Feast of St. Matthew, the Evangelist

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Matthew, one of the Twelve and an Evangelist.
It is well known that he was a tax-collector before he became Jesus' disciple. He was despised and hated by his fellow Jews because he collected tax for the Romans. Tax-collectors were, without exception, not honest and though the lucrative job made them rich, they were regarded as public sinners. When Jesus called Matthew, he generously gave up everything and followed the Lord. Of course, we cannot rule out other motives. But these motives were scholarly speculations. It is impossible to verify or falsify them. Therefore, it cannot be scientifically studied.
The first thing he did after Matthew became Jesus' disciple was to invite his friends, mostly tax-collectors, prostitutes and other public sinners, to join him and Jesus at the table (Matthew 9:10). Of course, this gave the Pharisees another excuse to attack Jesus because he mixed with sinners. Such behaviour went against the teaching of the very first Psalm.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers (Psalm 1:1).

Though the first book of the New Testament is ascribed to Matthew or his authority, most scholar believe that Mark wrote the first gospel. Based on the gospel of Mark, Matthew expanded his gospel to meet the needs of his community. Take the story of the call of Levi (Matthew) as an example, the Jesus in Markanswered the charges of the Pharisees in the following manner.
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)
However, the Jesus in Matthew quoted the prophet Hosea as well.
But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12-13)
Here, Matthew added an interpretation of Mark's story to clarify its meaning. Matthew challenged the Pharisees for an interpretation of Hosea 6:6.  He explained that God shows His mercy by calling sinners to join Him to share His eternal life. Luke also interpreted this story in his way.
And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick;
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:31-32)
Luke did not quote prophet Hosea. He wrote explicitly "to repentance".

God calls us to repentance. For most of us, this is the first step towards salvation. Matthew has set up a good example. Our salvation is not confined to our being saved. It also involves spreading the good news to our friends and other people. After finding the Saviour, Matthew invited his friends to come along to celebrate with him. Perhaps his friends might join him as well. Later, Matthew wrote a gospel so that more people would be able to know the good news. St. Paul has drawn a road map to show what a mature Christian should be in the Epistle to the Ephesians.
And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13)
The Holy Spirit gives us different charismas to build up the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. In this Church, we will be able to attain unity of faith, of the knowledge of God until we reach the stature of the fulness of Christ. We will be strong and tall like him.

Dear Lord, You chose the Twelve to train them to lead the Church when You left the earth. Bless the Church so that she may become a medium of unity for all mankind. May we give up greed and choose You like what Matthew has done. St. Matthew, pray for us! Amen.

Twenty Fifth Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

After spending two months back in France on vacation, Fr. Lejeune returned and celebrated the 11 a.m. youth mass with us this morning. Though he joked that he had not spoken Cantonese for nearly two months, his language skills were still there with him. Without further ado, he turned to the gospel story immediately.

Fr. Lejeune reiterated again that Jesus was speaking to us through these gospel stories. Jesus must have been very disappointed with the apostles he had handpicked.
After Peter's confession that Jesus was Christ (Mark 8:29), Jesus revealed the secret plan of the Messiah, that he would be rejected, killed and on the third day, he would come back to life. Peter did not understand and tried to stop Jesus from carrying out his plan. Jesus rebuked Peter in front of all the apostles.
Today, Jesus was heading Jerusalem. He spoke the second time about his imminent passion.
for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."  (Mark 9:31).
Since the disciples did not understand the first time Jesus revealed his plan, Jesus employed a simpler and more direct language to tell them the truth. He had removed the distracting details. Compare it with the first prophecy about his passion.
And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again (Mark 8:31).
If the apostles did not understand, they would discuss, debate or even ask Jesus why he had to die, what it meant to rise after three days etc. Instead, they were arguing who, among the Twelve, should be the greatest.
But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest (Mark 9:34).
Suppose you were Jesus. You were going up to Jerusalem to sacrifice, to die for all mankind. Yet, your disciples were fighting for the top job in the Kingdom of God. Would you not feel disappointed?

