常年期第二主日，乙年
主題：耶穌住在哪？
作為一個仍有生命力的基督徒，是不能因循地，安逸地過信仰生活的；事實上，天主聖神是會不斷督促我們，鞭策我們走在成聖路上，日進於德。四部福音中，若望寫的是最有挑戰性的一本，是基督徒成長到某一階段後一部必讀之書！它除了補充對觀福音中沒有記載的事蹟或細節外，更展示出天國的另一個視野。
其實，天父和祂所派遣的聖子耶穌基督，都有一種不可言喻的吸引力，讓我們以絕對的自由，走向祂，親近祂。是天父創造了我們，所以回歸造物主是理所當然的。從這個意義上說，即使看起來是門徒主動投靠耶穌基督，但始終都是天主藉著不同的人地事物，不斷邀請我們，呼喚我們。例如聖經中提及的厄里（撒上3:8-9）和洗者若翰（若1:36-37），聖德蘭修女在火車站的體驗等。天主召叫，我們回應，是同一個硬幣的兩個面，二者並沒有矛盾。ma
人生苦短，我們經驗著不同的欠缺，有物質上的欠缺，包括衣食住行，健康和安全，和心靈上的欠缺，包括人際關係，文化及政治等上層結構。人總不能長時間生活在有欠缺的狀態下，坐以待斃。人總要尋求出路，脫離欠缺的境況，讓自己可以生存和發展，這就是有生命力的意思。能夠安居樂業，成家立室是大部份平民百姓的願望，是合情合理的。他們追求一份穩定的工作、一個快樂的家庭，既可滿足到物質上的需要，同時也填補到心靈上的欠缺，這是應該的。但這一切都取決於更大的經濟、社會及政治環境。新約時代的猶太人，生活在羅馬帝國的殖民統治下，過著二等公民的生活，失去了安居樂業的保障。他們期望一個「默西亞」來驅逐羅馬人，解放他們！
安德肋參觀過耶穌的住處，便認定耶穌就是他心目中的默西亞（1:41），並介紹給自己的弟弟西滿。後來，耶穌給西滿起名伯多祿（1:42）。在若望福音中，耶穌召叫的第一個人是斐理伯（1:43），他是按「梅瑟在法律上所記載，和先知們所預報」來認定耶穌是默西亞（1:45），並介紹給納塔乃耳。宗徒們的傳教熱忱，固然值得我們仿效。但從斐理伯的例子，我們得到一個非常簡單的真理：天主藉聖經啟示自己，召喚我們，並給予我們力量去回應祂、跟隨祂！此外，天主也喜歡因材施教，用不同的方式，召喚不同的人。斐理伯熟悉經典，天主就在經典中啟示自己，召喚斐理伯。那麼，安德肋參觀耶穌的住處時，看見了甚麼，讓祂認定耶穌就是默西亞，並引薦西滿呢？
要知道若望在這裡，是在敘述自己與安德肋的心路歷程，即是說，「耶穌住的地方」極有可能不是一個現實世界的地點。那裡是斐理伯的凱撒勒雅，給西滿起名做伯多祿的地點嗎？當然不是！耶穌不是說過：「狐狸有穴，天上的飛鳥有巢，但是人子卻沒有枕頭的地方」（瑪8:20，路9:58） 嗎？另一方面，耶穌在最後晚餐曾向門徒說：「在我父的家裡，有許多住處。我去，原是為給你們預備地方…為的是我在那裡，你們也在那裡」（若14:2-3）所以，當安德肋和若望，聽到洗者若翰稱耶穌為「天主的羔羊」的時候，便跟隨了耶穌，想了解祂多一些（1:36-37）。有甚麼地方比住的地方更能認識一個人呢？為了更認識這位「天主的羔羊」，他們希望耶穌帶領他們到耶穌住的地方，考查一番，再作決定！
這樣做也相當冒險，始終這位「天主的羔羊」是一個陌生人！二人同行是相對安全的，可以彼此印證所見所聞。安德肋和若望為後世的基督徒，留下了尋找真理的楷模：同行冒險！我想像到耶穌引領他們進入「天父的住處」，因為「我與父原是一體」（10:30）。在那裡，他們找到了存在的根源，圓滿的滿足，填補了一切的欠缺，初嘗了永恆的生命！
各位兄弟姊妹，對觀福音介紹了一個「歷史的耶穌」，而若望福音給我們描繪了一個「信仰的基督」。我們不應停滯在歷史的層次中，因為我們離開塵世，便要進入一個永恆的存在，而歷史祇剩下依稀記憶，將會成為塵蹟。所以花多一點時間，默想若望所寫的福音吧！誠然，信仰是一個冒險旅程，即使沒有人同行也不用怕，三位一體的天主是不會任由我們自生自滅的，祂必拯救。 天主保祐！
2018年 反省
圖片鳴謝：pottypadre.com
Second Ordinary Sunday, Year B
Theme: Where Does Jesus Live?
