舍生取义得永生
各位弟兄姐妹
在三年新冠肺炎疫情期间，我们常听到、看到“生命至上”这四个字。“生命至上”意在告诉人，生命的宝贵，既要珍爱自己的生命，也要珍重他人的生命。但在疫情期间，有不少人为了挽救他人的生命，而宁愿失去自己的生命，这是不是说这些人不爱惜自己的生命呢？或是他人的生命比自己的生命宝贵呢？为挽救他人生命而宁愿失去自己生命，这是道义，是仁爱，是把道义和仁爱置于自己的生命之上，因为道义、仁爱重于人的生命，高于人的生命。这也就是我国古代圣贤孔子所倡导的“杀身成仁”和孟子所提倡的“舍生取义”。“仁”“义”的源头是天主，“仁”“义”的圆满是主耶稣。因此，“杀身成仁，舍生取义”归根到底，是天主重于人的生命，高于人的生命。今天弥撒的三篇读经也在教训人要“杀身成仁，舍生取义”，方能得永生，得天国荣耀。现在我就以“舍身取义得永生”为道理题目，跟大家分享今天得弥撒读经。
一、甘受苦矢志不移
今天弥撒的读经一选自耶肋米亚先知书。耶肋米亚是旧约时代所有先知中，受苦最多、最相似基督的一位伟大先知。他在犹大国最艰困的时期，被天主拣选担任先知任务。犹大国眼看要亡国，人民要被流放到巴比伦，遭遇颠沛流离之苦，耶路撒冷城要毁灭，圣殿被烧毁。由于他爱自己的国家和人民，又从天主那里接受命令，他必须把这些不幸事件预告给本国的政要和人民，促使他们及时离弃邪恶，归向天主，信靠天主。结果政要讨厌他，民众恼恨他，讥笑他，甚至要谋害他。
尽管耶肋米亚先知因对国家和人民的爱以及对天主命令的服从，不断遭受折磨，痛苦不堪，坐立难安，甚至面临生命危险，尽管先知对天主给他的任务也表现出一些不满，觉得天主欺骗了他，但他并没有中止天主给他的先知的任务，仍然信赖天主的神力，他觉得在他心中“就像有火在焚烧”，催迫他矢志不移地执行先知的任务。
耶肋米亚先知是天主所拣选的先知，他如此受苦，正鼓励我们效法他。在我们的信仰生活中，我们也可能遇到这种情形，家人、邻居、同事、朋友会批评我们不合时宜，说我们思想落后，信迷信等，甚至当面给我们难堪，讥笑、侮辱和迫害我们，我们要学像耶肋米亚先知和主耶稣，绝不抱怨，甘心忍受，仍然继续爱他们，为他们祈祷。
二、全奉献敬礼天主
在我们教会中，敬礼天主最高的礼仪是弥撒圣祭，弥撒圣祭是主耶稣在最后晚餐中不流血的祭献的重演。在弥撒圣祭中，主耶稣为赦免人罪，把面饼变成自己的身体，把葡萄酒变成自己的血，以自己的身体作为祭品，祭献给天主；弥撒圣祭也是主耶稣在十字架上流血祭献的重演，主耶稣为救赎人类，甘愿受苦受难被钉死在十字架上。
我们如何敬礼我们的天主呢？是不是每天参与教会敬礼天主的最高礼仪弥撒圣祭就够了呢？在今天弥撒的读经二中，圣保禄宗徒告诉我们要把我们全部的生活：世俗生活与信仰生活结合在一起，也就是要把我们的身心和行动，当作圣洁、中悦天主的祭品，奉献给天主，才是真正的敬礼天主。
这样的生活标准，为我们普通教友是不是要求太高了呢？有的教友说，我们有许多俗务缠身，有许多繁忙事操心，怎么能叫我们常常想到天主呢？天主不要我们一天到晚跪在祂面前，说：“主啊！主啊！”，而要我们具有正当的动机，正当地、忠信地工作。如果我们按照天主的旨意，善尽职责，忙于俗务，那就是恭敬天主、光荣天主。
所以，我们一方面不能像教外人一样，全心俗务；另一方面我们也不该轻视俗务、轻视世界。天主没有禁止我们占有、享用世上的财物，祂创造世物，就是为我们人使用。人犯错，并不是在于利用世物，而是在于妄用世物；人犯错，是因为爱财物超过了爱创造财物的天主。因此我们要善用世上的财物，来争取天上永远的真福。
三、因主丧命得生命
在今天的弥撒福音中，主耶稣说：“谁若愿意救自己的性命，必要丧失性命；但谁若为我的原故，丧失自己的性命，必要获得性命。”主耶稣的这句话，与我国古圣孔子的“杀身成仁”和孟子的“舍生取义”有异曲同工之妙。因为人如果不这样做，别人一定讥笑他“为利背义，贪生怕死”。在我国历史上，有为爱国而死的，有为忠义而死的，有为尽孝而死的。因此，人爱惜生命，并非不择手段。或重于泰山，或轻于鸿毛；有的人死了他还活着，有的人活着他已死了。全在于人的选择。
今天9月3日，是庆祝中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利78周年纪念日。为了这场胜利，将近两亿人伤亡，61个国家和地区被卷入这场战争，中国死伤了几百名将军，将近400万陆军将士战死沙场，5000空军魂归长空，海军打光编制，3500多万民众伤亡，才最终赢得了胜利。 我们庆祝战争胜利，不是要牢记战争，而是要珍惜和平；要感谢当年在抗战中“杀身成仁”“舍身取义”的烈士们，正是因为有了他们的舍身，才有了我们现在平静安宁的生活。让我们继承和弘扬伟大抗战精神，铭记历史缅怀先烈，珍爱和平开创未来。
我们的主耶稣是真理，是正义，是仁爱，祂不仅教导自己的弟子杀身成仁，舍身取义，还以身作则，为全人类牺牲了自己的性命。祂在为人被钉在十字架上之前，不是不知道茹达斯要出卖祂，然而祂为救赎人类，甘愿舍身受难，被钉死在十字架上。
在我们教会的历史上，也有很多人效法主耶稣的榜样，甘愿为主殉道。如圣斯德望死于教会初期的教难，圣伯多禄圣保禄死于罗马第一次教难。等等。
我们在现代可能遇不到教难，也找不到机会为主殉道，但我们可有机会作日常的殉道烈士，也就是主耶稣在今天福音中告诉我们的“如果有人愿意跟随我，就该舍弃自己，背着自己的十字架来跟随我。”
舍弃自己，就是放弃以自我为中心，而以天主为中心；就是放弃自己的想法，按照天主的想法，以天主的想法为自己的想法。
背十字架，就是甘心承受生活中的一切苦痛，如劳心劳神、家庭负担、他人的怠慢、不公待遇等等，不抱怨，不怨天尤人。
结语
各位弟兄姐妹，主耶稣说：“谁若愿意救自己的性命，必要丧失性命；但谁若为我的原故，丧失自己的性命，必要获得性命。”愿世人都能得天国永生，享天国荣耀！阿门
Seek the will of God in all things
“Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” [Mt. 6:10] Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, every time that we repeat the Sacred Words that Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer, we ask our Heavenly Father that His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
What does it mean to ask that “The Lord’s will be done?” [Acts 21:14] Does it mean that by some supernatural means, because we pray to God the Father, that He will change things for the better? Or, does the Lord’s Prayer ask for Divine favour by the grace of the Lord and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, that we and those around us be transformed according to His Divine Will?
