道不可離 We Can’t Depart From the Way

道不可離（若6:16-21）

人的確非常軟弱，叫天主怎能安心哩！且看，門徒們剛見證完五餅二魚神蹟；吃飽了，有氣力在翻騰的海上，划過五千米的路程，卻不能認出步行海面上的主，竟然害怕起來（若6:19）！倘若五餅二魚神蹟，是最後晚餐的演習，那麼，山園祈禱的場面，不用想像也知道不容樂觀了！

天主子就是聖言，「萬物是藉著祂而造成」（1:3），是倚賴祂而存在（哥1:17）。新教把這聖言翻譯成「道」，不無道理。所謂「道也者，不可須臾離也；可離，非道也。」（中庸），與哥羅森書的教訓吻合。

在施行五餅二魚神蹟後，耶穌基督為了避開群眾，便放下門徒一會兒，「獨自又退避到山裡去了」（若6:15）沒有想到門徒是如此不堪一擊。也難怪，離開了真理，心靈被枷鎖封閉，失去了自由，還可以做甚麼呢？

這事蹟告訴我們一個事實，群眾在五餅二魚神蹟中吃的餅，即使是耶穌基督拿起、祝謝、擘開，始終不是聖體聖事，不是耶穌基督的身體！因此，即使門徒們在海上如何努力，但在心中沒有主相伴，費盡氣力都祇會是徒勞無功！耶穌基督被捕後，受難後，在復活前，主基督藉著聖體聖事，支撐著驚弓之鳥一樣的門徒，直到祂復活！這三天，比海上的五千米，不知難捱多少倍！都捱過了！這是聖體聖事的效力、威力。

在這疫情期間，沒有公開彌撒的歲月，沒有實領聖體的日子，實在不好受。但我們深信天主子耶穌基督是真道、是真理、是真生命。祂總不會離開我們。捨棄我們的，就不是道，不是主耶穌基督了。
天父啊！感謝祢的慈悲，真理不再是抽象的原則，而是有血有肉，不離不棄的天主子。我們是多麼幸福。請繼續派遣，強化我們的腳步，走遍天涯海角，為主作見證。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：newswithnaylors.blogspot.com

---

We Can’t Depart From the Way（John 6:16-21）

Men are truly fragile. How could God not worry? Look, after witnessing the miracle of 5 loaves and 2 fish, the disciples had had their full and strength to row more than 5 Km over rough waters, but were unable to recognize the Lord walking on the water and began to be afraid (John 6:19)! If the miracle of 5 loaves and 2 fish was a rehearsal for the Last Supper, the expected outcomes in the Agony in the Garden would not be optimistic!

The Son of God is the Word of God, “All things came to be through Him” (1:3) “And in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17) Protestant bibles render “the Word” “the Way” and this translation is reasonable. Chinese classics says similar things “One cannot depart from the Way for a moment. If you can, it is not the Way.” (The Golden Mean) It agrees with the teachings in Colossians.

After performing the 5 loaves and 2 fish miracle, in order to evade the crowd, Jesus left the disciples behind for a while, “withdrew again to the mountain alone.” (John 6:15) The disciples were unexpectedly fragile at that moment. Perhaps it was because they had departed from the Truth, their hearts were locked and they had lost their autonomy. What else could they do?

` This incident tells us a piece of truth. Even though Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed to the crowd to consume, the loaves in that miracle were not the body of Christ! Thus, no matter how hard the disciples laboured over the seas, their efforts were futile because the Lord had not accompanied them in their hearts! After Jesus Christ had been arrested, had suffered the passion and before He came back to life, He was able to support the caged disciples through the Holy Eucharist until His Resurrection! These three days were much harder than the 5 Km on sea! So be it! This is the power of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Life was hard during this pandemic when there was no public masses and no holy communion. But we firmly believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the Way and the Truth and the Life. He shall never abandon us. Deserting us, He would not be the Logos, not Lord Jesus Christ.
Father! Thank you for Your mercy. The Truth is no longer abstract principles but the Son of God who takes up our flesh and shall never abandon us. How blessed we are! Send us forth. Strengthen our legs to trot the globe and bear witness for the Lord. Amen.