Wednesday, August 28, 2019

用謙卑和敬畏至聖之心參與彌撒

為什麼天主教徒在參與彌撒的時候,會下跪、低頭、捶胸和做各種謙卑自己的動作?我們現在明白了。


本主日的主題很清楚—謙卑。讀經一的每一節都洋溢着這主題:「我兒,執行你的工作時,應當謙和 ⋯ 你越偉大,在一切事上越當謙下 ⋯」(德 3:17-18)。在福音裏,耶穌叫人赴婚宴時,要坐末席,祂的訊息也是謙卑。但是為什麼本主日的讀經二要取自致希伯來人書第12 章,那使人恐慌震慄的西乃山天主顯現的場面卻不太清楚。當然,這場面是萬分觸目的,但那被西乃山的嚴峻氣氛和「烈火、濃雲、黑暗、暴風、號筒的響聲」所震懾而嚇至魂飛魄散的整代以色列人,與謙卑這題目究竟有什麼關係(希 12:18-19)?就讓我們認真思考一下。

要了解希 12 ,當從整部《希伯來書》的角度看。連繫著這書的一個共同點在於兩組強烈對比:那可見的與不可見的,以及地上的與天上的。對作者來說,可見的和地上的是預示的表象,把我們指向那不可見的和天上的。有很多例子,但在這簡短的反思中,我們只引申其中一個來說明。在舊約聖經,大司祭在會幕中代表以色列民奉獻禮品和祭獻,為使他們的罪得到赦免。但其實在一所由人手興建的建築物中,奉獻農穫、飛鳥、動物等受造物,並不足以赦罪。《希伯來書》明白這些獻祭只是一個預示,指向著耶穌。祂為救贖我們的罪,在十字架上以自己的身體作祭獻。祂是永恆的大司祭,進入了那看不見的天上聖所,獻出自己的寶血,為全人類獲得永恆的救恩。

同樣地,「那可捉摸的」 西乃山和那令以色列人魂飛魄散的天主顯現的經驗,其實是要將我們指向熙雍山,即「永生天主的城,天上的耶路撒冷」 (12:18, 22)。聚集在天上耶路撒冷的是何人?「千萬天使的盛會,和那些已被登錄在天上的首生者的集會,接近了審判眾人的天主,接近了已獲得成全的義人的靈魂,接近了新約的中保耶穌」(12:22-24)。這是什麼場合的盛會?這是個欽崇朝拜天主的禮儀。為什麼要欽崇朝拜?他們沒有其他事做嗎?這是因為我們生命的意義就是為了欽崇天主—我們生命中的每一刻都應該光榮天主,祂是我們的整個存有,我們生而為人的理由,祂當受我們全心全意的欽崇和讚美。我們在世的時候未必會這樣做,但在天堂,我們會這樣做:每一刻都是為天主和與祂共融而活。所以創世記六天創世的記述在第七天達到了高峰,即安息日,天主之日。我們本來就是為了歸向天主而受造。這樣看吧:一個不為天主而活和不與祂共融的人,會是怎樣的呢?聽來他好像是在地獄,在一個受永罰的地方。

《希伯來書》的作者提醒當時的基督徒團體,他們參與彌撒聖祭時「並不是走近了那可觸摸的」(12:18)。藉着可見的聖祭,他們「卻接近了熙雍山和永生天主的城,天上的耶路撒冷」,「接近了千萬天使的盛會和那些已被登錄在天上的首生者的集會,接近了審判眾人的天主,接近了已獲得成全的義人的靈魂,接近了新約的中保耶穌」,而成為天上聖祭的參與者 (12:18, 22-24, 天主教教理 1136, 1139) !

如果西乃山上的以色列民,只是「走近了那可觸摸的」- 那為我們指向的標記 – 便已經如此震慄驚嚇,那麼當我們基督徒以敬畏至聖的心參與彌撒聖祭,知道自己接近的是那真實的奧秘—「熙雍山和永生天主的城,天上的耶路撒冷」時,我們豈不更應該要謙卑自己(12:22)?彌撒是真正「天國臨現人間」;而根據教宗聖若望保祿二世,「我們在地上慶祝的,是參與天上禮儀的奧蹟」。人經常會問為什麼天主教徒在參與彌撒的時候,會下跪、低頭、捶胸和做各種謙卑自己的動作?我們現在明白了。

Attending Mass with Humility and Holy Fear

Why do the Catholics genuflect, bow their heads, strike their chests, and make all kinds of gestures to humble themselves in the Mass? Now we know why.


It is clear what the theme of this Sunday is. Humility. It permeates every verse of the first reading: “My child, conduct your affairs with humility…Humble yourself the more, the greater you are…” (Sir 3:17-18). In the gospel, it is also Jesus’ message when he asks people to take the lowest place at the wedding banquet table out of humility. What is not so clear, however, is why the featured story of this Sunday’s second reading is from Hebrews 12 - the frightening scene of the Sinai theophany. While the spectacle is impressive, what do the stern and terrifying atmosphere of Mount Sinai and a whole generation of Israelites cowering under the threat of “a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm and a trumpet blast” have to do with the overall theme of humility (Hebrews 12:18-19)? Let’s think this through carefully.

