復活期第六主日﹝乙年﹞彌撒證道辭

伍棟樑神父

徐麗華譯

 這是一個醜陋的小秘密。儘管我們嘴裡說自己不需要別人的感謝，嘉許，和幫助，然而大部分的人是仰賴這些而生活的。一個電話，一句恭維的話，一封電子郵件，一份禮物，一個擁抱，我們需要從這些好聽的話語和肯定的動作，來向自己保證，至少有一些人，甚至是某一個人真的在意我們。如果我們聽不到或看不見這些，甚或得到的不夠多，我們就會覺得別人不知心存感激，自己不被重視，不受支持，更糟的是，得不到別人的愛。

在讀經二裡，我們聽到“天主是愛。”大家注意，它不是說“人是愛。”我們都具有一些去愛的能力，當然，這能力是來自天主，那愛的源頭。人是軟弱，愚昧和易犯罪的，人的愛，無論它有多深多真誠，它永遠都不可能是完美與絕對可靠的，而總是有缺憾的。

或許是我們太依賴人的愛；因為我們需要他們的稱讚與肯定。或許，我們應該牢記是天主的愛給了我們生命，並且滋養我們的有生之年，而不要窮其一生逕追求由人而來的愛。我們不該計較別人是否愛我，或許，我們應該牢記，無論當別人如何誤解我們，只有天主是永遠無條件的愛著我們。與其我們等待著別人來愛我們，或許，我們應該牢記天主早已將祂的大愛給了我們。

請參閱若望一書第四章七至十節

It's a dirty little secret. We might say that we don't need thanks, recognition, support from other people but I think most of us really do.  We need those words and gestures: a phone call, a compliment, an e-mail, a gift, a hug, some sign that somebody, anybody cares.  If we don't get those words and gestures, or if we don't get enough of them, we feel unappreciated, unnoticed, unsupported, and, worst of all, unloved.

In our second reading we hear that "love is of God."  Note that it does not say that "love is of people."  We all have some ability to love, of course, but that ability comes from God, who is love's origin.  Since human beings are weak and foolish and sinful, human love, no matter how deep or sincere, is always imperfect, unreliable, and insufficient.

Perhaps, then, we are too dependent on the love of people; we need their words and gestures too much.  Perhaps instead of spending our lives trying to get people to love us, it would be better for us to remember that God's love gave us life and sustains us in life.  Perhaps instead of worrying about whether or not people love us, it would be better for us to remember that God's love stays with us, regardless of how anyone else may feel about us.  Perhaps instead of waiting for people to love us, it would be better for us to remember that God's love is already ours.

6th Sun. Easter (B)  May 20-21, 2006   7, 8, 11

see 1 John 4:7-10

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