圖片提供：香港天主教社會傳播處

天主教香港教區
周守仁主教 
2022 年復活節文告
《在死亡的氛圍中慶祝生命》

「他看見就相信了。」（參若 20:8）耶穌鍾愛的門徒若望看到空墳，就相信他的主必定是從死亡中復活了。但其實這是有違常理的。人怎可能在空墳裡，甚麼也看不到的時候，卻看到新生命的可能性？他是被催眠了還是出現了幻覺？

若不是生命衝破了死亡，復活節算是甚麼？我們視死亡為關乎生命的終結。所以，當生命是「存在」，死亡就是「不存在」。也許我們對此生以後最大的恐懼，是生命結束了，一切變得虛無。你試過凝視虛無的情景嗎？有甚麼感覺？我們擁有一個自己可接受的身份去過活，原來是必不可少的，所以我們實在不敢想像自己會是絕對的虛無。

然而當若望看著空墳，他看到的不是空無一物。他覺察到的不是虛無。墳內沒有主的遺體，卻有包裹遺體的殮布，和放在耶穌頭上的汗巾。兩者仍然整齊地留在墳內。所以，若說有人匆匆地偷走了遺體，是最不可能的。反過來，若望記得主耶穌說過要從死人中復活。於是，他相信了。

環顧今日的香港和世界時，我們可以看到甚麼？我們可有看到苦難、仇恨、無助、無望、破壞和死亡？嘗試看得遠一些，去得深一點，我們還看到甚麼？

善心的人向烏克蘭難民伸出援手，提供臨時居所。各方熱切而低調的外交努力，正力求拖慢，甚或是制止針對烏克蘭的殘暴侵略行動。很多教友流著淚並懷著信念，誠懇地祈求天主介入，幫助受苦的烏克蘭人民和新冠疫情的受害者。

這些努力的核心觸及一個關鍵的信念，就是善能勝惡，因為復活的基督已戰勝了死亡，以及主宰著死亡的邪惡。我們目前所經歷的是邪惡的餘波，而到了末日餘波便不再存在。想像一下！

在香港，有市民捐出防疫面罩和新冠病毒檢測包，送給有需要的人。餐飲業向三餐不繼或營養不足的人派送免費飯盒。有人向掙扎求存的服務提供者多付小費以作鼓勵。這清單還可以繼續下去。

這些都是為著紓緩、安慰、重建、賦予希望、給予幫助、予人生命而作出的行動。然而，我們不應忘記這一切努力背後的意義：黑暗過後是光明，死亡之後見生命。

這是我們連續第三年在新冠疫情中慶祝復活節，現在更經歷著第五波疫情（或正走出這一波疫情），要說服自己應該去慶祝這節日，或許是有點天真。然而，我們真的應該慶祝耶穌復活，這是更貼近首個復活節的經驗。基督復活了，那些看見過他的人告訴我們，他從死者中復活了。（路24:23-25）

那些以為復活節不值得慶祝的人，其實是重複著多默的話：「除非我能夠看見他，用指頭探入他釘孔的傷口，我不會相信。」然而耶穌對多默說：「那些沒有看見而相信的，纔是有福的！」（若20:29）

各位朋友，基督復活了，阿肋路亞！緊握復活應許的人是有福的，因為我們都敢於盼望和相信。

祝願大家、我們有罪但神聖的教會，以及我們患了病的世界，有一個滿懷希望，充滿生機的復活節！

＋周守仁主教

香港教區主教

二零二二年三月二十九日

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Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan
Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong
Easter Message 2022
Celebrating Life in the Midst of Death

“He saw and believed” (John 20:8). John, the Beloved Disciple, saw the empty tomb, and he believed his Lord had risen from his death. But this is counterintuitive. How could someone look into an empty burial space and imagine the possibility of a new life? Could he be under hypnosis or experiencing an illusion?

What is Easter, if not life rupturing death? We understand death as the end of everything related to life. So, if Life ‘is,’ Death ‘is not.’ One of the big fears we all have is that we will be NOTHING after this life. Have you ever tried staring into nothingness? How did you feel? Being someone with an acceptable identity is essential to how we live, so we dare not dream we could be absolutely nothing.
But when John looked into the empty tomb, it was not empty to him. Nothingness was not what he came to perceive. Although the body of his Lord was not there, the burial cloth that wrapped his body and the linen used to cover his head were neatly placed in the tomb. Hence, it was most unlikely that the body was stolen in a rush. Instead, John recalled what his Lord had talked about rising from the dead. And he believed.

When we look around Hong Kong and the world today, what do we see? Do we see suffering, hatred, helplessness, hopelessness, destruction and death? Try to look a little further and go a bit deeper.

What else do we see?

People of goodwill reach out to the refugees from Ukraine, offering them temporary housing. Frenzy but low-profile diplomatic efforts from different fronts are trying to slow down and, hopefully, to stop the atrocious invasion of Ukraine. With tears and conviction, many faithful pray earnestly for God’s intervention in the cases of the suffering Ukrainians and COVID victims.

The crux of all these efforts is an underlying but crucial belief that goodness will triumph over evil because the Risen Christ has conquered death and its master, the evil itself. We are experiencing the residual effects of that evil that will no longer exist at the end of time. Imagine!

In Hong Kong, ordinary citizens donate face masks and antigen test kits to those who cannot easily access them otherwise. Caterers are giving out free meal boxes to those who cannot afford to have nutritious food for themselves. People give bigger tips to the struggling service providers as encouragement. And the list can go on.

These are efforts to soothe, console, rebuild, give hope, be helpful, and be life-giving. Nevertheless, one should not forget the meaning behind these efforts – light comes after darkness, and life follows death.

In the midst of the Covid-19 for the third year in a row and facing its 5th wave (or emerging from it), it may be naive to convince ourselves that we should celebrate Easter. Yet, we should because this takes us closer to the experiences of the first Easter. Christ is risen, and those who have seen him had told us about his rising from the dead (Luke 24:23-25).

Those who think there is nothing to celebrate in this Easter, would be repeating the words of Thomas: ‘Unless I can see him and put my fingers in his wounds, I will not believe.’ But, Jesus responded to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen yet believed.” (John 20:29).
So, my friends, Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Blessed are we who are holding onto the promise of Easter, daring to hope and believe!

A hope-filled and life-giving Easter to you, our sinful yet holy Church, and our ailing world!

+ Bishop Stephen Chow, S.J.
29 March 2022

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