Ashamed to say, we have let Jesus down for too many times. Indeed, we do not deserve to receive his Holy Communion. Instead of learning more about the truth which will set us free, we prefer believing in what we want to believe in and remain a slave in our comfort zone. In psychology, we learn that people employ a lot of defence mechanisms, such as denial, projection, rationalization etc. to prevent their ego from being hurt. Very often, such mechanisms do not solve the problem which refuses to go and comes back to haunt you continually.

Jesus did not blame the apostles for being ambitious. In fact, the society needs leaders. Hong Kong needs a Chief Executive. All organizations need leaders. Therefore, it is not bad to be ambitious. But Jesus teaches the apostles, and indeed anyone who wants to be leaders, the right attitude of leaders.
And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9:35)
Jesus was not walking or standing while he taught the Twelve. He sat down to ease the situation and spoke leisurely. Jesus had failed to impress his teachings on the mind of the apostles. Now he took another approach. I am sure this time, Jesus succeeded because the teaching is recorded in the gospels.

Dear Lord, if it pleases You, allow me to serve You and be a servant of all. Amen.

Christian morality

We are learning Moral Theology under Fr. Robert Ng. We will be touching upon the topic of the specificity of Christian ethics.
Is there anything specific about Christian ethics which is exclusively Christian and is not shared by other systems of ethics? The last chapter of the First Epistle to Timothy may throw light on this question.

Read this.
for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world;
but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:7-9).
How is this quotation from the Holy Bible different from aphorisms found in other cultures? I am afraid it is not.
Look, for example, into the collection of some Chinese proverbs, you will find, without difficulty, some similar advice compatible with the three verses taken from the Bible.
For example, 「錢財身外物」Money and riches are external to your body (i.e. you did not bring them into the world and neither will you carry them away with you.)
子曰：「賢哉，回也！一簞食，一瓢飲，在陋巷，人不堪其憂，回也不改其樂。賢哉，回也！」【論語‧雍也】
In the Analect quotation above, Confucius was praising his beloved disciple for the poor, simple but contented life he led.
「人為財死，鳥為食亡。」Man dies for money and bird for food.
Therefore, what specific revelation can be discovered in the First Epistle to Timothy? Well, let us read on.
For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs(1 Timothy 6:10).
This time, the Chinese beg to differ. Some scholars claimed that failure to nip the evil in the bud is the root of all evils. Some claimed that selfishness is. Some playwrights point the finger at adultery. Paul put the blame on the love of money.
However, what makes Paul's aphorism Christian is the fact that it is coupled with faith. The love of money would steer Christians away from their faith. Now, here is the specificity. Christian morality is motivated by faith as a response to God's call.
Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses(1 Timothy 6:12).
Christians cannot be complacent. They should be aggressive like fighting a battle in response to God's call. Their morality is also eschatological, that is pointing towards the end of the world. 
I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:14).
This is only a very sketchy analysis. I hope I will be able to understand better.

Dear Lord, may our good deeds shed light on our neighbours so that they are able to see Your face. Amen.

A sense of helplessness

My blood sugar level was low when I was reading the latest edition of Kung Kao Pao, the Chinese Catholic weekly. My breathing was heavy and my sight was blurred. My eyes were fixed on the two pages of name lists of principals of all Catholic schools in Hong Kong, diocesan and religious, secondary, primary and kindergartens. Some names were familiar to me but hypoglycemia probably affected my mood and my mind was shrouded in a mist of indescribable helplessness.

I was reading chapter five of the First Epistle to Timothy. The last two verses rang the loudest in my ears.
The sins of some men are conspicuous, pointing to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
So also good deeds are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden (1 Timothy 5:24-25).
Now I know why I felt so helpless. Truly, the sins of some men are conspicuous, but the sins of others appear later. The verse immediately conjured up a few figures in my mind. My mind wandered away, fancying a meeting with all these principals to deal with evangelization or anti-drug-abuse initiatives among Catholic schools in Hong Kong. I felt that I would be unable to motivate them.
Very quickly, the teaching of Fr. Robert Ng emerged from the depth of my mind. He told us that it was easy to point the fingers at the others and to expose the faults of the others. However, it was more precious to be able to find faults with oneself. The Catholic Church was able to do that. She was able to do self-reflection, to see whether the hierarchy practised what she preached, whether social justice was pursued by the Church. Therefore, I shouldn't be so frustrated. Who am I to pass judgment on these principals? Only God can judge their conscience. Not me.

