Listen and You’ll Find Hope 聆聽就有希望

Thirty-First Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Listen and You’ll Find Hope 聆聽就有希望

Christians and Jews share a high percentage of their scriptures. We know that the Christian Bible is made up of two Testaments, namely the Old Testament and the New Testament. Most of the books of the Old Testament came from the Jewish Scriptures. In the book of Jeremiah, we find “See, days are coming --- oracle of the LORD --- when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). Therefore, Christians are justified in creating another collection of books written after the establishment of the early Church; and calling the collection, the New Testament! So, it is not wrong to view Christianity as an outgrowth from Judaism. The Jews divide their Scriptures into three sections: Torah, Prophets and Holy Writings whereas Christians follow the division of a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint (LXX) into four sections: Pentateuch, History, Wisdom Literature and Prophets. Obviously, the two sets of collections would not be identical. Luckily, both Torah and Pentateuch contain the same books attributed to Moses.

The Torah is the most important collection of scriptures for Jews. The Sadducees who belonged to the priestly class accepted only the Torah whereas the Pharisees accepted all three collections as authoritative. Here are some basic statistics about the Torah/Pentateuch. There are 50 chapters in Genesis, 40 in Exodus, 24 in Leviticus, 36 in Numbers and 34 in Deuteronomy. Furthermore, the frequencies of the word “hear/listen” in these five books are: 63 in Genesis [1.26 per chapter], 50 in Exodus [1.25], 7 in Leviticus [0.29], 33 in Numbers [0.92] and 91 in Deuteronomy [2.68]! No wonder within the five verses of the first reading today, the word “hear” appears twice (Deuteronomy 6:3, 4)! Scholars believe that Deuteronomy is a collection of three parting speeches of Moses delivered to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. Moses knew that the LORD barred him from entering the Promised Land. Furthermore, he knew all too well that the Israelites were stiff-necked (appear some 7 times within the Torah). He was anxious for their future in the Promised Land, “so that you, that is, you, your child, and your grandchild, may fear the LORD, your God, by keeping, as long as you live, all his statutes and commandments …, and thus have long life” (6:2).

Let’s re-visit how God created the known universe. In the book of Genesis chapter one, a priestly hymn describes how God spoke and things were created: light, firmament, oceans and land masses, sun and all celestial bodies etc. … But before the creation of men, God seemed to be speaking to a stone-wall. The Creation was not yet able to respond meaningfully to His words. So, on the sixth day, God created human beings in His own image which then was able to respond to His words! What is the appropriate response towards speaking? Of course it must be hearing/listening. Speaking together with listening establishes a connection, a relation between two parties.

Before one can keep all God’s statutes and commandments, one must know them first. Throughout the ages, the scribes and Pharisees were able to draw up 613 laws scattered among the five books in Torah to help the Jews practise their faith. It was in this context that a scribe challenged Jesus and asked Him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” (Mark 12:28) and Jesus quoted him the “Shema Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and “Love your neighbour as youself” (Leviticus 19:18). Most of us would be easily attracted by the word “love” in these two commandments. However, I opine that listening takes precedence over love because it is meaningless to love without firstly establishing a connection, a relationship! As I have mentioned earlier, listening to God establishes our relationship with Him. Listening enables us to know/discern the will of God and then to respond. Obeying God’s will means loving God. Not listening to God or not following His commandments means we severe our connection with God. We literally cut ourselves away from God, away from our source of life. As the Chosen People of God, how did the Israelites/Jews perform? The Prophets and the Wisdom Literature are littered with God’s complaints: “For this is a rebellious people, deceitful children. Children who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD” (Isaiah 30:9); “Listen, my people, I will testify against you. If only you will listen to me, Israel!” (Psalms 81:8) Even up to today, the Israelites have demonstrated to the whole world what would happen to a Chosen People who do not listen to the LORD God!

The second reading today is an excerpt from Hebrews 7. We should read the whole chapter in order to understand the logic flow. The main theme of the second reading tells us the superiority of Jesus’ High Priesthood over the high priests of Torah. According to Jewish Law, high priests must come from the house of Aaron whereas chief priests and lower class priests from the tribe of Levi. Remember, Jesus was a descendant of Judah, not of Levi. He could not be a priest, not to mention, the High Priest, according to the law. The levitical High Priests were inferior because they had to offer sacrifice for their own sins before they could offer sacrifice for the people (Hebrews 7:27) whereas Jesus, the Son of God needs not to offer sacrifice for Himself! The author of Hebrews quoted the Psalms to prove that God the Father had vowed to make the Son an eternal High Priest, “The Lord has sworn and will not waver: ‘You are a priest forever (7:21) according to the order of Melchizedek (7:17)” (Psalms 110:4). Verses 1 to 3 in Psalms 110 points to someone from the tribe of Judah and of course, God’s vow must be as valid as, if not stronger than the levitical laws.

