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大家好： 本週末是母親節,我祝福所有母親有一個非常快樂的母親節﹗ 在論及母親和信仰﹐即時有兩個念頭在腦際湧現﹕聖母瑪利亞和教會。特別在5月份，世界各地的天主教徒，會在這個特殊的月分崇敬耶穌之母瑪利亞。大家不難發現在瑪利亞的祭壇前或教堂外的雕像都多放了鮮花﹔在五月份誦念玫瑰經也是極普遍的敬禮行為﹐堂區一般會在彌撒前後誦念玫瑰經﹐方便更多教友參與敬禮聖母。這正正反映了天主教徒對耶穌之母的愛﹐並以各種形式在這特別的月份崇敬她。 至於教會作為母親，有一個特殊的文件在我腦海出現﹐這重要的通諭是教宗約望二十三世在1961年著作的「Mater et magistra 」(意謂母親和老師)﹐這充分說明了基督宗教和社會進步的密切關係。在文件頭幾行﹐教宗給各地天主教徒作出保證﹕普世教會「既是母親也是教師﹐在教會的始創者耶穌基督的心中﹐他是以愛擁抱世界﹔眾人在每一個時代﹐都可在教會這母親的懷中﹐找到自己在靈性方面圓滿的生命和最終的救贖。」教會被賦予的任務是「以母親的關愛孕育孩子的生命､教導和引導他們」。 我想以一篇為孩子接受洗禮後的母親祈求的禱文來結束這短短的文章﹐這也是我送給所有以各種方式塑造了我們的信仰和宗教知識的母親們的一份祝福。
祝大家母親節快樂！ 主內平安 莫靖龍神父 (此乃莫神父書信之意譯，內容以英文原文為準) |
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Hello Everybody: This weekend is mother’s day! I want to wish all the mums a very happy Mother’s Day. When talking about motherhood and faith, two ideas come to my mind: Mary and the Church. Especially during the month of May, Catholics all around the world find in this month a special time when they can venerate Mary the Mother of Jesus. It is not surprise to find some extra flowers on the Altar of Mary or in front of statues of Mary outside churches; the praying of the Rosary is also a very common devotional practice in the month of May, as Parishes organize Rosaries before or after Mass to allow more people to join in this devotion. All these speak about the love Catholics feel for Mary the Mother of Jesus and the ways they have found to venerate her in this special month of Mary. Regarding the Church as mother, a special document come to my mind, the important encyclical written by John XXIII in 1961 called “Mater et Magistra” (Mother and Teacher) that speaks about Christianity and Social Progress. In the first few lines of the document the Pope assured Catholics everywhere that the Church was “Mother and Teacher, in the mind of her Founder, Jesus Christ; to hold the world in an embrace of love, that people, in every age, should find in her their own completeness in a higher order of living, and their ultimate salvation”. To the Church was entrusted the task of “giving life to her children and of teaching them and guiding them with maternal care”. I want to finish this short article with the prayers over mothers done after christenings, may this be also my blessing for all the mothers that in one way or the other have shaped our faith and our knowledge of the Lord. God the Father, through his Son, the Virgin Mary’s child, has brought joy to all Christian mothers, as they see the hope of eternal life shine on their children. May he bless the mothers of these children. They now thank God for the gift of their children. May they be one with them in thanking him for ever in heaven, in Christ Jesus Our Lord. AMEN. Happy Mother’s Day to all! Peace in Jesus Fernando |