24th Sunday OT C  2022 Homily

 Franklin Fong, OFM

 In our first reading from Exodus we hear about we are all sinners and  frequently commit the sins of doing our own will, not God’s will, making our own gods, and the sin of forgetting God’s great deeds for us ! .

 By God’s justice, we are supposed to be punished. There are sanctions. God does not let our crimes pass. But God is also merciful and listens to the pleadings of his holy men and women. We hear of how Moses is able to bring forth God’s mercy by praying to God to change his mind to not punish the people for their sins.

 In Psalm  51 we must approach God with contrite hearts and realize how sinful we are in the presence of the Most Holy God. When we ask for forgiveness and God’s mercy, we must be prepared to change. God’s Spirit is our visa to heaven.

 In our reading from St Paul’s first letter to Timothy. In this reading we hear of how sinful St Paul was in persecuting Christians and then how grateful St Paul was able to transform from being a foremost sinner to a foremost preacher of the Good NEWS ! Through God’s mercy and forgiveness, God is making us his instruments of salvation. St Paul believing that he had been forgiven, he was now confidently able to begin his missionary life!

 In the Gospel of Luke verses  we hear of three parables that Jesus addressed to the scribes and Pharisees who objected to Jesus’ association with sinners.

 The first parable the sinners are symbolized by the lost sheep,

 The second parable is about a lost coin.

 The third parable is about the lost son.

 In these 3 parables we come to realize that all the sinners are important to Jesus. He wants to recover them all. He leaves everything to find the lost sheep! And We hear that in each parable, there is so much joy and celebration when the lost are found!

 On the last parable we are aware that God misses someone, the one who refuses to recognize God’s purpose. God cannot find someone, who does not allow themselves to be found.

 In this third parable we hear of how the older son is very self-righteous and who think they are never wrong. The elder child represents the scribes and Pharisees, who refuse to associate with Jesus. They, too, are sinners in the eyes of God. They can’t accept God’s invitation to join him. The righteous people are the hardest people to change. They can’t change. They are hopeless. They think they are better off without Jesus.

Are we righteous?

 God is magnanimous and merciful to sinners, not just sinners, but notoriously public sinners. He takes pain in finding his lost people. God celebrates extravagantly even when only one sinner repents with no need to wait for mass conversions.

 If this is our God, who are we not to go back home to him? Come on, brothers and sisters, let us not be self-righteous. Let us admit our sinfulness and beg for God’s mercy and be in God’s home.

 God is at his best when we are at our worst , as in sin and in death. So let us not doubt God of his glory which he gave examples of in each of our readings today. We are gently reminded today that it is God who initiates a relationship with us, loves us unconditionally, and shows his love in his forgiveness when we do not love in return.

 To quickly summarize the major points of today’s readings:

 •    The first reading speaks of God’s mercy on the people of Israel.

 •    The psalm is a prayer asking for mercy.

 •    The second reading speaks of the experience of Paul and how God has extended his mercy upon him in spite of his sinfulness.

 •    The gospel reading speaks of the joy of the merciful God when someone comes back to him.

 So take a moment now in silent meditation to review how have you experienced God’s love and mercy in yourself, in your family, in our Catholic community, in our neighborhoods ?

So brothers and sisters of the Chinese Catholic Community, that is the good news for this 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!

Fr. Fong

(中文翻譯.原文以英文為準.)

2022 年常年期第 24 主日丙年講道
Fr. Franklin Fong,OFM

在我們閱讀讀經一《出谷紀》時,我們聽說我們都是罪人,經常犯下按照自己的意願而不是天主的旨意的罪,創造我們自己的神,以及忘記天主為我們所做的偉大作為的罪! .

根據天主的正義,我們應該受到懲罰,應有制裁。天主不會讓我們的罪通過。但天主也很慈悲,會傾聽他聖潔男女的懇求。我們聽到梅瑟如何通過向天主祈禱改變他的想法,不再懲罰人們的罪孽,從而帶來天主的憐憫。

在聖詠第 51 篇中,我們必須以痛悔的心接近天主,並意識到我們在至聖的天主面前是多麼有罪。當我們請求寬恕和天主的憐憫時,我們必須準備好改變。天主的聖神是我們通往天堂的簽證。

在我們閱讀聖保祿致弟茂德前書時,在這個讀經中,我們了解到聖保祿在迫害基督徒方面是多麼的有罪,然後,聖保祿能夠從最深重的罪人轉變為最重要的福音傳播者,他是多麼感激!通過天主的憐憫和寬恕,天主正在使我們成為他的救贖工具。聖保祿相信他已經被赦免,他現在可以自信地開始他的傳教生活了!

在路加福音的經文中,我們聽到了耶穌對那些反對耶穌與罪人交往的經師和法利塞人講的三個比喻。
• 罪人的第一個比喻是迷失的羊。
• 第二個比喻是關於丟失的硬幣。
• 第三個比喻是關於失去的兒子。

在這三個比喻中,我們開始意識到所有的罪人對耶穌都很重要。他想把他們全部找回來。他捨棄一切去尋找迷失的羊!我們聽到,在每個比喻中,當找到失喪的人時,充滿了歡樂和慶祝!

在最後一個比喻中,我們知道天主失去一個人,那個拒絕承認天主旨意的人。天主找不到那不讓自己被找到的人。

在這第三個比喻中,我們聽到大兒子非常自以為是,並且認為自己永遠不會錯。大兒子代表經師和法利塞人,他們拒絕與耶穌交往。他們也是天主眼中的罪人。他們不能接受天主的邀請連結他。自認正義的人是最難改變的人。他們無法改變。他們是無望的。他們認為沒有耶穌他們會過得更好。

我們是自認正義的嗎?

天主對罪人是寬宏大量和慈悲的,不僅是罪人,而且是臭名昭著的公開罪人。他為尋找失散的人而痛苦。即使只有一個罪人悔改而無需等待大規模的轉變,天主也會鋪張地慶祝。

如果這是我們的天主,我們有什麼資格不回到他身邊呢?來吧,兄弟姐妹們,我們不要自以為
是。讓我們承認自己的罪孽,祈求天主的憐憫,並處於天主的家中。

當我們處於最糟糕的境地時,例如在罪和死亡中,天主則處於最佳狀態。因此,讓我們不要懷疑天主的光榮,他在我們今天的每篇讀經中都舉了例子。今天我們被溫柔地提醒,是天主與我們建立關係,無條件地愛我們,並在我們不還愛時以寬恕的方式表現出他的愛。

快速總結今天讀經的要點:
• 讀經一談到天主對以色列人的憐憫。
• 聖詠是祈求憐憫的禱告。
• 讀經二談到保祿的經歷,以及儘管他有罪,但天主如何將他的憐憫擴展到他身上。
• 福音講述了慈悲的天主在有人回到他身邊時的喜樂。

因此,現在花點時間進行默想,回顧一下你如何在你自己、你的家人、我們的天主教團體、及我們的社區中體驗到天主的愛和憐憫?

華人天主教會的兄弟姊妹們，這是常年期 24 主日的好消息。

亞肋路亞, 亞肋路亞!