Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Who Is the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37?

The divine Author of the Bible uses allegory to help the reader to “acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ”, according to the Catechism (CCC 117). As a result, when we read the Bible, don’t lose sight of the allegorical meanings that many of its stories carry – meanings that point us directly or indirectly to Christ himself.

How do we understand the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10:25-37) allegorically? What is its significance in Christ? According to Pope Benedict XVI, the answers to these questions can be obtained by understanding the story in the following manner (see Jesus of Nazareth – From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, pp. 200-201):

• "A man fell victim to robbers” (v. 30) – “Man” is to be understood as Adam or man in general; in other words, “humanity”. “Robbers” refers to the force of evil.
• “They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead” (v.30) – A picture of humanity in tatters, bereft of grace and wounded by sin. What we have is a fallen human nature.
• “Priest” and “Levite” (vv. 31-32) symbolize history, culture, and religion. None of them are the ultimate solution to humanity’s problem.
• The “Samaritan traveler” (v. 33) was distant and foreign to the man. Since the victim was a Jew, the Samaritan traveler was foreign to him. In fact, Jews and Samaritans didn’t get along. The Samaritan traveler refers to Jesus, who is distant and foreign to us because he is transcendent, holy and divine.
• “He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them” (v.34) – Jesus heals our wounded human nature using the Sacraments (oil and wine).
• “Took him to an inn and cared for him” (v. 34) – Jesus instituted the Church (inn) to care for man.

The theme of this allegory, as it relates to Christ, is love: man in general is wounded (human nature is wounded due to sin); every one of us is in need of redemption which we will receive from Jesus (the Samaritan in the story); we should love our neighbors the way the Good Samaritan loved the victim, helping the victim generously even though he was his enemy (because the victim was a Jew). The story also confirms the importance of the Church and the Sacraments (“inn” and “oil and wine” in the story), both of which were indispensable in the healing of the victim.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

如何用信德面對痛苦

這麽多年來,我在慕道班和教會裏最常遇上的問題是甚麽?如何證實神的存在?為何不可離婚?那個宗教擁有全盤真理?天主教是否耶穌建立的教會?教友為甚麼需要聖事? 都不是!這些都是很普遍也很重要的信仰問題,但不是慕道者和教友最常問的問題。我最常遇上的問題是:為甚麼有痛苦和如何面對。

有一個人不幸患了舌癌,做了手術和療程後多年,現在癌病竟又再復發。他極度情緒低落,無勇氣面對再一次的治療,因為這次的手術和療程將會非常痛苦和危險,還要面對從此不能說話和不能吞食的不便;就算手術成功,餘下歲月恐怕無多。他沒信仰,痛苦多番煎熬使他感到迷惘。心想:若天主真的存在,而祂又是慈悲美善的,祂為何容許世間充滿苦楚和邪惡?祂又為何無情地作弄人?

基於聖經,也基於教會在聖傳內按聖經所訂定的教導,天主教徒都相信:全能美善的天主不但存在而且眷顧一切,包括每一個人最微小和瑣碎的事情。祂將有關自己和人生的奧義啓示了給我們;祂啓示的真理已記錄在聖經中和存留在教會內。

那麽全能美善,慈悲愛人的天主為甚麼讓人類活在痛苦中?為甚麼妄顧人在苦難和失望中的呼號?這是個非常基本而又重要的問題,所以聖經一開始便先解答了它。按聖經,人在萬物中最尊貴自由,但卻誤用自由背離天主,因而身陷罪和痛苦的羅網中,不能自拔。信耶穌(他是天主) 接受他的救贖,是人擺脫罪和痛苦的羅網的唯一途徑。

那麽信耶穌的人是否永遠健康幸福?是的,但不是在這敗壞了的塵世。在來世,信主的人因著他的救恩,要復活並享永生和永遠福樂。

那麽信主的人在今世面對痛苦時當怎麼辦?簡單來說,正確面對的方法應包括以下原則:

(一) 信德 - 深信一切痛苦是這敗壞的世界不能避免的現象,所有人都活在它的枷鎖中。但這現象是過渡性的,「在過程中」(in statu viae)的受造界都在邁向最終的完美(教理 302)。藉主耶穌的救恩,痛苦和死亡的枷鎖已解除;在天主永恆的國度裡,痛苦和死亡再不能傷害我們。在那裡,我們可以歡欣地跟隨聖保祿高唱:「死亡! 你的勝利在哪裡﹖死亡! 你的刺在哪裡﹖」(格前15:55)

(二) 望德 - 保持希望,因為全能美善的天主能奧妙地從惡中引發出善 (教理 311)。基督的苦難看似是門徒們希望的全盤幻滅,但是二仟年的歷史證實耶穌的教導和有關他的預言一句也不落空。

(三) 愛德 - 要像主耶穌一樣,接納和勇於承担痛苦甚至死亡,明白我們都因主耶穌而成了司祭,我們的接納和承担是一份愛,是無私的自我獻出,是十字架的祭獻,有助救恩廣傳,讓人因我們(在痛苦中的人)而受惠。於是,本來是軟弱的,卻成了剛強的。(參閱《與未信主的好友談司祭職》。)

就像主「的德能在軟弱中才全顯出來」,跟隨主的人也願意「在困苦中,因為我幾時軟弱,正是我有能力的時候」(格後12:9,10)。最後,讓我們用教宗聖若望保祿二世的說話結束這有關痛苦的反思:

「人應將困苦看成一個特别召叫,用信德和忍耐去面對,這是一個讓人更深切地去愛的機會。」(譯自七九年九月廿九日都帕林講詞。)

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia

I still haven't read Amoris Laetitia, but I will - my summer is all set because of this book.

Many concerns, and just as many compliments from the media at large, have been expressed about Pope Francis because of this book. Obviously to the Catholic faithful who care about Church orthodoxy, the compliments are in and of themselves a justification for their concerns.

I long to read Amoris Laetitia to really find out whether the concerns are legit. But if my previous experiences of reading Pope Francis (Evangelii Gaudium and Misericordiae Vultus) are any indications, I think my summer reading probably will be a beneficial and enjoyable one. The 9-minute video below from Bishop Barron, whose remarkable ability to explain profound theological concepts using eloquent but understandable language that makes his audience feel right at home has won him many admirers the world over, gave me added assurance that this summer's reading project is something to look forward to.

Bishop Baron on Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia