145.7月16日撒種的比喻－白孟德神父（Fr. Charles Belmonte Lopez）語錄-譯者:林豪

Our words are informative, we give information. The word of God is performative, and permanent; what he says, is done, according to his plans. It achieves something, as when Our Lord said, “Your sins are forgiven” and they really were.

我們所說的話是一種訊息，因為我們提供了資訊。天主的話是在陳述行為，而且是永久的；祂一發言，事就按照祂的計畫成就了。它因此成就了某件事，就像我主所說：「你的罪赦了！」（瑪9:5）而且確實如此。

The soil where the good seed falls is every man. The seed –God’s word– is good, but the fruit depends on the soil where it falls. Man has the responsibility to receive and correspond to the grace of God.

好種子所落下的土壤，是指每個人。種子—天主的話—是良善的，但是結出果實，則取決於它所落下的土壤。人有責任接受並委順於天主的恩典。

“Some seeds fell by the roadside.” The road is trodden earth, hardened. They are those oblivious to God’s word. They are people without order in their affections, not very vigilant in their feelings, with their imagination often set on useless thoughts.

We need to ask the Lord for strength to never be negligent or lukewarm, without contrition or repentance.

「有的落在路旁。」（瑪13:4）這裡所指的路，是用來踩踏的泥土，是堅硬的。他們代表著那些忘記天主聖言的人。他們的熱情失序，感情不是很警醒的人，他們的想像力總是停留在無用的想法上。

我們需要向天主祈求力量，永遠不要疏忽或不冷不熱，不願懺悔或悔改。

Another part fell on stony ground, when the sun rose, the wheat withered and dried up because it had no root. This rocky area represents superficial souls, with little interior depth, inconstant, and incapable of persevering. They have good dispositions; they even receive grace with joy, but when they have to face difficulties, when it costs them something, they retreat; they are not capable of sacrificing themselves to carry out the resolutions they once made, and these die without bearing fruit.

另一部分落在石頭地裏，當太陽升起時，種子就被曬焦枯萎了，因為它沒有根。這個石頭地，代表的是，那些膚淺的靈魂，內心深度不夠，不穩定，無法堅持。他們性格良善；他們甚至喜樂地接受恩典，但是當他們必須面對困難時，當他們需要付出一些代價時，他們就退縮了；他們沒有能力犧牲自己，來執行他們曾經做出的決策，這些決策未能付諸執行，便胎死腹中了。

We must ask the Lord for constancy of purpose, a spirit of sacrifice so as not to stop in the face of the difficulties that we will necessarily encounter. To begin and begin again and again, with holy stubbornness, striving to reach the holiness to which Jesus calls us, and for which he gives us the necessary graces.

我們必須祈求天主，賜予我們誓志達成目標，以及犧牲的精神，以免在面對我們必然遇到的困難時，便停滯不前。以神聖的執著為開始，而且一次又一次地重新開始，努力地達成主耶穌對我們成聖的召喚，並為此賜予我們必要的恩典。

Another part fell among thorns; the thorns grew up and choked it. They are people choked with anxiety about getting by in this world and filled with desire for material goods, and so, grace remains barren. They are blind to what is truly important. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be.

另一部分落在荊棘中；荊棘長起來，便把它們窒息了。他們是在這世上為生存而焦慮的人，對物質、財富充滿著渴望，因此，仍然欠缺恩典。他們對真正重要的事情視而不見。「你的財寶在那裏，你的心也必在那裏(瑪6:21)」。

We can also be good soil, people who welcome grace and bear fruit. The Lord pours himself into the soul to the extent that he finds a welcome. God gives us so many graces because he has confidence in each one of us. ‘God who created you without you, will not save you without you’.

我們也可以成為好土壤，也就是迎接恩典並結出果實的人。我主將自己傾注於靈魂中，直到祂受到歡迎為止。天主賜給我們如此多的恩典，因為祂對我們每個人都有信心。「天主在你不存在時，就創造了你，沒有你的存在，就無法救贖你。」

Am I corresponding to the graces that the Lord is giving me? Do I cleanse the harmful weeds by frequent Confession, by acts of contrition? Do I prepare my soul to receive the inspirations of God? We can no more be satisfied with what we do in the service to God than an artist is satisfied with the painting that comes from his hands. Everyone tells him: it is a marvel; but he thinks: no, it is not that; I would want more. This is how we should react.

我是否與天主賜給我的恩典相互匹配呢？我是否透過經常地告解及懺悔，來清除有害的雜草呢？我是否預備好我的靈魂，以便接受天主的啟示呢？我們為天主所做的一切服侍，而感到滿心歡喜，就像藝術家對出自他手中的畫作，感到滿意一樣。每個人都告訴他：這是一項傑作；但是他認為：不，不是那樣；我想要的更多，這就是我們所應當具備的反應。

“Besides, the Lord gives us much, he has the right to our fullest correspondence…, and we must go at his pace”. Let us not lag behind.

(Today is Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

「此外，天主賜予我們越多，祂有權獲得我們充分的回應……，我們必須按照祂的節奏邁進。」讓我們不要進度落後了。

（今天是加爾默羅聖母慶日）