进堂咏
上主,求你倾听我的言语,求你细听我的悲叹!我的君王,我的天主,请听我祈祷的声音。(咏5:2-3)
集祷经
天主,求你恩赐我们时常思慕真理,和勇于履行正道;我们知道离开了你,便不能生存,求你助佑我们常能按照你的旨意生活。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(上主,除你以外,我没有别的依靠。)
恭读艾斯德尔传4补丙:10-12,17-19
艾斯德尔王后,自觉有死的威胁,于是投奔到上主前;脱去华服,穿上悲伤哀悼的衣裳,头上撒上灰尘和粪土,以代替贵重的香膏,严厉刻苦肉身,头发散垂,毫无装饰,向上主以色列的天主祈祷说:“我的上主!只有你是我们的君王,求你援助我这孤苦无靠的人!除你以外,我没有别的救援,因为危险已迫于眉睫。我自幼在我父家,就听说是你,上主,从各民族中拣选了以色列;又从各民族的祖先中拣选了我们的祖先,作你永远的产业:凡你所预许的,无不一一给他们实践。
“上主!求你记念我们,在这灾难之时,求你显现!神明的君王,全能的主宰,求增我勇气!赐我在猛狮前,口能说动听的话;求你转变他的心意,去憎恨我们的仇人,使那人和与他同谋的人,同归于尽。惟愿你亲手拯救我们!上主!求你援助我这孤苦无告的人,除你以外,我没有别的依靠。”
--上主的话。
答唱咏 咏138:1-2,2-3,7-8
【答】:上主,我几时呼求你,你就俯允我。
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,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:主耶稣,我们赞美光荣你。
众:主耶稣,我们赞美光荣你。
领:天主,求你给我再造一颗纯洁的心,使我重获你救恩的喜乐。
众:主耶稣,我们赞美光荣你。
福音(凡求的,就必得到。)
恭读圣玛窦福音 7:7-12
那时候,耶稣向门徒说:“你们求,必要给你们;你们找,必要找着;你们敲,必要给你们开。因为凡是求的,就必得到;找的,就必找到;敲的,就必给他开。或者,你们中间有那个人,儿子向他求饼,反而给他石头呢?或者求鱼,反而给他蛇呢?你们纵然不善,尚且知道把好的东西给你们的儿女,何况你们在天之父,岂不更将好的赐与求他的人?
“所以,凡你们愿意人给你们做的,你们也要照样给人做:法律和先知即在于此。”
--上主的话。
献礼经
上主,求你俯听我们的哀祷,并接受你子民的奉献,使我们能全心归向你。因主耶稣基督之名,求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。
领主咏
凡是求的,就必得到;找的,就必找到;敲的,就必给他开。(玛7:8)
领圣体后经
上主,我们的天主,你既恩赐圣体圣事作为我们得救的保证,求你使这圣事成为我们现世的良药,助佑我们得到永生。因主耶稣基督之名,求你俯听我们的祈祷。亚孟。
“你们求,必要给你们;你们找,必要找着;你们敲,必要给你们开,因为凡是求的,就必得到;找的,就必找到;敲的,就必给他开”,耶稣藉此告诉我们,这是理所当然的,是毋须解释的。看,这句话的后半部:“因为……”,旨在重复前述的,只为表达这个道理的必然性。意思是:为父的,哪有儿女有求时,不予答允呢?我们在天之父,更是如此。
其次,耶稣来是为宣讲天国福音,所以,我们应以天国的幅度去了解这句话,亦即当我们求问天国的恩宠时,无论我们求什么,必然得到,一如耶稣所论及的。
但最后,耶稣加上一句:“所以,凡你们愿意人给你们做的,你们也要照样给人做”;意即当我们希望天父施予给我们一切所需时,我们同样也要给别人施予!
原来,这种生活态度,是天国的一个定律:“法律和先知即在于此”,也就是“爱人如己”。无怪乎,耶稣在别的环节,也出现同一语调:当我们求盼天父宽恕我们时,我们同时也要宽恕别人,当我们否定别人的妄断时,我们也不要妄断别人……。
Nowhere in Jesus' teaching on prayer does He place any conditions for prayer to succeed. On the contrary, His very positive framing of the words in His teaching tells us that prayer never fails. It is "always" responded to "Ask and it will be given to you ...the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him." (Mt. 7:7-8).
The prayer Esther offered has some of the best characteristics of a prayer. Her prayer was said in a time of desperation, for her life was at stake, Firstly, she acknowledged God's supremacy over all in her address to Him. Secondly, she was honest with God - she opened to Him the formidable situation she was in. She could have been killed for even daring to approach the King. She was absolutely alone. The survival of the whole Jewish people whom God had chosen to be His own depended on her. In reminding Him of His special relationship to her people, she was humble, admitting that by herself alone, she was helpless and afraid, hence her prayer for courage in facing the danger she was putting herself in.
Analysing Esther's prayer, we learn from it what Jesus taught His disciples. Esther trusted in God's unconditional love for His people, the love that Jesus spoke of when He compared God favourably to a loving father who would never refuse a sincere prayer, and with no conditions attached.
Lord, You put no conditions to our prayer, so let us trust you completely and honestly when we pray. Amen.
主耶稣,愿我们都能接受祢的教导,实践祢的话,俾堪当称为天主的子女,天国的子民。
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