Blog of Fr. Peter Leung

Interview With Author Pete Vere

By Carrie Gress

QUEBEC CITY, SEPT. 9, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Canon law is more than just regulations, but is active living out of our Catholic tradition, says author Pete Vere.

Vere co-authored with Michael Trueman “Surprised by Canon Law: 150 Questions Laypeople Ask About Canon Law,” and “Surprised by Canon Law, Volume 2: More Questions Catholics Ask About Canon Law,” both published by Servant Books.

In Part 1 of this interview with ZENIT, Vere discusses the role canon law plays in the life of the average Catholic as well as in the difficult issues of giving Communion to pro-abortion politicians and the sexual abuse scandals.

Part 2 of this interview will be appear Wednesday.

Q: What inspired you to write “Surprised by Canon Law, Volumes I and II”? From your research and the reaction you have had from readers, how does canon law affect the life of the average Catholic in the pew?

Vere: Canon law affects every aspect our daily life as Catholics — such as when we can receive the holy Eucharist, to how we receive absolution through the sacrament of confession, to who can be a godparent. Canon law isn’t just dry rules and regulations — it’s a living part of the Church’s sacred Tradition.

Over the past decade we have seen how canon law functions throughout many extraordinary events in the life of the Church. Some of these events have been painful, such as the sexual misconduct crisis among clergy and the need to confront Catholic politicians who undermine the sanctity of life and marriage. Other events have been a cause for joy and celebration among the universal Church. These include the election of Pope Benedict, the reconciliation of Catholic traditionalists in Campos, Brazil, and the canonizations of Sts. Faustina, Padre Pio, Josemaría Escrivá and the Fatima children.

When writing as Catholics, one hopes and prays that one’s inspiration is drawn from the Holy Spirit, although we write as his imperfect human instruments. Most often, God speaks to us through the Church and other people. In the case of “Surprised by Canon Law, Volume I” the inspiration came through the Second Vatican Council, the post-conciliar apologetics movement, and most importantly, the people of God who we served through tribunal ministry.

Canon law does not exist for its own sake. Rather, it exists as the handmaiden of theology, to assist in the salvation of souls by helping to provide order within the Christian life. Thus the salvation of souls is the supreme law of the Church.

One of the great blessings of the Second Vatican Council is that it opened up the sacred sciences to the laity, as part of the Council’s universal call to holiness. Simply put, all Catholics are called to grow in holiness and knowledge of the faith. Consequently, the Second Vatican Council challenged all Catholics to become more knowledgeable about their faith.

Whereas the post-conciliar era saw the Church make sacred Scripture and the various theological disciplines more accessible to the laity, we were a little slower off the mark in doing so with canon law. In fact, while writing the first volume of “Surprised by Canon Law,” Michael and I worried that this attempt to make canon law accessible to the laity would be met with suspicion by our peers in the canonical world — especially as Michael and I were still young to the profession, and our presentation style borrowed heavily from the new apologetics and evangelization movement.

Our concerns could not have been more unfounded. I am still stunned by the prayers, encouragement and support we received from fellow canonists, representing all areas of canonical ministry.

And it was with their prayers and encouragement that we undertook to write “Surprised by Canon Law, Volume II,” which answers questions on issues that have piqued the interest of laity since the publication of the first volume.

The topics include: the canonization of saints, papal election, the sexual misconduct crisis, the Eastern Catholic Churches, possible actions to remedy Catholic politicians who dissent from the Church’s moral teaching, ecumenism, the rise of new religious orders and movements, and several other topics.

Q: Let’s talk about some of those issues. Many Catholics aren’t sure what to think about high-profile Catholic politicians who support abortion or same-sex marriage, and then continue to receive holy Communion. What does canon law have to say about this?

Vere: Canon 915 is clear: Those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy Communion.”

The question then becomes whether Canon 915 ought to be applied to pro-abortion politicians who claim to be Catholic. The growing consensus among pastors and canonists is yes. This is especially the case since 2004, when Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis came out strongly in favor of this pastoral remedy, and he received the backing of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Nevertheless, Archbishop Burke gave it much careful thought and prayer before going public. This is as it should be, something I say as someone who had been publicly arguing for the application of canon 915 prior to Archbishop Burke exercising his leadership on the issue as both a bishop and a canonist.

Partaking in holy Communion is our most sacred action as Catholics. Denying a Catholic this sacrament is very serious, and should only be done where all other pastoral options have been exhausted. It sends a strong message to deny someone holy Communion, but given that abortion is the wanton destruction of innocent life in the womb, such a serious message is indeed necessary. The same is true with the natural and sacramental definition of marriage, which is the basic building block of society and the natural order.

Thus imposing Canon 915 becomes necessary when a Catholic politician is at odds with the Church’s moral teaching and refuses pastoral correction. And yes, from Archbishop Burke to Bishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, I know of no pastor who has denied holy Communion without first attempting to correct the politician in private and giving the politician the opportunity to mend his or her ways.

Q: Another painful issue for Catholics over the past five years has been the sexual misconduct crisis. What do you say about the Church’s handling of these cases in light of canon law?

Vere: It is a tragedy whenever a young person is abused, especially when this abuse is perpetuated by one who has been set aside to care for Christ’s faithful. Past action, or lack thereof, to address these situations, did not utilize the canon law legal remedies. It was not a failure of the Church’s law, which, promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983, contained a canon to punish clerics who sexually abused minors; it was a failure of leadership to utilize these laws.

In my opinion, canon law was erroneously seen as overly complex, lending to being easily overturned on appeal by the priest, and advocating a too-harsh penalty, rather than providing a pastoral and charitable remedy. “How can we preach forgiveness if we remove Father X from active ministry because of one mistake?” was the common objection. Additionally, advice from the psychological community erred on the side of patient reform and secular legal counsel usually sought out-of-court settlements and party confidentiality.

Nonetheless, the wheels of change were already in motion before the cases in Boston were brought to light. In 2001, the Holy See had reserved to itself the right to consider such cases of clergy sexual abuse. In a motu proprio called “Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela” there appeared a section stating that in instances where a cleric commits a sexual offense against a minor, the case must be brought to the attention of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith after a preliminary investigation is carried out by the local bishop. Prior to this, cases could have been considered locally.

“Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela,” in part, then informed the U.S. bishops’ 2002 deliberations at their meeting in Dallas concerning the creation of the U.S. Charter and Norms for the Protection of Children and Young People. These national norms where subsequently approved by the Holy See and continue to have force today.

The U.S. Charter and Norms have dramatically changed the way clergy sexual abuse cases are handled. Besides the change in competency, procedure, and removal from ministry, dioceses have a full compliment of screening and training programs. The U.S. episcopal conference’s National Review Board continues its work of auditing the programs, making recommendations as to best practices and compliance.

At the end of the day, the overarching change relates to perspective — that clergy and laity are now actively seeking ways to protect children and young people from those who would want to harm them. In many ways, Church leaders and personnel have adopted the protective instinct that a parent has for his or her own child.

Interview With Author Pete Vere

By Carrie Gress

QUEBEC CITY, SEPT. 10, 2008 (Zenit.org).- In response to the growing tide of new movements in the Church, Canon law does not dictate the form they will take, but arises in response to the Holy Spirit, says author Pete Vere.

Vere co-authored with Michael Trueman “Surprised by Canon Law: 150 Questions Laypeople Ask About Canon Law,” and “Surprised by Canon Law, Volume 2: More Questions Catholics Ask About Canon Law,” both published by Servant Books.

In Part 2 of this interview with ZENIT, Vere discusses the role canon law plays in understanding the canonization process and the growth of new movements in the Church.

Part 1 of this interview appeared Tuesday.

Q: Your book answers a number of questions about the canonization process. Could you give us a brief overview of this process, especially as we wait for people like Blessed Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II to finish these processes?

Vere: Allow me to begin with some good news: Every one of us is eligible to become a saint. In fact, this is the reason for which God created us — to join him in heaven for all of eternity. Thus we should always ask ourselves whether our actions and words will bring us closer to God.

