We can look at the Church in different ways.
As a community, Christians share more or less the same set of beliefs (the Nicene Creed), allowing for differences in opinions as long as these opinions do not split the Church. Nowadays, we see many different brands of Christianity not all of which are orthodox. To a certain extent, these are outgrowth of the organized churches. The Church is still one.
As a sacrament, the Church is a visible sign to guide people to receive the salvation of Jesus. Within the Church, there are good people and bad. Together, they invite God to transform them into saints. The Church is holy. Her mission is to make people holy and she herself will become holy, at the end of the world.
As a social movement started 20 centuries ago, this Church has reached a stage such that the lives of many people on this globe are touched by her actions. The Church excludes nobody, not even homosexuals and transsexuals. The Church is catholic (i.e. universal).
As an institution, you see believers organized into a hierarchy of
popes, bishops, priests/pastors, deacons and ordinary faithful. The line
of authority is clearly defined and can be traced all the way back to
the first apostles personally chosen by Jesus. The Church is apostolic.
The four points above have been a general self-understanding of the Church. After Vatican II, there arise in the Church, among theologians, many insightful self-reflections and great developments in Ecclesiology, the theology of the Church.
In the gospel reading today, we are able to take a glimpse at Christianity before the Church. Jesus chose 12 Apostles and sent them out to preach the good news of reconciliation with God. The 12 Apostles are the foundation of the Church and here is the beginning.
He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;
but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics (Mark 6:8-9).
Evangelization relies on God and not on material abundance. The Church does not rely on riches to turn people's hearts to God. As long as the missionaries are working with God, good harvest is guaranteed.
One of the many obstacles in the history of the Church is the State intervention into Church affairs. The activities of the Church are not political but inevitably, because of the majority of people involved, the Church comes into interaction with politics. The persecution of the Chinese Catholic Church from the Communists in the last six decades is a good example. The Communists systematically drive away foreign missionaries and local
Church leaders. Chinese bishops and priests are imprisoned and church
buildings are confiscated. Seminaries are closed. With the grace of God, Chinese Catholics bear witness to the risen Jesus in a heroic manner.
In March 1957, the then Congregation of Propaganda Fidei granted broader supervisory power to diocesan priests in the absence of bishops. This did not extend to consecration of bishops without papal approval. The extreme leftist movements in 1950's Communist China stirred up a 3-self movement in the Chinese Catholic Church: self-administrating, self-supporting and self-propagating. In July 1957, the Chinese Catholic's Patriotic Association was formally established to begin a new stage of struggles against the imperialists and their running dogs. It was chaired by an Archbishop with a number of bishops, vicar generals, priest and laymen as vice chairmen. In December 1957, they started consecrating bishops to fill the vacancies in different dioceses. Vatican immediately banned them. The division in the Chinese Church began. There were bishops who refused to consecrate new bishops without Papal mandate. They were immediately imprisoned. There were bishops who thought that Vatican did not understand the apostolic needs in China. They went ahead with the consecration of new but illegitimate bishops. Hopefully, in the future, they would gain papal approval when the situation improved.
Situation did not improve but turned worse. Both patriotic and papal clergy were caught unprepared in the Cultural Revolution. Many people suffered, except for those already imprisoned. They suffered less and their faith strengthened whereas many of those who had previously cooperated with the Communists were disillusioned. Many patriotic priests surrendered to the situation and got married ...
In 1979, Bishop Fan Xueyan范學淹主教 was released from prison. In 1981, he was 74 and secretly consecrated 3 priests as bishops. Gaining Vatican approval, he continued consecrating bishops until he was imprisoned again in 1983. Later, some of these bishops took office in the open church. The Catholics in China are not quite divided into open church and underground church. The married priests and bishops of the open church were targets of dissatisfaction. Father Ma Ji馬驥, who was ordained in 1949 and was imprisoned several times. In 1987, he consented and was consecrated bishop of the open church. In1988, he announced that he was leaving all organizations of the Patriotic Association. There were married bishops and priests. They were not in communion with the Pope and church property was not returned to the people.
Vatican has been trying to establish dialogue with the Communist government. When she has sufficient information about the quality of a bishop candidate chosen by the Patriotic Association, she would approve so that Chinese Catholics might lead a decent religious life. Still, the Patriotic Association continues to create new dioceses and consecrate new bishops. Today, the Communists are playing a more subtle game. They bundle the consecration of Vatican approved and disapproved bishops together! When a Vatican approved active member of the Patriotic Association, Fr. Thaddeus Ma Daqin馬達欽 openly announced after consecration on July 7, 2012 that he quited the Patriotic Association, the Public Security Bureau simply puts him under house arrest.
The above is only a brief sketch of modern history of the Catholic Church in China. I believe that nothing can take place without God's approval. The music must continue till the end comes.
Dear Lord, we are blessed because we are worthy of persecutions. May You grant us sufficient grace to embrace these sufferings cheerfully with You. Amen.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Sunday, 8 July 2012
The Prophet
I studied sciences in my secondary education. This made me a rather logical, rational man. I did not know that my verbal skills were not weak at all. In fact, I won solo verse reading and speech making competitions.
I remember vividly the first time I came across The Prophet written by Khalil Gibran, I was very much impressed. How could people in the world have such beautiful ideas expressed in such a beautiful prose! I had accidentally bumped onto a treasure trove of wisdom. Therefore, I typed up the whole book so that I might be able to read it again and again. Remember, in those ages, personal computers and the Internet were not yet born. Thanks to the convenience provided by the Information Technology, I could see the photo of the young handsome Khalil Gibran with just a few keyboard strokes and an ordinary search engine.
I learned, for the first time, a different meaning of the word "prophet" from the book. A prophet was not a fortune-teller or a seer of the future which was my first understanding. Instead, he was not just a man of wisdom but a wisdom master because he had a group of disciples and followers. How romantic! Of course, this second meaning of the word "prophet" was formed in my mind before I became a Catholic. The Bible has prophets of a different meaning.
