福传路上三不怕
(玛10:26-33)
各位弟兄姐妹:
今天的弥撒福音记载的是主耶稣首次派遣他的十二宗徒外出传教时,对他的宗徒们临行外出传教前动员讲话的一段。在这段动员讲话中,主耶稣三次对他的宗徒们说,“你们不要害怕!”现在我就以“福传路上三不怕”为道理题目,跟大家分享今天的弥撒读经。
一、不怕宣讲主。
主耶稣对他的十二宗徒说:“你们不要害怕他们;因为没有遮掩的事,将来不被揭露的;也没有隐藏的事,将来不被知道的。我在暗中给你们所说的,你们要在光天化日之下报告出来;你们由耳语所听到的,要在屋顶上张扬出来。”(26-27)
耶稣的这段话告诉我们:他的话需要被传扬,而不是滞留在圣堂内、放在大脑里、埋葬在心里。可是,我们往往因为怕得罪别人,怕自己的利益受损失,怕自己的颜面,怕自己的命不保等等,而不敢表达自己的信仰,不敢宣讲主的话。
耶稣的这段话还告诉我们:今天福音被人拒绝,真理被掩盖,但这种情况不可能持续太久,“因为没有遮掩的事,将来不被揭露的;也没有隐藏的事,将来不被知道的。”我们中国有句俗语:“若要人不知,除非己莫为。”讲的就是,我们所做的无论是好事还是坏事,迟早都会被人知道。是金子一定会发光,是真理一定会自己显明的,福音是得救的真理。所以我们要放心大胆传福音。
二、不怕为主死
主耶稣又对他的宗徒们说:“你们不要害怕那杀害肉身,而不能杀害灵魂的;但更要害怕那能使灵魂和肉身陷于地狱中的。”(28)
只有一种损失真的要怕:就是失去天主。因为失去祂,意味着失去一切。拥有祂,任何丧失都令人毫发无损。
俄国著名的小说家、历史学家和诺贝尔文学奖获得者亚历山大.索忍尼辛,因批评斯大林而被监禁在西伯利亚的古拉格集中营里。他说:最有可能存活下来的人,不会不惜一切代价地求取肉体的生存,他们担忧心灵之死胜于肉身之死。
生命为我们人来说是非常宝贵的,因为人生只有一次。所以,我们很多人总是想尽一切办法躲避死亡,以保全肉体的生命。从人性的角度来说,这是完全可以理解的。但死亡不是我们能避免的,也不是最大的灾祸。我国古代著名思想家、教育家、有“亚圣”美称的孟子在《告子上》中说:“生,我所欲也;义,亦我所欲也;二者不可得兼,舍生取义者也。”也就是说,正义比生命更为宝贵。失去良知,失去自己的灵魂,比死更可怕。那些无畏地献身为善、为他人、为天主而战的人,根本不用怕死。
2020年三月下旬,在新冠病毒肺炎疫情肆虐意大利时,有一位72岁意大利天主教神父因感染新冠病毒而死,他的死引起了国内外、教内外报纸、网络媒体等的大肆报道,并受到世人的钦佩和赞誉。原因是他在因新冠肺炎去世前,主动将堂区教友给他提供的一台呼吸机,让给了素未谋面的年轻患者,他甘愿自己死,而把生命留给他人。他这是舍生取义,他这是舍生救灵。爱人是爱主的有形体现,因此他的行为也表现出他不怕为主死。
三、不怕承认主
耶稣说:“两只麻雀不是卖一个铜钱吗﹖但若没有你们天父的许可,它们中连一只也不会掉在地上。就是你们的头发,也都一一数过了。所以,你们不要害怕;你们比许多麻雀还贵重呢!凡在人前承认我的,我在我天上的父前也必承认他;但谁若在人前否认我,我在我天上的父前也必否认他。”(29-33)
主耶稣的这段话告诉我们,无论是在福传中,还是在日常生活中,要能做到心中无所怕,
唯一的方法就是信赖天主。因为你在天之父知道你的需要。祂照顾你的一切,小到你的头发。祂连麻雀都疼惜,何况你比麻雀要贵重许多呢!