Having said that, only a handful of us will be canonized saints by the Church. The canonization process is rather rigorous, which insures its integrity. I myself was surprised to learn just how rigorous the process is, and am grateful to Michael — who has experience with the process — for tackling the canonization chapter.

Having said that, the process for canonization is not found in the Code of Canon Law, but in a document promulgated by Pope John Paul II called “Divinus Perfectionis Magister” (Divine Teacher and Model of Perfection).

It begins when a Catholic is believed by the faithful to have lived a life of exemplary holiness. From here, Michael summarizes the process as follows: “death of the individual; presentation of the cause — the person is called a servant of God; declaration of venerability — the person is called venerable; declaration of beatification — the person is declared blessed; and canonization — the person is declared a saint.”

Of course, Michael goes into a lot more detail in the book, answering questions about each stage of the process. For example, canon 368 tasks the diocesan bishop with the responsibility of presenting a cause for canonization.

All of the candidate’s writings must be carefully scrutinized before the Church declares the candidate venerable. Beatification and canonization must each be supported by a miracle. The final act of canonization constitutes an infallible statement that the individual is in heaven with Our Lord.

As the book explains in more detail, the process calls upon several experts — theologians, pastors, laity, medical doctors, etc. — depending upon the stage of the canonization process.

Q: A number of new religious orders and movements have arisen since the Second Vatican Council. What are some of the differences between institutes of consecrated life as envisioned by the Code of Canon Law, especially something like consecrated virgins who only recently have returned to the life of the Church?

Vere: As the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is infinite. This means there are infinite possibilities of how he can inspire the Catholic faithful to serve the Church. The code presents a number of possibilities, of which we touch upon several in “Surprised by Canon Law, Volume II.”

For instance, institutes of consecrated life fall into three broad categories: religious orders, societies of apostolic life and secular institutes. Most of us are familiar with religious orders like the Benedictines or the Franciscans, where Catholics live and pray in common, and all their material goods are held in common by the community.

Societies of apostolic life are similar, in that the members live together to fulfill a common purpose. However, like secular priests, the members of a society of apostolic life can own personal property. One of the fastest-growing societies of apostolic life in the Church right now is the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, which was founded in 1988 to help fulfill the pastoral needs of traditionally minded Catholics.

With secular institutes, the members live within society and may have secular occupations as well. Their function is to provide ’spiritual leaven’ within the world.

An institute may be clerical, if its membership is predominately clergy, or lay, if the membership is mostly made up of religious brothers and sisters. Contemplative institutes spend more time in prayer, like the Carthusians, whereas active institutes, like St. Martha in the Gospels, or Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, focus on temporal works of charity.

The combinations are endless, and this is before one takes into account personal prelatures like Opus Dei, consecrated virgins, hermits, and many other possibilities recognized by the code. And of course we don’t know what the Holy Spirit will inspire in the future.

Each of these possibilities fulfills a need within the Church. Throughout the Church’s history, these forms have arisen in response to special challenges faced by the Church. For example, the early monasteries arose to bring order and community life to the countless hermits hiding in the desert. The Franciscans arose from the need for the Church to evangelize. The Jesuits from the need for the Church to respond to the division within Christendom caused by the Protestant Reformation. Many of today’s new religious movements have arisen as a response to the secularist malaise and spiritual lukewarmness that has infected formerly Christian lands. They have answered Pope John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization — one that evangelizes from within.

The Code does not so much envision what type of form these movements will take — as canon law, like the new movements, arises in response to the Holy Spirit. Rather, the Code attempts to provide some order and guidance for when these new movements arise, so that they may serve the Church and the good of souls to their full potential.

Q: Many Catholics don’t know that Eastern Churches have their own Code of Canon Law. What sort of differences are there between the two codes?

Vere: Many of the individual canons are similar, or in some cases even the same, but there are some significant differences. For example, for a marriage to be valid under the Eastern code, the couple must receive the blessing of the priest. This excludes deacons from presiding over marriages except in an emergency. On the other hand, nothing in the Latin code stops the deacon from acting as a qualified witness.

