Different Shades of Prophets 先知無雙譜

Fourth Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Different Shades of Prophets 先知無雙譜

Human beings are insatiably curious but I do not know whether God created us this way or we became like this after the fall of our First Parents. The Bible tells us that in the beginning God created a universe suitable for the emergence of intelligent creatures. The zenith of God’s creative act was the creation of human beings in His image (Genesis 1:26) so that we are able to interact with Him. With intelligence, we are able to understand that our Creator is infinitely perfect in all manners. The known universe with its immense diversities and all its inhabitants, including us, testify that the Creator is a Grand Designer and His Creation is an outflow of His essence which John the Apostle named “love” (1 John 4:8). Out of love, God created humanity and assigned them to manage the world (Genesis 1:27, 2:15). God’s Creation was good but it was not yet perfect. There is room to grow and develop until it reaches perfection! The stage was set for God’s renovation plan to unfold. Men were living in blissful innocence (2:25) until Satan tempted the woman to eat the “fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil” which God had previously told Adam not to eat lest he died (2:17).

Obviously, humanity was no match to angels in terms of strategy and strength. Moreover, they were unprepared for this ambush and consequently fell in action! However, God did not abandon His images. He declared the proto-gospel in the form of an enigma, “I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel” (3:15). In hindsight, we know that God was announcing a prophecy about how the Son of God would be born of a woman and He would defeat Satan in a mortal combat! Throughout history, God has been dropping us hints of how His Grand Design would unfold. That is the mission of Old Testament prophets whose role is to proclaim the words of God to the people. Let us briefly review what prophets have done in the Pentateuch.

Abraham was the first prophet mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 20:7) but he did not proclaim any word of God. Instead, Abraham interceded for Abimelech so that the latter might live! Very often, Christians, especially the righteous ones, have overlooked this mediator role of prophets! They are more eager to console the underprivileged, tgeno exhort and to pronounce judgment on the wicked instead of interceding for them. Jonah whom we read of last Sunday was such a prime example. Let us turn our attention to another prophet in the Pentateuch. During the Exodus to the Promised Land, Moses always handed down God’s messages to the Israelites and yet the Pentateuch does not explicitly called Moses a prophet. God affirms Moses’ role as a prophet in the first reading today, “I will raise up for them [Israelites] a prophet like you from among their kindred, and will put my words into the mouth of the prophet; the prophet shall tell them all that I command” (Deuteronomy 18:18). As a prophet, Moses did more than just proclaiming God’s word. Once he interceded successfully for the Israelites whom God wanted to annihilate because they worshipped the Golden Calf after Moses had gone up to Mount Horeb [Sinai] to receive the Ten Commandments. Eventually God changed His mind and spared the Israelites (Exodus 32:9-14). Both Abraham and Moses have set us examples to intercede for the wicked. Christians, will you not do better to pray for those who persecute you?

If you were still reluctant to pray for the wicked, perhaps another interesting prophet in the Pentateuch would change your mind, Balaam! Balaam was probably a diviner because seeing the approach of Israelites, Balak the king of Moab sent a team of divination experts (Numbers 22:7) to summon Balaam to curse the Israelites because “Whoever you [Balaam] bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed” (22:6). Did it not sound familiar? It did because God told Abraham in similar terms, saying, “I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you” (Genesis 12:2b-3a). Here, we see a difference between a diviner and a prophet. People thought that diviners had the power to bless and curse effectively whereas prophets were actually channels to convey God’s blessings and curses upon the others. Prophets themselves did not have the power to bless or curse. What made Balaam the diviner interesting was that God turned him, a diviner upon whom the Torah would frown, into a prophet through whom God imparted His blessings on the Israelites and made known His will to the pagans (Numbers 23-24)! Nothing can prevent God from making wicked people perform His will. If Caesar Augustus was wicked, he unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem by ordering a nationwide census (Luke 2:1-5).

