天主的慈爱世代绵延
（玛 9:36-10:8）
各位弟兄姐妹，今天弥撒的三篇读经从不同的历史时期和不同方面告诉我们：“天主是爱”，现在我就以“天主的慈爱世代绵延”为道理题目，跟大家分享今天的弥撒读经。
一、天主对选民的厚爱
今天弥撒的读经一选自旧约圣经出谷纪十九章，讲的是天主怎样爱了祂自己的子民——以色列民族。以色列人离开埃及后，来到了西奈山下，梅瑟就上西奈山面见天主。天主对梅瑟说：“你们亲自见了我怎样对待了埃及人，怎样好似鹰将你们背在翅膀上，将你们带出来归属我。”我们知道，当以色列人在埃及受压迫、受剥削，过着痛苦的生活时，是天主派梅瑟去要把他们领出来，前往迦南福地。可是固执的埃及王法郎不愿意放他们走，天主就行了十大奇迹，迫使法郎王同意释放以色列人；并使红海的海水分开，让他们干足渡过红海，脱离了埃及王的奴役，使“他们在万民中，成为天主的特选子民，……成为司祭的国家、圣洁的国民。”
二、天主对罪人的慈爱
在今天弥撒的读经二罗马书中，圣保禄宗徒给我们指出：为好人死，或许能找到实例；为罪人死，绝无仅有，然而天主却能做到，在我们身负原罪本罪的时候，天主竟然派遣祂的圣子来救我们，为补偿我们的罪恶而死亡。这证明了天主对我们罪人的深情慈爱。
因此，我们自当效法耶稣爱我们的弟兄，虽死不辞。圣若望宗徒教训我们说：“我们也应当为弟兄们舍弃生命；谁若有今世的财物，看见自己的弟兄有急难，却对他关闭自己怜悯的心肠，天主的爱怎能存在他内？”（若一3：16-17）
我们既然已因基督的血，消除了罪恶，成为义人，我们应除去一切害怕，以最大的信心来依靠祂，不但今日，而且一生以及死时也不可怀疑天主。因为我们在与天主为敌时，天主尚且主动派遣圣子来赎我们的罪，同我们修好。在天主与我们修好之后，天主怎会再追究我们的罪而惩罚我们呢?
因此，我们作了天主的子女，生活在祂的爱中，要除去一切害怕。
三、天主对众人的怜爱
在今天的弥撒福音中，玛窦宗徒清楚地告诉我们，耶稣如何怜爱群众：祂一看见群众，就对他们动了慈心，因为他们困苦流离，好像没有牧人的羊。于是对门徒说：“庄稼多，工人少；所以你们应当求庄稼的主人，派遣工人来收割。”（玛九36-38）
我们如果看见弟兄有急难，当然不能关闭自己怜悯的心肠而不去救济他们。但若看见自己的弟兄，不认识天主，不会走天堂的路，而且正走在往地狱的路上，我们怎么能见死不救？我们怎能不效法耶稣，怜悯他们，为他们祈祷、作补赎，并以善言善行来引导他们走上正道，走上耶稣这条真理之路、生命之路、天国之路。
当今之世，做神父做修女的圣召，越来越少。眼看神父、修女，老的老、死的死、病的病，后继乏人，怎能不听耶稣的教训，多多为圣召祈祷呢？
耶稣不但教训人为圣召祈祷，还实际行动：召叫了十二位门徒，赐给他们制伏邪魔的权柄，……医治各种疾病，……并嘱咐他们去宣讲“天国的福音”。
在我们教会中，除了宗徒们、宗徒的继承人主教们以及主教的助手神父们等圣职人员外，教友们也有传教的责任。
圣保禄宗徒说：“我若传福音，原没有什么可夸耀的，因为这是我不得已的事；我若不传福音，我就有祸了。”（格前九16-17）
教会历史告诉我们：如果没有教友协助传教，天主教会便没有今日的成就。那么如何传教呢？
有关传教的方法，主耶稣曾吩咐门徒要以“爱”为出发点。
“病人，你们要治好；死人，你们要复活；癞病人，你们要洁净；魔鬼，你们要驱逐。”
有位很有传教经验的老神父给我们提供了三项传教原则：
1.行动的榜样。拉丁有句成语：“言语动人，榜样拉人。”榜样是表现在行为上，如果能表现出诚实、谦虚、爱心和喜乐等美德，自然会拉住周围的人，对你产生好感，对你有兴趣，进而与你接近，最终接受你的信仰。
2.恳切的言语。恳切的言语表达的是爱心，最容易让人感动和接纳。圣方济各撒肋爵说：“一个人要捉更多的苍蝇，最好用一瓢蜂蜜，而不是一桶酸醋。”也就是言辞要甜美，不要尖酸刻薄。
3.专心祈祷。耶稣说“你们应当求庄稼的主人派遣工人”。“求”就是祈祷，传教牧灵最有效的方法，莫过于祈祷。我们越祈祷，就越能尽使徒的职务。
反省
各位弟兄姐妹，最后让我们反省以下三个问题：
1.为什么说天主的慈爱世代绵延？
2.我是如何尽基督徒传教的天职？
3.耶稣教导的传教方法是什么？
愿慈爱的天主降福你们！阿们！
You shall be my treasured possession.
