香港教区周守仁主教2023年复活节文告：敢于拥抱希望 |
| 时间：2023-04-10 来源：香港教区 作者： 点击： |
「耶稣于是对他们说：『唉！无知的人哪！为信先知们所说的一切话，你们的心竟是这般迟钝！ 默西亚不是必须受这些苦难，才进入他的光荣吗？』」（路24:25-26）
以「一颗迟钝的心来信」基督复活所带来的喜乐，会使我们迟迟才能看到希望。基督耶稣已经战胜了那看似无可避免的死亡。他的复活为我们的信心带来保证，死亡没有、也不可能拥有最终话语权。因为复活意味着「任何受造之物，都不能使我们与主基督耶稣之内的爱相隔绝」（参罗马书 8:31-39）。因此，我们的盼望是建基于天主惊人的爱之上，而这爱就在主基督为世上众生而复活所彰显的。
所以，不要让艰苦或恶念侵蚀我们的心灵、压倒我们的气魄，免得我们沦为死亡的代理人。我们需要的是「正面和赋予生命的文化」，好让在生活的困苦中，我们仍能以具建设性和可持续的方法来面对一切。此外，我们需要正向文化，正因它有助孕育出希望和转型。
事实上，很多香港人在持续的困苦中仍不断为希望而奋斗。虽然经济刚见转机，但是这些处身社经下层的人士，仍需要所属社群和「近人」来提供援助和心理性的鼓舞。他们不应被视为社会上的负担，反过来说，他们其实是中介，为上主致送祝福给那些提供援助给他们的人士。
因此，当不需要依靠消费券的人士，慷慨地捐出从消费券而来的数千元时，受惠者的精神会为之一振。想一想，为需要额外金钱的人来说，这种分享行动，能够给他们带来多大的安慰、信心和希望。天主虚空了自己，好让我们可以因他的名、在他的爱内永得安慰。
去年十二月的新闻报导指出，约有6,000人因2019年的社会事件而被捕，他们正等候警方决定是否起诉他们。他们甚么时候才能看到曙光？会被当局起诉与否，这些决定会成为他们可以怎样向前走的标记。无了期地等待，对他们本人、以至整个社会迈向疗愈，都没有帮助。或许有人会希望透过惩罚来寻求公义。然而，以慈悲和宽宏的方法处理那些较轻的罪行，才能为我们受伤的社群带来希望和正能量。我们已经目睹，仇恨和暴力给我们深爱的香港带来死亡的恶臭气味。现在我们应该以慈悲和宽大的心，去让复原中的香港增添生命的芬芳。
照顾长者、尤其是「遗老」和独居长者，务必是优先要处理的事情。让照顾者与长者联系起来，能够让长者深深地体会到他们自己是有所贡献的，感受到被人欣赏，而与青年人链接一起时，则让长者能够看到那伸延的未来。这些都有助增强联系感，带来希望和生命的意义。其实对比其他年龄层，青少年和长者是最合拍的。
这些日子，我们都要向离开或决定离开香港，去追寻理想的众多朋友和家人道别。我们祝福他们的同时，也留意到在他们离开以后，社会不同作用域都出现了明显又不易填补的空缺，也不知到何时才能补上。然而，当我们真诚地为一个更公平和更自由、人人得以安居的家园而祈求上主时，我们要有希望，确信在历史中一直福佑着香港的上主，绝不会离弃我们。
最后，我们正是生活在焦虑和混乱的世界里，它被糅合了权力游戏、欺凌、责备、威迫和制裁等形式的政治思维根深蒂固地操控着。其实，我们追求的新世界，是讲求公平及良性竞争、同理心、尊重、对话文化、仁爱，多元而合一、更好地分配资源，关心生态环境等等。当然，我们不会天真地期望将会有戏剧性的正面转变，但是通过真诚和具策略的努力，总会有渐进式的发展，这就很好了。
我们要为后代缔造希望。所以我们必须让大家拥抱希望，相信将来会更好。祝愿身处香港或其他地方的各位：复活节快乐！
周守仁主教2023年3月25日预报救主降生节
Easter Message 2023Dare to Have Hope“And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26)
“Slow of heart to believe” in the joy of Easter makes us slow to have hope. Christ Jesus has overcome the seemingly inevitable grip of death. His resurrection assures us the confidence that death does not and cannot have the final say. For Easter means that ‘nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Romans 8: 31-39). Hence, our hope has its foundation in the amazing love of God manifested in the risen Lord for all walks of life in this world.
What is advisable is not to allow hardship or evil thoughts to corrupt our hearts or crush our spirits, lest we could become agents of death. What is called for is “a positive and life-giving culture” that enables us to face hardships in life in some constructive and sustainable ways. Moreover, we need a positive culture so to become incubators of hope and transformation.
It is a fact that many people in Hong Kong are still struggling for hope amid their ongoing suffering. As the economy has just begun to pick up, many people struggling at the lower socioeconomic strata still need assistance and the psychological boost from their social communities and “neighbours”. These individuals should not be perceived as burdens of society but as intermediaries of heavenly blessings on those who come to their aid.
So, for those who do not need their consumer vouchers, there are those whose spirit will be lifted by the generous sharing of their few thousand dollars. Imagine how much consolation, confidence and hope their sharing can make possible for the ones in need of those extra dollars. God has emptied Himself for us so that we can be eternally consoled in His name and love.
From news reports published in last December, there were around 6,000 arrests due to the violent outbreaks in 2019. They are waiting to see whether the police will charge them or not. When will they see the light? Charge or no charge, they will be signs showing them how to move on. Waiting endlessly will not help them or our society to move toward healing. Some may want to seek justice through retributive means. However, it is through compassion and leniency on lighter offences that can give hope and positive energy to our wounded community. We have seen how hatred and violence have brought the stench of death to our beloved Hong Kong. Now, we should lean on compassion and magnanimity to reinforce the fragrance of life in our recovering Hong Kong.
Caring for the elderly, especially those “left behind” or living alone must be a priority. Connecting with those who care about them will enable them to feel a deeper sense of generativity for others, being appreciated by others, and being connected with the youth, the extension of their future. All these will contribute to a better sense of connectedness and hope, and the meaning of life. It should not be surprising that youth and the elderly are better fit for each other than the other age groups for them.
We have been bidding farewell to many friends and family members who have left or decided to leave Hong Kong for their aspirations. While we wish them all the best, their departure has created noticeable voids in different layers of our social fabric that are not easy to fill. And we do not know when those voids will be filled. But we can be hopeful that our God, who has bestowed His blessings over Hong Kong throughout our history, will not abandon us who call upon Him sincerely, seeking for a fairer and freer homeland for everyone dwelling in it.
Finally, we are living in an anxious and messy world dominated by an entrenched political mentality through power plays, bullying, accusations, threats and sanctions, etc. We desire a new world with level playing fields, empathy and respect, dialogic culture, loving kindness, unity in plurality, better distributions of resources, environmental consciousness, etc. Of course, we are not so naïve to expect dramatic positive changes, but incremental development with sincere and strategic efforts will be nice.
Our future generations need to have hope from us. We must make it possible for each other to have hope for a better future.
Happy Easter to you all in Hong Kong and beyond!
+ Bishop Stephen Chow, S.J.25 March 2023Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
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