To wrap up this brief review, let us turn to the end of Deuteronomy where we read, “Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; and so the Israelites gave him their obedience, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:9-10). With this, we conclude that Joshua was a prophet like Moses and no prophets after Joshua in the Old Testament were on a par with Moses. Moreover, the strength of a prophet comes from the Holy Spirit, the spirit of wisdom mentioned above. Furthermore, we should also know that the Greek rendition of the name Joshua Ἰησοῦς, is Jesus! Thus, Jesus the Son of God is the prophet God promised in Deuteronomy 18:18. In the fullness of time, God came down in person to teach us the way of redemption. Before that, He shrouded His Grand Design in enigmas! How would an offspring of a woman, a mortal, defeat Satan (Genesis 3:15)? How could we dream that God would come in person to live among us like a brother, to teach us, to intercede for us (Deuteronomy 18:18) and even to die for us?

Prophets come in different shades. Most well-known ones are mighty and ferocious such as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Elijah and Elisha etc. because of their juicy stories. But there are also mild and even tragic ones such as the major prophets and even prophetesses such as Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14) in the Old Testament and Anna (Luke 2:36) in the New Testament. God even punished Miriam for challenging the authority of her brother Moses (Numbers 12:10)! Once more, nothing can prevent God from making anybody an instrument of His grace! Prophetesses show clearly God’s modus operandi: might is NOT always right. Meekness can be as powerful as, if not more powerful than, physical might! Most people know that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the best exemplar of all disciples but few would recognize that she is also a prophet! It is not because the Church gives her a devotional title “Queen of Prophets” but because of her words to the servers at Cana, “Do whatever he[Jesus] tells you” (John 2:5)! Not only did the BVM intercede for their lack of wine, but she also instructed the people to do God’s will. Human strength is always inferior to God’s. Therefore, it is not necessary to resort to might in order to get things done. Meekness and mildness are also able to achieve when we allow God to intervene. He is able to get the job done more fruitfully and effectively.

Beloved brethren! Through baptism, we partake in the threefold ministry of a king, a priest and a prophet of Jesus Christ who is the Prophet foretold in the book of Deuteronomy. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to grant us love, meekness and wisdom to discharge the prophet ministry of good news. Amen.

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2021 Reflection
Picture Credit: creazilla.com

Each of Us Is A Unique Image Of God

Each of Us Is A Unique Image Of God

By Deacon Alex

We Christians believe that our God is the Creator of the known universe whose grandeur is captured by sophisticated telescopes sent into the outer space. While cosmologists are debating whether the known universe is infinite or not, we insist that, the Grand Designer and Creator of this known universe must be infinite. However, have you ever been amazed by the fact that humanity is able to handle the idea of infinity? Ignorance of the concept of infinity led to heresies against the Blessed Trinity that the Church refuted in the fourth century. Interested readers may visit this webpage to understand more.

What can we learn from the meditation of infinities?

1. Since we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and God is infinite, so are we! Why? From the webpage mentioned above, we see that by removing members / attributes / characteristics from an infinite being, the resulting entity is still infinite.
2. God is an awesome mystery. So are we! If somebody boasts that he is able to read you like a book, he has not finished reading you yet because if you were a book, there would be infinite number of pages to read!
3. We should respect even the least of Jesus’ brethren (Matthew 25:40) because no matter how poor, miserable, ignorant, irritating, cunning, unlovable and wicked a person is, he is an infinite mystery, an image of God like us. Obviously, some good things are missing in them. So are we! If we possess charismas given by God, he does too! Theirs are probably different from ours. That is why each one of us is a UNIQUE but INCOMPLETE image of God.

Since we are incomplete, we have to accept the fact that we are unable to do mammoth projects alone. We need to work together whenever we need to achieve some Herculean projects. Yes, together we are able to lift heavier, to scale higher and to sprint farther and faster!
How can we work together? In previous generations, people believed in the advantages of elitism. Let the professional be leaders to do the task! This was true even in the Church. The clergy knew best. They were shepherds and we laity should obey and follow. Six decades ago, St. Pope John XXIII convoked the Second Vatican Council to modernize the Catholic Church. To paraphrase, he says, “Let’s open the window to allow the Holy Spirit in to renew us.” More than two thousand bishops and theologians came together to deliberate. Through these elites, we heard the voice of the Holy Spirit. Six decades later, Pope Francis calls upon the whole Church to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit from the grass-root as well. We need to hear what the Holy Spirit tells us through the laity because they are the People of God! The Church enters the Age of Synodality!

