The Brick

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street,
going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out
from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw
something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed
into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister…please, I’m sorry but I didn’t
know what else to do,” He pleaded. “I threw the brick because no one else
would stop…” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth
pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother, “he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in
his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair,
then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

“Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child told the stranger. Too
shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchairbound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: “Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!”

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It’s our choice to listen or not.

神父講道 – 四旬期第二週 (週一) (2010年3月1日)

聖曹貴英殉道
恭讀聖路加福音 6:36-38
那時候,耶穌向門徒說:「你們應當慈悲,如像你們的父那樣慈悲。你們不要判斷,你們也就不受判斷;不要定罪,也就不被定罪;你們要赦免,也就蒙赦免。你們給,也就給你們;並且還要用好的,連按帶搖,以致外溢的升斗,倒在你們的懷裏,因為你們用什麼升斗量,也用什麼升斗量給你們。」
—基督的福音。

(2nd Week of Lent – Monday)

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 6:36-38

36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

—The Gospel of the Lord.

往神父講道目錄

一言為定(2010年3月1日)

「你們用什麼升斗量,也用什麼升斗量給你們。」(路6:38)
假若我們如是大方的話,天主比較我們更大方,因為「你們給,也就給你們;並且還要用好的,連按帶搖,以致外溢的升斗,倒在你們的懷裏。」
天主當然不是與我們計較的天主,而是大方的天主。從加納婚宴、伯多祿划往深處捕魚等的例子,便可見一斑。
「一次,伯多祿對耶穌說:「看,我們捨棄了一切,跟隨了你;那麼,將來我們可得到什麼呢?」
耶穌對他們說:「我實在告訴你們,你們這些跟隨我的人,在重生的世代,人子坐在自己光榮的寶座上時,你們也要坐在十二寶座上,審判以色列十二支派;
並且,凡為我的名,捨棄了房屋,或兄弟、或姐妹、或父親、或母親、或妻子、或兒女、或田地的,必要領取百倍的賞報,並承受永生。」 (瑪19:27-29)
伯多祿雖曾三次背主,但當他三次重宣對主的信靠時,耶穌仍然肯定他為教會的『磐石』:
「吃完了早飯,耶穌對西滿伯多祿說:『若望的兒子西滿,你比他們更愛我嗎?」伯多祿回答說:『主,是的,你知道我愛你。」耶穌就對他說:『你餵養我的羔羊。」
耶穌第二次又問他說:『若望的兒子西滿,你愛我嗎?』伯多祿回答說:『主,是的,你知道我愛你。』耶穌就對他說:『你牧放我的羊群。』
耶穌第三次問他說:『若望的兒子西滿,你愛我嗎?』伯多祿因耶穌第三次問他說:『你愛我嗎?』便憂愁起來,遂向他說:『主啊! 一切你都知道,你曉得我愛你。』耶穌對他說:『你餵養我的羊群。』 (若21:15-17)
走天國的路,我們仍然要如履薄冰,不要因為天主是仁慈大方,便疏忽懶惰。
梁達材神父