In the context of the Bible, prophets were men of God. Abraham was a prophet (Genesis 20:7). Aaron, Miriam and Moses were prophets (Exodus 7:1, 15:20; Deuteronomy 18:15). Joshua, Deborah and of course Samuel were prophets before the kings. When Israel had their kings, there were court prophets. Nathan worked for David. After the first Temple was built and the administration became established, prophets were chosen by God to be His spokesmen to stand up against corrupt kings and officials. They became the conscience of the people, the fighters of social justice. Elijah, Amos and Isaiah came to mind. Elijah had chosen Elisha to be his successor and Isaiah was known to have many disciples.
Being prophets before Israel had their kings was good in the sense that they were able to command people's awe and respect. In those days, God was their king. However, when kings arose to rule in God's stead, most of them failed their jobs because they worshipped idols. The role of prophets as God's spokesmen clashed directly with that of kings. Naturally, most of the prophets suffered and some even died violently as martyrs. When the hearts of the people turned to idols, prophets became unpopular. Thus, being prophets was not a good thing at all.
In the gospel reading today, Jesus was rejected by his own people. They had known him for thirty years and suddenly when he returned after a brief absence, he became a prophet and had followers. Here is what Jesus said.
And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." (Mark 6:4)
Fr. Milanese is a biblical scholar. In his homily, he explained a few tricky points in the text. He even gave a new understanding of the phrase "the son of Mary" (Mark 6:3) which I have never thought about before. I usually explained that perhaps Joseph was already dead and therefore people knew Jesus as the son of Mary. However, Fr. Milanese explained that it was Mark who wanted to emphasize the divine origin of Jesus. Good point.
However, there was still a puzzling element in the story.
And he (Jesus) marveled because of their unbelief (Mark 6:6).
What made Jesus marvel, wonder? Jesus is God and God is all-knowing. Nothing on earth would surprise Jesus. Didn't Jesus know the secret thoughts in the hearts of men (Mark 2:8)? Of course Jesus knew and therefore the unbelief of his people was not unexpected. Therefore, "because of their unbelief" should not be interpreted literally. Rather, Jesus should marvel at the consequences of their unbelief. Jesus had worked many miracles. Perhaps this was the first time during his public ministry when Jesus experienced the limitations of the range of his power. Jesus' power should know no limit but due to his respect of man's freedom, he was willing not to impose his power over us. Of course God wants all of us to be saved but we can choose hell for ourselves. We can choose not to love God. It would be our free choices.
In the early history of the Church, there were apostles and prophets (1 Corinthians 12:28). Apostles are succeeded by bishops but the office of prophets has disappeared. I learn that when the Church grows, there is a rising need of organization. Bishops are resident and stay with the local people whereas prophets are charismatic and travel around. Prophets were unstable and even unsettling elements in the Church. They were not able to integrate into the Church as an institution. But do we still have prophets nowadays? Yes, we do.
When we are baptized, we are baptized into 3 offices of king, prophet and priest which are the offices of Jesus. Like Jesus, we are kings to carry out God's will. Like Jesus, we are spokesmen of God to spread His messages of salvation in our daily life. Like Jesus, we are priests to offer up our daily life and even our lives as sacrifices to God and to worship Him. We do not do it just for ourselves but also for those who do not know God, do not believe in God.
However, from the story of Jesus, we should expect oppositions when we carry out our office as a prophet. We should be prepared to be rejected and become unpopular. But we believe that with God's help, our efforts to build up the Kingdom of Heaven on earth will prevail.
Dear Lord, we are weak and worthless. May our meagre efforts be able to transform the world into a better place for our children and our children's children. Amen.
I remember vividly the first time I came across The Prophet written by Khalil Gibran, I was very much impressed. How could people in the world have such beautiful ideas expressed in such a beautiful prose! I had accidentally bumped onto a treasure trove of wisdom. Therefore, I typed up the whole book so that I might be able to read it again and again. Remember, in those ages, personal computers and the Internet were not yet born. Thanks to the convenience provided by the Information Technology, I could see the photo of the young handsome Khalil Gibran with just a few keyboard strokes and an ordinary search engine.
I learned, for the first time, a different meaning of the word "prophet" from the book. A prophet was not a fortune-teller or a seer of the future which was my first understanding. Instead, he was not just a man of wisdom but a wisdom master because he had a group of disciples and followers. How romantic! Of course, this second meaning of the word "prophet" was formed in my mind before I became a Catholic. The Bible has prophets of a different meaning.
In the context of the Bible, prophets were men of God. Abraham was a prophet (Genesis 20:7). Aaron, Miriam and Moses were prophets (Exodus 7:1, 15:20; Deuteronomy 18:15). Joshua, Deborah and of course Samuel were prophets before the kings. When Israel had their kings, there were court prophets. Nathan worked for David. After the first Temple was built and the administration became established, prophets were chosen by God to be His spokesmen to stand up against corrupt kings and officials. They became the conscience of the people, the fighters of social justice. Elijah, Amos and Isaiah came to mind. Elijah had chosen Elisha to be his successor and Isaiah was known to have many disciples.
Being prophets before Israel had their kings was good in the sense that they were able to command people's awe and respect. In those days, God was their king. However, when kings arose to rule in God's stead, most of them failed their jobs because they worshipped idols. The role of prophets as God's spokesmen clashed directly with that of kings. Naturally, most of the prophets suffered and some even died violently as martyrs. When the hearts of the people turned to idols, prophets became unpopular. Thus, being prophets was not a good thing at all.
In the gospel reading today, Jesus was rejected by his own people. They had known him for thirty years and suddenly when he returned after a brief absence, he became a prophet and had followers. Here is what Jesus said.
And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." (Mark 6:4)
Fr. Milanese is a biblical scholar. In his homily, he explained a few tricky points in the text. He even gave a new understanding of the phrase "the son of Mary" (Mark 6:3) which I have never thought about before. I usually explained that perhaps Joseph was already dead and therefore people knew Jesus as the son of Mary. However, Fr. Milanese explained that it was Mark who wanted to emphasize the divine origin of Jesus. Good point.