It is a tiny but crucial step forward and agrees with the teachings of St. Paul. When he taught against sexual immorality, he says, “Avoid immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you…?” (1 Corinthians 6:18-19a, 2nd Reading, Second Ordinary Sunday, Year B) Therefore, not just the elites, the bishops and theologians are temples of the Holy Spirit. All of us are! If the Holy Spirit spoke through the bishops and theologians six decades ago, what prevents the Holy Spirit from speaking through us today? St. Paul continues to teach his famous theology of the Mystical Body of Christ and affirms that each one of us receives unique charism, meaning spiritual gifts/talents from God to build up the Church. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone” (12:4-6). Lastly, St. Paul exhorts us to be humble in this manner, “Not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned” (Romans 12:3).

Beloved brethren! Be humble. Never think too highly of yourselves. Respect the charismas of the others. Recognize and acknowledge the diversity of charismas among our partners, co-workers and parishioners. Let us work together for the good of all, especially the needy. May we enrich the life of each other through Synodality in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Picture Credit: medium.com

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*** For the braver souls ***

To begin with, we will be surprised by the conclusions we draw from reasoning with infinities because they are counter-intuitive. Let us begin with the simplest and most familiar infinity, the collection or set of positive integers.
There are infinite number of positive integers. Allow me to show you why. Let us call the operation of adding one to a positive integer plus_one() and write it in mathematical form. Given a positive integer, say x, we have:

     plus_one(x) = x + 1; which is also a positive integer.

There is no end to this addition process. Therefore, we have proven that:

1. The set of positive integers is infinite!
   Now consider the set of positive integers we have created. Let us call it P.
   
        P = [1, 2, 3, …]
   
   For each member in P, we may create a new object by multiplying it by two and put it into a new collection. Let’s call this operation Double().
   
        Double(P) = [2, 4, 6, …]
   
   In doing so, we have created a new set of even integers. Let us call it E.
   
        E = [2, 4, 6, …]
   
   Obviously, there are infinite members in E because they come from the infinite members in P! Similarly, we may Triple(P), Quintuple(P) and Septuple(P) etc. to create new sets of integers and each such set has infinite members, though each member is separated further and further apart!
   Perhaps you have not noticed. We have proven that
2. The multiplication of an infinite set produces another infinite set. Furthermore, we limit ourselves to positive integers only because when zero is included, multiplication by zero will reduce an infinite set into a set of singleton, zero!

   What is missing in E? There is no positive odd integers in E. We may think of the set of positive odd integers as the difference of removing all positive even integers from positive integers. Let us call this operation Remove_Even() and the resulting set O.
   
        Remove_Even(P) = [1, 3, 5, …] = O
   
   In other words, the set of odd positive integers is the subtraction of even integers from the set of positive integers. Put it in another way, the P is the sum of O and E, i.e.
   
        O = P – E;     E = P – O;     P = O + E
   
   We have proven that

3. Addition and subtraction of two infinite sets will produce another infinite set. This operation can continue without end, like the plus_one() operation above. Therefore, addition and subtraction of infinite number of infinite sets will produce another infinite set!

Obviously, E and O have the same size. But can we say that E is smaller than P? Sorry, mathematicians say NO because by the rule of “one-one-correspondence”, if you take a member in P, I will also be able to take a member in E to cancel you out, without end. Therefore, P is NOT bigger than E. This is a mathematical truth though it sounds counter intuitive. We can only accept this truth and get used to it!

In theological jargon, the Blessed Trinity is a mystery. It is beyond our intelligence to fathom and it can be counter-intuitive! Hopefully those warm-up exercises above may equip us to understand why the heresies in the fourth century are wrong. Those heresies deny that the Christian God is a Trinity.
In 1970’s, the Jehovah Witnesses presented a mathematical argument. They argued that 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 is obviously wrong. Only adding three fractions can yield a one such as ⅓ + ⅓ + ⅓ = 1. But God cannot be a fraction because “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This proves that God is not a Trinity!
The Jehovah Witnesses were wrong because the Christian God is infinite and we have proven that one infinity + one infinity + one infinity = ONE infinity! As of this writing, I am not sure whether they have given up this naïve argument!

