27

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

甲年-常年期第四主日

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 (玛5：1-12)

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Homily: Being Truly Poor in Spirit

The gospel today consists of the beatitudes. It is futile to attempt to make a reflection on the whole of the beatitudes in this small space. Instead, we concentrate on the first one, “Blessed are the poor.” It is hard to say in how many ways this beatitude has been interpreted.

Some interpret that the beggars, the exploited were the kind of people God is pleased with and it should be ensured that all become like them! It is, of course, an absurd, deviant interpretation. The humanity dreamed by God is not the one in which his children are poor but one in which “no one is poor” (Acts 4:34).

Others believe that the “poor in spirit” are those who, while maintaining the possession of their property, are detached from them and generous in bestowing offerings to the less fortunate. But alms—even recommended in some (rare) biblical texts—do not introduce into the world the “new justice”; it does not solve the root problem of the inequitable division of assets because the concept believes in the existence of the rich and poor on earth.

The principle of “to each his own” that underpins our justice seems wise and sensible. But it stems from a false premise that something belongs to someone, while, in fact, everything is of God: “The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the universe and its inhabitants” (Ps 24:1). That someone is only an administrator of goods, and s/he will be called to render an account of this administration.

All possessive adjectives that we use express an erroneous conception of reality: if all is of God, it makes no sense to talk about mine, yours, and not even of ours because everything is of the Creator.

In respect to goods, Jesus never assumed the attitude of contempt that characterized the cynical philosophers. For him, the “dishonest wealth” also becomes good when it is distributed to the poor (Lk 16:19). However, although he never condemned it, he regarded it as a threat, “an obstacle—insurmountable for many—to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:23). The more a person is favored, the more goods one has, the more one is tempted to tie one’s heart with them to keep them for oneself and employ them selfishly.

From those who want to follow him—those who want to be holy—Jesus asks for total detachment. “None of you may become my disciple if you don’t give up everything you have” (Lk 14:33).

It is in the context of this essential requirement to share all that is available to us from God that the beatitude should be read.

Jesus does not exalt poverty as such. By adding the specification in spirit, he makes it clear that not all the poor are blessed. Only the ones who by free choice strip themselves of all and manage the assets according to God’s plan are blessed.

The poor in spirit are those who decide not to possess anything for themselves and make available to others all that they receive. Mind you: the poor according to the gospel is not the one who has nothing but s/he who does not keep anything for herself/himself.

Someone who is miserable need not be “poor in spirit.” S/he is not if s/he curses herself/himself and others, if s/he attempts to improve her/his own condition with violence and deceit, if s/he thinks of oneself by losing interest in others, or if s/he cultivates the dream of winning the prestigious position of the rich one day.

Voluntary poverty is for all; the renunciation of the selfish use of all property that one owns is not something optional, not a counsel reserved for some who want to be heroes or more perfect than others. This is what distinguishes a saint, every Christian.

The promise that accompanies the beatitude does not refer to a distant future. It does not guarantee entry into heaven after death but announces an immediate joy: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” From the moment one makes the choice to become and to remain poor, one enters the “kingdom of heaven,” and belongs to the family of saints.

This beatitude is not a message of resignation but of hope: no one will be in need when all become “poor in spirit,” when they put the gifts they have received from God in the service of others, as does God, “the Holy One” who, while possessing everything, is infinitely poor: he holds nothing back, gives everything, even his Son.

证道：

今日的福音是真福八端，但是通过一篇主日弥撒道理试图反省整个的真福八端是徒劳的。因此，我们专注于其中一个：“神贫的人是有福的”。对这端真福的解释，实在是不计其数了。

一些解释说，乞丐和被剥削的人是天主子民的特征，他们是蒙悦纳的，所以要确保所有人都像他们那样！当然，这是一种错谬和离经叛道的解读。天主所梦想的人类，并不是祂儿女的穷困，而是在他们中“没有一个贫乏的人”（宗4：34）。

一些人相信，是那些“精神贫穷”的人，他们保持着财富占有的同时，也远离财富，并慷慨地赠予那些不幸的人。不过，虽然甚至于在一些（少见的）圣经经文中所推荐施舍，但是施舍并不能带给世界“新的正义”；施舍不能解决物质分配不均的根本问题，因为这个概念认为在世上会存在穷人和富人。

“人各有所好”的原则是构成我们的正义看起来明智又合理的基础。不过，这是源于一个错误的前提：一些人有权拥有；事实上，一切都属于天主：“大地和其中的万物，属于上主，世界和其间的居民属于上主”（咏24：1）。某个人只是现世财产的管理者，终将要为自己的管理向天主交账。

我们使用一切所有格的形容词，都表达了对现实的错误观念：如果一切都属于天主，那么讨论我的、你的，甚至不是我们的，都没有任何意义，因为一任何事物都是来自创造者。

关于私人财产，耶稣从未采取轻视的态度，与愤世嫉俗的哲学家观点不同。为耶稣来说，当“欺诈来的财富”分发给穷人时，也能成为好的（路16：19）。然而，尽管他从未谴责过，却认为这是一种威胁，是“很多人进入天国时，难以克服的一种障碍”（玛19：23）。人越受偏爱，财产就越多，就越想把自己的心和财产捆绑在一起，都留给自己自私地使用。

对那些想要跟随耶稣，就是那些想要成圣的人，耶稣要求的是全部的脱离。“你们中不论是谁，如不舍弃他的一切所有，不能做我的门徒”（路14：33）。

真福要这样理解：正是在这个基本要求下，我们分享从天主获得的一切。耶稣并没有赞扬贫穷本身，反而借着增加其精神（spirit）的规范，使意义更加清晰，并不是所有的穷人都是有福的。只有那些自由选择剥夺他们自己一切所有，依据天主的计划来管理资产的人，才是有福的。

神贫是决定选择不为他们自己占有任何财富，反而将自己接受的一切提供给他人。注意：按照福音的贫穷并不是一无所有，而是不为自己保有的人。痛苦的人不需要成为“神贫”。如果诅咒自己和他人，如果试图用暴力和欺骗来提升自己的条件，如果只考虑自己并对别人没兴趣，如果培养有一天成为富翁的梦想，那就不是神贫的人。

自愿的神贫是适合所有人的。放弃自私地使用自己的所有财产并不是选择题，也不是留给那些想要成为英雄者，或者比其他人更完美者的忠告，而是圣人与一般基督徒的区别。

伴随着真福的许诺，并不是指向一个遥远的未来。它不确保人死后进天国，却宣告一种即刻的喜乐：“因为天国是他们的”。从一个人做出选择变穷或保持贫穷的那一刻起，就进入了“天国”，并属于诸圣人的大家庭了。

这真福并不是一个放弃的讯息，而是一个希望：当所有人都成为“神贫”的时候，就没有谁会匮乏了；当他们献上从天主接受的礼物时，服侍别人就像服侍天主；“至圣者”天主虽拥有一切，却是极其穷困的：祂毫无保留地给予了一切，甚至是祂的爱子。

文稿来源：雅颂福传