Test AI tools --- poem writing

測試 AI 寫宋詞的能力

在家中的桌面電腦，安裝了三個流行的 AI 工具，都是免費的，包括 CoPilot，DeekSeek 和 Grok 3。
朋友傳來一篇「青玉案」，是默想常年期第八主日的讀經後，有感而發的。我是「文學盲」，閒來祇會「寫B」而不是「寫詩」。所以收到朋友的大作後，第一個反應就是測試手頭上的AI工具了。於是出了同一道題目，分別交給CoPilot，DeekSeek 和 Grok 3「思考」。結果
CoPilot第一個出局，它竟然不懂得數中文字數，即使告訴它不用數標點符號，它仍然不能準確地數中文字。結果不能完成任務。
Grok3真強，屢敗屢戰，並顯示失敗的作品，直到完成指定要求為止。

題目是：

按「青玉案」詞牌，即67字，前後段各六句、五仄韵的格式寫一首宋詞。
前段寫《聖詠92:2, 13-15》的教訓，後段寫《路6:43-44》的教訓。

以下是三篇「青玉案」，

~A~
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清晨傳述禰慈愛，
縱夢囈，
且不怠。
頌主聖名歌錫賚。
長青櫚柏，滿庭高蓋，
茂盛馨香載。

賦真善美生魂內，
呈鮮嬌妍顯精彩。
萬物從來趨腐敗。
本無花果，
蒺藤焉害？
依順良知在。
===============

~B~
===============
靈泉湧殿晨昏注，
聖詠徹、清音度。
義者如棕磐根處，
翠披穹宇，霜襟如故，
耄耋猶凝露。

惡荊豈綻葡萄露？
善圃方生無花果。
地裂天傾存法度，
棘叢焦土，甘棠膏雨，
永約分明駐。
===============

~C~
===============
晨昏頌主慈悲發兮，
恩無盡，
信無缺。
義如樹枝葉闊。
植根聖殿天庭發，
年老猶結真果碩。

好心必結善縁發兮，
惡難遮，
偽難抹。
荊棘焉生葡萄。
行為如鏡真偽發，
內外相映理合。
===============

你能分辨到哪一篇是我朋友寫的，哪一篇是DeepSeek的作品，哪一篇是 Grok3呢？
下回分解

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Picture Credit: https://www.threads.net/@satoshi3_huang/post/DF85OmuTJGd

天主對我們滿懷希望 God Puts His Hope On Us

常年期第八主日，丙年
主題：天主對我們滿懷希望 God Puts His Hope On Us

今天福音的內容很豐富，且讓我們慢慢品嚐。
一開始，耶穌說了一個顯而易見的比喻：「瞎子豈能給瞎子領路？不是兩人都要跌在坑裡嗎？」（路6:39） 但接著，祂又說：「沒有徒弟勝過師父，凡受過完備教育的，僅相似自己的師父而已。」（6:40）這兩句經文有甚麼關聯呢？倘若「沒有徒弟勝過師父」，何來「青出於藍」，人類文明又何以進步呢？除非，這位師父是「天主子、默西亞」（瑪23:10）。是的，耶穌基督是我們的導師，我們是祂的追隨者，能相似祂是我們畢生追求的目標！那麼，按上文下理推斷，一個瞎子給其他瞎子領路，是指師徒的關係了，卻是一個不理想的師徒關係，即孟子所說的「人之患，在好為人師」（孟子‧離婁上）的情況。自己是門外漢，卻喜歡在眾人面前說三道四，指手劃腳，滿足自己的虛榮！

那些不學無術的人，破壞力有限；但「專家」可不同了，他們對社會國家的影響之大，不容忽視！所以耶穌宣講這番教訓，是針對當代的「專家」說的。這班「專家」是誰？耶穌在跟著的「眼中大樑和木屑」言論中（路6:41-42），稱他們為「假善人」，他們的身份，呼之欲出！
是的，法利塞人曾是以色列人的民族英雄，他們在充軍巴比倫的時候，編纂了《希伯來經典》，重塑以色列人是「天主選民」的身份，安穩了亡國奴的心靈，對上主天主重新燃起幫助他們復國的希望。天主並沒有令他們失望，充軍五十年後，波斯王居魯士成為了他們的默西亞（依45:1），解放他們回國，重建被毀的聖殿。時移勢易，這些民族英雄中，部份人漸漸忘記了自己是「以色列師傅」（若3:10）的使命而淪為「法律專家」、「法學士」、「經師」，甚至以法律的專業知識，謀取私利，並用來迫害耶穌！耶穌以「瞎子」來形容他們，的確恰當！耶穌基督並沒有拒絕法利塞人，祂說：「假善人啊！先取出你眼中的大樑，然後纔看得清楚，以便取出你兄弟眼中的木屑」（路6:42b），仍然指望他們能履行「以色列師傅」的使命，讓猶太人能憑遵守梅瑟法律而得救。引而申之，耶穌基督並不要求我們成為完美無缺的聖人之後，纔去啟導別人，向外教徒宣講福音。祂要求我們認真面對自己的不善之處，謙遜地加以改進，「先取出你眼中的大樑」，便可以成為「師傅」，有效地啟導未奉教的人。

人與人之間的溝通，總離不開說話。今天的第一篇讀經，是古人對我們說話，留給後世的智慧和忠告：「篩篩子，總留下一些渣滓；人的言談，也總有些不乾不淨」（德27:5）。人不是天主，不能像天主一樣，「言出必行」（則17:24; 22:14; 24:14; 36:36）。怎樣判斷「乾淨與否」呢？簡單地說，就是「聽其言而觀其行」。孔子說：「視其所以，觀其所由，察其所安，人焉廋哉？人焉廋哉？」（論語‧為政）就是說，我們聆聽一個人的說話，要審視他的動機、觀察他的行為、了解他的態度，他就無所遁形了！有誰不喜歡聽甜言蜜語、奉承的話呢？但不少人為了達到目的，不惜搬弄是非、挑撥離間…難怪不少人墮入「電話騙案」，我們能不小心辨別嗎？

親愛的兄弟姊妹，退一步想，天主是眾人的大父，人類是祂按自己肖像所創造的傑作。人類雖然不幸墮落了，失去了祂的光榮和恩寵（羅3:23），但祂是多麼渴望所有人的得救（則18:32; 弟前2:4）。既然祂對我們滿懷希望，正如耶穌基督對法利塞人滿懷希望一樣。所以在這「望德禧年」，讓我們以希望的朝聖者身份，耐心地接待所接觸到的人，散發出天主對眾人的希望，亞孟。
天主保祐！

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2022年默想
Picture Credit: dreamstime.com, catholicpreaching.com

Ask DeepSeek To Evangelize 用 DeepSeek傳福音

Ask DeepSeek To Evangelize 用 DeepSeek傳福音

Prompt 1: 耶穌在【路6:43-45】教訓門徒甚麼？
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DeepSeek回答：

在《路加福音》6:43-45中，耶穌教導門徒關於「樹與果子的比喻」，這段教訓的核心內容可以總結為以下幾點：

1. **樹與果子的關係**：
   - 耶穌說：「沒有好樹結壞果子，也沒有壞樹結好果子。」這表明一個人的內在本質（樹）會直接反映在他的行為（果子）上。好樹結好果子，壞樹結壞果子，這是自然的法則。
2. **通過果子認識樹**：
   - 耶穌進一步解釋：「每一棵樹都是憑著自己的果子被認出來的。」這意味著我們可以通過一個人的行為來判斷他的內在品格。行為是內在生命的自然流露。
3. **心裡所存的決定言行**：
   - 耶穌說：「善人從他心裡所存的善就發出善來，惡人從他心裡所存的惡就發出惡來。」這強調了內心的重要性。一個人的言行是由他的內心狀態決定的，心裡充滿善的人會自然表現出善行，而心裡充滿惡的人則會表現出惡行。
4. **言語反映內心**：
   - 耶穌特別提到：「人心裡所充滿的，口裡就說出來。」這表明言語是內心狀態的直接反映。一個人的話語可以揭示他的真實內心。

### 總結：

這段經文的核心教導是：**內在的生命決定外在的行為**。耶穌強調，真正的改變必須從內心開始，只有內心充滿善，才能結出善的果子。這不僅是對門徒的提醒，也是對所有信徒的挑戰，要我們注重內在生命的建造，並通過言行活出信仰的真實見證。

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Prompt 2:那麼，用「青玉案」詞牌，寫出《路加福音》6:43-45的教訓
=====================

DeepSeek回答：

以下是以《青玉案》詞牌創作的詞作，內容基於《路加福音》6:43-45的教訓：

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**青玉案·路加福音六章四十三至四十五節**

良材豈會生荊杞？
惡木上，甘實幾？
果顯根心真偽理。
善存胸臆，惡藏心底，
行止皆由此。

口中言語如泉洌，
湧自靈源潔清裏。
莫道虛言能飾美。
樹憑其實，人觀其志，
內外原同體。

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### 創作說明：

1. **上闋**：以「良材」與「惡木」對比，呼應耶穌所說的「好樹結好果子，壞樹結壞果子」，並點明行為（果子）反映內在（根心）的真偽。
2. **下闋**：強調言語如泉水湧出，源自內心，呼應「心裡所充滿的，口裡就說出來」。結尾「樹憑其實，人觀其志，內外原同體」總結全詞，指出內在與外在的一致性。
3. **語言風格**：力求典雅簡練，符合《青玉案》詞牌的格律與韻味，同時忠實傳達經文的教導。

希望這首詞能幫助讀者更深刻地體會《路加福音》6:43-45的真理！

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Picture credit: www.sesawi.net

Don’t Be Ungrateful 不要忘恩負義

Seventh Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Don’t Be Ungrateful 不要忘恩負義

Without God’s help, it is impossible to put our faith into practice because we are faulty and fragile. Last week, Jesus told us that true happiness lies in poverty (Luke 6:20). To be candid, who wants to remain poor in a commercial city like Hong Kong these days? Who doesn’t want to work harder and earn more money, to save up or to invest for the future? Today, Jesus goes further by challenging us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek when people strike us etc. (6:27; 29). Who don’t want to strike back when unprovoked, bullies start abusing us physically! Unless our survival is under threat, we will definitely stand up to defend our dignity. Jesus has a big heart and prayed for those who crucified him, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (23:34a). He has demonstrated the possibility of showing mercy towards our enemies. As genuine followers of Christ, we too should be doing similar if not the same things. Do not think that Christians are standing on a higher moral ground than the Israelites in the Old Testament. The first reading today refutes our pride and our vainglory.

Saul, the first Israelite king lost favour with God who after King Saul’s disobedience, anointed and appointed David “after His own heart” to be the next ruler of His people (1 Samuel 13:14). Saul was unable to contain his jealousy and attempted to have David killed by the hands of the Philistines but failed (18:17; 25). “Then Saul realized that the LORD was with David … So Saul feared David all the more and was his enemy ever after” (18:28-29). Saul’s story was a tragedy. In the first reading today, we read of the story of how David spared Saul the second time! Previously in a cave occupied by David and his men in the desert near Engedi (24:2) Saul was relieving himself. He was careless not to send his men to clear the cave before he entered! Inside the cave, David listened to the suggestion of his servants, but instead of killing Saul, David simply cut off an end of Saul’s robe. David was so stealthy that Saul was not aware of it until David showed himself and called out after Saul had gone on his way. Perhaps God had made David invisible! What was David’s motive in sparing Saul? The same reason we heard today the second time he spared Saul. Like last time, Saul pursued David with 3000 elite soldiers. This time, King Saul had learnt his lesson. At night, “Saul was lying within the camp, and all his soldiers were bivouacked around him” (26:5b). David and his companion Abishai reached the encampment. Abishai offered to spear Saul to the ground with just one strike for David but David stopped him saying, “Do not harm him, for who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and remain innocent?” (26:9) David was surely the apple of God’s eye (Psalms 17:8). Instead of allowing Abishai to nail King Saul to the ground, David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head, “and they withdrew without anyone seeing or knowing or awakening. All remained asleep, because a deep slumber from the LORD had fallen upon them” (26:12b)! Sounds familiar, huh?

Indeed, even without conjuring the “variable of God”, David’s decision was the best strategy! From his defeat of Goliath and all subsequent military successes, David believed that God was on his side, fighting for him. But he was still a fugitive running away from the murderous attempts of the LORD’s anointed one! He had not yet gathered sufficient military strength to confront and combat King Saul. Meanwhile, King Saul was losing the hearts of the people and his madness was worsening. In particular, Saul ordered Doeg the Edomite to kill all 85 priests and slaughtered all living things in the priestly city of Nob (22:18-19) because they had given David and his men shelter and food! Why did Saul order an Edomite to kill the priests? It was because his own guards “refused to raise a hand to strike the priest of the LORD” (22:17b). It was only a matter of time for King Saul to fall and David would surely outlived him if he was patient and careful enough! Had David killed Saul, he would have failed to win the people to his side. I am sure David must have had pity on King Saul who led a life like a wounded animal caged inside his kingship and tortured by his own jealousy and fear. Authority corrupts indeed! Even the king after God’s own heart was not exempted. In the future, David would commit a sin similar to that of King Saul’s after he had sat on the throne. He secretly ordered his commander Joab to send Uriah to the front of the besieged city Rabbath and let the Ammonites kill Uriah to cover up his affair with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife (2 Samuel 11:14)! Sounds familiar, huh? Even the king after God’s own heart was flawed and fragile.

The gospel text that touched my heart today is, “But rather, love your enemies …, for He [the Most High] Himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked” (Luke 6:35d)! I’m sure none of us sitting in the pews are wicked, but we can be ungrateful, particularly for those of us who are advanced in age and positions! People in position would feel that they have sacrificed and contributed a lot to the well-being of the others. The subordinates should at least show gratitude and respect to them more often than they do! In short, people in position have less opportunities to be grateful! Similarly, foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong would be deeply hurt when their family members are ungrateful after they have made all those sacrifices in order to improve the living conditions of their families back home. They have sacrificed their time, their youthfulness and their relationships so that their loved ones may have a fuller life, a better off life back home! Their ungratefulness must have felt like Judas’ betrayal!

Beloved brethren! Very often, we cherish a short-sighted sense of justice in which we expect an “exchange of equivalence”, namely “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21). My experience tells me that when I was able to lend you money, say ten thousand dollars, I could spare it. When I am able to work and sacrifice for my loved ones, I am still healthy. When I am able to contribute to the society in high positions, I am simply discharging the duties expected of me. Suppose you returned the full amount of debt later, I could not care less because I did not need it. However, when I was in need of money, then the ten thousand you returned would mean more than ten thousand to me! Even if you failed to repay me when I was in deep financial troubles, I believe that God shall provide (Genesis 22:8). Just pray for me if you are still unable to repay me. Today, Jesus says, “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back” (Luke 6:30). Implicitly, Christ is saying that He shall provide and pay you back when you are in need (16:9). This is the hope we should enkindle in whoever is in despair during this Jubilee. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Happiness Breeds Woes 福兮禍之所伏

Sixth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Happiness Breeds Woes 福兮禍之所伏

Last week, we read of Jesus’ making the four fishermen “fisher of men” (Luke 5:10b). A lot of things happened before we arrived at the narrative today, including healings, calling more disciples, conflicts with Jewish religious authorities and choosing the Twelve etc. Today, we hear of the Lukan beatitudes, the start of a collection of Jesus’ teachings to the public. Before we meditate on the Lukan version of beatitudes, we need to harmonize its differences with the Matthean version. The first contrast is the location. The Matthean version took place “up the mountain” (Matthew 5:1) while the Lukan version “down … on a stretch of level ground” (Luke 6:17). The contrast is understandable because Matthew wants to tell his audience that Jesus Christ is a greater teacher than Moses who went up Mount Sinai to receive the Law from Yahweh to teach the Israelites how to become a holy People of God; whereas Luke wants to tell the disciples that Jesus Christ, the merciful Son of God came down from heaven to teach us, pitiful sinners, how to return to the merciful Father in heaven. The second contrast is the number of Beatitudes. There are eight in Matthew and only four in Luke. Why? Whose version is more original?

First of all, Luke was not present when Jesus proclaimed the Beatitudes but Matthew was. In Luke’s own words, “Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received” (1:1-4). Luke has done a lot of research before he puts into writing the biography of Jesus. Let’s be realistic. Are you able to remember, without opening the gospel of Matthew, the eight Beatitudes? You cannot blame Luke for distilling for us from his collection the best teachings of Jesus Christ in public. As for Matthew’s version, we can only have a greater confidence that it is closer to the source, but we cannot guarantee that Matthew put it into writing while he still remembered! Surely he has done some editorial works to present Jesus’ teachings according to his agenda.
Secondly, Luke deploys a different format, namely four woes follow immediately to lay before the audience a stark different consequence in making fundamental choices (6:24-26). Modern psychologists agree that the attention span of common people are limited to seven plus or minus two. Therefore, eight, or in the Lukan version, four plus four, is the optimal arrangement.
Thirdly, Luke uses the second person to make the beatitudes and woes more personal. In the second and third groups, Luke even adds the word “now” to stress the immediacy of Jesus teaching. You don’t wait until the end of the world to see the fulfilment of God’s promises and condemnation! After ironing out the differences, let us dive into the Lukan beatitudes.