Arianism was another heresy that denies Trinity. It made use of the time-dimension to prove that the Son is not God. They argued as follow:
Given that the eternal Father begot the Son there must be a period of time in which the Son did not exist. In other words, the Son is not eternal and therefore the Son is not God. Without the Son, God is not a Trinity!
Alas! Eternity is an infinite entity. As we have proven above, even if you remove a portion of an infinity, it is still an infinity! The eternal Father begot the eternal Son!

What about the last arithmetical operation, viz. division on positive integers?
Let us consider the trivial case of division by one. It yields an infinite set identical with P itself.
Let us consider the next positive integer 2. It yields an infinite set of halves and positive integers.
Let us consider the next positive integer 3. It yields an infinite set of thirds and positive integers etc.
All these sets of fractions have infinite members like P because we make them from P!
From result 3) above, namely that adding infinite number of infinite sets will produce another infinite set; with all the sets of halves, thirds, fourth’s and fifth’s etc. together, we have created the set of positive fractions, or positive rational numbers in mathematical jargon.

Consider the operation of collecting the first element of all these sets of fractions to build a new set. What is it? It is the set of fractions between zero and one. There are infinite number of fractions between zero and one. Similarly, there are infinite number of fractions between one and two etc. Together, they form the set of positive rational numbers. Infinity is truly mindboggling!

Using our imagination, we can create many such simple infinities in our heads, each with a different property at the pleasure of our whims, such as the set of negative integers, of multiples of thirty one, square numbers and of prime numbers etc. Each of these sets is infinite and different from the rest! All these infinities belong to , Aleph-zero. If you are brave enough, check it out and you will be able to see that there are actually bigger infinities , etc.
God is bigger than all these infinities we can handle! Amen!
God bless!

Self-Renewal, The Chinese Way to Repent 自新：中式悔改

Third Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Self-Renewal, The Chinese Way to Repent 自新：中式悔改

Chinese are a pragmatic people. Their branches of philosophy are also pragmatic. Whether it be Confucianism, Daoism or whatever ideology, they will touch on character formation, ethics, horticulture, medicines, politics and warfare etc. Thus, when we meditate on the theme of repentance in the readings today, it is beneficent to retell a well-known Chinese story of self-renewal.

周處Zhou Chu (236-297 AD) was an army general in 西晉the Western Jin era. In a battle at 六陌Liumo against the 齊萬年之亂Qi Wannian’s Rebellion, Zhou Chu’s army was fourteen times outnumbered and his jealous superiors refused to dispatch reinforcements. He died in a heroic last stand. However, he was more remembered for the famous self-renewal story recorded in the book 【世說新語A New Account of the Tales of the World】written in 430 AD.

In his younger days, Zhou Chu was described to be a violent, tough hooligan with a sense of chivalry among the villagers who were afraid of him along with a tiger in the mountain and a scaly dragon in the river. Zhou was the worst among the three but he was not aware of his public image. One day, a villager successfully persuaded him to neutralize the tiger and the dragon. Zhou acted promptly. He ventured into the mountain and killed the tiger. Then he dived into the river to challenge the dragon. They bundled together and were washed downstream for three days and three nights. The villagers thought that both of them had perished and celebrated. Actually, Zhou managed to kill the scaly dragon as well and survived. He finally realized that he had been the major scourge the villagers feared most! Zhou decided to mend his old ways and later became a valiant army general in Western Jin. In 1990’s, the county government erected a statue in his hometown to immortalize him. In short, Zhou’s repentance benefitted the villagers and he channelled his valour to defend the country. Taking his character into consideration, it was probably inevitable for him to die in the hands of jealous mandarins who denied him reinforcement at Liumo!

