13th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020

Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. (Mt. 10:37–38, Jerusalem Bible)

Today’s Gospel passage begins with the conditions of being worthy of Jesus. It is actually the ending of a long set of instructions for the apostles who were being sent to preach the kingdom. Having told the apostles the manner of which they are to preach, Jesus ends with a reminder that by accepting the mission of preaching, the apostles assent to renouncing everything for Jesus and that the recipients of the preaching would be blessed.

Jesus is not telling us to reject father or mother, son or daughter in favour of Himself. Rather, in the mission of preaching, we need to get our priorities right. If we accept the mission of preaching, then preaching the word should take priority, even to that which is closest to our hearts as human beings. When we consider our general vocation as Christians, and personal vocations as priest, parents, sons or daughters, we need to understand the priorities we have to adhere to. For example, a Christian parent’s vocation is the bringing up of the children as Christians. This means that the child’s welfare has priority. At any one point of time, there must be clear priorities. Toddlers are brought to church to help them understand the importance of Sunday worship. So, the child should be taught to prefer coming to Church on Sunday rather than spend his or her time watching cartoons at home. Once in Church, the child should be taught to prefer focussing on worship in community than on other activities. This is easier said than done. When a two year old is hungry at the time of Mass and wants to be fed, does feeding him or her in the church help him or her make the proper preference? It is probable that feeding him or her in church gives the impression that proper worship is not as important as eating. Bringing him or her out to the proper place to be fed would show that the church is a sacred place where eating is not the respectful thing to do. Yes, the two year old won’t understand the difference. However, the impression given is that if he or she prefers to be fed, he or she should learn to prefer to move out of the sacred space. In this way he or she respects the sacred space and the community who is worshipping in there. What about the parent fulfilling his or her obligation as a Catholic? I can only reply with another question: Is fulfilling the personal Christian obligation preferable to living out the vocation as a Christian parent that one has assented to? 

The inconveniences that Christian parents have to bear can be considered the taking of one’s cross and following Jesus’s footsteps. How often have I heard parents lamenting that with their child arriving at the terrible twos and threes, they had to dispense with the privilege of worshipping God on Sundays as one family? How often have I heard of that one child who played in the pews at Mass and disrupted the prayerful ambience the worship space should have?

Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet's reward; … (Mt. 10:41, Jerusalem Bible)

What about the recipients of the message? When we encounter a person, do we consider that person a blessing? Usually when we get a positive experience from it, we think of it as a blessing. What about when it was a negative experience? Can we not think of it as a blessing from God as well? A prophet is called by God to be His mouthpiece. When God sends someone to us, that person may not even be aware of it. If we welcome that person as sent by God, and see his actions and words as a message from God, we are actually welcoming that person as a prophet because he is a prophet. The prophet who obeys God and transmits God’s message will be in a right relationship with God. That result is the prophet’s reward. When we receive the message of God and act properly on it, it will also result in a right relationship with God — the same as the prophet’s reward. 

Thus, when we consider our general and personal vocations, we will need to consider the priorities at every given time. Fortunately, God will send people to encounter us to give us advice so that we would be able to arrive at the right relationship with Him. Let us be thankful to such a loving God.

2020年常年期第十三主日

谁爱父亲或母亲超过我，不配是我的；谁爱儿子或女儿超过我，不配是我的。谁不背起自己的十字架跟随我，不配是我的。（玛 10:28）

今天的福音关于是否配是耶稣的。实际上，这段福音是在耶稣派遣宗徒去宣讲王国所指示的结尾。耶稣告诉了宗徒要传讲的方式后，提醒他们接受了传教使命后，宗徒们同意为耶稣放弃一切，并且接受传道的人将会受到祝福。

耶稣不是在告诉我们拒绝父亲或母亲，儿子或女儿才配是祂的。在传教的使命中，我们需要正确地安排优先事项。如果我们接受传教的使命，那么宣传福音便应该被优先考虑，即使是与我们人类当着最重要的相比。当我们考虑我们做基督徒的召叫或个人的召叫时，如，师铎、父母、儿女，我们需要了解我们必须坚持的优先事项。例如，基督徒父母的召叫是抚养孩子，因此孩子的福利是重中之重。在任何时候，都必须有明确的优先级。幼儿被带到圣堂，以帮助他们了解主日弥撒的重要性。因此，孩子应该被教选择到圣堂出席主日弥撒，而不选择在家里看卡通片。到了教堂，应该教小孩选择集中精力认真地参与弥撒，而不是其他的活动。说起来容易做起来难。一个两岁的小孩在弥撒时饿了，在教堂里喂小孩是否有助于他做出适当的选择？在教堂里喂他可能给他一种印象，即适当的敬拜不如吃饭重要。在教堂外的一个适当的地方喂小孩将表明教堂里是一个神圣的地方，吃饭不是一件尊敬天主的事情。是的，两岁的孩子不懂事，不了解其中的区别。但是，给人的印象是，如果他选择吃饱，他应该学会选择移出神圣的空间。这样，他就会尊重神圣的空间和在场崇拜的基督徒团体。父母履行天主教徒义务怎么办？我只能以另一个问题回答：哪一个比较重要：履行个人的基督教徒的义务或是履行基督徒父母的义务？

基督徒父母必须承受的不便之处可以当作是背着十字架跟随耶稣。我有多少次听到父母为自己的孩子到达两三岁时，不得不放弃在主日一家人一起参与弥撒的特权。我有多少次听说小孩在圣堂的长椅上玩耍，破坏该有的祈祷气氛围？

谁接纳一位先知，因为他是先知，将领受先知赏报；
（玛 10:21）

喜讯的接纳者呢？当我们遇到一个人时，我们会将这个人视为祝福吗？通常，当我们从中获得善好的经验时，我们会将它当作一种祝福。但是不好的经验呢？我们不能也把它当作天主的祝福吗？先知被天主呼召为他的喉舌。当天主差遣某人给我们时，那个人甚至可能都不知道。如果我们欢迎天主所派遣的那个人，并且将他的作为和言语当作天主的讯息，那么我们实际上是在欢迎那个人作为先知，因为他是先知。顺服天主并传达祂的讯息的先知将与天主保持正确的关系。这就是先知的赏赐。当我们收到天主的讯息并采取正确的行动时，我们也取了与天主的正确关系—与先知的报酬一样。

因此，在考虑天主给我们的召叫时，我们将需要考虑优先事项。幸好的是，天主会派人与我们相遇，向我们提供建议，以便我们能够与天主建立正确的关系。让我们感谢这样一位慈爱的天主。

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2020

St. Paul the Apostle, Unknown author / Public domain

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. (Mt. 12:28, Jerusalem Bible)

I used to be terrified of this passage because I thought that the one that Jesus was referring to was the devil. Yet Jesus was not talking about the evil one. He was talking about the Father because reply he gives for the next two questions he posed referred to His Father. In the Jerusalem Bible, the title given to this passage of scripture is: Open and fearless speech. What was Jesus speaking of just before this passage? He was talking about the persecution those who follow Him would suffer. Taking that into account, Jesus is encouraging his disciples to have the courage to speak the truth. As disciples, we should have the courage to declare Jesus is Lord before people. 

When the circuit breaker ended three weeks ago, many thought that Mass would be celebrated in a restricted manner. However, that was not the case. Private worship was allowed but there were safe management plans that needed to be submitted to the authorities. I was trying to work out the plans with the parish task force so that we can submit a proper safe management plan. Before that came to pass, a new advisory was issued a few days ago, which meant that we had to relook at the plans and make adjustments. So our parish is still not ready to resume any activity yet. As our church is also going through restoration, there are added factors to consider. Please be assured that we are doing the best we can.

I mention this because there are many who are upset and angry because things don’t seem to be moving as quickly as they would like. A thought did cross my mind: the virus only causes harm to the body but the unavailability of Masses harms the soul. It was only a split second before another thought came: irresponsibility also harms the soul. This ties in with the Gospel passage I had quoted above.

