Close Encounter with the Vicar of Christ
與基督的代表接觸 作者：施雅格，譯者:林豪
On March 17, 2001, at the Sala Clementina of the Vatican , I had the good fortune to be present in an audience granted by His Holiness John Paul II to the participants of a seminar convoked by the Prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echevarria, to reflect on the Apostolic Letter of the Pope, Novo Millennio Ineunte. I was the only delegate from Taiwan , although a Chinese couple from Hong Kong were also present.
今年三月十七日筆者很幸運地在梵蒂崗的撒拉-克來曼地納（Sala Clementina）參與了由 教宗授權，且由主業會監督 蔡浩偉主教所召集的研討會，為回應 教宗宗座文告（Novo Millennio Ineunte），雖然有兩位來自香港之夫婦陪伴，筆者卻為來自台灣的唯一代表。
The meeting with the Pope was the highlight of those days of prayer and reflection. The Pope, though physical worn out from years of tireless dedication to the Church and all souls, encouraged all of us with his gigantic faith to launch out into the deep, as we begin this new millennium: “It is time to put aside all fear and pursue daring apostolic goals. Duc in altum! (Lk 5: 4): Christ ‘ s invitation spurs us to put out into the deep and to nurture ambitious dreams of personal holiness and apostolic fruitfulness.”
與 教宗之聚會正彰顯了那些天來的祈禱和回響，雖然 教宗由於經年累月將自己奉獻給教會及所有人靈而竭盡體力，卻更加鼓勵我們藉著他偉大的信德而「划到深處」，正當我們處於新的千年的開始：「這正是拋棄所有畏懼而勇敢地尋求使徒工作的時刻：『划到深處！（Duc in altum!）』」（路 5：４），基督的邀請激勵我們划向深處，而且要培育成聖自己的雄心壯志以及使徒工作的豐碩果實。
It was a very moving and consoling moment to hear these words of Christ repeated after two thousand years by His Vicar on earth. We have no reasons to be pessimistic, but only motives to be grateful and to generously spend our life in union with Peter to put Christ on top of all human activities. The Pope’s voice still reverberate in my ears:
在兩千年之後的此刻，聽到藉由基督在世上的代表重複祂所說的話，著實地令人動容且倍感安慰，我們沒有理由悲觀，但唯一的動機就是要感謝和慷慨地耗盡我們的生命與伯多祿合一，將基督至於所有人類的活動之上， 教宗的聲音猶迴響在我的耳際：
“It will be their [the laity] direct witness in all these fields that will show how the highest human values only achieve their fullness in Christ. And their apostolic zeal, fraternal friendship and supportive charity will enable them to turn daily social relationships into opportunities for awakening in others that thirst for truth which is the first condition for the saving encounter with Christ.”
「他們（平信徒）將是各個領域直接的見證者，為表現出他們至高的人性價值，以達成在基督內的圓滿，而且他們使徒工作的熱忱、兄弟間的友誼及出於愛德的扶持，使他們將每天社交上的關係，轉變成喚醒其他渴望真理的人們，這也就是保持與基督接觸地第一步。」
There are no new formulas to be invented to carry out this new evangelization, as the Pope points out in his Apostolic Letter (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte, 29). The blueprint for the new millennium is already well-tested and proven effectively. We only need to put it into effect, following closely the inspirations of the Holy Spirit that comes to us through the Pope and the Bishops in union with him.
沒有發明新的妙方來實現新的福傳工作，就如 教宗在其宗座文告(cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte, 29)中所指出，新千年的藍圖已經被成功地測試和有效地證明，我們只要跟隨著藉由 教宗及與其合一的 主教們所傳輸給我們，來至聖神的引導且將它們實現。
It is once more a call to personal holiness: “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thes 4:3). This is also the perennial message that Blessed Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, has repeatedly insisted to all: “You have the obligation to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you who think this is the exclusive concern of priests and religious. To everyone without exception, our Lord said: ‘Be perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect’” (The Way, 291). And the program for holiness is nothing more but a life of prayer and the sacraments.
這再一次喚起成聖自己：「天主的旨意就是要你們成聖。」（得前 4：3），這也是主業會創辦人 真福施禮華長久以來重複對每個人所強調地：「你有聖化自己的義務，你們甚至會認為這是只有神父和會士才需要考慮的。」（路,291），然而這項成聖的方式不過是「度祈禱的生活和勤領聖事。」
We shall transform society if each one of us become more prayerful; if we strive to be another Christ in our work, in family life, and in our social relations. People will get to know Christ through us, because we live His life and share that life with others. This is the life that the Vicar of Christ has wonderfully shared with us. He is a gift of God to the modern world; the bearer of the keys that opens up the heavenly treasures of the new millennium. Let us rally behind the Pope as we give witness to the saving truth of the risen Christ and face the challenges of the new millennium.
如果我們個人能夠勤於祈禱，就能夠改變社會；如果我們在工作中、在家庭生活中和我們的社交關係中，奮鬥成為另一個基督，人們將藉由我們認識基督，因為我們過著祂的生活且與別人分享祂的生活，基督的代表也完美地將這樣生活是分享給我們，他是天主給現代世界的禮物，握有開啟新的千年天堂寶庫的鑰匙，讓我們偕同 教宗為基督升天的真理做見證以及面對新的千年所帶來的挑戰。
Photo caption: The author at St. Peter’s Square after the audience with the Pope, 17 March 2001 .
相片標題：筆者在今年三月十七日與 教宗聚會後於 聖伯多祿廣場拍攝。