Unlike the moralistic pragmatic Chinese stories, many narratives in the Bible, in particular the parable of the Prodigal Son and that of Jonah, have their endings left open-ended. God only invites us to repent and does not impose His good will on us. Jonah was a reluctant prophet. God sent him to Nineveh to preach against their wickedness (Jonah 1:2). Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire which had conquered the northern kingdom Israel and invaded Jerusalem. Jonah would be more than happy to see Nineveh punished by God. However, God sent him to his enemies to tell them to repent in order to spare them in effect! For us Christians, this is in harmony with Christ’s teachings on mercy, “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Moreover, Jesus practised what He preached with His prayer on the Cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Why should Christians, and indeed all humanity, forgive? It is because we have the obligation to give our brethren a second chance to do good because we are our brother’s keeper (Genesis 4:9). Look at the story of Zhou Chu again and we will understand why even a violent, tough hooligan deserves a second chance. Seeing that the Pharisees were the bitterest enemies of Jesus in the gospels, we might understand how difficult it was for the Chosen People in the Old Testament to forgive their enemies, not to mention to love them. However, if we despise the narrowness of the Jewish mind, we are only kettles calling the pots black because even today, in the Age of the Holy Spirit, humanity still enjoy seeing blood spilt rather than seeing enemies reconciled. Our sense of righteousness is totally different from God’s righteousness which is the liberation of human souls from the bondage of addictions, obsessions, prejudices and in short sins. God wants to forgive while most humanity wants to play God and to take revenge instead.

In fact, both Jonah and Zhou Chu were righteous in their own manners. Zhou was heroic to risk his life to battle and remove the tiger and the dragon. Eventually, when he realized that he himself was the major threat to the village, he renewed his life orientation. In his last stand at Liumo, Zhou knew that it was time for him to die as an army general of the state. Had he retreated, the morale of the soldiers would collapse. He refused to retreat and was killed in action. That was Zhou’s righteousness as a heroic army general.
When Jonah escaped God’s commission, God wanted to liberate Jonah from his narrow nationalism. So He chased after Jonah and stirred up a storm at sea. Jonah was righteous enough not to make the innocent sailors perish along with him. He says, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea and then the sea will calm down for you. For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me” (Jonah 1:12). The sailors still tried to row hard to return to dry land but could not. At last, they hurled Jonah into the sea and the sea stopped raging immediately! All who saw this were “Seized with great fear of the Lord and offered sacrifice to the Lord and made vows” (1:16). See? Jonah’s rebellion even bore fruit. Pagan sailors who had previously worshipped idols were converted. In other words, God is able to turn our rebellion and folly into something good! Once again, we see that God’s power lies in His generosity to forgive!

In today’s passage, we learn that Jonah was not doing his job seriously. He went only one-third of the journey into Nineveh and casually/lazily proclaimed, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (3:4). He did not mention who would destroy them, nor why they would be punished nor what they should do to escape punishment! In short, Jonah was reluctant because his style of righteousness, his narrow nationalism wanted very much to see Nineveh punished. How disappointed Jonah was when God “נִחַם repented of the evil He had threatened to do to them; He did not carry it out” (3:10)! While God felt sorry for threatening the people of Nineveh, Jonah was angry that God did not carry out the punishment! “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways” (Isaiah 55:9). God’s righteousness is truly far higher than human righteousness.

From Jonah’s perspective, he must have been asking unceasingly why God chose him to suffer. Listen to his complaints, “O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment. So now, Lord, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:2-3). Jonah was protesting for most people who suffer for no apparent purpose. Had he known that in the gospel, Jesus honours him by mentioning “the sign of Jonah the prophet” (Matthew 12:39) to hint at His Passion and Resurrection. The experience of Jonah would console innocent sufferers who are honoured to share with Jesus His redemptive sufferings and glorious triumph over death. I enquire the merciful Lord whether He has also reserve a place for Zhou Chu in paradise because he has never profess the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Beloved brethren! We need to unload a lot of ignorance resulted from indulgence in worldly comfort. Repentance is definitely uncomfortable but it is indispensable on our way home. Invoke the Holy Spirit to grant us the courage and resilience to battle on! Amen.
God bless!