I should be wary with myself as well. Who knows? My conscience might be so clouded that I sincerely wished to do good, yet I was actually doing evil things. I might be one of the "others" whose sins appear only later. In the end, I myself need God's salvation. So, who am I to judge the principals?

Dear Lord, I pray for all students in Hong Kong. Not many of them are receiving adequate ethical trainings under the NSS system. May Your mercy guide them so that they may grow up being responsible and reasonable citizens. Amen.

Fulfilling one's destiny

I can put the blame on my upbringing. I can put the blame on my health. I can put the blame on my boss etc. But in the end, it is I who leads this life. It is I who is held accountable before God.

I am not a smart man. Nor am I a confident person. A lack of self-confidence is always pulling my legs so that my usual responses are hesitation, leaving others to make decisions for me and aversion of adventure etc. My eldest son is very much like me in this respect. He and I will act only when we are more than 99% certain of success.
It is not time to dig up what causes such character traits in me. At the moment, I can see clearer why I have responded, or rather say not responded to God's call as I should have. There is always a handy "reason" for me to decline God's invitation and thus God's blessings.
Tonight, Fr. Robert Ng explained in his Moral Theology lesson that God's call carries a lot of blessings and grace. If we respond positively, God will help us fulfil His call. He introduced the third type of call --- the call to liberate others and oneself. He quoted the example of Moses. Not only did Moses liberate the Israelites, but he also liberated himself from the role of a fugitive shepherd. The talent of this Egyptian prince could not be buried in the wilderness of Midian. He fulfilled his destiny by delivering the Israelites from the bondage in Egypt. This same theme is echoed in Paul's advice to Timothy.

Timothy was still green as an overseer over the see of Ephesus. He was facing a lot of challenges and Paul did not come to his help. Paul could only write a letter to support him. Paul gave Timothy very practicable advice.
Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you.
Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.
Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
When the council of elders laid their hands upon Timothy to consecrate him as the bishop, he received the gift of the Holy Spirit. It depended on how he cooperated with the Holy Spirit. So, Paul advised him to set up an example in speech and conduct especially in public reading, in preaching and teaching. The Holy Spirit would work with him in these activities.
As a young overseer, Timothy had the advantages of being malleable and able to improve. That was why Paul instructed him to become more visible in the duties ----- public reading, preaching and teaching. Then Timothy would be able to show the congregation his progress. When Timothy was executing his duties, he will save his hearers and himself!

It never occurs to me that becoming a deacon, a priest or a bishop will save oneself. Fr. Ng explained to us new trends in Moral Theology after Vatican II. One of such trends is the shift from observing regulations and rules to a fundamental option. The focus has shifted from an external, air-tight legislation to the well-being of the moral subject himself. Morality is less concerned with deciding which action is ethical than deciding what kind of a person I want to become. Deep inside, do I choose God or do I choose to satisfy my wants?
Because of the contamination of sins, we know less of ourselves than God knows us. Therefore, God calls us to liberate ourselves and to fulfil our full potentials. That is why in saving his hearers, Timothy would save his own soul at the same time. Timothy would not be fight the battle alone. The Holy Spirit, the gift of God would carry him through. The same applies to each and everyone of us.

Dear Lord, You have been very patient in calling and guiding my steps. Grant me the Holy Spirit to strengthen my legs to follow You. Amen.

Feast of Ss. Cornelius & Cyprian (Year B)

