天主聖三節
聖三各異而共融,萬象分殊而歸一
讀經一:(箴8:22-31):天主的智慧存於一切之先
讀經二:(羅5:1-5):藉基督與天主和好,賴聖神滿有聖愛
福 音:(若16:12-15):父所有的一切都是子的
中國文化:兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳,一行白鷺上青天;窗含西嶺千秋雪,門泊東吳萬里船。非唯我愛竹石,即竹石亦愛我也。
所有的一切,都是我的,所以我說:他(聖神)要把從我所領受的,告訴你們。(若16:15)
今天是天主聖三節,在談論聖三道理之前,讓我們簡略地回顧一下我們的信仰。
首先,在相信神與不相信神之間,我們選擇了「信神」,而不作「無神論者」。其次,在相信多神與相信一神之間,我們選擇了相信「一神」,而不相信佛教、道教或中國的民間宗教。然後,在相信基督所宣講的一神與其它的一神之間,我們選擇了以基督的啟示為核心的「一神」,而不相信伊斯蘭教的或猶太教的「一神」。最後,在同樣相信基督的啟示的宗教間,我們選擇了信天主教,而不信基督新教。
我個人選擇了相信天主教,很主要的一個原因,是因為天主教自梵二以後,已確立了一種很開放、很有包容性、很整全、很全面、很平衡的信仰觀,它既能符合中國文化中的中庸之道,也能很有機地把信仰和生活結合起來。在講天主聖三道理時,這種結合尤其顯得突出。
天主聖三是教會所信的一項最基本的真理,我們相信世間只有一位至上神,他就是三位一體的天主。這個天主包含有三位:即聖父、聖子、聖神。我們每次「因父及子、及聖神之名」劃十字聖號,或唸「願光榮歸於父、及子、及聖神」這首聖三光榮經時,就是在宣認「三位一體」的天主的奧跡。
我們一向稱「聖三」為奧跡,因為這不是我們的理智可以明白的,因為三就是三,一就是一,不能同時又是三又是一。但天主確實是同時又是三又是一的,因為在這個「唯一」的天主之內,就存有截然不同的「三位」,就好像我、你、他是三位,但我們三位加在一起,又是只有一個一樣。當然,這是誰也說不清的「奧跡」。
但用理性說不清的東西,也許用詩人的眼光卻可以「看」得出或感受到一些端倪。
杜甫有一首詩這樣說:「兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳,一行白鷺上青天;窗含西嶺千秋雪,門泊東吳萬里船。」這首詩的最後兩句是說:從那四四方方、空空洞洞的窗框看出去,西嶺美麗晶瑩的千秋雪,已成為窗的一部分,並且和窗合成了一幅絕妙的圖畫;而在這個一無所有的門口,卻泊了東吳地方長近萬里的無數船隻,也同樣構成了一幅令人賞心悅目的山水畫。
這就是中國園林中的「借景」藝術,它能把遠方的景物拉到眼前,收為己用,並借大自然的化工,點綴自己生存的有限空間。
窗和千秋雪都是分殊的兩件實物,加在一起卻成了一幅別具生趣的圖畫;門和萬里船也是兩種不同的東西,卻形成了一幅很有韻律的「動畫」。
如果我們能達到鄭板橋賞景的境界:「非唯我愛竹石,即竹石亦愛我也」,我們更是把遠景、近景,和賞景的人都融合為一了,這不是很有「聖三」的味道嗎?