With the advent of the age of artificial intelligence, men can no longer hold on to intelligence to define their humanity. If what make human human are their virtues, we would naturally ask what the highest form of virtue is. Let us sample the major civilizations to obtain a rough sketch. Greeks advocate the four cardinal virtues, namely prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. Christians uphold three theological virtues, namely faith, hope and charity. In St. Paul’s words, “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). But we cannot ignore her roots, namely Judaism. What is the highest form of virtue for the Jews? We find them in the first reading and the Responsorial Psalms today, namely, to follow the guidance of Torah. In Jeremiah, we find the Lukan version in reverse, namely the curse (Jeremiah 17:5-6) before the blessing (17:7-8). Jeremiah deploys the well-known image in Psalms 1, which is the Responsorial Psalm today, to remind the audience of the importance of making the right choice. Again, the warning goes first, but with a twist. So what incurs the curse? “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD” (17:5). While Jeremiah was direct and point-blank as a prophet, the Psalter was more sophisticated and mature as a poet. The Psalter wraps blessedness in a negative way! “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the LORD is his joy; and on His law he meditates day and night” (Psalms 1:1-2). So, while Matthew is pedagogical and catechetical like a prophet in listing the beatitudes in a positive sequence, Luke is more meditative like the Psalter in laying before the audience blessings and woes side by side.

When St. Ambrose, a Church Father, wrote an Exposition on Luke, he was able to derive the remaining beatitudes through the four cardinal virtues! From poverty through temperance, he derived purity of hearts; hunger through justice, derived compassion/mercy; weeping through prudence, peace; and lastly persecution through fortitude comes meekness. St. Ambrose’s eloquence is commendable and we are on the right path when we pay greater attention to virtues rather than intelligence. But I love St. Ambrose’s meditation more. For the sake of sinners, the Son of Man incarnated and made Himself poor. He hungered in the wilderness to teach us how to withstand temptations. He wept for humanity when He entered Jerusalem in triumph (Luke 19:41-44) and lastly, He received hate, insults and rejection when He was crucified outside Jerusalem! In short, the four Lukan beatitudes suffice our salvation!

How can we deal with blessings and curses at the same time? I opine that we have to understand the spirit of the Middle Way. Simply put, do not go to the extreme. When Jesus blesses the poor, He wants us to come close to the Father. Don’t forget that poverty can be an evil when it prevents people from fully develop the image God intended for us when He created us. He gave us original graces and potentials to develop and grow. Eradication of poverty is a laudable project but accumulating wealth can also be harmful at the expenses of our physical health, our relationships with others and most important of all, with God. Jesus warns, “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). Simply put, money can be our slave or our master. Manage it wisely to benefit yourselves and the needy. Then being rich is blessing and not a curse! Alas! The commercial society is instilling a wrong kind of value-system among the general public. It encourages people to labour harder in order to gain more. Many people simply follow the herd because they believe that following the flow is the safest strategy in life. However, when we do not discern the will of God and go to the extreme, we fall into this slavery trap and lose sight of our true destiny!

Beloved brethren! Laozi says well, “Misery! Happiness is to be found by its side! Happiness! Misery lurks beneath it! Who knows what either will come to in the end? 禍兮福之所倚，福兮禍之所伏。孰知其極？” (Dao De Jing #58) You can be cautious to avoid going to the extremes. Or you may let go, surrender to God’s will and allow Him to take charge of your life. Or you may take the wheel of your life in your own hand, make mistakes and crash. Then learn from your mistakes, get up to drive a wounded vehicle again. I am sure no single path is applicable for all. Each one of us is unique and our paths are ours to take. Nobody can take your place and walk in your stead. In the end, God holds you, and you alone, accountable. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Awakening 覺今是而昨非

Fifth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Awakening 覺今是而昨非

As a spokesperson of God, a prophet cannot speak on his own without having received instructions from God first. Logically, God calls a prophet and sends him to proclaim His will. In fact, many books of the prophets begin with the narration of how God’s words/visions came to the prophets. For example, “The word of the LORD came to him [Jeremiah] in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign” (Jeremiah 1:2). “In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens opened, and I saw divine visions” (Ezekiel 1:1). “The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days …” (Hosea 1:1). Isaiah seems not to be of much difference. The book begins, “The vision which Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (Isaiah 1:1). He was just one of the prophets in the south, so we think. Naturally, Isaiah speaks highly of Jerusalem and Sion. For example, we find this text “Many peoples shall come and say: Come, let us go up to the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths. For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (2:3c).

But Isaiah is no ordinary prophet in the south. Today, we find yet another narrative of the call of Isaiah, which seems to overturn, to renounce his previous mission. Isaiah confesses, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (6:5). Even if the Israelites were “a people of unclean lips”, how could Isaiah renounce the words of God which he had previously proclaimed to the rebellious Israelites? Besides trumpeting the glory of Israel, a propaganda of the supremacy of Jacob over all peoples, does not the “For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” show God’s love to Jacob and through Jacob His blessing to humanity? Isaiah was not advocating nationalism but manifesting God’s will. In fact, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard in His Parable of Wicked Tenants, “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press and built a tower …” (Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1; Isaiah 5:1-2a). So, when Isaiah says that he was a man of unclean lips, he could not be denying God nor negating his former mission. I would suggest Isaiah was undergoing a new awakening of his mission as a prophet. The conversion of Saul to Paul might shed light on a better understanding of Isaiah’s lament.

The second reading today tells Saul’s story forcefully in one single verse, “For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Saul encountered the risen Jesus on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:5). Later, he became a fervent missionary and changed his name to Paul (13:9). During his preaching of the risen Christ in cities around the Mediterranean Sea, many overseas Jews opposed him. So, when he returned to Jerusalem, the local Jews intended to kill him. Let us listen to how Paul presented himself before the Jews in Jerusalem, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city [Jerusalem]. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today” (22:3). Before his conversion, Christians were heretics in Saul’s eyes following a carpenter turned rabbi. Saul genuinely believed that he was doing God’s will when he tried to wipe Christians out to preserve the purity of Judaism! But when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, the encounter struck him blind for three days, an awakening blow on his zeal and his understanding of Mosaic Law and Judaism. Saul was able to see a bigger and more catholic picture of God’s will. He understood that the Lord had chosen him to be His instrument “to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites” (9:15b).

Isaiah’s vision in the Temple was a watershed in his ministry. Isaiah might not be a court prophet like Nathan who could see the king at any time in the palace. But at least he had been a “seer”, a “man of God” and was able to command respect from kings and commoners alike. Yet, in his Temple vision, Isaiah became aware of his unworthiness as a prophet, “I am a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Actually, even if Isaiah had spoken of the glory of the Israelites in the future, the prophecies could not be his inventions. But suddenly God revealed to him a universal salvation plan. From then on, Isaiah spoke not so much about Jerusalem and Judah but more inclusively, namely the Emmanuel (7:14), the shoot from the stump of Jesse (11:1) and even a Persian Messiah (45:1)!

In the gospel reading today, we find an even more unworthy candidate. Neither was he a legal expert like Saul, nor a prophet like Isaiah. He and his companions were fishermen, who were working in the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), variously known as Sea of Galilee and Sea of Tiberias, a nobody from nowhere. His routine had been casting nets to catch fish in the night, using a torch to attract the fish to swarm in (5:5a). Catches might be irregular though the lake must have been fertile enough to support several fishing towns along the shore, including Capernaum (4:31). The synoptic gospels mention that Simon had a mother-in-law (4:38). Fishing in the Lake of Gennesaret enabled him to sustain a family with sufficient income to lead a decent enough life. Readers might wonder why, when Jesus had finished preaching from Simon’s boat and told Simon to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch, Simon obeyed his command so readily (5:4-5). It was not surprising because previously Jesus had cured his mother-in-law of fever (4:38-39) and perhaps Simon had witnessed the exorcism Jesus performed in the synagogue (4:33-37). However, this catch in the Lake of Gennesaret was so overwhelming that Simon had to fall at the knees of Jesus and say, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (5:8b). Never in his fishing career had Simon caught so many fish that their nets were tearing, and two boats were in danger of sinking (5:6-7)! Isaiah, Simon Peter and Paul shared this sense of unworthiness before God. Moreover, each of them took up a different path thereafter. Among the three, Simon Peter was the most unworthy and yet, Jesus intends to build His Church upon this unworthy rock against which the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail (Matthew 16:18).

