主日讀經反思 Sunday Scripture Meditation (20/11/2011)

本主日讀經︰
厄則克耳先知書　34:11-12,15-17聖詠　23[22]:1-2,2-3,5-6
格林多前書　15:20-26,28
瑪竇福音　25:31-46

默想︰

君王的照顧

基督普世君王節的答唱詠，選自聖詠第二十三首。這是達味對天主牧者的親身經驗。我要加入達味的讚頌行列，天主是會照顧人肉身和心靈需要的君王，祂是遠遠超越我們智慧的君王。在我自己還未明白自己的需要前，祂已經憑著祂的遠見幫我預備未來的需要。所以祂為我工作時，我根本無法知道祂作為的巧妙。但在祂的作為開花結果時，在我享受了祂的照顧後，我憑著我內的聖神智慧，有機會明白天主的智慧。因著感恩而讚頌祂的智慧，因著明悟而讚歎祂高瞻遠矚的大能。藉著經驗，我知道祂在過去，在我還未明白時，已經為我工作。祂的預早工作，成了對我現在的照顧。我因此也可以推論，祂現在也在我不明白中工作，為的是準備我將來的需要，因為領導我的君王是我們慈愛的天父。為此，我不用擔心命途，不用埋怨命運，我只需要有信德地順命，一如聖詠第二十三首的小羊。我的將來在君王手中，憑著過去的經驗，我可以依賴祂將要給我擺設的筵席，更指望住在祂的殿裏，直至悠遠的時日。

【摘自和平十一月號】


Readings (Year A) page 82:
Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17
Psalm 23: 1-2, 2-3, 5-6
Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28
Matthew 25: 31-46

The readings of today relate to the end of the world and God's final judgement. For most of us our ending remains remote from our thoughts, and the ending of the whole world someting even more remote and maybe mixed up with science fiction. It is one of God's great mercies that we cannot actually know, see or imagine even what may happen tomorrow, not to mention the world's end or our own.
Yet we should think and pray about these things, not in fear or anxiety, or to escape from present realities, but in appreciation of God's plans and desires for us. His glory is the purpose of our lives, our destiny is to become fully alive in Him. For He is love and life, and full life and the law of love are the criteria of His judgements. It's how we live now that is the test, and how we interact with the risen Christ around us. Today's scriptures give us, in turn, a vision, an image, a reassurance and an agendum concerning the end things. Ezekiel's vision of the great gathering together of all humankind that we are waiting for; the beautiful image in Ps. 22 of the Lord as a caring shepherd; St Paul's reassurance that in Christ even death has been destroyed; and Jesus' parable of the shepherd-king distinguishing between those who belong with Him and those who don't. Christ is universal King of a world and people transformed through love, God's love and ours for Him and for each other.