常年期第二十二主日彌撒講道辭謙遜的真義

伍棟樑神父徐麗華譯

中國人對讚賞常有的回應是“那裡，那裡”，英文的直譯就是“在什麼地方，在什麼地方。”大多數的人都不是很自然地可以接受別人的稱讚。我們從小就被訓練認為別人對自己能力，技巧，或是成就的稱讚是在高抬自己，而耶穌基督也是要我們謙下。於是我們掩飾了自己的才能，忽視別人的讚賞，將它們都歸於這些只是別人慷慨善意的恭維罷了。

當然也有人是當仁不讓，認為自己是做了了不起的事而得到別人的稱讚。他們認為那些隨著成功而來的─贏得的賞報，賺取的財富，高等教育的榮銜，把握的權勢─完全歸功於自己，於是十分信服地認為自己在別人的眼中是值得身居顯位。他們不僅希望如此，更認為那是理所當然的。

事實上認清自己有能力，和保持謙卑的態度是不衝突的。當然我們得認清自己的這些能力是天賦的禮物，明瞭我們生命中所有美好事物，包括我們的處世能力，辦事技巧，和一生成就，都是來自於天主的。甚至於對那表面看來是因為自己的勤奮工作和犧牲奉獻而換得的成功，我們也必需要省察一下那能夠讓我們勤奮工作和犧牲奉獻的主因何在。

那麼，別人的讚賞是在提醒我們又從天主那兒收到了一些禮物。我們應保持謙遜，並時時牢記所有的誇讚都是天主賞賜給我們的禮物。

常年期第二十二主日﹝丙年﹞二零零七年九月二日

請參閱路加福音第十四章一， 七至十四節

The Homily of the 22^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Fr. Kimm

            Speakers of Mandarin Chinese commonly respond to a compliment with the words "Nali, nali" which literally mean, "Where, where."  For many of us, it's hard to take a compliment.  We've been trained to think that to accept praise for abilities, skills, or accomplishments is to exalt ourselves, to take a higher place when Jesus wants us to take one that's lower.  And so we downplay our gifts, dismissing the praise of others as mere flattery or the kind words of those who are much too generous.

            Certainly there are those who do exalt themselves, thinking that they have somehow earned the praise of others.  They have come to believe that they alone are responsible for their success--the awards they have won, the fortunes they have amassed, the level of education they have achieved, the position of authority they have reached--and they are convinced that they are therefore worthy of a place of honor in people's eyes.  They expect it, even demand it.

            But it is possible to recognize our gifts and to humble ourselves at the same time.  We do that when we recognize our gifts as gifts, when we acknowledge that all good things in our lives, including our abilities, skills, and accomplishments, come from God.  Even when our success appears to come from our own hard work and sacrifice, we must consider who enabled us to work hard and to endure the sacrifice.

            People's praise, then, can simply be a reminder of something we have received from God.  We are humble as long as we remember that that for which we are receiving praise is something we have received.

22nd Sun. O.T. (C) Sept. 2, 2007 

see Luke 14:1, 7-14