Beloved brethren! Put our hope in the unfailing Lord. Despite our continual failures and unworthiness, He shall faithfully accompany and support us. St. Paul says well in the second reading today, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective” (1 Corinthians 15:10a). Let us let go of our vanity and achievements, surrender to His will and bring hope to people “who sit in darkness and death’s shadow” (Luke 1:79a). Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Love Hurts 愛到痛

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Theme: Love Hurts 愛到痛

The meditation of today’s gospel is dark, though it is one of the five Joyful Mysteries that we are meditating. Life is truly mystical and paradoxical. It is paradoxical because it tastes sweet and sour at the same time. It is also mystical because joy and sorrows always mingle. So, allow me to meditate on the pains of this Joyful Mystery.

The Feast of Presentation is joyful because we are celebrating the incarnation of the Son of God. God broke into human history to kick off His salvation project. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law …” (Galatians 4:4-5a). Remember that God transcends time. Thus, what St. Paul writes about “when the fullness of time had come” is only meaningful to men who live in history. The “woman” has already been foretold in the Law/Torah (Genesis 3:15). In God’s mind, He already had the idea to send His only begotten Son to take flesh to save Adam and his descendants. In an earlier enigma, “… From [the tree of knowledge of good and evil] you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die. The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him” (2:17-18). Isn’t this statement an obvious reason for the creation of Eve? Why is it an enigma?

Firstly, Adam would have been immortal if he had listened to and obeyed God. Then, it would have been unnecessary for Adam to have descendants. Even if it is not good to be alone and having descendants is a necessity, God would have cloned innumerable copies of Adam. Yet, God created Eve out of Adam! Notice that both Adam and Eve would have exactly the same DNA and ignoring mutations for the sake of argument, all subsequent human beings would be mere clones of Adam! Therefore, making a helper suited to Adam must be an enigma carrying more meanings than the creation of Eve! I buy the theological opinion that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the “new Eve” who not only gave flesh to the Son of God but works closely with Him and the Holy Spirit to give birth to other members in the Mystic Body of Christ as well! The BVM is the helper suited to the Son of God. It is simply unimaginable to have the Nativity of the Lord without the Blessed Virgin Mary! Similarly, it would be God’s unthinkable blunder had Jesus forgotten to say “Woman, behold your Son” on the cross (John 19:26b)!

Satan has enslaved humanity long enough. The Torah, which helps humanity to seek the LORD and would have been sufficient to save humanity, has itself been abused by the contemporary legal experts to persecute the Son of God. After proving that the Old covenant is insufficient to redeem, God unfolds further His redemption project. “And the LORD whom you seek will come suddenly to His Temple” (Malachi 3:1b). This is what the Feast of Presentation celebrates; namely that the LORD, the Messiah suddenly came to His own Temple, thus fulfilling the pledge He made through prophet Malachi. Joseph and Mary were devout Jews. They obeyed the prescriptions of the Torah, took the 40-day old infant Jesus to Jerusalem and offered sacrifice to present infant Jesus to God (Luke 2:22). In so doing, the Son of God satisfied the prescriptions of the Torah and He did more than that. He was “born under the law, to ransom those under the law” (Galatians 4:4b-5a). But God’s plan is catholic, meaning its scope is universal. The Son of God ransoms more people than the Jews, those under the Torah. The word of God never fails. In time, He shall honour His pledge to Abraham, namely that “All the families of the earth will find blessing in you” (Genesis 12:4b). We are blessed and joyful indeed to be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary and born under the law to celebrate this feast of the Presentation of the Lord today.

However, my meditation inevitably gravitates towards Simeon’s word, “And you [the BVM] yourself a sword will pierce” (Luke 2:35a). Of course, Simeon was referring to the sorrows inflicted upon the BVM in her collaboration with the Son of God to redeem humanity. It is more than inevitable collateral damages of God’s redemptive project, once the BVM pronounces her Fiat out of her free will (1:38). In general, all Christian denominations before Reformation uphold two Marian dogmas which defend the divinity and humanity of the Son of God, namely the BVM is the Mother of God in 431 and her Perpetual Virginity in 649. The Catholic Church professes two more Marian dogmas, namely the Immaculate Conception of the BVM in1854 and her Assumption in1950. After all, the BVM is also a creature. The Catholic Church acknowledges the necessity of her need of Christ’s redemption when the Church declared the dogma of her Immaculate Conception. Simply put, God the Father had prepared before Creation an immaculate ground for the incarnation of His only begotten Son. Thus, the BVM enjoys an exemption from the contaminations of the Original Sin the very moment of her conception. As a result, the BVM has an immaculate heart so pure that she is blessed with a beatific vision of God throughout her existence (Matthew 5:8). Thus, not only does she see God, she knows God’s will which she does not understand. And yet she obeys, anticipating all the sorrows and pains without shielding. If the heart is the throne of love, the love of the BVM towards her divine Son as well as all members of the Mystical Body of Christ must be the purest of all. In contrast, our hearts are filled with lust, greed, pride and wrath etc.; and our egos inflate. We protect our interests and our emotions with smart defence mechanisms, such as denial, projection, repression and transference etc. so that we may suffer less physical and emotional pains. Thus, the sword that pierces the Immaculate Heart of Mary would be unimaginably agonizing! She loves until it bleeds. Her love reminds me of an inmate I visited in the Tai Lam Centre for Women, with a difference. Love can be impure and still hurts!

I have visited only a handful of Chinese inmates in the Tai Lam Centre for Women. One of them was a Catholic on remand who survived a double-suicide with a married man, not her husband, in a hotel room. By Common Law, she was charged with murder and scheduled to appear in a legal court. During my visits, she requested seeing one particular priest for confession. I made the arrangement and sometime later, she died of cardiac arrest before appearing in court. I believe that her attempted suicide was genuine, though the situation was questionable. She must have gone through unspeakable agony before deciding to end her life with a man whom she should not have loved. But I believe that her contrition was genuine and her sins absolved through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She might repeat Simeon’s words, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace” (Luke 2:29a). May her soul rest in peace, amen!

Beloved brethren! Our hearts are inevitably impure. Don’t be discouraged because the Father is happy to give us His Holy Spirit with whom He renews the face of the earth (Psalms 104:30). With continuous renewal, our hearts will become pure one day. Let this hope sustain us with patience on our pilgrimage on earth. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Jubilee Pilgrimage to St. Thomas the Apostle Church

Jubilee Pilgrimage to St. Thomas the Apostle Church

by Deacon Alex

Reality is both meaningful and paradoxical at the same time. For example, most lost sheep are not aware that they are lost! Life can be reassuringly good when there is abundant green grass and streaming water. A lost sheep feels safe when there are other sheep like it grazing along on the move. A routine life is comfortable with few challenges. Occasionally, they need to walk farther in order to obtain what they need. As long as you are easily contented, the band will keep playing on. But among the herd there are a few sheep playing scouts. They would go an extra mile ahead to ensure that the path is safe and the supply is sufficient. These scout sheep are the only ones which know that the herd gets lost!

This was what happened during the second Jubilee Pilgrimage the OLMC English Community went on January 31, 2025. They started on time, riding 4 coaches from Dominion Centre in Wan Chai to Tsing Yi. They celebrated mass immediately after arrival. The homily was inspiring and a parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Church delivered an informative presentation about this pilgrimage site. After giving the participants sufficient time for group photos as well as selfies, we ate a light lunch in the Tsing Yi Park next door followed by group games. Everything went on smoothly according to schedule before we trekked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails which normally takes less than two hours to complete. In the end, we took nearly three hours to finish. Why? We got lost because it was a pilgrimage!

The Trails provide several photo-taking spots for hikers to take breath-taking pictures of the Tsing-Ma Bridge, Ma Wan Channel, HK Disneyland as well as the International Airport further west! The Trails are not boring because hikers may take alternate routes to arrive at the photo-taking spots. There are stairs as well as granite-paved roads going uphill and downhill, lined by trees on both sides. We could feel God caressing our hairs and faces with His fresh air and cool breezes. Nobody felt tired. Even the elderly in their walking sticks trod briskly. Time seemed not to take toll on anybody. Oh! How intoxicating pilgrimage can be! The organizers began answering calls from coach drivers waiting for us at the exit point. They knew the situation and they put up a brave face. The guideposts are not of much help. But there was one certainty: we could not go on the same path in the opposite direction. It would only lead us back to the entrance and not the exit. Our scouts needed to rely on God’s guidance, as well as common sense, in order to bring us to the Trails’ exit. At last, we made to the scheduled exit and all of us enjoyed the three-hour trek very much, chit-chatting cheerfully along the way.

Beloved brethren! The God we believe in is an almighty and merciful God. In Him we fully trust. But we exist in the time dimension and we need patience to witness the fulfilment of God’s promises. St. Paul writes, “Affliction produces endurance; and endurance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:3b-5a). In this 2025 Jubilee, let us be Pilgrims of Hope to inspire endurance and patience in our loving Father in Heaven among the people we encounter. Amen. God bless!