Jesus is our hope because He is able to answer at least two problems in the first of all the commandments. Firstly, ordinary people and modern ones in particular are multi-tasking. We do many things at the same time by scheduling our tasks into different time-slots, urgency being the criterion. Therefore, how can modern people love God with ALL their hearts, ALL their souls and ALL their strength? For non-believers, the concept of God is irrelevant and they would allot no time and no energy to entertain it. As for believers, I am afraid only the consecrated religious would be able to love God with ALL their strength. Secular clergy will have a lot of management tasks to handle. They are torn between loving God and maintaining an expanding Church! What can listening to Jesus help those poor souls? Jesus is the embodiment of the word of God and the author of Hebrews writes, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrew 4:12). After establishing connection with Jesus, He is able to penetrate our souls and spirit. When we are open to Him, He is able to transform us and make it easy for us to discern the Father’s will and obey it.

Now that we are enabled/empowered, how are we guaranteed to channel ALL our efforts to follow God’s will? Of course it is unrealistic to accomplish the target of total devotion overnight. But there is a hope that Jesus would make up what is lacking in us. In His public ministry, Jesus has demonstrated times and again His transformative and multiplicative powers: namely the miracle of transforming water into wine at Cana (John 2:9) and the miracle of five loaves and two fish to feed 5000 men (6:9-13)! The Responsorial Psalm today also drops us a great hint. Our response is, “I love you, LORD, my strength” (Psalms 18:2)! When the LORD becomes our strength, how can we not love the LORD God with ALL our strength! The transformative power of Jesus shall tune our strength into God’s strength. Thus, the author of Hebrews is right in saying, “Therefore, He [Jesus] is always able to save those who approach God through Him” (Hebrews 7:25a).

Beloved brethren! Listen to the word of God and be stiff-necked no more. In the word of God, we will find salvation. Amen.
God bless!

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Picture Credit: answeredfaith.com

傳教事業，大功告成 Evangelization Mission Accomplished

追福系列（六）
傳教事業，大功告成（若6:37-40）

因着種種不便說明的原因，人世間是找不到「絕對公義」的。不少冤假錯案，政治迫害，今生今世是完全沒有平反的一日。但公義的天主是不會容許這些不公義永遠在祂面前存在，所以在末日有「公審判」，為被屈的人申冤！審判已死的人是毫無意義的政治鬧劇，所以到了末日，「在總領天使吶喊和天主的號聲響時，主要親自由天降來，那些死於基督內的人先要復活，然後我們這些活着還存留的人，同時與他們一起要被提到雲彩上，到空中迎接主」（得前4:16-17）。這是基督信仰的意見，其他宗教不必認同，它們自有處理「絕對公義」的辦法。

問題又來了，復活後的人都升到天上，與一眾仙家/先知相遇，包括佛祖、觀音、關帝、天后、穆罕默德、梅瑟、厄里亞等等，哪一個纔是公審判的主持人呢？當真正的主持人出場後，我們怎樣確定是屬於祂的人呢？保祿寫信給羅馬教會時，引用了先知的話，帶出一個很有意義的教訓。保祿說「的確，『凡呼號上主名號的人，必然獲救』」（羅10:13; 岳3:5）。即是說，我們必須認識並緊記上主的名號，尤其是在復活後不能夠忘記，在公審判時能說出！

接着保祿寫出一連串的推論，可以說是「福傳大憲章」。「但是，人若不信祂，又怎能呼號祂呢？從未聽到祂，又怎能信祂呢？沒有宣講者，又怎能聽到呢？若沒有奉派遣，人又怎能去宣講呢？」（羅10:14-15a）我們領洗成為基督徒，已經接受了耶穌基督的派遣（瑪28:19）。最低限度，我們也應該向自己的親友同事宣講天主的慈悲。相信與否已經不屬我們的責任了。這是天主聖神的工作，是天主子的承諾：「凡看見子，並信從子的，必獲得永生；並且在末日，我要使他復活」（若6:40） 。

親愛的兄弟姊妹，但願大家都能夠在末日，與心愛的人，共享永生。亞孟。
天主保祐！

生命恩泉

Gospel Chase (VI)
Evangelization Mission Accomplished (John 6:37-40)

For reasons which we should be prudent to remain reticent, we cannot find “absolute justice” on earth. Many people were wrongly convicted and politically persecuted, the opportunity for their wrongs rectified is next to zero. But the righteous God would not allow such injustice to exist forever before Him. Therefore, on the Last Day, there shall be a Last Judgment to straight the wrongs done to the oppressed! Judging the dead is a meaningless political show. Therefore, on the Last Day, “The Lord Himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This is Christian faith which other religions might not buy. But they must have their ways to handle “absolute justice”.

Problem arises when after resurrection, all people would rise to the air. We will be meeting a lot of legendary dignitaries and prophets, including the Buddha, Guanyin, Guandi, Queen of Heaven, Muhammed, Moses and Elijah etc. Who would preside over the Last Judgment? When the real president emerges, how can we be sure that we belong to Him? When Paul wrote to the Romans, he brought up a very meaningful teaching. Paul says, “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved’” (Romans 10:13; Joel 3:5). That is to say, we should know and remember the name of the LORD. In particular, we cannot forget it after resurrection and must be able to call it out at the Last Judgment!

