基督徒领袖

常年期第三十一主日

许多人认为社会是分成两组人 － 领袖和百姓。 领袖统治他们的百姓；百姓必得服从他们的领袖。 许多天主教徒也常认为教会同样分为两种的人 － 领袖和跟随者。 主教，神父，其助手，平信徒领袖都属于前者而普通教友是属于后者。 领袖管理教会而跟随的人只跟就是。

主内的弟兄姐妹们，只有一组人罢了――我们全是基督的门徒。 当然，在基督奥体内，教会，我们全都有不同的职责。 我们都有一个共同的身份 ―― 我们是天主的忠实子民。 身为基督的门徒，我们每一个都以不同的方式去服务我们的弟兄姐妹。 在教会里是没有睡觉和不活跃的信徒的。 所有的信友都蒙召积极服务。 所有的信友都蒙召积极领导。 是的，我们全都蒙召成为领袖。

今天的读经告诉我们，基督徒领袖，基督门徒应执行职务。 这些读经并不只是指神父或你们华文促进会的领袖或基信团协调员。 读经所指的是我们每一个人。 我们都是基督的门徒蒙召去服务有如耶稣一样。

基督徒领袖或门徒的首要条件是必须听从天主有如玛拉基亚先知在读经一所提醒我们的。听从天主的意思是，我们只关注承行天主的旨意不是我们的。 当我们在祈祷中没有听从天主，我们将滥用我们的权力，我们会坚持自己的意愿，我们会尝试归功于自己而不是天主。 听从天主也指我们承认一切权威来自天主。 不论我们有什么才能都来自天主。 而这些赋予的才能是为团体的益处。

基督徒领袖的第二个条件是我们的领导应该是牧职性的。 换句话说，我们应该对所服务的团体怀有爱心。 圣保禄在读经二借用母爱来形容他对教会所怀的爱。 我们的行动该出于爱的动机。

基督徒领袖的第三个条件是我们的事奉该是服务不是权力。 耶稣在今天的福音中谴责法利塞人滥用他们在团体中的领导和导师的身份地位控制人民及榨取利益。 耶稣提醒他们一切的权力来自天主。 身为基督徒领袖，我们蒙召成为仆人，谦卑自己为我们的弟兄姐妹所需服务。 我们不该寻求光荣或期待别人给予荣誉。

在今天的弥撒中，让我们祈求上主使我们实践天主给我们的信息。耶稣是我们的模范和导师。 他指示我们该怎样成为一个真正的领袖。 他是个祈祷的人常常承行天主的旨意。 他爱我们甚至为我们在十字架上牺牲自己的生命。 虽然是天主子，天主，他却贬抑自己为服务他的门徒。 让我们留意他的召叫，跟随他。

Christian Leadership

Thirty First Ordinary Sunday Year A

Many people think that society is divided into two kinds of people – leaders and subjects. Leaders govern their subjects while subjects must obey their leaders. Many Catholics often feel that the Church is also divided into these two categories of persons – leaders and followers. Bishops, priests and their helpers, the lay leaders, all fall within the first category while the ordinary lay person falls into the second category. The Leaders run the Church while the followers just follow.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, there is only one category of persons – we are all disciples of Christ. Certainly, we all have different functions in the Body of Christ, the Church. But we all have one common identity – we are the “faithful of God”, the “People of God.” As disciples of Christ, each of us have a special vocation to serve our brothers and sisters in different ways. There are no sleeping and non-active members in the Church. All members are called to active service. All members are called to active leadership. Yes, we are all called to be leaders.

Today’s readings tell us how a Christian leader, a Christian disciple should carry out his responsibility. The readings are not just referring to the priests or to your leaders in the Parish Council or your BEC Coordinator. The readings refer to each and everyone of us. We are all disciples of Christ and called to serve as he did.

