OPENING WORDS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER
天主经的开始句
"Our Father who art in heaven"
在天我等父者
Importance Of Instruction On These Words
开始句的重要性
The form of Christian prayer given us by Jesus Christ is so composed and arranged that before coming torequests and petitions certain words must be used as a sort of preface calculated to increase our confidence inGod when we are about to address Him devoutly in prayer; and this being so it will be the pastor's duty toexplain each of these words separately and with precision, so that the faithful may have recourse to prayer morereadily because of the knowledge that they are going to commune and converse with a God who is also theirFather. Regarding this preface, if we merely consider the number of words of which it is composed, it is briefindeed; but if we regard the ideas, it is of the greatest importance and replete with mysteries.
耶稣基督给我们的基督徒祈祷格式,都是在发出请求之前,必须有特定的词句作为序章,为了开始虔诚的祈祷之前增加我们在主内的信心;牧者的责任就是逐个的精确解释这些词句,为了让信友能更好的依赖祈祷,因为他们掌握了要与之交谈的天父的相关知识。关于这个序章,如果我们仅仅思考其中的词数,就很简单;但是如果我们考虑其中的含义,那就是最重要的,并充满了奥迹。
"Father"
父者
The first word, which, by the order and institution of God we employ in this prayer, is Father. Our Saviourcould, indeed, have commenced this divine prayer with some other word, conveying more the idea of majesty,such, for instance, as Lord or Creator. Yet He omitted all such expressions because they might rather inspirefear, and instead of them He has chosen a term inspiring confidence and love in those who pray and askanything of God; for what is sweeter than the name Father, conveying, as it does, the idea of indulgence andtenderness ? The reasons why this name Father is applicable to God, can be easily explained to the faithful byspeaking to them on the subjects of creation, providence, and redemption.
本祈祷的第一个词,根据天主的命令和安排,是父者。我们的救主当然可以用其他的词来开始本祈祷,来表达更神秘的意义,比如,上主或者创始者等。但是,他忽略了所有这些表达,因为这些表达更激起敬畏,所以取而代之的,祂使用了一个能激起信心和爱的词,让我们求天主。因为,还有什么词能比父者更亲昵,用来表达沉溺和柔弱的?把天主命名为父的原因,通过讲述创世,圣意和救赎等知识,可以很容易的解释给信友。
God Is Called Father Because He Created Us
天主被称为父,因为祂创造了我们
Thus having created man to His own image -- a favour He accorded to no other living creature -- it is with goodreason that, in view of this unique privilege with which He has honoured man, Sacred Scripture calls God theFather of all men; not only of the faithful, but also of the unbelieving.
根据祂的肖像创造了人,这是祂对其他任何有生命的受造物所没有的喜爱,这很好的解释了为何祂给了人类这独一无二的特权,圣经称天主为所有人的父,不仅是虔信者的,也是不信者的。
God Is Called Father Because He Provides For Us
天主被称为父,是因为祂供给了我们
From His providence also may be drawn an argument. By a special superintending care and providence over ourinterests God displays a paternal love for us.
从天主圣意中,也可以得到一个论证。通过对我们利益的一种特殊的督导关怀和圣意,天主对我们显示了父爱。
God's Care For Us Is Seen In The Appointment Of Guardian Angels
天主对我们的关怀从指定守护天神就可以看出来
But in order to comprehend more clearly the fatherly care of God for men, it will be well in the explanation ofthis particular point to say something regarding the guardian Angels under whose protection men are placed.
为了更清晰的理解天主对人父亲般的关爱,介绍一些关于守护天神保护人类的知识会更好。
By God's providence Angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding the human race and ofaccompanying every human being so as to preserve him from any serious dangers. Just as parents, whosechildren are about to travel a dangerous and infested road, appoint guardians and helpers for them, so also in thejourney we are making towards our heavenly country our heavenly Father has placed over each of us an Angelunder whose protection and vigilance we may be enabled to escape the snares secretly prepared by our enemy,repel the dreadful attacks he makes on us, and under his guiding hand keep the right road, and thus be secureagainst all false steps which the wiles of the evil one might cause us to make in order to draw us aside from thepath that leads to heaven.
