I am the Lord, your God

Third Sunday of Lent

Readings: Exodus 20:1-7; Psalm 19; 1 Cor 1:22-25; John 2:13-25

In October 2015, Ten Commandments monument was removed from a government property in Oklahoma, US. The action was ordered by a court and the removal was done during the night. That act has a symbolic significance. The twenty first century man has usurped the role of liberator and legislator and is establishing new criteria of good and evil. But that is not what the Bible says: “I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the place of slavery”. Only God can set us free and with this freedom comes responsibility. For a believer certain actions are forbidden – “thou shalt not” – and certain deeds are necessary – “thou shalt”.

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, comes to the temple and finds it being transformed into “a house of merchandise” (John 2:16). When a house of prayer becomes money making enterprise something is really wrong. Jesus’ symbolic action of cleansing the temple reminds us about the priority of theology over economy, worship of God over making profit. “The love of money is the root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim 6:10). On the other hand, in knowing Jesus Christ is life eternal (John 17:3).

“Jews demand signs and Greek look for wisdom” (1 Cor 1:22). The sign and wisdom meet in the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Christianity is the most persecuted religion globally. Some reports indicate that one Christian is killed every 11 minutes somewhere on earth for their faith. Yet, at the same time Christianity is one of the fastest growing religions, with nearly 70,000 added each day – through conversion and births into Christian families. Why is that so? Christ crucified draws people to Himself. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16) for you and me. Jesus lived for God and for us and this life of love to the point of shedding blood for sinful humanity defeated death.

Ten Commandments, the prediction of death and resurrection of Christ, and preaching Christ crucified form the message of today’s liturgy of the Word. The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders. Through the ‘sign and wonder’ of the Cross and Resurrection, Lord Jesus brings us out of sin into freedom of God’s children. “I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the place of slavery. You shall not have other gods beside me” (Ex 20:3).

The refrain of today’s responsorial psalm contains the words of apostle Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6: 68). To whom do you go ? Turn toward Christ crucified who loves you and gave His life for you. Only He has the words of eternal life and in Him you can find freedom and salvation.

通过十字架走向复活

四旬期第二主日

今日读经一中的命令令人震惊：“带你心爱的独生子依撒格，往摩黎雅地方去，在我所要指给你的一座山上，将他献为全燔祭”（创22:2）。在整部圣经中，天主从没有要求其他任何人做同样的事情。还有，导致耶路撒冷于公元前586年沦陷的诸多罪恶之一，是焚烧“自己的子女”，祭献给外邦人的神巴耳，这是天主“从未吩咐或想到的”（耶7:31，19:5-6）。那里究竟发生了什么事？

《天主教教理》可以帮助我们理解读经一的真正意义。通过甘愿牺牲自己所爱的独生子，“信德之父（亚巴郎）竟肖似天父，天父不吝惜自己的独生子（也是所爱的独生子），反而为了我们众人的得救，把祂交出”（2572）。读经一是一个预言，这预言在耶稣基督身上应验了。耶稣在加尔瓦略山上的献祭，是天主爱每一个人的最完美表达。“天主的羔羊除免世罪”，而这里一只公绵羊代替了依撒格。

当耶稣第一次预言他将死于十字架上时，伯多禄公开斥责了他。这种反应，不论过去，还是现在，都彰显出人类的愚昧，不明白天主的计划（谷8:32-33）。因此，今天天父命令我们听从祂的爱子（谷9:7）。这种听从意味着接受真理，即没有十字架，就没有复活。“我实实在在告诉你们：一粒麦子如果不落在地里死了，仍只是一粒；如果死了，才能结出许多子粒来”（若12:24）。“生命，只能来自死亡和放弃自我”（本笃十六世）。

“若是天主偕同我们，谁能反对我们呢？”（罗8:31）这话是出自那位为了福音的缘故而舍弃自己生命的人。即使整个世界都可能反对我们，但这又有何妨？因为耶稣向我们揭示了此生之后的生命奥秘：“他的衣服发光，那样洁白，世上没有一个漂布的能漂得那样白。厄里亚和梅瑟也显现给他们，正在同耶稣谈论”（谷9:3-4）。的确，在那里真好！但我们不能长留在那里（此世）。从大博尔山上下来后，门徒们想知道“从死者中复活是什么意思”（谷9:10）。答案会在复活节早上找到：“基督耶稣，那已死或更好说已复活，现今在天主右边，代我们转求”（罗8:34）。

