Pope Francis: the time of waiting for the Lord’s return is the time of action

by FLL Editorial Team
2013-04-24

waiting
教宗方濟各於週三接見信眾時提及十個童女和塔冷通的比喻。他說:我們正正活在基督首次降臨人間和祂第二次再來的時空中。在十個童女的比喻(瑪竇福音 25:1-13),她們在等新郎來到期間睡著了。在得知新郎快要來到,她們預備拿燈去迎接時,她們當中明智的五位有帶著油,而糊塗的只能去買油,到她們回來時,新郎已跟準備好的共赴婚宴。糊塗的再在外敲門已經太遲。新郎就是天主,等待的時間就是在最後審判前祂給我們的時間,祂仁慈而有耐性。在這段時間,我們要點著信、望、愛的燈,我們要把心向美善和真理開放,我們要依據天主的旨意來生活,因為我們不知道何時祂會再來。

他亦提到塔冷通的比喻(瑪竇福音 25:14-30):主人在遠行前把財產托付給僕人。按照他們的才能,他給了一個僕人五個『塔冷通』,一個給了兩個,一個給了一個;然後動身走了。在他離開期間,兩個僕人賺了更多塔冷通,而第三個只把銀子藏了。主人稱讚那兩位僕人,而把第三位丟在外面的黑暗中。基督徒如把天主賜的才能埋藏起來,不能算是基督徒!那是一位不會感謝天主恩賜的基督徒!這讓我們明白在這等待基督再來的時刻,是行動的時刻,是要把天主的恩賜不用在自己身上,而是為祂,為教會,為他人,是令世界變遷更好的時候。尤其是在這充滿危機的時候,我們不要封閉自我,把屬靈的、知識上的、物質上的恩賜埋藏起來,而要開放自己,與他人團結一致,留意別人的需要。

On Wednesday, Pope Francis spoke of the parables of the ten virgins and the talents.

In the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), ten girls are waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom, but he delays and they fall asleep. At the sudden announcement that the bridegroom is coming, all prepare to welcome him, but while five of them, who were wise, have oil to trim their lamps, the others, who are foolish, are left with unlit lamps because they have no oil; and while they go out to find some, the groom arrives and the foolish virgins find the door closed that leads to the bridal feast. They knock persistently, but it is too late. The groom is the Lord, and the waiting time of arrival is the time He gives us, all of us with mercy and patience, before his final coming, it is a time to be vigilant; a time in which we need to keep lit the lamps of the faith, hope and charity, a time in which to keep the heart open to the good, to beauty and to the truth; a time to live according to God, because we know neither the day nor the hour of Christ's return.

In the second parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), before departure, the master gives each servant some talents, to use well during his absence. To the first he gives five, to the second, two, and to the third, one. During the period of his absence, the first two servants multiply their talents - ancient coins -, while the third prefers to bury his and deliver it intact to the master. Upon his return, the master judges their work: he commends the first two, while the third is kicked out into the darkness, because he kept his talent hidden out of fear, closing in on himself. A Christian who closes in on himself, who hides everything that the Lord has given him as a Christian that is…he isn't a Christian! He is a Christian that does not thank God for all that he has given him! This tells us that the time of waiting for the Lord's return is the time of action, - we are in the time of action - the time in which to put to use the gifts of God not for ourselves, but for Him, for the Church, for others, the time during which always to try to increase the good in the world. And especially now, in this time of crisis, it is important not to close in upon oneself, burying one's talent, one's own spiritual, intellectual, material riches, everything that the Lord has given us, but to open oneself, to be in solidarity, to be attentive to the other.

資料來源 Source:
On Christ's Second Coming

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