My brothers and sisters, nothing in this world will improve unless we change! Unless we change our thoughts, our words and our actions according to the Divine Will of God, nothing will improve. Prayers are fruitless when there is no sincerity of heart. As Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in Heaven.” [Mt. 7:21]
The evidence of the inner battle between our spiritual and worldly inclinations, often being out of control because we do not think before we speak and act, was mentioned in today’s Gospel Reading when Jesus told His disciples that He must undergo great suffering and death. Embracing a worldly mind, Peter took Jesus aside and told Him, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” Consequently, Jesus rebuked Peter because he was thinking worldly, only seeking worldly comfort. By failing to think spiritually according to the will of God, Peter was not striving to see the spiritual benefits of the suffering and death of Christ for the salvation of mankind.
My brothers and sisters, having received the Sacrament of Baptism and the new creation of the godly seed, we have all experienced this burning hunger from time to time. It is because our spirits are starving for spiritual food. When God promised the New Covenant through the Blood of Christ, He said, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” [Ezek. 31:33]
Having God’s law written on our hearts, the commandment of loving God first and then our neighbours, we cannot run away from God’s burning fire. Our God is a consuming fire. [Heb. 12:29] “He is like a refiner’s fire. With our cooperation, our free will, He will refine us like gold and silver until we present offerings to Him in righteousness.” [Mal. 3:2-3] The One and only true Lord God is our God and He is speaking to us in our hearts. Will we respond or will we continue to choke His voice by remaining indifferent to His call? Are we going to dull our spiritual inclinations to the extent that we will no longer hear the voice of the Lord in our hearts?
When we seek to live the ways of the world, we choke the voice of the Lord God. Alcoholism, drugs, dishonesty, adultery, hatred, slander, child neglect, all of these things choke the voice of the Lord God. Such worldly ways do not feed our spiritual lives. It dulls them. It leaves us as worldly souls that walk in the darkness, deprived of spiritual growth. It disqualifies us as children of God, taking away from us the promised salvation and inheritance of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
My brothers and sisters, today’s message is, “Seek the Will of God in all things.” When, by the grace of God, we feel that burning fire within our hearts, let us realize that God is calling us to be spiritual in thoughts, in words and in actions. Let us not continue to act in worldly ways, allowing our conscience to convict us of our sins. Let us turn our eyes towards the Lord. Let us acknowledge Him in love. Let us show repentance with a commitment. And finally, let us thank the Lord Jesus for speaking in our heart by glorifying His Most Holy Name.