借着天主圣意,天神们被赋予了守护人类的职责,陪伴保护每个人免于严重的危险中。就像父母为了出远门即将旅行在危险之路的孩子指定守护者,所以同样的,在我们朝向天国之路上,天父给每个人都指定了一位天神,在天神的保护和警戒下,我们能够逃出我们敌人给我们设置秘密陷阱,他为我们击退致命的攻击,在他的指引之手下我们能保证正确的路,能够抵制撒殚设置的所有的为了使我们偏离天堂之路的错误诡计。
How We Are Helped By The Angels
天神如何帮助我们
And the immense advantage springing from the special care and providence of God with regard to men, theexecution of which is entrusted to Angels, who by nature hold an intermediate place between God and man, willbe clear from a multitude of examples with which Sacred Scripture supplies us in abundance, and which showthat in God's goodness it has often happened that Angels have wrought wondrous works under the very eyes ofmen. This gives us to understand that many and equally important services, which do not fall under our sight,are wrought by our Angels, the guardians of our salvation, in our interest and for our advantage.
天主对人类的巨大的关怀和圣意,委托给天神执行,他们自然的在天主和人类之间占据了中间位置,圣经里有大量的例子展示天主的美善,经常有天神在人眼前行奇异之事。这就使我们理解了,有许多的重要服务,是由我们的守护天神完成的,虽然没有在我们眼前,但却为了我们的好处和利益。
The Angel Raphael, the divinely appointed companion and guide of Tobias, conducted him and brought himback safe and sound; saved him from being devoured by an enormous fish; made known to him the extremelyuseful properties possessed by the liver, gall and heart of the monster; expelled the demon; repressed andfettered his power and prevented him from injuring Tobias; taught the young man the true and legitimate notionand use of matrimony; and finally restored to the elder Tobias the use of his sight.
天神辣法耳被指定为多俾亚的同伴和向导,指挥并安全的完好的带回他;从吞他的大鱼里救了他;还教导他鱼心,肝和胆的极度有用的特点;驱逐压制恶魔防止伤害多俾亚;教导年轻人真正的合法的婚姻;最终还恢复了年老多俾亚的视力。
In the same way the Angel who liberated the Prince of the Apostles, will supply copious material for theinstruction of the pious flock regarding the striking fruits of the vigilance and protection of the Angels. Thepastor need do no more than depict the Angel lighting up the darkness of the prison, touching Peter's side andawakening him from his sleep, loosing his chains, breaking his bonds, ordering him to rise, to take up hissandals and to follow; and then the pastor will point out how Peter was led forth out of prison by the sameAngel, how he was enabled to pass without let or hindrance through the midst of the guard, how the doors werethrown open, and finally how he was placed in safety.
同样的,天神解开并释放了宗徒之长(大事录12),这个案例为教导信友关于天神的保护和警戒的职责提供了丰富的素材。牧者不需要过多描述天神是如何点亮黑暗的监狱,解开伯多禄的锁链并叫醒他,命令他站起来,拿着凉鞋跟随他这些细节。牧者应指出伯多禄是如何被带领走出监狱的,他是如何穿过守卫人群,并完全没有被发现的,监狱门是如何打开,以及最后他是如何被安置于安全之地的。
The historical part of Sacred Scripture, as we have already remarked, is full of such examples, all of which go toshow the extent of the benefits bestowed by God on man through the ministry and intervention of Angels whomHe deputes not only on particular and private occasions, but also appoints to take care of us from our verybirths. He furthermore appoints them to watch over the salvation of each one of the human race.
如同我们之前注释的,圣经的历史部分充满了这样的例子,显示出天主通过神职和天神的干涉给人类赐了多大的福。天主并非仅仅在某些情况下委派天神,而且从我们一出生就委派。祂还指派天神监督每个人的救恩。
This teaching, if carefully explained, will have the effect of interesting and compelling the minds of the faithfulto acknowledge and venerate more and more the paternal care and providence of God towards them.
仔细的解释本教导,信友就会产生兴趣,愿意了解并尊敬天主对他们的父亲般关爱和圣意。
God's Care For Us Seen In The Love He Has Ever Shown To Man
天主对我们的关心,可以从祂对人类永恒的爱中看出来
And here the pastor should especially praise and proclaim the treasures of God's goodness towards the humanrace. Though from the time of our first parents and from the moment of our first sin down to this very day wehave offended Him by countless sins and crimes, yet He still retains His love for us and never renounces Hissingular solicitude for our welfare.
在这里,牧者应该特别赞美和宣告天主的美善是对全部人类的。从我们的元祖父母犯罪,和从我们的第一次犯罪,用数不清的罪行冒犯祂开始,祂依然保持对我们的爱,从没有放弃祂对我们幸福的特殊关心。
To imagine that He has forgotten us would be an act of folly and nothing short of a most outrageous insult. Godwas angry with the Israelites because of the blasphemy they had been guilty of in imagining that they had beenabandoned by providence. Thus do we read in Exodus: They tempted the Lord, saying: "Is the Lord amongst usor not?" and in Ezechiel the divine anger is inflamed against the same people for having said: The Lord seeth usnot: the Lord hath forsaken the earth. These examples should suffice to deter the faithful from entertaining thecriminal notion that God can ever possibly forget mankind. To the same effect we may read in Isaias thecomplaint uttered by the Israelite. against God; and, on the other hand, the kindly similitude with which Godrefutes their folly: Sion said: "The Lord hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me." To which Godanswers: Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she shouldforget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold, I have engraven thee in my hands.
