Archive for 5月, 2008
新版英文弥撒经书即将面世
进教之佑,为我等祈!
深爱中国教会、神父和修女的慈幼会神父 Gerry Battad在本堂圣母进教之佑瞻礼之日,邀请了十多位神父、执事及修女特别中国教会与受灾的人民献上祈祷。这些神父、修女在不同的地方深造、进修,来自不同的地方——广东、福建、陕西和浙江。
弥撒前,主任司铎Gerry Battad宣读了教宗本笃致全球主教及司铎为中国教会祈祷的文告。接着,他说我们每年五月二十四日应为中国教会祈祷,这是教宗钦定的,我们不应该忘记。出乎意料之外的是,中国的国旗也被安排在至圣所内,并附有每年五月二十四为中国教会祈祷的英文字符。
本教区的主教Jesse Mecardo 主持该弥撒,讲道中主教以其清晰的语调再次强调了为中国教会祈祷的必要,并在降福之前,全体诵念了由教宗本笃亲自撰写的为中国教会祈祷的佘山圣母祷文,参礼的神父修女无不感到欣慰与自豪。
此外,今天在中国城Sta.Cruz教堂也为中国和缅甸举行了隆重的祈祷。罗撒乐斯枢机亲自主持了弥撒。除了当地的教友外,参礼的还有中国的神父、修女、修士和教友以及缅甸的神父、修女、修士和教友。祈求仁慈的天父敞开天国的大门迎接亡者进入天乡,享受永远的福乐,祈望天主赐生者丰富的恩宠,对未来的生活满怀信心与希望。
圣母进教之佑
Mary Help of Christians is a Roman Catholic Marian feast day celebrated in May 24 of every year.
The Marian feast was celebrated by the order of Servites since the 17th century. Pope Pius VII extended the feast of the Seven Dolours of Mary to the universal Church on 18 September 1814. The veneration to Mary became popular under this title in Rome especially, where the feast was especially promulgated by Saint John Bosco and Saint Vincenzo Palotti (Remigius Bäumer et.al. Marienlexikon 1994, p.533).
圣母进教之佑是罗马天主教每年五月二十四举行的圣母的节日.自十七世纪以来, 该节日是由圣母会举行庆祝的节日.1814.9.18, 教宗庇护七世向普世教会扩展了圣母七苦节. 由于这样的头衔,在罗马圣母的敬礼很受欢迎,特别在圣鲍思高和圣文生诺巴洛帝的推动下.
澳门之行
我们一行借去香港之便,途经澳门,然后折回菲国。在澳门期间,我们参观了不少的古老的教堂建筑。当然少不了大三巴圣保禄教堂正门的遗址。遗憾的是,昔日雄伟壮丽的教堂,今日却是废墟一片,成了游客观光的景点。的确,具有几百年历史的教堂都是澳门的景点之一,若没有教堂,澳门便逊色很多。不幸的是,澳门教友并不多,听说只有两万多,年轻教会寥寥无几、寥若晨星!虽然如此,一年一度的五月十三的游行——纪念法蒂玛圣母显现,却留给我们深刻的印象。记得那天,下午五时,澳门教区的黎主教主持了弥撒。主教分别以广东语、葡萄牙语和英语向信友传达福音及节日的意义,此外,他以英语特别提到为缅甸、中国四川、中国教会和奥运祈祷,令在场的教友和非教友感动不已。弥撒之后,就是游行,来自不同国家的教友也加入这长达两个多小时的游行队伍,美妙的歌声不绝于耳,广播领念玫瑰经二十端等。游行队伍所到之处畅通无阻,路人无不伫足观望。最后,圣母被迎入另一座教堂并以隆重的圣体降福结束。信友也各自返回自己的住处。希望澳门教区在圣母玛利亚转祷下,更多的澳人能加入教会,认识耶稣基督,成为天主的子女。Per Mariam, ad Jesum。
香港之行
香港之行,获益良多。无论从社会精神文明的建设,还是教会;无论是交通还是社会的服务,均是中国社会与教会的楷模。
以人为本的社会
在港其间,我们一行参观了不少的医院。这些医院的共同之处是:设有牧灵部,不管是天主教的还是基督教的。其功能是提供必要的协助——心灵。其二了解到香港的医院是“病人至上”而不是金钱至上。医生不管病人是否有钱,他们的职责是看病。若病人没钱,他们同样可以得到医治,不会因为钱的原因而不到应有的治疗。病人也不必为钱而烦恼。若病人真的没有经济能力,政府会为他们支付。这与国内的情况相差悬殊。在国内病人要为自己的钱而烦恼,没有钱医院就停药、不给看病等。最后,医生的高尚情操也令国内的望尘莫及,他们从来不会收红包,否则将会受到法律的惩罚——判刑。国内可能就不一样,原则上医生不能收红包,然而实际上不用说医生,就连护士长听说也要“贿赂”呢!要不然……因此,这种现象使一些贫困的家庭雪上加霜。提倡精神文明建设的中国,何时能达到并实现这种高尚的情操,真正实现以人为本的社会呢?
