Excellent insights from Fr. Francis Wong. Coming from someone who was about to leave this world makes the article even more special and thought-provoking. I agree with Fr. Wong 100% and thank him for leaving us with such a profound reflection before his departure from this world. May the happiness that he discovered by making himself #3 shortly before his death permeate the core of his being and bring him face to face with #1....
E. Lo
慈幼會黃建國神父安息主懷
病榻中談 「無為」與「有為」之用
(公教報副刊) 慈幼會黃建國神父四月廿四日 (今日) 晚上八點多離世。他早前在病榻中為本報撰文談 「無為」與「有為」之用,文章以「我第三」此筆名撰寫首部份,第二部份則解釋為何取此筆名。文章刊於四月十六日公教報。請眾為黃神父靈魂的安息祈禱。——編者
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很久前閱讀過一則禪師與徒弟的故事,現在想起來仍是回味無窮。一天,禪師與徒弟往山中一遊,當天風和日麗,陽光普照,藍天白雲,真是遊山玩水的好時光。他們師徒倆不知不覺來到一處森林,空氣清新,很多樹又高又大,非常壯觀,人能在這裡居住一定健康長壽。忽然他們來到一棵又大又老的樹前,令師徒兩人停下來,驚訝、欣賞、讚嘆。禪師問徒弟說:「你看,這棵樹又大又老。你可知道它為何這麼大這麼老嗎?」徒弟回答說:「是呀,師傅。但徒弟實在不知道為何這樣。」禪師說:「好吧!那為師的就告訴你,請細心聽著。它之所以這麼大這麼老,是因為它『一無所用』,如果它『有用』的話,早就被人砍伐下來,做成木板、傢俱、紙張等。就是因為它一無所用,才留到今天,讓你和我都可在它的蔭下乘凉,天上的飛鳥可棲息其中,美化世界,讓地球成為理想的居住地方。」
以前當我閱讀聖經或故事時,都不斷在尋找有啟發的思想,為能作為寫文章或講道的題材,或為了給近人傳福音,但都是為寫給人看、講給人聽。現在想換個角度,只講給自己聽,給自己傳福音,因為「最近的近人」就是自己。
「一無所用」即「無為」being useless,「有用」即「有為」being useful。回想起我整個生命,到我患上癌症為止,都是盡力使自己「有為」being useful。到處奔波勞碌,不斷學習,充實自己,使自己成為對人有用的、有幫助的人。
我在學校服務約共50年,曾做過數學、英文、電腦、體育、倫理、聖經、音樂教師等;負責過圖書館、足球教練、歌詠團指揮;學校行政方面曾任教務主任、訓導主任、宗教主任、寄宿部主任、校長等;又曾在四間慈幼會的工業學校服務,範圍包括二岸三地。被選為神父後,服務範圍又包括身心靈方面,被邀請去講避靜、辦神修及教育講座;在福傳上每主日的講道、每月投稿、製作書籤,身手敏捷、行動迅速到處奔波勞碌開會等,這一切都在表達自己非常重要,就是「有為之用」。
從患癌症後,所有生活步伐都緩慢下來,反應遲鈍,工作被迫減少,一步步退出江湖,少管閒事,成為有心無力、「無為」、「無用」之人。從一個非常忙碌變成很清閒的人,連講道也有心無力,起初感覺非常不習慣,因為一天24小時,無所事事,清閒得要命,每時每刻都在對著自己和天主。天主告訴我:現在我能活多久已不重要,最重要的是祂的旨意承行,完成祂的救恩計劃。
我從來沒想過,原來患癌症也是天主的恩寵。祂給了我很多時間去反省自己的生命,正視我與天主間、我與人之間及我與自己的關係。祂讓我看清楚「無為」和「有為」是什麼。「有為」是發展自我,因此「我」是生命中的主角、中心,當然「我」是首位了。然而「無為」的生命是以天主真正為天主,天主在生命中是主角、中心,祂佔首位。這樣的生活非常吻合耶穌的前驅若翰的生活「祂應該興盛,我卻應該衰微。」(若3:30)原來這也是我在6月24日出世的原因。
我現在體會到「無為」之用,因為祂在我身上會發揮祂最大的功能,不是我生活,而是祂在我身上生活。原來我現在是用另類的模式去福傳,我不用刻意去做什麼「有為」的事,僅是 let it be,接受在我生命所發生的一切,為耶穌而活,與祂一起活,開開心心,以微笑、慈悲心,將天主慈悲的面孔顯示給與相遇的人,讓祂的聖意好像光和鹽,把天主的慈愛,透過「無為」的我毫無保留地滲透到所有人的心靈,產生潛移默化的皈依功效、滋潤生命。我感謝天主的智慧、揀選和恩賜。我又明白到:我的聖洗聖名五傷方濟各的原因,原來我是遍體鱗傷。
我最近閱讀到一個很有啟發的思路方向。想到一種感覺,就是當自己受到人的讚美、贊同、接納、鼓掌、肯定、支持、欣賞時,那種滿足、開心、愉悅的感覺。又想到另一種感覺,就是當我看到日出、日落、自然美景、花草樹木、一本有啟發的書、一齣有意義的電影等時,那稱心、平靜、安寧、和諧愉悅的感覺。相互對比之下,這兩種感覺顯然不同。前者當自己獲他人接納讚賞時,那種快樂是由於自我成就、有用、突出自己的價值;後者那種快樂似乎不知從那兒來,又見不到自己在那裡、有什麼功德。原來前者是以自我為中心、自己掌控一切,後者是以天主為中心、天主掌控一切。前者是自我滿足,後者是天主使我滿足。這是我最大的發現,當然是天主的啟發。沐浴在以天主為中心的世界裡,那種喜樂愉悅是如此清新、純樸、無雜質,是人生最有意義、最大的享受。
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*我第三*
朋友,我是黃建國神父,筆名「我第三」。為什麼稱為「我第三」呢?它又有什麼意思?我第三之意是:在我生命中,天主第一,你們大家第二,我第三。來源是出自偶然,有一次我遇到一個人心胸掛著一個大牌,上面寫著:我第三。我因為好奇問道:「朋友,我第三是什麼意思?」他答說:「天主第一,你們大家第二,我第三。」從那時起我就把它埋在心裡,時隔一段很長的歲月,最近忽然「我第三」在我腦海掠過,我就把它抓住,回味其意義,就決定這是我的筆名、座右銘提醒我生命應走的方向。
在反省回味當中感到得益無窮,現在與大家分享其來龍去脈。在我自己的生命中,天主不可能會佔首位,因為我無論怎樣都離不了這個「我」、「自己」:我吃飯、睡覺、學習、服務、教書、講道等,都是透過這個「我」去實踐的,怎可能沒有我的分?怎可能不強調「我」、「自己」呢?我為人著想時,也是透過我去思考、透過我的看法、我認為為人好的、有益的才去做。所以我真正生活的次序,剛剛相反,就是:我第一,你們大家第二,天主第三。我覺得這是很自然的排序,沒有什麼不對。
天主有一天對我說:「你的想法完全對。但在人不可能,在天主是可能的 (參閱:谷10:27)。在你生命中當然無法脫離這個『我』,但我說的『我』是以自我為中心,不懂得歸因,把一切都當做理當所然,以為一切你的成功、順利、才華等是出於你這個『我』,其實完全是出自我的慈悲心,給予你一切你所需,所有的機會、方便等。你明白嗎?因為如果你以自我中心,就不會想到我,也不會對我事事感恩。」
朋友,不要誤以為我現在已達到這目標,還相差很遠,還在努力當中。由「有為之用」成為「無為之用」是「我第三」的真實體驗。請大家與我一同努力,把自己的生命逐步成為「我第三」,因為這是我們皈依的方向。
*「我第三」*與大家共勉。(刊 2017-4-16 )
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Friday, April 21, 2017
活在前所未見的世代中
(這文章英文原版同日在此網誌刊登。鳴謝《生命恩泉》翻譯組幫助中文翻譯。)
這些恐怖的影像在每個人的腦海裡仍然記憶猶新,揮之不去: 在聖枝主日, 埃及坦塔和亞歷山大兩個城市裡的兩間埃及科普特東正教會教堂,發生兩次爆炸事件, 造成四十四名無辜的人喪生,一百人受傷。而只有四個月前 – 2016年12月11日 – 在開羅一間科普特東正教會教堂亦發生類似的自殺式炸彈事件, 造成二十九人死亡,四十五人受傷。
人習慣了邪惡,這些事情或者已經不再是新聞: 這個月 <國家郵報> 的一篇專題報導,揭露了安大略省一所大學行政階層的偏見, 把尊重生命團體的活動標籤為 「敵對性的」,「挑釁性的」和 「反對選擇權的」。
當今之世,道德相對主義失控般泛濫於學校,媒體,企業和各級政府中。 他們認為每個人都有權跟隨自己所認定的真理。那些堅持自己所相信的是絕對真理,而認為全人類都應當跟隨的,被認定是 「心胸狹窄, 缺乏包容」。天主教會和許多宗教是當中表表者。
