brethren! Be strong by doing more corporal works of mercy so that we may enter through the narrow gate.
God bless!
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: tfscc.org

What Kind of Division Is Good? 怎麼樣的「分裂」是好的？

Twentieth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: What Kind of Division Is Good? 怎麼樣的「分裂」是好的？

Christians are called to become saints and in following the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, loving each other as He has, we form a community of saints. He leaves behind His Body and Blood so that when we celebrate the Eucharist and receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, we become one in the Lord (John 17:11, 21-23). We treasure this communion and see division as a bad thing. However, in the gospel reading today, Jesus says, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51) Let us meditate on this apparent contradiction.

Let me make myself clear. I believe that not all divisions are bad. Times and again, division is beneficial for the well-being of a community. Why? The book of Genesis tells us that we were created in the image of God. Each and every one of us is unique but we are not omnipotent like God. It follows that we are incomplete simply because while we are good at doing one thing, we are inefficient in doing other things. That’s why after creating Adam, God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him.” (Genesis 2:18). Then came the first division, the division of genders and division of labour! Division of labour helps a community grow and prosper. More groupings are welcome.

Men live from the produce of the earth. They live in groups to support each other. Some gather fruits while others hunt. Some plough the field while others keep cattle etc. Their population grows until the land is no longer able to feed them all. Regrettably, resources are scarce. Further division is necessary for the survival of all. Some groups need to move away to look for new resources. Otherwise, the community need to start killing off the weaker ones so that the whole community might continue to survive. Therefore, natural division is beneficial. It’s only when people in power start imposing arbitrary divisions that unnecessary sufferings multiply!

On the other hand, we see that peace in the form of stability is actually very fragile. The world is changing all the time. Worse still, with the advancements of technology, changes are taking place in an accelerating rate so that many people are unable to catch up! At the same time, our wants are insatiable and we are depleting resources very quickly so that many people are competing with each other in order to maximize their benefits and fight for the control of essential resources. Disputes and conflicts arise among factions. Sometimes they even resort to violence which leads to bloodsheds of the innocent. In order to resolve disputes among individuals and groups in a peaceful manner and to protect the innocent, governments pass laws to settle disputes. However, some empires don’t trust the subjects they govern. So, they build up invincible armies to crush rebellions and pass laws beyond reasonable proportions, turning the empire into a mega-prison. They pride themselves and give it a beautiful name: Pax Romana! Probably, Jesus was referring to Pax Romana when He says, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?”

No! Jesus intends to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in justice and love. That’s what He meant when He says, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Luke 12:49) He is going to accomplish this mission through His Passover, viz. His Passion and Resurrection. He calls His crucifixion, burial and resurrection “a baptism with which I must be baptized” (12:50). Out of love, He willingly obeys the will of the Father to die on the cross to redeem us. He defeats Satan’s scheme of disobedience with total obedience, defeats evil with goodness! “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12:32) Only when evil is banished can genuine peace then be established. It is peace in Christ.

Pay attention to the description of division in Jesus’ words. He talks about two against three and not one against four. It was because one against four would give a superficial peace either in the form of democracy in which the majority rules and the minority exploited, or in the form of totalitarianism in which the minority rules and the majority exploited. Both forms of peace are fragile.
Why does Jesus mention only the division within the family and not some bigger groupings? It is simply because if you are unable to manage yourself and your family, how are you able to manage your country? The first reading today illustrates this well. It was a tragic story.

It was God’s will for the Babylonian Empire to conquer Judah to make her repent for her idolatry. During the first conquest, the king of Judah was killed in action and the Babylonian conqueror made Zedekiah a puppet king to serve Babylon. Jeremiah was speaking God’s will to the people, telling them not to resist but to surrender (Jeremiah 38:2). Of course those words fell on deaf ears and antagonized the hawks among the government officials. Thus, Jeremiah was arrested and sunk into mud (38:6). The weakness of King Zedekiah was shown when an Ethiopian court official came to speak for Jeremiah. The King overturned his previous decision and ordered Jeremiah to be withdrawn from mud (38:10)! Zedekiah was truly a puppet. He created confusion instead of peace when he did not discharge his authority properly. When authority is not properly exercised in justice, there can be no genuine peace.

Brethren! We have chosen to follow Jesus Christ or rather Christ has attracted and chosen us to follow Him. Do we share the same passion for the building of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth as Jesus does? If we do, we will be disrupting the status quo because the secular world is made up of structures of sin to exploit the disadvantaged. If we do, we will surely meet oppositions and cause divisions! If we do, we will be marginalized or persecuted by abusive government officials. If we do, we’ll be receiving a similar baptism Jesus has undergone (Mark 11:39)! The second reading today says well, “Consider how He endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:3) Yes, for our sake, He’s been there. So, don’t lose heart. Persevere to the end and we’ll be saved (Matthew 14:13)
Bear in mind that the Father has chosen us to be ambassadors of Christ to reconcile the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:20) Have faith in the Lord that divisions will only be temporary. In the end, in the justice and mercy of God, genuine peace will prevail in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: landofredemption.com

Have Faith in the Master 對主懷有信心

Nineteenth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Have Faith in the Master 對主懷有信心

Faith is a thread that runs through all the readings today. Let me start from the second reading.
“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NAB) The word “realization” is one of the many choices of rendering the Greek word “ὑπόστασις”. KJV renders it “substance” while RSV “assurance” and NIV “confidence” etc. Similarly, the word “evidence ἔλεγχος” is rendered “assurance” in NIV and “conviction” in RSV. Thus, the choice of word reflects the theology advocated by the translators. Therefore, the margin in an understanding of a word in a particular context can be wide. Let’s take an everyday dictionary meaning of “faith” to mean “trust and confidence” in order to continue with our meditation.

