無用的僕人是有福的 Blessed Are the Unprofitable Servants



常年期第廿七主日，丙年
主題：無用的僕人是有福的 Blessed Are the Unprofitable Servants

被「原罪」傷害過的人性，總會杯弓蛇影。為了自保，動不動便會啟動防禦機制來應付危機：例如躲藏、逃跑、否認、推卸責任和埋怨等等。認真地面對挫折，檢討失敗，實在非常費力！其實我們不用這樣費力，徒勞無功。請聆聽在今天的第一篇讀經，哈巴谷先知傳達天主的啟示時是怎樣說的。「看，心術不正的，必然消逝；義人必因他的信賴而生活」（哈2:4）。天主是公義的，賞善罰惡的，所以先知把「心術不正的」與「義人」對比，即是「惡人」與「善人」的對比；「消逝」與「生活」對比，就是「在地獄受懲罰」和「在天堂永享福樂」的對比。至於「信賴」是信賴甚麼呢？當然是信賴上主天主，因為只有祂是全能、全知和永恆的。天主的要求並不高，只要「信賴」祂就可以上天堂！試問相信天主有何難呢？倘若真的是難，難在那裡呢？

執事我覺得困難在於能否掌握到自己與天主的關係！我們是天主所創造的受造物，你接受嗎？現代科學昌明，可能是「驕傲」在作祟罷，很多人寧願相信人類是由大猩猩進化而來，也不願意相信有天主存在，遑論承認是天主創造我們呢？
聖經說「天主按自己的肖像創造了人類」（創1:26），你接受自己是天主的肖像嗎？如果不接受的話，你有可能是缺乏自信心，覺得自己不堪當。但在不可不接受的情況下，例如當很多人知道你是天主教徒的時候，你可能會做一些補救來加強自己的信心！例如，以往修院裡尚未領受任何職務的修生，已開始配帶「羅馬領帶」，如同神父主教一樣！至於終身執事，除了探監和探醫院外，就不用配帶。為甚麼呢？可能是為了加強修生們的信心罷！至於終身執事，他們都是成熟的信徒，不用加強他們的信心了！事實上有些探監的神父，也沒有配帶羅馬領帶，所以配帶羅馬領帶，未必方便監獄或醫院的職員，識別你是否專職教士。因為進入監獄或醫院服務時，大閘職員看的是你的證件，而不是你的羅馬領帶…請注意，即使這些雞毛蒜皮的小事背後，一定有更複雜的因素。因此，執事在這裡提醒大家，切忌隨便找個簡化了的理由，當作真理的全部！

回到「天主肖像」的問題去，它的重點不在於你堪當或不堪當，而在於你能否接受那些你不喜歡的人，也是按天主的肖像造出來的！要知道天主喜愛我們，因為我們是祂的傑作，是祂的肖像；祂不願意看見自己的傑作喪亡（則18:32）。祂對自己的肖像滿懷信心，充滿希望，非常有耐性地幫助罪人回頭悔改！至於你，將來在天國的婚宴上，你能與你不喜愛的人同席嗎？即是說，在今世，你能愛你的仇人嗎？不要忘記，他們是天主的肖像；你能為迫害你的人祈禱（瑪5:44）嗎？他們也是天主的肖像！

其實，自覺缺乏信心而作出補救是不必要的，因為天主並沒有訂下，信德達到甚麼級數纔可以得救的標準！既然沒有標準，那麼，不是多多益善嗎？錯！今天的福音告訴我們，宗徒們求主耶穌增加他們的信德（路17:5），主耶穌說了甚麼？有像芥子那樣大的信德就足夠了（17:6）！為甚麼呢？因為我們只要相信「天主自會照顧」（創22:8）便足夠了，因為祂最知道我們需要甚麼（瑪6:32b; 路12:30b）。我們不須要花費精力設計如何開源節流，如何公平地分配資源，如何按緩急先後安排物流，訂立應急、應變的後備方案等等，這些都是外邦人所關心的（瑪6:32a; 路12:30a）。至於我們，我們反而應該辨別現在所做的，是否附合天主的旨意！

天主的旨意是甚麼呢？保祿宗徒曾說過，愛德比信德更重要，「現今存在的，有信、望、愛這三樣，但其中最大的是愛」（格前13:13）。前面已說過，主耶穌要求我們愛那些不可愛的人、仇人和迫害我們的人（瑪5:44），往後更在「公審判」的比喻中，教導我們向貧困者、弱小者伸出援手（25:40）。毫無疑問，天主的旨意要求我們行愛德，與其他的天主肖像共融合一，團結合作，在地上建設天國。

