Princess Caroline

聖瑪竇福音 5:38-42 

耶穌對他的門徒說：「你們一向聽說過：『以眼還眼，以牙還牙。』我卻對你們說：不要抵抗惡人；而且，若有人掌擊你的右頰，你把另一面也轉給他。那與你爭訟，拿你內衣的，你連外衣也給他。若有人強迫你走一千步，你就同他走兩千步。」求你的，就給他；向你借貸的，你不要拒絕。」

聖保祿宗徒致格林多人後書6:1-10

弟兄們：我們與天主合作的人，也勸你們不要白受天主的恩寵，因為經上說：「在悅納的時候，我俯允了你；在救恩的時日，我幫助了你。」看！如今正是悅納的時候；看！如今正是救恩的時日。我們在任何事上，為避免這使人與天主和好的職務受詆毀，不但沒有給任何人跌倒的因由，反而處處表現我們自己，有如天主的僕役，就是以持久的堅忍，在艱難、貧乏、困苦之中，在拷打、監禁、暴亂之中，在勞苦、不寢、不食之中，以清廉、以明智、以容忍、以慈惠、以聖神、以無偽的愛情、以真理的言辭、以天主的德能、以左右兩手中正義的武器，經歷光榮和凌辱，惡名和美名；像是迷惑人的，卻是真誠的；像是人所不知的，卻是人所共知的；像是待死的，看！我們卻活著；像是受懲罰的，卻沒有被置於死地；像是憂苦的，卻常常喜樂；像是貧困的，卻使許多人富足；像是一無所有的，卻無所不有。

今天福音與讀經真的給了人好大好大的挑戰，我想這條誡命一定嚇跑了許多的信友，今天的教導跟上星期一的真福八端相呼應，身為基督徒所要承受的真的很不同。上星期的感恩祭中利神父特別指出神貧的另一種表現，就是成為反對的記號(a sign of contradictory)，在情感上承受孤獨、不被了解、被反對。今天耶穌更要我們打不還手、罵不還手，還要把臉湊過去！聽起來真是太不明智了，費神父在證道時提醒這種精神不是任其為所欲為，反倒是一種接受挑戰的心態，去接受那些自己不愛、不願意的，好讓自己像基督一樣成全。

我想我理智上可以了解，但我的心思意念很難接受，我的行動更是遠遠地落後。

今天在工作上得知一個夥伴可能未來不會跟我們在一起了，想起來很不開心，因為沒有商量、沒有告知，當然我們是最底層的，也是因為我們最沒有本事，在現實生活中是弱勢，在屬靈中也要忍耐示弱，我想我現在有點想不通、有點任性。我需要天主的引導，更要有安慰。仁慈的母親瑪利亞請為我祈禱。

我們該表現自己，有如天主的僕役。……這是讀經一的註解

Reading 1
2 Cor 6:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:

In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Gospel
Mt 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."