The Lord God commanded Moses to relate to His chosen people, “You shall be my treasured possession.” [Ex. 19:5] These prophetic Words of God, originally intended for the Jewish Nation, progressively developed to also include all of the Gentiles nations.
Today’s readings entail the fulfillment [Rom. 5:6-11] of the promise [Ex. 19:1-6] that God made and how Christian should respond to this calling. [Mt. 9:36-10:8] God promised to make a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. [Ex. 19:6] Although differently than originally planned, such was fulfilled when we were still weak, when at the right time, Christ died for us who were ungodly. [Rom. 5:6] Having been adopted into the Body of Christ through faith in Jesus and the Sacrament of Baptism, at the moment of our Confirmation, as Jesus had sent out His twelve disciples, [Mt. 10:3] we too were sent “as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” (C.C.C. 1285)
Today’s Gospel Reading, [Mt. 9:36-10:8] the sending of the 12 disciples, is the big “WHAT NOW?” that concludes the first two readings. We have received the promise of God. We have faith in Christ. We have been baptized. We have been justified. We have been admitted into the Body of Christ, the spiritual Kingdom of God. We have continuously received the Sacrament of Confession to maintain our righteousness. And we have participated in the celebration of the Holy Mass on a weekly basis to receive the Bread of Life, the Real Presence of Jesus. What now? Now we must allow the Holy Spirit to flow freely through us. We must allow the Holy Spirit to manifest good works through us by the grace of God. How do we do that? It is by answering our call to go forward and spread the Good News as members of the common priesthood.
Some may feel that this is difficult to do while being alone. Is there a necessity to do it alone? If you paid attention to today’s Gospel Reading, the names of the Apostles were mentioned in pairs. First there was Simon and his brother Andrew. Then there was James and his brother John. Then, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James and Thaddaeus. Finally, there was James, the son of Alphaeus and Judas Iscariot. The pairing of the names of the disciples implies that they were sent in pairs to ministers to others. Surely, in pairs, all of us can find the courage and strength to minister in the name of the Lord Jesus. Mothers and fathers can minister to their children. Brothers and sisters can minister together to others. Workers can minister together to other workers. By applying the buddy system, Christians can set up a strategy for spreading the Good News and do it together.
As Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” [Mt. 9:37] We have been called to be treasured possessions of the Lord God. To maintain our status of “child of God,” we must not be ashamed to go forward and do the Lord’s work among our family, our relatives, our peers, our friends, our neighbours, and even our co-workers. In truth, it is not us who does the good works but rather the Holy Spirit who is manifesting the grace of God through us as humble subjects of Divine love towards others.
This week, as Christians who belong to the Body of Christ, let us reflect on our priestly obligation to minister to others. Let us take the time to make a firm commitment to begin to do the Lord’s work. May the grace of God ignite a burning flame of servitude within each and everyone of you so that you may be counted among the much needed labourers.
