天主的思念远超人的思念
各位弟兄姐妹：
在今天弥撒的读经一中，天主藉依撒意亚先知的口对我们说：“我的思念不是你们的思念，你们的行径也不是我的行径：……就如天离地有多高，我的行径离你们的行径，我的思念离你们的思念也有多高。”今天的弥撒福音也隐含了这一思想。现在我以“天主的思念远超人的思念”为道理题目，跟大家分享今天的弥撒读经。
一、公义的原则
在今天的弥撒福音中，主耶稣给门徒们讲了一个“雇工的比喻”。葡萄园的主人一天中五次，也就是早上六点、上午九点、中午十二点、下午三点和五点钟，亲自到街上去找工人到自己的葡萄园工作。到了晚上发工资时，不论先来后到，每个人都领到一个“德纳”。因此，那些最先雇来的，就抱怨主人不公平，但受到主人的驳斥。
在《史记·汲郑列传》中，用“后来者居上”来讽刺皇帝提拔人才没有标准。今天弥撒福音中的那位葡萄园的主人似乎就犯了“后来居上”不符常理的毛病。
我们是不是也会觉得那位主人酬报不公呢？是不是觉得那位最先雇来的工人抱怨有理，并为他打抱不平呢？我们世人的酬报原则，也就是常理是：多劳多得，少劳少得，不劳不得。认为一分工作一分工资，一分努力一分报酬，是天经地义的事。工作可以用天计算，可以用时计算，也可以用数量计算。总要按工作时数去计算，才是公平。现在做一天的和做一个小时的，得到同样工资，确是不符合常理，按常理原则确是不公平。
主人所关心的，是他今天所雇用的工人，他们一天挣的钱能不能养家糊口，他不希望这些出来打工的人为自己及家里的生活忧虑。他是根据每一个人的需要而决定给他工钱的多少，而不是像今天的企业一样，根据工人为他工作的时间长短，绩效的大小，给予工人们酬报。
在这个比喻中，葡萄园，比作天国，也比作世上的天国——教会；葡萄园的主人则是主耶稣；雇工则是指我们世上的人；一个“德纳”的钱，则象征耶稣基督的救恩。因此，主耶稣藉这个比喻告诉我们：不可用人的思念来想天主的思念，不可用人的公义原则来衡量天主的公义原则。就像在今天弥撒的读经一中，天主藉依撒意亚先知的口对我们说：“我的思念不是你们的思念，你们的行径也不是我的行径。”
二、公义与恩爱
天主对人类不只是顾及了公义，而且还有仁慈。无论什么时间被召进入葡萄园工作，每个人所得的工资都相同，表明天主给人的福分是相等的，与工作时间长短、绩效大小无关，而在于人是否全心全力工作。若我们尽力工作，也就是尽心侍奉天主，未来也可领到一个德纳工资的那份天国的永福。
天主给人救恩和永生的标准，是看人是不是过好教友的生活，是不是按福音的精神来为人处事。他不看人信教的早晚，也不向人要求同等的功劳。因为天主给人的智慧、能力不同，每人所处的环境也不一样，不能要求大家有一致的标准。只要人人努力善过信仰的生活，真正信守上主的诫命，充分发挥爱主爱人的精神，就够了。
在少年时被天主召叫的人，不一定比在中年时，或老年时所召叫的，所得更多更大。以色列民族先被召选，反而在外邦人以后进入天国；犹达斯虽被召选为耶稣宗徒，却自己作孽,负卖了耶稣，反而不如与耶稣同钉十字架上的右盗,在临死前因回头改过而得升天国。因此，我们蒙召成为天主子女的，不该自夸，更不应不知足，因为我们所得的，或多或少，或早或迟，完全出自天主的仁慈。
天主这样做，并没有什么不公平。对先入教会恭敬天主的教友，天主已经赏赐他们幸福的人生，并没有亏待他们，而且先召他们进入教会，也正是爱他们的表现，让他们早在世上的天国——教会安心，不必流浪街头忧心发愁。对晚信教的人，天主也赏赐他们幸福的永生，这正表示天主的仁慈和慷慨。天主既是公义的，更是恩爱的，他的恩爱远超他的公义。
“天主爱世人，叫一切信的不致灭亡，反得永生。”（若3:16）
三、顺服主思念
今天弥撒的读经一依撒意亚先知书说：“我的思念不是你们的思念，你们的行径也不是我的行径。……就如天离地有多高，我的行径离你们的行径，我的思念离你们的思念也有多高。”（依55：8-9）
既然天主的思念和行径远高超于我们人的思念和行径，因此我们的思言行为要顺从天主的思言行为，要以天主之心为心，以天主之念为念，以天主之言为言，以天主之行为行，而不能让天主迎合我们人的想法和做法；我们人往往不能理解天主的计划、天主的安排，只该谦逊地承行、接受天主的旨意，绝不该抱怨天主、批评天主。
更何况我们在天主前，都是罪人，就像依撒意亚先知所说的“罪人应离开自己的行径，恶人该拋弃自己的思念，来归附上主，好让上主怜悯他；来归附我们的天主，因为他是富于仁慈的。”我们顺服了主的思念，就能得到罪过的赦免，就能得到主的怜悯和仁慈，就能得到主的救恩。
因此，天主藉依撒意亚先知的口劝告我们：我们万万不要妄想叫天主来服事我们、来屈就我们的想法和做法。因为天主是我们的上主，是我们的创造者；我们是他的属下，是他的受造物，理当时时处处服侍上主，听从上主的旨意，努力为天主工作，为天主服务才是。
我们要效法圣保禄宗徒的榜样，常以光荣主基督为人生的目的。在今天弥撒的读经二《斐里伯书》中，圣保禄宗徒说：“我或生或死，总要使基督在我身上受到光荣，因为对我来说，基督就是生命，死亡就是获益；但是如果我活在这世上，还能做些有益的工作，……我渴望解脱而与基督在一起。”这就是说：我们要努力在主的葡萄园里工作，切望早日到天主面前，领取一个德纳工资——天堂永福的赏报。
结语
各位弟兄姐妹，上主天主说：“我的思念不是你们的思念，你们的行径也不是我的行径：……就如天离地有多高，我的行径离你们的行径，我的思念离你们的思念也有多高。”天主既是公义的天主，更是满怀恩爱的天主。
愿我们都能顺服天主的思念，在主的葡萄园中努力工作，以获得天国永福的赏报！阿门！
Shine as stars forever and ever
Brothers and sisters, today, during the reading of the Holy Scriptures, we heard of God’s righteousness and mercy. We were told that we must seek righteousness in order to receive the mercy of God. We were told that the righteousness of man embraces living and dying for Christ. And, we were told how the righteousness of God may not appear to be fair at times.
From today’s reading of the Gospel of Matthew, we learned that God does not call everybody at the same time. Some are called early in life as the early labourers were called, having received their baptism as infants. Some were called as teenagers. Some were called during their married life and others, much later in life. And some are like the labourers who were called around five o’clock; their conversion took place at the hour.
