現代科學昌明，人運用才智，已解決了很多生存上的問題，世間幾乎沒有甚麼不能解釋，不能明白的事。人漸漸對大自然，對神明失去了害怕的情緒，變成了真正的「天不怕，地不怕」，「不知天高地厚」的人，反而變得無知！要求現代人培養一顆對天主敬畏的心，十分困難。因此，我們很難想像，是甚麼令童貞瑪利亞感到害怕（路1:30）？
是加俾額爾突然出現，令瑪利亞吃驚嗎？若是這樣，這位總領天使太不稱職了！第一次顯現給匝加利亞，令匝加利亞驚惶失措（1:12），是可原諒的，因為是第一次。加俾額爾應該學會如何與人類接觸，令他們感到平安罷！所以，不是他的突如其來令童貞女吃驚！但加俾額爾那充滿「正能量」的請安（1:28），是不可能會令任何人害怕的！那麼，瑪利亞因何害怕呢？
我相信是童貞瑪利亞的謙遜，引起這份「害怕」。現代人充滿自信，把億萬光年外的宇宙，拉近到眼前；他們手握權勢，把核子擊碎，釋放用之不竭的能量；他們心高氣傲，把自己的基因切割，隨意調配，設計製造超級人類等等…，區區一個總領天使，又如何會令他們害怕呢！
相反，童貞瑪利亞認識到自己的卑微，她祇是一個寂寂無聞的鄉村少女（1:48，52），祇有一個微末的志願，渴望守貞事奉天主（1:34），願意讓神聖的天主，在她身上成就偉大的事業（1:49）；她任憑父母把她許配給若瑟，沒有反抗，表現出她敬畏全能者的旨意，因而享受到上主的仁慈（1:50）；她了解自己的貧乏，因而獲得舉揚（1:52）。是謙遜栽培出一份「渺小面對無限」的敬畏，所以加俾額爾帶來的天主氣息，令瑪利亞害怕！
天主啊！讓我們看見祢的光榮，敬畏祢，愛慕祢。亞孟。
Humility I (Luke 1:26-28)
With advances in physical sciences, humans are able to make use of their intellect to solve most existential problems. There seems to be nothing in the world inexplicable. Gradually, men lose their fear of the Mother Nature or deities. They have genuinely become fearless and ignore their positions. In the end, they become ignorant. It is extremely difficult to cultivate a fear of God in modern men. Thus, it is difficult for us to imagine what made the Blessed Virgin Mary afraid (Luke 1:30)?
Did the sudden appearance of Gabriel scare Mary? If it were the case, this archangel was not doing his job properly! At first, he appeared to Zechariah and fear came upon him (1:12). This was forgivable because it was the first assignment. Gabriel should have learnt the proper manners to make contacts with humans and be at peace! Thus, it was not his sudden appearance that scared the Virgin! But how a positive-energy filled greeting (1:28) could have disturbed anybody! Then, why was Mary afraid?
I believe that the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary triggered this fear. Modern people are full of confidence. They are able enough to draw the universe which is zillions of light years away in front of their eyes. They are powerful enough to smash nucleii to release inexhaustible energy. They are arrogant enough to manipulate their own genes whimsically to design and make super humans etc. What is an archangel which could frighten them!
On the contrary, the Blessed Virgin Mary knew her own lowliness. She was just an ordinary country girl whom nobody knew (1:48, 52). She had a negligible wish to preserve her virginity to serve God (1:34). She was willing to let the Mighty One whose name is holy to do great things for her (1:49). She did not resist her parents betrothing her to Joseph, showing her fear of the will of the Almighty, thus enjoying His mercy (1:50). She knew her lowliness, thus was lifted up (1:52). Her humility has cultivated in her a fear of "the insignificant before the infinite". Thus the breath of God carried along with Gabriel scared Mary!
O God! Let us see your glory so that we shall fear you and love you. Amen.
Humility I (Luke 1:26-28)
ReplyDeleteWith advances in physical sciences, humans are able to make use of their intellect to solve most existential problems. There seems to be nothing in the world inexplicable. Gradually, men lose their fear of the Mother Nature or deities. They have genuinely become fearless and ignore their positions. In the end, they become ignorant. It is extremely difficult to cultivate a fear of God in modern men. Thus, it is difficult for us to imagine what made the Blessed Virgin Mary afraid (Luke 1:30)?
Did the sudden appearance of Gabriel scare Mary? If it were the case, this archangel was not doing his job properly! At first, he appeared to Zechariah and fear came upon him (1:12). This was forgivable because it was the first assignment. Gabriel should have learnt the proper manners to make contacts with humans and be at peace! Thus, it was not his sudden appearance that scared the Virgin! But how a positive-energy filled greeting (1:28) could have disturbed anybody! Then, why was Mary afraid?
I believe that the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary triggered this fear. Modern people are full of confidence. They are able enough to draw the universe which is zillions of light years away in front of their eyes. They are powerful enough to smash nucleii to release inexhaustible energy. They are arrogant enough to manipulate their own genes whimsically to design and make super humans etc. What is an archangel which could frighten them!
On the contrary, the Blessed Virgin Mary knew her own lowliness. She was just an ordinary country girl whom nobody knew (1:48, 52). She had a negligible wish to preserve her virginity to serve God (1:34). She was willing to let the Mighty One whose name is holy to do great things for her (1:49). She did not resist her parents betrothing her to Joseph, showing her fear of the will of the Almighty, thus enjoying His mercy (1:50). She knew her lowliness, thus was lifted up (1:52). Her humility has cultivated in her a fear of "the insignificant before the infinite". Thus the breath of God carried along with Gabriel scared Mary!
O God! Let us see your glory so that we shall fear you and love you. Amen.
He he Deacon
ReplyDeleteComplete in translation