However, there was still a puzzling element in the story.
And he (Jesus) marveled because of their unbelief (Mark 6:6).
What made Jesus marvel, wonder? Jesus is God and God is all-knowing. Nothing on earth would surprise Jesus. Didn't Jesus know the secret thoughts in the hearts of men (Mark 2:8)? Of course Jesus knew and therefore the unbelief of his people was not unexpected. Therefore, "because of their unbelief" should not be interpreted literally. Rather, Jesus should marvel at the consequences of their unbelief. Jesus had worked many miracles. Perhaps this was the first time during his public ministry when Jesus experienced the limitations of the range of his power. Jesus' power should know no limit but due to his respect of man's freedom, he was willing not to impose his power over us. Of course God wants all of us to be saved but we can choose hell for ourselves. We can choose not to love God. It would be our free choices.
In the early history of the Church, there were apostles and prophets (1 Corinthians 12:28). Apostles are succeeded by bishops but the office of prophets has disappeared. I learn that when the Church grows, there is a rising need of organization. Bishops are resident and stay with the local people whereas prophets are charismatic and travel around. Prophets were unstable and even unsettling elements in the Church. They were not able to integrate into the Church as an institution. But do we still have prophets nowadays? Yes, we do.
When we are baptized, we are baptized into 3 offices of king, prophet and priest which are the offices of Jesus. Like Jesus, we are kings to carry out God's will. Like Jesus, we are spokesmen of God to spread His messages of salvation in our daily life. Like Jesus, we are priests to offer up our daily life and even our lives as sacrifices to God and to worship Him. We do not do it just for ourselves but also for those who do not know God, do not believe in God.
However, from the story of Jesus, we should expect oppositions when we carry out our office as a prophet. We should be prepared to be rejected and become unpopular. But we believe that with God's help, our efforts to build up the Kingdom of Heaven on earth will prevail.
Dear Lord, we are weak and worthless. May our meagre efforts be able to transform the world into a better place for our children and our children's children. Amen.
Sunday, 1 July 2012
God has His own schedule
The bible readings today are very encouraging. There is a very important verse in the first reading which is taken from the Book of Wisdom. It is unfortunate for Martin Luther to reject this book and removed it from the canon of the Bible because the book was written in Greek. This book is not found in Protestant Bibles. Therefore, some important revelations are missing. In short, the Protestant Bible is incomplete.
The important verse I mentioned above is important because it tells us that God does not want us, not even a single one of us, to perish. Thus, we derive the confidence that God will save us all, even the worst sinners among mankind. It reads,
Do not invite death by the error of your life, nor bring on destruction by the works of your hands;
because God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living (Wisdom 1:12-13).
We are held responsible for whatever we do. In the beginning, death was not in the original plan of God. Ever since sins entered the scene, death and destruction entered as well. They are the consequences of our "error of life". We are held responsible for our own errors. We will receive punishment, but God will not let us die, not even one of us. But isn't death a certainty for all human? True, but there is a worse death than the death of our physical body, viz. spiritual death which could take place even before our physical death. We may not understand how God will deliver us from spiritual death but we are confident that God will.
The Gospel reading today is even more encouraging. Fr. Martin helped us realize our own attitude towards our spiritual life and in particular, our prayers. Do we pray for our needs or for God's will? We should be able to draw the appropriate answer from the twin miracles in the gospel today.
A bleeding woman had suffered for twelve years. Just think about it, what would her prayers be in these twelve years? Common sense would tell us that she must have been praying for her recovery which probably would be the only thing she prayed for. Was not such a humble request a reasonable one? How could God not make her recover. Therefore, for twelve years, God had not answered her, had disappointed her. Yet, she kept praying. How great her faith was! And yet, God has His own schedule.
Suppose this miracle happened during Jesus' first year of ministry. Which means the bleeding woman started praying for her recovery when Jesus was only 18. Jesus must have heard her prayers and have compassion for her suffering. Jesus might even be able to experience her pains. Yet, the only thing Jesus could do was to wait patiently for 12 more years before helping her. To quote John, his hour has not yet come (John 2:4c). God has His own schedule.
In fact, the bleeding woman was not suffering the longest. According to John, Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years (John 5:5). This long duration of torture had probably eroded the faith of this man or his friends such that nobody was at his side to help him into Bethzatha, a pool in Jerusalem, to be healed. He did not need to go into the pool. Jesus healed him. God has His own schedule.
It has been 23 years since the June 4 crackdown in 1989. Perhaps Hong Kong is the only remaining Chinese city in the world in which memorial service is still held annually. I have not heard of reports of such memorial services for quite a number of years in USA or Europe to where most of the students dissidents have fled. In recent years, there are an increasing number of mainlanders coming to Hong Kong to join the memorial service. Moreover, many participants are teenagers. These are encouraging signs. I am sure God has His own schedule to terminate one-party dictatorship in Communist China.
The twin miracles in the gospel reading today were in fact sandwich miracles. Before the bleeding woman appeared, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came to beg Jesus to heal his daughter who was dying. Jesus went along but was delayed by the bleeding woman. Consequently, he arrived too late. The girl had died. How devastated would Jairus be! Had the bleeding woman not appeared, Jesus would have had enough time to heal his daughter who would not have died! God had not heard his prayer and disappointed him. Most probably Jairus was a Pharisee because he was a ruler of the synagogue. He had to put away the official Pharisee line, his enmity against Jesus. He had to put down his dignity to kneel before Jesus. All his efforts were wasted. How frustrating! But God would not serve the first one who came. God has His own schedule. What is more, God would not let the girl die! God is not God of the dead, but of the living (Mark 12:27a). From this story, I am more confident that God shall not give up even a single one of us. He shall not allow us to die spiritually.
If God shall bring us to eternal life whatever we do, then why should we do good? Why not indulge ourselves in sins and enjoy?
I would say that acting morally in itself is good. God has given each one of us enough grace to do good things. We should not waste it in making errors of life.
For how many times has God not heard our prayers and frustrated us? Keep in mind that God has His own schedule. There is a time for everything, a time to be born and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Therefore, pray to seek the will of God, not our needs. With the confident hope in eternal life, we continue to make good use of the talentum that God gives us to enrich ourselves on earth.
Dear Lord, Your will be done on earth. Amen.
The important verse I mentioned above is important because it tells us that God does not want us, not even a single one of us, to perish. Thus, we derive the confidence that God will save us all, even the worst sinners among mankind. It reads,
Do not invite death by the error of your life, nor bring on destruction by the works of your hands;
because God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living (Wisdom 1:12-13).
We are held responsible for whatever we do. In the beginning, death was not in the original plan of God. Ever since sins entered the scene, death and destruction entered as well. They are the consequences of our "error of life". We are held responsible for our own errors. We will receive punishment, but God will not let us die, not even one of us. But isn't death a certainty for all human? True, but there is a worse death than the death of our physical body, viz. spiritual death which could take place even before our physical death. We may not understand how God will deliver us from spiritual death but we are confident that God will.
The Gospel reading today is even more encouraging. Fr. Martin helped us realize our own attitude towards our spiritual life and in particular, our prayers. Do we pray for our needs or for God's will? We should be able to draw the appropriate answer from the twin miracles in the gospel today.
A bleeding woman had suffered for twelve years. Just think about it, what would her prayers be in these twelve years? Common sense would tell us that she must have been praying for her recovery which probably would be the only thing she prayed for. Was not such a humble request a reasonable one? How could God not make her recover. Therefore, for twelve years, God had not answered her, had disappointed her. Yet, she kept praying. How great her faith was! And yet, God has His own schedule.
Suppose this miracle happened during Jesus' first year of ministry. Which means the bleeding woman started praying for her recovery when Jesus was only 18. Jesus must have heard her prayers and have compassion for her suffering. Jesus might even be able to experience her pains. Yet, the only thing Jesus could do was to wait patiently for 12 more years before helping her. To quote John, his hour has not yet come (John 2:4c). God has His own schedule.
In fact, the bleeding woman was not suffering the longest. According to John, Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years (John 5:5). This long duration of torture had probably eroded the faith of this man or his friends such that nobody was at his side to help him into Bethzatha, a pool in Jerusalem, to be healed. He did not need to go into the pool. Jesus healed him. God has His own schedule.
It has been 23 years since the June 4 crackdown in 1989. Perhaps Hong Kong is the only remaining Chinese city in the world in which memorial service is still held annually. I have not heard of reports of such memorial services for quite a number of years in USA or Europe to where most of the students dissidents have fled. In recent years, there are an increasing number of mainlanders coming to Hong Kong to join the memorial service. Moreover, many participants are teenagers. These are encouraging signs. I am sure God has His own schedule to terminate one-party dictatorship in Communist China.
The twin miracles in the gospel reading today were in fact sandwich miracles. Before the bleeding woman appeared, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came to beg Jesus to heal his daughter who was dying. Jesus went along but was delayed by the bleeding woman. Consequently, he arrived too late. The girl had died. How devastated would Jairus be! Had the bleeding woman not appeared, Jesus would have had enough time to heal his daughter who would not have died! God had not heard his prayer and disappointed him. Most probably Jairus was a Pharisee because he was a ruler of the synagogue. He had to put away the official Pharisee line, his enmity against Jesus. He had to put down his dignity to kneel before Jesus. All his efforts were wasted. How frustrating! But God would not serve the first one who came. God has His own schedule. What is more, God would not let the girl die! God is not God of the dead, but of the living (Mark 12:27a). From this story, I am more confident that God shall not give up even a single one of us. He shall not allow us to die spiritually.
If God shall bring us to eternal life whatever we do, then why should we do good? Why not indulge ourselves in sins and enjoy?
I would say that acting morally in itself is good. God has given each one of us enough grace to do good things. We should not waste it in making errors of life.
For how many times has God not heard our prayers and frustrated us? Keep in mind that God has His own schedule. There is a time for everything, a time to be born and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Therefore, pray to seek the will of God, not our needs. With the confident hope in eternal life, we continue to make good use of the talentum that God gives us to enrich ourselves on earth.
Dear Lord, Your will be done on earth. Amen.
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Nativity of John the Baptist 2012
The other day executive members of the pastoral committee and finance committee of the parish celebrated the birthday of Fr. Milanese, our parish priest. I had the opportunity to expression my admiration of his Sunday homilies face to face. He demonstrated that he was very well-versed in the background information of different books in the Bible and in the proper hermeneutics a Biblical scholar should follow. He humbly said that in his formative days, the professors in the seminary put a lot of emphasis on the scripture. He did not think himself a Biblical scholar. Today, in his homily, he mentioned the "Baptist Movement" and the "Jesus Movement". These are no layman's terms. Fr. Milanese is serious.
From a sociological perspective, Christianity was just one of the many religious movements flourishing in Palestine in the first century. The socio-political situation was explosive. The common people, the ordinary Jews were resentful of the Roman occupation. The Romans were political genius. The Romans gave some benefits to the upper class to win them over to help the Romans rule over the majority. When the temporal rulers could not be trusted, common people naturally turned to deities. Such was the breeding ground of various political-religious movements. There arose the Herodians who supported the Roman rule. There were Zealots, a band of "terrorists" who engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Roman soldiers. There were Pharisees, legal professionals who could only criticize the Romans on a rational level. The Sadducees were the religious nemeses of the Pharisees. Disillusioned by the Temple worship in Jerusalem, the Essenes were ascetics withdrawn into the deserts. Relying on the availability of archeological discoveries, scholars do not still have any definite understanding of the religious landscape at that time. They speculate as much as the evidence allows.