試想像當我們有很強大的信德時、充滿自信時、穩操勝券時，會發生甚麼事？我們會得意忘形，自我膨脹。我們會喧賓奪主，忘記了我們祗是管家而不是主人；忘記了我們的一切，包括健康、智慧、財富、權勢和成就等等，都是天主的恩賜。所以，耶穌基督在今天的福音裡，說了幾句逆耳的忠言，提醒我們，「你們也是這樣，既做完吩咐你們的一切，仍然要說：我們是無用的僕人，我們不過做了我們應做的事」（路17:10）！你覺得氣憤嗎？不服氣嗎？倘若你回答：「是」，請問你把謙遜放到哪（瑪11:29-30）？ 請留意，我們「做完吩咐你們的一切」，天主尚且這樣對待我們。那麼，運用天賜的財富權勢，做了不是天主旨意的事時，天主又會如何處置我們呢？所以執事我在上面提醒大家，「我們反而應該辨別現在所做的，是否附合天主的旨意」，是否履行愛德？

親愛的兄弟姊妹，今天和大家默想了天主與我們關係中的其中三方面。第一：造物主與受造物的關係；其中要克服的困難，是我們的「驕傲」，因為我們拒絕接受自己是有限的受造物。第二：天主與自己肖像的關係；其中的困難，是我們未能有如天父那麼慈悲，仁慈地對待忘恩負義的人（路6:35-37）。第三是主僕的關係；其中的困難，又是驕傲，它阻礙了我們投靠上主天主。能夠成功地在上主天主面前，做到一個「無用的僕人」的人，真是有福。不要以為主人刻薄，替他工作完還要承認自己是個「無用的僕人」。因為天主子耶穌基督承諾了，到末日，「主人要束上腰，請他們坐席，自己前來伺候他們」（12:37，常年期19主日）！ 亞孟。
天主保祐！

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2022反省
圖片鳴謝：grok.com

A World Without Faith 沒有信德的世界

Twenty Ninth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: A World Without Faith 沒有信德的世界

The Son of God has made it crystal clear that nobody should know the day and hour of the end of the world (Mark 13:32). Furthermore, Christ even says, “You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” (Matthew 24:44) Indeed, all documented doomsday prophecies have failed because most of them are attracted to special numbers, such as millennia or special events such as 6000 years after Creation etc. They made the mistake of not following Jesus’ words seriously. If we take His words seriously, we should never come up with a specific day and hour because once announced, an expectation would build up. Then the date and hour would NOT be unexpected! If we read the gospels carefully enough, you’ll see that Jesus has only painted a very vague picture: natural disasters, wars and disorders in the sky above etc. which are norms nowadays! Regrettably, human beings have been so used to these disasters, wars and extreme weathers that we become indifferent towards them. Mortality is just a number which we find it hard to relate to and the economic costs are simply too big to comprehend. Not only have we become indifferent, but we also distrust news reports, thinking that these are fake news, rumours or outputs from content-farms! Probably skepticism is how the human psychology tries to protect us from shocks.

The gospel passage today leaves us a curious verse which seems to be out of context. Jesus was telling the parable of a persistent widow to teach once more that we should pray untiringly to God (Luke 18:2-8a). Abruptly, he finished with, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (18:8b) Two questions immediately arise. Firstly, what has perseverance in prayer to do with the end of the world? We don’t pray for the quickening of the end of the world, do we? Secondly, what is the relationship between faith and the end of the world? Is Christ suggesting that a lack of faith would incur the end of the world?

It is short-sighted for us to pray for our immediate needs only, though we often do. Why not? Even among the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, four of them deal with our immediate needs. But have we meditated the second petition enough, that of the coming of the Father’s kingdom? Not only does this petition imply the spreading of the gospel message among the nations, but it also points to the second coming of the Son of Man. At the same time, this petition reminds us of our evangelization duty. God would be unfair if He passes judgment on peoples who never have an opportunity to hear of the gospel. Therefore, evangelization is indispensable for the righteousness of God. But when we proclaim the gospel, surely we’ll encounter all sorts of obstacles and even persecutions because the spirit of the Beatitudes goes against contemporary secularism. By then, we’ll switch our focus on the protection from temptations and deliverance from evils and lose sight of the Kingdom of Heaven and the end of the world!

