耶穌聖誕節 (當日感恩祭)
Fr. Fernando Cortz
我們的聖誕喜樂和祈禱正確地融入我們心裏的歌曲和讚頌，就像洗者聖約翰一樣。我們回應依撒意亞先知的喜訊：「你的天主為王了！」
聖保祿寫信給希伯來人，即生活在羅馬城的猶太人。在法律和先知以外，應驗的時刻已經到來！他們的天主已將耶穌基督交給他們。祂的名字高於一切，甚至比天使還高貴！聖保祿指出天主的說話是這個真理的記號。主耶穌是獨生子，是從高天來的天主的兒子。「天主所有的眾天使都要崇拜祂。」
聖若望福音將奧秘轉為怎樣成為我們日常生活的一部分。主耶穌來自高天，聖言成了血肉，成為一個人，祂仍然是天主。祂是「厄瑪奴耳」－就是天主與我們同在！我們能理解祂同接受祂。
「厄瑪奴耳」的工作只能在我們人的身體，藉著地球上的生命來完成。天父希望如此，能看見這奧秘真是太美妙了！教會正慢慢地為這個奧秘做好準備。藉著聖路加和聖瑪竇敘述耶穌聖嬰的誕生讓我們感到安慰。祂在晚上降臨，沒有被其他人發現。只有天使才能展示祂。報告給牧羊人，他們是窮人，但卻是「仁慈的人」。即使他們在動物中工作，他們的內心也是純潔的，除了其他迴避他們的人。牧羊人聞起來好像綿羊！ 我們也是一樣。
許多人被派遣告訴我們主耶穌降生到這個世界：是默西亞、被選者、受傅者。 但是許多人忽視了祂。洗者約翰開始明白主耶穌是天主的羔羊。成為我們中間的那一位來到我們身邊，身為一個人，没有被承認是天主。
約翰在主耶穌身上看到了光！教會在將臨期祈禱，洗者約翰「歌頌祂的來臨，宣告祂臨於我們中間」。洗者聖約翰最終認出上主主耶穌是他自己的表弟，這是多麼美麗的方式來描述當時他的感受！
許多人拒絕接受主耶穌是天主，又是人的恩賜。但是，對於我們當中那些接受祂的人來說，天主給了我們權力成為天主的兒女。不是由於出身、特權或人的選擇，而是由於天主大能之手。讓我們慷慨地回應，與許多其他人分享天主這樣的慈愛。
因此，天主超越了人類的一切努力，超越了梅瑟的法律，超越了祂對以色列的大愛的恩典，派遣祂的獨生子成為我們中的一位成員來到這個世界。接受這個「恩典」代替了所有「恩典」！在基督內蒙受揀選，我們在萬民中不是有福嗎？
我們的慶祝活動讓我們回到家人和朋友身邊，就像牧羊人和賢士來看耶穌一樣。我們也聚集在一起敬拜主耶穌，最重要的是，在彼此身上認出祂。祝大家聖誕快樂！
CHRISTMAS DAY – ABC
(12/25/2023) – CANTONESE COMMUNITY – 2PM, “Mass During the Day”
Fr. Fernando Cortz
Our Christmas joy and prayer rightly breaks into song and praise from our hearts, just like Saint John the Baptist. We echo the good news of the prophet Isaiah, “Your God is King!”
Saint Paul writes to the Hebrews, the Jewish people living in the City of Rome. Beyond the Law and the Prophets has come the time of fulfillment! Their God has delivered to them Jesus the Christ. His name is above all others, even greater than the angels! Paul points to the Word of God for the signs of this truth. Jesus is the only-begotten One, the Son of God from on high. “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
The Gospel of John, chosen for the Daytime Mass of Christmas Day, conveys mystery and also how it becomes part of our everyday life as people. Even as Jesus comes from on high, the Word of God made flesh, becoming a Human Being, He remains God. He is Emmanuel – God-with-Us! We can understand Him; receive Him.
The work of Emmanuel can only be done in our human body, through life on Earth. God the Father wishes it to be so, and it is wonderful to behold! The Church is slowly prepared for this mystery. We are consoled with the birth of the baby Jesus through Saint Luke and Saint Matthew. He arrives at night, unseen by others. Only the Angels reveal him. He is announced to the shepherds, poor men, but “men of good will”. Their hearts are pure even as they work among animals in the world, apart from other people who avoid them. They smell like the sheep! We do too…
So many were sent to tell us of Jesus’ birth into this world: the Messiah, the chosen One, the Anointed One. Yet many ignored him. John the Baptist came to understand Jesus as the Lamb of God. As the One among us who comes to us, unrecognized as God, as a human being.
John saw the Light in Jesus! The church prays in Advent that John “sang of his coming and proclaimed His presence among us”. What a beautiful way to describe the feelings of Saint John the Baptist when he finally recognized the Lord as his own cousin, Jesus!
Many rejected the gift of Jesus as God and Man. But, to those among us who do accept Him, God gave us the power to become children of God. Not by birth or privilege, or human choice, but by the hand of God alone. Let us respond generously by sharing this love of God with many others.
And so, above all human effort, beyond the law of Moses, beyond the grace of His love for Israel, God sends His only-begotten Son into the world as one of us. A “grace” received “in place of grace”! Are we not certainly blessed among all peoples to be chosen in Christ?
Our celebrations bring us home to our families and friends, just as the Shepherds and the Wise Men came to see Jesus. We too gather to worship Jesus and most importantly, to recognize him in one another. Merry Christmas to all of you!