Some scholars believe that John the Baptist was a member of the Essene sect. His baptism was a phenomenal success and a movement began. It is well known that Jesus was baptized by the Baptist. The Baptist and Jesus were cousins and many religious groups started with family members. For example, the Maccabeans who secured independence from the Greek empire for a hundred year. But Jesus did not stay with the Baptist. He had his own agenda. According to the canonical gospels, Jesus began his public ministry only after the Baptist was arrested by Herod Antipas. Two different movements were engendered. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Baptist movement reached Ephesus before the Christians. However, the disciples of the Baptist were converted to Christianity upon hearing Paul's preaching (Acts 19:1-7). Perhaps that was the fate of the Baptist Movement in the future. The Baptist Movement did not leave behind any writing. We can only deduce their existence (and demise) from Christian documents.
The Baptist Movement and the Jesus Movement share some common features. For example, both founders died a martyr. Both movements were prophetic and challenged the authorities of the status quo: Baptists towards corrupt Herods and Christians the Jewish Council. We have no idea why the Baptist's followers had left the desert. Perhaps at the beheading of the Baptist, his followers sensed an impending danger and fled.
Similarly, Christianity began in Jerusalem. Had there not been persecutions from the Jewish Council and in particular, from Saul, they would have stayed there forever. Persecution only serves to spread a religious movement further abroad. If the Herodians were meant to destroy the Baptist Movement, they did not have to. The Christians had absorbed them, had helped them eliminated the annoying Baptist Movement.
If Christianity has been successful in "absorbing" the Baptist Movement, it has been less successful with Judaism. There had been converts coming from the Pharisees and the priests but Christianity fails to absorb or to replace Judaism. The ritual question of circumcision over which the acceptance of Gentiles inevitably raises is one of the irreconcilable factor. Moreover, the first Jewish Revolt in 66 to 70 A.D. was the final cut that severed them forever. The Christians refused to participate because the revolt leader claimed to be the Messiah, thus a false Messiah, an anti-Christ to them. Their schism was sealed. In 100 A.D., the Jews officially cursed Christians in their 19 Blessings.
The canonical gospels portrayed the Baptist as a herald, a forerunner for Christ. He knew his position in God's plan. The following statement attributed to him is found in the Synoptic Gospels.
John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Luke 3:16)
The gospel of John of has a similar saying minus the mention of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (John 1:26). The Baptist further said
He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).
This is a good reminder for all evangelists, including us. We preach Christ, not ourselves. Christ must increase but we must decrease. Let us all follow the model of the Baptist to proclaim Christ.
Dear Lord, You have sent the Baptist to prepare for You a holy people to receive Your salvation. Bless our efforts so that the Kingdom of God may increase on earth. Amen.
From a sociological perspective, Christianity was just one of the many religious movements flourishing in Palestine in the first century. The socio-political situation was explosive. The common people, the ordinary Jews were resentful of the Roman occupation. The Romans were political genius. The Romans gave some benefits to the upper class to win them over to help the Romans rule over the majority. When the temporal rulers could not be trusted, common people naturally turned to deities. Such was the breeding ground of various political-religious movements. There arose the Herodians who supported the Roman rule. There were Zealots, a band of "terrorists" who engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Roman soldiers. There were Pharisees, legal professionals who could only criticize the Romans on a rational level. The Sadducees were the religious nemeses of the Pharisees. Disillusioned by the Temple worship in Jerusalem, the Essenes were ascetics withdrawn into the deserts. Relying on the availability of archeological discoveries, scholars do not still have any definite understanding of the religious landscape at that time. They speculate as much as the evidence allows.
Some scholars believe that John the Baptist was a member of the Essene sect. His baptism was a phenomenal success and a movement began. It is well known that Jesus was baptized by the Baptist. The Baptist and Jesus were cousins and many religious groups started with family members. For example, the Maccabeans who secured independence from the Greek empire for a hundred year. But Jesus did not stay with the Baptist. He had his own agenda. According to the canonical gospels, Jesus began his public ministry only after the Baptist was arrested by Herod Antipas. Two different movements were engendered. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Baptist movement reached Ephesus before the Christians. However, the disciples of the Baptist were converted to Christianity upon hearing Paul's preaching (Acts 19:1-7). Perhaps that was the fate of the Baptist Movement in the future. The Baptist Movement did not leave behind any writing. We can only deduce their existence (and demise) from Christian documents.
The Baptist Movement and the Jesus Movement share some common features. For example, both founders died a martyr. Both movements were prophetic and challenged the authorities of the status quo: Baptists towards corrupt Herods and Christians the Jewish Council. We have no idea why the Baptist's followers had left the desert. Perhaps at the beheading of the Baptist, his followers sensed an impending danger and fled.
Similarly, Christianity began in Jerusalem. Had there not been persecutions from the Jewish Council and in particular, from Saul, they would have stayed there forever. Persecution only serves to spread a religious movement further abroad. If the Herodians were meant to destroy the Baptist Movement, they did not have to. The Christians had absorbed them, had helped them eliminated the annoying Baptist Movement.
If Christianity has been successful in "absorbing" the Baptist Movement, it has been less successful with Judaism. There had been converts coming from the Pharisees and the priests but Christianity fails to absorb or to replace Judaism. The ritual question of circumcision over which the acceptance of Gentiles inevitably raises is one of the irreconcilable factor. Moreover, the first Jewish Revolt in 66 to 70 A.D. was the final cut that severed them forever. The Christians refused to participate because the revolt leader claimed to be the Messiah, thus a false Messiah, an anti-Christ to them. Their schism was sealed. In 100 A.D., the Jews officially cursed Christians in their 19 Blessings.
The canonical gospels portrayed the Baptist as a herald, a forerunner for Christ. He knew his position in God's plan. The following statement attributed to him is found in the Synoptic Gospels.
John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Luke 3:16)
The gospel of John of has a similar saying minus the mention of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (John 1:26). The Baptist further said
He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).