根据《希伯来书》，因着相信“天主有使人从死者中复活的能力”（希11:19），亚巴郎得以战胜今日的考验。主耶稣“为那摆在祂面前的欢乐”（希12:2）而忍受了十字架。保禄在狱中写到他渴求与基督同在（斐1:23）。当我们今天从显圣容的大博尔山上下来，面对十字架时，让我们永远不要错过摆在我们前面的：“我要在活人的地域，在上主的面前行走”（咏116:9）。

Love until it hurts

One of the most ‘uncomfortable’ speeches ever made

The National Prayer Breakfast is an event held annually in Washington DC for the political, social, and business elite to assemble and build relationships. The most important part of the event is the morning speech to be delivered by a speaker whose identity is kept confidential. In 1994 Mother Teresa took to the stage and delivered one of the most ‘uncomfortable’ speeches ever made during that event. The audience included the President and the First Lady, Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Vice President and Mrs. Gore

A tiny elderly Catholic nun stood among the top influential policy and opinion makers talking about God’s love and its consequences for our lives. She did not tremble. Instead, she invited everyone to pray together the prayer of Saint Francis, “Lord, make me the instrument of peace”. At first, the congregation did not join. She paused and reminded them that they have that prayer in front of them. Then, she asked whether they were ready to pray now. To make the powerful of this world to pray together was in itself quite an extraordinary achievement. But it did not end there.

She quoted two passages from the Scripture. The first was the last judgement (Matt 25:31-46) in which she stressed the famous statement: “Whatever you did for the least of my brethren, you did it for me”. The second one was from the first letter of John: “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). Then, she pointed out that this love-charity begins at home: “family that prays together stays together”.

One day she visited a house for the elderly. They had everything – excellent caretakers, good meals, and TV sets. Yet, there was no joy and everybody was looking towards the door. They were waiting for their sons and daughters to visit them, but nobody was coming. Then, she challenged those powerful people, busy and focused on success, whether or not there was someone at their home waiting for them, waiting for a sign of their love.

Then, she moved to a more controversial topic. “The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion”. You could imagine how the pro-choice people in the audience felt. If it were you or me, we would be silenced or booed immediately. Yet, nobody interrupted her. When she finished presenting the reason why destroying a child in mother’s womb is such a terrible crime, many people in the audience applauded, but not all. Some – you can guess who – felt extremely uncomfortable. But, she did not mind. She continued.

She moved to artificial birth control. “If you do not want the child, please give it to me”. She said that there are many families waiting for a child. Adoption was her solution to the problem of abortion. But, she said: “I never give a child to a couple that has used contraception”. Contraception is selfish, love is selfless. It welcomes a new life as the gift from God. Again, you could guess how those who advocated contraception felt. Commenting on the entire speech, Peggy Noonan – author and former presidential speech writer – said: “When she was finished, there was almost no one she hadn’t offended” (Time Magazine, Sept 15, 1997).

I admire her courage but I am particularly struck by this question: ‘Are you willing to love till it hurts?’ Am I willing to love till it hurts? Families are disintegrating, marriages break apart, commitments are revoked, because we are not willing to love till it hurts. We love others till it is convenient, but Jesus loves us till the cross.

Sensing how challenging it must have been for those powerful people to be lectured about the truth and morality, she ended up on a lighter note. Once, she visited a woman suffering terribly from a cancer. In order to console her, our Saint said that this sickness was only the kiss of Jesus, that she had come so closed to the Cross that Jesus could kiss her. The woman joined her hands as in prayer and said: “Mother Teresa, please tell Jesus to stop kissing me.” Everybody laughed and the atmosphere eased.

Twenty four years have passed since that speech and yet its content remains as explosive now as it was then. “Love until it hurts. You must love with your time, your hands, and your hearts. You need to share all that you have”. Saint Mother Teresa reminded us the truth of the Gospel. Christian life is a journey from selfishness to selflessness. Jesus paved the way and invited us to follow.

Towards Easter through the Cross

Second Sunday of Lent – Year B

Readings: Gen 22:1-2,9a,10-13, 15-18; Psalm 116; Rom 8:31b-34; Mark 9:2-10

Today’s first reading contains a shocking command: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you” (Gen. 22:2) . Throughout the entire Scriptures, God never asks anyone else to do such a thing. Moreover, one of the many sins that led to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC was the terrible sin of sacrificing “their sons and daughter” to Baal – a pagan local deity, something that God “never commanded or considered” (Jer 7:31; 19: 5-6). What’s going on here?

The Catechism helps us understand the true meaning of the first reading. By being ready to sacrifice his only and beloved son, “the father of the believers [Abraham] has become like the Father who will not spare his own Son [also the only and beloved], but will give Him up for us all” (CCC 2572). The first reading is a prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The sacrifice of Jesus on the hill of Golgotha is the greatest manifestation of God’s love for each one of us. “Behold, the Lamb of God” and a ram replaced Isaac in today’s story.

When Jesus mentioned his death on the cross for the first time, Peter publicly rebuked him. This reaction was and remains a manifestation of human thinking that does not understand God’s plans (Mk 8: 32-33). Therefore, today, the Father from heaven commands us to obey His beloved Son (Mark 9: 7). This obedience refers to accepting the truth that there is no resurrection without the cross. “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit”(John 12:24). “Life comes only through death, through loss of self” (Benedict XVI).

“If God is for us, who can be against us? “(Romans 8:31). These words were written by someone who sacrificed his life for the sake of the Gospel. Although the whole world may be against us, it does not matter. Jesus has revealed to us the mystery of life after this life: “And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus”(Mark 9: 3-4). How good it is to be there, yet we cannot remain. Coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration the disciples were wondering “what rising from the dead meant” (Mark 9:10). They will find the answer on Easter morning: “Christ Jesus it is who died – or, rather, was raised – who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us” (Rom 8:34) .

According to the letter to the Hebrews, Abraham was able to pass today’s test because of his faith that “God was able to raise even from the dead” (Heb 11:19). Our Lord was able to endure the cross, “for the sake of the joy that lay before Him” (Heb 12:2). Apostle Paul from a prison wrote about his intense desire to be with Christ (Phil 1:23). As we are coming down today from the Mount of Transfiguration to face the scandal of the Cross let us never lose the sight of what lies ahead of us: “I shall walk before the Lord, in the land of the living” (Ps 116:9).

在旷野中避静

四旬期第一主日

四旬期第一主日始于一端关于全新伊始的教理内容。以罪恶为标志的旧世界，已被洪水冲洗尽净，而我们借着洗礼之水得以拯救，加里肋亚听到了天主的福音，死亡之地也听到了关于基督战胜死亡的好消息。

诺厄、方舟、水和彩虹，都是救恩的象征。因着拯救人类免遭毁灭，诺厄成为人类救主基督的象征。方舟是教会的象征，所有在教会内渴望经验救恩的人，都能寻得庇护。泛滥的洪水象征着毁灭罪恶的洗礼之水。洪水退却之后的彩虹，是天主与人类立约的标志；圣洗之水中蕴藏着救恩之所在——神圣十字架的标记。被钉十字架的基督拥抱全人类，为的是“将我们带到天主前”（伯前3:18）。

渡过红海之后，旧约子民被带入旷野，经历了四十年的考验。他们最终离开了埃及四百年之久的压迫和奴役（创15:13）。经过约旦河之后，主耶稣也被引入旷野，经历了撒旦四十天的试探。祂在纳匝肋隐度生活三十年之后，开始了公开宣讲福音。我们领受了圣洗圣事，就是离开以往的罪恶，儿开始天主儿女的自由和全新的生活。

进入旷野——今日避静的地方，其实是进入经受试探的时刻，是进入感受天主眷顾的时刻。虽然我们置身于“野兽之中”，但有天使们侍奉我们（谷1:13）；原来，这些天使们奉派遣“给那些要承受救恩的人服务”（希1:14）。旷野，教导我们人是灵魂与身体的合一体。“人生活不但靠食物，而且也靠上主口中所发的一切言语”（申8:3）。每日食粮使我们的身体强健，而每日圣言使我们的灵魂强健。如果我们不用圣言来滋养自己的生命，我们就会中途跌倒，如同绝大多数出离埃及，却没有到达恩许之地的人一样，“倒毙在旷野里”（格前10:5）。