The story of the first reading today may throw us some lights. The Israelites were recently liberated from the slavery in Egypt. Before they reached Mount Sinai to establish the Covenant with God, they encountered and waged war against the Amalekites in Rephidim (Exodus 17:8). The Hebrew slaves had never been trained in warfare. Therefore, this battle had to be fought for them by God. While Joshua and some men were engaging with Amalek below, Moses, Aaron and Hur were praying on top of the hill. When Moses’ hands were raised, the Israelites had the upper hand and vice versa (17:9-10)! Truly, evangelization is a warfare, a spiritual combat against the prince of Darkness. Like the Hebrew slaves, we are not angels trained in the fighting with Satan. On one hand, we only have faith as our shield and the word of God our sword (Ephesians 6:16-17). On the other, we have the Holy Spirit to help us pray when we do not know what we ought to pray for (Romans 8:26). This is how we should evangelize and to engage in this spiritual warfare. Faith and scriptures are our armour and prayers are our ammunition. Therefore, it is just and right for us to pray that the Kingdom of God prevails now and in the end. The end of the world should be one petition among our many prayers.

Who do not want to see the end of the world? The minorities who benefit from the status quo don’t. They enjoy power and wealth at the expenses of the majority. Of course they want to continue enjoying their advantages. However, the Catholic Church opts for the poor and stands by the needy. It is not her duty to overthrow the powerful and the wealthy. Instead, it is her duty to pray for the speedy coming of the Son of Man to see justice prevail. Since nobody, not even the angels, know the day and hour of the end of the world, we can only follow Jesus’ advice to pray untiringly for the speedy ending of the world. “Will not God then secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will He be slow to answer them?” (Luke 18:7)

Allow me to attempt the second question, namely that a lack of faith triggers the end of the world. Let us imagine what a world without faith would be like. As a Catholic, I’m not in the position to pass judgment on Islam, Buddhism and Taoism etc. To be more exact therefore, the question becomes what a world without Christianity would be like. Well, I don’t mean a world without churches. Rather, it is a world in which you can still find churches but the spirit of beatitudes is wanting in them. That is to say churches which work hard to keep their finance healthy, to stay out of troubles in social controversies, to keep silent on moral issues, to avoid the marginalized and to generate more divisions and confusions in the society etc. There are churches which serve political or economic masters instead of God. In short, a world in which when the Son of Man comes again, He would be unable to recognize His Bride! Of course, it is exaggeration! It is because Jesus pledges to stay with us till the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). It is impossible for Him to ignore the deterioration of His Bride! He is merciful and will do whatever within His capacity to turn the tide.

However, let’s forget not that He is unable to go against our free will. We are free to choose not to trust Him. The gospel tells us that even His kindred did not believe in Him, “So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:5-6) Moreover, humanity tends to be impatient. Their faith does not last long. Very soon and very easily, they would throw their hands in the air and give up. That’s why the Catholic Church decides to abandon elitism and continues proclaiming saints after saints in recent years!
To be candid, I’m rather pessimistic. To paraphrase the beloved disciple, if I cannot draw consolation from what is visible, how am I supposed to have faith in what is invisible (1 John 4:20)? Moses was able to last until sunset when Joshua won the battle, not only because Aaron and Hur helped him raise his arms, but Moses was also able to see Joshua winning! I begin to feel what the merciful Lord felt when He spoke that enigmatic verse, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8b) No wonder we have to pray untiringly to sustain our faith, since “the just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17).
Yes, Lord, You will find faith on earth when You come. Amen.
2016 Reflection
Picture Credit:alamy.com

No Need To Increase Our Faith 毋須增加信德

Twenty Seventh Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: No Need To Increase Our Faith 毋須增加信德

One summer day when I was a teenager, my younger brother and I visited the Ocean Park and had a lot of fun. In one of the pools, there was a one-meter jumping board and everybody was flying off in crazy styles. So, I and my brother decided to give it a try. When I stood at the edge of the board and looked down, OMG it was scary! I hesitated for a few seconds. Seeing the queue of people behind us, my brother gave me a shove and I fell into the water below. That was fun! I returned several times to fully enjoy the coolness, creativity of motions and fun! Indeed, all of us are engaging in projects of various magnitudes at different stages of our lives. However, not only are we mortal, but we are also insecure. Some of us need more reassurance while others have no aversion to take great risks. When uncertainties arise, some take a leap of faith and dive in. Some need an extra shove from someone while others simply give up.

In the gospel passage today, the apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith. Why and what was the context of this request?
Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem, the final leg of His ministry (Luke 9:51). The trip looked promising at the beginning because “So many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot.” (12:1) The Lord continued proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven and teaching the crowd on various topics: on persecutions, warning against greed and reconciliation etc. Some teachings are reassuring such as the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and even the Dishonest Steward. Some are challenging and even disturbing such as divisions within families, the Narrow Gate, Herod’s desire to kill Him and total renunciation in discipleship etc. Mark reports that when Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem and foretelling three times His imminent Passion, “Those who followed were afraid.” (Mark 10:32).

