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各位教友： 在此時刻，我希望跟大家分享一封由司鐸議會廳長發給眾司鐸的信。希望這些信息能鼓勵大家持續為司鐸､特別為各本堂神父祈禱。 主佑 莫靖龍神父 親愛的司鐸: 祈禱無可或缺地佔據鐸職生活的中央位置。這點不難理解，因為祈禱能增進門徒跟主耶穌基督的親密關係。我們都知道，當祈禱生活減少､信德亦相應減弱，隨之的福傳事工亦失去內涵和意義。至為嚴重的後果令各司鐸在日常福傳工作，無法達致完滿喜樂和歡愉。在與主基督同行的路上，司鐸們日漸落後於眾人，距離主耶穌越來越遠，甚至在地極之端失去了耶穌的蹤影。從此，他便感到迷失和充滿疑惑。 聖人John Chrysostom（金口若望）在一次講道中，充滿智慧地講解聖保祿宗徒致弟茂德前書﹕「魔鬼喜攻擊牧者(….)。事實單單把羊兒殺掉，羊群數目只會減少﹔但把牧羊人殺掉，卻可以毀滅整個羊棧」。這句說話放諸現今皆準。金口若望警告我們，牧者的喪失能導致信友和團體數目下降。沒有牧羊人，我們的團體也全然泯滅﹗ 在此我極希望提倡祈禱的迫切性。如金口若望所言，牧者必需戰勝魔鬼，才能立於穩處。真的，沒有祈禱這靈性食糧的滋養，聖職人員會病倒､宗徒們無力追隨基督，最後全部因飢餓而喪亡。結果，羊群流離失所，最終也是喪亡。 每一位司鐸在信仰團體中都應找到其繫點。他作為主的特選門徒，被召叫領受司鐸聖職，代表耶穌成為教會的頭和牧者。耶穌是唯一的善牧，但他選用了十二宗徒和其後的繼任人參與其救贖工程。眾司鐸經領受神品聖事，在另一層次參與基督的計劃，成為團體領袖和牧者。這緊密關係連結著司鐸和其團體，他絕不能輕看他的牧職，因為沒有盡責的牧者，團體便會凋謝。反之跟隨梅瑟的榜樣，向天高舉雙臂祈求，主的選民便永不滅亡。 因此，一位對基督和團體都充滿信德的司鐸，一定是一位恆常祈禱､與主相偕的司鐸。他亦賴以每一位信徒和教會的代禱，得以堅強他們的信仰。請羊群為他們的牧者祈禱吧﹗當牧者感到他的祈禱生活正在減弱時，這是時候轉向聖神讓他重燃心火，這是天主恆久長存的熱情和大能，由起初到終結都盼望能與司鐸在一起。 耶穌聖嬰正在馬槽邀請我們更新作為他的親密好友和門徒的關係，請準備自己再次接受派遣成為福傳的工具。 Claudio Hummes 樞機主教 Emeritus of Sao Paulo教區大主教 司鐸議會廳長 (此乃莫神父及 Claudio Hummes 樞機主教書信之意譯，書信內容以英文為準) |
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Dear Parishioners: On this occasion I would like to share with you a letter sent to all Priests by the Prefect of the Congregation for the clergy. Hopefully this will continue to encourage you to pray for all priests and especially your Parish Priest. Peace in Jesus Fernando Montano MG Dear Priests, Prayer necessarily occupies a central place in the life of the Priest. This is not hard to understand, since prayer fosters the disciple’s intimacy with his Master, Jesus Christ. We all know that when prayer lessens faith is weakened and the ministry loses content and meaning. The essential consequence of this is that the priest will have less joy and less happiness in his daily ministry. It is as if, following Jesus along the road, the Priest, who walks along with many others, were to begin to lag behind bit by bit and so distance himself from the Master, even losing sight of him on the horizon. From that moment he will find himself lost and uncertain. St. John Chrysostom, in a homily commenting on the First Letter of St Paul to Timothy, observes wisely: “The devil attacks the shepherd (…). In fact, if by killing the sheep the flock is reduced, by instead eliminating the shepherd he will destroy the entire flock”. This statement makes on think about many contemporary situations. Chrysostom warns us that the lessening of the shepherds will and does make the number of the faithful and of communities decrease. Without shepherd our communities will be destroyed! But here I would like above all to talk about the needfulness of prayer so that, as Chrysostom might say, the shepherds can defeat the devil and so that they are not lessened. Truly, without the vital food of prayer the Priest becomes sick, the disciple does not find the strength to follow the Master, and thus dies of hunger. As a consequence his flock is scattered, and dies in its own turn. In fact every Priest finds an essential reference point in the ecclesial community. He is a very special disciple of the Lord who called him and who, by the sacrament of Order, configured him to Himself as Head and Shepherd of the Church. Christ is the one Shepherd, but he has deigned to make the Twelve and their Successors partake in His Ministry, amongst whom Priests also participate in this sacrament, albeit in a lower grade, in such a way that they also take part in the ministry of Christ, Head and Shepherd. This carries with it an essential bond between the Priest and the ecclesial community. He cannot do any less than his duty, since without a shepherd the community withers. Rather, following the example of Moses, he must be found with his arms raised to Heaven in prayer so that the people will not perish. It is for this reason that the Priest, if he is to remain faithful to Christ and faithful to the community, must be a man of prayer, a man who lives close to the Lord. Moreover, he needs to be strengthened by the prayer of the Church and of every Christian. Let the sheep pray for their shepherd! When the shepherd becomes aware that his life of prayer is weakening, it is time for him to turn to the Holy Spirit will rekindle the fire in his heart. He will rekindle the passion and the enchantment of the Lord, who is ever present and wishes to eat with him. The Child Jesus lying in the manger invites us to renew this closeness with him of a friend and disciple, so as to send us out again as his evangelisers. Cardinal Claudio Hummes Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paulo Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy |