进堂咏
上主!求你将平安赐给期待你的人,使你的先知们忠贞不移。上主!请俯听你的仆人和以色列子民的祈祷。(德36:18)
集祷经
天主,你创造万物,治理万物;求你垂顾我们,使我们深切体验你的慈爱,诚心诚意事奉你。因你的圣子、我们的主耶稣基督,他和你及圣神,是唯一天主,永生永王。亚孟。
读经一(虔敬的奥迹是伟大的。)
恭读圣保禄宗徒致弟茂德前书 3:14-16
亲爱的弟兄:在我写信给你的时候,我希望快到你那里去;假使我迟迟不到,你可以知道在天主的家中应当如何处事;这家就是永生天主的教会,真理的柱石和基础。毫无疑问,这虔敬的奥迹是伟大的:就是基督以肉身出现,由圣神印证,显现给天使,传报给异民,获世人信服,被接入光荣中。--上主的话。
答唱咏 咏111:l-2,3-4,5-6
【答】:上主的作为确实伟大。
领:在义人的集会和团聚中,我必要全心赞颂上主。上主的作为确实伟大,凡喜爱它的必须究察。【答】
领:上主的作为辉煌光明,他的正义永远常存。他的奇迹永留人间,上主实在是慈爱而温良。【答】
领:上主赐给敬畏他的人食物,且永远怀念自己的盟约,将他的大能启示给选民,把外邦人的产业赐给他们。【答】
福音前欢呼
领:亚肋路亚。
众:亚肋路亚。
领:上主,你的话就是神,就是生命,惟你有永生的话。
众:亚肋路亚。
福音(我们给你们吹笛,你们却不跳舞;我们唱哀歌,你们却不悲哭。)
恭读圣路加福音 7:31-35
耶稣说:“我可把这一代的人比作什么呢?他们相似什么人呢?他们相似坐在街上的儿童,彼此呼唤说:我们给你们吹笛,你们却不跳舞;我们唱哀歌,你们却不悲哭。因为洗者若翰来了,他不吃饼,也不喝酒。你们便说:他附了魔。人子来了,也吃也喝,你们又说:这是个贪吃嗜酒的人,是税史和罪人的朋友。但一切智慧之子,必彰显智慧的正义。”--上主的话。
献礼经
上主,求你惠然收纳你子女的献礼,使我们每个人为尊崇你的圣名所献上的礼物,都能有助普世人类获享救恩。因主耶稣基督之名,求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。
领主咏
天主,你的慈爱多么宝贵,世人都藏身在你的护翼下。(咏36:8)
领圣体后经
上主,我们领受了天上神粮,求你赐与我们圣事的力量,使我们不再受感官的牵制,而能按照你的旨意生活。因主耶稣基督之名,求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。
女儿接来一份宗教科的思考习作,以假设基督生于今时今日为题材自我发挥。看着今天福音的章节,很难想象面对当下社会的基督,会说出怎样的慨叹之言。
曾有一出外语片有这样的对白,大意是人们宁可很轻易地因为恐怖片中一些画面、音响效果及情节,对鬼怪妖魔深信不疑,看后更产生莫名的恐惧感,但对天主却置若罔闻,无动于衷。看来,造物主对世人温馨关爱、无微不至的话语,竟不及受造物堆砌的颜料与音响为人所接受,这是个怎样的世代呢?
书信中保禄嘱咐弟茂德以教会长老身分,应知如何坚持这作为真理柱石和基础的虔敬奥迹 ─ 简朴无华的基督奥迹。这信仰的核心能否为人所受落,非着重外表花巧的包装与粉饰,而是对人心的开放与转变,有着最基本的要求。
主,在祢传扬祢救恩喜讯的使命中,祢尚且须面对麻木的人心。请扶持我们,坚强我们,在追随祢,作祢见证人的路上,能认清目标,坚守圣道,不屈不挠地传扬祢的救恩喜讯。
John the Baptist lived a simple and hard life. He ate only bread and abstained from wine. Yet, his message of repentance was rejected. Jesus mixed with the poor and marginalised. He ate and drank with them. He too was rejected. It seems as though nothing pleased the Jewish leaders, the "men of this generation". They found one set of excuses to reject John, and an opposite set of excuses to reject Jesus. They thought themselves wise enough to know the truth.
As such, they were not willing to open themselves to God's action of salvation which was taking place in their midst through the message of John, and then through Jesus. Like stubborn children, the Jewish leaders were not willing to cooperate in any way with God's action. In doing so, they closed themselves to the truth, and to the One who is himself the Truth. They failed to repent and as a result, did not become "children of wisdom".
Often, in our own faith journey, we too can become like stubborn children. We may be aware that we have certain shortcomings and need to experience conversion. However, we are constantly giving excuses. We blame God, others and circumstances for our own sins, and as a result, remain closed to the call of Christ to repentance. Truly, God's action of salvation is taking place daily in our lives. He calls us to repentance and transformation. Do we listen and obey? Or do we think we know better?
Lord, help me to be open to Your truth.
|