1. 2023.02.22聖灰禮儀－白孟德神父（Fr. Charles Belmonte Lopez）語錄

Lent begins today, and God’s call to penance reaches our ears. The Church is offering us an opportunity for a new conversion. Benedict XVI wrote: “If God is the Creator, it means we are creatures. It means that we do not create ourselves, but that we depend for existence and growth on God and on others. “Man is relational. I come from parents; I live for others. I give myself to a project I cannot consider that it is just limited to myself.”

四旬期從今天開始，天主對懺悔的召喚傳到我們的耳際。教會為我們提供了一個嶄新的皈依機會。本篤十六世寫道：「如果天主是造物主，那意思是我們是受造物。」其意指我們不會創造自己，而是依靠天主和他人而存在和成長。「人是相互依賴的，我來自父母；我為別人而活。我把自己奉獻給一個我無法思量的計畫，而它只為我自己而制定的。」

We are not just autonomous zombies floating around each other. Rather, we are connected to each other because we are connected to God, who himself is Relationship as the Trinity. Some may object, saying, “No one ever asked me if I wanted to be born!” It is only when you know that there is One who did not cast lots blindly to bring you to existence…, It is only when you realize that your existence is not necessary…, It is only when you know that your existence is not an accident, but rather that you were born of freedom and love…, It is only then that you can begin to be thankful for this freedom that created you, and know –with gratitude– that it is a gift to be human…and live with a purpose.”

我們不只是相互漂浮著獨立自主的殭屍。相反地，我們彼此關連，因為我們與天主相關連，祂自己就是三位一體的關係。有些人可能會反對說：「從來沒有人問過我是否想要出生！只有當你知道，『這裡有一位』並非盲目地擲骰讓你存在的……，只有當你意識到，自己的存在是不必要的……，只有當你知道，你的存在不是偶然的，而是你從自由和愛中誕生的……，只有這樣，你才會開始感謝創造你的『這份自由』，並懷著感激之情體驗到，成為人類是一種禮物……並帶著目標而生活。」

Sin is the destruction of the relationship between myself and God, and then among all of us. There is no such thing as an individual sin that does not have effects on others. Every turn away from God’s plan, from God’s law, affects not only me, but everyone else, as well. This can be healed by denying myself and turning to Christ, the source of my love. How important is the Eucharist in restoring me, a fallen man, to unity with myself and with God.

「罪」破壞了我與天主之間的關係，然後是我們與所有人之間的關係。沒有個人的罪，對其他的人不發生影響的。每一次背離天主的計畫，遠離天主的律法，不僅影響我，也影響其他人。這可以藉由棄絕自己而歸向基督，我愛的源頭來獲得治癒。聖體聖事為修復我，這個墮落的人，使我自己與天主合一，這是多麼重要啊!