突出神学意义的教堂建筑
我们也参观了一些具有代表性的现代圣堂。每个圣堂都有各自的神学意义,不同寻常。从祭台到洗礼池及花玻璃无不令人瞠目结舌。布置协调合理无不帮助人进入教会的奥迹。其中值得一提的是:教堂的建筑倾注了不少人的心血:建筑师、设计师—包括灯光的设计及礼仪等专家。不是某人想怎么盖就怎么盖,不是按某人的喜好,看看相片便一目了然。此外,洗礼池也是这些教堂的特色之一。每个教堂均设有有现代的洗礼池,各有各的不同,有的表达保禄圣洗圣事的神学(罗6:1-6),有的表达若望的神学以及古代神学的意义,如圆形——母亲孕育子女的胎(womb)。
这些特点正是我们国内建造圣堂时所缺乏的。不少的教友误以为圣堂一定要有高耸入云的钟楼塔顶,而忽略全面的构思与设计,忽略了更重要的神学意义,如祭台、读经台、主祭的位置、灯光等。苍南龙港无原罪堂便是明显失败的一例。没有更衣室,没有正规的告解室,更不能举行像样的礼仪,这是天大的笑话。这值得我们借鉴。盖圣堂不是为外在的华丽,而是帮助人举心向上,归向天主。
洗礼池是日后建圣堂必须要考虑的主题之一。洗礼池常常被喻为母亲的子宫,虽不文雅,但却是如此。洗礼池为教会带来新血液、新生命。若教堂没有洗礼池就好象一个不会生育的母亲或没有womb的母亲。至今,据本人所知,国内的教堂设有洗礼池的并不多见或根本没有。
请为他们祈祷
学英语,迎奥运
Introduction to saints
Philip was born in Bethsaida, Galilee. He may have been a disciple of John the Baptist and is mentioned as one of the Apostles in the lists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in Acts. Aside from the lists, he is mentioned only in John in the New Testament. He was called by Jesus Himself and brought Nathanael to Christ. Philip was present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes, when he engaged in a brief dialogue with the Lord, and was the Apostle approached by the Hellenistic Jews from Bethsaida to introduce them to Jesus. Just before the Passion, Jesus answered Philip’s query to show them the Father, but no further mention of Philip is made in the New Testament beyond his listing among the Apostles awaiting the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. According to tradition he preached in Greece and was crucified upside down at Hierapolis under Emperor Domitian. His feast day is May 3.
St. James the Lesser
Patron of Hatmmakers
St. James the Less, the author of the first Catholic Epistle, was the son of Alphaeus of Cleophas. His mother Mary was either a sister or a close relative of the Blessed Virgin, and for that reason, according to Jewish custom, he was sometimes called the brother of the Lord. The Apostle held a distinguished position in the early Christian community of Jerusalem. St. Paul tells us he was a witness of the Resurrection of Christ; he is also a "pillar" of the Church, whom St. Paul consulted about the Gospel.
According to tradition, he was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and was at the Council of Jerusalem about the year 50. The historians Eusebius and Hegesippus relayed that St. James was martyred for the Faith by the Jews in the Spring of the year 62, although they greatly esteemed his person and had given him the surname of "James the Just."
Tradition has always recognized him as the author of the Epistle that bears his name. Internal evidence based on the language, style, and teaching of the Epistle reveals its author as a Jew familiar with the Old Testament, and a Christian thoroughly grounded in the teachings of the Gospel. External evidence from the early Fathers and Councils of the Church confirmed its authenticity and canonicity.
The date of its writing cannot be determined exactly. According to some scholars it was written about the year 49 A.D. Others, however, claim it was written after St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (composed during the winter of 57-58 A.D.). It was probably written between the years 60 and 62 A.D.
St. James addresses himself to the "twelve tribes that are in the Dispersion," that is, to Christians outside Palestine; but nothing in the Epistle indicates that he is thinking only of Jewish Christians. St. James realizes full well the temptations and difficulties they encounter in the midst of paganism, and as a spiritual father, he endeavors to guide and direct them in the faith. Therefore, the burden of his discourse is an exhortation to practical Christian living.
Introduction to saints
In a constantly necessary effort to keep Jesus from being removed from ordinary human life, the Church has from the beginning proudly emphasized that Jesus was a carpenter, obviously trained by Joseph in both the satisfactions and the drudgery of that vocation. Humanity is like God not only in thinking and loving, but also in creating. Whether we make a table or a cathedral, we are called to bear fruit with our hands and mind, ultimately for the building up of the Body of Christ.
St. Athanasius
373
St. Athanasius, the great champion of the Faith was born at Alexandria, about the year 296, of Christian parents. Educated under the eye of Alexander, later Bishop of his native city, he made great progress in learning and virtue. In 313, Alexander succeeded Achillas in the Patriarchal See, and two years later St. Athanasius went to the desert to spend some time in retreat with St. Anthony.
In 319, he became a deacon, and even in this capacity he was called upon to take an active part against the rising heresy of Arius, an ambitious priest of the Alexandrian Church who denied the Divinity of Christ. This was to be the life struggle of St. Athanasius.
In 325, he assisted his Bishop at the Council of Nicaea, where his influence began to be felt. Five months later Alexander died. On his death bed he recommended St. Athanasius as his successor. In consequence of this, Athanasius was unanimously elected Patriarch in 326.
His refusal to tolerate the Arian heresy was the cause of many trials and persecutions for St. Athanasius. He spent seventeen of the forty-six years of his episcopate in exile. After a life of virtue and suffering, this intrepid champion of the Catholic Faith, the greatest man of his time, died in peace on May 2, 373. St. Athanasius was a Bishop and Doctor of the Church.