如果认为天主忘记了我们,这个想法非常愚蠢而且是蛮横侮辱。天主对以色列人非常生气,因为以色列人错误的认为自己被天主圣意抛弃了这个认识是亵渎。我们在出谷纪读到:以色列子民在那里争吵过,并试探过上主说:「上主是否在我们中间?」(出谷17:7),在厄则克耳中,天主对还是这群人的愤怒被点燃,因为他们说:上主看不见我们,上主已离弃了此地(厄则克耳8:12)。这两个例子以及足够阻止信友抱有天主有可能忘记人类这个犯罪的念头。同样的,我们在依撒意亚中读到以色列人发出对抗天主的抱怨声。另一方面,天主仁慈的用寓言驳斥他们的愚蠢:熙雍曾说过:「上主离弃了我,吾主忘掉了我。」天主回答说:妇女岂能忘掉自己的乳婴?初为人母的,岂能忘掉亲生的儿子?纵然她们能忘掉,我也不会忘掉你啊?看啊!我已把你刻在我的手掌上。(依撒意亚49:15)
Although these passages clearly establish the point under discussion, yet thoroughly to convince the faithful thatnever for a moment can God forget man or cease to lavish on him tokens of His paternal tenderness, the pastorshould still further confirm this by the striking example of our first parents. They had ignored and violatedGod's command. When you hear them sharply accused and that dreadful sentence of condemnation pronouncedagainst them: Cursed is the earth in thy work, with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life;thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herbs of the earth; " when you see themdriven out of Paradise; when you read that to preclude all hope of their return a cherub was stationed at theentrance of Paradise, brandishing a flaming sword turning every way; and finally, when you know that, toavenge the injury done Him, God had afflicted them with punishments, internal and external, would you not beinclined to think that man's case was hopeless? Would you not consider that not only was he bereft of all divinehelp, but was even abandoned to every misfortune? Yet, surrounded as he then was by so many evidences ofdivine wrath and vengeance, a gleam of the goodness of God towards him is seen to shine forth. For the LordGod, says Sacred Scripture, made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them, which was a veryclear proof that at no time would God abandon man.
尽管这些篇幅清晰的说明了这一点,然而为了彻底的使信友确信,天主连一刻都没有忘记人类,或停止给人类赏赐祂父亲的慈爱象征。牧者应进一步用元祖父母的深刻例子确认。他俩无视并违反了天主的诫命。你听到他俩被严厉的指控,以及被宣布了可怕的惩罚:为了你的缘故,地成了可咒骂的;你一生日日劳苦才能得到吃食。地要给你生出荆棘和蒺藜,你要吃田间的蔬菜(创3:18)。当你看到他们被逐出地堂;当你读到为了阻止他们回去的希望,一个格鲁宾被置于地堂入口,挥舞着火剑关闭了所有的路;最后,当你了解到,为了报复对天主的伤害,天主用内在和外在的惩罚折磨他俩,你能不认为人类是没有希望的吗?你能不认为人类不仅被夺走了所有的神的帮助,还被抛弃给每一个厄运吗?然而,当他被如此多来自神的义怒和报复证据所包围时,天主对他的一股美善微光照射出来。圣经说,因为上主天主为亚当和他的妻子制作了皮衣,给他们穿上,这是一个清楚的证据,天主一刻也没有抛弃他们。
This truth, that the love of God can be exhausted by no human iniquity, was indicated by David in these words:Will God in his anger shut up his mercies? It was set forth by Habacuc when, addressing God, he said: Whenthou art angry thou wilt remember mercy; and by Micheas, who thus expresses it: Who is a God like to theewho takest away iniquity and passest by the sin of the remnant of thy inheritance? He will send his fury in nomore, because he delighteth in mercy.
天主之爱不会由于人类罪行而耗尽,这个真理被达味用这些话所表明:难道天主忘记了慈悲?因愤怒而将慈爱关闭?(圣咏77:9)并由哈巴谷与天主对话时阐述:但愿你发怒时,也怀念仁慈。(哈巴谷3:2)最后借米盖亚说出:那里有神相似你,赦免罪恶,遗民的过错?祂必不再坚持愤怒,因为祂喜爱仁慈。(米盖亚7:18)
And thus precisely does it happen. At the very moment when we imagine ourselves to be utterly lost andaltogether bereft of His protection, then it is that God in His infinite goodness seeks us out in a special way andtakes care of us. Even in His anger He stays the sword of His justice, and ceases not to pour out theinexhaustible treasures of His mercy.