This is a good reminder for all evangelists, including us. We preach Christ, not ourselves. Christ must increase but we must decrease. Let us all follow the model of the Baptist to proclaim Christ.
Dear Lord, You have sent the Baptist to prepare for You a holy people to receive Your salvation. Bless our efforts so that the Kingdom of God may increase on earth. Amen.
Sunday, 17 June 2012
What we don't understand
There are many things we understand, or we think we understand. However, there are far more things that we do not understand. The Gospel reading today told us that the seed sprouted and grew and yet the man (presumably the sower, the farmer) knew not how it happened (Mark 4:27). Well, that might be true for farmers two thousand years ago. Today, the knowledge about the growth of a seed is within reach of a junior secondary student. Can we conclude that the Gospel is outdated and that its teaching is no longer true today? Of course not. The saying is an analogy to describe the Kingdom of God. It tells us that the Kingdom of God develops along its own logic which we do not understand, even today.
There was a time before Einstein published his theory of relativity when physicists believed that they had understood all physical laws. The remaining tasks were to add extra digits behind the decimal points of physical constants. They were proven wrong. There are still mysteries to unearth and our intellectual quest sees no end.
These days, my mind is preoccupied with the topic of transsexualism. I intended to write my annual research paper on the topic. However, the Church upholds the dichotomy of genders: male and female. What was given at birth is not supposed to be tinkered with. Sexual Reassignment Surgeries would not be morally acceptable. No professor is likely to supervise this research paper. However, I still see that there is room for rational discussion. Perhaps I should defer this paper for one more year. In the meantime, I should study more deeply the Theology of Body written by the late Pope John Paul II.
The second reading today still gives me hope to justify the mutilation of the body.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10).
First of all, this verse reminds me of the eschatological dimension of our body which is part of the teachings of the Theology of Body. St. Paul teaches us that making good use of our body to do God's will is our task on earth. When we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, it is not what we do to our body, but what we do with our body that counts.
Secondly, Christ also teaches us that when there are obstacles that endanger our soul, viz. our eyes, hands and feet, we should be resolute in removing them (Mark 9:43-47)! Transsexuals have made a grave decision to remove their sexual organs in order to lead a psychosomatically more harmonized life. Will this argument stand?
Today is Father Day. This definitely should make me rethink my position on transsexuals who can never father any children. Father Day would be a sad reminder of their sterility. M2F transsexuals cannot bear children and F2M transsexuals are impotent. Of course, their sterility does not prevent them from adopting children, within the jurisdiction of the local laws.
Nowadays, we see more and more couples choosing not to have children. Some of them may be professionals who prefer devoting their energy in their careers. Some are rather too pessimistic about the future and, being responsible, choose not to bring children into this world to suffer. Here in Hong Kong, the 1997 return to China created a lot of confusion in the minds of the people. People were afraid of the political turmoils of Communist sovereignty. They did not want to see their children become Red Guards brainwashed with class struggle ideology. Those who could not migrate overseas were hesitant in giving birth to children. The occupancy rate of maternity wards dropped so much so that mainland pregnant mothers are coming over to take up the beds etc. My point is that sterility does not deny the right of transsexuals to marriage. Will this argument stand?
On a sociological level, the institution of family has been under threat since industrial revolution. Extended family is no longer viable nowadays. But the nuclear family is too fragile to withstand the onslaught of rapid social changes. Divorce rate is high. More and more young people do not contemplate setting up their own families etc.
The society is ever evolving. Family has served the society well. We need to maintain its integrity with supports on the societal level.
Dear Lord, You have never been a father. Still, bless us fathers. Amen.
There was a time before Einstein published his theory of relativity when physicists believed that they had understood all physical laws. The remaining tasks were to add extra digits behind the decimal points of physical constants. They were proven wrong. There are still mysteries to unearth and our intellectual quest sees no end.
These days, my mind is preoccupied with the topic of transsexualism. I intended to write my annual research paper on the topic. However, the Church upholds the dichotomy of genders: male and female. What was given at birth is not supposed to be tinkered with. Sexual Reassignment Surgeries would not be morally acceptable. No professor is likely to supervise this research paper. However, I still see that there is room for rational discussion. Perhaps I should defer this paper for one more year. In the meantime, I should study more deeply the Theology of Body written by the late Pope John Paul II.
The second reading today still gives me hope to justify the mutilation of the body.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10).
First of all, this verse reminds me of the eschatological dimension of our body which is part of the teachings of the Theology of Body. St. Paul teaches us that making good use of our body to do God's will is our task on earth. When we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, it is not what we do to our body, but what we do with our body that counts.
Secondly, Christ also teaches us that when there are obstacles that endanger our soul, viz. our eyes, hands and feet, we should be resolute in removing them (Mark 9:43-47)! Transsexuals have made a grave decision to remove their sexual organs in order to lead a psychosomatically more harmonized life. Will this argument stand?
Today is Father Day. This definitely should make me rethink my position on transsexuals who can never father any children. Father Day would be a sad reminder of their sterility. M2F transsexuals cannot bear children and F2M transsexuals are impotent. Of course, their sterility does not prevent them from adopting children, within the jurisdiction of the local laws.
Nowadays, we see more and more couples choosing not to have children. Some of them may be professionals who prefer devoting their energy in their careers. Some are rather too pessimistic about the future and, being responsible, choose not to bring children into this world to suffer. Here in Hong Kong, the 1997 return to China created a lot of confusion in the minds of the people. People were afraid of the political turmoils of Communist sovereignty. They did not want to see their children become Red Guards brainwashed with class struggle ideology. Those who could not migrate overseas were hesitant in giving birth to children. The occupancy rate of maternity wards dropped so much so that mainland pregnant mothers are coming over to take up the beds etc. My point is that sterility does not deny the right of transsexuals to marriage. Will this argument stand?
On a sociological level, the institution of family has been under threat since industrial revolution. Extended family is no longer viable nowadays. But the nuclear family is too fragile to withstand the onslaught of rapid social changes. Divorce rate is high. More and more young people do not contemplate setting up their own families etc.
