| 選讀尼撒主教聖額我略講道集 | Ex Oratiónibus sancti Gregórii Nysséni epíscopi (Oratio 1 in Christi resurrectionem: PG 46, 603-606. 626-627) |
| 新受造物的長子 | Primogenitus novæ creationis |
| 生命的王國來臨了，死亡的勢力遭到毀滅。出現了另一種誕生、另一種生命，另一樣生活方式，我們本性的一種轉變。這是怎樣的一種誕生呢？「不是從血統，不是從肉情，也不是從人慾，而是從天主生的。」 你要問道：這事如何成就？請聽，我要簡單地給你說明。這胎兒是由信德而孕育；藉重生的洗禮而得見天日；他的保姆是教會，它用它的教訓哺養他；他的食物是天降之糧；他的成年是完美的品行；他的婚姻是他與智慧的結合；他的子女是望德；他的家是天國；他的家產和財富是天堂的福樂；他的結局並非死亡，而是最幸福的永生，這是為那當得起的人所準備的。 「這是上主所安排的日子」，與創世之初以時間計算的那些日子不同。這個日子是另一個創造的開始：在這一天，天主造了「新天新地」，一如先知所說。是怎樣的新天？是以對基督的信德所築起的穹蒼。是怎樣的新地？我說是善心，這心好似良田吸收落在它上面的雨水，而出產豐富。 在這次創造的萬物中，太陽便是純潔的生活；星辰便是各種美德；空氣便是光明的品行；大海便是「智慧和知識之豐富的深淵」；青草和嫩芽便是美好的教義和天主的訓言。這是牧場上的羊羣，也就是天主子民所用的養料；結實纍纍的樹木便是遵守天主的誡命。 在這一天，真正的人，按天主的肖像和模樣被造成。「這是上主所造的日子」，這句話對你來說，不就是世界的開始嗎？先知說，這一天與其他的日子不同，這一夜也與其他的夜有別。 可是我們還沒有說明，這一天帶給我們的最傑出的恩寵；這一天毀滅了死亡的痛苦，這一天產生了死者中的長子。 耶穌說：「我升到我的父、也是你們的父，我的天主、也是你們的天主那裡去。」多麼卓絕的好消息！祂雖然是天主的獨生子，却為了我們而成為像我們一樣的人，使我們成為祂的弟兄；祂現在帶著人性到祂真父面前，為能藉著祂吸引所有的弟兄。 | Venit vitæ regnum, et solútum est mortis impérium. Appáruit ália generátio, ália vita, álius vivéndi modus, ipsíus natúræ nostræ commutátio. Quænam generátio? Quæ non ex sanguínibus, neque ex voluntáte viri, neque ex voluntáte carnis, sed ex Deo facta est. Cuínam, ínquies, hoc fíeri potest? Audi, nam paucis explicábo. Fetus hic per fidem concípitur, per baptísmatis regeneratiónem in lucem éditur, nutrícem habet Ecclésiam, huius doctrínam et institúta sugit tamquam úbera, illi cæléstis panis est cibus; ætátis perféctio est sublímis vivéndi rátio; núptiæ, consuetúdo sapiéntiæ; líberi, spes; domus, regnum; heréditas et opuléntia, delíciæ paradísi; finis, non mors sed vita illa, quæ dignis paráta est, beatíssima et sempitérna. Hæc est dies illa, quam fecit Dóminus, a diébus illis longe divérsa, qui mundi procreatiónis inítio sunt constitúti, quos témporis cursus dimetítur. Alteríus hæc est procreatiónis inítium. In hac enim die cælum novum facit Deus et terram novam, ut ait Prophéta. Ecquod cælum? Firmaméntum eius quæ in Christo est fídei. Ecquam terram? Cor bonum, inquam, ut dixit Dóminus, terram quæ bibit super se veniéntem imbrem, et spicam multíplicem parit. In hac creatióne, sol quidem est vita munda; stellæ, virtútes; aer, præclára conversátio; mare, altitúdo divitiárum sapiéntiæ et sciéntiæ? herbæ et gérmina, bona doctrína, divináque documénta, quæ pópulus páscuæ, hoc est, Dei grex carpit, atque depáscitur; árbores feréntes fructum, mandatórum observátio. In hac die verus homo procreátur ad imáginem et similitúdinem Dei. Annon mundus tibi fit hoc princípium, Hæc dies, quam fecit Dóminus? Quam neque diem esse dicit prophéta diébus áliis, neque noctem áliis nóctibus símilem? Sed quod in hac grátia præstantíssimum est, nondum explicávimus. Hæc mortis dolóres dissólvit. Hæc mortuórum primogénitum édidit. Ascéndo, inquit, ad Patrem meum et Patrem vestrum, Deum meum et Deum vestrum. O núntium præclárum et bonum! Qui pro nobis factus est homo, is cum sit Unigénitus, quo nos fratres effíciat suos, se hóminem ad verum Patrem addúcit, ut per se ipsum omnes cognátos secum trahat. |
From a sermon by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop
The firstborn of the new creation
The reign of life has begun, the tyranny of death is ended. A new birth has taken place, a new life has come, a new order of existence has appeared, our very nature has been transformed! This birth is not brought about by human generation, by the will of man, or by the desire of the flesh, but by God.
If you wonder how, I will explain in clear language. Faith is the womb that conceives this new life, baptism the rebirth by which it is brought forth into the light of day. The Church is its nurse; her teachings are its milk, the bread from heaven is its food. It is brought to maturity by the practice of virtue; it is wedded to wisdom; it gives birth to hope. Its home is the kingdom; its rich inheritance the joys of paradise; its end, not death, but the blessed and everlasting life prepared for those who are worthy.
This is the day the Lord has made – a day far different from those made when the world was first created and which are measured by the passage of time. This is the beginning of a new creation. On this day, as the prophet says, God makes a new heaven and a new earth. What is this new heaven? you may ask. It is the firmament of our faith in Christ. What is the new earth? A good heart, a heart like the earth, which drinks up the rain that falls on it and yields a rich harvest.
In this new creation, purity of life is the sun, the virtues are the stars, transparent goodness is the air, and the depths of the riches of wisdom and knowledge, the sea. Sound doctrine, the divine teachings are the grass and plants that feed God’s flock, the people whom he shepherds; the keeping of the commandments is the fruit borne by the trees.
On this day is created the true man, the man made in the image and likeness of God. For this day the Lord has made is the beginning of this new world. Of this day the prophet says that it is not like other days, nor is this night like other nights. But still we have not spoken of the greatest gift it has brought us. This day destroyed the pangs of death and brought to birth the firstborn of the dead.
I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God. O what wonderful good news! He who for our sake became like us in order to make us his brothers, now presents to his true Father his own humanity in order to draw all his kindred up after him.
No comments:
Post a Comment