然后这些预言都准确的发生了。就在那时,我们以为自己完全被遗弃,被伯多了祂的保护,然而天主无尽的美善,以一种特殊的方式找到了我们并照顾我们。甚至在祂的义怒中,祂停下了祂的正义之剑,但也没有停止向我们倾倒无尽的慈悲宝藏。
God Is Called Father Because He Has Granted Us Redemption
天主被称为父,因为祂赐给我们救赎
The creation of the world and God's providence are, then, of great weight in bringing into relief the singularlove of God for the human race and the special care He takes of man. But far above these two shines the workof redemption, so much so indeed that our most bountiful God and Father has crowned His infinite goodnesstowards us by granting us this third favour.
创世和天主的圣意,能很大程度上证明天主对人类的爱以及祂对人类的关怀。但是远远超过这两个的,是救赎工程,并到达了这种程度,我们最慷慨的天主和天父将祂无限的美善作为我们的桂冠,把祂这第三个利益授予了我们。
Accordingly the pastor should instruct his spiritual children and constantly recall to their minds the surpassinglove of God for us, so that they may be fully alive to the fact that having been redeemed in a wonderful mannerthey are thereby made the sons of God. To them, says St. John, He gave power to be made the sons of God . . .and they are born of God.
牧者应据此教导他的神子持续的回想天主对我们的超越之爱,以便他们能敏感的认识被如此神奇方式救赎的事实,因此他们是天主的子孙。圣若望说,他给他们,即给那些信他的名字的人权能,好成为天主的子女(若望1:12)。
This is why Baptism, the first pledge and token of our redemption, is called the Sacrament of regeneration; for itis by Baptism that we are born children of God: That which is born of the Spirit, says our Lord, is spirit; and:You must be born again. In the same way we have the words of St. Peter: Being born again, not of corruptibleseed, but incorruptible, by the word of God who liveth.
这就是为什么圣洗圣事作为我们救赎的第一起誓和标志,被称为重生圣事的原因。因此借着圣洗圣事,我们作为天主子女出生,我主说:由神生的属于神。之后又说:你们应该由上而生(若望3:6-7)。同样的,圣伯多禄说:因为你们不是由于能坏的,而是由于不能坏的种子,就是天主的圣言,得以重生。(伯前1:23)
By reason of this redemption we have received the Holy Ghost and have been made worthy of the grace of God.
由于救赎之功,我们领受了圣神,由此配的上天主的恩宠。
As a consequence of this gift we are the adopted sons of God, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans when hesaid: Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption ofsons, whereby we cry: "Abba, Father." The force and efficacy of this adoption are thus set forth by St. John:Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be thesons of God.
领受了这个恩宠,我们被收养为天主的子女,如同保禄宗徒在罗马书里写道:其实你们所领受的圣神,并非使你们作奴隶,以致仍旧恐惧;而是使你们作义子。因此,我们呼号:「阿爸,父呀!」(罗马书8:15)这领养的效力被圣若望阐述:请看父赐给我们何等的爱情,使我们得称为天主的子女(若望一书3:1)。
Duties We Owe Our Heavenly Father
我们欠天堂父亲的责任
These points having been explained, the faithful should be reminded of all they owe in return to God, their mostloving Father, so that they may be aware of the extent of the love, piety, obedience and respect they are boundto render to Him who has created them, who watches over them, and who has redeemed them; and with whathope and trust they should invoke Him.
在解释完以上几点后,应提醒信友要将欠的归还天主,他们的最亲爱的父亲,以便他们了解对天父的爱、虔诚、服从和尊重的程度,因为天主创造了他们,督察他们,救赎他们,他们怀着希望和信任应该祈求祂。
But to enlighten the ignorant and to correct the false ideas of such as imagine prosperity and success in life to bethe only test that God preserves and maintains His love towards us, and that the adversities and trials whichcome from His hand are a sign that He is not well disposed towards us and that He entertains hostiledispositions towards us, it will be necessary to point out that even if the hand of the Lord sometimes pressesheavily upon us, it is by no means because He is hostile to us, but that by striking us He heals us, and that thewounds coming from God are remedies.
