郭志強執事
話說魯哀公在位時（公元前494-468），有一個名叫田饒的臣子不被器重，於是他對哀公說：「臣辭職了。我走了以後，有能力的人也會離開您！」哀公不明白他的意思，於是田饒說：「您不見公雞嗎？頭戴冠，有禮貎（文）；腳有距 ，站著很威風（武）；敵在前敢搏鬥，不退縮（勇）；找到食物會通知同類，有關懷（仁）；守夜不失時，可靠（信）。雞有這五種德行（文、武、勇、仁、信），您卻煮來吃。遠處飛來的黃鵠，吃您養的魚，啄您所種的粟，又沒有這五種德行，您卻珍惜它…」魯哀公沒有理會他的意見。結果，田饒去了燕國當宰相，三年後，燕國大治，魯哀公後悔不已。
上述的故事出自《韓詩外傳．卷二》，亦是「雞有五德」的出處。「雞有五德」，是作為一個中國人的常識。所以，對於一個中國人，又是一個天主教徒，就不得不追溯聖經之中有沒有公雞的蹤影了。【肋未紀】第十一章記載了那些鳥類是不潔的，不可以吃和不可以接觸的，可幸其中並沒有雞！注意，不是猶太人住的地方沒有雞，因為伯多祿三次否認耶穌時，是雞鳴提醒他悔改的（瑪26:74-75；谷14:72；路22:60-62；若18:27）。所以，雞是存在於聖經中的。在耶路撒冷舊城外，相傳是伯多祿三次否認耶穌的地方，興建了一座「雞鳴堂Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu」"Gallicantu"就是「雞啼」的意思。而雞在這事蹟之中所擔任的角色，頗值得默想！ 作為一個基督徒，我們待人接物時，應該是和藹可親的（文）；在表達基督的信仰時，是堂堂正正的（武）；與世俗相反基督教訓的搏鬥中，堅毅不屈（勇）；在服務社會上最小的兄弟時，慷慨（仁）；對天主，努力尋求並履行祂的旨意；對人，忠誠（信）。所以，倘若基督宗教起源在中國的話，恐怕「雞」，而不是「魚」，會是基督徒的標誌了。
姑勿論田饒是否借雞來推銷自己，那五種特色的確是可取的德行。倘若一個人，一個基督徒沒有這些德行，真是「連雞也不如」了！ 新春佳節，謹祝大家
文武有節。
勇傳信仰，
榮主仁人。
天主保祐！
此文曾刋於【天水圍聖葉理諾堂區通訊】二零一七年一月號
Five Virtues of a Rooster
In the reign of Duke Ai of Lu (494-468 BC), a court official named Tian Rao found himself negligible before the Duke. He went to the Duke to resign, "I quit. But after I quit, capable people shall leave you too!" Duke Ai did not understand. Tian Rao continued, "Don't you see a rooster? On its head there is a comb. Thus it is polite. Its shank has a spur. So, when it stands, it is disciplined. When it fights, it never retreats and is thus courageous. When it finds food, it will inform its kind and is thus caring. Keeping watch at night, it never fails to crow and is thus faithful. A roost has five virtues and yet you cook and eat it. On the other hand, yellow swans from far off came and ate the fish in your ponds, spoilt your grains in the fields. They do not the five virtues of a rooster and yet you treasure them …" Duke Ai ignored his opinions. Consequently, Tian Rao left and later became the prime minister of the Dukedom of Yan. In three years, Yan became prosperous. Duke Ai regretted very much. The story comes from Book 2 of "An Alternate Commentary on the Book of Poems of the Han School". It is the etymology of the "Five Virtues of a Rooster" which has become part of the general knowledge of Chinese. As a Chinese Catholic, we should look up the Bible to see if roosters are mentioned.
Leviticus 11 mentions clean and unclean birds which should not be touched nor eaten. Luckily, rooster is not mentioned. Note that it does not mean there was no rooster in Judaea because when Peter denied Jesus three times, it was a rooster which reminded him of repentance (Matthew 26:74-75, Mark 14:72, Luke 22:60-62, John 18:27). Therefore, roosters can be found in the Bible. Outside the old city of Jerusalem was built a Church of "Saint Peter in Gallicantu" on a site supposed to be where Peter had denied Jesus. "Gallicantu" means cock crow in Latin. It is worth meditating the role the rooster played in this incident.
As a Christian, our ways of going about should be gentle and polite. When we articulate our faith, we should not be hesitant but disciplined. In the fight against anti-Christian values in the world, we should be perseverant and courageous. In the service of the needy in the society, we should be generous and caring. In putting God's will into action and interacting with fellowmen, we should be sincere and faithful. Had Christianity begun in China, a rooster rather than a fish would have been the symbol of Christians.
Never mind whether Tian Rao made use of a rooster to promote himself, those five characteristics are truly virtues. If a man, a Christian does not possess these virtues, he is not even a chicken!
In this Lunar New Year Season, let me wish you all
"Progress daily in five virtues, Polite and Disciplined.
Courageous in Evangelization, glorifying God and loving men." God bless.
Picture Credit: http://www.360doc.com/content/11/1216/16/8209430_172739210.shtml
This article first appeared on the front page of St. Jerome's Parish Bulletin, January 2017 edition.
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