What exactly we trust in. Who do we trust in?

Fr. Anthony Le

There are two very striking images in the first reading. The first one has to do with the barren bush in the desert; the second one has to do with a tree planted nearby the running streams. very striking images to describe. the state of being of those who trust in human beings, so it's like a barren bush, no life, dying gradually. or like a planted tree, those who trust in God. Like a tree near the running stream. So, my brothers and sisters trust in God does matter. Trust in man, human beings also matter.

There's a story about a couple caught in the middle of a storm. The boat being tossed back and forth, the storm getting so strong, that the woman was so afraid, crying out loud, calling on her husband, screaming, calling for help. but the husband was calm, didn't react, but he closed his eyes, holding tight to the boat. This woman keeps screaming and says: are you not afraid? Don’t you know that we are about to die here? The storm is getting so strong. and the man did not say a word. Pulled out his pocket, a big knife, and waved around. And he shouted to her are you afraid? and this woman laughed, laughed, and laughed. Are you kidding me? You’re joking. I'm not afraid of you, because you love me. And now the man talks and he says: well just like that, I trust in almighty God, that if we survive, good. if we don't, also good. What can we do at this moment? other than trusting in the good lord, and stay calm. Amazing, isn't it?

For the baron bush, for those who trust in human beings, you have the experience of trusting in someone and disappointed later. I realized when my dad was not perfect. a quiet experience when I heard his confession. I always thought that my father was the perfect man. it turned out not to be the case. I always thought that priest was angelic on the high pedestal, until I became one. I thought that life in the catholic church, and the parish life, is awesome. all the people who go to church love God, with all their heart, to all the minds, with all their strength. well, you know that, not always the case.

Trust in men, the gospel, the author, the prophet Jeremiah, did not ask not to trust in men. no, that is not the case. Trusting is a fundamental act of living. we could not help but trust. but yet trusting completely in human beings, when we know we are limited, when we are weak, we are, my goodness, not so wise either. We trust completely when we know that we can only see so far, do so much, say so much, know so much. and so much we don't. So much limitation that we have, then, that would be a recipe for disaster. That's the reason why the author of the book of Jeremiah reminds us that we should not completely place our trust in the hands of men. If we do so, we really commit suicide, really. But yet he offered another solution. That we shall trust in the good lord. Given what we know about him, given what we have witnessed throughout the history of mankind, and how God has remained faithful. He is quick in mercy, and very slow in punishment.

In the same way, my dear brothers and sisters, when we look at our lord Jesus, when we look at him the way he dealt with those who are considered outcasts, those who consider themselves nothing. women caught in adultery, women at the well, men with possession, men with all sorts of sins, and diseases. How did our lord treat them? How did they follow him? For those who trust in the Lord, knowing that he's credible, God is all good, God is all loving, God is all patient, and kind, toward those he created. Knowing that God could not do wrong, God could not go against his promise, God could not withhold his blessing from his children. Our lord Jesus repeatedly mentions that to all those who follow him: if you trust in me, you shall have life, if you follow my commandments, you have life, even if you die you shall have life.

In today's gospel saying, Luke reminds you and I once again, what we should follow, and how we should trust. for those who are poor today, for those who are sick today, for those who are being persecuted today, if you fix your eyes not on this world alone, if we don't fix our eyes on material goods alone, if we don't fix our eye on stability that the government provides, if we don't fix our eyes on the very current moment, present moment here. And yet we look beyond, we see eternal life, we see beyond what we are suffering, and then we are blessed, because at that moment we see with God's vision. we don't just see with limited vision that human beings do. That's the reason for the four woes. Following up woe to you who are rich now, you're going to suffer, those woe to you if you are filled now, you're going to experience hunger, because you already experienced consolation. he's trying to say if at this moment all we care, or we trust all our life, place a big bet on this government, on that community, on this person, on this financial security, then later on what else do we have? We are doomed.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, we have a choice to make, and we have a beautiful opportunity to really re-examine our life, our community, and see what exactly we trust in. Who do we trust in? Should I trust in mankind completely, or should I play my trust in God. Therefore, I learned to trust my brothers and sisters, knowing that the good lord is with me, knowing that my brothers and sisters are weak and sinful, my brothers and sisters are limited too. Should I trust them with love, with mercy, with kindness, should I trust them with the wisdom of God?

So, my dear brothers and sisters, we are called to trust in God, so that we could trust one another. we are called to trust in him, so that we could truly love one another. so that we could truly share our life, because we learn once again, like our lord he trusts in us. He trusts in us knowing that we are not holy, knowing that we are wicked, knowing that we are weak, and frequently changing our mind constantly. but he trusted his life, his faith, his church to you and to me. It is not so much about whether we should be trusted, it's about whether we should trust God and therefore learn to trust one another.

Only then we could become like a tree running nearby the running stream. During a difficult time, like a drought, we still flourish and our leaves will still be green. Our shoots will still reach the water, we still have life. That's why the good lord dares to say: blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of the kingdom of God. oh, my dear brothers and sisters, only then, love has meaning, only then sacrifice has meaning, only then trust truly has meaning. Because at this moment, trust becomes an act of surrendering to God, so that allows him to use us as a tool to make you, and the world, and community, all a better place. only then, love perhaps when we do this valentine's things. Love now it's no longer an emotional response but actually a commitment of life, a way we see the world through the lens of our lord. He loves to the end that kind of sacrificial love. So, my dear brothers and sisters, once again, a barren bush or a flourishing tree? Trust in men without God or trust in God? Only to trust in one another, love one another, and show our faith in such a way. Only then richness has tremendous potential, only then, persecution becomes a new way of being with God, only then, only then, the reward of eternal life is guaranteed.

我們到底信什麼？又信誰？

今天讀經ㄧ給了我們兩張圖片。第一張圖，代表了相信人類自己可以解決所有問題的人。這種人就像一株生長在貧瘠沙漠中的荒蕪灌木，沒有生命，逐漸的死亡。第二張圖。代表了信靠天主的人。就像生長在溪流邊的樹木。高大強壯，枝葉茂盛，不斷地成長。兄弟姐妹們，信靠天主的確很重要。信靠人有能力可以解決問題，的確也很重要。

有一對夫婦坐的船在暴風雨中陷入困境。船來回顛簸，暴風雨又是如此的猛烈，女人害怕極了。大聲哭泣，呼喚丈夫，尖叫，呼救。但丈夫卻很平靜，沒有反應，只是閉上了眼睛，緊緊地抓著船。女人尖叫說：你不害怕嗎？難道你不知道我們即將死在這裡嗎？那人一言不發。從他的口袋拿出一把大刀，向四周揮舞，對她喊：你怕不怕？這個女人笑了，說：你在跟我開玩笑嗎？我不怕你，因為你愛我。丈夫回答說：我信任全能的天主，如果我們活下來，那就太好了。如果我們活不下來，也很好。的確，這個時候除了信任主，保持冷靜，我們還能做什麼？他的回答是不是很了不起？

對於貧瘠灌木，那些完全信任人類的能力的人，請問，你是否有過信任過某人，後來感到失望的經歷。我一直認為我的父親是個完美的人。但當我聽到他的懺悔時，我意識到他並不完美。我一直認為神父是站在高台上的天使，直到有一天我成了神父，我發現事實上並非如此。我認為天主教會，和教區的生活，非常美好。所有去教堂的人，都全心，全意地愛天主，全力以赴。您也知道，事實上並非如此。

福音，先知，耶肋米亞，並沒有要求我們不要信任人。信任是一種基本的生活反應。信任是我們本性的一部分。但是我們知道，我們是有限的，軟弱的，也不那麼聰明。我們只能看到這麼多、做這麼多、說這麼多、知道這麼多。如果我們明知有許多的限制，但仍然完全信任我們的能力，那將會導致嚴重的災難。所以耶利米亞提醒我們，不應該把全部的信任放在人的手中。他提供了一個解決的方案。要我們信靠主。

天主在人類歷史中所作的，祂的信實，祂快速的憐憫施恩，而緩於懲罰。使我們認識了祂。讓我們看看我們的主耶穌，他是如何對待那些被拋棄的人，通奸的人，井邊的女人，附魔的，有各種罪孽的，和患病的人。看看我們的主是如何對待他們的？他們是怎麼跟隨他的？那些信靠主的人，知道天主是可信的，良善的，慈愛的。天主對他所創造的人都是耐心和仁慈的。天主不會做錯事，不會違背他的應許，會給他的孩子們祝福。我們的主耶穌反復的說：信靠我，你就會有生命，遵守我的誡命，你就會有生命，即使你死了，也會重生。

在今天路加福音中，耶穌用四福四禍來提醒我們，應該追隨什麼，信任什麼。首先是四福，今天的窮人，病人，受迫害的人，你們的眼光不要只看這個俗世，以及祂所提供的物質，或是政府的輔助。你們要向遠處看，來看看永生。你們會看到了在受過苦難後，會得到永遠的祝福。就在此刻，我們不是用人的眼睛來看，而是用耶穌的眼睛來看。 至於四禍，祂說：如果你追求財富，你將會受苦，如果你總是填滿了你的肚腹，你將會經歷飢餓。因為在這個現世，你已經得到了慰藉。耶穌就是說，如果我們一生的關注都是，這個政府、那個社區、這個人、或擁有多少的財務，既然你的關愛，都賭在這個俗世上，你是不是放棄了對於將來的指望呢?

親愛的兄弟姐妹，這是一個很好的機會來重新審視我們的生活。看看我們到底信什麼？又信誰？信任人，還是天主。信天主可以學會如何信任我的兄弟姐妹們。因為善良的主與我同在，並且知道我的兄弟姐妹和我一樣是軟弱有罪的，有限的。我應該以主的愛、憐憫、和仁慈來信任他們，我應該以天主的智慧來信任他們。

親愛的兄弟姐妹們，我們蒙召信主，來學習相互信任，彼此相愛，來分享我們的生命。我們的主信任我們，知道我們不聖潔，是邪惡的，是軟弱的，並且是善變的。但他把他的生命、他的信仰、他的教會託付給你和我。我們應該信任天主，從而學會彼此信任。只有這樣，我們才能像一棵種在奔流溪旁的樹。即使在乾旱的時侯，我們仍然蓬勃生長，枝葉茂盛。樹根伸展到水里，充滿了生命。主說： 為義而受迫害的人是有福的。親愛的兄弟姐妹，只有犧牲的愛才有意義，只有信任才有意義。在這一刻，信任主就是一個向天主降服的行為，只有這樣，我們才能作為祂工具，使你，我，世界，和這個社區變得更美好。只有這樣，在這個情人節，愛不再是一種情感的反應，而是一個生命的承諾，一個通過主的眼睛看世界的方式。看到耶穌愛到最後，那種犧牲的愛。親愛的兄弟姐妹們，你要成為一棵不毛的灌木，還是一棵茂盛的樹？你要成為一個不信天主的人，還是信天主的人？我們要彼此信任，彼此相愛，並以這種方式來顯示我們的信仰。只有這樣的富足才有巨大的潛力，只有為愛而受迫害，才能與天主同在，必有永生的賞報