The Holy Family May Not Be Happy 聖家不一定快樂

Feast of the Holy Family, Year B
Theme: The Holy Family May Not Be Happy 聖家不一定快樂

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”, opens Anna Karenina a novel written by Leo Tolstoy. The statement speaks volume because by whatever standard, few families on earth can be happy. A Chinese aphorism says, “Be Contented, Be Happy”. To be candid, who on earth enjoys poverty, exploitation, sickness and betrayal etc.? Sometime, somewhere and somehow, bad things always happen to good people and few families are able to stand firm. From the news, we heard of the gradual heart failure of a 3-year old girl who fell into comatose as a result of medical blunders some 18 months ago. One of my ex-students, a successful businessman, has been struggling with his final stage of cancer for a number of years. All medical and para-medical procedures have been exhausted. He is expected to pass away soon, survived by his wife and 2 children in their teens! Again from the news, a few days ago a debt-ridden gambler attacked and attempted to murder his wife and two daughters before setting himself on fire! Some debtors end up imprisoned overseas when they try to repay debts as drug-mules. A post-graduate’s corpse was dumped after being found to show no vital signs because of ketamine overdose, smashing the hopes of his parents and perhaps dreams of his girlfriend. There are many divorce cases due to extra-marital affairs, leaving the children to pay the price … The cruelty lies in the fact that when one family member suffers, all other family members will suffer as well (1 Corinthians 12:26a). All of them become collateral damages! On one hand, we should be grateful for those bad things have not fallen upon us. However, my heart cannot ache more because I am no faith healer to save my ex-student or the 3-year old comatose girl. I am not able to raise the post-graduate from the dead and give him back to his parents like Christ did and I don’t have billions of dollars to pay off the debts of the inmates I visited etc. I have to accept the fact that I am in no position to play God but regrettably, close to my heart, Catholic families are not exempted!

Families have evolved from extended to nuclear, the former being appropriate for agricultural societies and the latter industrial. Now, humanity is moving away from industrial to informational in which we rely more and more on social media, virtual reality and artificial intelligence for communications and connections. If family and marriage have failed to be functional and successful social institutions in modern era, should they be modified or even better, be abolished? On the other hand, people still insist on the superiority of personal touches in communications and connections. They continue to defend the goods of familial and marital life against the onslaught and corrosion of all these new media! Which direction should we proceed?

As Catholics, we believe in the Father, the Creator of the known universe. He is not a remote and aloft deity but a Being actively getting Himself involved in our lives. He even sent His only begotten Son to die for us to redeem us! Archangel Gabriel says, “For nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). Therefore, with a caring and omnipotent Father, Catholics should have no worries at all when they are following God’s way and doing God’s will in any adverse situation. Alas! Life on earth is anything but simple at all!

Firstly, few people know for sure the details of God’s will. Many biblical characters like Abraham the Patriarch, the Blessed Virgin Mary, her spouse St. Joseph and John the Baptist etc. did not show any understanding of God’s will. John the Baptist did not acknowledge his role as Elijah to appear before the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 3:23; John 1:21) though Jesus affirms that he is (Matthew 11:14). St. Joseph thought that divorcing the Blessed Virgin Mary quietly would do her good (1:19). An angel appeared to him in a dream to advise him otherwise (1:20). Mary intended to serve the Lord in the capacity of a virgin (Luke 1:34) and Abraham accepted Sarah’s proposal to father his descendants through Hagar (Genesis 16:2). Simply put, we don’t have the intelligence to fathom God’s plan. How right Isaiah is when he says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways --- oracle of the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9)! We are back to square one, to the very first question at the beginning of this meditation. “Who on earth enjoys poverty, exploitation, sickness and betrayal etc.?” When God wants to bless us and sanctify us with poverty, exploitation, sickness and betrayals, the more we insist on our opinions, comfort and convenience, the stronger we are fighting against God’s will! The Blessed Virgin Mary has shown us how to deal with ignorance of God’s will. She “kept all these things … in her heart” (Luke 2:19, 51b). Instead of allowing ignorance to breed resistance, she keeps reflecting in her heart with humility on what she has seen.

The Holy Family was not living in a bed of roses. Mary and Joseph might have quarrelled a bit about the unexpected pregnancy before the angelic intervention. The census brought about the labour of the BVM to give birth to the Holy Infant in a manger in Bethlehem. The Magi brought precious gifts as well as murderous assault of Herod the Great, leading to the massacre of the Holy Innocents as collateral damages! The Holy Family needed to flee to a foreign land which previously enslaved them! St. Joseph probably died when Jesus was still a teenager. Today, we hear of Simeon’s prophecy about the future sufferings of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 2:35a) who followed the Son of God up to the foot of the cross on Mount Calvary (John 19:26) … etc. Could the Holy Family be a happy one? Most likely not. But I am sure the Holy Infant would grant the Holy Family heavenly peace not as the world gives (14:27).

Pardon me for sounding pessimistic. Heavenly peace from the Holy Infant is intangible. Take a look at the “Holy Infant among rubble in Bethlehem” photo that goes viral on the Internet and you will agree with me. It is hard for me and for most people to accept bad things happening to innocent people like the civilians in Gaza today. You are free to blame me for being too short sighted and impatient to see the bigger picture. You can tell me that Jesus has taught us to be humble (Matthew 11:29) and obedient (26:39). Job has acknowledged God’s omnipotence and human ignorance (Job 42:2-3). But I cannot imagine how I am able to accompany women suffering from depression to reconcile with their cheating husbands or vice versa; to restrain compulsive gamblers to remember their spouses and children; to visit inmates sentenced to decades of imprisonment while my chaplain pass lasted for five years only etc. Perhaps it will take me a lifetime to sink Jesus’ and Job’s teachings into my psyche. By then, I wish I would be able to confess like Job, “I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes” (42:6).

Year 2023 is ending in a few minutes. It has not been a pleasant year but it will definitely come to pass. May the Holy Infant bless us to stick together to weather through the turmoil ahead. Amen.
God bless!

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2020 Reflection
Picture Credit: twitter.com/nour_odeh/

What Is God Telling Us 天主對我們說甚麼？

Mid-Night Mass, Year B
Theme: What Is God Telling Us 天主對我們說甚麼？

For the first time in a thousand years, Christians in Bethlehem decide to cancel all Christmas celebrations! The picture of Infant Jesus among rubble goes viral on the Internet! Many copy the idea and create nativity scenes of the Holy Family with a rubble backdrop. War becomes such a vivid reality and Emmanuel suddenly takes up a new significance. In fact, messianic prophecies are littered with military imagery which we can find in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah saw the laying waste of the land and the burning of cities (Isaiah 1:7) because Israel made herself an enemy of God (1:21-24). There is no ambiguity at all where the responsibility lies. God wants righteousness but powerful people manipulate the legal system to fatten themselves. God shall not give His people up. He pledges to purify and deliver Sion (1:25-28). A day will come when nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again” (2:4)! Christians trust in God’s pledge and the promise of a world without conflicts keeps their hope burning. Moreover, people would invest wisely, diverting their military budget to economic growth! Such allocation of funds is an obviously prudent policy. However, military observers estimate that the superpowers have sufficient nuclear arsenals to blow up the planet for at least seven times. Military industries are making big fat money here. There is little incentive for them not to accumulate more wealth! Not only does greed fuel those industries, but pride and arrogance also fan the flame of military conflicts. The day mentioned in Isaiah 2 seems to be forever remote out of reach. The consequence is crystal clear, “Your men will fall by the sword, and your champions, in war; Her gates will lament and mourn, as the city sits desolate on the ground” (3:25-26).

The tone of the first reading is joyful. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone” (Isaiah 9:1). In the ears of the conquered and exiled, the light would be a beam of hope. Further down, the prophet continues, “For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, the rod of their taskmaster, You have smashed, as on the day of Midian” (9:3). It was to be a hope of freedom which the Lord fought for them! Bearing in mind the military vocabulary Isaiah uses, the happiness of the liberated is compared to the exultation in dividing the spoils (9:2c). The victory is certain because “For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for fire” (9:4). Once more, the image of turning military expenditure (boots and cloaks) into economic growth (fuel) appears. However, the battle would be bloody and brutal because every soldier in action would fall except for the side which leaves everything in God’s hand. The side which surrender to the will of God and let Him fight the battle would become the victor!

How would God fight this battle? In the day of Midian mentioned above, it is the battle God helped Gidean defeat 135,000 Midians with 300 soldiers (Judges 7:8; 8:10). But this time, God would only sent a child! Isaiah says, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counsellor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace” (9:5). George Handel has popularized this verse in his famous MESSIAH oratorio of 1741. Different people would draw different inspiration from listening to it. It would be futile to expound further. Just let it sink into our psyche and adore the Holy Infant in the crib, this year in a backdrop of Gaza rubble.

Beloved brethren! It is unwise of me to disturb your meditation. Let us beseech the Prince of Peace to grant us peace. Amen!

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Picture Credit: artandtheology.org

Your Will Be Done 爾旨承行

Fourth Advent Sunday, Year B
Theme: Your Will Be Done 爾旨承行

If we have spent sufficient time studying the Bible, we will arrive at a conclusion without a shade of doubt, namely that our Father in heaven is infinitely beyond our knowing and that we shall rest assured of His providence. This is the last Advent Sunday which this year falls on Christmas Eve! Of course, this happens regularly once every five to six years and there seems to be anything but extraordinary. Not quite! The world has been chaotic and war-torn enough these months. Many Christians who were born after the two world wars in the previous century are in earnest anticipation to witness what peace our heavenly Father has in store for us. We know that we have a part to play but world peace is really beyond our reach. It is too big for us to manage but we are confident that when instead of throwing our hands in the air, we elevate them to our heavenly Father in prayers, He will hear and answer us.

The first reading today is the famous “Nathan Oracle”. When the Empire was secured and the twelve tribes of Israel united, King David had less worries on the political and military fronts. He turned his attention to the consolidation on the religious front --- build a Temple for Yahweh in Jerusalem. It had never been easy to eradicate idolatory when your people were living among pagans and a Temple would draw the attention of the people to Yahweh. The choice of location was prudent because Jerusalem was built on top of Mount Sion, a militarily secure site. When King David told Nathan his intention, there was nothing Nathan could find to object about. So Nathan says, “Whatever is in your heart, go and do, for the Lord is with you” (2 Samuel 7:3). After all, Samuel told King Saul, David’s predecessor, that David was “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). Indeed, David had been a man after God’s own heart for a time long enough for the unification of the twelve tribes of Israel into a kingdom. But history proves that authority corrupts even the man after God’s heart. That’s another story to meditate. Let’s focus on today’s texts.

It turned out that God’s heart is far bigger than humanity could fathom. God has a grander vision. Our heavenly Father knows David’s heart through and through. David’s future was clearly visible in His sight. So first of all, God made it plain to David through Nathan that He does not dwell in a house (2 Samuel 7:6-7). Before David came to power, God had never complained about the absence of a Temple to worship Him. Perhaps Isaiah’s explanation is better and clearer, “Thus says the Lord: The heavens are my throne, the earth, my footstool. What house can you build for me? Where is the place of my rest? My hand made all these things when all of them came to be --- oracle of the Lord” (Isaiah 66:1-2a). Finally, it is through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son that true worship is revealed. When men build temples to worship deities, men actually attempt to take control over the whereabouts of their deities. Such deities are men-made idols because they can be manipulated by men and thus not worth worshipping. No! Yahweh would not play into men’s hands. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth” (John 4:24). In other words, men are able to worship even without a temple because their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). What does “worship in Spirit and truth” amount to? Nowadays, we can’t afford the opulence of King Solomon, who and the entire community of Israel, gathered for the dedication of the First Temple before the Ark of Covenant, sacrificed sheep and oxen too many to number or count (1 Kings 8:5). No. Our heavenly Father does not want this because it is only a show-off of personal power and wealth before the people! Don’t be silly to play Pharaoh before the Almighty living God who prefers something else!

Let’s return to Nathan’s Oracle. One may wonder why God needed to be so long-winded to talk about David’s past, “I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to become ruler over my people Israel. I was with you wherever you went, and I cut down all your enemies before you” (2 Samuel 7:8b-9a). Why? It was the same love Yahweh always has for potential sinners, such as Cain (Genesis 4:6-7). God pledged a good future which David could attain when he continued to be humble like the shepherd boy of the good old days, “And I will make your name like that of the greatest on earth. I will assign a place for my people Israel and I will plant them in it to dwell there; they will never be disturbed, nor shall the wicked ever again oppress them, as they did at the beginning, and from the day when I appointed judges over my people. I will give you rest from all your enemies” (2 Samuel 7:9b-10). King David was important because his choices would directly affect the fate not only of himself but also of God’s people Israel. Regrettably, King David fell from grace and so did his son King Solomon! Without giving up, our heavenly Father kept raising reformers such as King Josiah and Ezra and finally played His trump card, a humble virgin with an immaculate heart whom Satan would regret to have overlooked.

It is interesting to note that God did not visit the Blessed Virgin Mary in person like He did with the Patriarchs, Moses, David and Solomon etc., but sent an angel to announce His plan instead, like the anonymous mother of Samson (Judges 13:2). No! It is too conspicuous and Satan would know lest it would attack her like it did with other big and famous figures in the Old Testament. Thus, instead of praying, “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10b), the Blessed Virgin Mary would only say, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38b)!

Alas! Many a Christian prays “Your will be done” when he actually wants “My will be done”. Too many people in power have hijacked Christianity by committing atrocities in God’s name or advocating bigotry with God’s words. Take a look at the Blessed Virgin Mary. She did not find comfort or convenience in the angel’s annunciation. Instead, “But she was greatly troubled at what was said” (1:29a)! Therefore, don’t expect to feel and find consolation or relief in God’s will! Most of the time, because of our sinful nature, the opposite might be a good indication of God’s will, namely you’ll feel inconvenient, troublesome, futile, exhausting, impossible and hopeless etc. Who wants to be poor or sick? Who wants to be ignored, rejected or even scolded? Most of the time, we would be grateful for such sufferings afterwards. Patience pays.

Beloved brethren! Do you have the stomach to will God’s will be done on you?
God bless!
2020 Reflection
Picture Credit: bible.fandom.com, enterthebible.org

Memoir of Mother-In-Law 為岳母大人致輓辭

《為岳母大人致輓辭》

昨晚內子已分享了岳母大人在她心目中的三個形象：「傻大姐」、「壞女孩」及「女俠」。今天，且讓我也與各位分享岳母大人在我生命中刻劃了的點滴記憶罷。
女婿有「半子之親」，這份感情在家慈在世之時，尚未濃烈。先父、先慈及泰山相繼辭世之后，這份半子之親逐漸明朗。泰山去世後，岳母難免觸景傷情，便搬離舊居，遷往屯門與我們成為鄰居，這安排讓我們可以更方便地照應她。岳母為人豪爽，經常在心情愉快的時候大派利是，多數是內子轉交到我手中，之後纔找個機會道謝。自從成為鄰居後，一起吃飯的時候多了，我便可以直接從她手中接過利是。很久沒有從父母手中接過利是，這份感覺觸動到我這個「半子」孤兒了！媽咪，謝謝妳讓我再嘗久違了的母愛。

剛纔所唸的一句「聖言」，出自《瑪25:34b》，在出殯祈禱的「福音前歡呼」已聽過一次。這句聖言應用在岳母大人身上，非常貼切。的確，她是天父所祝福的，自創世以來，天主已為她預備了在天堂的一席位。因此，在她一生之中，天父不斷保護著她的安全！昨晚內子提到，未斷乳的她在逃難時哭哭啼啼，為免連累他人，內子的外祖母不得不把她遺棄在路邊。待安全後折返尋覓，結果幾日之後纔找到。試想岳母大人過了這幾天仍然活著，不是天主派遣「慈善的撒瑪黎雅人」照料，還有別的可能嗎？

靈堂上的大相，是她最美麗的相片之一。家人選擇這幀照片，不但表達出天主教信仰的道理，而且展示了岳母大人，的確是一位「可人兒」。她可愛的面容帶著強烈的親和力，足以引發抱起她的人內心的善意！這份親和力相信是天主賜給她的「塔冷通」之一，因為不久之後，手抱的她輕易地化解了另一個危機四伏的場面。
話說日本士兵入了村，四處巡查搜索時，從內子的外祖母手中搶去岳母大人，並在士兵之間傳來傳去，你抱一會，他抱一會，好不快活！旁觀的村民驚惶萬分，無奈又不敢輕舉妄動。最後日本士兵小心翼翼地把岳母大人送回外祖母懷中，並給了她一些軍糧，眾人纔鬆了一口氣！發生了神蹟嗎？是的！可能抱著岳母大人的士兵想起自己家中的女兒罷，又或者未婚的士兵渴望戰後成家立室，養育一個像岳母大人一樣可愛的女兒罷…無論原因是甚麼，天主又一次保護了岳母大人，她的親和力又一次引發出人心深處的善意，那怕是被塑造成為「國仇家恨」焦點的「蘿蔔頭」！

剛纔聽到的聖言祇不過是末日時「最後審判」的開場白，耶穌基督普世君王在福音中，預先張揚了「最後審判」的六道考試題目：「因為我餓了，你們給了我吃的；我渴了，你們給了我喝的；我作客，你們收留了我；我赤身露體，你們給了我穿的；我患病，你們看顧了我，我在監裡，你們來探望了我。」（瑪25:35-36）如何作答呢？慈悲的普世君王在福音中，洩漏了標準答案：「凡你們對我這些最小兄弟中的一個所做的，就是對我做的。」（25:40b）
相信大家不會忘記昨晚內子分享岳母大人的「女俠」事蹟時提到她的俠義心腸和美麗心靈。難道聰明伶俐的她，不知眼前的大叔在欺騙這個天真的小女孩嗎？但慈悲的她不會與大叔斤斤計較，仍然接濟他。這不是回答了第一道考試題目嗎？甚至後來大叔被捕，不由分說被就地正法時，正義的她挺身而出，捨命相救。她何止回答了第六道考試題目，相信她已跨越了標準答案之外！

各位親友，你們送小的岳母大人最後一程，來到火葬場，不但表達了大家對她的濃情厚義，而且證明了你們都是蒙受天父祝福的。相信大家也曾回答過六道考試題目，或者連自己都忘記了，但天父是不會忘記的。
的確，人生在世，雖然常言道「得人恩果千年記」，但我不敢妄想自己終身不會忘記別人的恩惠或賞識，因為現代人患「認知障礙症」，越來越普遍。不過，即使我會忘記，或者我的子孫會忘記，永生的天主是不會忘記我們一點一滴的善行。
天主保祐。

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外孫女致輓辭錄音

Are You Happy With Your Joy? 你對你的喜樂滿意嗎？

Gaudete Sunday, Year A
Theme: Are You Happy With Your Joy? 你對你的喜樂滿意嗎？

Upon routine rapid test on December 14, I found myself COVID positive. The symptoms were mild but it might indicate that my resistance mechanisms were weak. For charity’s sake, I should retire myself from works to focus on the combat with this new strain of virus. Meanwhile, I can put away my routines and spend more quality time with the merciful Lord. Since I’m not able to assist mass physically, I attended mass online and listened to the homily of Cardinal John Tong whom I usually assist. It was good. Perhaps assisting masses is no substitute for attending masses.

This Sunday is named Gaudete Sunday after the Entrance Antiphon taken from “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Dominus enim prope est” (Philippians 4:4-5). The time has come for us to be joyful because the Lord is near. Christmas is just around the corner. Are we well-prepared to celebrate the birth of the Saviour of the World?

Without mentioning Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the Cardinal says that there are three levels of joy: physical, mental and spiritual. Chocolates, tasty foods, vintage wines and a comfortable dress bring physical joy. A spacious flat, stable income, love, praises, winning a competition and achieving a goal bring mental joy. However, men were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) who is Spirit (John 4:24). Therefore, nothing on earth is able to bring us spiritual joy except God Himself. God and God alone can give us an authentic and fulfilled joy. Regrettably, many people are shallow and short-sighted. They attempt to find joy in physcial and mental realms which they are able to control and manipulate but fail to fill up the spiritual void inside. The harder they work, the greater the void they uncover. A vicious cycle is created! Good of them because some complacent souls simply don’t care and blindly stay there for safety’s sake. God is merciful. The day will come when such complacent souls shall feel the urge to move ahead.

The Cardinal continues to illustrate the role of John the Baptist. Like the moon which is not itself a source of light but a mirror of the sun, John the Baptist “is not the light, but came to testify to the light” (1:8). The merciful Lord respects our autonomy and does not want to force us to believe in Him and to love Him. Jesus Christ did not continue staying on earth after resurrection. After forty days, He ascended into heavens and left the evangelization work to the Church. We were baptized into this Church, this community of the redeemed. Therefore, to a certain extent, all Christians are Baptist’s to testify to the merciful Christ! There are many people who do not know the Saviour and are in need of our passing on of this good news. No mirror is perfect, not the moon and not even John the Baptist. All of us are flawed but the light source we testify to is so powerful that our imperfections are neglibile in reflecting His glory. Do we find joy in testifying to the merciful Lord?

As a community of the redeemed, the People of God on earth, the Church sees herself in different images in different ages. Nowadays, the Church has come out of her superiority complex and sees herself at the service of the world. She identifies herself with the poor, the socially marginalized and stand by them. Unlike previous ages in which the Church was able to command respect and resources, she herself is also being marginalized by the powerful and wealthy of the world nowadays. Many world leaders are ignoring her presence while social media are eager to expose her scandals. It is truly challenging to believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church in the twenty-first century! In order to stand firm, we need to go deeper into the root. In other words, we need a deeper communication with our Lord.

Like any social institution, the history of the Catholic Church is checkered. While she claims to be the embryonic Kingdom of Heavens, a kingdom of justice and love on earth, a lot of atrocities and brutalities were committed in her name! While she claims to be the Perfect Society on earth, her clergy was not exempted from abuses and corruptions to fatten themselves. Yet, no matter how ugly at times the Church has been in human history, Jesus Christ her Spouse has not divorced her. Saints popped up in different ages to restore and revigorate her. In time, the Catholic Church has built up a great treasure trove of graces: writings of Church Doctors, sacraments and different schools of spiritualities to meet the different needs of all peoples. It is true that laziness is a human nature. Men are intelligent. Sooner of latter they will be able to develop procedures to run tasks more efficiently, saving their energies. Some may be satisfied and stay put. Luckily, some won’t be satisfied easily and crave for more!

The Catholic Church opts for the poor. She believes that Jesus Christ is present among the poor and the needy who are waiting for us to extend a helping hand to serve Him (Matthew 25:40). Here lies the challenge. It is not always easy to identify Jesus Christ in, say a mental patient one visits in hospital or a convicted notorious female murderer in prison. I’m able to adore the concealed Christ in the Tabernacle in a safe and warm environment on Thursday evenings in a church. But how am I able to get somehow connected, not to mention adore, with those inmates mentioned above? I really have no answer. Perhaps I find my joy in shallow levels and need to dive deeper in my prayers. May the Lord have mercy on my soul. Amen!

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2020 Reflection
Picture Credit: thehill.com

Do You See John the Baptist Today? 今天你看到洗者若翰嗎？

Second Advent Sunday, Year B
Theme: Do You See John the Baptist Today? 今天你看到洗者若翰嗎？

Christians have acquired a perspective of the world different from the mundane secular way because of their faith in Lord Jesus Christ. While a commercial society like Hong Kong encourages people to be hardworking and persuade her citizens that effort pays, Christianity tells followers of Christ to leave everything in God’s hand because He shall provide (Genesis 22:8). Modern societies advocate utilitarianism and cost-benefit-analysis while Christ teaches poverty (Luke 6:20b; Matthew 5:3); the societies ambition while Christ meekness (5:5) etc. Everybody agrees that no man is an island. All of us need to live in a social network. While most people prefer building networks with likeable, powerful and wealthy people, Jesus Christ advises people to see and seek Him among the needy and the socially marginalized (25:40)! In short, secular worldviews see not human beings but carbon based objects for exploitation. In contrast, Christianity sees the dignified human beings in their souls.

As we are still in the first stage of Advent season in which we meditate on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, in other words, the end of the world, we are expecting Christ the Universal King to restore and renew this sin-infested world. The first reading today reassures us that the end of the world is a time of consolation. The Lord God shall comfort us, instead of destroying us in His second coming. “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her servitude has ended, that her guilt is expiated, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-2). Indeed, we seem to have increased our benefits when we are selfish and exploit others but we shall suffer all the consequences of sinning in the future. The punishment may have already begun the moment we sin. Most likely, we start to notice only years or even decades later that we are repaying the debts! By then, we might have repaid more than double the damages we had made. We would have repented earlier if we had known the extent of damages we caused in sinning. Therefore, the earlier we repent the better. Knowing this is comforting enough for even the worst sinner of the world who used to believing that he is irredeemable! No! The good news is that our God wants none of this. On an individual level, He “wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). On a broader level, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Thus, the end time is comforting for followers of Christ.

In order to receive this gospel of consolation and reconciliation, people must prepare their hearts. This was where John the Baptist came in. He came to prepare the hearts of the Jews who were anticipating a liberator, the Messiah who would deliver them from the colonial Roman rule. No, God has a grander plan. Isaiah foretold the mission of the Baptist with this oracle, “Every valley shall be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low; the rugged land shall be a plain, the rough country a broad valley” (Isaiah 40:4). The gospel of Mark summarizes those high, low, rugged and rough qualities into one sentence, the mission statement of the Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths” (Mark 1:3b). The gospel continues to describe his message. “John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (1:4). This message is simple: Repent and your sins will be forgiven! To repent means to lift yourself up out of your comfort zones, to make low your arrogance, to become simple like powerless children instead of being calculating like a strategist; and lastly to maintain a meek attitude instead of an imposing stance towards others to get things done in your way. Not only shall life be easier but you shall obtain more graces from the Lord God.

Let’s take a look at the image of John the Baptist and how effective it is, “John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey” (1:6). This image is unique. We are unable to locate any similar counterpart in the Old Testament. This unique image of “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness” (1:3a) might portray in the hearts of contemporary Jews a righteous prophet who was fearless in criticising Herod Antipas. However, this image does not have the same effect on modern readers. We can only find a homeless self-murmuring stinking beggar listlessly wandering in the city who does not attract faithful disciples but thugs of children to stone him. What can we make out of such a Baptist in societies like Hong Kong? If Pope Francis is right is exhorting us to learn from the poor and that the poor evangelize us, what can we learn from those homeless Baptists in Hong Kong?

It is superficial and tempting to see the pitiful homeless as an accusation against the powerful and the wealthy in the society; a protest against the collusion of civil-servants with merchants, of oppressive as well as exploitative policies against the minorities like what John the Baptist accused Herod Antipas against his setting a bad example. Yes, as spokepersons of God, Christians have the responsibility to criticize the evils they see. However, it is not as shallow as such. We should never bark aloud the evils of the powerful and wealthy but forget to look at the positive teachings of the merciful Lord. So, let us survey deeper what theology of poverty Pope Francis distills from the Scriptures for us.

1. In 2013, eight months after being elected Pope, Francis promolgated his first Apostolic Exhortation in which he says, “I want a Church which is poor and for the poor. They have much to teach us … We need to let ourselves be evangelized by them. The new evangelization is an invitation to acknowledge the saving power at work in their lives and to put them at the centre of the Church’s pilgrim way” (Evangelii Gaudium, #198). What can we learn from the poor? Pope Francis elaborated this point in subsequent messages issued on the World Day of the Poor.
2. “Let us welcome them [the poor] as honoured guests at our table; they can be teachers who help us live the faith more consistently. With their trust and readiness to receive help, they show us in a quiet and often joyful way, how essential it is to live simply and to abandon ourselves to God’s providence” (2017 Message, par. 7). Indeed, most of our sins are sins of insistence of our autonomy and rejections of God’s providence. Are we able to see how the poor live more correctly in the sight of God?
3. “Christ’s disciples … are called to honour the poor and to give them precedence, out of the conviction that they are a true presence of Jesus in our midst” (2018 Message, par. 7). Pope Francis reaffirms once more the fundamental stance of the Church: option for the poor.
4. “The poor are persons to be encountered; they are lonely, young and old, to be invited to our homes to share a meal; men, women and children who look for a friendly word. The poor save us because they enable us to encournter the face of Jesus Christ” (2019 Message, par. 9). This is the very challenge. Do we see the face of Christ in the poor?
5. “The freedom bestowed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ makes us individually responsible for serving others, especially the weakest. This is not an option, but rather a sign of authenticity of the faith we profess” (2020 Message, par. 8). Faith in Christ gains us freedom. With freedom, we became responsible for our words and deeds. Here lies our freedom. Either we choose to help the needy, making our faith an authentic faith, or we choose not to extend a helping hand, making ourselves contradictory persons. We begin seeing more concrete examples.
6. “The poor … know well how to respond with generosity … The poor often teach us about solidarity and sharing … They retain the dignity of God’s children that nothing and no one can take away from them” (2021 Message, par. 6). The poor teach us solidarity and sharing. Their dignity of God’s children cannot be denied.
7. “The sense of weakness and limitation that we have experienced in these recent years, and now the tragedy of the war with its global repercussions, must teach us one crucial thing: we are not in this world merely to survive, but to live a dignified and happy life … Encountering the poor enables us to put an end to many of our anxieties and empty fears, and to arrive at what truly matters in life, the treasue that no one can steal from us: true and gratuitous love. The poor, before being the object of our almsgiving are people who can help set us free from the snares of anxiety and superficiality” (2022 Message, par. 8). We are entitled to a dignified and happy life which the poor can teach us.
8. “The Book of Tobit teaches us to be realistic and practical in whatever we do with and for the poor. This is a mtatter of justice; it requires us to seek out and find one another, in order to foster the harmony needed for the community to feel itself as such. Caring for the poor is more than simply a matter of hasty hand-out; it calls for reestablishing the just interpersonal relationships that poverty harms” (2023 Message, par. 8). Therefore, caring for the poor is a matter of justice which Christianity insists.

Beloved brethren! We don’t need to talk theology fluently. What we need to do is to seek out the poor and seal a relationship with them. Amen.
God bless!

Before we finish, let us enjoy some timely Handel music.

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2020 Reflection
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Let’s Lend Our Brethren A Listening Ear

Let’s Lend Our Brethren A Listening Ear

Deacon Alex Kwok

It is easier to visually identify people with physical disabilities. When you speak with Deacon Alex, you’ll easily see the hearing aids he wears. No wonder he is able to make announcements loudly in mass without using the microphone! As for people with emotional and even mental disabilities, it is harder to identify even though these days, more and more people are suffering from emotional and/or mental distresses in the aftermath of COVID and social unrests in the past few years. Chances are that we’ll encounter one in ten people we meet everyday. As of November 2023, student suicide cases tallied 37 deaths and 269 failed attempts¹. This is alarming because such figures are obviously the tip of an iceberg!

We have hundreds of parishioners attending Church on Sundays. Chances are that we’ll chit-chatting with some vulnerable brothers. Superficially, the Church environment is different from the schooling environment. Parishioners need not to follow a demanding schedule to finish a severe syllabus to sit for public examinations. Moreover, sharing the same faith ensures that they treat each other courteously like siblings, don’t they? In reality, wherever there are human interactions, conflicts shall inevitably arise. Everyone believes that he/she possesses the truth. I am right and if you don’t agree with me, you must be wrong! Coupled with other interpersonal factors such as wounded egos, perceived position in power networks and personal relation with Christ etc., emotions would soon flare up and people begin to bark louder than Deacon Alex! In short, the environment may be different, but the problem remains the same.

In fact, many people who are suffering from emotional stresses would flock to the Church to seek a peace of mind. It is what a Church is supposed to provide, isn’t it? The Deacon does not exaggerate in saying from experience that the Church has a higher concentration of mental patients than all other social institutions except for psychiatric wards! Luckily, these needy brethren are less aggressive/violent. They appear extremely normal and courteous, though you can easily sense that they are hiding some wounds and yet they feel the urge to reach out to seek help. Don’t feel guilty even if you fail to detect it for the first time because they can be very persistent. They will be back next week or week after next.

Though very few of us are professionally trained counsellors, we are still able to spare a couple of minutes or perhaps a few hours to listen through their stories. It is always prudent to invite one more brother to listen together. Being listeners, it is absolutely not necessary for us to solve their problems. No, we are not able to. Only the merciful Lord can! Just listen, suspend judgement and refrain from making any suggestions. Meanwhile, pray to the Holy Spirit for the wellbeing of this suffering soul to whom you are listening. If a rapport is established, pray together. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). When the good Lord, the Good Shepherd is present, there is nothing we shall want (Psalms 23:1). He pledges, “The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal” (Ezekiel 34:16a, Solemnity of Christ the King, Year A, first reading).

Beloved Brethren! Don’t underestimate the power of prayers. Let us join the Pope to pray for people with disabilities in December.
God bless!

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¹ https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Hong-Kong,-student-suicide-alert:-37-deaths-and-over-300-attempts-in-2023-59585.html
Picture Credit: potentialplusuk.org

God Allows Us To Go Astray 上主容許我們走歪

First Sunday in Advent, Year B
Theme: God Allows Us To Go Astray 上主容許我們走歪

When we study the first two chapters of the book of Genesis, we find two creation stories of humanity. Biblical scholars and the Catholic Church agree that the two stories come from different traditions but they convey the same message, namely that God created men. The first story came from priests who were singing a creation hymn to worship God. They did not intend the hymn to meet the requirements of modern sciences. If the hymn agrees with the Big Bang Theory and Evolution Theory, it is just a coincidence. It is because the Bible cares less about technicalities of how the known universe and all the things it contains came into existence. It tries to answer simply some existential questions that all rational men would ask, namely where did we come from and where shall we go after death etc. The hymn projects an image of God, the Grand Designer, orderly and systematic.

In this first creation story of men, the Bible tries to answer the question of where humankind came from and the position humanity occupy in the whole Creation. Simply put, the first story tells us that God created mankind in His own image and assigned them to be the steward of all other creatures in the known universe (Genesis 1:26). Thus, men were the zenith of God’s creation and occupied the top position in the whole Creation. The story does not tell us how men were created. The second story fills the gap. It contains a number of moral teachings and came obviously from a different tradition in which humanity is less noble. “The Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground” (2:7a). Later, the story continues with the Fall of our First Parents and one of the morals of the story is, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (3:19b). Though men came from not so noble a material, they still occupy a central position, though not the top, in the whole Creation because God settled Adam “in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it” (2:15b). Moreover, God created all the animals for Adam to name. In this story, God is more like a potter than a grand designer.

Isaiah and Jeremiah made use of the image of a potter to describe God 15 times in 12 verses. One of them appears in the first reading today. “Yet, Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you our potter: we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:7). Usually, prophets took up the role of the spokespersons of God to the people. However, in the text today, Isaiah was pleading God for the Israelites. What good does it serve us to have the Lord God to be our Creator if He were to become aloft and distant like a grand designer abandoning us after having created us? The experiences of the Chosen People were otherwise. Not only was the Lord God the Creator, but He is also the Redeemer as well. Isaiah pleaded, “For you are our father. Were Abraham not to know us, nor Israel to acknowledge us, You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named from of old” (63:16). Scholars opine that the disciples of Isaiah wrote this during the Babylonian Captivity. To be more technical, the first reading today is an excerpt of a prayer of “community lamentation”. The people acknowledged their sins and pleaded the Lord God to deliver them!

Wait! It seems that Isaiah was putting the blame on the Lord God for the sins of Israelites. Isaiah says, “Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?” (63:17a) Similar logics appear in God hardening the heart of Pharaoh resulting in the devastation of Egypt, the tenth plague and the drowning of Pharaoh’s army and chariots in the Red Sea, totalling 17 verses in Exodus and 37 verses in the Old Testament! Firstly, such a logic acknowledges the ultimate sovereignty of the Lord God over all the Creation. We merit nothing, even the charities we do to the poor and needy, the efforts of evangelization and the ingenuity of our creativity etc. are all inspired by Him. Ever since the Age of Enlightenment, humanity has been arrogant to make God irrelevant. Only after the two World Wars of the last century did humankind realize how frail and pale we are in front of the scale of destructions we are capable to make in our selfishness, ambitions and greed. Without God, the responsibility becomes too heavy for us to bear. People begin to swing back and surrender their autonomy to God.

Regrettably, such a swing is flawed because the ultimate sovereignty of the Lord God over the Creation does not necessarily imply that going astray from God’s will, hardening of our hearts and committing atrocities are also inspired by Him because among all God’s creatures, humanity were created in the image of God who is free. Therefore, we too are free. God gives us a freewill and He respects our autonomy and does not impose His will on us so that it is righteous of Him to hold us morally accountable for all our choices and actions. Remember the story of Cain who was angry and dejected because the Lord God did not look with favour on him and his offering (Genesis 4:5). God warned Cain that if he did not act rightly, sin would lie in wait at the door. Yet Cain could rule over sin (4:7). Regrettably, Cain chose to allow anger to take control over him and the rest is history. God laments,“But my people did not listen to my words; Israel would not submit to me. So I thrust them away to the hardness of their heart; Let them walk in their own machinations” (Psalms 81:12-13). It takes a St. Paul to explain more fully God’s ultimate sovereignty and the concept of predestination in Romans chapter 9. He employs the same potter image saying, “Will what is made say to its maker, ‘Why have you created me so?’ Does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for a noble purpose and another for an ignoble one?” (Romans 9:20b-21) Take some time to read Roman 9 more.

