喚醒我們的本能 TO AWAKEN OUR INSTINCT

喚醒我們的本能（路1:39-47）

在母胎中熟睡的若翰，忽然被一陣甘甜的問候聲喚醒了。雖然他並未能運用尚未發育的眼睛看見，但本性上已強烈地感受到他的主宰就在附近。他本能地興奮起來，手舞足蹈。

瑪利亞剛懷孕了耶穌，帶著他由納匝肋南下到猶大山區的一座城找依撒伯爾。途中必定會踫到很多人。為甚麼這些遇到瑪利亞／耶穌的人，沒有洗者若翰的反應呢？

未誕生的若翰，除了本能、本性的反應外，又可以從哪裡學習到其他的行為和反應呢？所以若翰的反應是本能上的反應。人長大了，我們倚重後天學習得來的思想和行為，多於本性上的反應。對天主的臨在，反應變得越來越遲鈍了。可惜辛辛苦苦學習得來的東西，要「刪除」它是不可能的。為了抗衡後天學習所做成的障礙，我們有必要花時間祈禱靈修，把遲鈍了的靈性觸覺再度喚醒，並經常琢磨，保持它的敏銳，好使在日常生活中，我們更能感受到天主的臨在。這也是耶穌在將臨期開始時對我們的忠告。「你們應當時時醒寤祈禱。」（路21:36）

我們要慶幸，因為罪惡並沒有徹底摧毀了我們本性上對天主的渴求，洗者若翰的經歷就是一個有力的証明。但我們不可因此而怠惰，且看世上還有很多人竟可以固執地拒絕承認天主的存在，否認天主對人的慈悲。

主耶穌，我渴望聽到祢慈悲的一語，我的靈魂就會痊癒。亞孟。

生命恩泉

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TO AWAKEN OUR INSTINCT (Luke 1:39-47)

Sleeping soundly in his mother's womb, John the Baptist was awakened by a sweet greeting voice. Although he was not able to see with his undeveloped eyes, by nature he strongly felt the presence of his Lord in the proximity. Instinctively, John leapt excitedly in his mother's womb.

Mary had just been pregnant with Jesus. Carrying him along, she came down from Nazareth to the hilly country, a city in Judah. She must have met some people along the way. Why weren't those people who met Mary/Jesus excited like baby John the Baptist? Other than natural instincts/reflexes, where did the unborn John the Baptist learn the other behaviours and responses? Therefore, John's responses were instinctive. As we grow and develop, we rely more on things we have learnt than on our instincts. Gradually, our responses to the presence of God have become numb. Unfortunately, we cannot unlearn what we have learnt in great efforts. It is impossible to delete them. In order to counteract the obstacles built up by learnings after birth, we must spend time praying to reawaken our numbed sense of spirituality which we must polish constantly in our daily life in order to feel the presence of God. This was also the advice Jesus gave us at the beginning of the Advent Season, "But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength ..." (Luke 21:36)

We are gratified that our instinctive desire for God has not been totally destroyed by sins. The experience of John the Baptist was a piece of forceful evidence. But seeing that so many people still stubbornly deny the existence of God and his mercy, we cannot afford to be complacent. Lord Jesus, I desire to hear a merciful word of yours and my soul should be healed. Amen.