为了启迪无知,纠正错误思想,就是认为世俗生活的繁荣和成功是天主持续爱我们的唯一标准,而困境和考验则标志着祂不再对我们好,对我们产生敌意这种错误思想。因此有必要指出,就算有时候天主的手沉重的压住我们,这也绝不是祂敌视我们,而是通过击打我们来治愈我们,来自天主的伤是良药。
He chastises sinners so as to improve them by this lesson, and inflicts temporal punishments in order to deliverthem from eternal torments. For though He visits our iniquities with a rod and our sins with stripes, yet hismercy he will not take away from us.
祂惩罚罪人是为了用教训来改善他们,用暂罚折磨他们是为了让他们远离永罚。尽管祂对我们的罪恶用棍棒和鞭子,然而祂的仁慈决不远离我们。
The faithful, therefore, should be recommended to recognise in such chastisements the fatherly love of God, andever to have in their hearts and on their lips the saying of Job, the most patient of men: He woundeth and cureth;he striketh and his hands shall heal; as well as to repeat frequently the words written by Jeremias in the name ofthe people of Israel: Thou hast chastised me and I was instructed, as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke:convert me and I shall be converted; for thou art the Lord my God; and to keep before their eyes the example ofTobias who, recognising in the loss of his sight the paternal hand of God raised against him, cried out: I blessthee, O Lord God of Israel, because thou hast chastised me and thou hast saved me.
因此信友应该认识到,在这种惩罚中包含着天主的父爱,要把最耐心之人,约伯的话牢记在心里和口中:因为他打伤了,而又包扎伤口;他击碎了,而又亲手治疗(约伯5:18)。还要经常重复耶利米亚先知以以色列人之名写出的言语:你惩罚了我,我受了杖击,有如一头不驯服的公牛犊;你使我归来,我必归来,因为你是上主,我的天主(耶肋米亚31:18)。还有要把多俾亚传中的例子经常放在信友面前,当多俾亚的父亲托彼特意识到曾经反对他的天父的手现在让他失明的眼睛复明了,大声哭喊着:天主是可赞美的!他的大名应永远受赞扬!因为他惩罚了我,却又怜悯了我(多俾亚11:14)。
In this connection the faithful should be particularly on their guard against believing that any calamity oraffliction that befalls them can take place without the knowledge of God; for we have His own words: A hair ofyour heads shall not perish. Let them rather find consolation in that divine oracle read in the Apocalypse: Thosewhom I love I rebuke and chastise; and let them find comfort in the exhortation addressed by St. Paul to theHebrews: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou weaned whilst thou art rebuked byhim: for whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.... But if you bewithout chastisement, ... then are you bastards and not sons.... Moreover if we have had the fathers of our fleshfor instructors, and we reverenced them, shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits and live?
信友们应该特别保持警惕,对那些说天主不知道发生悲惨和折磨的;因为我们有天主亲自说:连你们的一根头发,也不会失落(路加21:18)。让他们阅读默示录里神圣先知的话寻求安慰吧:凡我所疼爱的人,我要谴责他,管教他(默示录3:19);还有让他们在圣保禄给希伯来教会的信里寻求安慰吧:『我儿,不要轻视上主的惩戒,也不要厌恶他的谴责,
因为上主惩戒他所爱的,鞭打他所接管的每个儿子。』。。。如果你们缺少众人所共受的惩戒,你们就是私生子,而不是儿子。。。再者,我们肉身的父亲惩戒我们时,我们尚且表示敬畏;何况灵性的父亲,我们不是更该服从,以得生活吗?(希伯来书12)
"Our"
我等的
When we invoke the Father and when each one of us calls Him our Father, we are to understand thereby thatfrom the privilege and gift of divine adoption it necessarily follows that all the faithful are brethren and shouldlove each other as such: You are all brethren for one is your Father who is in heaven." This is why the Apostlesin their Epistles address all the faithful as brethren.
当我们每个人祈求天父,把祂称为我们的父时,我们就理解了,由于神圣的养子名分特权,所有的信友都是兄弟,应当彼此相爱:你们众人都是兄弟,因为你们的父只有一位,就是天上的父(玛窦23:8)。这就是为何宗徒在书信中称呼信友为兄弟。
Another necessary consequence of this adoption is that not only are the faithful thereby united in the bonds ofbrotherhood, but that, the Son of God being truly man, we are called and really are his brethren also. Thus, inhis Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle, speaking of the Son of God, wrote as follows: He is not ashamed to callthem brethren, saying: "I will declare thy name to my brethren. And long before this, David had foretold this ofChrist the Lord; while Christ Himself thus addresses the women in the Gospel: Go, tell my brethren that they gointo Galilee; there they shall see me. These words, as we know, He pronounced only after His Resurrection andwhen He had already put on immortality, thus showing that no one is at liberty to imagine that the bonds ofbrotherhood with us have been severed by His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven. Not only has theResurrection of Christ not dissolved this union and love, but we know that one day, when from His throne ofglory and majesty He shall judge mankind of all ages, He will call even the very least of the faithful by thename of brethren.
