（路10:25-37）
「愛德」之所以稱為「德」，是因為它不是與生俱來的潛能，而是經過長時間栽培出來的好習慣。各人的潛能不同，而且是不能勉強培養出來，祇可以發掘出來的。無論你如何羨慕他人與生俱來的美貎與智慧，始終祇能「可望而不可即」。
德行則不同，它是把良好的習慣，操練成不費吹灰之力的心理傾向。所有人都是有能力成功操練到的。例如：平時的你，做事可能粗心大意，但受過幾次挫折之後，你會變得小心謹慎。把「謹慎」培養成良好的習慣，以至凡事小心謹慎。這樣，謹慎便成了你的德行。所以，當大部份人因醜聞而離開教會的時候，有「信德」的人仍對天主保持信心，對耶穌基督保持信心，相信聖神一定會管理、護守教會；當有人需要援助的時候，有「愛德」的人不會思前想後，計算一番之後纔出手幫助；當面對龐大的政治機器，令你和與你志同道合的人，受到不公義的迫害，而且在你有生之年，是沒有希望可以平反的時候，有「望德」的人仍寄望天主的諾言，有朝一日得到實現。
問題在於這些德行，是如何修煉得來的呢？
在慈善的撒瑪黎雅人的比喻中，耶穌基督教導經師從受傷者的角度思考，便輕易成為有愛德的人。倘若我們不願跳出自己的安樂窩，仍以自我為中心，「愛德」是煉不到的。司祭和肋未人躲在「聖潔」的安樂窩內，不願受到玷污，不能離開自我的中心，向受傷的同胞伸出援手。反觀那個撒瑪黎雅人，本來他可以停留在「種族歧視」的安樂窩之中，不顧而去。但他動了憐憫之心，跳出了安樂窩，不假思索，向歧視他的猶太人伸出援手。
主啊！我們沉睡在自己的安樂窩，有如拉匝祿睡在墳墓一樣。請喚醒我們，走出自我，生活出祢對世人的慈悲。亞孟。
Jump Out of Our Comfort Zone
(Luke 10:25-37)
Charity is a virtue because it is not inborn but a good habit built up in time. Each one of us was born with different potentials which cannot be implanted but unleashed. No matter how much we desire the beauty and wisdom that the others possessed by birth, we can only admire and not acquire.
Virtues are different. They are good habits and psychological inclinations which have become our second nature after long periods of practices. Everybody is able to achieve through practice. For example, you used to be absent-minded but after a few frustrations, you would become more prudent. Make prudence a good habit and you become prudent in everything you do. Then prudence becomes your virtue. Thus, when most people leave the Church because of scandals, those with faith continue to trust in the Lord, trust in Jesus Christ and believe that the Holy Spirit will continue to govern and guard the Church. When there are people in need of relief, people with charity will not extend a helping hand after calculation. When a gigantic political machination persecutes you and your comrades unfairly, and furthermore, there is no hope of rectification in your life time; people with hope continue to rely on God's promises which shall surely come to fruition.
How do we cultivate such virtues?
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught the Teacher of the Law to think along the perspective of the victim in order to be a person of charity. If we are not willing to jump out of our comfort zone and continue to be egocentric, it will be impossible for us to become charitable. The priest and the Levi hid behind the comfort zone of cleanliness. They did not want to be defiled. They were not able to quit their self-centre to extend a helping hand to their injured kinsman. On the contrary, the Samaritan could have stayed in his comfort zone of racial discrimination and just walked away as well. Yet, he was moved by compassion, jumped out of his comfort zone to help without giving a second thought to a Jew who discriminated him.
Lord! We are sleeping in our comfort zone like Lazarus in his tomb. Wake us up to walk out of our ego to live up to your mercy to mankind. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment