【失望/希望系列（二）】
瑪利亞‧納匝肋的希望（路1:26-38）
路加福音記載了兩個「領報」的故事，總領天使加俾額爾奉派，分別向匝加利亞和瑪利亞宣報若翰洗者的誕生和耶穌基督的誕生。兩位當事人也曾提出疑問，即匝加利亞：「我憑著甚麼能知道這事呢？因為我已經老了，我的妻子也上了年紀」（路1:18）和瑪利亞：「這事怎能成就，因為我不認識男人」（1:34）；但兩人的結果徹然不同，匝加利亞成了啞巴九個月，直至若翰洗者誕生為止；而瑪利亞卻沒有遭受任可懲罰，九個月後順利誕下耶穌。看來天主有點偏心，對匝加利亞嚴苛，卻寬待瑪利亞。我們暫且放下天主是否公平的問題，先處理瑪利亞提問的深層意義。
我個人認為，始胎無染原罪的瑪利亞，以一顆無玷聖心，渴望以童貞女的狀態，終身事奉天主。父母卻把她許配給若瑟，真是晴天霹靂，不知如何是好。即使向父母表白，他們未必會體諒。為了這件事，她可能不停地求天主「免她喝這結婚的苦杯」。如今天使報喜，這是她向天主「投訴」事與願違的好機會。瑪利亞以一句「我不認識男人」來表達她守貞的立場，而不是描述她是童貞女的狀態！既然是表態，天主又怎會懲罰她呢？瑪利亞表態，是想確定天主的旨意。或許，天主的旨意是要她做母親，而不是做貞女。
親愛的讀者，守貞與懷孕生子是矛盾的，但天使說得好：「因為在天主前沒有不能的事」（路1:37），這句話正是瑪利亞的希望所在，她可以安心地奉行天主的旨意，做一個賢妻良母；一切任由天主安排。結果，瑪利亞既保持著卒世童貞的狀態，又成了天主之母，地位在所有天使聖人及殉道者之上。亞孟。 天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝： ideogram.ai
Disappointment & Hope Series (II)
The Hope of Mary Nazareth (Luke 1:26-38)
There are two Annunciation stories in the gospel of Luke. Archangel Gabriel was sent to Zechariah and Mary to announce the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ respectively. Both recipients raised questions, namely Zechariah asked, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:18) and Mary asked, “How can this be, since I know not a man?” (1:34) However, they received different treatments. Zechariah became mute for nine months until the birth of John the Baptist while Mary did not receive any punishment. After nine months, Jesus was born without complications. It looks as if God had been partial. He was harsh towards Zechariah but lenient towards Mary. Let us put away the problem of God’s fairness for the time being and focus on the deeper meaning of the question Mary raised.
Most common explanations of Mary’s question focus on upholding her virginity. In Hebrew, the word “know” can mean intercourse between husband and wife. For example, “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived …” (Genesis 4:1). Therefore, Mary raised the question to show that she was a chaste virgin and had never had intercourse with any man. This explanation is flawed because Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Soon or later, Joseph would “know” her. Moreover it was a shame for a wife to fail to conceive and give birth to a son for her husband. When the angel told Mary that she would conceive and give birth to a son, she should be delighted. Why raised the question? Thus, Mary’s question was not simply a declaration of her purity.
I personally opine that immaculately conceived Mary, with an immaculate heart, had desired to serve God all the days of her life in the capacity of a virgin. Now that her parents had betrothed her to Joseph, she was in a dilemma! Even if she told her parents her vocation, her parents were unlikely to understand. For this situation, she must have prayed unceasingly to God to take this bitter chalice of marriage from her. Now with the appearance of an angel, it is a good opportunity to “file a complaint” to God. Her “I know not a man” was a declaration of her intention to remain a virgin, not a statement of her virginal condition. So how would God punish her for declaring her good intention? Mary made a declaration to ascertain God’s will. Perhaps God wills her to be a mother, not a virgin.
Beloved readers, virginity and giving birth are contradictory but Gabriel says well, “For nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). Here lies the foundation of Mary’s hope. From now on, she could do God’s will with her whole heart, to be a good wife and a good mother. Let go and let God steer her life. In the end, Mary keeps her virginity permanently and becomes the Mother of God. Her status is high above all angels, saints and martyrs. Amen.
God bless!
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