养子名分的另一个结果就是,不仅信友被兄弟关系联结起来,而且,那降生成人的天主子,也被称为我们的兄弟。因此,宗徒再希伯来书理,论及天主子,说:耶稣称他们为弟兄,并不以为耻,说:我要向我的弟兄,宣扬你的圣名(希伯来2:12);而在此以前,达味就预言了基督上主,说:我要向我的弟兄,宣扬你的圣名(圣咏22:23)。在福音中基督祂自己对妇女说:你们去,报告我的兄弟,叫他们往加里肋亚去,他们要在那里看见我(玛窦28:10)。如同我们所知,祂只有在复活后才宣布了这些话,那时祂已经穿上永恒,因而祂在显示说,没有人可以自由地想象,与我们之间的兄弟情谊已经因他复活和升天而被割断了。基督复活不仅没有消融这个联盟与爱,而且我们得知当公审判那天到来,从祂的光荣和高贵王冠下,祂也称呼最小的信友为兄弟。
Indeed, how can we be other than brethren of Christ, seeing that we are called His co-heirs? Doubtless He is thefirst begotten, the appointed heir of all things; but we are begotten in the second place after Him, and are Hisco-heirs according to the measure of heavenly gifts we receive and according to the extent of the charity bywhich we show ourselves servants and cooperators of the Holy Ghost. He it is who by His inspirations movesand inflames us to virtue and good works, in order that we may be strengthened by His grace valiantly toundertake the combat that must be waged to secure salvation. And if we wisely and firmly carry on this combatwe shall at the close of our earthly career be rewarded by our heavenly Father with the just recompense of thatcrown promised and held out to all those who run the same course. God, says the Apostle, is not unjust that Heshould forget your work and love.
的确,因为我们被称为祂的共同继承人,那么我们除了是基督的兄弟,还能是什么呢?毫无疑问祂是首生的,被指定为万物的继承人;但是在祂之后我们也被生出,也是天主的共同继承人,根据我们领受的天堂恩宠的度量,以及我们承担天主之仆和圣神合作者所表现爱德程度。通过祂的激励,祂打动并燃起我们去追求美德和善工,为的是我们能借祂的恩宠受到强化,能够勇敢的承担为救恩而战的任务。如果我们明智的、坚定的进行这场战斗,在我们世俗生命的尽头时,就能获得我们天父许诺给所有完成任务的人,以正义的桂冠赏报。宗徒说:天主不是不公义的,以至于忘掉了你们的善工和爱德(希伯来6:10)。
Dispositions That Should Accompany The Words, "Our Father": Fraternal Regard
与“我等父者”相匹配的意向:兄弟般的关心
How sincere should be the manner in which we ought to utter the word our, we learn from St. Chrysostom. God,he says, listens willingly to the Christian who prays not only for himself but for others; because to pray forourselves is an inspiration of nature; but to pray for others is an inspiration of grace; necessity compels us topray for ourselves, whereas fraternal charity calls on us to pray for others. And he adds: That prayer which isinspired by fraternal charity is more agreeable to God than that which is dictated by necessity.
要以多么真诚的方式说出这个词“我们的”?圣金口若望论述过这个问题。他说,天主不仅愿意听基督徒为自己的祈祷,也愿意听为别人的祈祷;因为给自己祈祷是自然的启发;但是为别人是得到了恩宠的激励;我们为自己祈祷是必要的,然而兄弟般的爱德召唤我们为他人祈祷。然后他补充道:受兄弟爱德的激励发出的祈祷对天主来说比出于必要的祈祷更乐意。
In connection with the important subject of salutary prayer, the pastor should be careful to remind and exhort allthe faithful of every age, condition and rank, never to forget the bonds of universal brotherhood that bind them,and consequently ever to treat each other as friends and brothers, and never to seek arrogantly to raisethemselves above their neighbours.
在相关于祈祷这个重要的主题上,牧者应该谨慎的提醒和力劝所有的信友,无论年龄、状况和地位,绝不要忘记约束他们的普世兄弟联系,并且要以朋友和兄弟相互对待,绝不要试图傲慢的提升自己于他们的邻人之上。
Though there are in the Church of God various gradations of office, yet this diversity of dignity and position inno way destroys the bond of fraternal union; just as in the human body the various uses and different functionsof our organs in no way cause this or that part of the body to lose the name or office of an organ of the body.
