運用恩寵 Making use of Grace

二月四日
（谷6:30-34）
主題：運用恩寵

擁有錢財的人，會顧慮如何保值和增值。同樣，充滿天主恩寵的人，自然會擔心天主的恩寵會不會流失。答案是肯定會的！
上文提到做基督徒，第一要遵守誡命，第二要培養良好的生活習慣，第三要心存謙下。做齊三樣，天主的恩寵便會滾滾而來。問題在於，我們能保存這滾滾而來的恩寵，使它不致於流失嗎？倘若流失比輸入多，恐怕晚節不保了！其實這種想法是錯誤的，因為恩寵是一種很有趣的東西，是沒有辦法儲存的，祗能運用的。即是說，倘若我們不運用天主的恩寵，它便會逐漸消失。

舉例，音樂家、藝術家的天賦，我們稱之為「寵佑」，是天主的恩寵，幫助我們完成一件任務。倘若不運用來作曲、演奏和創作的話，這些恩寵便會「生銹」甚至消失。世上還有另外一種事物，有如恩寵，不運用便會消失。它就是「時間」。其實，我們在世時間的長短，不也是天主的恩寵嗎？

既然「時間」和「恩寵」都是不運用便消失的「物體」，要「保存」它的惟一辦法就是不斷運用它。而作為耶穌基督的跟隨者，運用「時間」和「恩寵」的最有效方法，莫過於培養一顆憐憫的心。因為作為門徒，師傅做怎麼，我們跟著做怎麼，雖不中不遠矣。且看耶穌對癩病人（谷1:41，路17:13）；附魔人（谷5:19）；大夥群眾（6:34，8:2）；附魔兒童父子（9:22，路9:38）；巴爾提買（谷10:47）；納因城的寡婦（路7:13）等人的憐憫，表露無遺。所以，倘若我們未能拿出憐憫的心，我們算不上是基督徒。

屯積恩寵，與屯積錢財沒有分別，最後祗會化為烏有。惟有不斷地對人、對大地慈悲，我們會獲得更多天父的慈悲─我們的終極救贖。
天父啊！讓我們親見祢的慈愛，並以愛還愛。亞孟。

生命恩泉

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February 4, 2017
(Mark 6:30-34)
Theme: Making use of Grace

People who possess money worry about how to keep or even increase value. Similarly, people who are filled with God's grace worry about losing it. The answer is affirmative!
As mentioned in previous article, being Christians, the first step is to keep the commandments. The second step is to build up good habits and the third is to be humble. With these three steps, God's grace will continually flow to you. The problem is whether we can keep the grace coming without losing it. If the outflow is bigger than the inflow, we will run out of grace in the end! This way of thinking is wrong because grace is an interesting thing. We cannot keep it. We can only use it. That is to say, if we do not make use of God's grace, it will vanish.

For example, we call the talents of musicians and artists "actual grace". It is a grace which helps us accomplish a mission. If it is not used in composing, in performing or in creating, this grace will rust in time and even vanish. There is one other thing on earth which, like grace, will vanish if not used. It is "time". In fact, isn't our life span on earth a grace of God?

If "time" and "grace" vanish unused, the only way to "keep" them is to make use of them. As followers of Jesus Christ, the most effective way to make use of "time" and "grace" is to cultivate a compassionate heart. As disciples, imitating what our Master did will not miss the mark. See how Jesus showed compassion to lepers (Mark 1:41, Luke 17:13); the possessed (Mark 5:19); great crowds (6:34, 8:2); father and possessed son (9:22, Luke 9:38); Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47) and the widow in Nain (Luke 7:13). So, if we do not possess a compassionate heart, we are not Christians.

Accumulating grace is not different from accumulating money. Both will vanish in the end. Only by being compassionate to men and to the earth can we obtain more mercy from the Father --- our ultimate redemption.
Heavenly Father, Let us see Your mercy with our own eyes and love all in return. Amen.