相比早期基督徒所面對無日無之的毀謗,鎮壓和迫害,今天基督徒的情況可說比他們好不了多少。 這樣說並沒有誇大其詞。 早期教會用什麼信息來幫助信徒克服逆境呢?有許多信息。而且由於今天教會所面對的困難和早期的教會所面對的有很多相似之處, 當年的信息到了今天仍然適用。以下的主日讀經是其中特別有用的信息之一:
「因此,你們要歡欣,雖然現在你們暫時還該在各種磨練中受苦, 但這是為使你們的信德, 鍛鍊得比經過火煉而仍易消失的黃金更有價值, 使你們在耶穌基督顯現時,得到稱讚,光榮和尊敬。」( 伯多祿前書1:6-7)
我們正活在前所未有的世代中,唯願這不是世界的終結。 伊拉克和敘利亞經歷了多年的緊張狀態和危機後, 亂狀正以恐佈主義的形式和暴徒式的侵略擴散至歐洲和中亞地區, 敘利亞阿薩德用化學武器, 引起西方國家和包括敘利亞阿薩德和伊朗的俄羅斯陣營的正面衝突, 互發最後通牒,擺出各不相讓,不惜一戰的姿態。而在西太平洋, 正蘊釀著同樣激烈甚至更嚴重的危機, 北朝鮮警告美國, 如果美國轟炸其核設施, 北朝鮮會用核武器襲擊南韓, 日本, 和美國大陸。
聖經多處有刻劃入微的描述,預測世界末日的可怕境況。 在現在這些衝突中,祇要一方有計算上或人為的錯誤, 以致在朝鮮半島或中東爆發核戰, 這些聖經中所提及的恐怖場面隨時會變成事實。不知是什麼原因,《 若望默示錄》中的兩個栩栩如生的描述一直存留在我腦海中:
「以後我看見,當羔羊開啟第六個印的時候 ,發生了大地震,太陽變黑,有如粗毛衣;整個月亮變得像血, 天上的星辰墜落在地上………;天也隱退,有如捲起的書卷; 一切山嶺和島嶼都移了本位。……….向山嶺和巖石說:「 倒在我們身上,遮蓋我們罷! 好避免那坐在寶座上的面容和那羔羊的震怒, 因為他們發怒的大日子來臨了,有誰能站立得住?」( 若望默示錄6:12-17)
「在那日期內,人求死而不得;渴望死,死卻避開他們。」(默9: 6))。
正如耶穌在福音讀經中對多默說:「那些沒有看見而相信的, 才是有福的!」(若望福音20:29)。在某種程度上,我們也能看見耶穌,不過不是以多默的方式, 而是以天主聖言和聖體聖事來與耶穌相遇。 我們確實生活在前所未有的世代中。 有可能這真是末日的先兆,雖然我們希望和祈求,最後獲勝的是信靠與和平。不過,祇要耶穌在伯多祿的船上與我們在一 起,陪伴我們抵擋風暴,我們還要害怕什麼(參見瑪竇福音8:23-27)? 「因此,縱使地動山崩,墮入海心,我們也絕不會疑懼橫生; 海濤儘管洶湧翻騰,山嶽儘管因浪震動:與我們同在的, 是萬軍的天主,雅各伯的天主是我們的保護。」(聖詠集46:3- 4)。就讓我們忍耐和接受,其實各種試探都是為了考驗我們,「為使你們的信德,得以精煉」(伯多祿前書1:7)。
這些恐怖的影像在每個人的腦海裡仍然記憶猶新,揮之不去: 在聖枝主日, 埃及坦塔和亞歷山大兩個城市裡的兩間埃及科普特東正教會教堂,發生兩次爆炸事件, 造成四十四名無辜的人喪生,一百人受傷。而只有四個月前 – 2016年12月11日 – 在開羅一間科普特東正教會教堂亦發生類似的自殺式炸彈事件, 造成二十九人死亡,四十五人受傷。
人習慣了邪惡,這些事情或者已經不再是新聞: 這個月 <國家郵報> 的一篇專題報導,揭露了安大略省一所大學行政階層的偏見, 把尊重生命團體的活動標籤為 「敵對性的」,「挑釁性的」和 「反對選擇權的」。
當今之世,道德相對主義失控般泛濫於學校,媒體,企業和各級政府中。 他們認為每個人都有權跟隨自己所認定的真理。那些堅持自己所相信的是絕對真理,而認為全人類都應當跟隨的,被認定是 「心胸狹窄, 缺乏包容」。天主教會和許多宗教是當中表表者。
相比早期基督徒所面對無日無之的毀謗,鎮壓和迫害,今天基督徒的情況可說比他們好不了多少。 這樣說並沒有誇大其詞。 早期教會用什麼信息來幫助信徒克服逆境呢?有許多信息。而且由於今天教會所面對的困難和早期的教會所面對的有很多相似之處, 當年的信息到了今天仍然適用。以下的主日讀經是其中特別有用的信息之一:
「因此,你們要歡欣,雖然現在你們暫時還該在各種磨練中受苦, 但這是為使你們的信德, 鍛鍊得比經過火煉而仍易消失的黃金更有價值, 使你們在耶穌基督顯現時,得到稱讚,光榮和尊敬。」( 伯多祿前書1:6-7)