Are We Able To Proclaim Liberty to Captives? 我們能向俘虜宣告釋放嗎？

Third Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Are We Able To Proclaim Liberty to Captives? 我們能向俘虜宣告釋放嗎？

John the beloved disciple of Jesus once writes, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do” (John 14:12a). We are followers of Jesus Christ who set before us examples to follow. From the gospel narratives, we know that Jesus Christ is a man of prayer. He rose early in the morning to pray and in many important incidents such as selecting the Twelve (Luke 6:12-13), Transfiguration (9:29) and Agony in the garden (22:41-46) etc., we find Him praying before He acts. He even prays the Psalms while hanging on the cross (Mark 15:34; Luke 23:36; John 19:28)! Therefore, Christians should also be men of prayers. Jesus teaches us what an ideal world is like, namely a Kingdom of justice, love and peace in His Father’s mind. We Christians also build schools and advocate a society/world without prejudice against the disadvantaged and the marginalized, to do works of mercy to relieve the needy and to extend hospitality to migrants, refugees and the homeless etc. Jesus works miracles to heal the blind and to exorcise demons. Though we are not capable of working miracles because we are not gods, we build hospitals to take care of all those who are physically and/or mentally broken. We can safely claim that we are genuine Christians because we do the works that Jesus does.

The gospel reading today challenges our over-confidence in our Christian standing. We think that we are genuine Christians because we are doing the works that Jesus does. But are we? To what extent we are Christ-like? Let’s find out what we have failed to do! In the gospel story today, Jesus returned to His home town Nazareth and on a Sabbath, He went into a synagogue. He stood up to read a passage from Isaiah and told the congregation, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). What passage had Jesus just read? It reads, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the LORD” (4:18-19, Isaiah 61:1-2). In His public ministry and Paschal Mystery, Jesus Christ fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. What about us? How much have we done so far in these areas?

The Catholic Church opts for the poor and declares Jubilee Years regularly once every twenty five years. With the advancement of medical technology, Catholic hospitals are able to restore sight to the blind. But what about releasing the captives and the oppressed? During the Middle Age when the Catholic Church was at the zenith of her power, kings received blessings from the popes for their coronations. With her authority over the kings and princes, the Catholic Church was able to proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed. But it is no longer her turf nowadays because she is politically marginalized in the modern and secular world. For example, Israel and Hamas recently reached agreement to cease fire and to exchange hostages for prisoners. Those are state matters and the Catholic Church is an outsider. You may argue that perhaps behind the scene, some Christians are facilitating the agreements. We will never know for sure because the probability is extremely slim. Common sense tells us that it is rather impossible for Christians to play any role in helping Jews and Muslims come into agreement! In state matters, Catholics should humble themselves and know their limitations and frailties. As prison chaplains, we can only visit and console inmates. Who are we to grant them parole or acquittal? However, as followers of Christ, we should not selectively believe in what we want to believe and ignore the rest. Similarly, we should not selectively perform what pleases us and neglect the rest.

So, what can we do to release the prison inmates?
Nothing other than attentive listening, quiet support and consolation. We do not have the authority and we should cooperate humbly with the prison officers to serve the inmates, to show them that Jesus Christ cares for them! In fact, our faith in an almighty God gives us advantages. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary in the wedding banquet at Cana, we present the problem to Jesus Christ and He shall provide!
Allow me to share the following experience in my prison ministry. I was privileged to have the opportunity to visit the Tai Lam Centre for Women, a “Category A” correctional institute where inmates serve more than 10 years of sentence. One of the inmates I visited was serving 26 years of sentence for drug trafficking. She was in deep remorse because her father had recently passed away and she failed to be present at her father’s death-bed. She could only weep quietly because any crying or wailing aloud would show weaknesses before other inmates and would only invite bullying. She had a long stay there and she needed to look tough and in control! I prayed to Jesus and asked for enlightenment. There was no private revelation and I could only show my care with ordinary words and encouraged her to pray more intensely to Jesus. A month later, I returned to visit her again and to my surprise, she was cheerful and excited to share with me her prayer experience. Praise be the LORD! In her prayer, this lady inmate was teleported in space and time to the death-bed of her father. She could sense the same humidity, smell and temperature of her father’s room. Other family members were present also. She was able to confess to her father her guilt and remorse; and heard her father’s words of acceptance before his last breath! Though now that she is still physically restricted within prison walls, her soul is able to soar over the barded wires to the world of freedom outside. She found hope.

Beloved brethren! John the beloved disciple of Jesus continues to write, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me … will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12b). In His public ministry, the Son of God was limited in space and time in Palestine of the first century. After His Ascension and returning to the Father, Jesus Christ is no longer restricted in the space of Palestine and in time of the first century. He is able to lend support to His true believers to reach out to all peoples in all times. Though we do not have the authority to open the prison gates to release the inmates physically, we are able to present their situations to the LORD to grant them genuine freedom in morality and spirituality. The LORD acknowledges such ministry as “greater ones than these”. May we continue to be Pilgrims of Hope in the Jubilee Year to enkindle hope in the almighty God among the people we encounter. God cares for our plights and He will provide. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

What Have I To Do with You? 這於我和妳有甚麼關係？

Second Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: What Have I To Do with You? 這於我和妳有甚麼關係？

The best descriptions of God tend to be negative. For example, the mystery of God is unfathomable. His love is ineffable and the graces He gives us are innumerable etc. If you try to be positive, it is better to use “double negative”, such as “For nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). Even the first reading today begins with negatives, “For Zion’s sake I will not be silent; for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet” (Isaiah 62:1a). Bear in mind that God is speaking of His care and love of Israel through the prophet Isaiah. Today, we see the same thing happen at the wedding banquet of Cana. The wedding banquet of Cana is one of the three Epiphany incidents the Church celebrates in the Christmas Season. The Star of Bethlehem attracted the Magi, the pagans to receive the revelation of the Saviour of the world. In the Baptism of Jesus, the Blessed Trinity revealed the three Blessed Persons of the trinite God and lastly, in the wedding banquet of Cana, “Jesus … revealed His glory, and His disciples began to believe in Him” (John 2:11).

It is not easy to read the gospel of John. We can only invoke the Holy Spirit to help us understand the many layers of meanings. Today the dialogue between the Blessed Virgin Mary with her divine son poses a puzzle for us to ponder. Allow me to quote in full. “When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come’” (John 2:3-4).
First, Jesus’ calling His mother “Woman” was not disrespectful. He did it twice in the gospel of John and the next time is during His crucifixion (19:26b). How could one be disrespectful to his mother while hanging on the cross? Jesus was actually identifying the BVM as the “Woman” whose offspring will strike at the Serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). In calling His mother “woman”, Jesus is proclaiming His divinity, even on the cross, without denying the dignity of the Mother of God!
Second, Jesus is the Son of God and thus is all knowing, except for the day and hour of the end of the world (Mark 13:32). Definitely, He knew the host had no wine and did not need the BVM to remind Him. When the BVM informed Him, His response seems to suggest that He did not care. Is not the God we believe in a loving God? Jesus’ response is mysterious! The Son of God does care! The BVM was playing the role of a prophet, speaking the mind of God. The Son of God cares for the well-being of the host, viz. the shame the lack of wine would entail. The BVM would have been a loyal disciple and did not disturb her master (10:13). Moreover, not informing Jesus would not add further harm to the host! Yet she chose to express the care and love of the Son of God towards human failings and sufferings! The BVM was certain that her divine son knew that the host had no wine, and that He cared and was capable of relieving the host of the imminent shame. The BVM acted, not as an advocate for the host but as a prophet, a spokesperson of God by expressing God’s concern for their lack of wine! God would not allow this lack of wine to happen because He says in the first reading today, “You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the hand of God” (Isaiah 62:3).

Then how shall we understand the apparent lack of care in Jesus’ reply to the BVM? Actually, the lack of wine did concern Him, but there is a greater concern in His mind as well, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4b). In the gospel of John, “His hour” refers to Jesus’ Pascal Mystery, namely His Passion and Resurrection (7:30; 8:20; 12:23 etc.). Take a step back and look. Jesus was only one among the many guests in this wedding banquet. He did not have any kingly, priestly or prophetic role in this wedding. Perhaps He and His disciples were only accidental guests in this wedding banquet causing the lack of wine as some scholars suggest. Technically speaking, the wedding in Cana was not yet the official beginning of His public ministry, not to mention the Pascal Mystery. Like his many miracles and exorcisms in the future, a high-profile miracle in this wedding would stir up un-intended anticipations among the spectators and would create obstacles in their minds to receive the Kingdom of Heaven properly. Thus, the Son of God hesitated. “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” (2:4a) Even though “your concern” was actually “my concern”, the Son of God had a greater concern for a greater good.