As a Christian who is still alive, one should not be complacent in leading one’s religious life. Indeed, the Holy Spirit keeps watching over us, prodding us to make advances on our way to sanctification. Among the canonical gospels, John is the most challenging one. When a Christian has matured to a certain level, the gospel of John is a must-read! Not only does it fill in details and events not mentioned in the Synoptic, it also reveals to us the Kingdom of Heaven from another perspective.
The gospel passage we read today tells us how the first disciples followed Jesus Christ (John 1:35-42). Notice that it is different from the narratives found in the Synoptic. Here, Jesus did not call them. Rather, the Baptist told his disciples and they followed Jesus. Then Andrew brought his brother Simon to the Messiah. The Synoptic narratives make it clear that it is Jesus Christ, it is God who chooses us and calls us, not that we choose to believe in God! Election is a consensus among the apostles. For example, “He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before Him” (Ephesians 1:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:2, Jude 1). Even John himself reports plainly, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you” (John 15:16). Why then does John tell Jesus’ call of the first disciples in this manner?
In fact, the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son whom He sent, has an ineffable attraction to allow us to come close to Him in freedom. It was the Father who created us. Thus returning to the Creator is the most logical. From this perspective, even though it looks as if the disciples took the initiative to follow Jesus Christ, it is actually God who continually invites us and calls us through different people as well as events. For example, the Bible mentions Eli (1 Samuel 3:8-9), John the Baptist (John 1:36-37) while St. Mother Teresa had her special vocation experience at the railway station etc. God calls us and we respond to His call. They are the two faces of the same coin. There is no contradiction.
Life is short and we go through different deficiencies. Some deficiencies are physical such as daily necessities, health and safety. There are spiritual ones such as interpersonal relationships, cultural and political superstructures. Men can’t live long in deficiencies and do nothing to avert fatality. We work to remove deficiencies so that we may survive and grow. This is what it means to be alive. A safe home, a stable job and a happy family are the humble dreams of most commoners. These rights are reasonable because a stable job and a happy family meet most of the physical and spiritual needs of most people. But in turn, all these depend on the economic, social and political environment at large. For the Jews in the New Testament time living under Roman colonial rule, leading a second class citizen’s life without social and employment security, their anticipations were all invested on the Messiah who would drive away the Romans and liberate them!
After visiting where Jesus lived, Andrew affirmed that he had found the anticipated Messiah (1:41) and told his brother Simon. Later, Jesus gave Simon a new name (1:42). In the gospel of John, the first person called by Jesus was Philip (1:43) who recognized Jesus to be the Messiah from the Scriptures “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets” (1:45) and told Nathanael about it. Of course, the evangelization zeal of the apostles is commendable and has set for us an example. But the example of Philip also tells us a very simple truth: through the Scriptures, God reveals Himself, calls us and empowers us to respond and follow Him! Moreover, God uses different ways to call different people according to their temperament. Philip knew the Scriptures well. So God revealed and called Philip through the Scriptures. Then what did Andrew see when he visited the lodging place of Jesus that affirmed his Messianic anticipation and thus recommended Simon to join as well?
We should bear in mind that John was talking about Andrew’s and his own spiritual journey. That is to say, the place where Jesus lived is most probably not a physical location in reality. It wasn’t the Caesarea Philippi where Jesus called Simon Cephas (Mark 8:27), was it? Of course not! Doesn’t Jesus also say, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” (Matthew 8:20, Luke 9:58)? On the other hand, during the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places … I am going to prepare a place for you … so that where I am you also may be” (John 14:2-3). Thus, when Andrew and John heard the Baptist call Jesus “the Lamb of God”, they followed Jesus in order to know more about Him (1:36-37). What better place is there than his dwelling place in order to know him? In order to know this “Lamb of God” better, they hoped that Jesus would show them around for them to inspect and decide!
This action is rather risky. After all, this “Lamb of God” was a total stranger! It is relatively safer for them to go in two so that they may support each other. Andrew and John have left us a model of going after a truth: a joint adventure! In my imagination, Jesus led them into the Father’s dwelling place because “The Father and I are one” (10:30) There, the apostles discovered the origin of their existence, the perfect satisfaction which would fill up all their deficiencies. They had a foretaste of eternal life!
Brethren! The Synoptic shows us a historical Jesus while John’s gospel a Christ of Christianity. We should not stay in the historical level forever because leaving behind this world, we shall enter into an eternal existence. History shall turn into a vague memory and dust. Let’s spend more time meditating the gospel of John! To be candid, faith is an adventurous journey. Don’t be afraid to go solo because the Trinine God will never abandon us. Jesus saves.
God bless!