The society is ever evolving. Family has served the society well. We need to maintain its integrity with supports on the societal level.
Dear Lord, You have never been a father. Still, bless us fathers. Amen.
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Corpus Christi 2012
Christians are called to be saints (Romans 1:7). They are called to lead a holy life but life is not at all holy. Human efforts alone can never attain holiness which is rather other-worldly. Therefore holiness in (daily) life is rather contradictory. But God is almighty. What is impossible for men is all too easy for God (Mark 10:25). God makes what is impossible for men possible. He does it in the most mundane way.
First of all, the Son of God incarnated as a human being, Jesus. This is an extraordinary feat indeed though at first hearing it wasn't so extraordinary after all. Many Chinese myths and legends also contain such elements of incarnation. God is almighty. He can do whatever He wants as long as that something is not against His nature, so said the theologians. But the incarnation of Christ is more subtle. Of course He can live "inside" a human body, so to speak. But He has to make sure that the human body is able to contain Him, will not be destroyed by His power! That is easier said than done. Of course, incarnation is something more complicated than simply living inside. In order to be truly human, God has to retain the humanity of Jesus. His humanity is not swallowed, destroyed, or kidnapped by the divinity of God. Otherwise, Jesus were not a free person. His obedience and death on the cross would be worthless. See the complication now? Many Chinese folklore and myths are meant to entertain. They don't care about these Christian intrigues.
Secondly, Christ loves us totally. He leaves behind His Body and Blood, in short, His life to help us attain holiness even in the mundane world. To do this, he instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper and commanded us to participate in this heavenly banquet to share His eternal life in holiness. The Church follows His command to celebrate in the liturgy called Mass. Now, the Son of God has gone one step further to incarnate in ordinary bread and wine to feed us. In receiving the Holy Eucharist, we receive the life of the Son of God. He is willing to be absorbed by us, to become our flesh and blood so that at the end of the world, we may rise again with His flesh and blood. Meanwhile, we are to lead a life of holiness in this mundane world.
Thirdly, what is holiness?
Holiness refers to something that does not belong to this world. It belongs to God. So, how can we attain holiness in this world? Let me assure, men have done this for ages! Whatever dedicated to God belongs to God and thus becomes holy. There have been holy places, holy vessels and holy people. All of them are dedicated to God and thus sacred. Therefore, when we lead a dedicated life for God, we are holy. This is exactly what Christians are called to be. But life is difficult and leading a life of holiness is even more difficult. Don't be discouraged. Being difficult only means being challenging, not being impossible. Christ is here to help us. The Church is here to help us. The Church administers 7 sacraments to help us. The Holy Eucharist is one of them.
Fourthly, in receiving the Holy Eucharist, the human race is made one. Christians help each other in attaining this holiness. In the Holy Eucharist, Christians are merged into one Mystic Body of Christ. The Holy Eucharist is the love of Christ. Love is the binding force that join us together. Love is outgoing and overflowing. Our individual love may be tiny but combined is great. It empowers us and is transforming. We will be more Christ-like and thus, holy. In the process of transformation, we transform the environment, the world we live in. We help to redeem the world we have contaminated. We participate in the redemptive project of Christ.
Dear Lord, sanctify us with Your Body and Blood. Let our bodies and blood sanctify our world. Amen.
First of all, the Son of God incarnated as a human being, Jesus. This is an extraordinary feat indeed though at first hearing it wasn't so extraordinary after all. Many Chinese myths and legends also contain such elements of incarnation. God is almighty. He can do whatever He wants as long as that something is not against His nature, so said the theologians. But the incarnation of Christ is more subtle. Of course He can live "inside" a human body, so to speak. But He has to make sure that the human body is able to contain Him, will not be destroyed by His power! That is easier said than done. Of course, incarnation is something more complicated than simply living inside. In order to be truly human, God has to retain the humanity of Jesus. His humanity is not swallowed, destroyed, or kidnapped by the divinity of God. Otherwise, Jesus were not a free person. His obedience and death on the cross would be worthless. See the complication now? Many Chinese folklore and myths are meant to entertain. They don't care about these Christian intrigues.
Secondly, Christ loves us totally. He leaves behind His Body and Blood, in short, His life to help us attain holiness even in the mundane world. To do this, he instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper and commanded us to participate in this heavenly banquet to share His eternal life in holiness. The Church follows His command to celebrate in the liturgy called Mass. Now, the Son of God has gone one step further to incarnate in ordinary bread and wine to feed us. In receiving the Holy Eucharist, we receive the life of the Son of God. He is willing to be absorbed by us, to become our flesh and blood so that at the end of the world, we may rise again with His flesh and blood. Meanwhile, we are to lead a life of holiness in this mundane world.
Thirdly, what is holiness?
Holiness refers to something that does not belong to this world. It belongs to God. So, how can we attain holiness in this world? Let me assure, men have done this for ages! Whatever dedicated to God belongs to God and thus becomes holy. There have been holy places, holy vessels and holy people. All of them are dedicated to God and thus sacred. Therefore, when we lead a dedicated life for God, we are holy. This is exactly what Christians are called to be. But life is difficult and leading a life of holiness is even more difficult. Don't be discouraged. Being difficult only means being challenging, not being impossible. Christ is here to help us. The Church is here to help us. The Church administers 7 sacraments to help us. The Holy Eucharist is one of them.
Fourthly, in receiving the Holy Eucharist, the human race is made one. Christians help each other in attaining this holiness. In the Holy Eucharist, Christians are merged into one Mystic Body of Christ. The Holy Eucharist is the love of Christ. Love is the binding force that join us together. Love is outgoing and overflowing. Our individual love may be tiny but combined is great. It empowers us and is transforming. We will be more Christ-like and thus, holy. In the process of transformation, we transform the environment, the world we live in. We help to redeem the world we have contaminated. We participate in the redemptive project of Christ.
Dear Lord, sanctify us with Your Body and Blood. Let our bodies and blood sanctify our world. Amen.
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Feast of the Blessed Trinity
The Jewish God is one. So is the Christian God.
There are 3 persons in the Christian God. This is a new understanding beyond Judaism.
The Christian God is good. He loves His Creation, in particular, human beings who fail Him.
God is love. He does not wish our perish. He sent His Son to redeem us.
The Son of God reveals us the Father. In the Son, we are able to see the Father, only partially because of our limited capacity. But one thing we are sure. God is love.
When the Son accomplished His mission, He returned to the Father. But He did not leave us behind like orphans. He sent His Spirit to sanctify us.
"and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:20b)
After all, the Son has not left us completely. Meanwhile, we have a lot to learn about our God.
First of all, early believers, most of whom were Jews, gradually came to the understanding that Jesus of Nazareth was no mere mortal. He was God incarnate. This belief in one more God brought the early Christians in direct conflict with the Jews. Then, there arose three hundred years of argument about the two natures of Jesus among Christians, both Gentile and Jewish. Jesus is both human and divine. If he were divine, how could he die on the cross? Was the crucifixion a death in appearance, a show only? These were difficult questions posed against Christians.
Then, after struggling for more than 300 years, early Christians came to understand that the Christian God is a community. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit form a community. As the followers of the Son, we form a community, the Church. Before the Son returned to the Father, He commissioned the redeemed believers to continue His mission.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20a).
To baptize the converts in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is a liturgical formula. This formula is recited in all baptisms. It expresses what the Christians believe in. But this was not always the case. For example, in the Acts of the Apostles, early Christians baptized in the name of Lord Jesus only (Acts 8:16, 10:48, 19:5). Therefore, it shows a gradual understanding, an evolving theology of God. In the beginning, Christians baptized in the name of Lord Jesus only. This baptism also gave converts the Holy Spirit. Later, Christians came to understand the Blessed Trinity more, they began to baptize in the name of the Blessed Trinity. Their liturgy expresses their beliefs.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28 aims at building up a sacred community among the nations, to actualize the Blessed Trinity on earth.
With our limited capacity and different experiences, our understanding of the Blessed Trinity is not uniform. But one thing we are sure. God is love. That is to say, the Blessed Trinity is a community of love. There are different kinds of community but all of them occupy space. Some are loosely connected and mingle generously with other neighbouring communities. They exchange information and resources, thus enriching each other. Some are tightly knitted and will not admit outsiders easily. But all communities exist for a purpose of their own. Each of them has their own characteristics.
Some communities are big in size. In order to stick together, members are highly disciplined through the exercise of authority. The range of influence of love is short. It is inversely proportional to the size of the group. Therefore, in order to maintain a huge community of love, the exercise of authority is essential. Authority is cold and love is warm. Therefore, there is always a tension between exercising authority and love in a huge community. To strike a balance between authority and love is an art.
The Blessed Trinity is a community of love. It is a mystery to contemplate.
Dear Lord, my intellect is futile. I offer up my heart. Let it drink to its full of Your love. Amen.
There are 3 persons in the Christian God. This is a new understanding beyond Judaism.
The Christian God is good. He loves His Creation, in particular, human beings who fail Him.
God is love. He does not wish our perish. He sent His Son to redeem us.
The Son of God reveals us the Father. In the Son, we are able to see the Father, only partially because of our limited capacity. But one thing we are sure. God is love.
When the Son accomplished His mission, He returned to the Father. But He did not leave us behind like orphans. He sent His Spirit to sanctify us.
"and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:20b)
After all, the Son has not left us completely. Meanwhile, we have a lot to learn about our God.
First of all, early believers, most of whom were Jews, gradually came to the understanding that Jesus of Nazareth was no mere mortal. He was God incarnate. This belief in one more God brought the early Christians in direct conflict with the Jews. Then, there arose three hundred years of argument about the two natures of Jesus among Christians, both Gentile and Jewish. Jesus is both human and divine. If he were divine, how could he die on the cross? Was the crucifixion a death in appearance, a show only? These were difficult questions posed against Christians.
Then, after struggling for more than 300 years, early Christians came to understand that the Christian God is a community. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit form a community. As the followers of the Son, we form a community, the Church. Before the Son returned to the Father, He commissioned the redeemed believers to continue His mission.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20a).
To baptize the converts in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is a liturgical formula. This formula is recited in all baptisms. It expresses what the Christians believe in. But this was not always the case. For example, in the Acts of the Apostles, early Christians baptized in the name of Lord Jesus only (Acts 8:16, 10:48, 19:5). Therefore, it shows a gradual understanding, an evolving theology of God. In the beginning, Christians baptized in the name of Lord Jesus only. This baptism also gave converts the Holy Spirit. Later, Christians came to understand the Blessed Trinity more, they began to baptize in the name of the Blessed Trinity. Their liturgy expresses their beliefs.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28 aims at building up a sacred community among the nations, to actualize the Blessed Trinity on earth.
With our limited capacity and different experiences, our understanding of the Blessed Trinity is not uniform. But one thing we are sure. God is love. That is to say, the Blessed Trinity is a community of love. There are different kinds of community but all of them occupy space. Some are loosely connected and mingle generously with other neighbouring communities. They exchange information and resources, thus enriching each other. Some are tightly knitted and will not admit outsiders easily. But all communities exist for a purpose of their own. Each of them has their own characteristics.
Some communities are big in size. In order to stick together, members are highly disciplined through the exercise of authority. The range of influence of love is short. It is inversely proportional to the size of the group. Therefore, in order to maintain a huge community of love, the exercise of authority is essential. Authority is cold and love is warm. Therefore, there is always a tension between exercising authority and love in a huge community. To strike a balance between authority and love is an art.
The Blessed Trinity is a community of love. It is a mystery to contemplate.
Dear Lord, my intellect is futile. I offer up my heart. Let it drink to its full of Your love. Amen.
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