Before we continue, let us sum up what we have learnt so far from the BVM. All Christians partake in the prophetic ministry of Jesus Christ through baptism. They become spokespersons of God to bear witness of His loving care. As Christians, we find it difficult to explain to non-believers why we need to pray to an all-knowing God. Jesus Himself even says, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8b)! So what is the point of praying to God if He already knows your needs? Isaiah gave us the answer. Our prayers can actually be an echo of God’s care and concerns for humanity. Humanity created in the image of God do not deserve to suffer as such. When we pray for the needs of the others, we are expressing not just our charity towards the poor and the needy but we are also expressing God’s kindness. When we pray for ourselves, such as asking God for forgiveness, we are actually expressing God’s willingness to forgive us! What if we are praying out of some “selfish” motives which might not agree with God’s will, then most likely, they would be prayers unanswered. Once again, the BVM has shown us the proper way to pray. She prayed for the needs of the others, not hers. She presented the situation without specifying how Jesus should proceed to solve the problem. Her faith in her divine son is admirable. From the BVM, we learn to fully trust in the Lord and should refrain from dictating our wishes and from instructing God how to accomplish our wills! How right Paul is when he says, “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25)!

Indeed, the wedding banquet in Cana shows amply how God cares for our needs. Jesus chose to turn ceremonial cleansing water (John 2:6) into good wine (2:10). This is highly symbolic. Jews were obsessive with cleansing lest their impurities would kill them when they approached God. There was an unreasonable fear because the God they believed in was a wrathful God instead of a loving Father! On the other hand, wine cheers people up. Drinking wine brings joy to people. Therefore, this first miracle of Jesus tells us that the imaginary wrathful God Jews had believed in is actually our heavenly Father of loving care. Joy should be one of the conspicuous characteristics of Christians because the God they believe in would take good care of the problems they would encounter in this world. True believers should be able to smile in the face of troubles and persecutions because the outcomes would be better than they could imagine, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 64:3).

Beloved brethren! This is a powerful message of hope we Catholics can bring to the people we meet today. The world is at the brim of a total collapse. Economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic has been slower than expected. People are not willing to spend money. Local warfare is affecting global supply chains. The environment is fighting back and extreme weathers are rampant. Moreover, the rise of AI brews widespread irrational fears among people, professionals and common peoples alike etc. People are desperate and the hope of a better tomorrow is in short supply. During this Jubilee Year, Catholics should take on the role of pilgrims of hope to inspire trust in a caring God and hope in a brighter future. The wedding banquet in Cana is a good illustration. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection>
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Renewed Daily 日新又新

Feast of Baptism of the Lord, Year C
Theme: Renewed Daily 日新又新

For most Chinese, “eternal life” means “forever living without ageing長生不老”. Of course, ordinary men are mortal. In order to enjoy a long life without ageing, one needs to practise breathing, meditating and even fasting etc. to metamorphose into another form of being, such as a fairy仙 or a Buddha佛. These are Taoist teachings and are influential in the mind-set of Chinese. There is also the pragmatic Confucianism that does not touch on the supernatural. Confucianism offers a more moralistic and political stance. For example, Liji．Da Xue begins with “What the Great Learning teaches, is to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence 大學之道，有明明德，在親民，在止於至善” (Liji, Da Xue 禮記．大學). Cultivating virtues is of utmost importance for a Confucian. For them, what makes men human is their virtues, not their intelligence. Like their counterparts in Greece, the highest form of virtue is to participate in the governance of the state. Confucianism focuses the target on renovating the people. Of course, one needs to have a people before one is able to renovate them. For a Confucian, the emperor’s subjects include everybody on earth, “All lands under heavens belong to the emperor without exception; all people on earth serve the king. 普天之下，莫非王土；率土之濱，莫非王臣” (Classic of Poetry, Xiao Ya, North Mount 詩經．小雅．北山). Confucians are very Catholic in thoughts! Further down, Da-Xue explains what it means by renovating the people. “On the bathing tub of Tang, the following words were engraved. ‘If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation’ 湯之盤銘曰：苟日新，日日新，又日新” (da-xue #6). This concept of “constant renewal” finds common ground with the concept of “eternal life” in Catholic theology!

Let us begin our meditation with the first reading today. George Frideric Handel has popularized this well-known passage at the beginning of his immortal oratorio, the Messiah! “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned [That she has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.] The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:1-3) . Here, God assures His salvation for the captive Israelites whom He treats as His own children. However, the Israelites were and are a stiff-necked as well as a rebellious people. They do not listen to their God and King. God laments, “An ox knows its owner, and an ass its master’s manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood” (1:3)! Thus, God made use of Israel’s neighbour to chasten them. Here, I have included the text omitted by Handel, “that she has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins” (40:2b) to show God’s mercy! Has God been unfair to Israel for meting out to her punishments double her sins? Previously, God has warned them against worshipping idols, saying, “You shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, bringing punishment for their parents’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9). Had the LORD been rigid in sticking to His warnings, He would have punished them for six to eight generations. In reality, God did not. Suppose we take one generation to be thirty years. Sixth and eighth generation would be about two centuries. The Babylonian Captivity lasted 50 to 70 years only, depending on whether you include the previous twenty years! Moreover, in the prophecies of Isaiah, the LORD declared He would punish peoples that had ever fought against Israel and won for overdoing their conquests against Israel, viz. Assyria, Babylon, Cush, Egypt, Medes, Moab and Philistine etc. In God’s eye, the fifty years of Babylonian Captivity is already double portion of punishments for all Israel’s sins. In short, God favours Israel who is truly the apple in His eye (32:10, Psalms 17:8)! How I envy Israel!

When I meditate the gospel reading today, a particular detail catches my eyes, “After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying …” (Luke 3:21). It seems that Luke wants to conjure in the readers’ mind a particular image. Why did Luke write in this manner? It would not be wrong to assume that the Baptist baptized Jesus among the crowd; and that Jesus was definitely not the first one. The wording strongly suggests that Jesus was the last one to receive baptism! After that, Herod’s soldiers came to arrest the Baptist and ended his ministry and life. That makes the Father’s voice more meaningful. Let us imagine what it would be like if the Baptist continued to baptize people after the Father had spoken, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (3:22b). Then, the Father’s voice specifically points out that only one person Jesus is His beloved Son, not those before nor those after. Usually in a public ceremony, such as a Speech Day or Athletic Meet etc., the first one and/or the last one would represent the whole group of people, graduates or athletes. Now that Jesus was the last one, He would be able to represent all those before Him! If Jesus were the first one to receive baptism, He would also represent all who followed Him. However, being the last one conveys yet one more message. It highlights the humility of the Son of God! This humility is in harmony with the image of a rejected Messiah whom the Blessed Virgin Mary would lay in a manger after His birth! Being the last also guarantees the safety of those in front. Immediately, the image of Moses at the crossing of the Red Sea and of Joshua at the crossing of the Jordan River emerge! The image of the Good Shepherd also appears! We who are baptized into the Church established by the Lord are truly the beloved children of God, the authentic People of God among the peoples on earth. Dear St. Luke, I thank you for your portraying such a beautiful baptism picture for us to read. Pray for us!

Beloved brethren! As beloved sons and daughters of God, we are able to partake in His eternal life. Do we share His eternal life after our death? No! We partake in God’s eternal life immediately after our baptism here and now on earth! The second reading today says, “… not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of His mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit …” (Titus 3:5). Not only did the Holy Spirit take part in the Creation, but the Spirit also renews, “Send forth Your Spirit, they are created and You renew the face of the earth” (Psalms 104:30). It is through the Holy Spirit that the Father created and renews the Creation. With the constant renewal by the Holy Spirit, the Father guarantees the eternity of our life! Amen!
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
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Magi were Pilgrims of Hope 東方賢士也是希望的朝聖者

The Epiphany of the Lord, Year C
Theme: Magi were Pilgrims of Hope

Matthew tries to prove to his Jewish believers that Jesus is their long awaited Messiah. He makes use of the genealogy of Jesus to show that Jesus is a descendant of David, one of the requirements Jews developed to resolve the apparent contradiction between Nathan’s Oracle to King David (2 Samuel 7:13) and the subsequent Babylonian Captivity. With a descendant of David to be the Messiah, God honours His pledge to establish David’s royal throne forever. Matthew traces the genealogy in three groups, the number of Hebrew alphabets in David’s name, of 14 generations, where 14 is the sum of the three Hebrew alphabets in David’s name. Of course, Matthew selects some kings and skips others in order to make up the number 14. His intension is more important than his details! Then Matthew tries to arrange the Nativity narratives to show that Jesus’ birth fulfils five Old Testament prophecies! Who else on earth could meet such a demanding criterion if not Jesus? However, Matthew misses one prophecy which modern people are more interested in, namely the Star of Bethlehem, “I see him, though not now; I observe him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel …” (Numbers 24:17). With results from astronomical simulations, modern people are able to deduce the most likely birthday of Jesus, namely April 17, 6 BC. Yes, the calendar we are using is actually not correct. According to Roman history, Herod the Great died in 4 BC! This hypothetical Christmas date makes the shepherds narratives in Luke reasonable (Luke 2:8). Moreover, “April” makes some people even speculate that Jesus was crucified on April 17, 24 AD! How exciting and entertaining! Actually, the Star Prophecy was part of the Oracle of Balaam whom the Moabite King Balak hired to curse the Israelites. It does not mention Bethlehem and simply foretells the rise of a king, probably David, Solomon or Josiah, any king.