當然,這也決不能說明三位一體是什麼,它只是給我們帶出一點三位一體的味道而已。梵二的《教會憲章》卻是由另一種角度去看三位一體,尤其突出聖父、聖子、聖神在救恩史中的角色。
聖父創世,聖子救贖,聖神聖化:這是我們最耳熟能詳的對聖三的描寫,其中所帶出來的訊息,我們也有必要在生活中活出來。
例如:如果世界是天父所創造的,它就是屬於天主的,我們不過是世界的管家;如果聖子降生為人,活過人的生命,走過人的路,我們也應走人的路,做個百分之百的、堂堂正正的人;如果聖神聖化人心、聖化生命,我們便應隨時掌握聖神的臨在,並經常進入內心的深處去與聖神會晤,並張開眼睛、去辨認聖神臨在的足跡和時機。
耶穌曾說:「父所有的一切都是我的……聖神要把從我所領受的,告訴你們。」這話似乎在說,在我們的生活中,聖神的位置十分重要。因為在子內有父的一切,而聖神則把子的一切告訴我們。意即如果我們服從聖神的領導、聽從良心的聲音、抓緊聖神的臨在,我們便可以讓聖三活在我們的心中,而我們也活在聖三之內了。
天主圣三节
圣三各异而共融,万象分殊而归一
读经一:(箴8:22-31):天主的智慧存於一切之先
读经二:(罗5:1-5):藉基督与天主和好,赖圣神满有圣爱
福 音:(若16:12-15):父所有的一切都是子的
中国文化:两個黄鸝鸣翠柳,一行白鹭上青天;窗含西岭千秋雪,门泊东吴万里船。非唯我爱竹石,即竹石亦爱我也。
所有的一切,都是我的,所以我说:他(圣神)要把从我所领受的,告诉你们。(若16:15)
今天是天主圣三节,在谈论圣三道理之前,让我们简略地回顾一下我们的信仰。
首先,在相信神与不相信神之间,我们选择了「信神」,而不作「无神论者」。其次,在相信多神与相信一神之间,我们选择了相信「一神」,而不相信佛教、道教或中国的民间宗教。然后,在相信基督所宣讲的一神与其它的一神之间,我们选择了以基督的启示为核心的「一神」,而不相信伊斯蘭教的或犹太教的「一神」。最后,在同样相信基督的启示的宗教间,我们选择了信天主教,而不信基督新教。
我個人选择了相信天主教,很主要的一個原因,是因为天主教自梵二以后,已确立了一种很開放、很有包容性、很整全、很全面、很平衡的信仰观,它既能符合中国文化中的中庸之道,也能很有机地把信仰和生活结合起来。在讲天主圣三道理時,这种结合尤其显得突出。
天主圣三是教会所信的一项最基本的真理,我们相信世间只有一位至上神,他就是三位一体的天主。这個天主包含有三位:即圣父、圣子、圣神。我们每次「因父及子、及圣神之名」劃十字圣号,或念「願光荣归於父、及子、及圣神」这首圣三光荣经時,就是在宣认「三位一体」的天主的奥迹。
我们一向称「圣三」为奥迹,因为这不是我们的理智可以明白的,因为三就是三,一就是一,不能同時又是三又是一。但天主确实是同時又是三又是一的,因为在这個「唯一」的天主之内,就存有截然不同的「三位」,就好像我、你、他是三位,但我们三位加在一起,又是只有一個一样。当然,这是谁也说不清的「奥迹」。
但用理性说不清的东西,也许用诗人的眼光却可以「看」得出或感受到一些端倪。
杜甫有一首诗这样说:「两個黄鸝鸣翠柳,一行白鹭上青天;窗含西岭千秋雪,门泊东吴万里船。」这首诗的最后两句是说:从那四四方方、空空洞洞的窗框看出去,西岭美麗晶莹的千秋雪,已成为窗的一部分,并且和窗合成了一幅绝妙的图画;而在这個一无所有的门口,却泊了东吴地方长近万里的无数船只,也同样构成了一幅令人赏心悦目的山水画。
这就是中国园林中的「借景」艺术,它能把遠方的景物拉到眼前,收为己用,并借大自然的化工,点缀自己生存的有限空间。
窗和千秋雪都是分殊的两件实物,加在一起却成了一幅别具生趣的图画;门和万里船也是两种不同的东西,却形成了一幅很有韵律的「动画」。
如果我们能达到郑板橋赏景的境界:「非唯我爱竹石,即竹石亦爱我也」,我们更是把遠景、近景,和赏景的人都融合为一了,这不是很有「圣三」的味道吗?
