身教          伍棟樑神父        徐麗華譯

故教宗若望保祿二世在他為期二十七年的任內，曾下過十四道通諭─為教會中各種事務所寫的正式信函。請問在座的有那一位可以記得通諭中的任何一行文字？我記不得。但是，有誰能夠忘記，當教宗的生命快走到盡頭時的那一幕幕景象：一位又老又病的人，走路與說話都是那麼的費勁，但是卻依然繼續努力的帶領他的教會。若望保祿是一位偉大的老師，他知道身教為教之先。教宗教我們的最後一課是病痛和老邁的尊嚴與價值，以及盡忠職守的重要。

在他的有生之年，若望保祿二世一直在效法著耶穌，而耶穌最清楚身教的重要。對，就如福音所說，“遂開口教訓他們許多事。”然而，在那一天那麼多的事情當中，最重要的就是將別人放在自己之先。祂教我們這一門功課時，祂花了很多時間，對“一大夥群眾”施教，即便是祂和宗徒們很明顯的都累了，想要離開人群去休息一下。

如果我們想教孩子們什麼是信德，不論他們是年幼的孩子才剛開始接觸天主，或是已經長大，同時決定了這不是他們所要的教會，最好的方法來教育他們是經由我們自己所活出對天主的信德─率真的，虔敬的和充滿喜樂的。如果我們想教朋友們什麼是純真的友誼，最好的方法就是做他們真正的朋友，隨時側耳傾聽他們的心聲，伸手掺扶，以防他們跌倒，堅守著他們，不離又不棄。如果我們想教員工們完善的公共關係，最好的方法是自己與人，包括和他們相處時，是親切，誠實又公正的。如果我們必需要教這個世界什麼是和平，最好的方法就是從我們自己做起，先尊重別人的不同，不要用武力或是謾罵來解決衝突，而且要能原諒我們的敵人。

我們做耶穌，那萬人之師的跟隨者，因此我們都有施教的責任。那麼，讓我們用心領會耶穌的教育方式。那就是身教勝於言教。

常年期﹝乙年﹞第16主日彌撒證道辭，7月22─23日，2006年 請參閱瑪爾谷福音第6章30至34節

The late Pope John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals--official letters to the Church on various subjects--over the course of his 27 years as pope.  But can anyone here remember a line from any of those encyclicals?  I know I can't.  And yet how many of us can forget those scenes of the pope as his life was coming to an end: a man old and sick, struggling to walk and talk, but still carrying on, doing his best to lead the Church.  John Paul was a great teacher, and that's why he knew that the best way to teach was by his own example.  The pope's final lessons for us were about the dignity and value of the sick and elderly and the importance of faithfulness to the end.

John Paul II, of course, was in his life only imitating Jesus, who also knew that the best way to teach was by example.  Yes, as our gospel says, "he began to teach them many things."  But the first of those many things that day was the necessity of putting others first.  He taught that lesson by taking the time to speak to the "vast crowd" even when he and the apostles clearly wanted to get away for a break.

If there are children we want to teach about faith, whether they are young and just learning about God or grown and have already decided that church is not for them, the best way to teach them is by the faith we express--with openness, devotion, and joy.  If there are friends we'd like to teach about true friendship, the best way to teach them is by being a true friend to them, lending an ear or a hand, sticking with them through thick and thin.  If there are employees we want to teach about good relations with the public, the best way to teach them is by being kind, honest, and fair with all the people with whom we deal, including them.  If there is a world we must teach about peace, the best way to teach it is by respecting those who are different, resolving our conflicts without physical or verbal violence, and forgiving our enemies.

As followers of Christ the Teacher, we all have a responsibility to teach.  But let's learn from Jesus' own method.  Example works better than words.

16th O.T. (B)  July 22-23, 2006  5 & 8  see Mark 6:30-34

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