Thus, I opine that the author employs this “hardening of our hearts” motif in this community lamentation in order to heighten the tension of contradictions they were facing in their situation. The Lord God is our Father. He created us and gave us different and unique talents. He puts us through different situations for us to actualize the talents He gave us. In each situation, we are free to choose. We may choose to listen to His words and submit to His will. Yet in many cases, we turn a deaf ear to His words to chase after self-interests and vainglory so much so that in time we harden our hearts and shut our Creator out. We turn God into our enemy and we become petty pharaohs struggling against the almighty Yahweh who could make use of other people’s evils to chasten His Chosen Ones. To assert their status as God’s Chosen People, the Israelites made a bad choice to assert their autonomy, to shake off their Father and Creator and to whore with idols! Now that they were conquered, they lamented but imagined that the responsibilities of their wrong choices, which were like chain reactions rippling beyond control, were too crashing for them to bear and to repay. If the present Babylonian Captivity were not enough to wake the Chosen People up, what else would, total annihilation? In short, the Lord God literally allows us to go astray so that we may be able to build up an authentic relationship with Him, like the Prodigal Son with his father.

The gospel passage today poses a similar difficulty if we don’t interpret it properly. Jesus tells us a parable of a master going away and would return at an unpredictable time. “A man travelling abroad … places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore, you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Watch” (Mark 13:34b-37). So not only the gatekeeper needs to stay awake but all servants as well! But how can a master be so cruel as to deprive all his servants of rest which is stipulated in the Third Commandment! Alas! God would not contradict Himself. Therefore, we should rethink the parable. Evening, midnight, cockcrow and morning refer to how a Jewish day passes. I opine that it refers to different ages in which people die. Some die young while some live a fully ripe age of a century like Dr. Kissinger. In death, it is the end of their worlds! Therefore, while we live, keep watch not to harden our hearts.

Beloved brethren! At the beginning of a new liturgical year, let us lend a listening ear in humility to the words of the Lord. Keep watch so as not to allow our hearts to become hardened. Authority and wealth can be good servants but bad masters. When they fall into the hands of people seeking self-interests and vainglory, they produce more damages than goods in others. More directly, they harden our hearts quickly! Amen!
God bless!

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2020 Reflection
Picture Credit: biblestudytools.com

末世系列（四）臨難毋苟免 Embrace Persecutions Courageously

末世系列（四）臨難毋苟免（路21:34-36）

今天的經文雖然短，但默想起來卻相當曲折！
且看，既然「末日有如羅網，臨於全地面的一切居民」（路21:35）。那麼，末日應該是避無可避的了。為甚麼下一句卻說：「…為使你們能逃脫即將發生的這一切事」（21:36）呢？真的「能逃脫」嗎？這裡牽涉到一些翻譯的問題，我們需要查閱原文，纔能明白經文的意思。請各位讀者忍耐。

句中的『能καταξιόω』字，在路加的作品中，出現過三次，其餘兩次分別譯成「但那堪得來世，及堪當由…」（20:35）中的『堪得/堪當』和「…因為他們配為這名字受侮辱」（宗5:41）中的『配』。原來如此！

耶穌基督想告訴我們，世界末日是避無可避的。可是「那日子和那時刻，除父一個外，誰也不知道」（瑪24:36；谷13:32）。可以肯定地說，末日來臨之前必先發生十件事物。這些事物都是災難性的，有很多人會傷亡。不過那些『堪當/配』逃脫災難的基督徒，因為相信並聽從耶穌基督的教導，即「謹慎」（路21:34）和「時時醒寤祈禱」（21:36a），便可以逃脫這一切災難云云。

各位讀者，「謹慎」和「時時醒寤祈禱」都是我們基督徒的本份，並不是末日求生的秘技。基督徒出於對天主和對鄰人的愛，理論上是樂意隨時殉道，得以「立於人子之前」（21:36b）的，沒有逃脫災難的需要。耶穌基督是明白這個道理的，但出於慈悲和體諒，祂更願意照顧人性的軟弱，給信徒留下一條逃避災難的後路！
親愛的諸位，你們領情嗎？

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Eschatology IV: Embrace Persecutions Courageously (Luke 21:34-36)

The gospel text today is short but the meditation process is rather winding and twisting!
Read closely, “Like a trap, for that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth” (Luke 21:35). Then, that day is inevitable. Why does the gospel continue, “… you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent” (21:36). Can we really escape? I think there is a translation issue here. We need to check the original Greek in order to understand its meaning. Be patient with me.

The word “strength καταξιόω” appears three times in the Lukan corpus. The other two are, namely “but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age …” (20:35) is rendered “deemed worthy” and “… rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer …” (Acts 5:41) is rendered “found worthy”. That is it!

Jesus Christ tells us that the end of the world is inevitable. “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). There is only one certainty. Ten things shall happen before the Judgment Day. These things are catastrophic and many people shall die or suffer wounds. However, those Christians who are “found worthy” shall be able to escape the tribulations because they believe and follow Jesus’ teachings, i.e. “Beware and stay sober” (Luke 21:34) and “Be vigilant and pray” (21:36a) etc.

Dear readers, “staying sober” and “being vigilant and pray” are the basic duties of us Christians. They are not any “secret knowledge of doomsday survival”. Out of their love of God and neighbor, Christians are theoretically ready to suffer martyrdom to “stand before the Son of Man” (21:36b). Jesus Christ knows it well but out of mercy and loving care, He is more concerned with the frailty of human nature, thus giving the disciples a safety valve to escape tribulations!
Beloved brethren! Do you appreciate this?

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生命恩泉
Picture Credit: newsweek.com

末世系列（三）你真的信耶穌？ Do You Really Believe in Jesus?

末世系列（三）你真的信耶穌？（路21:29-33）

從路加福音21章5節起，耶穌基督列出世界末日前會發生的十件事物，包括有人冒認是救世主（路21:8）、戰亂（21:9）、天災人禍（21:11a）、天上有巨大的凶兆（21:11b）、基督徒遭受政治迫害（21:12）、耶路撒冷聖城遭受破壞（21:24）、日月星辰出現異兆（21:25a）、發生令萬國驚惶失措的海嘯（21:25b），諸天的萬象動搖（21:26b）。最後，耶穌基督帶著威能及莫大光榮乘雲降來（21:27）。這些事物中，部份是具體的，容易驗證；但有些卻因時代的不同，我們可能有不同的演繹。例如：古代的人和現代人，對「天」的認知不同，所以關於「天上有巨大的凶兆」，又或者「諸天的萬象動搖」，便會得出不同的結論了！例如，古代的東方賢士，就是憑「占星術」來推算天像的啟示，找到了新生的猶太人君王（瑪2:2）；現代的天文學家憑「天體物理學」所作的觀察和計算，很有信心地在【天文學期刋The Astronomical Journal】宣佈，憑當今的理論模型運算，在未來的一千年，地球不會被約十公里直徑大的小行星，毀滅性地擊中¹ ，發生有如6500萬年前令恐龍絕種一樣的災難。

占星術士與科學家不同之處，前者用模稜兩可的詩歌作預言，後者先列舉假設，在假設成立的大前提下，結論纔成立；倘若觀察數據與運算結果不符，便修訂改良當前的理論模型。
耶穌基督的「末世言論」，不但對當時的猶太人說，也是對後世的我們說。耶穌基督不是占星術士，說話絕不模稜兩可。祂又不是天文物理學家，說話言之鑿鑿，絕無任何前設。原因十分簡單，因為祂是天主子！

親愛的諸位，你們真的相信耶穌基督是天主子嗎？相信祂有關末日的預言嗎？相信祂臨在信徒的團體中（18:20），包括我們所不喜歡的人嗎？相信祂臨在被社會邊緣化的人身上（25:40），包括性小眾嗎？相信祂真實臨在麵餅中（26:26），不是普通的紀念嗎？相信即使我們長期在受苦時，祂一直在世陪伴著我們（28:20）嗎？你真的信耶穌？
天主保祐！

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Eschatology III: Do You Really Believe in Jesus? (Luke 21:29-33)

Starting from Luke 21:5, Jesus Christ lists 10 things that would happen before the end of the world. They are namely, people claiming to be the Saviours (Luke 21:8); wars and conflicts (21:9); natural and man-made disasters (21:11a); awesome sights and mighty signs from the sky (21:11b); Christians being persecuted politically (21:12); desolation of Jerusalem (21:24); signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars (21:25a); nations perplexed by roaring tsunamis (21:25b); the powers of the heavens shaken (21:26b) and lastly, the Son of Man would come in a cloud with power and great glory (21:27). Among these ten things, some are concrete and we can easily verify them. However, some of them mean different things in different ages. For example, ancient peoples and modern people have different understanding of “sky/heavens”. They would interpret “awesome sights and mighty signs from the sky”, or “the powers of the heavens shaken” in different manners! For example, the magi from the east were able to locate the newly born Jewish king by applying astrology in reading heavenly signs (Matthew 2:2). By applying astrophysics, modern astronomers observe, calculate and confidently published in the Astronomical Journal¹ that calculating according to the present day theoretic models, our planet would not be disastrously hit by an asteroid of 10 km diameter within the next 1,000 years, similar to the one causing the extinction of dinosaurs 65,000,000 years ago.

Astrologists and scientists speak in different manners. The former prophecies in ambiguous poems. The latter states their assumptions before drawing their conclusions. If the observed data do not agree with calculations, scientists modify and improve their theoretical models. The eschatological discourses of Jesus Christ speak not only to His contemporary Jews but also to us today. Jesus Christ is not an astrologist that speaks in ambiguity nor an astrophysicist that speaks within the validity of assumptions. No, He speaks directly without any assumption, simply because He is the Son of God!