The apostles “had renounced all their possessions” to follow Jesus towards Jerusalem (Luke 14:33) but uncertainties were brewing. The future had become less promising. For them, there was no turning back because they had abandoned everything. That probably explains why the apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith, to give them an extra shove to dive in. The Lord reassures them saying, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree … and it would obey you.” (17:5-6). Then the Lord switches to talk about the attitude of servants. If a small amount of faith is sufficient to accomplish the mission, why did He talk about “unprofitable servants” (17:10)? What has that to do with increasing their faith, giving them an extra shove?

But do we really need to increase faith?
I’m aging. My hearing is failing so much so that I myself even notice that I’m singing out of tune. It is because my brain is drumming inside my head more frequently. I start forgetting things and have to stop to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing … My children and my wife are worried because my words and my deeds no longer inspire confidence in them. For some time, I have tried to act and speak in a more “reassuring” way, meeting their expectations. But I could not keep it up. I’m sorry. My family members and I myself have to accept this deteriorating reality. We cannot expect my being exempted from the law of nature because I’m a servant of God. Similarly, when I served the needy in the capacity of a permanent deacon, visiting prisoners and outsourcing janitors, I expected no obstacles in rendering my service. I was never more wrong because I still received traffic tickets in my journeys, met uncooperative officers and unfriendly janitors. In a similar way, I think the Israelites, the contemporary Jews as well as the apostles had a mistaken expectation on the Messiah.

In the first reading today, Habakkuk the prophet was complaining to God. He voiced what we wanted to vent in 2019. God, why do you allow injustice and violence? We expect the government to rule in fairness. Yet, we witness corruption, self-fattening and power abuses instead. God, why do you allow them to continue their wickedness? “How long, O Lord, must I cry for help and you do not listen … and you do not intervene? Why do you let me see iniquity? Why do you simply gaze at evil?” (Habakkuk 1:2-3) God answered the prophet’s complaint by raising the Assyrians and Babylonians to conquer them. Now, the prophet complained about the brutal judgments of the alien empires! At the height of 2019 social unrests, God handed the government a COVID-19 pandemic to crack down popular demands in the name of health! What would be next?
God reassures the prophet saying, “For the vision is a witness for the appointed time, a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint. If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” (2:3) Do you still have faith in God’s words? In fact, patience is in short supply throughout human history. Adam could not wait and ate the Forbidden Fruit. Saul could not wait and offered sacrifice without Samuel, thus losing favour before God (1 Samuel 13:13-14). Indeed, what we need to increase is not our faith but out patience, or better to adjust our unreasonable expectations.

We were created in the image of God and we tend to play God. We put forth our conception of righteousness as God’s righteousness. The just will be rewarded and the evil punished. As simple as this! When government officials are wicked, they should be punished. When the Gentiles overdid the punishment, then what’s next? Unfortunately, no prophet had lived long enough to see how the Assyrian Empire fell to the Babylonian which in turn fell to the Persian, the Greek and the Roman consecutively. When Job suffers calamities, he must have done iniquity in God’s eyes. Therefore, those calamities must be God’s punishments on Job’s iniquity, no more no less! Poor innocent Job of whom Satan made use to challenge God, whose sufferings could have no reasons at all. Sufferings just happen! Men are truly images of God. Like God, they prefer order because it gives them a sense of control and security. Human have an aversion to randomness. They need explanations. However, the more we know, the more we don’t know. There are more mysteries than theories. We need to live with them.

Brethren! No wonder Jesus talks about a master serving his servant who had just returned from ploughing or tending sheep in the field (Luke 17:7). It is unreasonable for a servant to expect such kind of presidential treatments, to expect the master to be grateful when the servant had done what was commanded him (17:9). Instead the servant should say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what were obliged to do.” (17:10) So, when we visit inmates in prisons and hospitals, we should not expect to be praised by God or any other people. We should not expect God to send His angels to clear away all obstacles on our path. Rather, we should be grateful for being given the opportunity to serve and to stay with the Lord. When the Lord is carrying us on His shoulder to scale mountains and to walk on stormy seas, do we need to increase our faith?
God bless!
2019 Reflection
Picture Credit: millenniumpool.com

The Stones Will Cry Out 喊叫的石頭

Passion Sunday, Year C
Theme: The Stones Will Cry Out 喊叫的石頭

We begin the Holy Week with the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. The timing was perfect. Jews all over the world would choose one of the three festivals to go pilgrimage to the holy Temple in Jerusalem so much so that, the pilgrim population could be bigger than the resident population in Jerusalem. The three festivals are: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Jesus chose to die at Passover to show that He is the true Paschal Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) whose blood redeems the whole Creation (Mark 16:15, Romans 8:22). The timing was perfect because many overseas Jews came to Jerusalem on pilgrimage and witnessed His Passion. The seed of gospel was planted in their hearts. Then the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost and the Church, which is the Mystic Body of Christ, was born to accomplish the unfinished mission of reconciling the whole Creation with God. In one day, Church membership exploded from 120 to more than 3000 (Acts 1:15, 2:41)! Many of these new members were Greek-speaking Jews from overseas. Two factions were forming inside the early Church and a schism was brewing. That’s another story.

