常年期第十四主日

天主需要我們，福音不靠勢力

讀經一：(依66:10-14)：天主要賜耶路撒冷和平與安慰
讀經二：(迦6:14-18)：要成為新造的人
福　音：(路10:1-12,17-20)：派遣七十二門徒傳教
中國文化：天之將喪斯文也，後死者不得與於斯文也；天之未喪斯文也，匡人其如予何？

那時，主選出了另外的七十二人，派遣他們兩個兩個在他之前，先往他將要到的各城各地去。耶穌對他們說：「莊稼多，工人少，所以你們應當求莊稼的主人，派遣工人來收他的莊稼。你們去吧！我派遣你們去，如同派遣羔羊到狼群中。你們不要帶錢包，不要帶行囊，也不要帶鞋……要對他們說：天主的國已經臨近你們了。」（路10:1-4,9）

「天國」已經臨近，天主已經決定要重整歷史，恢復上主創世時世界原有的秩序。

我們的天主不是一個高高在上，等待人們去膜拜的神。我們的天主關心人類，他親自進入了人類的歷史，分享和參與了我們的一切。

但他不會直接管理世界。他透過父母使子女明白什麼叫愛，他透過老師去教導學生如何做人，他透過大自然去讓人看到他的美善，他透過時代的徵兆，去告訴我們他的聖意、他的計劃，和他要我們如何成為世界的光、鹽和酵

天主需要我們去和他合作，以執行他的救世計劃。為了傳揚福音，他更需要我們。

所以他找了十二位宗徒，又另外選出了七十二人，「派遣他們兩個兩個在他之前，先往他將要到的各城各地去」，為他的親身來臨作好準備。

這十二人和七十二人，都是上主所召選的人，是一群和基督志同道合的人。他們被基督的說話吸引，受基督的人格感召，因上主的聖寵而感動；他們就好像保祿一樣「身上帶有耶穌的烙印」（迦6:17）。

當基督離開世界以後，他們就是基督在世的「口」，用來宣講的；是基督在世的「手」，用來祝福的；是基督在世的「身體」，因為他們已穿上了基督。保祿甚至說：「如今我在為你們受苦，反覺高興，因為這樣我可在我的肉身上，為基督的身體??教會，補充基督的苦難所欠缺的。」（哥1:24）

基督在世時需要助手，基督今日也需要助手，尤其當「莊稼多，工人少」的時候，基督更需要有更多人去回應他的召喚，收割上主的莊稼。

但這些蒙召的人，這些基督的助手們，他們要具備什麼條件呢？他們需要有什麼裝備呢？

「不要帶錢包，不要帶行囊，也不要帶鞋」，這是耶穌的吩咐。瑪竇福音說得更徹底：「你們不要在腰帶裡備下金、銀、銅錢；路上不要帶口袋，也不要帶兩件內衣，也不要穿鞋，也不要帶棍杖。」（瑪10:9-10）

我們可能聽過這句俗語：「金錢不是萬能，但沒有金錢，就萬萬不能。」這句俗語有點誇張，但耶穌的話也同樣有點誇張，因為他要用誇張的語氣，才能使我們明白：傳福音不必靠金、銀、銅錢，或其他類似的任何勢力，尤其是世俗的權勢。因為福音本身就有力量。

傳福音者也不必帶行囊、內衣、棍杖，或其他類似裝備。因為傳福音者大可輕裝上路，「用真理作帶，穿上正義作甲，以和平的福音作鞋，拿起信德作盾牌，戴上救恩當盔，拿著聖神作利劍。」(參考弗6:13-17)

孔子在亂世中傳道，他的信念來自上天的蔭庇，也是來自他對上天給他某種使命的意識，因此，他認為如果「天之將喪斯文也，後死者不得與於斯文也；天之未喪斯文也，匡人其如予何？」即是說，如果老天爺要讓中國的文明喪盡，他這個仍然在生的「後死者」就不會接觸到這個文明了，由此可知，老天爺是不願這個文明喪盡的；而如果老天爺不欲中國的文明喪盡，匡人或其他任何想迫害孔子的人，又怎能奈何得了孔子、阻擋得了孔子呢？

修會會士發神貧、貞潔、服從三願，一切神職人員也要具備相同的精神，無非也是為了使自己不被任何人和物所佔有，也不佔有任何人和物，以能瀟灑地與造物者遊，瀟遙地活在天地之間，為福音作最真誠、最全面而徹底的見證。

