神父的話
尊重生命
今天的福音提到,有一位僕人,他在田野間辛勞地工作了一整天,當他回到房子裡的時候,主人便立刻要求他預備飯菜。在辛勞工作和服侍主人用膳以後,僕人還要歡喜樂意地說自己是無用的僕人,而他只不過做了他應做的事 (路 17: 5-10) 。在你繼續詳閱這段經文以前,你能否想到生命中有那些人,跟福音書中提到的這位僕人是非常相似的呢 ?
這星期教會慶祝尊重生命週。我們都是被天主召叫和奉命去尊重生命的(申 30:19),因此我們亦需要記念那位給予我們生命的人:我們的父母。父母 – 無論是在世的還是已離世的,從來就像那位在田野間辛勞工作,回家以後還要為我們預備飯菜的那位僕人。誰會不同意今天福音裡的那位僕人,其實就是我們的父母?
為人子女,我們又可以做什麼來回報父母給予我們生命、照顧、愛心和他們為我們所作出的種種犧牲呢? 話說回來,其實做什麼都不能完全補償這一切。在我們正要慶祝尊重生命週,就讓我們不要忘記對父母獻上感謝和為他們禱告。而為了回應那從父母而來的生命,現在,尊重每一個人類的生命便成了我們的義務。當我們尊重,並同時為保護人類生命而努力時,我們離回饋父母給予我們生命, 相距不遠了
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聖言會阮德賢神父 |
Respecting Life
Today's Gospel is about a servant who worked so hard and all day in the field, and after he got back to the house, his master immediately demanded him to serve at table. After working and serving, the servant still has to content that he is an unprofitable servant, and he has done what he is obliged to do. (Lk. 17:5-10) Before you go any further into this short article, can you think of some one in your life who is similar to the servant in today's Gospel?
This week the church celebrates Respecting Life Week. We are called and commanded by God to respect life (Deut. 30:19), therefore, we also need to remember the ones who give us life: our parents. Our parents, whether still living or deceased, have been the servants who worked laboriously out in the fields, and after coming home still have to wait on us at table. Which one of us would disagree that the servant in today's Gospel are not our parents?
As children, what can we offer in return to our parents for the life, the service, the love and the sacrifice they have given us? Ultimately, nothing. As we celebrating Respecting Life week, let us not forget to give thanks to and pray for our parents. In reciprocating for the lives we have received from our parents, it has now become our duty to respect and to protect every human life. When we respect and work to protect human life, it can come very close in paying tribute to our parents for giving us life.
Rev. Nick Hien Nguyen, SVD |