Blog of Fr. Peter Leung

信仰生活互動坊、塔冷通心靈書舍

3月31日　(週一)　 路1：26-38 　(其他經文──依7：10-14；8：10　希10：4-10　詠40)
到了第六個月，天使加俾額爾奉天主差遣，往加里肋亞一座名叫納匝肋的城去，到一位童貞女那裡，她已與達味家族中的一個名叫若瑟的男子訂了婚，童貞女的名字叫瑪利亞。天使進去向她說：「萬福！充滿恩寵者，上主與你同在！」【在女人中你是蒙祝福的。】她卻因這話驚惶不安，便思慮這樣的請安有什麼意思。天使對她說：「瑪利亞，不要害怕，因為你在天主前獲得了寵幸。看，你將懷孕生子，並要給他起名叫耶穌。他將是偉大的，並被稱為至高者的兒子，上主天主要把他祖先達味的御座賜給他。他要為王統治雅各伯家，直到永遠；他的王權沒有終結。」瑪利亞便向天使說：「這事怎能成就？因為我不認識男人。」天使答覆她說：「聖神要臨於你，至高者的能力要庇廕你，因此，那要誕生的聖者，將稱為天主的兒子。且看，你的親戚依撒伯爾，她雖在老年，卻懷了男胎，本月已六個月了，她原是素稱不生育的，因為在天主前沒有不能的事。」瑪利亞說：「看！上主的婢女，願照妳的話成就於我吧！」天使便離開她去了。

默　想──Ø　不要說基督教朋友，只說我們天主教，我們究竟有否尊敬聖母呢？
Ø　什麼？我們天主教當然尊敬聖母啦，怎會不尊敬呢？
Ø　且慢且慢，我們究竟怎樣尊敬呢？我們有否跟隨聖母的芳表呢？聖母吩咐我們的事，我們有否遵從呢？我們唸玫瑰經有否進入默想呢？還是趕收工地唸？聖母說：願照你的話成就於我吧！我們有沒有學到呢？
Ø　我們尊敬聖母的態度，是否好像法利塞人守宗教規則一樣，而沒有進入「心」呢？

VATICAN – The Pope at the General Audience explains the meaning of Easter: “the weakening of faith in the Resurrection of Jesus leads to the weakening of the testimony of believers”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “Every Sunday, with the Creed, we renew our profession of faith in the resurrection of Christ, the amazing event that lies at the heart of Christianity. In the Church, everything is understood from this great mystery that has changed the course of history and that is made present in every Eucharistic celebration.” With these words, the Holy Father Benedict XVI began his catechesis at the General Audience on March 26, Wednesday in the Easter Octave. Having arrived in Rome by helicopter from his residence in Castel Gandolfo, the Pope met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from all over the world gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

“All the liturgies of the Easter season sing the certainty and joy of the resurrection of Christ,” the Holy Father pointed out, reminding the faithful of the need to constantly renew “our adhesion to Christ who has died and risen for us…in the Risen Christ, we are given the certainty of our resurrection. The news of his resurrection from the dead is timeless and Jesus is always alive; His Gospel is alive…The Lord’s death reveals the immense love with which He has loved us, to the point of sacrificing Himself for us. However, only the resurrection offers the ‘sure sign’ and the certainty that all that He has said is the truth, that it is true for us and for all times.”

Benedict XVI also spoke during his catechesis of the importance of “recalling this fundamental truth of our faith, its historical and widely documented truth, even though today, as has occurred in the past, many try to place it in doubt or even deny it.” He continued: “the weakening of faith in the Resurrection of Jesus leads to the weakening of the testimony of believers. If faith in the resurrection falters in the Church, everything begins to break down, everything falls apart. On the contrary, the adhesion of our hearts and minds to Christ who has died and risen changes lives and illumines the entire existence of persons and nations.” The Pope remarked that the certainty that Christ is risen, gives “courage and prophetic audacity and perseverance to the martyrs of every age,” and that the encounter with the living Christ has fascinated many men and women, that “since the beginning of Christianity, continue to leave everything to follow him and put their lives at the service of the Gospel.” The message that we are constantly listening to during these days is this: “Jesus is risen. He is Living and we can find Him…The Lord is with us, with His Church, until the end of time. Illumined by the Holy Spirit, the members of the early Church began announcing the Easter message openly and without fear. And this message, passed down from generation to generation, has reached us and is proclaimed every year at Easter, with an ever-renewed strength.”

Commenting on the gospel passage that tells of the two travelers of Emmaus with the risen Lord, from the day’s liturgy, the Holy Father pointed out that “during the entire liturgical year, especially during Holy Week and Easter Week, the Lord walks with us and explains the Scriptures to us and He makes us understand this mystery: everything refers to Him. And this should make our hearts burn within us, so that our eyes may be opened. The Lord is with us and He shows us the right path…Jesus breaks the bread with us and for us; He makes Himself present to us in the Holy Eucharist. He gives Himself and opens our hearts. In the Holy Eucharist, in the encounter with His Word, we can also meet and know Jesus, in this two-fold table of the Word and the consecrated Bread and Wine. Every Sunday the community relives the Lord’s death and resurrection and receives from the Savior His testament of love and fraternal service.” The Holy Father concluded his catechesis wishing that “the joy of this day may strengthen our faithful adhesion to the crucified and risen Christ” and he told the faithful to let themselves “be overcome by the fascination of His resurrection,” invoking the intercession of Mary to help us “become messengers of the light and joy of Easter among our brethren.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 27/3/2008; righe 51, parole 706)