常年期第二主日
Fr. David Matz
在我的一生中，曾經多次有人向我提出這樣的問題：
「你和耶穌有個人關係嗎？」
有時，這樣的問題令我處於防守狀態！ 我會輕佻地回答：
「天主教徒，不一定會問這種問題！」
我的回答不是關於個人關係，而是關於我們每個主日背誦的信經：「我信唯一的天主，全能的聖父，我信唯一的主，耶穌基督，天主的獨生子。。。」
然而，在我內心深處，那些問我與耶穌的個人關係的人想要的不單止是可預測的同正統的回答。
有一年夏天，當John Shea神父在芝加哥的海灘上曬太陽時，一個影子打斷了他的思想，問他同一個問題：「你與耶穌有個人關係嗎？」
他的回答：「不幸的是，是的！」
我們與耶穌的個人關係是如此親密，見證這關係給其他人容易受到傷害的，是令人恐懼的。而容易的是躲藏在教會和信經給我們的信仰背後，見證那些深深植根於我們內心的事物。
「不幸的是，是的」不是一個簡單的答案，它邀請我們更深入地探討。
就像耶穌問約翰的兩個門徒「你們找什麼？」
他們回答：「你住在哪裏？」
耶穌說：「你們來看看吧！」
在這個簡短的交流中，蘊藏著我們的生命故事！
在做見證時，重點不是陳述「你在哪裏？」
但要打開路線，講述你如何到達現在的位置，與主耶穌基督的關係！
誠實的自我省察，是見證的第一步。藉著信仰之眼晴，看見自己的生命，然後改變我們！
福音作者若望今天在 7 節經文中包含如此多的意義。
我邀請你與基督的個人關係進行誠實的自我審查。
事情是這樣發生的：
一個信徒，即洗者若翰，向兩個人傳福音：「看哪，天主的羔羊。」
然後傳福音的人帶領信徒歸向就在那裡的耶穌。
耶穌看到新人並確認他/她的決定。
轉變已經確定：伯多祿獲得了新名字和新的信仰生命！
有時跟隨耶穌的召叫並不那麼明確，但有時又變得清晰。
撒慕爾不斷走到厄里面前說：「你叫我嗎？我在這裏。」
但在厄里的幫助下，叫撒慕爾的人，就變得很清楚了！
在你生命中的那些幫助你的人是誰？
誰人幫助你實現成為耶穌門徒的召叫，與耶穌建立關係？
對我來說，有Julius Bang, Jr、Lucy Heitkotter, Fr. Al Ebach，Joyce Rupp。
天哪，我可以列出這麼多與我同行的同伴，調教我的耳朵，聆聽耶穌的聲音。
是Lucy幫助我體認到，對愛的深深焦慮並不是一件值得懷疑的事情，而是應該分享的深厚同情心。 「教會需要富有同情心、有愛心的人，」Lucy分享道：「對耶穌有如此開放的心。」
在那份書面聲明中，愛並不是什麼值得害怕和羞恥的事情，愛應該成為我們在這個世界上活出信仰的來源！
這就是為什麼，至少對我來說，耶穌既是我的情人，也是我所心愛的人！
一顆開放、透明的心很容易破碎，但它很容易被基督的愛和信任所充滿，基督住在我裡面，也住在我周圍的兄弟姊妹裡面！
你知道，分享與耶穌親密的個人關係需要非常謙卑。
但想像撒瑪黎雅婦人得到了活水，她把整個村莊的人都帶到了耶穌面前！
想像一下瑪利亞瑪達肋納站來到墳墓那裏？ 當她遇到以為是園丁/復活的耶穌時，耶穌問了她同樣的問題，就像他在福音「一開始」問的那樣，他的第一句話實際上是：「你找什麼？」
然後深情地念出她的名字：「瑪利亞！」
連伯多祿也在提庇黎雅海打魚，3次耶穌問：
「伯多祿，你愛我嗎？」
看看伯多祿的哥哥安德肋，在今天的福音，他如此迅速地稱呼耶穌「辣彼」轉變為「默西亞，天主的羔羊！」
這些福音故事和我們自己生活的故事，繼續將我們的心靈、我們的靈魂與天主聖神連結起來！
耶穌有效地用聖神給我們受洗。
我表達我與耶穌的個人關係的方式，是透過我生命中許多引導我歸向耶穌的人！讓我更深刻地把耶穌的故事同我自己的故事，以及所有陪伴我們走上信仰之路誠實自我省察的人的故事連結起來！
當被問及你與耶穌的個人關係時，這個回答：「不幸的是，是的！」是不存在。
『請上主發言，你的僕人在此靜聽。』 是我們回答耶穌的信任和愛的關係。
耶穌說：「你們來看看！ 我是多麼愛你啊！」
當我們誠實地看到這個情景時，我們就變成裏面的人！
拋開自己，帶著忠誠的愛去同其他人相遇！ 「來看看吧。」
我們的生命將永遠不一樣！
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle B, 2024
Fr. David Matz
Introduction:
Several times in my life I’ve had people approach me with this question:
“Do you have a personal relationship to Jesus?”
At times, it put me on the defensive! I would flippantly answer:
“Catholics, don’t necessarily use that type of question!”
Predictably, My Catholic answer wasn’t about a personal relationship, but more the weekly creed that we recite: “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty and in his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord …”
Deep down in my heart, however, the people who asked me about my personal relationship with Jesus wanted more that the predictable, orthodox response.
Fr. John Shea’s response to that same question posed to him this way, when a shadow interrupted his sunbathing on the beach one summer in Chicago: “Do you have a personal relationship to Jesus?”
“Unfortunately, yes!” was his reply!
Our personal relationship with Jesus is so searingly personal,
that it frightening to be so vulnerable to bear that witness
to others.
It’s easier to hide behind the faith that is given to us in Church and creed, that to bear witness to what deeply embedded in our hearts.
“Unfortunately Yes,” is not a simple answer, it invites us to go deeper.
Like when Jesus, asks John’s 2 disciples “What do you want?”
They respond: “Where do you live?
And Jesus says: “Come and See!”
In this brief exchange lies the story of our very lives!
In bearing testimony, the point is not to state, “where you are at”
but to UNFOLD THE PATH,
to tell the story of how you got to where you are at, NOW,
in relationship to Jesus Christ, the Lord!
Honest self-examination, is the 1st step in bearing witness.
Seeing your life through that eyes of faith, then changes us!
Movement:
John, our gospel writer, packs so much meaning into 7 verses today
I have invited you on an honest self-examination of our
personal relationship with Christ.
This is how it happens:
A believer, the Baptist, evangelizes 2 persons – Behold, Lamb of God.
Then the evangelizer leads the convert to Jesus, there he is,
Jesus sees the newcomer and confirms his/her decision,
the conversion is sealed: Peter gets a new name and new life of faith!
Sometimes the call to follow Jesus isn’t so clear and sometimes it becomes clear.
Samuel kept going to Eli, “Here I am. You called me.”
But with Eli’s help, the one who is calling becomes quite clear!
Who were/are those people in your life?
Who helped you realize your call to be a disciple of Jesus,
to be in relationship with Jesus?
For me, J. Julius Bang, Jr, Lucy Heitkotter, Fr. Al Ebach, Sr. Joyce Rupp,
OMG, I can list so many companions who have walked with me, fine-tuning my ears, to hear the voice of Jesus.
It was Lucy who helped me realize that my deep angst to love was not something to be suspicious about but was deep compassionate heart that was meant to be shared. “The church needs compassionate, loving men,” she shared, “who have such an open heart for Jesus.”
In that written statement, loving wasn’t something to be afraid of our ashamed of, love is meant to be the font out of which our faith is to be lived out in this world!
That’s why, at least for me, Jesus is both my lover and beloved!
An open, transparent heart can be easily broken but, it can easily be filled up in the love and trust of the Christ that lives in me and in the sisters and brothers I walk with all around me!
You know, it takes a lot of humility to share my intimate, personal relationship with Jesus.
But imagine the Samaritan Woman filled with living water, who brings her whole village to Jesus!
Imagine Mary Magdalene standing at the tomb? When she encounters the Gardener/resurrected Jesus who asks her the same question that he asked “AT THE BEGINNING” of the Gospel, his 1st words actually, “What are you looking for?”
And then with deep affection pronounces her name, “Mary!”
Even Peter at the Lake of Tiberius fishing, 3 times:
“Peter, do you love me?”
Look at Andrew, Peter’s brother, who so rapidly moves from Jesus as Rabbi to Jesus as Messiah, Lamb of God!
These Gospel stories and the stories of our own lives,
continue to connect our spirits, our souls, to thee Spirit!
Jesus effectively baptizes us with the Spirit.
My way to express my personal relationship with Jesus,
is through the many people in my life who have led me to Jesus!
Honestly, it has led me more profoundly to connect the stories of Jesus,
to my own story and to the stories of all those who accompany us on this Honest self-examination of the path of faith!
Conclusion:
There is no, “Unfortunately, Yes!” when asked of your personal relationship to Jesus.
“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening!” is our answer to our relationship of trust and love.
“Come and See! Just how much I love You!” says Jesus.
And when we honestly see it, we become it!
Leaving ourselves behind and encountering others
with faithful love! “Come and See,”
Our lives will never be the same!