When the first Christians left Jerusalem as a consequence of persecution from the Sanhedrin, they went all over the Mediterranean region to awaken the seeds of gospel mentioned above among the overseas Jews. In the soil of Gentile culture, the first Christians started to embrace all peoples and the Church became genuinely catholic rather than a branch of Judaism. We should bear in mind that the early Christians were not running away from martyrdom with which they were able to demonstrate their unreserved love of Christ. Rather, their love of neighbour motivated them to share the reconciliation good news with all peoples (2 Corinthians 5:19). God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Christians are His ambassadors of reconciliation. If they don’t die a martyrdom in Jerusalem, they will do so elsewhere.

In Year C, we read the Lucan narrative of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. There’s a verse peculiar to Luke which catches my attention. Jesus came with a multitude of disciples. Together with pilgrims visiting the Temple, the crowd was big. The disciples began to praise God aloud with joy and recounted the miracles they had seen. The crowd was incited. They continued to chant slogans which were alien to the Romans but the Pharisees understood. The Pharisees were worried because the slogans were politically provocative: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:37-38a). Unlike other Evangelists, Luke did not put down “Hosanna” which in Hebrews means “Save us, Yahweh!”. Instead, he attenuated it down into something like, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (19:38b). The Pharisees went to Jesus and told Him to rebuke His disciples. In reply, Jesus said, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” (19:40) What did Jesus mean by “the stones will cry out”? I search the Scriptures to locate other verses. I also pray over this verse and ask the Lord.

A similar verse is located in only one place among the minor prophets. It reads, “For the stone in the wall shall cry out, and the beam in the frame shall answer it!” (Habakkuk 2:11) Habakkuk was pronouncing the 2nd woe of five against the wicked and the greedy. The whole woe reads, “Woe to him who pursue evil gain for his household, setting his nest on high to escape the reach of misfortune! You have devised shame for your household, cutting off many peoples, forfeiting your own life; For the stone …” (2:9-11) Probably the prophet did not have the Pharisees in mind when he pronounced the woe. But Jesus saw the description apply to the Pharisees who abused their legal expertise to fatten themselves at the expense of widows and they stood on high moral ground in hypocrisy by accusing others of not observing the law etc. They thought they were secure but the prophet warned them that the stone on the wall would cry out against them! Perhaps one of the concerns of the Pharisees was the safety of the people. They did not want to see the Romans come to quash an incited crowd. But it couldn’t be denied that these self-righteous legal experts wanted to maintain the status quo in which they might continue to fatten themselves. Perhaps Jesus had mercy on them and mildly reminded them of their hypocrisy and a false sense of security by alluring to Habakkuk.

If Habakkuk was a bit remote so that the Pharisees might have forgotten, they should be familiar with a more recent prophet, John the Baptist who shouted at them saying, “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Matthew 3:9, Luke 3:8) Even stones could be better children of Abraham than the Pharisees who had been national heroes defending the Jewish culture during the Babylonian Captivity! Now, only a handful of them remained “awaiting the kingdom of God” (23:51). If we base our interpretation of “the stones” in this way, Jesus was defending His disciples. They were genuine children to Abraham while the status of the Pharisees who tried stopping them for whatever motives was questionable!

Of course, stones could be lethal weapons (1 Samuel 17:48-50) and capital punishment (Joshua 7:25) In the examples mentioned, these stones symbolized God’s righteousness. Yet in the hand of God, these lifeless objects can be children of Abraham, echoing the same sentiment of Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). God is merciful. He is able to breathe life into the dried bones of the Pharisees and all those whose hearts have been hardened by wealth, power and the cares of life! What distinguishes Jesus’ disciples from the Pharisees? Jesus says in authority, “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

What’s the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? The Pharisees were self-righteous and observed the letters of the law. Not only were they rigid in the application of the law, but they also had forgotten the spirit, the original intention of the law --- to help and guide people to do God’s will and be saved. What’s the spirit of the law? Charity, altruistic love of the needy and the marginalized. If we enforce the law in the spirit of love to edify and raise people up, we would not go around to collect evidence to incriminate Jesus as the Pharisees did. In other words, righteousness and mercy go hand in hand. Lacking either one of them is detrimental to our well-being, not only as the children of God but also as ordinary citizens.