We have experience of the things we know. There is no need of having faith or putting faith in them at all. We are even able to chart their courses of development. For example, we know and have experience of sunrise. We don’t need to have faith in the sun for it to rise tomorrow. We simply wait and we are even able to countdown for the first light of the morning to burst forth. For things which we are less familiar, we still don’t need faith in them in order to chart their course of development. It is because we have experiences with similar things and we are able to generalize the experiences and apply the generalization to similar situations. For example, in general clergy keep promises; policemen protect the lives and property of citizens; sooner or later, gamblers will lose all their money, unpunished corrupt officials will fall with their governments and plurality survives longer than uniformity etc. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules of thumb but the hit-rate is good enough and we feel comfortable to embrace these generalizations. When the proportion of uncertainties increases, the role of faith becomes more prominent.

It is in unfamiliar or even unknown situations that we need faith to maintain our composure because we have nothing in hand to refer to. For example, in one-on-one competitions such as chess, boxing and tennis etc., competitors would study the performance of rivals and draw up plans of engagement. They try to eliminate as many uncertainties as possible. But there are always unheard of “dark-horses” and “giant-killers”. In the end, players can only rely on faith in their own skills in order not to make too many mistakes. In situations never seen before, people can only rely on their faith in God.

Take the example of the first reading today from the book of Wisdom, chapter 18. Starting from chapter 11, the author wrote a commentary on the story of Exodus. In the particular excerpt today, the author comments on the last plague and the Passover. “That night was known beforehand to our ancestors, so that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage.” (Wisdom 18:6) The Israelites had settled in Egypt for more than 400 years. Egypt was fertile and conducive to their growth in population. Yet the Egyptian environment was filled with idols which provided easy solutions to different aspects of social needs such as fertility, health, agriculture and warfare etc. Yahweh worship failed to take root and to occupy a significant presence in this piece of alien land. Yahweh had become an unknown deity for the Israelites. They had lost their cultural identity as God’s Chosen People. So, when God revealed Himself to Moses, God says, “I am the God of your father, He continued, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6) Had any Israelites ever seen any of those remote ancestors before? They had absolutely no experience of them, not to mention the God whom those Patriarchs worshipped. It was a miracle indeed for Moses to be accepted as a liberator sent from a God of their ancestors by those Hebrew slaves! In the mind of the author of the book of Wisdom, the Hebrew slaves had only one thing to rely on: namely, the promises/oaths God had made with their ancestor Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:5, 17:4-8). Either they believed in Moses and followed his Passover instructions or rejected them. As the story unfolds, it pays to have faith in God!

If you have faith in an idea, you would start digging up evidence to substantiate the idea. Otherwise, you can only keep it open. Let’s take another example. Many people buy the idea that men evolved from chimpanzees. But the evidences are sketchy at best. There are simply too many “missing-links” in evolution. To these days, the choice between creationism and evolutionism is no more than a matter of faith/conviction! In the case of Christianity, all those who had once lived with Jesus Christ have died. Nowadays, no Christian has any concrete experience of their Lord Jesus Christ, except for a handful of mystics whom God has granted the privilege of private revelations. What about the majority of us who are simple ordinary followers? Where and how do we dig up evidence to substantiate our faith in Jesus Christ? Most of us can only experience Jesus Christ through sacraments of Eucharist and Penance. Through those visible signs, Catholics receive invisible graces which are supposed to enhance their relationship with God.

Alas, doesn’t the priest announce, “The Mystery of Faith” after the consecration of the Eucharist during mass? Isn’t it tautological for faith to substantiate faith? We’re back to square one. Perhaps we need to turn elsewhere. Jesus makes a bold pledge at the end of one of the Synoptic gospels. He says, “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Do we have faith in this promise? Luckily, Jesus leaves us two clues to discover His presence. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (18:20) and “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (25:40) That is to say, we’ll be able to substantiate our faith in the gatherings of the community of Christians, e.g. prayer meetings and joining Sunday masses. Furthermore, helping the needy and the disadvantaged in the society is an opportunity to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ. The latter is echoed in the gospel passage today. “Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven … For where your treasure is, there also will your hearts be” (Luke 12:33-34) Not only is alms-giving a philosophy of Christian financial management, but it is also a way to substantiate our faith in Jesus and enrich it.

Of course, our faith guides our actions and a lack of actions reflects a deficiency of faith. When we know the teachings of Jesus but do not put them into practice, it signals a lack of our faith in Him. No wonder Jesus says this when He continues to exhort us to be vigilant. “That servant’s master … will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely.” (12:46-47) Optimistically, this warning is directed towards Jesus’ servants, viz. the clergy of the Church. When the clergy are abusing their ministry, Jesus would punish them severely and assign them a place with the “unfaithful”. Hopeful, it means they will be our target of evangelization to turn them into faithful gain!
Brethren! Faith is a theological virtue. As a virtue, we can work hard on it to bring it to perfection. As it is also theological, it is bestowed by God. So to enhance our faith in the Lord, let us meet more in Church and go out more to serve the marginalized of the society.
God bless!
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: christian.art