Benedict XVI: Helping the suffering makes man more human
預報救主降生 (三月二十五日)
聖母領報 (預報救主降生節) (The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
三月廿五日，聖母領報瞻禮，
是紀念嘉俾額爾天神向聖母瑪利亞
預報天主聖子降生為人的大喜訊。
聖母絕不因她的卓越地位，而感到驕傲。
她認為一切奇恩殊寵，都出自天主所賜。
她獲悉了天主奇妙偉大的救世計劃，
就謙恭地表示同意道：「主的婢女在此，請照你的話在我身上完成吧！」
天主向人類預許的諾言，就在這時候開始實現：
天主聖子降生為人，取了人的性體，救贖了人類。
耶穌聖誕週期的計算，也以聖母領報瞻禮為出發點：
我們如以三月廿五日為聖神降孕聖母淨胎的瞻禮日期，
耶穌聖誕就應當是十二月廿五日了。
本瞻禮在西方教會，開始於第七世紀。
(資料來源: 香港教區禮儀委員會)
Annunciation of the Lord (March 25, 2009)
(Source: Saints of the Day)
The feast of the Annunciation goes back to the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke 1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realized. The God-Man embraces all humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to God in one great act of love. Because human beings have rejected God, Jesus will accept a life of suffering and an agonizing death: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
Mary has an important role to play in God’s plan. From all eternity God destined her to be the mother of Jesus and closely related to him in the creation and redemption of the world. We could say that God’s decrees of creation and redemption are joined in the decree of Incarnation. As Mary is God’s instrument in the Incarnation, she has a role to play with Jesus in creation and redemption. It is a God-given role. It is God’s grace from beginning to end. Mary becomes the eminent figure she is only by God’s grace. She is the empty space where God could act. Everything she is she owes to the Trinity.
She is the virgin-mother who fulfills Isaiah 7:14 in a way that Isaiah could not have imagined. She is united with her son in carrying out the will of God (Psalm 40:8-9; Hebrews 10:7-9; Luke 1:38).
Together with Jesus, the privileged and graced Mary is the link between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best, after Jesus, exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She received into her lowliness the infinite love of God. She shows how an ordinary human being can reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life. She exemplifies what the Church and every member of the Church is meant to become. She is the ultimate product of the creative and redemptive power of God. She manifests what the Incarnation is meant to accomplish for all of us.
神父講道 - 預報救主降生 (週三) (2009年3月25日)
恭讀聖路加福音 1:26-38
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﹐到一位童貞女那裏﹐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﹐你的親戚依撤伯爾﹐她雖在老年﹐卻懷了男胎﹐本月已六個月了﹐她原是素稱不生育約﹐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。
—這是基督的福音。
(Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord)
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” 35 And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
—The Gospel of the Lord.
每日聖言靜思 預報救主降生節日 (週三) 3月25日
信仰生活互動坊、塔冷通心靈書舍
3月25日 (週三) 路1：26-38 (其他經文──依7：10-14；8：10 詠40 希10：4-10)
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，她原是素稱不生育約，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
- 要認識耶穌，就不要從常識開始。常識又怎能接受貞女生子？死者又怎能復活？
- 耶穌在我們身上所做的改變，也不能從常識完全了解——因為祂也使我們成為充滿恩寵者。
- 當我們認識到自己是從耶穌而得恩寵，我們便開始認識祂。同時，當我們認識祂越深，也會知道祂就是我們的施恩者。
- 這就是戀愛的狀態。當我們和耶穌進入愛情的狀態，還能不信從祂嗎？我們不再是單純用腦袋，也用上感情。
- 記著，多點以談戀愛的心態去認識耶穌。
