恭讀聖若望福音 3:1-8
有一個法利塞人,名叫尼苛德摩,是個猶太人的首領。有一夜,他來到耶穌前,向衪說:「辣彼,我們知道你是由天主而來的師傅,因為天主若不同他在一起,誰也不能行你所行的這些神跡。」耶穌回答說:「我實實在在告訴你:人除非由上而生,不能見到天主的國。」尼苛德摩說:「人已年老,怎樣能重生呢?難道他還能再入母腹而重生嗎?」耶穌回答說:「我實實在在告訴你:人除非由水和聖神而生,不能進天主的國:由肉的生的屬於肉,由神生的屬於神。你不要驚奇,因我給你說了:你們應該由上而生。風隨意向那裏吹,你聽到風的響聲,卻不知道風從那裏來,往那裏去:凡由聖神而生的就是這樣。」
—基督的福音。
(6th Week in Ordinary Time – Monday)
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 3:1-8
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born 3 from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
—The Gospel of the Lord.
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幾年前去過牙買加首都京士頓的貧民窟探訪安貧小兄弟會,到他們建立並服務的五個不同的中心,探望那些貧窮中最貧窮的兄弟姊妹。那班兄弟姊妹仍在母胎中時,因媽媽無知地飲酒、吸煙,甚至吸毒,又或服食墮胎藥,以至他們生出來是殘缺的、是畸型的;有些不能行動,有些智商很低,有些更是瞎子和啞子;他們被家人擯棄在路邊,或放在中心的門口。創辦人Fr. Richard Ho Lung(曾是華裔的耶穌會神父) 和修士們將每一個被遺棄的人抬回來,每天餵他們吃飯,為他們清潔,給予他們落腳的地方! 最重要是給回他們人性的尊嚴﹗而他們日常的一切都
是靠捐贈的。
最記得是中心用圍牆與外界隔開,而我們不准外出;由一個中心到另一個中心時,就要乘坐修士們開的車,也可以看看外面市中心的街道。我們有坐牢的感覺﹗後來才得知當地的人很痛恨這班熱愛生命,徹徹實實地承行主耶穌教導的跟隨者,因為當地的人認為那班無能的人,是社會的廢物,應任由他們自生自滅,不要浪費社會的資源,所以那些激進份子認為修士們是班瘋子,便去毆打及傷害他們,所以我們亦要受保護﹗
為貧窮中最貧窮的兄弟姊妹服務的人是社會的良心﹗「凡你們對我這些最小兄弟中的一個所做的,就是對我做的。」瑪25:40 他們的存在就是刺激了不負責任及沒有良知的人,並向他們的良心挑戰﹗
是的,主耶穌的苦難的確彌補我們的不足;但我們跟隨主耶穌的人,真的要努力洗淨已被污染了的面貌,回復本來被創造時的聖潔,做社會的良心。祈求主耶穌基督的慈悲,幫助我們恆心磨練。願共勉﹗