星期天的早上，我和慕道者討論教會有關婚姻和性的教導，解釋了為甚麼教會根據聖經教導，反對離婚和重婚。
甲慕道者：「你說離婚和重婚是罪行，是因為天主教的教導抑或因為基督教的教導？」
盧：「離婚和重婚是罪，不是因為天主教的教導 ，也不是因為基督教的教導 ，而是在客觀和真實的真理內，這些行為是罪過。」
甲慕道者：「若我想同一個離過婚的男友結婚，有問題嗎？」
盧：「有。」(然後解釋問題所在和如何補救。)
甲慕道者：「入教會那麽多束縛，豈不使人卻步？」
乙慕道者：「對！這些限制是不是太嚴厲無情？」
盧：「不是教會無情，而是她不能不遵照主耶穌的教導。主說：『凡天主所結合的，人不可拆散。』(瑪19:6)這些規定的確不易跟隨。但是大家都知道，入天國的路不易行。所以耶穌說：『你們要從窄門進去，因為寬門和大路導入喪亡； 但有許多的人從那裏進去。那導入生命的門是多麼窄，路是多麼狹! 找到它的人的確不多。』(瑪7:13)
所有慕道者默然不語，一片無奈和不滿。
盧：「今天是救主慈悲主日。在講述有關婚姻和性的規條的同時，我不想大家忘記天主無限的慈悲。的確，這些規限不易遵行，在俗世洪洪巨流中，在傳媒和各種背離真理的主義和學說的影响下，很多人被衝擊得東歪西倒。但是，那一個人敢說自己是完全清白的呢？聖詠說：『上主，你若細察我的罪辜，我主！有誰還能站立得住﹖』(詠130:3) 要明白，人能進入天國，最終不是因為人自己的努力，能做好自己，使自己聖善和完美無瑕，而是因為天主慈悲，寬恕人的罪惡。主耶穌基於無限愛情，貴為天主而願意為人承担罪過，因著他的承担，因著天父無限慈悲，離婚者或重婚者若願意信從耶穌，一樣有機會得救。千萬不要因為這些規限難做，而不加入教會，放棄跟隨耶穌和得救機會。」
甲慕道者灰暗面臉突然泛起笑容。
乙慕道者在我引用聖詠詩句時，突然熱淚奪眶而出，急忙俯首往手袋找纸巾，不斷抹擦。
甲慕道者：「其實我們從國內來的，離婚 、重婚、 婚外情都很普遍。這些罪耶穌都寬恕嗎？」
盧：「天主無限智慧，衪判決時能夠考慮到很多我們人所不能看見的因素。國內同胞因各種客觀環境因素影響之下所犯過錯，很多不在他們控制能力中，全能和至公的天主，必作最公平的判斷。反觀我們很多來自香港的，相對地有很好的條件在婚姻和性方面做好自己而偏不做，天主定必給予這些人最嚴厲的懲罰。所以主耶穌說：『給誰的多，向誰要的也多；交托誰的多，向誰索取的也格外多。』」(路12:48)
聚會完畢，慕道者懷著希望和感恩之心辭別。
The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims its builder's craft (Psalm 19:2). elodocuments is an English/Chinese bi-lingual blog that shares based on the Catholic faith.高天陳述天主的光榮，穹蒼宣揚祂手的化工(詠19:2)。elodocuments 是個用中英語分享天主教信仰的網誌。
Monday, April 13, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Living In The Holy Tradition Will Study Pope Benedict XVI's Verbum Domini (On the Word of God)
At age 40, I was part of the senior management team of a non-profit organization. Having completed my MBA and accounting designation, and after settling nicely into a choice neighborhood with my young family, I was ready for the next opportunity to take my career and personal pursuits to new soaring heights.
But surprise, surprise! God had other ideas. He had three people lined up specifically for me, whose job it was to take my journey of life to a drastically different direction. Dr. Scott Hahn was the defibrillator needed to revive my failing heart, spiritually pulseless as it was. St. John Paul II grabbed me by the wrist and took me into the Church’s family quarter where the meaning of marriage was re-taught and the sacredness of life re-defined for me. Finally Pope Benedict XVI, scholarly in style and clear as a running stream in thinking, helped me fortify my home base using the Word of God as understood in the Holy Tradition of the Catholic Church.