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2021 Reflection
Picture Credit: zh.wikipedia.org

To Bear Witness To Christ 為基督作見證

Second Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: To Bear Witness To Christ 為基督作見證

I am sure all of you are familiar with the story of the call of Samuel, the last of Judges of the Israelites after Joshua had brought the Chosen People into the Promised Land. Still, we need to clarify some terms. The location was the city of Siloh (1 Samuel 1:3) and Eli and his two sons were priests to handle sacrifical businesses (1:3, 9). In today’s passage, we read, “The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was” (3:3). We have “the lamp of God”, “the temple of the Lord” and “the ark of God” here. The lamp and the ark were objects put inside the Tabernacle which was built during Exodus. Therefore, this “temple of the Lord” must have been a relatively permanent structure to house the Tabernacle after the settlement in Canaan, and not the first Temple built by King Solomon in Jerusalem later (1 Kings 6:1).

After knowing the physical setup, let’s turn our attention to how God called Samuel. During the first three times, God called and Samuel heard his name called (1 Samuel 3:4, 6, 8). In the last call, God became more concrete, “The Lord came and stood there, calling out as before …” (3:10). From this narrative, we know that the Lord always takes the initiative to build up relationship with us. He would only invite and would never force us to accept. On the other hand, most people are like Samuel, not ready to receive God’s revelation until somebody, in this case Eli the priest, helps them set their sight on God! The story of Samuel reminds us Christians that we should not speak carelessly because “The Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to go unfulfilled” (3:19), which means Samuel was a prophet and similarly we Christians partake in the prophetic ministry after our baptism. Therefore our words become unimaginably powerful. No wonder St. Paul teaches, “No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). Similarly, Peter teaches, “Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). Never curse anybody or anything. Instead, we should love, pray and bless, even those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44).

Let us turn to the gospel passage of today and consider its context. John the Evangelist wants to inform the readers that Jesus Christ is the Word of God and is God Himself (John 1:1). Christ is the source of life, the light of the human race (1:4). John the Baptist “came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light” (1:7-8). He bore witness to Jewish leaders (1:19-28), to people who came to hear him (1:29-34) and to his own disciples (1:35-51). If “the light of the human race” sounds too abstract to understand, the following titles ascribed to Jesus by various people would help readers grasp the meaning more easily: namely “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” by the Baptist (1:29, 36), “the Son of God” by the Baptist (1:34), “Rabbi” by two disciples (1:38), “the Messiah” by Andrew (1:41), “the King of Israel” by Nathanael (1:49) and “the Son of Man” by Jesus Himself (1:51). What can we learn from all these testimonies? Indeed, all of us are unique in our own way. Therefore, our relationships and understanding of the Lord will be unique. Some of us may feel deeply in need of His mercy and forgiveness of sins. Others aspire more of His eternal beatific bliss; yet others the right way to lead a holy life. Some feel secured as being the chosen ones, or being the People of God and lastly feel grateful to be in complete union with the humanity of the Son of God etc. Therefore, our testimonies to the light of human race will be unique as well! Christians! Ask yourselves what prevents you from testifying to the light!

Let us now narrow down to focus on the gospel passage today. John the Baptist sets us Christians an excellent exemplar that our mission is to draw people to Jesus Christ (1:37). He testifies to his two disciples that Jesus is the Lamb of God. This is the second time and to only two disciples. The Baptist accomplishes his mission by encouraging his own disciples to follow the true groom who must increase and he must decrease (3:29-30). Therefore, if we draw people to ourselves, sooner or later, we shall be overwhelmed by our own successes! No wonder many Catholics are reluctant to evangelize, to testfiy to the light.