今天弥撒读经一中的耶肋米亚先知,他二十岁就执行先知任务,当时犹大国处在最艰困的时期,已被巴比伦国统治。犹大国的许多政要和宗教领袖一心想摆脱它的管辖。但是他们不依恃天主,而去依靠埃及。耶肋米亚先知得到天主的启示:埃及不会救他们,劝他们回心转意,苦求天主;并预言耶路撒冷圣殿和圣城,因为以色列民对天主的不忠不义而被毁灭,以民要被被俘到巴比伦当奴隶。以民听了耶肋米亚先知这些不利的消息,就把他关在监牢里,然后打算把他杀了。可是耶肋米亚先知全心依靠天主,向上主祈祷说:“上主与我同在,祂好像是一位孔武有力的战士,因此迫害我的人只有失败,绝不能得胜。”最后他获得了释放。
今天弥撒的读经二罗马人书,圣保禄宗徒告诉我们,虽然因亚当的犯罪,死亡来到了世上;但由于耶稣的降生成人,众人也因此而得救,而且主耶稣的恩宠胜过原祖亚当带给我们人类的死亡灾难,死亡的罪成了有福的罪。
我们或许因承认自己相信耶稣,现世的利益会受损,生活会受逼迫,生命会受威胁,甚至会受伤害等等。但这一切都掌握在天主手中,天主自会照料。只要我们全心依靠天主,天主就会给我们足够的能力承担一切,应对一切。世人给我们关闭了一扇窗,天主会给我们打开一扇门。天主给我们的方法总是比世人给我们带来的苦难多得多。
圣保禄宗徒说:“你们所受的试探,无非是普通人所能受的试探;天主是忠信的,他决不许你们受那超过你们能力的试探,天主如加给人试探,也必开一条出路,叫你们能够承担。”(格前10:13)
圣女大德兰在一首著名的赞美诗中说:
何事扰你意?
何物乱你心?
万般皆易逝,
唯主不移真。
心有天主者,
坚忍百事成。
夫复何所求,
有主心意称。
结语
各位弟兄姐妹,福传是我们的使命,福传的路上布满种种害怕。但主耶稣勉励我们:不怕宣讲主,不怕为主死,不怕承认主,因为主应许天主眷顾我们,并许诺天国的福分!愿慈爱的天父降福你们,并与你们同在!阿们!

Do not fear those who kill the body.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, “Do not fear those who kill the body; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” [Mt. 10:28] This is a very powerful passage of the Holy Bible. In simple English, it means, “Bear your crosses and at the end, you shall be rewarded.” Those who deny their crosses, they shall be disowned by the Lord.
The reading from the Gospel of Matthew [Mt. 10:26-33] advises us not to fear men. Remember the words of Jeremiah, “The Lord is with you like a dread warrior. Your persecutors will stumble and they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonour will not be forgotten.” [Jer. 20:11]
We must never forget that by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we were made righteous in the eyes of God through faith and the Sacraments of Baptism. Through the Sacrament of Confession, our righteousness is maintained throughout our Christian life. When we walk our faith with Jesus, in Jesus and through Jesus, in the eyes of God, we are more valuable then two sparrows. Every hair of our heads are counted. We are able to affirm with confidence, “I will not stumble for the Lord is with me.” The Lord is our strength. He knows the hearts of all, those dark secrets of those who plot against us. One day, everything will be uncovered and the truth will be known to all.
Our only fear should be the fear of the Lord and the eternal dishonour that awaits those who turn away from the Lord because of their fear of men. Fear not men; fear God!
If we acknowledge Jesus before others, He will acknowledge us before the Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit will bear witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. [Rom. 8:16-7] If we deny Jesus before others, He also will deny us before the Father in Heaven. The Spirit of Christ will not testify on our behalf. We will have lost our One and only Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous, [1 Jn. 2:1] He being the only one who can defend our cause before the Heavenly Father.
My brothers and sisters, today’s message is that Christ died for our righteousness so we may inherit the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Since Christ suffered because of the truth, we should not expect to be treated better than He was. With Christ, we must persevere in our living faith for the glory of the Body of Christ that embraces all the baptized who live their Christian faith.
Our true friends are Jesus and all the saints who dwell in the invisible Kingdom of God, the great prophet Jeremiah, King David and all those who humbly served in their lives for the glory of God. Today, we may be rejected by many, possibly our family, our peers or our co-workers because of our living faith. While this is so, we must remember that we will not stumble because the Lord is with us. In the end, by the grace of God, the sacrifice of Jesus and the power of the Holy Sprit, we will be victorious in our race towards eternal salvation, receiving the crown of glory and honour that awaits the resurrection of the elect.
Lord Jesus, it is my joy and privilege to be your disciple. Give me strength and courage to bear any hardship and suffering which may come my way in your service. May I witness to others the joy of the Gospel.
