神父的話                

耶穌基督是君王

這個星期日是教會常年期裡的最後一個星期日， 敎會亦將之定為一年之結束。 這亦是為什麼教會會在這個時候慶祝基督君王節。 在末日和在審判的那一天， 耶穌基督就是那位迎接我們到衪父親的國的君王， 耶穌在十字架上， 最後以君王的身份權威地對那悔改的罪犯說 : 『 我實在的告訴你， 今天你就要與我一同在樂園裏。』 在第二篇讀經，聖保祿明明的告訴我們， 耶穌基督不再是那至高者的兒子。『 他是那看不見的天主的形象， 是第一個受造物， 所有的事物都是由祂而來， 為衪而造的。 』 耶穌基督是萬王之王。 

今天的讀經， 撒母耳告訴我們天主如何從一開始， 就沒有把視線離開過我們， 天主常常與我們同行， 關心我們， 保護我們免除一切的傷害。 即使當我們拒絕天主的指引和保護， 並把我們的信任放到地上的君王和領導手中， 天主仍然與我們同在， 從來沒有離棄過我們， 這正正是天主慈愛和憐憫的形象， 萬王之王， 當我們宣稱把完全的信服和自己的生命放到耶穌基督的手中，那是準不會錯的。 

耶穌最後對那懸掛在十架上的罪犯所說的話， 給我們很大的安慰和莫大的喜樂。 即使這個剛犯了罪的犯人也能被應允得到天堂那永恆旳生命 ! 反之地上的國王， 卻要求我們做很多的事， 才給我們保護， 而那保護更不是永恆的。 君王耶穌就只要求我們信任祂， 那麼衪就會賜給我們自由和永恆的生命。 

聖言會阮德賢神父

Jesus Christ the King

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the Church Liturgical Year, and the Church correlates and implies it to the end of time. This is the reason why the Church celebrates it as Jesus Christ the King's Sunday. At the end of time and on the judgment day, Jesus Christ is King who will welcome us into his Father Kingdom. It is so appropriate that on the Cross, Jesus said the last authoritative words, as a King, to a repentant criminal, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." In the second reading, St. Paul has explicitly informed us that Jesus Christ is no other than the Son of the Most High, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…. All things were created through him and for him." Jesus Christ is King of all kings.

The words of Samuel from today's first reading also convey to us how God from the beginning of time has never taken his eyes away from us. It is God who has always walked beside, care for, and protect us from all harms. Even when we have rejected God's guidance and protection and put our trust into human kings and leaderships, God is still there and never abandoning us. This is truly an image of a compassionate and merciful God; King of all kings. We can not go wrong when we declare our complete loyalty and putting our lives onto the hands of Jesus Christ.

The last words of Jesus to the criminal who was hanging on the side gives us much comfort and great hope. Even this criminal who had been condemned justly for his crimes was promised an eternal life in Paradise. The kings of this world demand so much from us for their protection and yet it never lasts. However, Jesus Christ the King only asks of us to put our trust in him and he will give us freedom and everlasting life.

Rev. Nick Hien Nguyen, SVD