有榮自然光

是什麼樣的天主,會這麼樣地彰顯祂的榮光?是怎麼樣的人,才會辨認出哪一顆是異星?

在地球還未有受到光污染的角落,舉目晚空,猶如置身宇宙太空的邊緣。繁星滿天,既似近又像遠,讓人更容易踏實於渺小,謙卑於存在之中。如果靈魂因而得以觸動接通,受感召且激發壯志,不妨動身起程,離開安逸地帶,冒險踏上荒野路,訪尋神明主宰;若然找着,便得到生命之滿全和超越。可是萬千星光之中,哪顆才是異星,好讓自己清楚地跟隨它的導航前往?

須知辨認基於了解。不對祂有所認識,又怎知祂的作風,從而作出辨認?來自屬於天主的光必定是榮光,然而什麼個性就怎樣顯露光榮。天主彰顯祂的光榮,本是不費吹灰之力的事。祂一舉手一投足,就是優雅美善,就是滿備恩寵。俗語謂:「有麝自然香,不必迎風揚。」同樣,真材實料的天主,亦是有榮自然光,不用講排場。祂從不招搖,亦不造勢。天主的光輝不靠堆砌,不在炫耀;卻在隱若柔和中撥動心弦,觸發善念。

「光」是讓真理照明,「榮」是彰顯真理應得的耀亮。因此,光榮不等如威風霸氣,也沒有與驕橫掛勾,無須用手段達成。天主的光榮顯露於祂有能與受造物一起同在,更兼與人一起受苦而不沮喪,不覺失威,不反臉翻桌,不推倒重來,不記仇算賬。此刻,在白冷郊外的馬糟裡,在牧羊人與賢士們的眼前,這份光榮便顯露在一個小嬰孩身上,猶如星光般吸引,閃爍明亮。

這樣的天主,有否使人感到失望?我們有否想過改變祂,以迎合自己的期望?光榮不就要熱鬧和鋪張嗎?只是人往往仍然誤解天主,在追捧祂的光榮時,又實在是攪自己事業,弄自己野心。為有些人來說,天主的光榮就是彰顯在自己的豐功偉績、及天主對自己的有求必應或趨吉避凶上。

這種停留在舊約時代的觀念,以有神助之名來殲滅仇敵、排除異己,甚至狐假虎威,並高聲宣揚此乃上主聖意之記號,就像說天主只是單純地站在自己這邊陣營,對抗威脅而得勝。更甚者無論大小事情,都渲染著一種「霸道的合一」之中,是你合於我,否則我以信主之名審裁並剷除你。我們有多少次達成自己所欲之後,口頭說「願光榮歸於主」的同時,心裏的台詞還有「亦歸於我,多得有我」呢?

可是你我一生中經驗到的天主,都較為喜歡於世事上默默地穿針引線,而果實就是彰顯祂光榮的憑證。我們往往見到的是成果,卻感到詫異。人物和時間、地點及處境,無聲無色中巧妙地串連與縫合起來,其間在表面上可謂了無痕跡可言。因為天主的光芒是這麼清澈透明,柔和地滲遍世間而非使人目眩昏盲。

難怪聖依肋內(St. Irenaeus)說:「活人是天主的光榮。」只要我們活好生命的每一刻,讓天主聖善的榮光照射進靈魂深處,在我們身上運作,並在生活中散發出來,這才是依撒意亞先知書中,「耶路撒冷啊!起來炫耀罷!因你的光明已經來到,上主的榮耀已經照耀在你身上。」(依60:1)為現實生活的意思。

能夠如三位東方賢士般,有智慧辨認出異星,同時找到來白冷小鎮,朝拜默觀裹在襁褓的耶穌聖嬰,是多麼令人羨慕的事。他們獻上的黃金,並非取自貪腐與敗壞。他們獻上的乳香,也非摻雜庸脂俗粉。他們準備的歿藥,更不是出於悲觀的命運主義。除卻每份禮物所象徵之神學意義,即尊崇降生成人聖子耶穌之王權、神聖,並預示祂的死亡以外,整個來朝的旅程,都是賢士們誠心誠意地,獻上一生所有給所愛的至聖者。他們不但奉獻了長途跋涉的辛勞,也奉獻上追尋過程之恆心與忍耐 。

除此之外,三位賢士還獻上了他們邀功及逞英雄的機會,否則他們本可以報告黑落德王,甚或宣之於世,認是他們找到了默西亞的。如果這樣,他們便可能為了留名,反而成了千古罪人。相反地,他們既謙虛又明智,對為政者保持適當的尊重,不畏君子風度之接觸,沒有與黑落德王作無謂的正面衝突;當然他們也非愚笨,樂於受其利用,達其政治目的。他們朝拜聖嬰後,取道回去,保持著自己的立場、自由和安全;更以慎重及低調處理,不在乎贏得聲勢,卻達成最重要任務,獻上了對聖嬰一家的保護。三位賢士的穩重成熟方式,是否值得現今基督徒參與社會事務時參考?

「在地上看到了天,在天上看到了地:人在天主內,天主在人內,整個天地無法容納的那一位,卻被關在一個弱小的身體裏。」天主救贖功程的光華,隨著耶穌的降生,聚焦於祂身上,在福音時期逐漸展放。金言聖伯鐸主教(St. Peter Chrysologus)除了對天主在聖誕所彰顯的光榮,作出上述絕妙的形容外,這位教會聖師並把三王來朝、耶穌受洗及加納婚宴三件奧蹟合併,列為「主顯三部曲」。(參閲主顯節後星期一《誦讀日課》之誦讀二)聖三的光榮在耶穌公開生活之始,已更見顯耀。耶穌把受洗的水祝聖,聖父與聖神親自作出有形的見證。祂並且以水化酒、以酒成血,慶祝天人婚宴中之愛情。

愛與真理的光華,在耶稣公開生活那些年,如日中天。直至璀璨的聖三光榮照射在十字架上,活人犯罪,日月失光;但是榮光不盡的天主,仍會重新擦出燭光般的星火,再度使之復明。

李達修

2017 主顯節

My First Blog Post

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.