Brethren! We are more valuable than sparrows (Matthew 10:31, Luke 12:7) and stones. Jesus exhorts us to seek the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven and not our righteousness. Only then can we be truly righteous stones which God raises as children to Abraham.
God bless!
2016 Reflection
Picture Credit: li-mac.org

Sharing the Gospel

Sharing good things with other people is nearly universal among civilizations. I have not heard of any civilization that does not extend hospitality to travellers, to give presents to friends and strangers etc. We can find it sanctioned in Chinese classics as well as in Bible stories. For example, one of the ancient commentaries on I-Ching has the following paragraph when the author was applying an oracle to daily life.
「鶴鳴在陰，其子和之。我有好爵，吾與爾靡之。」（中孚‧九二）子曰：「君子居其室，出其言善，則千里之外應之，況其邇者乎。居其室，出其言不善，則千里之違之，況其邇者乎。言出乎身，加乎民，行發乎邇，見乎遠。言行，君子之樞機。樞機之發，榮辱之主也。言行，君子之所以動天地也，可不慎乎？」【繫辭上‧第八章】
"A crane sings in the shade. Its children sing in harmony. I have good wine. Let us share it."
Confucius says, "A wise man says something good in the inner chamber, people echo thousands of miles away, not to mention those near. Says something not good in the inner chamber, people reject it thousands of miles away, not to mention those near. Words uttered will affect people, actions taken will show their consequences afar. Words and actions are the cardinals of a wise man. Triggering cardinals brings glory and shame. A wise man moves heavens and earth with his words and actions. Can he not be cautious?"
Here, the Chinese scholars believe that all men cherishes goodness in their hearts. When goodness is articulated, it finds resonance in all peoples. When evil is propagated, people will reject it. In reality, things are more complicated. People may reject goodness for selfish reasons. Anyway, Confucist philosophy is mainly ethical. Its main focus is on cultivating virtuous personal behaviour. That is to say, even if others are not grateful, you still persist in your own virtues. Confucius philosophy also looks at the impact of individual actions on the society at large.

Christianity is also ethical. But the main thrust is on the building up of the Kingdom of God on earth. Therefore, missionary activities become a major feature of Christianity. Paul was one of the outstanding missionaries in the early church. He travelled around to preach the gospel firstly to his fellow Jews. When rejected, he turned to the Gentiles. The passage we read today explains why he had to turn to outsiders.

It was natural for us to think that Paul began with his fellow countrymen because they shared the same cultural background. However, we have missed a crucial point. Paul did this because of what God had promised to their ancestors.
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 
this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee." (Acts 13:32-33)
However, out of jealousy, the Jews in Pisidia rejected Paul. But Paul would not give up. He persisted in evangelization. Paul was virtuous, though others were ungrateful. He found support in the prophets and turned to the Gentiles.
And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:46)
When the Jews stirred up the leading men in the city to persecute them, driving them out of the city, Paul and Barnabas left for Iconium. They followed the instruction of Jesus.
But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium (Acts 13:51).
And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them (Mark 6:11).

Dear Lord, rekindle in us the desire to share Your gospel with our neighbour. Amen.

Appendix:
Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee.
υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. (Acts 13:33b, Psalm 2:7b)

I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.
δώσω ὑμῖν τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά. (Acts 13:34b)
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
καὶ διαθήσομαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην αἰώνιον, τὰ ὅσια Δαυιδ τὰ πιστά.(Isaiah 55:3)

Thou wilt not let thy Holy One see corruption.
οὐ (οὐδὲ) δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν (Acts 13:35b, Psalm 15:10b LXX, 16:10b MT)

Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I do a deed in your days, a deed you will never believe, if one declares it to you.
ἴδετε, οἱ καταφρονηταί, καὶ θαυμάσατε καὶ ἀφανίσθητε, ὅτι ἔργον ἐργάζομαι ἐγὼ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑμῶν, ἔργον ὃ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐάν τις ἐκδιηγῆται ὑμῖν. (Acts 13:41)
ἴδετε, οἱ καταφρονηταί, καὶ ἐπιβλέψατε καὶ θαυμάσατε θαυμάσια καὶ ἀφανίσθητε, διότι ἔργον ἐγὼ ἐργάζομαι ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑμῶν, ὃ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐάν τις ἐκδιηγῆται. (Habakkuk 1:5).

I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.
τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τ ῆς γῆς.(Acts 13:47b)
ἰδοὺ τέθεικά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. (Isaiah 49:6b).

