（若19:25-34）
耶穌基督在離開門徒前曾許諾，不會留下他們為孤兒，祂要回到他們那裡去（若14:18）。這個回來的許諾，恐怕要到末日纔兌現。可是，要長時間離開祂的門徒，始終不是一件好事。例如父母獨留16歲以下子女在家，疏忽照顧，在香港會被檢控虐待兒童罪！固然門徒都是成年人，是思想成熟的人。但留下他們在世上孤軍作戰，對抗邪惡的世俗，不給予任何支持，豈不是把他們當作砲灰，作出不必要的犧牲？作為宣講天父是愛的聖子，這樣做未免矛盾。因此在五旬節，聖神降臨兌現了祂的許諾。聖神要臨在教會中，陪伴和支援教會在世上作戰，直到耶穌基督普世君王再次降臨，審判生者死者。
不過，請不要忽略耶穌基督的精心策劃。在人類之中，有誰比聖母瑪利亞更清楚地，更具體地顯示出聖神的臨在呢？在《聖母德敘禱文》中，我們以舊約的象徵，讚美聖母的德行，例如「上智之座」、「神靈之器」、「象牙寶塔」、「黃金之殿」和「結約之櫃」等等，表現出聖神與聖母瑪利亞的密切關係。聖神是真理之神（14:17），祂可能給予我們抽像和理性的感覺。但聖神在聖母瑪利亞身上所發揮的，卻是另一種感覺：謙遜、關懷、仁愛、明智、平安、忍耐、忠信、默觀與喜樂等等。一言以蔽之：母愛。耶穌基督把自己的母親留給我們，作為我們的母親，教會的母親，對我們是多麼深厚的愛護！有甚麼行動，比這個行動更好地兌現祂的諾言呢？
教會之母，請繼續照顧旅途中的教會，保護她走向天鄉，直到主光榮來臨的日子。亞孟。
生命恩泉
BVM, Mother of the Church
(John 19:25-34)
Before Jesus Christ left his disciples, he promised not to leave them orphans. He would come to them. (John 14:18) This promise of coming back to them would only be honoured at the end of the world. After all, it would not be a good thing to leave His disciples behind for that long. For example, here in Hong Kong, parents would be charged child abuse if they leave their under 16 children at home unattended. Of course, the disciples were all adults. Their thinking was mature. But leaving them behind in the world to fight against secularism alone and not giving them support would turn them into unnecessary sacrifices! As a preacher of a loving God, it would be contradictory to do so. Thus, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended to honour His promise. The Holy Spirit remains in the Church, staying with her to support her to fight against the secular world until Jesus Christ, the Universal King comes again to judge the living and the dead.
But don't overlook Jesus' meticulous arrangements. Among human beings, who can more clearly and concretely manifest the presence of the Holy Spirit? In the Marian Litany, we make use of Old Testament symbols to praise the virtues of the BVM: Seat of Wisdom, Spiritual Vessel, Tower of Ivory, House of God and Ark of Covenant etc. to articulate the intimate relationship between the Holy Spirit and the BVM. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (14:17). It gives us an abstract and rational impression. But through the BVM, the Holy Spirit radiates other feelings: humility, care, mercy, prudence, peace, patience, faith, contemplation and joy etc. In one word: maternal love. Jesus Christ leaves behind His mother to be our mother, the Mother of the Church. How abundant His love for us is! What else can better honour His promise than this?
Mother of the Church, continue to take care of the Pilgrim Church. Protect her on her way to heaven until the day the Lord comes in glory again. Amen.
Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_the_Church#/media/File:Vaticano_Mater_Ecclesiae.jpg
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