但這些人都需要有孔子的意識，醒覺到自己的生命，就是上主的恩賜；自己的力量，必須要為上主所用；自己看到的「時代訊號」，就是上主的話；自己對人、對世界、對教會的認識和擔憂，已經是上主的召叫。上主需要我們！

常年期第十四主日

天主需要我们，福音不靠势力

读经一：(依66:10-14)：天主要赐耶路撒冷和平与安慰
读经二：(迦6:14-18)：要成为新造的人
福　音：(路10:1-12,17-20)：派遣七十二门徒传教
中国文化：天之将丧斯文也，后死者不得与於斯文也；天之未丧斯文也，匡人其如予何？

那時，主选出了另外的七十二人，派遣他们两個两個在他之前，先往他将要到的各城各地去。耶稣对他们说：「庄稼多，工人少，所以你们应当求庄稼的主人，派遣工人来收他的庄稼。你们去吧！我派遣你们去，如同派遣羔羊到狼群中。你们不要带钱包，不要带行囊，也不要带鞋……要对他们说：天主的国已经临近你们了。」（路10:1-4,9）

「天国」已经临近，天主已经决定要重整历史，恢复上主创世時世界原有的秩序。

我们的天主不是一個高高在上，等待人们去膜拜的神。我们的天主关心人类，他亲自进入了人类的历史，分享和参与了我们的一切。

但他不会直接管理世界。他透過父母使子女明白什么叫爱，他透過老师去教导学生如何做人，他透過大自然去让人看到他的美善，他透過時代的徵兆，去告诉我们他的圣意、他的计劃，和他要我们如何成为世界的光、盐和酵

天主需要我们去和他合作，以执行他的救世计劃。为了传扬福音，他更需要我们。

所以他找了十二位宗徒，又另外选出了七十二人，「派遣他们两個两個在他之前，先往他将要到的各城各地去」，为他的亲身来临作好准备。

这十二人和七十二人，都是上主所召选的人，是一群和基督志同道合的人。他们被基督的说话吸引，受基督的人格感召，因上主的圣宠而感动；他们就好像保禄一样「身上带有耶稣的烙印」（迦6:17）。

当基督離開世界以后，他们就是基督在世的「口」，用来宣讲的；是基督在世的「手」，用来祝福的；是基督在世的「身体」，因为他们已穿上了基督。保禄甚至说：「如今我在为你们受苦，反觉高兴，因为这样我可在我的肉身上，为基督的身体??教会，补充基督的苦难所欠缺的。」（哥1:24）

基督在世時需要助手，基督今日也需要助手，尤其当「庄稼多，工人少」的時候，基督更需要有更多人去回应他的召唤，收割上主的庄稼。

但这些蒙召的人，这些基督的助手们，他们要具备什么条件呢？他们需要有什么装备呢？

「不要带钱包，不要带行囊，也不要带鞋」，这是耶稣的吩咐。玛窦福音说得更彻底：「你们不要在腰带里备下金、银、铜钱；路上不要带口袋，也不要带两件内衣，也不要穿鞋，也不要带棍杖。」（玛10:9-10）

我们可能听過这句俗语：「金钱不是万能，但没有金钱，就万万不能。」这句俗语有点夸张，但耶稣的话也同样有点夸张，因为他要用夸张的语气，才能使我们明白：传福音不必靠金、银、铜钱，或其他类似的任何势力，尤其是世俗的权势。因为福音本身就有力量。

传福音者也不必带行囊、内衣、棍杖，或其他类似装备。因为传福音者大可轻装上路，「用真理作带，穿上正义作甲，以和平的福音作鞋，拿起信德作盾牌，戴上救恩当盔，拿著圣神作利劍。」(参考弗6:13-17)

孔子在亂世中传道，他的信念来自上天的荫庇，也是来自他对上天给他某种使命的意识，因此，他认为如果「天之将丧斯文也，后死者不得与於斯文也；天之未丧斯文也，匡人其如予何？」即是说，如果老天爷要让中国的文明丧尽，他这個仍然在生的「后死者」就不会接触到这個文明了，由此可知，老天爷是不願这個文明丧尽的；而如果老天爷不欲中国的文明丧尽，匡人或其他任何想迫害孔子的人，又怎能奈何得了孔子、阻挡得了孔子呢？

修会会士发神贫、贞洁、服从三願，一切神职人员也要具备相同的精神，无非也是为了使自己不被任何人和物所占有，也不占有任何人和物，以能潇洒地与造物者游，潇遥地活在天地之间，为福音作最真诚、最全面而彻底的见证。

