Thursday, May 4, 2017

痛苦是「耶穌的吻」

為天主的國度而受苦是極崇高的事,讓人得到像領受了使命般的力量,而願意披荊斬棘,努力堅持下去….

前香港特區行政長官曾蔭權在保釋出獄後的早上,立刻前往教堂參與彌撒,隨行的是保護他的便衣警察。

讓我們先弄清楚:在這裡我們的工作,是為復活節第四主日彌撒讀經做一點反思,我們並非要評論曾蔭權受到的審判是否公平,或他在執政期間是否稱職,也沒有支持或批判他的意思。我們提起香港前領導人這段消息,是因為在這事情上,我們看到一個非常重要的神學議題:在經歷了長期痛苦的煎熬之後;在多次的禱告都好像石沉大海,得不到天主的回應之後;在政治和法律上的爭持和訴訟皆全數敗北,並且被公開羞辱,最後從高位墮下之後,為什麼曾蔭權仍然忠信於天主呢? 天主似乎已經多次離棄了他,為什麼他仍不離不棄地堅守自己的信仰呢?其實這不僅是曾蔭權的問題,而是每一個受苦的信徒的問題 。然而,試問誰人不受苦痛煎熬呢?

雖然這個主日的彌撒讀經的目的,不是要用痛苦作主題來做詳盡的神學講論,但在讀經一中以強而有力的福音宣講來說服了「大約三千人」悔改和受洗的聖伯多祿(宗徒大事錄2:41),在讀經二用同樣深遠的訓誨,使我們明白為什麼這麼多像曾蔭權的基督徒,在苦海沉淪幾乎沒頂時,仍然能繼續信靠天主。聖伯多祿說,因行善而受苦,是中悅天主的事(參閱伯前2:20);然後他總結說:「你們原是為此而蒙受召叫的,因為基督也為你們忍受了痛苦」 (伯多祿前書2:21)。換句話說,對基督徒來說,勇於接受為義而受苦涉及一種個人的信念 -- 一個為了仿傚基督為我們所做的一切而奉行的崇高的召叫。為天主的國度而受苦是極崇高的事,讓人得到像領受了使命般的力量,而願意披荊斬棘,努力堅持下去;那堅信不移的意志,幾近於殉道。

有趣的是,一生生活在極度貧困中,受盡痛苦的煎熬的德蘭修女,同樣地將痛苦視為「耶穌的吻」; 對她來說,痛苦是「天主的恩賜」(M. Gaitley,33 Days to Morning Glory,第69頁)。

如果這領悟聽起來令人不安 - 因為說到底,沒有人會喜歡受苦 - 這個主日的福音這樣安慰我們:耶穌是我們的牧者,我們是祂牧養的羊; 有祂在我們身邊,我們「不怕兇險」(參閱聖詠集23:4)。

(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。)

Suffering Is “The Kiss of Jesus”

There is a loftiness to suffering for the kingdom of God that is somehow empowering and sustaining…

The morning after he was temporarily released from prison on bail, the former Hong Kong Chief Executive, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, headed straight to church to attend a morning Mass - together with an entourage of plain-clothes police bodyguards.

Let’s be clear: This is not the place to debate whether Tsang has been given a fair trial or whether he governed well while in power; nor are we interested in supporting or criticizing him as we reflect on the Mass readings of the 4th Sunday of Easter. Rather, the news about the former leader of Hong Kong is brought up because we see in it a very significant theological issue: After such a long period of suffering, after so many prayers have seemingly gone unanswered, and after so many lost political and legal battles, public humiliations and his eventual fall from grace, why is Tsang still faithful to God? Why doesn’t he abandon his faith when God appears to have abandoned him so many times already? To think about it, the question is a universal one - applicable not only to Tsang but also to all believers who suffer. And let’s face it, who doesn’t?

While it isn’t the intention of this Sunday’s Mass readings to give us a complete theological treatise on the problem of suffering, St. Peter, whose powerful proclamation of the gospel in the first reading has convinced “about three thousand persons” to repent and receive baptism (Acts 2:41), gives us an insightful exhortation in the second reading that enables us to understand why so many Christians like Tsang continue to trust God even when they can barely keep their heads above water. According to St. Peter, suffering for doing what is good is a grace before God (cf. 1 Pt 2:20). “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,” he concludes (1 Pt. 2:21). Suffering for righteousness, in other words, is courageously embraced by Christians as a personal conviction – a noble calling to follow what Christ has done for all of us. There is a loftiness to suffering for the kingdom of God that is somehow empowering and sustaining, giving a faithful Christian the determination to accept any adversity – a resolve that borders on martyrdom.

Interestingly, Mother Teresa, who lived a life of extreme poverty and for whom suffering appeared to know no bounds, also viewed suffering as “the kiss of Jesus”; to her it was “a gift from God” (M. Gaitley, 33 Days to Morning Glory, p.69).

If such a realization sounds less than comforting – after all, nobody likes suffering – the gospel reading of this Sunday gives us the assurance that Jesus is our shepherd and we are his sheep; we shall fear no harm when he is at our side (cf. Ps. 23:4).