心靈教育 The Education of the Heart

心靈教育（路2:41-51）

罪惡的其中一個後果，就是把人性扭曲了，使人渴求虛假短暫的快樂，並且對痛苦麻木，廢除了痛苦的警報功能。沒有罪惡的遮蔽，我們的感覺會更直接，更清晰。快樂是真正甜美的快樂，痛苦是刻骨銘心的痛苦！

聖母瑪利亞始胎無染原罪，不但提前獲得基督的救贖，更一生受到天主特別的照顧，充滿恩寵。她的心靈毫無玷污，堪當成為天主子的母親。她的幸福是獨一無二的，「今後萬世萬代都要稱我有福」（路1:48）！的確，聖母心裡潔淨，要看見天主（瑪5:8），獲得無窮無盡的喜悅和安慰。最後在安眠中，靈魂肉身在毫無阻擋的情況下，一同進入天主的居所。她的幸福是令人羨慕的。

可是，聖母的痛若也是獨一無二的，除了她的兒子外，她比誰的痛苦更深刻！雖然她和大聖若瑟一起失去了天主，祇有三天（路2:46），但她的痛苦，不比加爾各答的聖德蘭修女所經歷四十多年的黑暗輕，比保護她的大聖若瑟的失落重！她的痛苦，相信可以媲美耶穌基督在十字架上呼喊的聖詠22（谷15:34）！這三天，聖母預先嘗試了耶穌基督被埋葬的滋味！她的痛苦，沒有人敢試！

這一切的幸福和痛苦，都是來自她那無玷的聖心。聖母怎樣保持她的聖心無玷呢？「默存在心，反覆思想」（路2:19，51）應該是她的秘訣！她反覆地默想來自天主的說話和天主在她身邊所安排的一切事物。她再沒有空間留給其他世俗的事情了，以至她永遠保持謙卑、溫良，迅速地體會別人的需要，並毫不猶豫地吩咐眾人聽從主耶穌基督的命令（若2:5）！
榮福童貞瑪利亞，請為我們轉求，使我們堪受基督的恩賜。亞孟。

生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：https://emceedowell.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/the-boy-jesus.jpg

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The Education of the Heart (Luke 2:41-51)

One of the consequences of sins is the deformity of human nature. Men seek transitory and unreal happiness. They become numb to pain, disabling its alarm function. Removing the shield of sins, our feelings are more direct and clearer. Happiness is genuinely sweet and pain bone racking!

The BVM was immaculately conceived and exempted from Original Sin. Jesus Christ redeemed her preemptively. Her whole life is overshadowed by the special care of God and full of grace. Her heart is immaculate and worthy to be the Mother of the Son of God. Her happiness is unique. "Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed." (Luke 14:48). Indeed, her heart is pure and is able to see God (Matthew 5:8), bathed in infinite joy and consolation. At last, both her body and soul together passed in sleep into the abode of God without any hindrance. Her blessedness is magnificent.

However, her pains are also unique and unsurpassable except by her Son! Although both St. Joseph and her lost sight of God for only three days (Luke 2:46), her pains would be none less than those of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta who had undergone a spiritual darkness for more than four decades. Her pains must be heavier than those of St. Joseph and are comparable to the pains of Jesus Christ on the cross when He cried out Psalm 22 (Mark 15:34)! These three days must be a foretaste of the pains of Jesus' burial. I believe nobody dares to bear her pains!

All these joys and pains flows from her immaculate heart. How does the BVM keep her heart immaculate? "She kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart" (Luke 2:19, 51) should be her secret! She meditates constantly and repeatedly all the words of God and all things God arranges around her. There is no more room her mundane things in her hearts so that she remains forever humble, meek and perceptive to people's needs and without hesitation tells people to do whatever Jesus tells them. (John 2:5)!
Blessed Virgin Mary, intercede for us so that we may be worthy to receive the grace of Christ. Amen.