Beloved brethren! Do you really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe in His eschatological discourses? Do you believe that He is present in the community of the faithful (18:20), including those we hate? Do you believe that He is present among the socially marginalized (25:40), including the sexual minority? Do you believe that He is truly present in the Holy Communion (26:26), and the Sacrament is not simply a memorial? Do you believe that even in our long-sufferings He is accompanying us (28:20)? Do you really believe in Jesus?
God bless!

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¹https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/15/1073084/earth-safe-killer-asteroid/
生命恩泉
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聖人難做 How Hard It Is To Be A Saint

聖人難做（瑪4:18-22）

按聖教會的傳統，安德肋曾經沿黑海宣講福音，直到當今烏克蘭首都基輔。因此，聖安德肋成了烏克蘭、羅馬尼亞及俄羅斯的主保聖人，是第一位君士坦丁堡宗主教。如今「俄烏戰爭」已持續超過22個月，不知道聖安德肋如何為同根生的雙方轉禱呢？所謂「好人難做」，看來聖人更加難做！

我們在四部福音中，能找到十二宗徒的資料，並不均衡。有關伯多祿的記載多，其他的很少，可能因為伯多祿在帝國首都羅馬開教罷！連作為伯多祿兄弟的安德肋，我們所知的亦不多。在十二宗徒名單中，安德肋從當初的第二位（瑪10:2），跌到五旬節聖神降臨前的第四位（宗1:13），原因無從稽考。最後在耶路撒冷主持大公會議的，已經不是伯多祿，而是次雅各伯，並且亦沒有提及其他宗徒，卻多了一批長老（15:6, 13）！我們不用替安德肋抱不平，他可能在黑海的傳教路上，未能出席耶路撒冷大公會議！始終在教會發展的歷史中，羅馬宗主教的地位脫穎而出，已是不爭的事實了。但不可不知的，就是有名的首次增餅神蹟，是安德肋找來五餅二魚的（若6:8-9）。

我們已經到了禮儀年的最後一周，讀過了不少末日的言論。末日後的天國好比一個婚宴，充滿了完美的喜樂。但在末日前，地上的天國，即旅途中的教會，我們眼見的，仍是多事之秋。那麼，天上的天國，即勝利的教會，又會是怎麼樣的呢？因為我們和他們，諸聖相通，彼此血脈相連，恐怕他們仍要為我們的安危操心、為我們骨肉相殘而心痛。和我們一樣，多麼渴求末日早日來臨。
聖安德肋，為我等祈。亞孟！

How Hard It Is To Be A Saint (Matthew 4:18-22)

According to Church Tradition, Andrew proclaimed the gospel along the Black Sea, reaching present day Kiev in Ukraine. Thus, Andrew becomes the patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. He is the first Patriarch of Constantinople. Now that the recent Russo-Ukrainian War has continued for more than twenty-two months, I wonder how St. Andrew would intercede for these two countries from the same root. It is already not easy to be a good man. How hard it is to be a saint!

In the four canonical gospels, the amount of information of the 12 apostles is uneven. Most of the materials are about Peter and few for the rest. Probably it was because Peter established the Church in Rome, the capital of the Empire! The information of Andrew, the brother of Peter is not much. Among the lists of the Twelve, Andrew came second at the beginning (Matthew 10:2) and dropped to the fourth in the eve of Pentecost (Acts 1:13). We can only speculate the reasons behind. Lastly, in the Jerusalem Council, it wasn’t even Peter to steer the meeting but James the Lesser. Moreover, a group of elders attended (15:6, 13)! We don’t have to feel that Andrew was unfairly treated. He was probably preaching along the Black Sea and did not attend the Jerusalem Council! After all, in Church History, the Patriarch of Rome came forth as a leader among the Patriarchs is indisputable. However, be not ignorant of the fact that Andrew found the five loaves and two fish in the first miracle of multiplication of bread (John 6:8-9).

We have arrived at the last week of the Liturgical year and have read many discourses on eschatology. The Kingdom of Heaven after the Judgment Day is like a wedding banquet filled with perfect joy. But before the end, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, that is the Pilgrim Church, is still suffering turmoil in our eyes. Then, what is the situation of the Kingdom of Heaven above, that is the Triumphant Church? We are saints in communion with each other. I am afraid our spiritual welfare worries them and our infightings ache their hearts. Like us, how much they desire the Judgment Day comes!
St. Andrew! Pray for us. Amen!

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生命恩泉
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末世系列（二）何必曰利？ Why Talk About Benefits?

末世系列（二）何必曰利？（路21:12-19）

在當今惟利是圖的商業社會和國家，找代罪羔羊、彼此出賣、結黨謀私、排擠異己，甚至謀殺，已經是意料中事。即使你沒有投入這「權力遊戲」的意向，你亦不能置身事外；你甚至成為了「造皇者」，成為兩大鬥爭派系須要爭取支持的極少數派。之後，又變成用完即棄的「棄子」！雖然聽來殘酷，但這是當今世代的現實寫照！耶穌基督所說的「這一切事之前」（路21:12a），即世界末日之前要發生的事，不就是當今世代正在發生的事嗎？所不同者，是被出賣的原因。是因為政權的鬥爭，還是宗教迫害，甚至是借國家安全的理由謀私！

當今世代，沒有人覺得【聖經】可信，沒有個人或團體覺得【聖經】有參考價值。因此自稱信奉一本沒有利用價值的【聖經】的信徒，對社會便沒有影響力，可以不理！這樣，還有社會國家找基督徒作「代罪羔羊」嗎？還有人會出賣基督徒來獲取榮華富貴嗎？各位基督徒，當沒有人迫害你們的時候，你們應該慶幸，還是應該悲哀呢？

至於我和我的家族（蘇24:15），我樂意為愛耶穌基督的名字被拘捕、迫害、解送到會堂、並囚在獄中和押送到君王及總督之前（路21:12），因為耶穌基督會給我憑十年寒窗苦讀也磨練不到的「口才和明智，是我的一切仇敵所不能抵抗及辨駁的」（21:15）。即使我被出賣、被殺死、受眾人的憎恨又有何難受呢？即使是投火被焚（格前13:3），連最後一根頭髮也化為灰燼，又有何懼？慈悲的主耶穌基督一定有本領從少許的DNA，與我所能保存的靈魂（路21:19） 結合，把我重塑回來，並且提昇到另一個光榮的層次！

主啊！請寬恕那些殺害我們的人罷，因為他們為了自保，為了害怕【聖經】的威力，天主聖言的生命力，做出連自己也不知道是甚麼（23:34）的惡行。亞孟！

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Eschatology II: Why Talk About Benefits? (Luke 21:12-19)

Nowadays in commercial societies and countries where only benefits count, you can only expect scapegoating, backstabbing each other, forming rings, cornering rivals and even murders. Though you have no intention to take part in those power games, you are forced to. You may even become the king-maker minority whose support is much sought after by two rivalling parties. In the end, you become a dispensable chess piece! Though it sounds cruel and pessimistic, it is an authentic portray of the modern world! When Jesus Christ says, “Before all this happens” (Luke 21:12a), that is things to happen before the end of the world, are they not happening nowadays? The difference is the reason of betrayals. Are the betrayals political conflicts, or religious persecutions or even using national security as an excuse to fatten oneself?

Nowadays, nobody found the Bible credible and no individual or community found the Bible relevant. Believers in a Bible of no utility had no social impact and were negligible! Then would any country scapegoat Christians? Would people betray Christians in order to get promoted? Dear Christians, when nobody persecutes you, should you be relieved or sorrowful?

As for me and my household (Joshua 24:15), I am honoured to be seized, persecuted, handed over to the synagogues and to prisons, and led before kings and governors because of Jesus’ name (Luke 21:12). It is because Jesus Christ would give me a wisdom of speaking, which I won’t be able to attain even after spending decades of theology studies, that all my adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute (21:15). Even if I were betrayed, killed or hated by all, it would be no big deal. Even if I handed my body over to be burnt (1 Corinthians 13:3), and my last strain of hair turned to ashes, of what would I be afraid? The merciful Lord will, with a grain of my DNA, combined with the soul I have secured with perseverance (Luke 21:19), reconstruct another me and raises me to another glorious level!

Lord! Forgive those who murder us because they want to save their skins and are afraid of the power of the Bible, the vitality of the Word of God and know not what evil they are doing (23:34). Amen! 生命恩泉：
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末世系列（一） 不受騙，不驚惶 Don’t Be Deceived, Don’t Be Terrified

末世系列（一） 不受騙，不驚惶（路21:5-11）

人類真是很好奇的生物，他們不停地探索身邊事物的意義。他們很有趣，祇選擇性地承認自己有限認知能力得來的片面真相，而在更宏偉的真理面前，卻傲慢地否認它！

現代人覺得【聖經】是二千年前的產物，當中的故事和教訓，對當今的世代，毫無參考價值。例如《創世紀》中人物的歲數：亞當活到930歲（創5:5），最長壽的默突舍拉969歲（5:27）等，現代人都認為是無稽之談。十七世紀偉大的科學家如牛頓，把【聖經】族譜裡人物的年歲疊加，算出地球的年齡不超過六千歲！可見【聖經】真的不可信。除了對「世界末日」的預言例外！

現代人真奇怪，即使他們認為大部份【聖經】的內容不可信，但很多人卻對當中記載的「末世言論」，鍥而不捨地研究。除了「好奇」和「貪婪」之外，我實在找不到更合理的解釋！要知道「末日」是一門大生意，可以出版書籍，拍攝電影，售賣「末日逃生包」等，是一個很有潛質的市場。近日以色列與哈瑪斯的衝突，便引發了不少人士在社交媒體發表「末日」的言論了，可見這市場有多龐大！

