奉行天主旨意的秘訣 The Secret To Do God’s Will

奉行天主旨意的秘訣（谷3:31-35）

能夠成為天主子的兄弟姊妹，是多麼榮幸的一回事！可是，「奉行天主的旨意」（谷3:35），為我們這些凡夫俗子，談何容易！
首先，天意確實難料，甚麼是「天主的旨意」呢？且看「信德之父」亞巴郎的例子，他曾與天主討價還價，想保存羅特一家的生命，可見他與天主的關係非常密切！天主曾許諾他的子孫有如天上的繁星（創15:5），可是他的妻子撒辣依不生育（11:30），天主如何兌現祂的許諾呢？於是撒辣依出主意，由她的婢女哈加爾代替她生育（16:2）。果然亞巴郎一索得男，哈加爾為他生了依市瑪耳（16:15）。可是，天主卻堅持祂對世人的祝福，是出自撒辣依所生的（17:18）！當然，正如天使加俾額爾所說：「在天主前沒有不能的事。」（路1:37）可是，在當時的處境，亞巴郎還有更好的辦法嗎？連「信德之父」亞巴郎也未能參透天主的旨意，何況是我們呢？耶穌基督教導我們要在最少的兄弟身上服事祂（瑪25:40），試問有誰可以肯定自己所做的服務，是服膺天主的旨意，而不是出於個人的好惡或榮辱呢？

其次，人的意志力有限，能堅持到底而成功的，寥寥無幾！且看以色列的第一位君王撒烏耳，他被培肋舍特人圍困在基耳加耳時，等了約定的七天，撒慕爾卻仍未現身獻祭。撒烏耳眼見軍民四散逃跑，惟有擅自奉獻了全燔祭，向天主求援（撒上13:12），結果反被天主所擯棄（13:14）！試問有誰開始了天主的工作，能堅持到底而得救呢？

各位親愛的兄弟姊妹，我們始終是受造物，沒有能力參透天主的旨意。但同樣是受造物的童貞聖母瑪利亞給我們示範了，即使在不明不白的情況下，仍能奉行天主的旨意，從孕育天主子起，直到十字架下！秘訣在於聖神一直陪伴著她！而她所做的，祇不過是「把這一切事默存在自己心中，反覆思想」（路2:19）而已。的確，倘若沒有聖神的啟導，沒有人能領會天主的旨意；沒有聖神的助祐，單憑人力，沒有可能奉行天主的旨意。且讓我們繼續呼求聖神吧！亞孟！
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：aleteia.org

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The Secret To Do God’s Will (Mark 3:31-35)

How honoured we are to be brothers and sisters of the Son of God! However, for us mere mortals, “doing the will of God” (Mark 3:35) is easier said than done!
First of all, it is difficult to fathom God’s will. What is the will of God? Take a look at Abraham our Father in Faith. Once he bargained with God to save the family of Lot, showing how close his relationship with God was! God had promised him countless descendants (Genesis 15:5), but his wife Sarai was barren (11:30). How would God honour His pledge? So Sarai suggested Hagar her Egyptian maidservant giving birth in her stead (16:2). Hagar successfully bore a first-born son Ishmael for Abraham (16:15). However, God insisted that His blessings should flow from the descendants born of Sarai (17:18)! Of course, just as archangel Gabriel says, “For nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). However, in that particular situation, was there a better option for Abraham? Even the Father of Faith was unable to fathom God’s will, could we do better? Jesus Christ teaches us to serve Him among the needy (Matthew 25:40). Who on earth can be sure that his ministry is serving God’s will and not personal interests and glory?

Secondly, our will-power is limited. Only a handful of people are able to persevere to see success! Let’s take a look at Saul, the first king of Israel. He and his outnumbered army were sieged by the Philistines at Gilgal. He waited seven days, until the appointed time Samuel had set. Yet Samuel did not turn up to offer sacrifice and the army deserted him. In desperation, Saul sacrificed the burnt offering to seek the Lord’s blessing (1 Samuel 13:12). Consequently, he was rejected by God instead (13:14)! Who on earth is able to start the work of God and persevere to see salvation?

Dear Brethren! After all, we are mere creatures and do not have the capability to fathom God’s will. But the BVM, who is also a creature like us, has shown us how to do God’s will even without understanding it, from the conception of the Son of God until her standing under the cross. The secret is to have the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit all the time! What she only had to do was that, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Indeed, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, nobody is able to understand God’s will and without the blessings of the Holy Spirit, with human effort alone, nobody is able to do God’s will. Let’s continue to invoke the Holy Spirit! Amen!
God bless!