Then Paul wrote a sequence of deductions which can be coined as the “Magna Carta of Evangelization”, “But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15a) When we were baptized as Christians, we were already commissioned by Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19). At least, we should proclaim God’s mercy to our relatives, friends and colleagues. Believe it or not is no longer our responsibility. This is the work of God the Holy Spirit, the pledge of the Son of God, “That everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day” (John 6:40).

Beloved brethren! May we enjoy eternal life with our beloved ones on the Last Day. Amen.
God bless!

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Picture Credit: eljasib.com

身教更有力 Actions Speak Louder Than Words

追福系列（五）
身教更有力（瑪5:1-12a）

擁有聖金口若望的神恩固然好，但傳福音不一定需要有能言善辯的口才，因為是聖神藉著你說話。的確，我們不完全理解我們的對象，我們真的不知道那一句說話能觸動到他們的心靈，接受天主對他們的慈悲。我認為傳福音，身教可能比言教更有力。

今天教會慶祝「諸聖節」，紀念前人為我們建立了的萬世基業。當中有不少無名英雄，他們走過成聖的道路，各式各樣，不一而足。他們也應該是福傳的成功人仕，對建樹天國作出過貢獻，所以天主子在天國為他們預備了一席位（若14:2-3）。他們成聖的道路，也是他們福傳的方法，他們以身作則，宣講福音的喜訊。

他們當中，有些人選擇了神貧的生活方式，不為世物所約束，自由自在地為更有價值的永生作見證；有些人雖然遭受不幸，以致終日以淚洗面，但他們仍然展示出天主的安慰和心靈的舒暢（詠94:19）；天主喜歡使競爭者相咬相吞，同歸於盡（迦5:15），讓溫良的人反而承受土地；天主喜歡為那些備受剝削的人出頭，祇要他們向祂呼求，天主便會使他們「飽享穀、麥、酒、油、小牛小羊；他們的心靈要好像受灌溉的田園，再也不感憔悴」（耶31:12）；憐憫人的人展現出天主慈悲的面容，讓身邊的人和自己，回心轉意，投奔上主，接受到天主的憐憫。一如經上記載：「因為上主你們的天主是慈悲的，是仁愛的；如果你們轉向祂，祂決不會轉面不顧你們」（編下30:9b）。人們不再有如舊約時代的以色列人一樣，害怕看見天主，以為看見天主的面容，必死無疑（出3:6; 申18:16; 民13:22; 列上19:13…）。懷著痛悔的心情，這樣的心怎會不潔淨呢？能夠懷著敬畏的心情，問心無愧，經常在上主面前行走，看見天主，真是指日可待！

親愛的兄弟姊妹，這些都是平凡的生活方式，跟著去做，足以成聖，足以福傳，一點也不困難。讓我們彼此互勉。
天主保祐！

生命恩泉

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Gospel Chase (V)
Actions Speak Louder Than Words (Matthew 5:1-12a)

Possessing the charisma of St. John Chrysostom is of course good but evangelization does not need an eloquent and persuasive tongue because it is the Holy Spirit who speaks through you. Indeed, we do not fully understand our target audience. We really don’t know which words are able to touch their soul and their heart to accept God’s mercy towards them. I opine that as far as evangelization is concerned, actions speak louder than words.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints to commemorate our predecessors who have laid down the foundation for the Kingdom of God. There have been many anonymous heroes whose paths of sanctification are different from each other’s. They should also be successful in evangelization and have contributed to the building up of the Kingdom of God. Thus the Son of God has prepared a room for them (John 14:2-3) in heaven. Their paths of sanctification must also be their means of evangelization. They proclaimed the good news of the Lord with their actions.

Among them, some chose to lead a life of spiritual poverty, not constrained by worldly possessions and bore witness in freedom to the more superior values of eternal life. Some suffered misfortunes and mourned all days but they were able to show God’s consolation and spiritual joy (Psalms 94:19). God likes to make competitors bite and devour one another (Galatians 5:15), leaving the meek to inherit the land. God likes to advocate for the exploited. When they call upon His name, they would enjoy, “The grain, the wine, and the oil, flocks of sheep and cattle; They themselves shall be like watered gardens, never again neglected” (Jeremiah 31:12). The merciful manifest God’s merciful countenance, help their neighbour together with themselves to repent and turn to the Lord and receive His mercy. As it is written, “The LORD, your God, is gracious and merciful and He will not turn away His face from you if you return to Him” (2 Chronicles 30:9b). People are no longer afraid to see the face of God like the Israelites were in the Old Testament. They thought that if they saw His face, they would surely die (Exodus 3:6; Deuteronomy 18:16; Judges 13:22; 1 Kings 19:13 …). How can a contrite heart not be pure? Walking with a pious fear before God without a guilty conscience, the day to see God can be numbered!

Beloved brethren! Those are just ordinary life styles. Following them would sanctify and evangelize. It is not difficult at all. Let us encourage and support each other.
God bless!

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Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio