Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Sunday Reflection - 7th Sunday of Easter (Year A) 默想甲年復活期第七主日的彌撒讀經

7th Sunday of Easter (Year A) Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Pt 4:13-16, Jn 17:1-11

After the ascension of the Son and on the threshold of the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit, we read in the gospel of the 7th Sunday of Easter the concluding words of Jesus’ priestly prayer, said in a tone of immediacy with regard to his coming death and glorification.

Equally striking are the peace and satisfaction that the words of Jesus conveyed in this intense Father-and-Son dialogue. After all, “the work that you gave me to do” has now been accomplished; “the words you gave me I have given them” (John 17: 4, 8); the Messianic Kingdom is all but firmly established; a new era of the Spirit is about to commence; the baton for bringing the economy of salvation to full fruition is to be passed on from the Son to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ promise to usher in a new era of the Church by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled at the Pentecost. Before this historic and pivotal moment when the Church was made manifest to the world (CCC 1076), it is only fitting that the apostles gathered in the upper room “to devote themselves with one accord to prayer” (Acts 1:14) together with the Blessed Mother. “Spirit”, “apostles”, “Mary”, “prayer” – What better ways to reveal the Church? How can any one of these constitutive elements be missing when the Church being revealed is the Church of Christ?


甲年復活期第七主日的彌撒讀經: 宗1:12-14, 伯前4:13-16, 若17:1-11

在耶穌升天後和五旬節聖神即將降臨之際,我們從復活期第七主日的福音,看到耶穌大司祭祈禱的結語,提及祂即將經歷的死亡和光榮。

特別的是:在這熱切的聖父聖子的對話中,耶穌流露著無限的平安和滿足。「你所委託我所作的工作」已完成了;「你所授給我的話,我都傳給了他們」(若17:4,8) ;默西亞王國已確立;新的聖神的時期即將展開;將救恩工程推廣和帶來完滿果實的工作,將要像接力棒一般,從聖子的手轉交聖神。

耶穌允許了,要讓聖神傾注於教會,讓她進入一個嶄新的時期;這應允在五旬節實現了。在給世界顯示教會這歷史和關鍵性的時刻之前(天主教教理簡編1076),宗徒們與聖母聚集在樓房上,「同心合意地專務祈禱」(宗1:14) ,這是多麼恰當的事。試問有什麼比「聖神」、「宗徒」、「瑪利亞」、「祈禱 」更能表現教會?當要顯示的教會是基督的教會時,這些基本要素豈不更缺一不可?

Monday, May 12, 2014

What Does "The Father's House" in John 14:2 Refer To?

In the gospel reading of the 5th Sunday of Easter (see bottom of post), Jesus told his apostles that he would leave them to prepare a place for them in his “Father’s house” (Jn 14:2). In the Bible, “God’s house” is a key term that refers to the Church, as signified by the Tabernacle (Ex 26) and the Jerusalem Temple (1 Kgs 6-8). Similar use of this term is often found in the Mosaic Law: “The choicest first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the LORD, your God,” (Ex. 23:19).

In the first reading, we see how the Father’s house – the Church of Christ – continued to get prepared: the ordination of 7 deacons, which marked the origin of the diaconal office – the ministry of charity – and became part of the fundamental structure of the Church (cf. Deus Caritas Est, n.21).

“House” as a key biblical word also refers to a dynasty or kingdom. God revealed to King David that his “house”, i.e. the Davidic kingdom or dynasty, shall endure forever (2 Sam 7:16). David’s kingdom foreshadows Jesus’ Heavenly Kingdom, whose founding and emergence he proclaimed in the beginning of his public ministry (Mk 1:15), and which he would continue to “prepare” upon departure from the apostles. Jesus is “Lord of lords and king of kings” (Rev 17:14); he is the perfect fulfillment of all the kings and their kingdoms on earth. His Messianic Kingdom is the only Kingdom that endures forever (cf. Dan 2:31-45).

Continuing the theme of God’s house, the 2nd reading reveals that the Church of Christ – His Kingdom - is built firmly on Christ himself, who is a “chosen, precious cornerstone” that was rejected by the builders, i.e. the Jews (1 Pet 2:6-7); its inhabitants, as God had already foretold through Moses (Ex. 19:6), are “a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation”.

Clearly we all want to live in the Father’s house. Now that we have pondered this Sunday’s readings, let’s be honest and ask ourselves: Do I belong to this “chosen race”? What’s my “priesthood” (see post of May 8, 2014)? How successful am I in exercising my priesthood? Do I live in holiness or in sinfulness? The answers to your questions may well decide whether the Father’s house is for you to live in!

