进堂咏
让我们欢乐鼓舞,将光荣归于天主,因为我们全能的天主、上主为王了。亚肋路亚。(默19:7,6)
集祷经
天主,愿你的子民常常生活在喜乐中,因为你更新了我们,使我们朝气蓬勃;我们今日庆祝重新成为你的子女,求你使我们满怀感恩之心和确实的希望,期待永远复活的日子。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(你信主耶稣吧!你和你一家就必得救。)
恭读宗徒大事录 16:22-34
斐理伯的群众齐来攻击保禄和息拉,官长就撕下了他们的衣服,下令用棍殴打。打了许多棍之后,就把他们押在监里,吩咐狱警小心看守;狱警领命,就把他们关在内监,又在他们的脚上带上木枷。
约在半夜时分,保禄和息拉祈祷赞颂天主,囚犯都侧耳静听。忽然地震大作,甚至监狱地基都摇动了,所有的门立时开了,众人的锁链也解开了。狱警醒来,见监门全开着,以为囚犯都已逃走,就拔出剑来,想要自杀。保禄大声喊说:“不要伤害自己,我们还都在这里。”狱警要来了灯,就跑进去,战栗发抖地俯伏在保禄和息拉面前,然后领他们出来说:“先生,我当作什么才可得救!”他们说:“你信主耶稣吧!你和你一家就必得救。”他们就给他和他家所有的人,讲了主的圣道。当夜在那时刻,狱警就带他们去洗伤,他和他的亲人也都领了洗;遂又领他们到自己家里,摆了宴席;他和全家因信了天主,都满心喜欢。--上主的话。
答唱咏 咏138:1-2,2-3,7-8
【答】:上主!求你伸出右手救我。
或咏唱“亚肋路亚”
领:上主,我要全心称谢你,因你俯听了我的恳祈。我要在众神前歌颂你,朝你的圣所伏地致敬。【答】
领:为了你的仁慈和至诚,我必要称谢你的圣名,我几时呼号你,你就俯允我,并将我灵魂上的力量增多。【答】
领:你用右手救我,伸手抗拒仇人的愤恨。上主必替我完成这工程;上主,你的仁慈永远常存,求你不要放弃你的作品。【答】
福音前欢呼
领:亚肋路亚。
众:亚肋路亚。
领:主说:“我要派遣真理之神到你们这里来,他要把你们引入一切真理。”
众:亚肋路亚。
福音(我若不去,护慰者便不会到你们这里来。)
恭读圣若望福音 16:5-11
那时,耶稣对门徒说:“现在我就往派遣我者那里去,你们中却没有人问我:你往那里去?只因我给你们说了这话,你们就满心忧闷。然而,我将真情告诉你们:我去为你们有益,因为我若不去,护慰者便不会到你们这里来;我若去了,就要派遣他到你们这里来。当他来到时,就要指证世界关于罪恶、正义和审判所犯的错误:关于罪恶,因为他们没有信从我;关于正义,因为我往父那里去,而你们再见不到我;关于审判,因为这世界的首领已被判断了。”--上主的话。
献礼经
上主,你使我们藉着庆祝逾越奥迹而时时感谢你,求你在我们身上不断施展救赎的工程,使这奥迹成为我们永远欢乐的泉源。因主耶稣基督之名,求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。
领主咏
基督必须受苦,又从死者中复活,然后才进入你的光荣。亚肋路亚。(路24:46,26)
领圣体后经
上主,求你使这分施救恩的圣事,带给我们现世生活的助佑,和来日永恒的幸福。因主耶稣基督之名,求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。
“天主使一切协助那些爱他的人,就是那些按他的旨意蒙召的人,获得益处”(罗8:28)。我们真的相信吗?我们对天主的信心是否足以令我们敢放手让耶稣走,如果这是我们的召叫?我们的信德和经历让我们明白,天主藉耶稣的生命、死亡和复活,给我们施展救恩。另一位护慰者 ── 天主圣神,要在耶稣升天之后,才降到人间,坚强我们,帮助我们实践信仰,天天背起自己的十字架追随耶稣。保禄和息拉肯定相信了。他们仰赖圣神的恩佑,虽身陷狱中,仍能唱歌祈祷,无惧地震大作或斐理伯人可能再施加的逼害。他俩虽被虐打,仍能因为说服狱警及他全家皈依而满心喜欢。当天主没依我们的计划行事,当情况不妙,甚或身陷险境,我们仍能信任天主吗?我们不知道狱警领保禄和息拉到自己家里,及他全家领了洗之后,有什么后果。保禄和息拉既是官长释放的,民间长老大概不会制造余波,但事件怎样了结,我们不得而知。狱警曾因为以为囚犯逃跑了,而想自杀。现在,他愿意为那另一位,那位名叫耶稣的主基督舍生吗?
亲爱的主耶稣,教我对祢的信仰,坚定不移,即使面对死亡,仍对祢不离不弃。
Romans 8:28 says: "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Do we really believe it? With hindsight and faith we can see that from the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, God wrought our salvation. Jesus' ascension made possible the sending of the Holy Spirit, another advocate, so we could be strengthened and enabled to live out our faith, to follow Jesus by picking up and carrying our crosses each and every day.
Certainly Paul and Silas believed. The Spirit was what empowered them to sing and pray while in jail and to not be afraid of the earthquake or whatever further punishment they might face from the people of Philippi. Even though severely beaten they rejoiced at the circumstances which led to the conversion of their jailer and his family.
We do not know what became of the jailer and his family after they had received Paul and Silas into their home and had been baptized. Since Paul and Silas were released by the town magistrates there were probably no repercussions from the civil authorities. As for the jailer, he panicked when he did not see the prisoners and he summarily concluded that they had escaped from the prison. Fear worked in him and he was at the point of taking his own life in despair. But this was not to be, for Paul shouted at the top of his voice, "Do not harm yourself for we are all here." (Acts 16:28).
O Lord, You stretch out Your hand to save me.
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