耐心忍受迫害

by FLL Editorial Team
2013-11-27


那時,耶穌對自己的門徒說:「這一切事發生以前,為了我名字的緣故,人們要下手把你們拘捕、迫害、解送到會堂,並囚於獄中;且押送到君王及總督之前,為給你們一個作見證的機會。所以,你們心中要鎮定,不要事先考慮申辯,因為我要給你們口才和明智,是你們的一切仇敵所不能抵抗及辯駁的。你們要被父母、兄弟、親戚及朋友出賣;你們中有一些要被殺死。你們要為了我的名字受眾人的憎恨;但是,連你們的一根頭髮也不會失落。你們要憑著堅忍,保全你們的靈魂。」
路加福音 21:12-19

© Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.

Stoning of the Protomartyr
© Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.

讓我們看看門徒們當時的情況:所有人都遭受懷疑;家人親友因信仰的分歧而決裂、對立;外教的兒子出賣信主的父母、不信主的父親指證信主的親兒;無論任何年齡和性別的人,也不能倖免於信仰上的迫害。

能在這逆境中持有耐心和堅定意志的人,將因此克服內在和外在的一切苦難,把思言行為建基於天主的帶領和教導,過著美善的生活。正如耶穌說:「你們要憑著堅忍,保全你們的靈魂。」

透過耐心忍耐,我們能保全我們的靈魂,因為當我們能完全掌管自己,才開始活出真正的自我。因此靈魂的保全是奠定在這耐心忍耐的美德上;這是一切美德的根源和守護者。能耐心冷靜地忍受由別人造成的罪惡,並且不惱恨那些人,正是走向成聖的道路。

(本文以英文為準)


Jesus said to the crowd: “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Luke 21:12-19

Let us consider the state of things at that time. While all men were suspected, family members were divided against one another, each differing from the other in religion; the gentile son became the betrayer of his believing parents, and of the believing son the unbelieving father became the determined accuser; no age nor gender was spared in the persecution of the faith.

He who preserves patience in such adversity, is thereby rendered proof against all affliction, and so by conquering himself, he gains the government of himself; as it follows, "In your patience shall you possess your souls." For what is it to possess your souls, but to live perfectly in all things, and setting it upon the citadel of virtue to rule over our every thought?

By patience we then possess our souls, because when we are said to govern ourselves, we begin to possess our very selves. But for this reason, the possession of the soul is laid in the virtue of patience, because patience is the root and guardian of all virtues. Now patience is to endure calmly the evils which are inflicted by others, and also to have no feeling of indignation against him who inflicts them.

參考 References:
Catena Aurea (St. Thomas Aquinas)
St. Gregory of Nyssa
Homily 35 on the Gospels (St. Gregory the Great)

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