2018-5-30

朋友们，在今天的福音中，雅各伯和若望请求耶稣赐给他们天国里的重要地位。他们追求的是两种经典的天主替代品：权力和荣誉。权力和荣誉一样本身都不是坏事。多玛斯·阿奎那说过荣誉是美德的旗帜，是提醒他人不要错过值得注意之处的一种方式。

 

那么，问题是什么？问题是他们请求的态度不端。自我意识渴望使用权力来自我膨胀和防卫，而不是为了天主的旨意或真善美服务。当人们为了荣誉本身或者为了膨胀自我意识而追求荣誉，这种行为也是危险的。

 

那么解决方法是什么？“谁若愿意在你们中间成为大的，就当作你们的仆役；谁若愿意在你们中间为首，就当作众人的奴仆。”当你服侍他人，你就获取着天主的权力而且追求着天主的荣誉。

 

Friends, in today’s Gospel James and John ask Jesus to place them in high places in his kingdom. They are asking for two of the classic substitutes for God: power and honor. Power is not, in itself, a bad thing, and the same is true of honor. Thomas Aquinas said that honor is the flag of virtue. It’s a way of signaling to others something that’s worth noticing.

 

So what’s the problem? The problem is that they are asking for these two things in the wrong spirit. The ego will want to use power, not for God’s purposes or in service of truth, beauty, and goodness, but for its own aggrandizement and defense. When honor is sought for its own sake or in order to puff up the ego, it becomes dangerous as well.

 

So what’s the way out? “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” When you serve others, you are accessing the power of God and seeking the honor of God.

 

2018-5-31

朋友们，今天的福音叙述的是玛利亚探访依撒伯尔。这个访亲故事中，玛利亚的“急速”总是令我兴趣盎然。玛利亚听到天使加俾额尔报出自己和表姐的双重喜讯后，“急速往山区去，到了犹大的一座城”去看望依撒伯尔。

 

为什么她这么刻不容缓和目的明确？因为她在以天主为中心的戏剧中找到了自己的使命和角色。当今世上，以自我为中心的戏剧横行霸道、影响深远。以自我为中心的戏剧即我们自编自制自导自演的戏剧。在当下的文化中，这些以自我为中心的戏剧绝对是到处可见。选择自由至高无上：我的人生由我作主。

 

以天主为中心的戏剧是天主亲自叙述的伟大故事、亲自执导的伟大戏剧。我们只有在这个故事、戏剧里找到自己的角色，生活才会变得激动人心。玛利亚的人生正是如此。她在以天主为中心的戏剧中找到了自己的角色（实在是个高潮角色），她想与有着同样领悟的依撒伯尔一起商榷。我们必须像玛利亚一样，在天主的故事里找到自己的位置。

 

Friends, today’s Gospel tells of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. I’ve always been fascinated by Mary’s "haste" in this story of the Visitation. Upon hearing the message of Gabriel concerning her own pregnancy and that of her cousin, Mary "proceeded in haste into the hill country of Judah" to see Elizabeth.

 

Why did she go with such speed and purpose? Because she had found her mission, her role in the theo-drama. We are dominated today by the ego-drama in all of its ramifications and implications. The ego-drama is the play that I’m writing, I’m producing, I’m directing, and I’m starring in. We see this absolutely everywhere in our culture. Freedom of choice reigns supreme: I become the person that I choose to be.

 

The theo-drama is the great story being told by God, the great play being directed by God. What makes life thrilling is to discover your role in it. This is precisely what has happened to Mary. She has found her role—indeed a climactic role—in the theo-drama, and she wants to conspire with Elizabeth, who has also discovered her role in the same drama. Like Mary, we have to find our place in God’s story.