The righteousness and wrath of God

Paul was eager to preach the gospel which he personally received from Jesus on his way to Damascus. He claimed that this gospel did not come from men, but came directly from the Lord.
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel.
For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).
Paul had personally experienced the power of this gospel. He was converted from a persecutor to a persecuted. He had been a Pharisee for many years, yet it was incomparable to the life as a Christian. Unlike the other apostles, Paul was "forced" to receive this revelation while the others were gently invited by Jesus. The experience was powerful. Therefore for Paul, the gospel was the power of God.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).
Immediately, Paul switched to another concept --- the righteousness of God.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live." (Romans 1:17)
What did Paul mean by the righteousness of God?
How does the Habakkuk quotation prove his point? I think this quotation was Paul's favourite. It summarizes neatly the theology of Paul. Through faith in the risen Lord, man becomes justified and righteous. Then man can gain eternal life. Of course, our righteousness is different from the righteousness of God. But Paul did not continue to develop the concept of the righteousness of God. He simply stated that the gospel revealed God's righteousness and he quotedHabakkuk to support this statement. Immediately, he turned his attention to more urgent problems. I am sure Paul will return to treat the topic more thoroughly in the future.

For Paul, not believing in God was illogical. God revealed Himself in the Creation. Therefore, God is approachable and understandable. Man has enough intelligence to discern God. Even though God is undetectable through human senses, man can still apply his rationality to make sense of the existence of God. There were no more excuses for not knowing and acknowledging God (Romans 1:20b).
But for Paul, the worse sin is not a disbelief in God but idolatry.
and [they] exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles (Romans 1:23).
The consequences were terrible. God would give them up to Satan. Giving them up was the wrath of God.
Delivering the sinful brethren up to Satan was a familiar theme of Paul's theology (1 Corinthians 5:5, 1 Timothy 1:20). Here in Romans, Paul concretized Satan by claiming that God would give those idolaters up to lustful passions. Paul equated idolatry with lust. Then Paul strongly condemned homosexual acts between women and women, men and men. Probably, this was a serious threat the Roman culture posed upon Christians. Probably, this was a result of the Pharisaic background of Paul. He was harsh towards homosexuals.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct (Romans 1:28).
This image of God is very righteous and is not quite compatible with the merciful God portrayed in the gospels. Therefore, while we are reading the Romans, we must keep in mind the mercy of God as well so as not to become onesided, making God one-dimensional.  

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us intelligence and rationality. We further thank You that the Original Sin has not completely wiped out the function of our rationality. May we make good use of our intellect to discern You more. Amen.

Appendix:
ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται.
He who through faith is righteous shall live (Romans 1:17b RSV).
ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται (Habakkuk 2:4b LXX)

Collection of Prooftexts

We continue reading Paul's preaching in a synagogue on Sabbath in Antioch of Pisidia during his first missionary journey. It seems that Christians have collected, over the years, a set of Old Testament quotations to prove their points among Jewish believers. Later, they used them even among Gentiles. In this piece of preaching recorded in Acts 13, we are able to trace a certain outline.
First of all, Paul delivered a summary of the history of Israel to his audience. Of course, history has always been presented in a highly selective manner. The motive of the presentation is more important than the collection of historical facts. Here, Paul tried to lay the background so that he would prove that Jesus was the Saviour.
Of this man's (David's) posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised (Acts 13:23).
How would Paul prove that Jesus was the Saviour? Paul could not claim to be an eye-witness of Jesus' resurrection as Peter and the other apostles in Jerusalem could. But hadn't the risen Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus? Yes, but it was a personal revelation, not a public one. Peter, the other apostles and other people in Jerusalem could support the witness of each other but Paul could not because he was alone. Therefore, he had to rely on something else in common with his audience, the Scripture. Paul needed to demonstrate that all that happened to Jesus, including his crucifixion and resurrection, fulfilled the Scripture. In this particular preaching, he stated without proof that Jesus' suffering fulfilled the Scripture.
Though they (people in Jerusalem and their rulers) could charge him with nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed.
And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead (Acts 13:28-30)
To prove Jesus' resurrection, Paul quoted Psalm 2:7b. This quotation appears also in Hebrews 1:5, 5:5.
Paul continued to quote Psalm 16:10b which Peter also used on Pentecost.
Therefore, it seems to me that Christians had found in Psalm 2 and Psalm 16 texts to prove Jesus' resurrection.
Nowadays, we do not rely on these quotations to accept the resurrection of Jesus. We rely on the witnesses of generations of Christians.
Paul was an original thinker. He boldly claimed that forgiveness of sins could only be achieved through faith in Jesus and not through keeping the law of Moses. Paul fully developed this idea in his epistle to the Galatians.
Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
and by him every one that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses (Acts 13:38-39).
The Vicar General has received my application to become an aspirant of perpetual deacon. He has kindly arranged an interview with me two weeks later. Seeking God's will has always been my first priority and it is even more so now. Many saints have been blessed with a very clear knowledge of God's will. I am not. Probably since I hold on too stubbornly to my own views, I am not able to discern the will of God very clearly. In my teens, Theresa Kwok made a very perceptive remark about me. Alex Kwok would not make a good leader. I know she was both right and wrong at the same time. She was right. I have never liked to lead. That is why I refuse to head the RS panel. Even when I did in La Salle, I stepped down at the earliest convenience. She was wrong because I prefer eliciting the strength of other people instead of mine. If drawing out people's potentials can be a philosophy of management, then I can make a good leader. Of course, success can be measured with different criteria. If getting things done is one, our boss is successful. She manages to clean up the mess left behind by our ex-boss and has put up a beautiful Golden Jubilee show. If winning the hearts of her subordinates is one, our boss has a lot of room to improve. Like many other principals of the Diocesan Catholic secondary schools, our boss hates being contradicted. She can contradict herself, not us. I pray that God's will coincides with hers.