在今天的福音中，耶穌基督祇不過說了耶路撒冷聖殿的毀滅，並不是說世界的末日，便引起了「談論聖殿如何莊麗」的人注意。試問，世間有那一座建築物，能永遠屹立不倒呢？即使如今仍在的「萬里長城」，祇不過是2500年歷史，中國也祇不過是5000年。誰可保證萬年之後，它們仍然屹立不倒呢？

所以，耶穌基督便借用人類的好奇心，啟示有關末日的訊息。但好奇的人，祇關心「發生的時候，將有甚麼先兆」（路21:7），但在最重要的真理面前，無動於衷！末日的真理是甚麼？耶穌說：「至於那日子和那時刻，除了父以外，誰也不知道，連天上的天使和子都不知道。」（谷13:32）。面對末日最重要的態度就是「你們要謹慎，不要受欺騙…切不可跟隨他們」（路21:8）；「不要驚惶」（21:9），有多少聽眾領會得到呢？

親愛的弟兄姊妹，你謹慎嗎？你能不受騙、不驚惶嗎？若望宗徒說：「在愛內沒有恐懼，反之，圓滿的愛把恐懼驅逐於外」（若一4:18）。若望宗徒的忠告，對你有啟發嗎？
天主保祐！

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Eschatology I: Don’t Be Deceived, Don’t Be Terrified (Luke 21:5-11)

Humanity is a curious animal. They keep searching for meanings of things around them. They are funny in that they selectively acknowledge the partial truth they obtain from their limited cognitive powers but in face of a grander truth, they arrogantly deny!

Modern people think that the Bible was written two thousand years ago. Thus, its stories and teachings are totally irrelevant for modern people. For example, the ages of people in Genesis: Adam died at 930 (Genesis 5:5) and Methuselah, the longest living man, had lived 969 years and died (5:27) etc. Modern people would dismissed them as fairy tales. Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest scientist in 17th century, once added up the ages from genealogies in the Bible and came up with the age of the earth to be less than 6,000. The Bible is not worth believing in except for doomsday prophecies!

Modern men are strange. Even though they reject almost all the contents of the Bible as incredible, many people continue to do researches on eschatology. Besides curiosity and greed, I cannot think of a more reasonable explanation! You should understand that “doomsday” is a big business. You may publish books, make movies and sell “End Time Survival Kits” etc. to meet the demands of a lucrative market. The recent conflicts between Israel and Hamas have triggered a flood of “doomsday” posts by KOL’s on the social media. Now you know how lucrative this market is!

In the gospel text today, Jesus only mentioned the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and not the end of the world. It was sufficient to draw the attention of those who were speaking about how the Temple was adorned. Just think about it, what buildings on earth could stand forever? Even the still standing Great Wall is just 2,500 years old and China a mere 5,000. Who can guarantee that it shall not fall in 10,000 years?

Thus, Jesus Christ made use of the curiosity of humanity to reveal what would happen on the last days. Curious people only care about “When will this happen? And what sign will there be” (Luke 21:7) but untouched before the most important truth! So, what is the truth about the end days? Jesus says, “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). The most important attitude to confront the end time is “See that you not be deceived … Do not follow them” (Luke 21:8); “Do not be terrified” (21:9). How many among my readers have heard and understood?

Beloved brethren! Are you prudent? Can you be not deceived, not terrified? John the Apostle says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). Do you find inspiration in the advice of John the Apostle?
God bless!
生命恩泉
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主要的愛，你放到哪？Where Have You Laid the Love Requested by the Lord?

主要的愛，你放到哪？（路21:1-4）

耶穌在聖殿銀庫讚賞窮寡婦的事蹟，讀來有點懸疑。耶穌真的在稱讚那位窮寡婦呢？還是借窮寡婦來批評其他人呢？
首先，聖殿銀庫裡放著的「獻儀」，除了維持聖殿的運作、維修和司祭的生活費用之外，還包括了窮人的照顧。例如【路加福音】第二章提到的另一位寡婦，女先知亞納（路2:36-38），聖殿供養了她不少於六十年！

其次，這些「獻儀」都是自願的，不是強制的，強制的是「殿稅」。即是說，除了必須的、指定的祭獻之外，眾人都可以量力而為，自願地為聖殿或為窮人作出奉獻，如金錢、屋契等。沒有人會知道你的意向是為窮人還是為聖殿，你已把「獻儀」的使用，全權交給了管理聖殿的司祭了。窮寡婦所奉獻的，與其他人一樣，都是「作為給天主的獻儀」（21:4b）。

因此，耶穌基督已鎖定了奉獻的意向，就是對天主的愛。對比便十分鮮明了，就是「多餘的」（21:4a）與「不足的，她所有的，一切生活費」（21:4c）。
【瑪竇】與【馬爾谷】，把「最大誡命的挑戰」放到耶穌基督在聖殿施教的環節（瑪22:34-40; 谷12:28-34），停留在理智和辯論的層面上，但【路加】怎會放過這個深化「最大誡命」的機會哩！既然眾人都知道：「你應當全心、全靈、全力、全意愛上主，你的天主」（路10:27），那為甚麼你們祇奉獻上「多餘的」呢？哦！主耶穌，對不起，你誤會了，我沒有這樣大的本事，我祇是為了幫助窮人而已，並不是為聖殿、為天主。慈悲的主耶穌便說：「那麼，你為甚麼祇拿『多餘的』來愛自己呢？主要的愛，主所要求你付出的愛，你放到哪？」

主啊！可憐我這個糊塗蟲罷！我竟然不辨輕重、本末倒置、迷失在世俗事務、個人榮辱之中。請伸出援手，速來救助我。亞孟！

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Where Have You Laid the Love Requested by the Lord? (Luke 21:1-4)

Jesus’ praise of the poor widow at the Temple treasury poses a puzzle in the readers’ mind. Did Jesus genuinely praise the poor widow? Or did He make use of the poor widow to criticize somebody else?
Firstly, besides providing the livelihood for priests, the Temple treasury kept offerings for the running of the Temple, its maintenance and helping the poor. For example, the Temple had supported another widow Anna, the prophetess for at least six decades (Luke 2:36-38)!

Secondly, those offerings were voluntary. Temple taxes were compulsory. That is to say, besides offering compulsory sacrifices, people could offer voluntarily according to their means for the Temple or for the poor, such as money and title deeds etc. Nobody would know the intentions of your offerings. You have surrendered the right to possess/utilize totally to the priests who managed the Temple. What the poor widow offered was the same as any other people. It is “unto the offerings of God” (21:4b). Therefore, Jesus Christ has locked in their intentions to show their love to God. The contrast is sharp. It is between “their surplus wealth” (21:4a) and “her poverty, her whole livelihood” (21:4c)!

Matthew and Mark put the challenge of the greatest commandment along with Jesus’ teachings in the Temple (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34). They remain in the rational level. How would Luke let go of this opportunity to deepen the meaning of the greatest commandment! Since everybody knows, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27), then why do you offer your surplus only and not all? Sorry, Lord Jesus. You have misunderstood me. I don’t have such great capabilities. I offer to help the poor only, not for the Temple or for the love of God. Then the merciful Lord would ask, “Why do you love yourselves with spares only? Where have you laid the love the Lord requests?”

Dear Lord! Have mercy on this stupid me! I prioritize wrongly and lose myself in secular matters and personal vainglory. Make haste to save me! Amen!
生命恩泉
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Who Are The Goats? 誰是山羊？

Solemnity of Christ the King of Universe, Year A
Theme: Who Are The Goats? 誰是山羊？

What do you expect to see in a courtroom scene nowadays? The scene consists of a judge, probably a jury panel, a plaintiff, a defendant and advocates from both sides. Charges, pledges, cross-examinations, defences, judgment and finally sentencing would play out in order. Today, in the parable of Sheep and Goats, Jesus Christ gives us a preview of what would happen in the courtroom scene on the Judgment Day. Actually, before the Judgment Day, the heavenly court is extremely busy. Satan acts as the plaintiff accusing each one of us (the defendant) daily before the Father. Jesus Christ acts as our defence advocate (Revelation 12:10; Romans 8:34). The Judgment Day scene will be different because it will be the last courtroom scene. It will be a case of The Son of God vs. the whole humanity. But for sub-cultures and modern societies which are unfamiliar with shepherding, they need to know more about the images of sheep and goats. We need to go back to the Old Testament to learn more about shepherding practices and their symbolism.

The first Israelite king that was able to unite the twelve tribes of Israel was King David who began his career as a shepherd. In time, shepherds became a symbol of kings and government officials. However, not all kings and mandarins were good. Some of them failed to overcome the corruption by authority and became self-seeking and self-fattening at the expenses of the commoners! This is what the first reading talks about today. The Lord God accuses the shepherd-mandarins of power-abuses. “For thus says the Lord God: Look! I myself will search for my sheep and examine them” (Ezekiel 34:11). Why did God revoke the authority delegated to the mandarins? It was because “You consumed milk, wore wool, and slaughtered fatlings, but the flock you did not pasture. You did not strengthen the weak or heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost but ruled them harshly and brutally” (34:3-4). The Lord God would take up again the role of the Shepherd of Israel, in the person of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd shall do what the power-abusive shepherds fail to do, “The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal; but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them in judgment” (34:16).