但这些人都需要有孔子的意识，醒觉到自己的生命，就是上主的恩赐；自己的力量，必须要为上主所用；自己看到的「時代讯号」，就是上主的话；自己对人、对世界、对教会的认识和担忧，已经是上主的召叫。上主需要我们！

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

God Needs Us - The Gospel Does Not Depend on Force

First Reading (Is 66: 10-14): God wants to give peace and consolation to Jerusalem
Second Reading (Gal 6: 14-18): Each of us must become a new person
Gospel (Lk 10: 1-12, 17-20): Seventy-two disciples are sent out to preach the Gospel
Chinese classics:
-“If Heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish, then I, a mortal who survived, should not have had such a relation to that cause. While Heaven does notwantt the cause of truth to perish, what can the people of Kwang do to me?” (1)

“After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them,‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals,... say to them. ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”(Lk 10: 1-4, 9)“

'The kingdom of heaven' is near. God had already decided to reorganize history and restore the world order that existed at the time of creation.

Our God is not a high, far- away Spirit waiting for people to worship Him. Our God cares about all of humankind. God has personally entered into human history, sharing everything with us and becoming involved in all our activities.

But God does not manage the world directly. Through parents God teaches children what love is, through teachers God teaches students how to behave as human beings, through nature God shows us His own goodness and beauty, through the ‘signs of the times' God lets us know His will and plans, and how we can become what God wishes, light for the world, salt and yeast.

God needs our cooperation in order to carry out His plan of salvation . Even more so God need us to spread the good news of the Gospel.

That is why Jesus chose the twelve apostles, then chose another seventy-two disciples, “sending them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.” They would complete preparations for his own personal arrival.

These twelve apostles and seventy-two others were chosen by God. They were a group of people who shared the same ideals and desires as Christ. They had been attracted by Christ's words and personality and had been touched by God's grace. In the same way as Paul, they “carried the marks of Jesus branded on their bodies.” (Gal 6: 17)

After Christ had left the world, they were his 'mouth' preaching throughout the world, his 'hands' blessing the world. They were Christ's 'body' because they had 'put on' Christ. Paul had even said, “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”(Col 1:24)

While on earth Christ needed helpers, today also Christ needs helpers. Especially when “the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few,” Christ needs even more people to respond to his call to harvest the crops God has planted.

What are the qualifications needed by those people who respond to Christ's call, those who will be his helpers? What kind of preparation should they make?

This is what Jesus ordered: “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” Matthew's Gospel says it even more clearly: “Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff. (Mt 10: 9-10).

Perhaps we have heard this old adage, “Money does not solve all problems, but without money, no problem can be solved.” This saying may be slightly exaggerated but sometimes Jesus' words are somewhat exaggerated. He needs to use this kind of exaggerated phrases in order to help us understand this: preaching the gospel does not depend on gold or silver coins or money, or other kinds of secular power, especially worldly authority. This is because the Gospel itself has its own power.

Those who preach the Gospel do not need to carry backpacks, extra sets of clothing, walking sticks or other similar baggage. Preachers of the Word are to travel lightly. “Fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace... Take the shield of faith … the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.” (cf Phil 6: 13-17)

Confucius taught in a time of turmoil. His faith came from the patronage of Heaven as well as his self-consciousness of the mission heaven had sent him. That was why he could say, “If Heaven had wished to let this cause of truth perish, then I, a mortal who survived, should not have had such a relation to that cause. While Heaven does want the cause of truth to perish, what can the people of Kwang do to me?” What he meant was that if the heavens wanted the Chinese culture to die out, he, as a 'man who would die later' would not be able to get in touch with that culture. From this it could be seen that the heavens did not want that culture to die out. And if the heavens did not want Chinese culture to disappear, neither the people of Kwang nor anyone else who wanted to persecute Confucius would be able to stop Confucius promoting that culture or do anything to him.

Men and women religious make three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. All clerics also want to have that kind of spirit. This is not only because they prefer to be detached from any person or material possession, but because they want to walk freely with their Creator and live lightheartedly in this world, so that they can become the most sincere and perfect witnesses to the Gospel.

However these people must also have Confucius' understanding and awareness that their lives are a gift from God and their abilities should be used for the Lord. They must recognize that 'the signs of the tines' which they themselves perceive are God's words and their own awareness and concern for others, the world and the church, are already God's call. God needs us!

 

(1)天之將喪斯文也，後死者不得與於斯文也；天之未喪斯文也，匡人其如予何？