主耶稣在旷野中跨越了各种试探。祂经历了试探，如今来帮助我们（希2:18），呼召我们悔改并信从。主耶稣也从死亡的权势下胜利归来。祂为所有人经历了死亡（希2:9），也“去给那些在狱中的灵魂宣讲过”（伯前3:19）。“时期已满，天主的国临近了，你们悔改，信从福音吧”（谷1:15）。

今天，圣神带领我们——教会的子女，体验苦难期避静。我们会面临邪恶，但在我们领受洗礼的那一刻开始，圣神便永存于我们内，祂会保护我们。我们将蒙受天主圣言的滋养，并得享天主殿中众天使的侍奉，故此，时期一满，我们必要向世人宣布：基督已经从死者中复活了，祂真的复活了！

Retreat in the desert

First Sunday of Lent – Year B

The Readings: Gen 9:8-15; Psalm 25; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15

The first Sunday of Lent begins with a catechesis on the new beginning. The old world, marked by sin, was cleansed by the waters of the flood and we are saved by the waters of Baptism, Galilee hears the Gospel of God and the land of the dead the Good News about the victory of Christ over death.

Noah, the ark, water and the rainbow are the symbols of salvation. By saving humanity from destruction Noah symbolizes Christ the Redeemer of humankind. The Ark is a symbol of the Church, in which all those who want to experience salvation find shelter. The waters of the flood symbolize the waters of Baptism that destroys sin. Above the receding waters of the deluge was a rainbow – a sign of God’s covenant with humanity; above the waters of the Holy Baptism shines the sign of the Holy Cross in which there is salvation. The crucified Christ embraces all humanity in order to “bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

After crossing the Red Sea, the people of the Old Testament were brought to the desert and tested for forty years. They left behind four hundred years of oppression and slavery in Egypt – (Genesis 15:13). After passing through the waters of the Jordan, our Lord is led into the wilderness, where he spends forty days tempted by Satan. Thirty years of hidden life in Nazareth has ended, and the time to proclaim the Gospel is about to come. After emerging from the waters of Baptism, we have left sin behind in order to begin a new life in the freedom of God’s children.

The wilderness – the place of today’s retreat – is a time of temptation and a time to experience God’s providence. Although we are “in the midst of wild animals”, the angels serve us (Mk 1:13), sent “to serve those who will inherit salvation” ( Heb 1:14). The wilderness teaches that human being is the unity of soul and body. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8: 3). Daily bread strengthens our body, and daily Word of God strengthens our souls. Without nourishing ourselves with God’s Word we will fall on our way, like all those who came from Egypt but did not make it to the Promised Land – “they were struck down in the desert” (1 Cor 10: 5).

Our Lord passed the test in the desert with flying colors. Having experienced temptations, He now comes to help us (Heb. 2:18) calling us to repentance and faith. Our Lord also came out victoriously from the struggle against the power of death. Having experienced death for us all (Heb 2: 9), Christ went to proclaim the Gospel to “the spirits in prison” in the land of death (1 Peter 3:19). “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Today, the Holy Spirit leads us – the children of the Church – to experience the Lenten retreat. We will face evil, but the Holy Spirit abiding in us since our baptism will protect us. We will be nourished by the Word of God and the Bread of the angels in the House of God, and when the time is fulfilled we shall announce to the world: Christ is risen from the dead, He is truly risen!

为使他们得救

常年期第六主日

麻风病，一种传染疾病，是今日圣道礼仪的中心。为了保护他人免受这类感染， 《肋未纪》命令麻风病人居于营外，并要时刻将自己的情况告知其他人:“不洁! 不洁!”(肋 13:45)麻风病有其象征意义。罪恶玷污了我们的灵性，成为不洁; 而且，罪人用自己的罪影响或感染他人。这一点我们可以看到，社会和哲学潮流 的影响导向真理丢失、道德败坏。

麻风病人的治愈故事，是耶稣在加里肋亚所做福传工作的一部分。祂离开葛法翁 到其它地方教导人(谷 1:38)，在今日福音所描述的事件之后，祂返回那里(谷 2:1)。在那里的福传工作，包括在会堂里施教和驱逐魔鬼(谷 1:39)——不洁之 灵(谷 1:23-25)。清除加里肋亚的邪恶力量，这一点尤其在今天的福音中较显突 出。“你若愿意，就能洁净我”(谷 1:40)。麻风病人并没有要求医治。他跪在地 上只是请求，而将决定权留给耶稣。我们从中可以学到很多——谦卑、顺服天主 的旨意、信赖耶稣。“我愿意，你洁净了吧”(谷 1:41)。信德与怜悯相逢，“麻风 病立时脱离了他”(谷 1:42)。但故事到此并未结束。

