神父的話                              

                           天主的眷顧

　　難以相信有些人會以報章的星座運程作為每日行事的指標。有人相信太陽、月亮和各星群的運行位置能影響或預測人的成功或失敗、健康或病危、快樂又或是悲傷，這個想法是絶對荒唐的。而另一種同樣無稽的想法是：某些日子會讓人特別容易成功，只因這些日子包含了一些幸運號碼。不同時代以至不同文化背景的人，都有近似這類迷信的事﹔最奇怪的是有些基督徒也能被這些事情欺矇 ！  抓住一些迷信，想要控制那些我們無法控制或是不可預測的未來事物，是毫無幫助的。身為基督徒，這無疑是一種極大的不忠和嚴重地對天主的眷顧缺乏信心的行為。 歸根究柢， 若不是天主， 還有誰能創造天空中各個星宿和一星期中的每一天？在今天略長的福音章節中，耶穌叫衪的門徒要信任天主適時的眷顧 ( 路12 : 13-34 )， 耶穌告誡他們：真正的平安並不能從更多的金錢或資產中獲得，世界上所有的金錢財富都不能買到快樂，而我們所擁有的資產更不代表我們在天主眼中的價值﹔天主是不能被賄賂的。假如我們的年日和辛勞的成果都只是為了積存更多的金錢和資產，我們的心最後只會遠離天主而去。因而，耶穌勸告門徒 : 「為你們自己備下經久不朽的錢囊，在天上備下取用不盡的寶藏；那裏盜賊不能走近，蠹蟲也不能損壞，因為你們的寶藏在那裏，你們的心也必在那裏。」 ( 路 12 : 33-34 )我們不知道明日將如何，但作為基督徒，靠著對天主眷顧的信心，給了我們力量與安寧，我們深信一切都會安然無恙！「信德是所希望之事的擔保，是未見之事的確證。」( 希 11: 1 )

聖言會蘇峙高神父

GOD'S PROVIDENCE

It is strange that some people plan their days according to newspaper horoscopes. The idea that positions of the sun and the moon, the planets and stars can somehow influence or predict someone's success or failure, health or illness, happiness or tragedy is utter nonsense. Equally nonsensical is the idea that certain days are more prosperous than others because they happen to contain lucky numbers in their dates. Peoples of all times and cultures have held similar beliefs and superstitions. Strangest of all is that Christian men and women can be so deceived!

Clinging to such superstitions is a futile attempt to control what we cannot control and predict a future that we cannot know. For the Christian, however, such beliefs are ultimately a profound expression of faithlessness and serious lack of trust in God's providence. After all, who is the One who created the stars of the sky and the days of the week if not God himself?

Today's Gospel reading is part of a longer section in which Jesus calls his disciples to trust in the Father's providential care (Luke 12: 13-34). Jesus warns that real security cannot be found in the pursuit of ever more money and possessions. All the money in the world cannot buy happiness and possessions are not the measure of our value in God's eyes. God cannot be bribed. If all our days and efforts are directed toward accumulation of money and possessions, our hearts cannot help but be led away from God. Rather, Jesus urges his disciples: "provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be" (Luke 12: 33-34).

We do not know what tomorrow may bring, but our faith in God's providence as Christian men and women gives us strength and serenity to trust that all will be well: "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11: 1).

Rev. John A. Szukalski, SVD