当然,这也决不能说明三位一体是什么,它只是给我们带出一点三位一体的味道而已。梵二的《教会宪章》 却是由另一种角度去看三位一体,尤其突出圣父、圣子、圣神在救恩史中的角色。
圣父创世,圣子救赎,圣神圣化:这是我们最耳熟能详的对圣三的描写,其中所带出来的讯息,我们也有必要在生活中活出来。
例如:如果世界是天父所创造的,它就是属於天主的,我们不過是世界的管家;如果圣子降生为人,活過人的生命,走過人的路,我们也应走人的路,做個百分之百的、堂堂正正的人;如果圣神圣化人心、圣化生命,我们便应随時掌握圣神的临在,并经常进入内心的深处去与圣神会晤,并张開眼睛、去辨认圣神临在的足迹和時机。
耶稣曾说:「父所有的一切都是我的……圣神要把从我所领受的,告诉你们。」这话似乎在说,在我们的生活中,圣神的位置十分重要。因为在子内有父的一切,而圣神则把子的一切告诉我们。意即如果我们服从圣神的领导、听从良心的声音、抓紧圣神的临在,我们便可以让圣三活在我们的心中,而我们也活在圣三之内了。
FEAST OF THE HOLY TRINITY
The Trinity is Three in One
In the Universe there is Diversity but also Union
First Reading (Prov 8: 22-31): God's wisdom existed before all else
Second Reading (Rom 5; 1-5): Be reconciled with God through Christ,
rely on the fullness of love in the Holy Spirit
Gospel (Jn 16: 12- 15): All that the Father has is the Son's
Chinese classics:
-“A pair of golden orioles twitter in the green willow; a line of white herons flutter on their blue-bound way. The window frames the western mountain’s thousand year snow. By the door moor ships from Eastern Wu ten thousand miles away.” (1)
- “It is not only that I love the bamboo and stones, the bamboo and stones love me too.” (2)
“All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he (Holy Spirit) will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (Jn 16: 15)
Today is the feast of the Holy Trinity and before we talk about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity I would like to review the tenets of our faith.
First, among the choice to believe or not, we chose to believe in the existence of God. Secondly, among many choices, we chose to believe there is only ONE God. We chose not to believe in Buddhism, Taoism or the popular religions of China. Then, among Christ’s teaching about only one God, we chose to accept Christ’s revelation about the one God, not the God of Islam or Judaism. Lastly, among the many Christian religions that accept Christ’s revelation, we chose to adhere to the Roman Catholic Church. and not to other Christian denominations.
For myself one of the main reasons I chose to be a Catholic is that since Vatican II the Church is open-minded, tolerant, comprehensive, with a balanced outlook on faith. It is able to accommodate to the harmony of the “Median Way” of Chinese culture and also to a union of faith and life. In talking about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity this ability to unify is especially evident.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is one of the most basic faiths of the Catholic Church. Church. We believe that there is only one supreme Being, who is one God in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We acknowledge this belief each time we make the Sign of the Cross, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” or recite the prayer, “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.”
We have always called the Trinity a 'mystery,' because we cannot understand it with our mind, - three is three and one is one and cannot at the same time be three and one. But in God there really is both one and three simultaneously. Because in this one and only God there truly are three distinct Persons, somewhat like you, me and a third 'other'. Yet when you take the three together there is still only one. Of course this remains a 'mystery' we cannot clarify in words. When we cannot use reason to clarify something, it may be clearer if we use a poet’s eye to 'see'.
In one of Du Fu's poems he wrote, “a pair of golden orioles twitter in the green willow. A line of white herons flutter on their blue-bound way. The window frames the western mountain's thousand-year snow. By the door moor ships from Eastern Wu ten thousand miles away.” (1) The last two lines of this poem speak about looking out from a square, empty window frame. The western mountain with its peak beautifully capped with snow a thousand years old has become a part of the window, together forming a magnificent picture. The same is true about the door - it is empty but the thousands of miles of moored ships from Eastern Wu make a beautiful landscape painting. Combined together the view is one like unto an elegant 'moving picture'.
If we could reach Zhang Ban Qiao's state when appreciating scenery, we would be able to blend into one the distant view, the close-up and the person appreciating it: “It is not only that I love the bamboo and stones; the bamboo and stones love me too.” (2) Is this not similar to the way we think of the Trinity?
Of course this cannot explain the Trinity clearly, it only gives an example of a three- dimension image. In the “Constitution on the Church”, Vatican Council II explains the Holy Trinity from a different viewpoint. It emphasizes the role of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the history of salvation.
The Father created the world, the Son saved humankind and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. That is the explanation most familiar to us. We must live out this message in our daily lives.
For example, if God created the world, the world belongs to God and we are only the world's stewards; if the Son became human and lived as a human being, we should also live a fully human life; if the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and helps us to be holy, we should always be aware of His presence, commune with the Spirit in our hearts and recognize signs of the Spirit's presence and opportunities the Spirit provides.
Jesus said “All that the Father has is mine... The Holy Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you.” That really is saying that the Holy Spirit is a very important part of our lives. All that the Father has is given to the Son, and the Spirit tells us all that the Son has spoken. If we listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and listen to the voice of our conscience, we will be able to allow the Holy Trinity to abide within us. We will be living in the bosom of the Holy Trinity.
(1)兩個黃鸝鳴翠柳,一行白鷺上青天;窗含西嶺千秋雪,門泊東吳萬里船。
(2) 非唯我愛竹石,即竹石亦愛我也。