To understand the Hebrews 12 passage properly, one must read it in the context of the whole book of Hebrews. One common thread running through Hebrews is the stark contrast between the visible and invisible dimensions, and the earthly and heavenly elements. To the author, the visible and the earthly are signs prefiguring, or pointing us to, the invisible and the heavenly. Numerous are the examples, but in this brief reflection we shall highlight just one to illustrate our point. In the OT, the high priest represents the people of Israel to offer gifts and sacrifices in the tabernacle for the redemption of their sins. But the offering of created things – harvests, birds, animals – in an earthly structure built by human hands is incapable of redeeming sins. Hebrews understands such offerings as a sign foreshadowing and pointing us to Jesus’ redemptive offering of his own body on the cross. He is the eternal High Priest who entered into the invisible sanctuary of heaven and offered his own blood to obtain eternal redemption for all.

Similarly, Mount Sinai, “which could be touched”, and the terrorizing theophany that Israel experienced are a sign pointing us to Mount Zion, “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (12:18, 22). Who are the people gathering in the heavenly Jerusalem? “[C]ountless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant” (12:22-24). What is the occasion of this gathering? It’s a liturgical worship. But why worship? Don’t they have better things to do? This is because worship is what life is meant to be – every moment of our life is for the glorification of God, who is the reason for our being and is worthy of the undivided attention and praise of worship. While we are not necessarily doing that in this world, that’s what we will do in heaven: living every moment of our life for God and in union with Him. This is why 6 days of creation in the Genesis creation account culminates in the Sabbath – the 7th day, the day of the Lord. We are created for worship. Look at it this way: What happens to a person when he doesn’t live for God and is not in union with Him? That sounds like he’s in hell, a place of eternal damnation.

The author of Hebrews reminds the Christian community of his day that when they attend the Mass liturgy “You have not approached that which could be touched” (12:18). Through the visible liturgy, they have “approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” to become part of the heavenly worship where “countless angels in festal gathering,
and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant” are celebrating (12:18, 22-24, CCC 1136, 1139)!

If the Israelites at Mount Sinai, who had only “approached that which could be touched”, that which was only a sign pointing us to the real thing, were already terror-stricken; how much more should we Christians humble ourselves and go to Mass with holy fear in our hearts, knowing that what we have approached is mysteriously the real thing - “Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (12:22)? For the Mass is truly “heaven on earth”; what “we celebrate on earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy” according to Pope St. John Paul II. People often ask: why do the Catholics genuflect, bow their heads, strike their chests, and make all kinds of gestures to humble themselves in the Mass? Now we know why.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

“All Things Are Vanity” (Ecc 1:2)

When that day comes, hopefully my son would also be confident that his dad “is rich in what matters to God” (Luke 12:21).

Soon after my dad’s funeral about 4 years ago, my siblings in New York City and I had to clear out his senior apartment in order to return it to the housing authority. A few weeks ago, I had to do the same for my mother-in-law; her senior apartment had been her residence for more than 15 years. But this time, it was done with my son’s assistance and for a different reason: she had been admitted into a senior home. Although the two experiences and the circumstances were not exactly identical, the emptiness and sinking feelings that captivated my heart as I went through my loved ones’ personal belongings were eerily the same.

It was a painstaking process of examining, reminiscing over, and eventually getting rid of somebody’s very personal possessions: old letters, including some written by me; cassette tapes and CDs that were familiar to me when growing up or younger; tarnished photos with images of people known to me, including images of myself and my family members; personal contacts; exquisite gifts and fine clothes from their loved ones, including me, that were tucked away neatly in special places. It’s a heartbreaking process that ended in the riddance of many things that had once been so dear to the heart of the deceased or the person no longer living there. It was also a very intimate process because what I sifted through were somebody’s personal possessions accumulated over many years. I was privileged to enter the personal chamber of somebody’s life.

“Vanity of vanities…All things are vanity!”, this Sunday’s first reading is ringing out loud in my head as I reflect on the above experiences (Ecc 1:2). In the gospel, Jesus also cautions us not to follow the footsteps of the rich man in his parable, who spends many years of his life storing up earthly “good things” but “is not rich in what matters to God” (Luke 12:19, 21).

Nobody other than God Himself can judge whether somebody is saved (Mt. 7:1). As St. Paul explains, “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?” (Rm 8:24). But when it comes to my dad and my mother-in-law, I know the heavenly treasures that they have stored for themselves are plentiful; I am convinced, having lived and interacted with them for so many years, that throughout their lives they have followed St. Paul’s teaching in the second reading closely and sought “what is above” (Col 3:1). The realization is of great consolation to me.

As I methodically sifted through my mother-in-law’s belongings together with my son, I couldn’t help but realize that when the time comes for me to check into a senior home or leave this world, he just might be the one doing the same painstaking work for me. When that day comes, hopefully his heart, burdened inevitably by the same emptiness and sinking feelings that had once burdened his dad’s, would also be lifted up in faith and hope, believing that his dad “is rich in what matters to God” (Luke 12:21).