“什么也不可告诉人”(谷 1:44)。他的不顺服以某种方式挫败了耶稣的计划。救 主耶稣原本打算公然进城，但只好留在外边荒野的地方。祂不再走遍全加里肋亚， 而是人们从四面八方来到祂面前。这一改变的原因何在?耶稣禁止宣扬那个奇迹， 即是原因。宣讲福音是危险的。耶稣作为宣讲者和治愈者，其名声也引起了对手 的注意。在那次治愈之后，立刻就有“浓云”逐渐聚集于基督的使命之上。经师 (谷 2:6-7)和法利塞人(谷 2:16)开始紧盯着祂的活动，除掉耶稣的决定也即 将产生(谷 3:6)。

“效法我，如我效法了基督一样”(格前 11:1)。效法基督，意味着不去寻求自己 的利益，而是他人的利益，“为使他们得救”(格前 10:33)。耶稣触摸麻风病人， 显然不是为寻求自己的利益;相反，祂使自己成为不洁的。主耶稣自己承担了罪 恶的“传染疾病”，这样人类便可以经验得救。圣保禄紧随主的脚步。在传扬福 音中，保禄宗徒寻求所有人——犹太人、希腊人和天主的教会之益处。他非常清 楚，只有天主子耶稣基督的福音能够洁净受罪恶污染的世界和人类。“罪恶蒙赦 免，过犯得遮掩的人，是有福的!”(咏 32:1)

That They May be Saved

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: Lev 13:1-2, 44-46; Ps 32; 1 Cor 10:31-11:1; Mark 1:40-45

Leprosy, an infectious disease, is at the center of the liturgy of the Word today. To protect others against this infection, the Book of Leviticus orders the sick person to live outside the camp and inform others about his condition: “unclean, unclean” (Lev 13:45). Leprosy has also a symbolic meaning. Sin makes us spiritually unclean. What’s more, sinful person infects others with their sin. We see that in the influence of social and philosophical currents that lead to the loss of truth and the decline of morality.

The story of healing the leper is part of the Galilean mission of Jesus. He left Capernaum to teach in other places (Mk 1:38), and he returns there after the events described in today’s Gospel (Mark 2: 1). This mission was characterized by teaching in the synagogues and casting out demons (Mk 1:39) – unclean spirits (Mk 1: 23-25). The cleaning of Galilee from the power of evil is particularly highlighted in today’s Gospel. “If you wish, you can make me clean” (Mk 1:40). The leper does not demand to be healed. He asks, falls on his knees, and leaves the decision to Jesus. We can learn a lot here about humility, surrender to God’s will, and trust in Jesus. “I do will it. Be made clean” (Mk 1:41). Faith and mercy meet with each other and “the leprosy left him immediately” (Mk 1:42). However, this is not the end of the story.

“See that you tell no one anything” (Mk 1:44). His disobedience somehow thwarted Jesus’ plans. Instead of entering openly into a city, the Savior resides in deserted places. He does not go throughout all Galilee anymore, instead people come to Him from all directions. What was the reason for this change? Jesus’ ban not propagate that miracle had its reason. Proclaiming the Gospel is dangerous. Jesus’ fame as a preacher and healer also attracted the attention of his opponents. Immediately after that healing, the clouds are slowly gathering over the mission of Christ. The scribes (Mk 2: 6-7) and the Pharisees (Mk 2:16) begin to look closely at His mission and soon the decision to destroy Jesus will be made (Mk 3: 6).

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ “(1 Cor 11: 1). Imitating Christ means not seeking one’s own benefit, but the good of others, “that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:33). By touching the leper Jesus did not seek his own benefit. On the contrary, He made himself unclean. Our Lord takes upon himself the infectious disease of sin so humankind can experience salvation. Saint Paul followed in the footsteps of the Lord. When proclaiming the Gospel, the apostle sought the good of all – Jews, Greeks and the Church of God. He knew perfectly well that only the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is able to cleanse the world and humanity from the contamination of sin. “Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered.” (Psalm 32: 1). Amen.