The first condition for Christian leadership or discipleship is that we must listen to God as the prophet Malachi reminds us in the first reading. Listening to God means that we are only concerned with doing his will and not ours. When we fail to listen to God in prayer, we will abuse our power, we will assert our will over others, we will attempt to glorify our own name instead of God. Listening to God means that we recognize that all authority and power comes from God alone. Whatever talents that we may have, comes from God. These talents have been entrusted to us for the good of the community.

The second condition for Christian leadership is that our leadership must be pastoral. In other words, we must have a love for the community whom we serve. In the second reading, St. Paul uses the image of the love of a mother to describe his love for the Church. Our actions must always be motivated by love.

The third condition for Christian leadership is that our ministry must always be one of service rather than power. Jesus condemned the Pharisees in today’s gospel for abusing their leadership by seeking to control the people and by trying to profit from their position as leaders and teachers in the community. Jesus reminds them that all authority comes only from God. As Christian leaders, we are called to be servants, to humble ourselves, to serve the needs of our brothers and sisters. We should not look for glory or expect others to give us places of honour.

In today’s mass, let us pray that we will be able to put into the practice the message of Gods’ word for us. Jesus is our model and our teacher. He showed us what a true leader should be. He was a man of prayer always wanting to do God’s will. He loved us to the extent of sacrificing his life on the cross. Although he was the Son of God, although he was God, he humbled himself to serve his own disciples. Let us heed his call and follow him to wherever he may lead us.

How much should we love God?

Thirtieth Ordinary Sunday Year A


How much should we love God? How much do you love God? How much do you love Jesus? Can you divide your love between God and your wife, your husband, your children, your parents, your friends and your neighbours? Can you give each 20% of your heart, 20% of your love? 20% goes to God. 20% goes to our wife or husband. 20% goes to our children. Another 20% goes to our friends. Can? No, we can’t. Our hearts cannot be divided. We must love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind. This means giving him 100% of our love. Then, how about our family members, friends or our neighbour? Have we no love left for them?

Here is the secret I want to share with you. If you are prepared to love God with everything that you have and give him your 100%, you will be able to love everyone, your wife, your husband, your children, your elderly parents, your friends, and even your enemies, with the same love that God has for you. We can never truly love others unselfishly without giving our love first to God. Only God’s love is perfect. We can only love others unconditionally with the unconditional love of God. In other words, we love others through God’s love. Or we become the channel in which God loves our neighbours.

The problem begins when we try to divide our hearts and our love between the many people whom we think we should love. If we attempt to love on our own without any reference to love of God, we would often end up meeting our selfish needs alone. We love another person only because we expect the same love in return. Very often, we will be disappointed. Apart from God, no one can love unconditionally. Only God can love unconditionally.

That is why for us Christians, marriage is not just a private affair between two persons – husband and wife. Marriage is a sacred bond that is made possible only through the power of God. God is the love that unites husband and wife. If God is excluded from the marriage, if the parties think that they can make marriage work without God, then that marriage would not last very long. When we try to find only human solutions to our need for love, we will certainly be disappointed. No person can meet our every need. Only God can.

Without God, we cannot possibly love. Feelings alone are not indication of love. Feelings come and go. Love is a commitment that remains. Without God, we would only be concerned with meeting our own needs. Without God, we will only try to control the other person, we will become possessive.

When we are able to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind, we will begin loving our neighbour as we truly should. The second part of the commandment is the test by which we will know that we are surrendering ourselves to God’s love. If we are living in God’s love, then we will begin thinking of the migrant, the poor and the orphan. We will begin caring for them. Loving God fully doesn’t mean spending all your time in Church, or coming for Church activities. Loving God fully means, that you will begin thinking of the needs of the others and the needs of the community before thinking of your own needs.

Today, let us examine ourselves and ask ourselves honestly, how much do we love God? How much do we love others apart from ourselves? If we have only been thinking of ourselves all this time, perhaps it is time to start thinking of others.

没有不同部分的生活

常年期第二十九主日

我们很轻易地把我们的生活分为不同部分。 家庭，工作，学校，朋友，之间及教会不同的生活。我们可以在不同的环境中过“不同的生活”。 例如，与朋友相处时，我表现好的一面，但当我与家人相处时，我所展现的却是另一面。 与长者不论是你的上司，老师或神父，你会尽量表现你最好的一面。 而在他们的背后，你却鄙视和说他们的闲话。

或许，行为态度的转变可在圣堂环境中更显得明显。 许多人来到圣堂对圣体显得非常尊敬 － 他们保持静默，跪着，用很长的时间祈祷。 但是他们一踏出教堂就不同了。 他们与别人打架，说人是非，与别人竞争，抨击家人，朋友及其他团体成员。

耶稣在今天福音的后一段说道： “凯撒的，就应归还凯撒，天主的，就归还天主。” 并不指我们应该这样做。 耶稣不是说对天主，我们应该是这样，而和别人时又是那样。 说真的，这句话是难以捉摸的。 有什么东西是凯撒的？ 有什么东西是你的或是我的？答案是“没有”。 一切都是天主的。 因此，我们所做的一切都是为了天主。 我们所做的一切并不是为了个人的利益或益处或声望而是全为了光荣天主。
所以，不论我们身在何处，不管是在圣堂，在家中，在工作场所，在学校，在餐馆或朋友之间的生活态度是不该有区别的。 在这一切的场所中，我们的所作所为应相似天主的子女。 你在生意交易中欺骗别人却忠实地每主日来圣堂是没有意思的。 在主日天我们所做的必须影响我们整个星期的生活。 每一天都是神圣的。 我们所做的一切也是神圣的。 我们所说的一切话，也应当在天主前说。 宗教和社会之间是分不开的。 我们在主日天在弥撒中所宣认的信仰必须在我们日常生活中实践。

在今天的弥撒中，让我们检讨我们的生活。 我们有，以基督徒的身份与家人相处吗？ 我们是否尊敬他们有如我们尊敬在圣体中的耶稣吗？ 在工作场所中，我是否有基督徒的好表现呢？ 我们诚实勤劳或在工作上有欺骗的行为吗？ 我们懒惰不负责任吗？ 在公司里我们有接受贿赂及偷窃吗？ 我们与朋友的作为又如何呢？ 我们有跟随他们到我们不该去的地方吗？ 我们有和他们一起酗酒并涉及不良的习惯吗？

请记住，“天主的就归还天主。” 在我们在世上的生命终结时，我们生命是要归还给天主的。 我们可以归还给天主的，是充满诚实，怜悯，爱及尊敬的一生或是充满不诚实，自私及罪恶的一生呢？ 现在就做选择罢！

No Compartments

Twenty Ninth Ordinary Sunday Year A

We have easily divided our lives into different compartments. Life in the family; life at work; life at school; life among friends; life in the Church. We are able to live “different lives” in different environments. For example, among friends I like to be the “good guy” but I show a dark side of myself at home among my family members. With a superior, whether it be your boss, or teacher or priest, you will try to be on your best behaviour. But behind their backs, you despise them and gossip about them.

Perhaps, the greatest change of behaviour can be seen in the Church environment. Many people come to Church. They show a great deal of respect for the Blessed Sacrament when entering the Church – silence, kneeling, praying for long periods – but the moment they step out of Church, another behaviour begins. They fight with others, they gossip, they compete with one another, they hit out at their family members, friends and other members of the community.

The saying of Jesus at the end of today’s gospel, “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God” is no excuse to act like this. Jesus is not saying, with God we must act one way, but when dealing with others, we act differently. Actually, the saying is a riddle. Does anything actually belong to Caesar? Does anything actually belong to you or to me? The answer is NO. Everything belongs to God. So everything that we do, we do it for God. Everything that we do, we do it not for some personal gain/profit or for popularity sake but in order to glorify God.

Therefore, there is no distinction between life in the Church, in the family, in the working place, in school, in the restaurant or among friends. In all these places, we must act and behave like children of God. There is no point cheating others in your business dealings and then faithfully coming to Church every Sunday. What we do on Sunday must affect our lives throughout the week. Every day is a holy day. Everything that we do is sacred. Everything that we say, we must be able to say it in the presence of God. There is no distinction between religion and society. The faith that we profess on Sunday and celebrate during the Mass must be lived out everyday.

In today’s mass, let us honestly examine our lives. Have we been acting like Christians at home with our own family members? Have we treated them with respect in the same way that we would treat Jesus in the Eucharist? As for the working place, have we been giving good witness as Christians? Are we honest and hardworking or do we cheat at work? Are we lazy and neglect our responsibilities? Do we take bribes and steal from the company? How about our actions with our friends? Do we follow them to places that we shouldn’t go? Do we spend time with them getting drunk and getting involved in bad habits?

Remember only this, “Give back to God what belongs to God.” At the end of our lives on earth, it is our own lives which we must give back to God. We can either give a life that is full of honesty, compassion, love and respect or we can give to God a life that is full of dishonesty, selfishness and sin. Choose now!

天堂是什么样子的？

常年期第二十八主日

天堂是什么样子的？ 你们当中有人从天堂回来的吗？ 或许你可以告诉我们？

我们观赏太多的电视节目了。 很多人幻想天堂是在上面的。 他们幻想有云彩的地方，每个人都身穿白衣，长有翅膀的人。 然而，天堂并不是一个地方。它不在这里也不在那。 天堂是与天主同在的境地。 我们与天主及其他的人之间的共融是那么美好而不再有任何的疏远。 天堂是一个奥秘因天主是奥秘。

不过，藉着今天的读经我们仍可以有天堂的概念。 依撒意亚在读经一中给了我们以下的形象：天堂有如美酒佳肴的盛宴，那里不再有悲哀因为死亡将永远被消灭，脸上的泪痕将被拭干因那里不再有任何痛苦。 而先知所给的最有力形象就是我们将面对面与天主会面，对天主的认识不再模糊。

福音再以婚宴的比喻重复盛宴的形象。 最有趣的事是每个人都受邀赴盛宴。 仆人被派到 “各路口，凡遇到的，不论是坏人好人都请来赴盛宴。” 我常想象天堂的门是大开的。 实际上，是没有门和篱笆的。 任何人在任何时候都可以自由进出。 但是，人们却有自由选择进入。 这就是耶稣所指的 － “被召的人多，被选的人少。” 它应解为， “天主召叫了所有的人，但我们可以选择不去回应。”

为什么有些人选择不去参加婚宴呢？ 为什么有些人选择不进天堂呢？ 这可能有不同的原因。 有一些认为他们不配，觉得罪恶深重不敢面对天主。 他们自觉赤裸羞耻。 或许，这就是在福音中提及没穿婚宴礼服人的象征。 不是天主定他的罪而是他自己定自己的罪。 还有许多人虽然已告明了自己的罪仍不断觉得内疚及罪恶深重。

还有一些充满怨恨，仇恨及不宽恕而天堂所指的是天主与所有的人的爱之间的和谐关系。 怨恨及不宽恕却阻挡我们进入这关系中。 想想你被邀请去赴宴而你的敌人也在场。 你会与你的仇敌同桌共餐吗？ 你会没有胃口。 你会感到有如身在地狱。 当我们不愿与我们的邻人还有天主和好时，就有如地狱般。 当我们不能与我们的仇敌手拉手前行时也好比地狱。 当我们必须与我们所憎恨的人永远生活，更像地狱。 为此，地狱并不是有火焰，天主谴责我们的地方。 而是我们选择了地狱，拒绝去爱和宽恕。

我们应该小心，不把我们在世的生活与天堂混淆。 许多人认为他们可以在世界造天堂。 他们总以为只要所需要的一切得到满足，只要有很多金钱，只要拥有许多朋友，只要一切问题都能解决，那就是天堂了。 我的弟兄姐妹们，这不是天堂。 当我们努力去在世上建设天堂时，我们会失望。 没有任何关系可以满足我们的孤独。 没有任何解决方法可以消除所有的问题。 没有足够的金钱可以买到快乐。 正如圣保禄在读经二提醒我们只有天主必 “以自己的财富，在基督耶稣内，丰富满足你们的一切需要。”

让我们信赖天主。 在我们的喜乐和悲苦中，让我们转向天主。 在我们的饥饿和丰裕中寻求天主。 让我们光荣天主在天堂为我们每一个人准备了地方。

How does heaven look like?

Twenty Eighth Ordinary Sunday Year A

How does heaven look like? Has anyone here returned from heaven? Perhaps, you can share with us.

We have been watching too much television. Many people imagine that heaven is up there. They imagine a place of clouds, everyone is dressed in white, and people have sprouted wings. Well, heaven isn’t a place. It’s neither up there nor down there. Heaven is a state of being in the presence of God. Our communion with God and with others is so perfected, that there is no longer any separation or alienation. Heaven will always be a mystery because God himself is mystery.

Nevertheless, we can still have some idea about heaven, especially from today’s readings. The Prophet Isaiah in the first reading gives us the following images: Heaven will be like a banquet of rich food and fine wines, there will no more be mourning as death will be destroyed, every tear will be wiped away as there is no longer any pain or suffering. The most powerful image given by him is that we will see God face to face and no longer know him in a vague way.

The gospel repeats the image of the banquet through the parable of the wedding feast. What is interesting is that all are welcomed to the wedding feast. The servants went out to the crossroads of the town and “collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike.” I use to imagine that the gates of heaven are always opened. In fact, there is no gate and there are no fences. Anyone can choose to walk in at any time. However, people have the freedom to choose not to enter. This is the meaning of the words of Jesus – “For many are called, but few are chosen.” It should be read in a different way, “God has called all, but we can choose not to respond.”

Why do some people choose not to attend the wedding feast? Why do some people choose not to enter heaven? There may be a variety of reasons. There are those who feel that they are not worthy and are too sinful to stand in the presence of God. They feel naked and ashamed. Perhaps, this is the symbol of the man in today’s gospel who was found to be without a wedding garment. It is not God who had condemned him. It is the man who had condemned himself. There are many people who constantly feel guilty and sinful even after they had confessed their sins.

There are also others who are full of resentment, hatred and unforgiveness. Heaven refers to a relationship of harmony and love between all persons with God. But resentment and unforgiveness prevents us from entering into such a relationship. Just imagine that you have been invited to a party with some of your enemies present. Would you be able to sit down and have a meal together with your enemy? You wouldn’t have an appetite. The whole experience would be hell for you. And so this is hell, when we are not reconciled with our neighbours and with God. It is hell when we can’t walk hand in hand with our enemies. It is hell when we have to live with people that we hate for eternity. So, hell isn’t a place of fire in which God chooses to condemn us to. We choose hell by refusing to love and forgive.

We must be careful that we do not confuse our earthly existence with heaven. Many people think that they can make earth a heavenly place. They often think that if all their needs are met, if they have enough money, if they have lots of friends, if all their problems are solved, that would be heaven. My brothers and sisters, this is not heaven. When we try to build heaven on earth, we will be disappointed. No relationship will ever be an answer to our loneliness. No solution will ever be able to eradicate all problems. No amount money can buy happiness. As St. Paul reminds us in the second reading, only God “will fulfill all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.”

Let us look to God with trust. Let us turn to him in our joy and our sorrow. Let us search for him in our hunger and our plenty. Let us give glory to God who has prepared a place for each of us in heaven.