Yesterday, I was puzzled by the last verse of chapter one of the First Epistle of John, which reads
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:10).
I was confused because by definition, a liar lies. If you do not say anything, you cannot be a liar. If you tell the truth, you cannot be a liar. If I lie, I am a liar, not somebody else. I could not understand how John could say that I made God a liar when I denied I have sinned.

However, my logic missed a crucial point. I should allow for the peculiar thinking process of the Jews who lived 2000 years ago. Actually, I touched upon it yesterday but I missed it. Let me go back to the "liar" in the Gospel of John.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
Jesus criticized the Jews for hardening their hearts and rejecting him despite the fact that he had already performed many signs to show that he was the Messiah. The Jews rejected the truth and Jesus warned them of the seriousness of the consequences. They chose the Devil to be their father!

"Like father like sons" was a common Jewish aphorism. But it was expressed in a different way.
The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge (Jeremiah 31:29, Ezekiel 18:2).
This proverb expresses the effects of parental influence on children. By extension, it suggests that children would suffer the consequences of the sins of parents. For example, once Jesus' disciples asked him what made the man born blind, the man's own sins or his parents'.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth.
And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:1-2)
The children would inherit the parents' sins and their consequences. Therefore, this seemed to be a very common idea among the Jews. This is also the basis for the argument of the Original Sin. It is not our own fault. Yet, we inherit this state of sinfulness because of the disobedience of our first parents.
Return to the proverb above. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel quoted this proverb in order to disprove it. They tried to make the individuals shoulder their own responsibilities. They did not seem to be successful.

Return to the first Epistle of John. John called his readers no less than 10 times "children", "little children" and "my little children". John was an elder, more or less a father to them all. Therefore, when he wrote about the relation between God and his readers, John was thinking in terms of a father and his sons. In fact, he showed them that they were "God's children" in chapter 3.
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:1-2). 
Our making God a liar makes sense to me now. Since God has made us His children. Applying the "like father like son" Jewish proverb, we make God a liar when we tell lies, when we deny that we have sinned. God is our father. We inherit His nature. Applying Jesus' words above in John 8, if we lie, it reveals our lying nature and somehow reflects the nature of God. This is how our lying makes God a liar.

Suddenly, I begin to appreciate what dangers incarnation entails. The Word became flesh and moved among us in history, in time and space. Though sometimes he defied natural laws to work miracles, he still had to undergo natural growth, experience sadness and anger, hunger and thirst, exhaustion and fear. At last he died. Yes, the incarnate God was able to die.
But what is worst, Jesus has made us all the adopted children of God. God the Father exposes Himself to the danger of becoming a liar! What a contamination of divinity! Here, we are not talking about the pain we inflict on Jesus when we sin. We are talking about the contamination we inflict on God the Father when we lie. Redeeming human beings by incarnation, God the Father opens Himself to malicious risks, making Himself vulnerable to Satan's attack.

Dear Lord, incarnation is no fun to You. Thank you for believing in human nature. Purify us so that we may be made worthy to share Your eternal life. Amen.

This Christmas season, we attended several masses celebrated by Fr. Martin within just a few days. Christmas season is really very demanding on priests because they have to think up different topics to talk about in the homily. Today, the theme is family. So, Fr. Martin humbly declined the leading role in the homily. Instead, he invited a young couple to share their views on family life with the congregation. The couple was very humble in admitting that they still had to learn from many of couples present.

Ray and Bonnie have been married for roughly 2 years. Bonnie is 8 months into her pregnancy. They are so happy and so sweet. Both of them are working and will be very tired after work. Despite this, Ray will cook when he returns first. He does not take advantage of the traditional mindset, thinking that a woman's place is the kitchen. He does not mind cooking and is happy that Bonnie appreciates the dishes he makes.
They are not immune to arguments, but they know when they should stop arguing and start listening. There have been problems beyond their capabilities to handle. They pray together. Bonnie is more vocal and articulate in expressing her thoughts and feelings about their family life. Ray looks very protection, especially because Bonnie is pregnant. However, something was missing from their sharings. They did not mention the relationships with the in-laws. Anyway, I am grateful for their candid sharing and here I pray for their marriage and their baby. May their marriage grows sweeter day by day and their baby healthy and intelligent.