我們正活在前所未有的世代中,唯願這不是世界的終結。 伊拉克和敘利亞經歷了多年的緊張狀態和危機後, 亂狀正以恐佈主義的形式和暴徒式的侵略擴散至歐洲和中亞地區, 敘利亞阿薩德用化學武器, 引起西方國家和包括敘利亞阿薩德和伊朗的俄羅斯陣營的正面衝突, 互發最後通牒,擺出各不相讓,不惜一戰的姿態。而在西太平洋, 正蘊釀著同樣激烈甚至更嚴重的危機, 北朝鮮警告美國, 如果美國轟炸其核設施, 北朝鮮會用核武器襲擊南韓, 日本, 和美國大陸。
聖經多處有刻劃入微的描述,預測世界末日的可怕境況。 在現在這些衝突中,祇要一方有計算上或人為的錯誤, 以致在朝鮮半島或中東爆發核戰, 這些聖經中所提及的恐怖場面隨時會變成事實。不知是什麼原因,《 若望默示錄》中的兩個栩栩如生的描述一直存留在我腦海中:
「以後我看見,當羔羊開啟第六個印的時候 ,發生了大地震,太陽變黑,有如粗毛衣;整個月亮變得像血, 天上的星辰墜落在地上………;天也隱退,有如捲起的書卷; 一切山嶺和島嶼都移了本位。……….向山嶺和巖石說:「 倒在我們身上,遮蓋我們罷! 好避免那坐在寶座上的面容和那羔羊的震怒, 因為他們發怒的大日子來臨了,有誰能站立得住?」( 若望默示錄6:12-17)
「在那日期內,人求死而不得;渴望死,死卻避開他們。」(默9: 6))。
正如耶穌在福音讀經中對多默說:「那些沒有看見而相信的, 才是有福的!」(若望福音20:29)。在某種程度上,我們也能看見耶穌,不過不是以多默的方式, 而是以天主聖言和聖體聖事來與耶穌相遇。 我們確實生活在前所未有的世代中。 有可能這真是末日的先兆,雖然我們希望和祈求,最後獲勝的是信靠與和平。不過,祇要耶穌在伯多祿的船上與我們在一 起,陪伴我們抵擋風暴,我們還要害怕什麼(參見瑪竇福音8:23-27)? 「因此,縱使地動山崩,墮入海心,我們也絕不會疑懼橫生; 海濤儘管洶湧翻騰,山嶽儘管因浪震動:與我們同在的, 是萬軍的天主,雅各伯的天主是我們的保護。」(聖詠集46:3- 4)。就讓我們忍耐和接受,其實各種試探都是為了考驗我們,「為使你們的信德,得以精煉」(伯多祿前書1:7)。
Living In Unprecedented Times
The horrific images are still fresh in everyone’s mind: on this Palm Sunday, two Coptic church bombings took place in Tanta and Alexandria, Egypt, killing 44 innocent people and injuring more than 100. Only 4 months before, on December 11, 2016, a similar suicide bombing of another Coptic church in Cairo had killed 29 people and injured 45 others.
People have become so accustomed to evils, perhaps this is no longer considered news anymore: in a special report this month, the National Post revealed the biased ideologies of the administration of a university in Ontario that labeled the activities of pro-life groups as “adversarial”, “confrontational”, and “anti-choice”.
Nowadays, moral relativism is running rampant in schools, media, businesses, and all levels of government. Everyone is entitled to uphold their own truths, so it’s claimed. Those who insist the truths in which they believe are absolute and universally applicable, as do the Catholic Church and many religions, are considered “intolerant”.