(Readings of the 5th Sunday of Easter, Year A: Acts 6:1-7, 1Pt 2:20-25, Lk 10:1-10)

Thursday, May 8, 2014

與未信主的好友談司祭職

敬愛的康徽兄:

康徽兄自少基於無限愛情和親情,為雙親、為家人、為下一代不斷奔波勞碌;在教學工作上,為了學生、學校和社會公益,又無私地將自己從學校和社會所得到的,全面獻出和交還,躹躬盡瘁,死而後已。這倫常德行,反映著中國文化和傳統光輝燦爛的一面,是華夏民族賴以生存的美德;是人性應有的、極崇高的情操。

但是這德行雖優越,若其運用只停留在世界和人的層面上,它的價值和效用,在相當程度上仍有所欠缺。為甚麼呢?容我進一步解釋。

在天主教信仰中,有所謂「司祭職」(priesthood)的教導。司祭們在舊約(即耶穌前) 傳統中的職份,主要是在耶路撒冷聖殿中,為以色列人向天主獻上牛、羊、白鴿、餅、酒等用人力和血汗換取得來的祭品,作為獻給天主的敬禮(worship) ;獻祭者也希望藉此獲得罪的赦免 。換言之,司祭職是獻出和犧牲的工作。

這梅瑟律法所規定的制度,在以色列從不間斷地行使了千多年,直至耶穌時代的猶太人,仍繼續沿用著。其實,在天主奧妙的救贖計劃中,舊約司祭職並沒有赦罪的功能;它只是一個形象標記,在指向、期待和預告著人類歷史最終的祭獻和司祭,即耶穌在十字架上的祭獻和耶穌本人的司祭職(他同時是這祭獻的祭品和司祭) ;耶穌的祭獻才是全人類的真正的贖罪祭。

洗禮給人的恩寵,包括讓領洗者領受基督的司祭職;讓他受洗後,從此將自己整個的生命 -- 包括做人處世的每一言、每一行,和生活起居的每一點、每一滴 -- 都跟隨著基督的祭獻而交出,成了祭品,成了讚美和光榮天主的詩篇。當人抑制妄自尊大的傾向,為了別人而謙卑自下時,他就在行使著因領洗的尊嚴而得來的司祭職;當人犧牲自己身體所需,將本來用來滿足自己的金錢、時間和物資,去幫助別人的時候,他便以司祭身份效法著最終大司祭耶穌基督,在十字架上為人類將自己的身體交出;當人像康徽兄般,為父母、子女、家庭、社稷而奔波勞碌時,他的血汗不但帶給親人和社會物質上的滿足,也成了天主悅納的、馨香的祭品,並能彰顯天主光榮於地上,有助基督救恩的廣傳。

在此我要特別指出,上述司祭職功效,並不是神學家用文藝手法和想像力作出來的東西,而是聖洗聖事無形地 (ontologically)、超性地 (divinely) 、和實質地發揮之功用。

本來人所作的犧牲無論多麼偉大,與貴為天主的耶穌在十字架上的犧牲,絕不能相提並論。 但是,藉著司祭職的轉化,本是平凡的,變得卓越;本是地上的,變成天上;本是有限的,變成無限;本是短暫的,成了永恆!聖保祿深明此理,也用這眼光看自己的生命,將一生歲月看成一瓶為天主而不斷傾流的祭酒;這祭酒傾流淨盡之日,便是他離世已近之時 (cf.弟茂得後書4:6) 。

康徽兄在孝愛上有如此高尚的情操,數十年如一日,恆久不斷地、身體力行地、毫不保留地為它人而交出自己;我竟大膽妄斷這樣的美德「在相當程度上仍有所欠缺」。箇中原因,希望藉著上文,總算作了粗畧的交代。若有冒犯或失言之處,萬望康徽兄包容和寬恕!

Monday, May 5, 2014

Did Enoch and Elijah Receive the Grace of Bodily Assumption?

A former Catechism Revisited Program participant asked me the following question:

In the Bible, both Enoch (Gen 5:21) and Elijah (2 Kgs 2:11) appear to have been taken up in bodily form by God. Were they also assumed into heaven like Mary?

My answer is as follows:

In the Bible, it appears that three OT figures have been assumed into heaven in bodily form:

ENOCH - Related scriptural references: Gen 5:21; Sir 44:16, 49:14; Heb 11:5
ELIJAH - Related scriptural references: 2 Kgs 2:11; 1 Mac 2:58
MOSES - According to Deut 34:6, nobody knows the whereabouts of his buried body. Jude 9 depicts a mysterious rivalry between Satan and the Archangel Michelangelo, battling for Moses' body.

What added to the possibility of the bodily assumption of Elijah and Moses is their bodily appearance in Jesus' Transfiguration in Mt. 17:3.

Some people dispute the possibility of bodily assumption of these OT figures on the ground that they couldn't possibly have been received into heaven when heaven, according to Church teaching, was not opened up until the completion of Jesus' economy of salvation. According to Catholic Answer, this can only be explained as "a special grace" that God accorded these OT individuals.

You are quite correct in saying that the assumptions of Enoch, Elijah, and Moses - if true, proven, and scripturally established - means that the Assumption of Mary cannot be seen as a mere imagination of the Catholic mind. In fact, the belief in Mary's Assumption dates back to the apostolic age, and the celebration of the Feast of Assumption had been a common practice as far back as the 4th century. Incidentally Martin Luther made the observance of this feast mandatory on his liturgical calendar.

Scripturally speaking, references to Mary's Assumption are understandably lacking due to the fact that the event did not occur until most of the NT books had been written. But the cosmic "woman" in Rev 12, who "gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod"; who was clothed with glory and appeared in bodily form in heaven; does speak volume about this doctrine.

It is only fitting that the Bible begins with a "woman" who in her virginity put on leaves of shame, and ends with a "woman" who in her virginity put on the garment of glory (cf. St. Ephrem of Syria, Mathews and Amar, op.cit., 278-279).