It was Fr. Martin's turn to speak. He told us that in preparing for Sunday homilies, he usually prays. But this time, he could not help laughing when he was meditating the following verses.
And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." 
And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:48-19)
In his prayerful mind, he would envision a youngster returning home in the small hours after Christmas Eve celebration. His mother would probably jump out of bed, telling her son off with Mary's words. Then, the young man would retort, repeating words similar to the 12-year-old Jesus'.
Fr. Martin was speaking to the adults. He did not tell the young people to return home early next time. Instead, he talked about "Passive Coordination" in family relations. Referring back to Ray and Bonnie who are able to stop arguing and start listening, Fr. Martin told the parents to learn from them and from the reaction of Mary.
And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.
and his mother kept all these things in her heart (Luke 2:50, 51b).
It was not profitable to win an argument at the expense of family relations. There are times when it is wiser to listen than to speak. But we should not forget God either. Invite God into our family life. Then ours can also be a Holy Family too.

In the afternoon, Erminia and I went to the Christmas gathering for the permanent deacons. It was truly a family gathering. Many deacons and candidates brought along their family members, children and grandchildren. I even met an old student of mine. He is the son of Deacon Sung.
The Vicar General told us that the feast of the Holy Family was an appropriate occasion for this gathering. We have commitment to at least seven families: The Holy Family in Heaven, the Universal Church, the Hong Kong Diocese, the Hong Kong Community, the parish, the diaconate community and our own family. Husband, wife and God are the basic unit of the Holy Family. Therefore, he would be very happy to see greater development of "Husband and Wife Spirituality" in the near future.
There were self-introduction, party games, performances, Yoga demonstration, lucky draw, evening prayer and a substantial dinner. Many people had contributed financially and physically to make this gathering a success. The atmosphere was familial.

Dear Lord, the institution of family is under siege in modern society. Many people do not appreciate their needs for a family. I pray for the dysfunctional families. Lord, You are able to turn the tide, transform sorrows into joy and distill goodness out of evil. Grant them Your grace. Amen.

It has become a tradition in our parish to baptize babies on Christmas Day. For these lucky babies, every year when people all over the world celebrate the birth of our Saviour, they will  also be celebrating the joy of their new life in Christ. How meaningful it is!
Many readers may object to infantile baptism, saying that the infants are not in the position to take up such a fundamental option as to believe in a personal Saviour. Furthermore, the parents have deprived the infants of their right to choose their faith. 
The first objection is right. The infants are too young to take up the option. That is why we do not baptize the infants because of their faith. Rather, we baptize them because of the faith of their parents. The parents believe in God, believe in Jesus as their Saviour. Shouldn't the infants follow the faith of their parents? Subsequently, it is also the responsibility of the parents to provide adequate religious education for their children.
The second objection is not quite right. As parents, we bring them to this world without seeking their consent. We breast-feed them or bottle-feed them without asking for their opinions. We send them to the "best" kindergartens or primary schools without ... This is not a question of the rights of the infants. Rather, it is a question of the duties of the parents. As parents, it is our duty to give the best to our children.  

Again, Fr. Martin officiated at the 11 a.m. mass in which some 20 infants were baptized. Many of the parents were young couples. One or two mothers were pregnant as well. The whole atmosphere was pregnant with vitality. The gospel reading was taken from the first 14 verses of John 1. It is a highly theological reflection on the part of John. I was wondering how Fr. Martin would handle it.
Perhaps taking the cues from so many young couples, Fr. Martin began by quoting the results of sociological researches on marriages. Free love was a romance. Marriages across social strata were myths. These were inventions by fiction writers. In reality, people would marry people with similar sociological background, such as income, education level and religious affiliation etc. Some psychological researches further revealed that people would choose spouses possessing similar character traits as the parent of their opposite gender. In short, many girls tend to marry men of their father-figures and boys their mother-figures.
If you are wondering what Fr. Martin was aiming at, here comes the main theme of his homily.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father (John 1:14).
In order to make His salvation more accessible to us, God takes up the challenge to become a man. In order to make Himself known to us, God becomes one of us. To build up a relationship with us, God leaves heaven to become baby Jesus. With similar socio-psychological background, we may choose him, build up a trust relationship with him and attain transformation and salvation. As Christian parents, it is our duty to make Jesus more accessible to our children.

CHRISTMAS GREETING

Malachi was the last of the 12 minor prophets. He condemned Jews who divorced so as to marry foreign women.
Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god (Malachi 2:11).
Therefore, his prophetic ministry probably took place in the time of Nehemiah. It was a colonial time without kings. Judah was only a province of Persia, a foreign power. Priests held the highest authority under colonial rule. But could priests be immune to corruption?

Ideally speaking, priests were men of God. God appointed them to govern the people since the era of judges and kings was over. They had the responsibility to listen carefully to God, guard His revelation with devotion and explain it faithfully to the people. When the people did not know what to do, they should seek instruction from the priests and obeyed them with respect because priests were messengers of God. Even if the people thought they knew what to do, they should also make sure that their actions were not contrary to the teachings of the priests.
True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.
For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts (Malachi 2:6-7).
Therefore, under normal condition, when priests spoke, it was as if God was speaking. They were the soul, the conscience of the people, turning people away from iniquity. If they were wrong, the whole people would perish. Due to such grave demands on them, what psychological qualities were required of priests?
My covenant with him (Levi) was a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him, that he might fear; and he feared me, he stood in awe of my name (Malachi 2:5).
God is the God of life and peace. He would give the people such blessings. Priests were the middle men. They were the interface between a powerful God and a stiff-necked people. Of course, they feared. It was impossible to please both sides. They had to take side. If they sided with God. They should stood in awe of God though they might be unpopular among men. If they sided with men, they would extract a lot of advantages from the people in the name of God. Then they said yes to whatever the people asked in order to please them. Siding with men seemed a better option. Then priests became corrupt.
But what if priests really became corrupt? Who would challenge them, unmark them? In the Jewish context, prophets.
At the end of time, the last prophet sent by God would be Elijah.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. 
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse (Malachi 4:5-6 RSV, 3:23-24 MT).
While the Jews are still waiting for Elijah to come, Christians have long ago interpreted this Elijah to be John the Baptist (Matthew 17:13). John the Baptist was the last spokesman of God because in Jesus, God speaks directly to us.

Nowadays, the situation has totally changed. People do not seek instruction from men of God because many people do not believe in God anymore. There are other forms of authority. People solve their problems and increase their convenience and comfort through science and technology. They uphold scientists to ward off the ghost of God. In ancient times, governments sought mandate from God. Now, they coerce their subjects with gun barrels, manipulate their opinions with propaganda and deliberately omit God from their constitutions and laws. Priests, bishops and popes are relegated to celebrants of rituals. People close their ears to the moral teachings of the Church.
If modern people need priests to fill the void in their hearts created by the lack of life and peace promised by God, they would consecrate scientists, politicians and media gurus to do the task. But will the gods behind these gurus be capable to bring them life and peace? No, gods do not exist. The gurus themselves will be their solutions. The question has changed into whether these gurus, who are themselves flesh and blood, will be able to fill the void. I know no answer to this question.

Dear Lord, this was written after the Chinese dissident, Mr. Liu Xiao Bo, was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Christmas. The sentencing is a disgrace to the Chinese government and a disrespect to You, the Prince of Peace. You have already sent all Your prophets. What other trump cards do You have in hand? Are You going to China Yourself to set the dissidents free? Or You have already substituted these dissidents instead and wait for Christians to visit You? Merry Christmas, Chinese Communist Party.

Zephaniah was one of the twelve minor prophets. His ministry was in the southern kingdom Judah. It began some time before the religious reforms of King Josiah. Today, we are reading the last section of Zephaniah. The prophet consoled the people, telling them that the Lord was in their midst (Zephaniah 3:5a, 15b, 17a). He would remove judgments against them.

Now is not a time of judgment but a time of grace. God has tried to be fair to Satan. That explains why Jesus has to suffer and died on the cross. But in the end, God shall cast out Satan, the enemy. The Accuser has prevailed for long enough. God must intervene to save us.
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more (Zephaniah 3:15).
What then is salvation? It is God in our midst. That was what Paul had in mind when he asked the following rhetoric question.
When God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31b)
That is why we shall fear evil no more because God is on our side.

Zephaniah 3:17 is another verse of salvation. It tries to explain what life in salvation is like. But different versions offer different translations!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (RSV)
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing (KJV).
RSV seems to refer to LXX in her translation.
καὶ καινιεῖ σε ἐν τῇ ἀγαπήσει αὐτοῦ (And shall revive you in his affection). 
KJV follows MT in her translation.
יַחֲרִישׁ בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ (he will be silent in his love)
So, which one is the correct interpretation? Will God be silent / take a rest in His love? or Will God revive / renew you?
Personally, I prefer the RSV interpretation. God's love is transformative. He redeems us with His love through Christ.
The KJV translation seems to reflect a contemplative state. Both God and I are engaged in a silent encounter. There is no more language around. God is the giver of this love. Out of His initiative, He poured out His Love.

Dear Lord, when You are in our midst, we are all safe. Be with us always to guide us home. Amen.