While it is true that only God can destroy the soul in hell, He will not because he loves us. However, there is another who can harm our souls: we, ourselves, can cause harm to our souls. Let me use a simple analogy. Assassins can kill me. However, if I neglect my health, I am also slowly killing myself. Our soul’s health depends on love. We maintain our soul’s health by loving God and we express our love of God by loving our neighbour. When we are only concerned about our own needs and wants that we forget about the needs of our neighbour, can we say that we are loving our neighbour? All the regulations that are given to us are for the purpose of reducing the risk of infection of the people around us. Loving our neighbour means that I must be responsible for acting in such a way as to reduce that risk of infection. I have heard someone remark that the Church is too kiasu. Does that remark show a responsible attitude? If everyone is knowledgeable and responsible, there would be no need to set out directives. Ironically, it is because of the few irresponsible Catholics that the church needs to be cautious. It is true that we cannot consider all possibilities to act. However, it would neither be responsible nor loving on the part of the church to disregard the real probability that a few irresponsible Catholics would end up being the cause of a new cluster of infection to occur.

The title of today’s passage in the Jerusalem Bible: Open and fearless speech, is not about being unafraid to proclaim anything we think to be true. It speaks of an attitude to be open to the truth of any situation before speaking with courage. In truly loving my neighbour, I am declaring myself for Jesus. Apart from that, could I truly say I am authentically declaring myself for Jesus? Perhaps we could reflect on our motives and ask God to help us to be open to the truth from God, rather than demands from elsewhere.

2020年常年期第十二主日

圣保禄, Unknown author / Public domain

你们不要害怕那杀害肉身，而不能杀害灵魂的；但更要害怕那能使灵魂和肉身陷于地狱中的。
（玛 10:28）

我曾经对这段福音感到恐惧，因为我认为耶稣指的是魔鬼。耶稣指的并不是魔鬼，而是天父。因为耶稣接下来所讲的是指着天父。这段福音之前，耶稣告诉门徒们他们会受到迫害。跟随耶稣就会有苦难。在这主日的福音，主耶稣鼓励他的门徒要有勇气讲真理。作为门徒，我们应该有勇气在众人面前宣布耶稣是主。

阻断措施结束了已经有三周的时间。许多人认为以弥撒会在有限的方式进行。但是，事实并非如此。政府只允许私人祈祷。政府规定堂区必须提交安全管理计划书后，才能开幕。堂区工作小组正在制定这计划书时，文化、社区及青年部发布了新的咨询：我们能恢复弥撒圣祭。当然堂区还是需要提交安全管理计划书。现在，工作小组须要重新考虑计划该进行什么调整。因此，我们的堂区仍未准备好恢复任何活动。由于我们的圣堂也正在修复中，我们还需要考虑更多因素。我想向大家保证：我们正在尽力而为。

我提出这件事，是因为有许多人不满意。他们希望事情能迅速地发展，不过事情似乎太慢了。我有了一个念头：「病毒只伤害肉体，而没有弥撒伤害灵魂。」一刹那，我有想到：「不负责任也是伤害了灵魂。」这岂不是与这主日的福音有关呢？

诚然只有天主能使灵魂和肉身陷于地狱中的，但因为天主爱我们，祂不会那样做。但是，还有个能使灵魂受到伤害的：我们自己。让我用一个简单的比喻。刺客可以杀死我。但是，如果我忽视自己的健康，我也会慢慢地毁掉自己的生命。我们是以爱保持灵魂的健康。我们以爱进人表达我们对天主的爱。如果我们只关心自己的需求而又忘记进人的需要时，可说我们爱进人吗？现在所有的法规都是为了减少感染周围人的风险。说我们爱我们的进人，我就必须负责以减少感染风险的方式行事。我听过有人说教堂太过「怕输」。这是一种负责任的态度吗？如果每个人都有责任感，又有知识，就不需要有法规指令。讽刺的，为了一两个不管法规的教友，我们需要谨慎。的确，我们不能考虑采取一切行动的可能性。但是，如果教会不顾这一两个不管法规的教友，而引起新的感染事件，教会本身不负责任，也没有爱心。

这主日福音鼓励我们有勇气地宣布真理。我们须要在任何情况里，有个开放的态度，接受情况的真相后，勇敢地宣告真理。真正爱护进人，就是承认耶稣。如果没有真正的爱护进人，我们不能说我们承认耶稣。这周，我们可以反省：我们作教友的动机，是否是爱主爱人，或是有其他的原因。我们祈求上主帮助我们诚恳地跟随耶稣，诚心地承认祂是主。

Trinity Sunday 2020

El Greco / Public domain

When I was a boy, I had a friend who had a favourite Gospel verse. It is found in our Gospel Reading for this Sunday. The verse is John 3:16:

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.
(from Jerusalem Bible)

The reason that Jesus was sent to the world is ultimately love. This idea of God being loving can be seen in the first reading today.

The Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, 

slow to anger rich in kindness and faithfulness.

(Ex 34:6, Jerusalem Bible)

Already at the time of Moses, the people of Israel understood that their God was a God of tenderness and compassion. The tender and compassionate God planned for the world to be saved. He had created human beings who had rebelled against Him. The result of the rebellion is that we are separated from the life and grace that comes from God. However, God’s love is persistent, and He sent His Son to teach us the way to be reconciled with Him.

For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,

but so that through him the world might be saved.

(Jn 3:17, Jerusalem Bible)

The depth of God’s love is seen in the way this plan was executed. Even though He knows best, God will not force us to be saved. It would have been so easy for God to will that all humanity accept the message of Jesus and be saved. However, if He did that, He would remove an important gift he had given to all human beings: free will. He wants us to choose to be saved. Jesus was sent to show us the way to reconciliation. He will present to us what will lead to salvation and what would lead to condemnation. However, he is not here to convict us. Let me explain this with an analogy from the production line. Jesus presents us the criteria for quality control, but he is not the one that decides whether the products passes or not. He is not here to convict us. What convicts us is our choice.

No one who believes in him will be condemned;

but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,

because he has refused to believe
in the name of God’s only Son.

(Jn 3:18, Jerusalem Bible)

Many people misunderstand this verse because of the English translation. The original Greek word for the word condemn means separate in the sense of sorting one thing from another. It was used in a legal sense to refer to separating truth from falsehood, or separating right from wrong. In that sense it can mean to judge. Jesus’s words mean that either you are saved or not saved. There is no middle ground: either you are saved or are separated from the saved. The translators of the Jerusalem Bible chose the word condemned as the opposite of saved. So if one believes in Jesus, he or she will be saved. If one does not believe, that person would then not be saved. There is also the either-or dynamic in the question of belief. The original phrasing of the Greek implies that the person has ruled out any means of believing. It is expressed here in the English as refused to believe. The whole idea of this verse could be expressed thus: Jesus presents the way. A person who is presented the way chooses to believe in the way or refuses to believe in the way. That choice would bring that person to salvation or condemnation. Many people ask: What about the people who had no opportunity to know Jesus? All I can say is that this verse does not refer to that group of people. Theologians speculate the various possibilities. I would simply state that the God who loves would find a way to present the way and allow the person to choose.

What has this got to do with the Holy Trinity? We say that God is Love. Love is something relational. Love cannot be present in an individual person existing in isolation; there must be at least two persons relating to each other. If God is love, then God is not one person in isolation. God is one God and yet not a single person. Within God, there is a relationship of persons. How is this so? As human beings, we will not be able to understand how there are three persons in one God. However the truth of God as Trinity is revealed to us by Jesus. In our Gospel passage today we learn of God sending His Son. In Jn 14:26, we learn of the Father sending the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit in the Son’s name. It is from various parts of the gospels that reveal that God is Trinity. The first Christians came to understand that God is one and yet three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We see this as early as in St. Paul who uses the names of the Holy Trinity to greet his friends in his letters.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God 

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
(2 Cor 13:13, Jerusalem Bible)

Does this sound familiar? It was used as the greeting at Mass before 2011. The  present greeting uses the word communion instead of fellowship. When we use the word fellowship nowadays, we think of a social event. The life of the Persons of the Trinity is more than just a matter of social gathering. The three Persons of the Trinity live in one another. We use the word communion to describe the dynamic relationship of the persons in the Holy Trinity. Actually the Greek word found in St. Paul’s letter, koinonia, can also be translated into communion. Thus a more appropriate translation for the use at the Mass would be communion instead of fellowship. The word communion is very suitable because the body of Christ we receive is also called Holy Communion. The Eucharist we receive is the sign that we are participating in the communion relationship found in the Triune God. Thus, the communion I receive is not simply for me; it is meant for me to be part of the community we call the Church.

God loves and he wants us to be saved because He loves us. Being saved also means that we become reconciled and united in a relationship with God. So next time we make the sign of the cross, consider if we have made a choice to live the life of love that is God.

2020年天主圣三主日

格雷考 / Public domain

小时候，我有一个朋友，他最喜欢若望福音第三章第十六节。它可在本周主日的福音经文：

天主竟这样爱了世界，甚至赐下了自己的独生子，
使凡信他的人不至丧亡，反而获得永生，

天父派遣耶稣到世上的原因最终是爱。在今天的读经一中我们读到一个充满爱的天主。

雅威，雅威是慈悲宽仁的天主，
缓于发怒，富于慈爱忠诚，（出34：6）

已经在梅瑟时代，以色列人民知道他们的天主是个温柔和同情的天主。这温柔而富有同情心的天主计划拯救世界。他创造了人类，但人类谋反了祂。结果，我们与天主所赐的生命和恩典分离了。但是，天主的爱是持久的。祂派圣子来教导我们与他和好的方法。

因为天主没有派遣子到世界上来审判世界，
而是为叫世界藉着他而获救。（若3：17）

从天主怎样执行这个计划，我们可以看出天主深刻的爱。即使祂是全知全能，天主不会以强迫来拯救我们。只要天主愿意，祂能很容易地使全人类都接受耶稣的喜讯而被得救。但是，如果祂那样做，祂将除掉祂赐给人类的重要恩典：自由意志。祂希望我们选择救援。耶稣被派遣向我们显示与天主和好的道路。祂将表明什么引领我们致救赎，什么引领我们致致审判。耶稣并不是来定我们的罪。让我以制造业做一个比方来解释这一点。耶稣像那立下品质管制准则的负责人。祂不是那决定产品是否能不能通过的人。祂不是在这里定罪我们。定罪的是由于我们的选择。

那信从他的，不受审判；
那不信的，已受了审判，
因为他没有信从天主独生子的名字。（若3：18）

许多人误解了这节经文。中文经文用的词是「审判」。原本希腊文字的意思是「分别」或「分类」。从法律上，「审判」也含有分别是非，或分别对错的意思。耶稣的话指的是我们或被得救。或不被得救。没有中半的立场：或我们站在被得救的一组，或分开站在没有被得救的那一组。耶稣表示了与天主和好的道路。那选择相信耶稣和祂的话的人，选择了被得救。那选择不相信耶稣和祂的话的人，选择拒绝耶稣和的话。这人选择了被审判，选择拒绝救恩。可见，「审判」原来的意思不表示耶稣作法官判罪。会有人问：那些没有机会认识耶稣的人呢？我只能说，这经文并不谈到这一群人。神学家推测各种可能性。我的感想是：一个爱人类的天主一定会把喜讯传到每一个人，也给每一个人机会选择。天主有祂的方法办得到。

这与天主圣三有什么关系呢？天主就是爱。爱不能存在于孤立存在的一个人中；必须至少有两个彼此相关的人。如果天主是爱，那么天主不可能是单独一位。天主是独一，却不是一位。天主怎样又是独一，又是三位，是人无法了解的奥迹然而，耶稣向我们启示了天主是三位一体的真理。在这主日福音里，我们听到天主派遣了圣子。在若14：26，我们读到圣父因圣子的名派遣了护慰者：圣神。福音也在不同的地方揭示了天主是三位一体。最初的基督徒也相信这三位一体的真理。圣保禄使用圣三之名在信中问候他的朋友。

愿主耶稣基督的恩宠，和天主的爱情，
以及圣神的相通，常与你们众人相偕。
（格后13：13）

我们也在弥撒开始时利用相似的字。原本的希腊的经文里，我们在这节读到的词「相通」可使用「共融」。「圣神的共融」也含有重要的意义。圣神使饼酒变成基督圣体圣血。领圣体是我们教友愿意共融一体的标记。因此，我所领的圣体不只是为我个人而领；也是为耶稣基督奥体，称着教会的基督徒团体而领的。

天主爱我们，希望我们被得救。得救也等于与天主和好，与天主团结。因此，下一次我们做十字圣号时，请考虑我们是否已选择过着一个充满天主的爱的生活。