Another key difference, which again concerns marriage, is that a godparent cannot marry a godchild in the East. So a fiancée could not sponsor a non-Catholic fiancée into the Church under the Eastern Code, whereas there is no such prohibition in the West. There are also a few structural differences — the Latin Code is divided into seven books, whereas the Eastern Code is divided into 30 titles. And, of course, the terminology often differs between the two codes to account for the different spiritual patrimonies.

That being said, the most profound difference, in my opinion, is the treatment of our Eastern Catholic Churches. Notice I said “Churches” and not “Rites.” To me this denotes a profound shift in ecclesiology, that is, the Church’s theology of what it is to be a Church. This is important because how one understands the Church as an entity will affect how one interprets the Church’s law.

The Latin Code, promulgated in 1983, still treated our Eastern Catholic brethren as members of rites. In other words, Eastern Catholics were seen as an extension of the Latin Catholic Church, but with slightly different liturgies and customs, and in some parts of the world, their own hierarchy.

By using the expression “Churches sui iuris” in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO), that is to say Churches of their own authority, the 1990 Eastern code recognized that Eastern Catholics belonged to their own Churches, each with its own distinctive spiritual patrimony, that exist in full communion with Rome and the Latin Church. Together, these Churches make up the universal Church.

And in the end, this is why Michael and I felt it important to include a chapter about the CCEO in “Surprised by Canon Law Volume II.” Although our spiritual patrimonies may differ somewhat between Churches “sui iuris,” we exist in full communion with each other, sharing the same mission, which is the salvation and sanctification of souls.

Spokesman Says Discourse Is Highly Anticipated

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 10, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is looking forward to addressing the French world of culture this week, says a Vatican spokesman.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, told reporters Tuesday that the Pope is preparing with great care the address he will deliver Friday afternoon to individuals from the world of thought, science and art, as well as representatives of UNESCO and the European Union. The gathering will take place at the recently restored College of the Bernardines in Paris.

The Pontiff will travel Friday-Monday to Paris and Lourdes. His visit to the Marian shrine, which begins Saturday, takes place in the context of the 150th anniversary of apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous.

Father Lombardi said the Holy Father’s address to the world of culture “is greatly anticipated. It is a text that the Pope has prepared with great eagerness.”

He said the original is written in German; it has been translated into French. Benedict XVI has dedicated a good part of his magisterium to the relation between faith and reason.

The place of the meeting is very symbolic, said the Vatican spokesman, as “it has a great history.”

It is an architectural complex founded in 1245 by a Cistercian monk at the request of Pope Innocent IV, who was convinced that the renewal of the Church should be through study.

Father Lombardi explained that Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, deceased archbishop of Paris, “succeeded in having the Church recover the use of this center as the place of meeting between the Church and culture.”

The archdiocese has worked for seven years to restore the center. The work was completed a few weeks ago. The official inauguration will take place with Benedict XVI’s visit.

During his stay in Paris, the Holy Father will meet with political leaders, representatives of the Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as representatives of the other Christian confessions.

Spokesman Says Most Likely Upon Arrival

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 10, 2008 (Zenit.org).- It is expected that Benedict XVI will address the topic of the separation of Church and state this weekend during his trip to France, according to a Vatican spokesmen.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, told reporters Tuesday that the Pope would most likely address the topic in his first address upon arriving to the country Friday.

The Pope will travel Friday-Monday to Paris and Lourdes. His visit to the Marian shrine takes place in the context of the 150th anniversary of apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous.

Father Lombardi explained that the Pontiff, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was appointed in 1992 as an associate foreign member of France’s Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, might refer to the vision of “positive secularity” discussed by President Nicolas Sarkozy in an address last December at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Sarkozy said in his address that “secularism should not be a denial of the past. It does not have the power to sever France from its Christian roots. This has been tried. It shouldn’t have been done.”

Break with protocol

Father Lombardi reported that Sarkozy himself will greet the Holy Father at the airport, as President George Bush had done when the Pontiff visited the United States in April.

According to protocol in France, the prime minister welcomes a head of state while the president awaits him in his official residence, the Élysée Palace, for the welcoming ceremony.

The Vatican spokesman clarified that the welcome will be private, and no addresses will be delivered.

At the Élysée Palace, Benedict XVI and Sarkozy will meet privately, and afterward the official welcoming ceremony will take place during which the Pope will deliver his first public address of the trip. Some 700 people, including high-ranking politicians and government authorities, will attend the ceremony.

Catholic teaching

Father Lombardi noted for context the letter Pope John Paul II wrote on Feb. 11, 2005, to the president of the French episcopal conference on the occasion of the centenary of the law of separation between Church and State.

The Vatican spokesman presented the text of the letter as a “very positive” summary the Catholic position of secularism.

John Paul II wrote, “The principle of secularity to which your country is extremely attached, if it is well understood, belongs also to the social doctrine of the Church.”

Father Lombardi said the Pope noted the “need for a just separation of powers, that echoes Christ’s invitation to his disciples: ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’”

John Paul II added, “For its part, the non-confessional character of the state, which is the non-involvement of the civil power in the life of the Church and of the different religions, such as in the sphere of the spiritual, allows all the components of society to work together in the service of all and of the national community.”

Benedict XVI also addressed the topic of secularism in April when visiting the United States. He called the country an “example of healthy secularism.”

Says He Visits France as a Messenger of Peace

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 10, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI will pray at the feet of Our Lady of Lourdes for the Church, the sick and for peace in the world when he visits the Marian shrine this weekend.

The Pope said this at the end of today’s general audience in a message directed to the people of France. The Pope will travel Friday-Monday to Paris and Lourdes. His visit to the Marian shrine takes place in the context of the 150th anniversary of apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous.

“I go as a messenger of peace and fraternity,” he said in the message. “Your country is not unknown to me. On several occasions I have had the joy to visit it and to appreciate its generous tradition of hospitality and tolerance, as well as the solidity of its Christian faith and its lofty human and spiritual culture.”

The Pontiff underlined that he is traveling to France to visit Lourdes as a pilgrim: “After visiting Paris, your country’s capital, I will have the great joy to join the crowd of pilgrims who are going to follow the stages of the jubilee journey, after St. Bernadette, to the Massabielle grotto.

“My prayer will intensify at the feet of Our Lady for the intentions of the whole Church, in particular for the sick, the abandoned, as well as for peace in the world.”

“May Mary be for all of you,” he added, “in particular for young people, the Mother always attentive to the needs of her children, a light of hope that illuminates and guides your ways.”

“I invite you to join me in prayer,” the Holy Father said, “so that this trip will bring abundant fruits.”

Madrid, Sep 10, 2008 / 08:02 pm (CNA).- The Spanish Federation of Pro-Life Associations said this week that a new law widening access to abortion would do nothing to solve the problems related to the issue, and that change would come only with measures that respect life, help pregnant women and encourage teens to change their behavior.

In a statement, the federation called for “serious and real debate” involving “people without economic or political interests in the practice of abortion,” in order to shed “light on the medical, psychological and social reality” of women who have suffered the consequences of abortion as well as those who opted instead to keep their babies.

In response to a government announcement that the law on abortion would be liberalized, the federation called instead for greater care for pregnant women and a commitment by the country’s institutions to help them.

“The scorn for the unborn human being” must be corrected, the federation stated, as well as the pretension of turning crimes into rights, the manipulation of language and the claim that abortion is ‘a sign of progress and freedom’.”

Brad Johnson with his patriotic banners

San Diego, Sep 10, 2008 / 07:51 am (CNA).- A federal judge ruled on Friday that a San Diego high school teacher has a free speech right to display patriotic banners in his classroom with messages such as “God Bless America,” “In God We Trust,” and “One Nation Under God.” School officials had ordered the banners removed on the grounds they promoted a “Judeo-Christian” viewpoint.

Brad Johnson, a high school math teacher, had displayed such red, white and blue banners in his Poway Unified School District high school for twenty-five years before they were ordered removed. The school district allowed classroom displays by other teachers that included posters of Buddhist and Islamic messages, Tibetan prayer flags, and other displays.

The Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center filed a federal lawsuit against the school district on Johnson’s behalf, arguing that the school district’s actions amounted to government hostility toward a specific religion. The lawsuit also alleged that the school district violated Johnson’s free speech rights by imposing a viewpoint-based restriction upon him, according to a Tuesday press release from the Thomas More Law Center.

The Poway Unified School District responded to the lawsuit with a motion seeking to dismiss the case for failure to state a claim.

Federal District Judge Robert T. Benitez ruled that the lawsuit may proceed, stating in his decision:

“Whether described as speech from a religious perspective or speech about American history and culture, through display of his classroom banners, Johnson was simply exercising his free speech rights on subjects that were otherwise permitted in the limited public forum created by Defendants and in a manner that did not cause substantial disorder in the classroom.  Thus, Johnson has made out a clear claim for relief for an ongoing violation of his First Amendment free speech rights.”

Robert Muise, the Thomas More Law Center lawyer handling the case, praised the decision by saying the judge’s “strongly worded” opinion “sends a clear message to school districts across the country that hostility toward our nation’s religious heritage is contrary to our constitution.”

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel for the Law Center, added his own comments, saying “Many public schools exhibit a knee-jerk hostility towards Christianity and seek to cleanse our nation’s classrooms of our religious heritage while promoting atheism or other religions under the guise of cultural diversity.”

If the lawsuit is successful, the speech restriction will be overturned and Johnson will be allowed to display his banners.

記得十個月前，還在舊公司，當時已向上司申請今年七月的假期。從那時起，無論心靈或是經濟上，一切都在默默籌備中。 

九個月過去了。兩個月前，終於懷著興奮的心情，踏上征途，上路澳洲朝聖去，參加三年一度的普世青年節。心中一直有個問題：與來自世界各地擁有同一信仰的四十萬年青人走在一起，不知是何種滋味？我心裡冷靜已久的情緒會因此而起伏麼？原來，隨街遇見同路中人，感覺著實興奮，就算大家言語不通，只要一個親切擁抱，一切盡在不言中。猶記得在7月19日的馬場大集會中，走遍全場與世界各地的青年談天拍照，分享信仰，那種感動至今難忘。 

十五日的朝聖旅程，哭過笑過。今天我更可以清楚告訴大家，我實實在在經歷過；經歷過聖神在我身上工作的威能。由於澳洲正值嚴冬，害得我多晚徹夜難眠。為此，我連日來的精神與心情俱欠佳，更曾暗下埋怨過。慶幸每天早上的祈禱時間，都能讓我有機會重新反省，並提醒自己是次朝聖的目的。從來就沒有想過這是一般的旅行，遊山玩水；想到此處，就明白到天主安排我今次旅程，每個經歷都必有衪的意思。想必衪是叫我別總以自己的尺去量度他人，以及學習怎樣包容，如何以不同的角度去看事物，因為凡事必不只一個面貌。

 「你白白的得來，也要白白分施。」

 從墨爾本和悉尼兩個接待家庭以及接待堂區中，深深體會這句聖言。一生中，委實有太多人疼愛自己，無論認識已久抑或素未謀面，沿路上，都充滿上主的照顧。從小就不停問自己：我何以多年來能白白承受滿溢不缺的愛？經歷過，體驗過他人無施的奉獻，更覺自己的渺小。既然白白得來，何不白白分施？在主內，只要奉獻，衪哪會叫你缺少？ 

從未試過每天都有聖祭禮，從未如此與主接近過。每天聽聖言，慢慢細嚼，再向衪訴說自己的點滴。那種接近的喜悅，哭在衪懷中的倚靠，都值得一再細味。回來以後，確實主日以外，已甚少到教堂去祈禱；不過，倒還記得要事事感恩的訓導。 

今次朝聖，也許因為行程緊湊而忘了享受當中過程。然而，過後今天一再重溫，方驚覺一切都如此美好；又美好點滴，實在難以筆墨形容。唯一能書的，是在旅途上，我深深感受到天主的愛無處不在；無論從人(感謝同行的兄弟姊妹及接待單位）、從事（感謝沿途上的天朗氣清），或從天下萬物（感謝沿途上的活動安排）中，都能一一彰顯出來。

 人生無悔如此精彩過。 

韓沁妍　(聖母領報堂青年)

聖董文學司鐸殉道

恭讀聖路加福音 6:27-38
那時候，耶穌向門徒和群眾說：「我對你們說：應愛你們的仇人，善待惱恨你們的人；應祝福詛咒你們的人，為毀謗你們的人祈禱。有人打你的面頰，也把另一面轉 給他；有人拿去你的外衣，也不要阻擋他拿你的內衣。凡求你的，就給他；有人拿去你的東西，別再索回。你們願意人怎樣待你們，也要怎樣待人。若你們愛那愛你 們的，為你們還算什麼功德？因為連罪人也愛那愛他們的人。你們善待那善待你們的，為你們還算什麼功德？因為連罪人也這樣作。你們若借給那些有希望償還的， 為你們還算什麼功德？就是罪人也借給罪人，為能如數收回。但是，你們當愛你們的仇人，善待他們；借出，不要再指望收回；如此，你們的賞報必定豐厚，且要成 為至高者的子女，因為他對待忘恩負義的人和惡人是仁慈的。你們應當慈悲，就像你們的父那樣慈悲。你們不要判斷，也就不受判斷；不要定罪，也就不被定罪；你 們要赦免，也就蒙赦免。你們給，也就給你們；並且還要用好的，連按帶搖，以致外溢的升斗，倒在你們的懷裏，因為你們用什麼升斗量給人，也必用什麼升斗量給 你們。」

—這是基督的福音。

(23rd week in Ordinary Time – Thurs.)

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 6:27-38

27 “But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. 31 And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most  High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

—The Gospel of the Lord.

往神父講道目錄

 

 Homily [9:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1045)

信仰生活互動坊、塔冷通心靈書舍

9月11日　(週四)　 路6：27-38　    (其他經文──格前8：1-7, 11-13   詠139)
耶穌向門徒和群眾說：「我對你們說：應愛你們的仇人，善待惱恨你們的人；應祝福詛咒你們的人，為毀謗你們的人祈禱。有人打你的面頰，也把另一面轉給他；有人拿去你的外衣，也不要阻擋他拿你的內衣。凡求你的，就給他；有人拿去你的東西，別再索回。你們願意人怎樣待你們，也要怎樣待人。若你們愛那愛你們的，為你們還算什麼功德？因為連罪人也愛那愛他們的人。你們善待那善待你們的，為你們還算什麼功德？因為連罪人也這樣作。你們若借給那些有希望償還的，為你們還算什麼功德？就是罪人也借給罪人，為能如數收回。但是，你們當愛你們的仇人，善待他們；借出，不要再指望收回；如此，你們的賞報必定豐厚，且要成為至高者的子女，因為他對待忘恩負義的人和惡人是仁慈的。你們應當慈悲，就像你們的父那樣慈悲。你們不要判斷，也就不受判斷；不要定罪，也就不被定罪；你們要赦免，也就蒙赦免。你們給，也就給你們；並且還要用好的，連按帶搖，以致外溢的升斗，倒在你們的懷裡，因為你們用什麼升斗量給人，也必用什麼升斗量給你們。」

默　想

• 耶穌所說的訊息，是不是很難做呢？很過分呢？當然難，但不過分。
• 因為耶穌是在說人類進化至最高層次時的表現，這也是他對人類的示範及要求。當人類繼續進化，總有一天，我們是會達到耶穌所要求的水平的，除非我們停止進化，反而退化。
• 人真的會繼續進化嗎？會的，若果我們相信德日進神父的理論，現今人類只不過在某一階段而已。耶穌降生就是要示範給我們看，人原來是可以這樣待人的，這才是救恩。
• 這進化的過程會怎樣才能達到呢？是要通過默觀，進入完全降服的境界，由上主來改變我們。