撒網的比喻

瑪竇福音　13:47-53 - 聖亞豐索（主教、聖師）（紀念）

在今天的福音中，耶穌以撒網捕魚比喻天國，漁獲被分成好的和壞的，壞的會被丟掉。當末日來臨時，好魚和壞魚會被清楚的區分出來。

我們不清楚末日會在何時來臨，但我們即使能活到一百歲，剩下的日子再長都不過是區區數十年。我們怎樣確保能在那時被界定為「好魚」呢？是否靠臨終前能趕及辦告解和領聖體呢？但我們不知道會否有這樣的機會。我們應立志每天依靠耶穌的力量，依照天主的旨意生活。

耶穌在說過比喻後，給我們形容了一位真正明白聖經的人的模樣。他深深明白蘊藏在舊約的珍寶，也明白新約的精神。正如耶穌曾說過，祂來不是為廢除律法，而是要滿全它。我們讀聖經，也不能單看福音而忽略舊約。讓我們也謹記，聖奧斯定曾這樣說過：「天主如此明智地安排，使得新約隱藏於舊約裡，舊約顯露於新約中。」

Matthew 13:47-53 - Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

In today's Gospel, Jesus uses the Parable of the Dragnet to describe the Kingdom of God. The fish were divided into the good and the bad. The bad would be thrown away. When the end of time comes, the good and the bad would be clearly distinguishable.

We are not sure when the end of time would come, but even if we could live to be 100, we do not really have a lot of time. How do we make sure we would be in the right place? Do we try to make sure we could get confession and the last sacraments before we die? We are not sure if we would have the opportunity. We should resolve to live each day according to God's will by the power of Jesus.

After talking about the parable, Jesus describes how the truly learned disciple should be like. He would understand deeply about the treasure in the Old Testament, as well as the vision of the New. As Jesus said earlier, He had not come to destroy the traditions of the ‘old' Hebrew covenant but to fulfil it with a new covenant. When we read the Bible, we must not read just the Gospels and forget the Old Testament. Let us also remember that St. Augustine had said that "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old is unveiled in the New".