Compared to the early day Christians, for whom denigration, repression and persecution were the daily norms, it’s no exaggeration to say that today’s Christians are not faring any better. What messages did the early Church give her faithful to help them deal with their adversities at hand? Many. And most of them are still useful for us considering the similarity between the early Church’s difficult experiences and ours. But here’s one from this Sunday’s lectionary readings that is particularly useful:
“In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
We are living in unprecedented times – hopefully not the end of time. After many years of tensions and crises in Iraq and Syria, which have spilled over to the European continent and Asia Minor in many forms of terrorism and rogue invasions, the western countries and the Russian camp, which includes Assad of Syria and Iran, have come to a head over Assad’s chemical warfare, with both sides issuing ultimatums to each other and taking belligerent positions that are difficult to back down. A similar – if not more intense and dangerous – situation has also been developing in the west Pacific where North Korea is threating to “nuke” South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. mainland should the U.S. decide to bomb its nuclear facilities.
The Bible is filled with vivid predictions of the horrific hardships that the world will experience on the Last Day. Many of them bring to mind horrors that may well become a reality should a nuclear war break out due to one single miscalculated threat or human error in the Korean peninsula or in the Middle East. For whatever reason, stuck in my head are two very graphic descriptions in the Book of Revelation:
“Then I watched while he broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; the sun turned as black as dark sackcloth and the whole moon became like blood. The stars in the sky fell to the earth…the sky was divided like a torn scroll curling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place…They cried out to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come and who can withstand it?’” (Revelation 6:12-17)
“During that time these people will seek death but will not find it, and they will long to die but death will escape them.” (Revelation 9:6)
As Jesus said to Thomas in the gospel reading: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29). In a way, we see Jesus too: not in the manner Thomas encountered him, but in the word of God and the Eucharist. These indeed are unprecedented times that we live in. They may well be the precursors to the Last Day although we hope and pray that trust and peace would somehow prevail. But what are we to fear if Jesus is there with us in Peter’s boat, accompanying us to weather the storm (cf. Matthew 8:23-27)? “Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging, the LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob” (Psalm 46:3-4). Let’s hang in there and accept our various trials as a test of “the genuineness of your faith” (1 Peter. 1:7).
People have become so accustomed to evils, perhaps this is no longer considered news anymore: in a special report this month, the National Post revealed the biased ideologies of the administration of a university in Ontario that labeled the activities of pro-life groups as “adversarial”, “confrontational”, and “anti-choice”.
Nowadays, moral relativism is running rampant in schools, media, businesses, and all levels of government. Everyone is entitled to uphold their own truths, so it’s claimed. Those who insist the truths in which they believe are absolute and universally applicable, as do the Catholic Church and many religions, are considered “intolerant”.
Compared to the early day Christians, for whom denigration, repression and persecution were the daily norms, it’s no exaggeration to say that today’s Christians are not faring any better. What messages did the early Church give her faithful to help them deal with their adversities at hand? Many. And most of them are still useful for us considering the similarity between the early Church’s difficult experiences and ours. But here’s one from this Sunday’s lectionary readings that is particularly useful:
“In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
We are living in unprecedented times – hopefully not the end of time. After many years of tensions and crises in Iraq and Syria, which have spilled over to the European continent and Asia Minor in many forms of terrorism and rogue invasions, the western countries and the Russian camp, which includes Assad of Syria and Iran, have come to a head over Assad’s chemical warfare, with both sides issuing ultimatums to each other and taking belligerent positions that are difficult to back down. A similar – if not more intense and dangerous – situation has also been developing in the west Pacific where North Korea is threating to “nuke” South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. mainland should the U.S. decide to bomb its nuclear facilities.
The Bible is filled with vivid predictions of the horrific hardships that the world will experience on the Last Day. Many of them bring to mind horrors that may well become a reality should a nuclear war break out due to one single miscalculated threat or human error in the Korean peninsula or in the Middle East. For whatever reason, stuck in my head are two very graphic descriptions in the Book of Revelation:
“Then I watched while he broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; the sun turned as black as dark sackcloth and the whole moon became like blood. The stars in the sky fell to the earth…the sky was divided like a torn scroll curling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place…They cried out to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come and who can withstand it?’” (Revelation 6:12-17)
“During that time these people will seek death but will not find it, and they will long to die but death will escape them.” (Revelation 9:6)
As Jesus said to Thomas in the gospel reading: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29). In a way, we see Jesus too: not in the manner Thomas encountered him, but in the word of God and the Eucharist. These indeed are unprecedented times that we live in. They may well be the precursors to the Last Day although we hope and pray that trust and peace would somehow prevail. But what are we to fear if Jesus is there with us in Peter’s boat, accompanying us to weather the storm (cf. Matthew 8:23-27)? “Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging, the LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob” (Psalm 46:3-4). Let’s hang in there and accept our various trials as a test of “the genuineness of your faith” (1 Peter. 1:7).
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