Alas! It is legitimate for people to read different messages in the same story. While scientific-minded Christians are free to draw a connection between the Nativity and Passion of Jesus Christ, clergy are eager to draw lessons from the gifts of the Magi to highlight the three-fold ministry of Jesus as king, priest and prophet. Indeed, the kingship of Jesus alone has attracted the attention of many brilliant minds. Biblical scholars would draw the parallel between King Solomon and Jesus who once says, “At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here” (Matthew 12:42, 1 Kings 10:1-13)! In the Nativity narratives, the Magi from the east shows greater understanding of the role of Jesus, namely his divinity than the Queen of Sheba. Literary-minded readers would see a political drama unfold, namely powerful people pitching their wits against each other, to demonstrate the universal kingship of Jesus Christ. More pastoral-minded ministers would encourage the congregation to lead an exemplary Christian life like a Star of Faith, guiding non-believers to acknowledge the kingship of Jesus and receive His redemption. The Nativity narratives are forever pregnant with symbolisms for meditation.

At the beginning of this Jubilee Year, I would like to meditate how the Magi set examples for us as Pilgrims of Hope. Let us establish the probable identity of the Magi. They must be knowledgeable people in order to understand astrological phenomena in heavens and their significance to human affairs on earth. We cannot dismiss their astrological knowledge outright as superstitious because of our limited understanding of their civilizations. The fact that they took up a perilous trek with many uncertainties is sufficient to prove the huge significance they attached to the rising of the Star of Bethlehem! For us Pilgrims of Hope on earth, this journey on earth is also full of uncertainties because of our incomplete understanding of God and of this world. Yet, they shall not discourage us from travelling towards our goal, which must be of supreme significance to us. Beloved Pilgrims, what are your goals? What are you looking for? What keeps you moving ahead in life on earth?

As for the Magi, they sought “the newborn king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2a). However, Judaea was only a negligible Roman vassal state at the time. Why would the Magi bother to take the trouble to travel afar to search for the king of an insignificant political entity? In view of the huge resources they mobilized in this journey, I opine that “the newborn king of the Jews” is insufficient to express the full intention of the Magi. We can only speculate two probable but related reasons. First, their astrological knowledge was not accurate enough to narrow the location down to Bethlehem. They have no choice but to visit firstly the capital of this insignificant vassal state, namely Jerusalem, to gather more information. Second, being diplomatic, who else would the Magi seek an audience if not the king at that time, namely Herod the Great? Alas! The Magi, not of their faults but the political situation at that time, brought fear instead of joy to Jerusalem (2:3)! Had Herod the Great been a benevolent king, the visit from the Magi would have brought great joy to Judaea because their long awaited Messiah was born! In reality, Herod the Great was an extremely cruel and bloodthirsty ruler. His history shows that he had no qualm nipping any threats to his throne at the bud. The people in Jerusalem were in fear because Herod the Great would kill their newborns. They were much relieved when the chief priests and scribes announced the birthplace of the newborn king to be Bethlehem instead of Jerusalem (2:5)! We can see the cruelty of Herod the Great from how “He ordered the massacre of the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi” (2:16b). For us Pilgrims of Hope, we cannot expect our journey to be anything but perilous. Do not expect to bring joy and peace to the people we meet. Do not blame ourselves when our message brings the people we encounter inconveniences, troubles and even disasters instead of hope. Do not be discouraged and troubled when dangers, fears and frustrations arise. Like the Magi, look up to heavens and stick to a goal that is worth pursuing!

Beloved brethren! We should know that when the Son of God came the first time, His own people did not welcome him too. Our faith informs us that the God we believe in is a God of love and mercy. He wants us to partake in His eternal life. We need to be patient in suffering troubles and even persecutions. In the words of St. Paul, “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). He advises us to confront troubles with a proper attitude, “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer” (12:12). In conclusion, St. Paul blesses us in these words, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (15:13). So, let us be joyful and peaceful Pilgrims of Hope. Amen. God bless!

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2022 Reflection
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因材施教 To Teach According to Aptitude

【見證系列（六）】
因材施教（若1:35-42）

保祿宗徒是傳福音的表表者，他的名句：「對一切人，我就成為一切，為的是總要救些人」（格前9:22b），可以說是傳福音，作見證的楷模。可惜，很多聖職人員和慕道班導師，沒有因應聽眾的差異，重覆著十年如一日，無懈可擊的道理，向派遣他們的教區交差。在他們身上，我們找不到保祿宗徒所說的「聖神九果」中，最顯而易見的一果：喜樂（迦5:22b-23a）。他們做錯了嗎？絕對沒有！因為他們的責任是宣講福音，至於用甚麼方法：依書直說，還是「近取諸身，遠取諸物」，因材施教，是他們個人的修煉。聽眾心靈的改變，始終是天主聖神的工作！可是，倘若保祿做得到，其他努力學習本地語言的傳教士前輩做得到，我們怎可以不嘗試呢？

且看，耶穌召選做漁夫的四個兄弟時，不是說：「來跟隨我！我要使你們成為漁人的漁夫」（瑪4:19）嗎？耶穌向群眾講的，不是抽象的天國道理，而是群眾在實際生活中所接觸到的事物：撒種、酵母、牧羊人、無花果樹、油燈和婚宴等等。事實上，上主天主不會強迫人相信祂，所以宣講福音的喜訊後，天主讓人思想沉澱，考慮接受與否。又好像今天福音中的兩個門徒：安德肋和斐理伯，他們跟隨耶穌，是在洗者若翰第二次作證「看，天主的羔羊！」（若1:29, 36）之後，是經過思考沉澱的。耶穌的邀請更加明顯：「你們來看看吧！」他們於是去了，看了祂住的地方；並且那一天就在祂那裡住下了（1:39a），可見信徒追隨耶穌，完全是出於自願的。每年領洗的人數，不可完全歸功於神職人員、修女和慕道班導師的口才或感染力，是天主聖神在每個人心內的更新！

親愛的讀者，讓我們一起呼求聖神，更新我們的心靈，在禧年成為一個對天主充滿希望的朝聖者，為天父的愛作見證。亞孟。
天主保祐！

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生命恩泉
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[Mission Series VI]
To Teach According to Aptitude (John 1:35-42)

St. Paul is an exemplar of evangelization. His aphorism, “I have become all things to all, to save at least some” (1 Corinthians 9:22b) can be a motto for all evangelists. Regrettably, many clergy and catechists repeat their impeccable homilies/catechisms year after year without adapting to their audience. They get done their jobs assigned by the diocese. On them, we are not able to experience the most obvious fruit of the Holy Spirit mentioned by Paul: Joy (Galatians 5:22b-23a). Are they wrong? Absolutely NOT! It is because their responsibility is to proclaim the gospel. As for the means: following the books, using the context, adapting to the aptitudes of the audience etc. are their personal stamina. After all, changing the hearts and souls of the audience is the work of the Holy Spirit! However, if Paul and other missionaries, who work hard to learn local dialects, could do it, how can we not try?

When Jesus called the four fisherman brothers to be disciples, did He not say, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19)? What Jesus spoke to the crowd was not abstract theology of the Kingdom of Heaven, but concrete things the crowd came in touch with in their daily life: sowing seeds, yeast, shepherds, fig trees, lamps and wedding banquets etc. In fact, the LORD God does not force us to believe in Him. Therefore, after the proclamation the good news to us, God gives us time to reflect and to decide whether to accept it or not. Look at the two disciples mentioned in the gospel reading today: Andrew and Philip. They followed Jesus after John the Baptist gave the second testimony, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). They must have reflected and decided. Jesus’ invitation is more obvious, “Come and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with Him that day (1:39a). Thus, believers in Jesus follow Him out of their own choices. We should not attribute the number of people baptized and confirmed every year to the eloquence and charisma of the clergy, nuns and catechists. It is the renewal of hearts done by the Holy Spirit!