Dear brothers and sisters of various Chinese Catholic communities in Toronto: Living in the Holy Tradition (“LIVING”), a program designed to help the participants to abide – to literally live and breathe - in the Catholic tradition by studying magisterial documents, papal writings, and Church Fathers’ teachings, will begin anew on Monday, April 20 using a powerful papal document that deserves to be read and re-read many times - Pope Benedict XVI’s post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Verbum Domini (On the Word of God).
On the commencement of this new beginning of LIVING, I’d like to invite all of you to join us as we continue to serve the Lord and grow in our understanding of the Catholic faith. Together we will benefit from the concisely reasoned style and churchman sensibility of Pope Benedict XVI - the third angel that God had sent to rescue me - who truly is rooted deep in the living and dynamic reality of the Catholic tradition.
St. John Paul II testified to the power of Scripture this way: “The Word of God, a Word who calls, who invites, who personally summons as happened to the apostles. When a person is touched by the Word, obedience is born, that is, the listening which changes life” (Orientale Lumen, n.10). The Word of God is calling YOU! Open up your heart to be touched! Meet Him once a month through Pope Benedict XVI. He will change your life the way He changed mine!
Details of LIVING are as follows:
MEETING: 8:00-9:45 p.m., on the 3rd Monday of every month (summer break in July & Aug), starting from Monday, April 20.
VENUE: FLL EV Centre, 9033 Leslie Street, Unit 9 (2nd Floor) Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4B 4K3
HOST: Edmond Lo (MTS, MBA, CPA-CMA, Catechist, Navigator of CMCC Bible Study Program, Catechism Revisited Program)
LANGUAGE Cantonese for commentary and discussion, reading from document in English.
DOCUMENT: Pope Benedict XVI’s Verbum Domini (On the Word of God), Click here to download.
FORMAT: Host will lead discussion of passages selected from document and shown on screen.
DURATION: About 10-12 meetings.
REGISTRATION: Not required, just come to the meeting.
INQUIRY: Feel free to contact the host directly.
But surprise, surprise! God had other ideas. He had three people lined up specifically for me, whose job it was to take my journey of life to a drastically different direction. Dr. Scott Hahn was the defibrillator needed to revive my failing heart, spiritually pulseless as it was. St. John Paul II grabbed me by the wrist and took me into the Church’s family quarter where the meaning of marriage was re-taught and the sacredness of life re-defined for me. Finally Pope Benedict XVI, scholarly in style and clear as a running stream in thinking, helped me fortify my home base using the Word of God as understood in the Holy Tradition of the Catholic Church.
Dear brothers and sisters of various Chinese Catholic communities in Toronto: Living in the Holy Tradition (“LIVING”), a program designed to help the participants to abide – to literally live and breathe - in the Catholic tradition by studying magisterial documents, papal writings, and Church Fathers’ teachings, will begin anew on Monday, April 20 using a powerful papal document that deserves to be read and re-read many times - Pope Benedict XVI’s post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Verbum Domini (On the Word of God).
On the commencement of this new beginning of LIVING, I’d like to invite all of you to join us as we continue to serve the Lord and grow in our understanding of the Catholic faith. Together we will benefit from the concisely reasoned style and churchman sensibility of Pope Benedict XVI - the third angel that God had sent to rescue me - who truly is rooted deep in the living and dynamic reality of the Catholic tradition.
St. John Paul II testified to the power of Scripture this way: “The Word of God, a Word who calls, who invites, who personally summons as happened to the apostles. When a person is touched by the Word, obedience is born, that is, the listening which changes life” (Orientale Lumen, n.10). The Word of God is calling YOU! Open up your heart to be touched! Meet Him once a month through Pope Benedict XVI. He will change your life the way He changed mine!
Details of LIVING are as follows:
MEETING: 8:00-9:45 p.m., on the 3rd Monday of every month (summer break in July & Aug), starting from Monday, April 20.
VENUE: FLL EV Centre, 9033 Leslie Street, Unit 9 (2nd Floor) Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4B 4K3
HOST: Edmond Lo (MTS, MBA, CPA-CMA, Catechist, Navigator of CMCC Bible Study Program, Catechism Revisited Program)
LANGUAGE Cantonese for commentary and discussion, reading from document in English.
DOCUMENT: Pope Benedict XVI’s Verbum Domini (On the Word of God), Click here to download.
FORMAT: Host will lead discussion of passages selected from document and shown on screen.
DURATION: About 10-12 meetings.
REGISTRATION: Not required, just come to the meeting.
INQUIRY: Feel free to contact the host directly.
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