主日讀經反思　Sunday Scripture Meditation（18/07/2010）

本主日讀經︰
創世紀　18:1-10
聖詠　15[14]:2-3,4,5
哥羅森書　1:24-28
路加福音　10:38-42

默想︰

保祿在哥羅森書這片段，闡述了出色而尖銳的苦難神學。要明白保祿的教義，就不能誤解耶穌的苦難。耶穌所受的苦難沒有欠缺，已經足夠拯救全人類。

一位相當後期的作者，這樣簡明撮要地概括了保祿的神學：基督的苦楚，直到世界終窮是受不完的。在歷史上，耶穌的肉身經歷了苦難和死亡；復活的基督，不再受這種苦楚了。不過，復活了的基督，在祂的妙身教會內與我們結合。正如默西亞耶穌要經過苦難才能進入光榮，同樣，世上的教會也要經過苦難才能進入光榮。苦難是整個教會一起承受的苦難，也同時是每個基督徒個別承受的苦難。藉著信德，個人的苦難成為基督妙身苦難的一部分。所以，每個基督徒都可在自己的肉身上，「為基督的身體教會，補充基督的苦難所欠缺的」。

天父，求祢恩賜所有受苦的人深切明白他們受苦的奧秘，就是與拯救世人而受苦受死的基督結合。

【摘自和平七月號】


Readings (Year C) page 112:
Genesis 18: 1-10a
Psalm 15: 2-3, 3-4, 5 He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Colossians 1: 24-28
Luke 10: 38-42

Meditation

In this passage from the Letter to the Colossians, Paul teaches us a remarkable and penetrating theology of suffering. In order to understand Paul's doctrine, we must first of all avoid all misunderstanding concerning the nature of Jesus' suffering. That suffering was sufficient to save all of humankind: there was nothing lacking to Jesus' sufferings.

A memorable phrase by a much later writer succinctly encapsulates Paul's theology: Christ is in agony until the end of time. Historically, Jesus suffered his passion and death in his human body. As the Risen Christ, he no longer suffers in this way, but by his resurrection he is united with us in his mystical body, the Church. Just as Jesus, the Messiah, had to suffer and so enter into his glory, in the same way the Church on earth will suffer and so enter into glory. That suffering is both the corporate suffering of the whole Church and the personal suffering of each Christian. Through faith, personal suffering becomes part of the suffering of the mystical body of Christ. Thus, each individual Christian can "make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church."

Father in Heaven, grant to all those who suffer a deep understanding of their mystical union with Jesus who suffered and died for our salvation.