141.7月12日真正的祭獻－白孟德神父（Fr. Charles Belmonte Lopez）語錄-譯者:林豪

“I acknowledge my sin,” says David. If I admit my fault, then God will pardon it. Let us never assume that if we live good lives we will be without sin; our lives should be worthwhile only when we continue to beg for pardon.

達味說道：「我要向上主承認我的罪孽。」(詠32:5)如果我承認自己的過錯，那麼天主就會寬恕它。讓我們永遠不要假設，如果我們過著美好的生活，我們就沒有犯罪；只有當我們繼續乞求寬恕時，我們的生命才會有應有的價值。

Usually, the less contrite we are for our own sins, the more interested we become in the sins of others. We seek to criticize, not to correct. Not finding valid excuses for ourselves, we accuse the others.

通常，我們越不悔改自己的罪，我們對別人的罪，就越感興趣。我們開始不斷批評，而不是糾正；我們沒有為自己，找到有效的藉口，而是指責他人。

David showed us how to make amends to God: “I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is always before me.” He did not concentrate on others’ sins; he turned his thoughts on himself. He did not merely stroke the surface, but he plunged inside and went deep down within himself, asking to be forgiven.

達味向我們顯示了，要如何向天主作補贖：「因為我認清了我的過犯，我的罪惡常在我的眼前。」（詠51:5）他沒有專注於別人的罪；他把心思轉向了自己，他不只是觸及到表面，而是深入內心，請求寬恕。

Do you want God to forgive you? Learn from the psalm: Lord, “If you wanted sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; but you take no delight in burnt offerings.”

Are you then without a sacrifice? Are you to offer nothing? Will you leave God without an offering?

你想讓天主寬恕你嗎？從聖詠中學到：主啊，「因為祢既然不喜悅祭獻，我獻全燔祭，祢也不喜歡。」（詠51:16）

那麼你就不祭獻嗎？你什麼都不奉獻嗎？你會遠離天主而不奉獻嗎？

Consider and say with David: “A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit.” Now you have found out what you are to offer. In olden times, you would have offered cattle – these were the sacrifices.

But David says: “You will take no delight in burnt offerings.” If God is not pleased with burnt offerings, will you remain without sacrifice? Not at all. “A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise a humble and contrite heart.”

思考一下，並與達味一起說：「天主，我的祭獻就是這痛悔的精神。」（詠51:19）現在你已經知道，你要奉獻什麼了。在古代，你會祭獻牛犢—這些是祭品。

但是達味說道：「我獻全燔祭，你也不喜歡。」（詠51:18）如果天主不喜悅全燔祭，你會就不獻祭嗎？當然不會。「天主，我的祭獻就是這痛悔的精神，天主，你不輕看痛悔和謙卑的赤心。」（詠51:19）

Now you know what you have to offer. No need to bring cattle, no need to send ships and travel away to buy incense. Search within your heart, find what God wants from you.

現在你瞭解到，你必須奉獻什麼了。不用帶牛犢，不用乘船去買乳香。在你的心裡尋找，找到天主想要你奉獻的。

First, your heart must be contrite. Are you afraid of it? You have to ask: “Create a clean heart in me, O God.” For a clean heart to be created, the unclean one must be crushed with contrition.

首先，你必須要有痛悔的心。你害怕嗎？你必須請求：「天主，求祢給我再造一顆純潔的心。」為了再造一顆純潔的心，不潔淨的心必須被痛悔擊潰。

We should be unhappy with ourselves when we commit sin, for sin is displeasing to God. Sinful though we are, let us at least coincide with God in this, that we do not like what He does not like. Then you will be in harmony with God’s will, because you find awful in yourself what is abhorrent to your Creator.

St Augustine

當我們犯罪時，我們應該對自己感到不滿，因為罪是不受天主悅納的。雖然我們是有罪的，但是至少讓我們在這一點上，與天主取得一致，我們不喜歡祂所不喜歡的事務。然後你將與天主的旨意合而為一，因為你在自己身上，發現到你的造物主所憎惡的事務，那是多麼可怕啊!

(聖奧斯丁)