XXVI Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

Cantonese Catholic Community 10/01/2023

Fr. Fernando Cortez

Today’s scripture speaks to us of God’s forgiveness and mercy. He will not hold back any kindness or sacrifice, not even his own Son, Jesus Christ as the way to bring us back to him.

God’s forgiveness leaves plenty of room for us to change our minds and hearts. He reads and listens to our hearts as we repent and seek to do things right. At times, our actions speak louder than the vanity of our words.

In the Gospel parable, the disobedient son, not willing to do what his father asks, repents and does the fathers will. Another son, whose words seek to please his father, does not fulfill his father’s desire. Which one is obedient?

Jesus wants his listeners to understand that a change of heart and way of life is welcomed at any time by God. Man’s way of thinking and judging is not how God may work with us. God sees inside us. He knows and loves us.

In Jesus’ time, the elders and priests would insist on God’s law for everyone, but had no mercy for sinners. These people were lost. Like a good shepherd, Jesus sees each of us as a lost sheep worthy of his finding us and caring for us. He saw that desire in the hearts of tax collectors and prostitutes who followed his word and kept it. It changed their lives!

Saint Paul’s beautiful poem about Jesus appeals to the hearts of the new Christians. To be with God, to be like Jesus will takes us outside ourselves.

Away from division and vanity, Paul’s vision of Christ calls us to be better people. We can leave our selfish ways and can live in harmony and peace.

Jesus gave himself as the example and a gift to the heavenly Father. He left behind his glorious divinity hidden in his human nature, to be one of us. To live like us in all our ways except sin. He was humble, even accepting death, death on a cross, to convince us to change our hearts.

It is not only his effort to show us how to love and serve God, but his desire that we care and accept one another. This will save us from ourselves and help us respond generously to God’s love and mercy in this world.

(中文翻譯.原文以英文為準.)

常年期 (甲年) 第二十六主日 (10/01/2023)
Fr. Fernando主日證道中譯本

讀經一: 厄則克耳先知書 18:25-28
讀經二: 聖保祿宗徒致斐理伯人書 2:1-11
聖瑪竇福音 21:28-32

常年期第二十六主日  甲年

今天的經文向我們講述了天主的寬恕和憐憫。祂不會吝嗇任何仁慈或犧牲,甚至祂自己的兒子耶穌基督,作為帶我們回到祂身邊的方式。

天主的寬恕為我們留下了足夠的空間來改變我們的思想和心靈。當我們悔改並尋求做正確的事時,祂會看到並傾聽我們的心聲。有時,我們的行動勝過我們空虛的言語。

在福音的比喻中,(原先)不聽話的兒子不願意聽從父親的吩咐,(後來)悔改並遵行父親的旨意。又一個兒子,以言辭討好父親,卻沒有滿足父親的願望。哪一個是聽話的呢?

耶穌希望祂的聽眾明白,天主隨時歡迎內心和生活方式的改變。人的思考和判斷方式並不是天主與我們共同工作的方式。天主看到我們的內心。祂認識我們並且愛我們。

在耶穌的時代,長老和司祭會堅持天主對每個人的法律,但對罪人卻沒有憐憫。這些人迷失了。就像一個好牧人一樣,耶穌將我們每個人視為迷失的羊,值得祂找到我們並照顧我們。祂在稅吏和妓女心中看到了這種渴望,他們遵守了祂的承諾。這改變了他們的生活!

聖保祿關於耶穌的優美詩詞吸引了新基督徒的心。與天主同在,效法耶穌,會讓我們超越自我。

遠離分裂和虛榮,保祿對基督的視野呼召我們成為更好的人。我們可以拋棄自私的行為,可以和諧、安寧地生活。

耶穌將自己作為榜樣和禮物獻給天父。祂撇下了隱藏在人性中的榮耀神性,成為我們中的一員。除了犯罪之外,在所有方面都像我們一樣生活。祂很謙卑,甚至接受死亡,死在十字架上,以說服我們改變我們的心。

祂不僅努力向我們展示如何愛和事奉天主,而且希望我們彼此關心和接納。這將把我們從自我中拯救出來,並幫助我們慷慨地回應天主在這個世界上的愛和憐憫。