The merciful Lord is always aware of the movements and needs of our souls. The two disciples only dared to follow behind, probably they were hesitant and not sure if Jesus would accept them because they were disciples of the Baptist. Jesus knew and took the initiative to invite them by giving them a stepping stone, an open end question, “What are you looking for?” (1:38b). The Baptist did not see himself as a Rabbi, but a voice in the wilderness. He would not explain systematically the Mosaic law to meet the expectations of some of his followers. Taking Jesus’ cue, these two disciples would be able to express their desire to learn the right way to lead their lives under the colonial Roman rule. Furthermore, they also wanted to show their readiness to devote and spend longer time to learn from this Rabbi whom the Baptist had recommended. Thus they say, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” (1:38c) Why are the two disciples interested in where Jesus stayed/lived? The Evangelist gives us a clue, namely that “it was about four in the afternoon” (1:39c) which means there were only two hours left to end the day and there would not be enough time for the disciples to deal with all their existential questions! The merciful Lord is able to fulfil all our needs and to empower us to transcend our limitations. He is always open and has prepared a lot of surprises for us. “Come, and you will see” (1:39a). In the end, the disciples are able to come up with different understanding of “the light of the human race”. Peter’s/Mark’s Christ is an action-hero. Matthew’s Christ is the perfect Rabbi greater than Moses. Luke’s Christ is a merciful Lord for the socially marginalized and is always ready to forgive. John is able to extract the essence of God which is love. Paul is able to find a subtitute for the Mosaic Law, namely faith in Christ Jesus and James concretizes Jesus’ teachings to make them relevant even today etc. Together the disciples have avoided painting a one-dimensional Jesus. Together, they project a multifaceted Christ! Catholics! It is simply impossible to exhaust all the narratives of Jesus Christ. What prevents you from testifying to the light?

Last week we learnt that all of us are Stars of Bethlehem to attract people to the incarnated Son of God. Today, we see how Eli help Samuel; John the Baptist his disciples and the apostles Christians of the future generations etc. to get connected with God, with Jesus Christ. Beloved brethren! If you find it difficult to identify God’s will, or if you are diffident in testifying to Jesus Christ in front of people, it is time to review our relationship with Him. But rest assured that at all times and in all situations, God always takes the initi target=rframe>ative to lend us a hand. Lift up your arms to call out His name. He shall be there to raise you up. Amen!
God bless!

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2021 Reflection
Picture Credit: catholic-daily-reflections.com

Be A Star 讓我們也成為明星

The Epiphany of the Lord, Year B
Theme: Be A Star 讓我們也成為明星

Today, we meditate on the visit of the Magi to adore the Holy Infant. The Magi came from the east of Jerusalem (Matthew 2:1). They must have been courtier astrologists from the region of Babylon. Of course, Jesus was born during the Roman Empire but the Babylonian influence must have been deep-rooted and developed enough for astrology to thrive. Then why were the Magi interested in Judah/Judaea which was by then no more than a Roman province? Thanks to the contribution of the legendary prophet Daniel who was able to interpret the dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Consequently, King Nebuchadnezzar “advanced Daniel to a high post, gave him many generous presents, made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:48). Daniel had also served in the Persian Empire until King Darius. That probably explains why the Magi were interested in the rise of a great king in Judaea. Now that we have settled the identity of the Magi, let’s turn our attention to the Star of Bethlehem.

The Star of Bethlehem has captured the fascination of not only the courtier astrologists but also many Christians throughout the ages. Some suggested that it was a comet. However, comets have tails and ancient people thought comets a sign of disasters and doom, not the rise of a Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5). Others thought that the star was a supernova but it was unlikely because a supernova is visible for centuries and does not move! Moving objects in heavens are planets which are dimly visible to unaided eyes. But they do not appear suddenly. Therefore, the most likely candidate would be a conjunction of planets of our solar system within some special constellations, such as Aries. Astrology teaches that heavenly phenomena would influence the lives of people on earth. Therefore, only astrologists would interpret the rise of a star in Aries as the birth of a new king and only astrologists in pagan palaces would notice this phenomenon while Jews would not because astrology was forbidden by Mosaic Law. Say, when Jupiter, Saturn and even Mars wander in the heavens until they are visually close to each other in Aries, together they look brighter for some time and the brightness would disappear when they move apart. That seems to agree with the description of the appearance and re-appearance of the Star of Bethlehem. Still, it is hard to explain the following behaviour of the Star, “After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:9). Given the distance between Jerusalem and Bethlehem to be 11 km, and the amble speed of a walking camel to be 5 km/h, the Magi saw the Star of Bethlehem move, and led them for two hours to the Holy Infant and then stopped! Could this be the behaviour of planet conjunction? The Star of Bethlehem looked more like a modern drone! So far, no candidate is conclusive.

Balaam, a pagan diviner, had prophesized the rising of the Star of Bethlehem before even the Israelites settled in the Promised Land. Instead of cursing the Israelites as requested by the Moab king, Balaam says, “I see him, though not now; I observe him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise from Israel, that will crush the brows of Moab, and the skull of all the Sethites …” (Numbers 24:17). Curiously, Matthew did not quote this prophecy in the Nativity narrative. Anyway, the Star of Bethlehem announced the arrival of the Prince of Peace on earth. Whether the Star appeared in the constellation of Aries to indicate his kingship is up to interpretation. Indeed, constellations in Chinese astrology mean different things. There are twenty-eight Chinese constellations and Aries corresponds to 「婁」and 「胃」constellations which indicate “peace in the borders” and “fullness of barns” respectively in the Chinese system. Thus, Chinese astrologists would not see the birth of a new king in Judaea as the Magi would! Curiosity apart, we should instead reflect more on the symbolic meanings of the Star. We know that the Star of Bethlehem points to the Holy Infant, the Son of God whom the Father gave to humanity. Jesus Christ is a gift from the Father to whoever receives Him and believes in Him.

Jesus Christ teaches us in the Parable of Talents that we should not keep things for ourselves (Matthew 25:26-27). We should make good use of the graces the Father has given us. Moreover, Jesus teaches, “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (5:16). Therefore, we should all be Stars of Bethlehem in our unique stations of life. Some of us may be housewives, domestic helpers, janitors, government officials, IT professionals, artists, journalists, musicians, engineers and homeless. Where we work and live become the heavenly backdrop unique to us. Though people around us might outshine us, do you not know that the visible spectrum is only a small section of the electromagnetic spectrum? We may be able to outshine them in a different section of the spectrum. Therefore, as long as we are able to lead our lives according to the teachings of Jesus, our conscience is clear before the King on the Judgment Day. Now the question becomes what “good deeds” does Jesus want us to do? Feed the hungry, give drinks to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned (25:35-36)? Good of you if you do this. But are you able to attract the people you serve towards Christ? How many of them would believe in Jesus Christ because of your charity? Are there not other charitable organizations and social workers doing the same or even better jobs than us? Perhaps we need to dive deeper into our faith to examine our relationship with Christ to find the clue.

Let us ask ourselves with what attitudes does Jesus want to lead our lives and to serve the needy? We should be familiar with the answer! Jesus wants us to detach ourselves generously from our possessions that can be obstacles for us to approach the Lord (5:3). He wants us to mourn for the sufferings inflicted by sins on innocent people even if they are not our sufferings (5:4). By then, we enter into a solidarity with all the needy and underprivileged. The Holy Infant wants us to be meek like Him not to allow the impulses of self-defence and revenge to take control over us (5:5). He did not strike Herod the Great dead immediately and allowed history to take its full course. Jesus teaches us not to rely on our own strength but thirst and hunger for God to take over the situation and deliver us (5:6). He teaches us to forgive (5:7), to turn another cheek (5:39), to lend without expecting repayment (5:42) and show mercy to those who persecute us (5:44). He wants us to know that there is no other means of redemption and to trust in Him wholeheartedly for the salvation of all humanity (5:8). Be peacemakers and not opportunists to seed conflicts and confusions in order to take advantages of them (5:9) and lastly be assured that He accompanies us and bears most of the brunt for us during persecutions (5:10). Therefore, be not afraid of defamations and persecutions. Be cheerful and glad instead (5:12). Be patient in waiting for God’s righteousness to prevail.

Beloved brethren. All of us are adopted children of God in Christ (Romans 8:15). The Father sends us to be Stars of Bethlehem to bring more souls before Christ. We are too fragile to accomplish this mission without the support of the Holy Spirit. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to disarm our pride and to inflame us with fervent charity. Amen.

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2023 Reflection
Picture Credit: wikipedia.org