We are able to understand the first half of verse 34:16 easily. If we pay attention to the sequence of afflictions in 34:4, namely “sick, injured, stray, lost” and in 34.16, namely “lost, strays, injured, sick”, we will see a chiastic structure! Therefore, we can locate the key message, a Judgment, in the middle: “Thus says the Lord God: Look! I am coming against these shepherds. I will take my sheep out of their hand and put a stop to their shepherding my flock, so that these shepherds will no longer pasture them. I will deliver my flock from their mouths so it will not become their food” (34:10). Another prophet echoes the same judgment by proclaiming, “My wrath is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders …” (Zechariah 10:3). The Lord God has spoken at least twice. Shepherd-mandarins! Have you not heard?

Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd will make up what shepherd-mandarins have failed. But why does the Good Shepherd want to destroy the sleek and the strong and “shepherd them in judgment” (Ezekiel 34:16b)? Obviously, those sleek and strong sheep must have colluded with the wicked shepherds so that they fatten themselves together. Moreover, when the Good Shepherd appears, there is no need for mandarin-shepherds anymore. They turn into either sheep or goats as well and the Good shepherd will shepherd them all. In older translations, the tone is stronger and reads, “… but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment” (34:16b, KJV)! The Hebrew word רָעָה can be rendered “to shepherd” and “to feed”. The former translation is milder while the latter one sounds a lot harsher! Either way, how would the Good Shepherd destroy the wicked sheep? Didn’t the same prophet speak in God’s stead that “Do I find pleasure in the death of the wicked --- oracle of the Lord God? Do I not rejoice when they turn from their evil way and live?” (18:23)? The only reasonable explanation is that when the Good Shepherd comes finally on the Judgment Day, the fat and strong sheep have not turned from their evil ways!

What do you expect to hear or see in this final courtroom scene where trillions upon trillions of souls coming from all ages and all lands gather? Would angels on Satan side lay bare our sins in front of the whole world while angels on Christ side would report our good works? Then would Christ weigh them on a balance so that everybody is able to see which way the balance tilt? We shall be disappointed. Not a single evil deed shall be mentioned on the Judgment Day. We will not hear of juicy accounts of murders, rapes, thefts, perjuries on individuals; nor evils on a structural level such as genocides, human trafficking, drug trafficking and oppressive governments etc. Instead, we only hear of doing charity or omission to do charity! In this respect, we shall be able to see the mercy as well as the righteousness of Christ the King. Had the Universal King demanded baptism, going to Church, receiving sacraments and studying the Bible etc. as criteria for the admission into heavens, it would have been unfair to those who have never heard of Jesus Christ in time, say years before Christ or in space, say places where missionaries have not yet reached. Had the Universal King demanded some heroic Herculean acts that required elitist intelligence or physical strengths or verbal dexterities etc. it would have been unfair to people with disabilities. No! Everybody is able to meet the demands of the Universal King, namely to feed the hungry, to drink the thirsty, to shelter the homeless, to cloth the naked, to take care of the sick and to visit the imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-36). There is no excuse not to do it. Commoners and government officials alike can do it on individual level while people in power can also do it on an even grander scale by passing beneficent policies for the needy and marginalized minorities in the society.

The last thing we need to clarify is the identity of the goats. We should consult the prophetic books and see whom they symbolize with “goats”. There are two, namely “Flee from the midst of Babylon, leave the land of the Chaldeans, be like rams/goats at the head of the flock” (Jeremiah 50:8) and “The he-goat is the king of the Greeks, and the great horn on its forehead is the first king” (Daniel 8:21). We can see that goats and leaders are synonymous in prophetic vocabulary. Therefore, on Judgment Day, corrupted leaders and merchants who colluded with them would be those goats on the King’s left. Until the King comes, they continue their self-fattening and refuse to repent. How pitiful!

Beloved brethren! Do not take chances. Do not think that you can be the good thief accompanying Jesus in His crucifixion. He has told you beforehand how to pass trials in life and given you countless opportunities to do charity. Heed His exhortation. God bless!

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2020 Reflection
Picture Credit: farmsanctuary.org

Drawing Borders To Imprison Ourselves 劃地自限

Thirty-Third Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: Drawing Borders To Imprison Ourselves 劃地自限

Modern people have no idea how much a talent worths today. Here is a rough estimate obtained from information found in Wikipedia. A talent was roughly 60 kg of silver¹. Today, one kg of silver costs about $6,000 HKD². Therefore, one talent worths roughly $360,000 HKD, 2 talents $720,000 HKD and 5 talents 1.8 million HKD. Parents please explain to your children the value of talents. God has entrusted the religious education of your children to you and the Church. To help you discharge your responsibility, I am going to conduct a simple opinion poll. The reason why I ask parents to explain the value of a talent to their children is that unlike the Bible, I will count both women and children in! Here are the questions: After hearing the parable of the Talents, how many of you want to receive 5 talents from the master? How many two? How many of you one? Thank you.

We usually interpret the parable of Talents in the following manner: Every person is unique. God gave each one of us different talents to proclaim the good news of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). In other words, God wants us to invite our neighbour to repent and receive His unconditional forgiveness. Some of us are given many talents and have converted the most people during their life time. So, God rewards them the most. They will be the most glorious at the end of the world. Some are given less and have converted less people. Thus, God rewards them less(Matthew 25:21, 23). Don’t question God’s fairness because in the parable, Jesus has already explained that the talents were given “to each according to his ability” (25:15d). Men should not be too ambitious and demand more talents from God. They might not be able to handle them. Lastly, some buried their talents because they were afraid to lose even the little talents the master gave them when they ran their businesses. They were punished for their laziness (25:26).

This interpretation is good but not good enough. Such an interpretation can easily make us complacent and does not inspire us to go beyond the boundaries we have drawn around us. In fact, nobody wanted to be given one talent in the show of hands mentioned above. More people chose five talents than two. I congratulated them for their zeal in making use of God’s given talents. However, if they think that they have fulfilled their responsibilities and have done well by making five more (25:20b) and by making two more (25:22b), they cannot be more wrong! When Jesus says, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48), He invites us to fully utilize talents given by the Father. Has the servant who was given five talents and made five more talents fully utilized the five talents? Let us dive deeper to explore.

I’m sure all of you are familiar with the story of Jesus driving out a legion of demons into 2000 pigs, sacrificing them in order to liberate a possessed man (8:28-32; Mark 5:13). Now, let’s do some more calculations. A pig weighs about 300 catties to be profitable and in average the price of 100 catties of pig is roughly $1,200 HKD³. Thus, a pig worths $3,600 HKD and 2,000 pigs will cost $7,200,000 HKD. To make the discussion/reflection concrete, we conclude from this exorcism of the possessed man that a human soul roughly worths 7.2 million Hong Kong Dollar! Therefore, the servant who earned 5 more talents is only capable of saving a quarter of a man’s soul! In other words, he needs to make not five more talents but twenty talents more in order to save one soul! He is not commandable, is he? You might protest and say that even the master praises him saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant … Come, share your master’s joy” (25:21). I would counter and ask what God would say to a servant who does not perform up to his full potential. Would God scold the servant for not giving his best or would God encourage him to build him up as told in the parable? We should not read the Bible too literally. By the way, assuming that a period of ten years is long enough for “After a long time” (25:19a). Had the servant with one talent followed the master’s advice to deposit the one talent into the bank, how high should the interest rate be so that in ten years, the one talent would have been doubled? About 7.18% per annum. Was the master really a demanding person (25:24b)?

In fact, why did the servant with 5 talents make only 5 more but not 20 more? Couldn’t the servant with 2 talents make 200 more? Why not? Is it impossible? Or have we drawn boundaries to live comfortably inside and as a result confined ourselves within a very narrow space? Reflecting in this light, the servant with 5 talents and the one with 2 were no better than the servant with only one talent. Of course, the servant with only one talent deserves to be punished because he had not even tried whereas the other two servants had at least tried, though not their best.

Remember that you will not be able to find the word “impossible” in God’s dictionary (Luke 1:37). No, this is not God’s modus operandi. In order to show that “It is not because of your justice that the Lord, your God, is giving you this good land to possess” (Deuteronomy 9:6) and “lest Israel vaunt itself against me and say, ‘My own power saved me’” (Judges 7:2b), God usually made use of an extremely small number of soldiers to defeat a huge army to show the Chosen People that Yahweh is fighting their adversaries for them, e.g. the stories of Gideon leading 300 men to defeat 130,000 Midianites, and David defeating Goliath amply demonstrate it. Fast forward to the New Testament. It is admirable of the Blessed Virgin Mary to harbour the intention to serve the Lord in the capacity of a virgin (Luke 1:34). But God has reserved for her a higher position, namely the Mother of God. It seems to contradict the virgin’s wish but in the end, God is able to retain her virginity while making her a mother! God be praised forever!

In light of the modus operandi of God, we have a better understanding of what Jesus teaches about the faithfulness of a Christian. Listen to Jesus' words which He speaks twice, “Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities” (Matthew 25:21, 23). In God's eyes, making full use of our talents are only “small matters”! He has in store for us “great responsibilities” at the end of the world. Being faithful is NOT how deeply you believe in God, or how literally you obey His orders. Rather, it is a matter of to what extent we are able to surrender all our will and allow God to work through us to do things we even dare not to dream of because those things are impossible. The servant with one talent was wicked and lazy (25:26) because he denied God the opportunity to work through him. The other two servants were “good and faithful” but I would say not good and faithful enough because they had limited God and stopped short of advancing beyond doubling the principal! Indeed, we all do!
Beloved brethren! Allow God to bear us up on eagles’ wings and bring us to Him (Exodus 19:4). Amen.

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¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talent_(measurement)
²https://www.kitco.com/silver-price-today-hong-kong/index.html
³https://www.fehd.gov.hk/tc_chi/sh/data/supply_tw.html
Picture Credit:catholiccourier.com
2020 Reflection