The Catholic Church celebrates the martyrdom of two saints in the 3^rd century, Ss. Cornelius, a pope in 251-253 and Cyprian (200-258), a bishop at Carthage. We know more about St. Cyprian because from him came the following famous quotes:
"Outside the Church there is no salvation --- extra ecclesiam nulla salus" which is found in his letter to Jubaianus about the baptism of heretics and
"Without the Church as mother, one cannot have God as father" which is found in his treatise on the unity of the church.
From these quotes, we can envision a worried bishop troubled by schisms caused by Roman persecutions. The Church had to go through seventy more years of persecution before Constantine appeared on the scene. Some weaker Christians gave up their faith and later begged to return to the Church. How would they be accepted?
In some parts of the world, spiritual men and women (confessors) could simply declare other Christians' sins forgiven and readmitted back to the fellowship as if the bishops were non-existent! The unity of the church was threatened. It was St. Cyprian who fought hard to establish that salvation is linked with church unity which in turn is inseparable from the fellowship of the bishops. As a result, the Church is firmly institutionalized after the administrative pattern of the Roman Empire. Of course, in the course of the next sixteen centuries, the Church has to constantly fight back the encroachment of state influences on church affairs.

Chapter three of the First Epistle to Timothy is important for the church because Paul laid down the requirements on bishops and deacons. At that time, bishops were probably no more than an "overseer" of a church. Their teaching role evolved stronger in the later ages.
There were some requirements common to both bishops and deacons. For example, they must be husbands of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2, 12), good managers of their households and children (1 Timothy 3:4, 12), not greedy nor addicted to wine (1 Timothy 3:3, 8). I must apply myself diligently to fulfil these and other requirements so that I may serve the Lord and the Church well in the future.

Paul sees the church as the bulwark of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15b). He confesses the superiority of Christianity in the following terms:
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).
Therefore, we should be proud of being a Christian. We should count ourselves lucky and blessed to be able to behold the glory of God in flesh, to receive the Holy Spirit as a down payment for our future salvation and to sing praises to our God in the company of angels. Halleluia.

Dear Lord, some particular brothers and sisters in the Church are difficult to live with and build up our frustrations against the Church. Help us, Lord, to love our Mother Church and support our brethren in our church life. St. Cyprian. Pray for us. Amen.

Feast of Sorrows of the BVM (Year B)

The Catholic Church honours the Blessed Virgin Mary because she has been a model for all Christians. From all the gospels, we learn that her life has always been Christ-centred. Contemplating on the events of her life will always lead us to Christ. Though we can unearth flaws in most of the people mentioned in the Bible, be they heroic, saintly and holy ones, we cannot find a single fault in the life of the Blessed Virgin.
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed (Luke 1:48).
Her life has never been easy. Therefore, it is not easy to lead a blessed life. The Church teaches us to contemplate, in particular, seven sorrows of the BVM. This is what today's feast is all about.

This morning there was no school because typhoon signal number 8 was still hoisted. The Observatory switched the signal to number 3 at ten so that banks and the stock market might operate in the afternoon. This evening, we could still attend the Moral Theology class in the Seminary. Fr. Ng was still talking about the historical development of moral theology in the Church. He came to the post-Vatican II period. Morality has evolved from keeping the laws to responding faithfully to God's call.
Because of time limit, Fr. Ng had explained two kinds of call. The first kind is the call to repent, a call of conversion. He illustrated this with the story of Adam.
Adam hid himself away from God after eating the fruit of knowledge.
But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9)
Of course God knew where Adam was hiding. But Adam had lost his way after sinning. Therefore, God's call was a call to repent, to turn back to the right path. God had given the man ample opportunities to turn back. However, Adam had failed to repent.
The second kind is the call of election. Fr. Ng illustrated this with the story of Abraham. It is a different kind of call from that of conversion. The focus is not on the defects of the person called but on the opening up of a new horizon, a new destiny for the person. It would be adventurous because the future is unknown. Abraham had succeeded in responding to this call of election.
I think the Blessed Virgin, and thus all Christians, are a similar case in point. God sent Archangel Gabriel to announce to Mary that she would be the mother of Christ. Mary responded positively (Luke 1:26-38). You may argue that at that time, Mary was overwhelmed and did not understand the call at all. She did not know the consequences of becoming the mother of Jesus.
But who understands? Who would understand first and become a Christian later? I am afraid nobody ever does this because faith in God can never be totally rational. Like Abraham, answering God's call of election is venturing into the unknown. Faith and hope in God's promise are our only support.

Dear Lord, You gave us Your mother to be our mother to back us up on earth on our pilgrimage home. We cordially thank You. May the intercession of our heavenly Mother help us lead a Christocentric life. Amen.