Naturally, the ones who are called early in life as the early labourers have a lot more persevering to do than the ones who are called during their last hour as the labourers who were called at five o’clock. And that is okay! I am not saying it is okay because some have to persevere longer than others for their salvation. I am saying it is okay because the salvation of the late labourers means a beautiful united family in the eternal Kingdom of God. We should not be like the labourers and grumble. Rather, we should rejoice! Those who grumble, they have a worldly mind, demanding to be paid for every minute of their labour. Those who rejoice have a spiritual mind, seeking the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. That is the difference between those who grumble and those who do not. They are not of the same mind.
Truly, the righteousness of the Lord is not the righteousness of man. The Lord God gives to those that He pleases in the amount that He chooses. Is He not allowed to do what He wants with what belongs to Him?
The Lord God is just and fair in all His dealings with His children. No one will ever go unrewarded for his works that are accredited to him. While all become new creations of the godly seed during the Sacrament of Baptism, not all receive the bonuses that come from persevering in the faith. While all receive their salvation, those who gave their blood for Christ do not receive the same eternal reward as those who did not give their blood. Those who shined in spiritual works by the grace of God do not receive the same eternal reward as those who only go to Church once a year at Easter… if they will receive a reward.
The reward of the Blessed Virgin Mary cannot be equal to the rewards of the greatest saints of the Church. Nor can the reward of the greatest saints of the Church we equal to the reward of the lesser saints. Those who gave their lives in the ministry of the Word of God or those who became Popes of the Holy Catholic Church to lead the faithful, surely, their rewards shall be greater than many Catholics.
Our reward is according to our spiritual works by the grace of God. If we have a heart that is disposed to serve the Lord, He will find spiritual work for us to do for the glory of His Kingdom. Seek righteousness and receive the mercy of God.
Keeping in mind what has just been said, there is a lesson to learn from this. If we want to shine like stars forever and ever, we should not ask what the Church can do for us, but rather, what can we do for the Church. Jesus did not place His angels on earth to evangelize. He placed us here, that is you and me, as lights in the world so that His glory may be manifested through us.
This week, let us reflect upon our Divine calling to evangelize. Let us ask ourselves, “What am I doing for the Church?” “How can I help bring other to the Church in the Name of Jesus?” “How can I help the Church to flourish by the power of the Holy Spirit so that the Heavenly Father will be pleased with my actions?”