Dear Jesus, help me explore and clarify Your call. My Lord, Your will, not mine, be done. Amen.

Appendix:
Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee.
υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. (Acts 13:33b, Psalm 2:7b)

I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.ὅτι δώσω ὑμῖν τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά. (Acts 13:34b)
καὶ διαθήσομαι ὑμῖν διαθήκην αἰώνιον, τὰ ὅσια Δαυιδ τὰ πιστά. (Isaiah 55:3)

Thou wilt not let thy Holy One see corruption.οὐ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν (Acts 13:35b)
οὐδὲ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν. (Psalm 15:10b LXX, 16:10b MT)

Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I do a deed in your days, a deed you will never believe, if one declares it to you. ἴδετε, οἱ καταφρονηταί, καὶ θαυμάσατε καὶ ἀφανίσθητε, ὅτι ἔργον ἐργάζομαι ἐγὼ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑμῶν, ἔργον ὃ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐάν τις ἐκδιηγῆται ὑμῖν. (Acts 13:41)
ἴδετε, οἱ καταφρονηταί, καὶ ἐπιβλέψατε καὶ θαυμάσατε θαυμάσια καὶ ἀφανίσθητε, διότι ἔργον ἐγὼ ἐργάζομαι ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑμῶν, ὃ οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε ἐάν τις ἐκδιηγῆται. (Habakkuk 1:5).

I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. (Acts 13:47b)
τέθεικά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. (Isaiah 49:6b)

The Righteous shall live by faith

Mum did not have a good appetite this morning. Last time when we had breakfast in the McDonald's in Tuen Mun, she ate a Fillet-O-Fish and two more hash-browns. However, this morning, she could only eat half a Fillet-O-Fish and brought home the other half. The whole morning and after lunch, she busied herself in the kitchen, preparing the dishes for dinner.
Before noon, a niece made a call to ask after the senior uncle and aunt. Among this generation of cousins and nieces, this half-sister of mine is Mum's favourite. It is because she is grateful and knows the manners. Then Mum started complaining one after another how ungrateful the other cousins and nieces have been. Mum has showered them with gorgeous presents and gifts at their weddings and other occasions. Yet, these ungrateful lots! Actually, Mum finds most of them, even her siblings and in-laws, fall short of her expectations. They are ungrateful, unappreciative of what she has done for them. Mum is really bitter. It is still early. I hope Mum will not overdrink again tonight.

Today, we read the book of Habakkuk, a minor prophet. Again, he left us with only three chapters. He was a contemporary of Jeremiah. People remember him most for a verse which St. Paul quoted several times.
ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ, ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται.
Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).
ὅτι δὲ ἐν νόμῳ οὐδεὶς δικαιοῦται παρὰ τῷ θεῷ δῆλον, ὅτι ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται·
Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for "He who through faith is righteous shall live" (Galatians 3:11)
δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν, καθὼς γέγραπται·ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live." (Romans 1:17)
ἔτι γὰρ μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον,ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ χρονίσει·
ὁ δὲ δίκαιός μου ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται,καὶ ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ.
For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry;
but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:37-38).
Of course, Habakkuk deserves more attention. He was a mystic and his hymn in chapter 3 is recited on Friday mornings in the second cycle of the daily Office.
It was 4:50. Mum's drinking urge returned. This time, she did not hide herself to drink. She poured a glass of brandy and we talked. During dinner, she drank only a quarter of a glass. She was very restrained tonight. She needs someone to talk to and there is a lot of things she wants to tell me. Though my younger brother lives with her, I am still her favourite son, the apple in her eyes.

My dear Advocate, make me a good listener. Mum deserves somebody to listen to. Grant her peace. Amen.