主日讀經反思　Sunday Scripture Meditation　(10/10/2010)

本主日讀經︰
列王紀下　5:14-17
聖詠　98[97]:1,2-3,3-4
弟茂德後書　2:8-13
路加福音　17:11-19

默想︰

感謝聖洗天恩

教父們多以納阿曼在約但河浸洗而得治癒為聖洗聖事的預像。洗淨後，他的肌肉猶如嬰孩。同樣地，我們信徒以聖洗來恢復靈魂的潔淨，回歸到原祖被造時的純潔。

耶穌以聖言治癒十個痲瘋病人，也是一個來自天上的潔淨。撒瑪黎雅病人對這天賜的潔淨有正面的回應：他認識到恩賜潔淨的天主，因而感恩讚美。他更認識到眼前人、耶穌的天主性，遂跪伏在祂的足前──給我們啟示了當怎樣回應天主施予的恩典。同樣地，納阿曼對潔淨的回應，也是在給我們啟示。他決心朝拜潔淨他的天主為唯一主宰。聖保祿宗徒的生命亦是得到基督的顯現而完全改變了的，他的回應是與基督同生同死的忠信。

我們信徒都是得聖洗的恩賜而變，變成為基督徒！我們都是經水洗而得新生的納阿曼，都是蒙恩得潔淨的痲瘋病人，都是被基督改變的保祿宗徒，都是得到天主祢慈恩的人，都是得見祢聖子基督奇事的人！為此，我們歡欣讚頌天主祢給予我們的奇妙救恩，我們更願以信心來熱烈回應祢給予的聖洗大恩。求天主祢悅納我們的信心回應，一如祢聖子耶穌曾經接受撒瑪黎雅人的謝忱。



【摘自和平十月號】

Readings (Year C) page 22:
2 Kings 5: 14-17
Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4 The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
2 Timothy 2: 8-13
Luke 17: 11-19

Meditation

Giving thanks is an essential Christian attitude because it acknowledges the fact that all we have is a gift from God. When we come to pray and worship we do not give to God – we just give back to God a little of the time God has given us and just be present in thankfulness before him for the wonders of creation.

As always in scripture it is the outsider who becomes a model of gratitude and faith – just like Naaman the Syrian. As the ten lepers left Jesus’ presence, perhaps disappointed that they didn’t get an immediate response to their request but rather a long-winded route to a cure – they became aware of a transformation taking place in their hitherto disfigured bodies. Only the foreigner among them fully recognized where his healing had originated from and he returned to say “thank-you”.

Gratitude is the discovery of the Giver. We often seek miraculous favours. Ten experienced healing – only one experienced salvation. What is of utmost importance is that we are able to “see” God at work in our life and realize God’s salvation has no boundaries. We can miss the “kairos” – grace-filled moment, the “gift-filled now” if we do not have the readiness to “see”.

Grant Lord that we may see.

Shalom – Thoughts for Prayer