尽管在天主的教会中有许多渐次的职位,然而地位尊贵的多样性绝不破坏兄弟的纽带;如同人类身体中有许多不同的器官和功能,但是绝不造成身体各个部分失去职责或者名称。
Take, for instance, one who wields kingly power. If he is a Christian, is he not the brother of all those united inthe communion of the Christian faith? Yes, beyond all doubt; and why? Because there is not one God givingexistence to the rich and noble, and another giving existence to the poor and to subjects. There is but one God,the Father and Lord of all; and consequently we have all the same nobility of spiritual birth, all the samedignity, all the same glory of race; for all have been regenerated by the same Spirit through the same Sacramentof faith, and have been made children of God and co-heirs to the same inheritance. The wealthy and great havenot one Christ for their God; the poor and lowly, another; they are not initiated by different Sacraments; nor canthey expect a different inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. We are all brethren and, as the Apostle says in hisEpistle to the Ephesians: We are members of Christ's body, of his flesh and of his bones. This is a truth whichthe same Apostle thus expresses in his Epistle to the Galatians: You are the children of God, by faith in JesusChrist; for as many of you as have been baptised in Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Greek nor Jew,neither bond nor free, neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
如一个有国王权力的人当例子。如果他是一个基督徒,难道他不是其他共融在基督信仰内的兄弟吗?毫无疑问,他肯定是。为什么?因为不可能一个天主让福贵人存在,另一个天主让穷苦人存在。只有一个天主,是所有人的天父和上主;所以,我们所有人都有相同尊贵的精神性出身和尊严,相同的光荣;因为所有人都是从同一个信仰圣事的同一个圣神重生的,都是天主的子女和共同继承者。有钱高位者并没有独属于自己的基督,贫贱者也如此。大家并没有从不同的圣事而入门,也不会继承两个不同的天国。我们都是兄弟,如同宗徒给厄佛所教会的书信说:我们都是他身上的肢体,他的骨和肉(厄佛所书5:30)。宗徒给迦拉达教会的信也表达了同样的真理:你们众人都藉著对基督耶稣的信仰,成了天主的子女。因为你们凡是领了洗归于基督的,就是穿上了基督:不再分犹太人或希腊人,奴隶或自由人,男人或女人,因为你们众人在基督耶稣内已成了一个(迦拉达书3:26)。
Now this is a point which calls for accuracy on the part of the pastor of souls, and one on which he shouldpurposely dwell at considerable length; for it is a subject that is calculated both to strengthen and animate thepoor and lowly, and to restrain and repress the arrogance of the rich and powerful. Indeed it was to remedy thislatter evil that the Apostle insisted on brotherly charity and so often impressed it on the ears of his hearers.
上述这一点要求牧者对教友灵魂们做精确的阐述,应该有意识的用相当长的篇幅进行。因为这既是为了加强和激励穷苦人,也是为了限制和压服有钱势者的傲慢。实际上,宗徒坚持用兄弟般的爱德给他的听众阐述这一点,正是为了治疗有钱势者的傲慢。
Filial Confidence And Piety
作为子女应有的信心和虔诚
Do not, then, forget, oh Christian, that when about to address this prayer to God, you ought to approach Him asa son to his Father; and hence in beginning your prayers and in pronouncing the words Our Father you shouldconsider the rank to which God in His goodness has raised you when He commands you to fly to Him, not as atimid and fearful servant to his master, but willingly and confidently, like a child to its father.
哦,基督徒们,在将要给天主献上祈祷前,不要忘记你应该像孩子接近父亲一样接近祂,因此在你的祈祷的开始,在念出我等父者时,你应该想到天主因祂的美善命令你飞奔向祂,祂要提你到何等地位,不是以胆怯恐惧见到主人的仆人,而是充满甘愿与信心,像孩子飞奔见父亲那样。
In this remembrance and in this thought, consider with what fervour and piety you should pray. Endeavour toact as becomes a child of God; that is to say, see that your prayers and actions are never unworthy of that divineorigin with which He has been pleased in His infinite bounty to ennoble you. It is to the discharge of this dutythat the Apostle exhorts us when he says: Be ye therefore imitators of God as most dear children, so that whatthe Apostle wrote to the Thessalonians may be truly said of us: You are all the children of light, and the childrenof the day.
因着回忆和因着这种想法,好好考虑你要用多少热情和虔诚来祈祷。要努力按照天主子民身份而行事。这就是说,你的祈祷和行为决不会配不上这神圣的血统,天主因祂无尽的慷慨而很乐意的授给你。宗徒力劝我们要履行这个职责,说:所以你们应该效法天主,如同蒙宠爱的儿女一样(厄佛所书5:1)。因此宗徒给得撒洛尼教会的信里真实的告诉我们:你们众人都是光明之子和白日之子(得撒洛尼前5:5)。
"Who art in Heaven"
在天堂的
Meaning Of These Words
这句话的含义
All who have a correct idea of God will grant that He is where and in all places. This is not to be taken in thesense that He is distributed into parts and that He occupies and governs one place with one part and anotherplace with another part. God is a Spirit, and therefore utterly incapable of division into parts. Who will dare toassign to any particular place or circumscribe within any limits that God who says of Himself: Do I not fillheaven and earth? On the contrary, these words must be taken in this sense, that by His power and virtue Heembraces heaven and earth and all things contained therein; but that He Himself is not contained in any place.
所有对天主有正确观点的人,都知道天主无处不在。这不能理解为,天主被散布为许多部分,祂的每个部分占据并统治每个地方。天主是一个精神体,因而根本无法分成许多部分。谁敢分配哪里或在哪里划条线来限定天主?天主自己说:难道我不是充满天地的天主吗(耶肋米亚23:24)?与之相反,有些话必须从这个意义上说,那就是通过祂的能力和德性,祂怀抱天堂和人间,以及在其中的所有;但是祂自己并不被这些地方所容纳。
God is present to all things, either creating them, or preserving them after He has created them; but He isconfined to no place, is limited by no bounds, nor in any way hindered from being everywhere present by Hissubstance and power, as is indicated by holy David in the words: If I ascend into heaven thou art there.
天主对万事都是现存的,即便是在创造它们时,或者在创造后维持它们;但是祂不局限于任何地方,不受任何约束,祂在各处的实质和能力不受任何阻碍,就像达味所说的:我若上升于高天,你已在那里(圣咏139:8)。
But though God is present in all places and in all things, without being bound by any limits, as has been alreadysaid, yet in Sacred Scripture it is frequently said that He has His dwelling in heaven. And the reason is becausethe heavens which we see above our heads are the noblest part of the world, remain ever Incorruptible, surpassall other bodies in power, grandeur and beauty, and are endowed with fixed and regular motion.
但是尽管天主无处不在,无物不在,也不受任何限制,但是在圣经中,却经常说祂的住所在天国。这是因为在我们头上的天国是世界中最尊贵的地方,永远不朽,超越所有的有形的能力,宏伟和美丽,并被赋予了固定的和规律的动能。
God, then, in order to lift up the minds of men to contemplate His infinite power and majesty, which are sopreeminently visible in the work of the heavens, declares in Sacred Scripture that heaven is His dwelling-place.
所以,天主为了提升人的思想来默想祂无穷的能力和威严,这完全反映在天堂工程的可见的显著中,因此天主在圣经中宣布天堂是祂的居所。
Yet at the same time He often affirms, what indeed is most true, that there is no part of the universe to which Heis not present intimately by His nature and His power.
于此同时,祂经常确认,实际上的确如此,就是宇宙中没有任何一个部分,是不靠祂的本质和能力紧密存在的。
Lessons Taught By The Words, "Who Art In Heaven"
从“在天堂”得到的教训
In connection with this consideration, however, let the faithful keep before their minds not only the image of thecommon Father of all, but also of a God reigning in heaven; and hence when about to pray, let them rememberthat they should raise heart and soul to heaven, and that the more the name of Father inspires them with hopeand trust, the more should the sublime nature and divine majesty of our Father who is in heaven inspire themwith sentiments of Christian humility and respect.
关于这个思考,让信友们在心中记住不仅所有人的父亲形象,而且要记住天主统治在天堂;因此在祈祷前,要记住举心和灵魂向上,如果天父之名能激励他们的希望和信任,则天父在天堂里的崇高本质和神圣尊威更能激发他们的基督徒谦逊和尊重之感情。
These words, furthermore, determine what we ought to ask of God in prayer; for every demand regarding theneeds and wants of this life, if it have not some reference to the goods of heaven and if it be not directed to thatend, is vain and unworthy of a Christian.
进一步的,这句话决定了我们应该在祈祷中向天主求什么;因为关于人生的每个需要和需求如果与天堂的美善无关,或者不以天堂为目的,那作为一个基督徒就是无价值和无结果的。
Let the pastor, therefore, instruct his pious hearers regarding this particular element of prayer, confirming hisown words by the authority of the Apostle: If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, whereChrist is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.
因此,牧者应教导他的虔诚听众关于祈祷的这一特别邀请,用宗徒的权威来确信自己的教导:你们既然与基督一同复活了,就该追求天上的事,在那里有基督坐在天主的右边。你们该思念天上的事,不该思念地上的事(格罗森3:1)。