Beloved brethren! Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts and souls to become a pilgrim full of hope in God to bear witness to His love in this Jubilee year. Amen.
God bless!

若翰洗者如何作見證 How John the Baptist Bore Witness

【見證系列（五）】
若翰洗者如何作見證（若1:29-34）

今天讓我們默想並學習洗者若翰如何作見證。 首先，為福音作見證，為天主的愛作見證，需要讀很多神學嗎？需要讀完整部聖經，完全明白當中的教訓嗎？要知道完全明白整部聖經的教訓，很明顯是不可能的。因為我們的理解能力，隨著我們的經歷而改進。即使今天你已經完全掌握了整部聖經的教訓，明天你又會有新的體會。所以不要奢望完全明白整部聖經的教訓之後，纔開始為天主的愛作證！其次，若翰洗者自己說了兩次：「我也不曾認識祂」（若1:31, 33），可見認識祂不是為祂作見證的「必要條件」，而是「充份條件」。即是說：考獲神學文憑或學位固然好，但沒有也不會妨礙你為天主作見證！事實上，不少沒有信仰的人，也考獲神學博士學位。可見「認知」不是信仰的本質。最後，若望說：「天主是愛」（若一4:8）。為愛，甚麼是最有效的見證呢？是銳利的辭令嗎？是沒有破綻的邏輯推理嗎？還是親切的關懷呢？答案顯而易見。你必須愛天主，纔能把這份愛的經驗，介紹給其他人。愛是一件很奇妙的事情，你愛人，但對方未必會還愛。能夠愛天主，已經是了不起的一回事了！

再者，洗者若翰與天主之間，有直接的溝通。他說：「我也不認識祂，但那派遣我來以水施洗的，給我說…」（若1:33a）。這份溝通是直接的，不是透過第三者作傳聲筒的。即是說，我不是透過聖職人員、修女、慕道班導師或其他人的分享而知道天主愛我，而是我自己親身感受到天主對我獨特的愛護和照顧。

最後，蒙召的人，要成為別人蒙受天主祝福的渠道，正如亞巴郎蒙召，不是為了他個人的利益，而是要成為萬民的福源，「地上萬物都要因你獲得祝福」（創12:3b）。在聖殿作司祭，最少也是一份令獻祭者蒙受天主祝福的職務。但洗者若翰並沒有繼承父親匝加利亞的衣缽，在聖殿作司祭，而是選擇了另外一個人生。可見為天主的愛作見證，並沒有固定形式，一切皆遵從天主的旨意。

親愛的讀者，這是新一年的第三天了，你愛耶穌基督，多了一些嗎？
天主保祐！

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生命恩泉
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[Mission Series V]
How John the Baptist Bore Witness (John 1:29-34)

Today, let us meditate and learn from the Baptist how to bear witness.
First, when we bear witness to the gospel and give testimony to God’s love, how much theology do we need to study? Do we need to finish reading the whole Bible and to understand all its teachings first? Obviously, it is impossible to understand all the teachings of the whole Bible. It is because our understanding moves ahead along with our experiences. Even if we understand perfectly all the teachings of the whole Bible today, tomorrow we will acquire new experiences. Therefore, it is unrealistic to bear witness to God’s love only after we have acquired all the understanding of the teachings of the whole Bible! Moreover, John the Baptist says twice, “I did not know Him” (John 1:31, 33). We may conclude that “knowing God” cannot be a “necessary condition” for bearing witness but a “sufficient condition” only. In other words, it is good of you to obtain a certificate or degree in theology but without it does not hamper your bearing witness to God! Indeed, many non-believers also possess PhD in theology as an academic discipline. Understanding is not the essence of faith. At last, John says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). What is the most effective witness to love? Eloquence? Impeccable logic, or care and concern? The answer is obvious. You must love God before you can share this love with others. Love is a wonderful thing. You love but the other party may not return love. Loving God is already an extraordinary thing!

Secondly, between the Baptist and God, there is direct communication. The Baptist says, “I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me …” (John 1:33a). This communication is direct and does not rely on any intermediaries. That is to say, it is not through the clergy, nuns, catechists or the sharing of others that I know God loves me. Rather, it is my own experience of the unique care and personal concerns that I know God loves me.

Lastly, the elected shall become a channel of God’s blessings to others. Just like Abraham whom God chose not for his personal benefits but to be a fountain of blessing for all peoples, “All the families of the earth will find blessing in you” (Genesis 12:3b). Priests in the Temple have a ministry to bring God’s blessings to those who offer sacrifices. However, John the Baptist did not follow the footsteps of his father Zechariah to become a priest in the Temple. He chose a different life. Therefore, there are no fixed ways to bear witness to God’s love. All follow God’s will.

Beloved brethren! It is already the third day of a new year. Have you loved Jesus Christ a little bit more?
God bless!

奉派的不同態度 Different Attitudes of the Sent

【見證系列（四）】
奉派的不同態度（若1:19-28）

在資訊科技發達的今天，我們更清楚看見資訊的重要性，而且我們自己本身，更是舉足輕重的資訊傳遞者。從一些轟動的內幕交易案件中，我們可以領略到資訊含有高度經濟價值。不少鮮為人知的間諜活動，都是環繞著情報的傳遞，可見資訊與性命攸關！幾年前在WhatsApp散播謠言，足以釀成群眾濫用私刑，酷殺無辜者的悲劇，今天再加上人工智能技術的發展，令資訊真偽難辨。我們對資訊，絕不能掉以輕心。

在今天的福音，我們看到兩種不同的奉派態度。若翰洗者奉天主派遣，為默西亞預備群眾的心靈接受救恩；從耶路撒冷來的司祭和肋未人，他們奉猶太權貴的派遣，核實若翰洗者的身份。在羅馬帝國的殖民統治下，猶太權貴要及早採取適當的行動，保障自己既得的利益。所以他們的查問，離不開末世的預言：「默西亞」、「厄里亞」、「那位先知」（若1:21）！可是，這些使者的態度，祇是為了交差而已：「你究竟是誰？好叫我們給那派遣我們來的人一個答覆」（1:22）。「你既不是默西亞，又不是厄里亞，也不是那位先知，那麼你為甚麼施洗呢？」（1:25）誠然，他們的確盡忠職守，查問得滴水不漏；可是，他們有沒有關心到若翰的訊息：即「修直上主的道路」（1:23）、「一位更偉大的已在你們中間」（1:26），與他們的生死有何關係呢？我不能否定他們中，有人會因洗者若翰的見證而信從了耶穌基督的可能，但機會微乎其微。洗者若翰的態度呢？他知道自己的身份和角色，「祂應該興盛，我卻應該衰微」（3:30）。若翰洗者最後成為殉道者，為他的使命劃上圓滿的句號。

親愛的讀者，身為福音的傳遞者，我們更有責任做一個有誠信的「先知」。先知是天主的代言人，倘若我們缺乏誠信，我們豈不是在抹黑天主嗎？我相信天主是不會選錯人的！
天主保祐！

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生命恩泉
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

[Mission Series IV]
Different Attitudes of the Sent (John 1:19-28)

Nowadays we enjoy advanced Information Technology. We are more aware of the significance of information and we ourselves are weighty information bearers. From some sensational court cases of insider trading, we know that information has high economic values. From the fact that clandestine espionage also involves information gathering, we know that information can be a matter of life and death! Several years ago, rumours spread through WhatsApp led to tragedies of lynching the innocent. Today when the use of artificial intelligence becomes widespread, it is difficult to tell fake from truth. Indeed, we cannot take information for granted.

In the gospel reading today, we see two different attitudes towards being sent. God sent John the Baptist to prepare the hearts of the crowd to accept the coming Messiah and to receive salvation. The Jewish religious authority in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to investigate the identity of John the Baptist. Under the colonial rule of the Roman Empire, the Jewish religious authority needed to nip anti-Roman rebellions in the bud in order to maintain their status quo. Their interrogation surrounded eschatological prophecies: Messiah, Elijah and the Prophet etc. (John 1:21)! However, the attitude of the priests and Levites was that of getting a job done: “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent me …” (1:22). “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet” (1:25). They were dutiful and meticulous indeed. However, had they cared about how the Baptist’s messages, namely “Make straight the way of the LORD” (1:23) and “There is a greater one among you” (1:26) were related to their life and death? I cannot rule out the possibility of some of them believing in Jesus Christ due to the Baptist’s testimony, but the chances were slim. What about the attitude of the Baptist? He knew his position. “He must increase; I must decrease” (3:30). At last, the Baptist became a martyr, giving his ministry a perfect ending.

Beloved brethren! As bearers of the gospel, we have a great responsibility to be prophets with integrity. Prophets are spokespersons of God. If we lack integrity, we are smearing God! I believe God does not elect a wrong person.
God bless!