| 選讀亞歷山大主教聖濟利祿《若望福音釋義》 | Ex Commentário sancti Cyrílli Alexandríni epíscopi in Evangélium Ioánnis (Lib. 10, 2: PG 74, 331-334) |
| 我是葡萄樹，你們是葡萄枝 | Ego sum vitis, vos palmites |
| 主說祂自己是葡萄樹，是為了教導我們，要與祂的愛結合，並指示給我們，與祂聯合為我們有什麼好處。凡是與祂結合，以某種方式與祂連結並固定在祂身上的人，祂把他們比做葡萄枝，他們已經「分享祂的性體」。這是因為他們分沾了聖神：原來聖神使我們與主結合。 到葡萄樹那裡，而與葡萄樹結合的人是出於他們的自由抉擇；而葡萄樹與我們的結合，却是由於祂的本性。我們由於這一良好的抉擇，便藉信德與基督結合，並且成為「祂的種族」，因為我們從祂那裡領受了義子的地位。事實上，按照聖保祿所說的：「誰與主結合，便和祂成為一個神靈」。 在聖經的其他章節裡，基督藉先知的口，被稱為地基和基礎。因為我們是建造在祂上面的，並且被稱為活石和屬神的石頭，使我們成為聖潔的司祭，在聖神內的天主的住所。除非我們擁有基督作為基礎，便不能被建築成這座聖所。耶穌便是在這同一意義下，在這裡說，祂是葡萄樹，而葡萄枝是由祂而生，好像子女由母親而生，弟子由老師所出。 的確，我們由於祂，並在祂內，重生在聖神內，以便結出生命的果實；不是陳舊而腐朽生命的果實，而是由對祂的信和愛而更新的生命之果。我們要保持在這種狀態中，彷彿接枝在基督身上，不計付出任何代價，遵守那頒給我們的誡命。我們要努力維持崇高地位的利益，就是說，總不要使聖神難過，因為祂在我們內定居，並且我們藉著祂，才能知道祂住在我們內。 我們如何在基督內，祂又如何在我們內，智者若望指示我們說：「我們認識祂居住在我們內，我們也住在祂內，因為祂將聖神賜給了我們。」 如同葡萄樹幹，把它固有的、內在的本質，供給於葡萄枝，同樣，天主聖言──天主聖父的唯一子，把聖神賜給聖人們，便是把祂本性的親屬關係通傳給他們，特別是那些以信德和完美的聖德與祂結合的人。祂滋養他們，使他們的虔誠有所進境，在他們內發展一切美德和仁愛的知識。 | Quod opórteat dilectióni erga se inhærére, et quantum ex eo quod ei coniúncti sumus cómmodi nobis evéniat volens osténdere, vitem quidem Dóminus seípsum esse dicit; qui autem ei sunt uníti, atque ínsiti quodámmodo et infíxi, et iam facti sunt natúræ ipsíus consórtes, participáto nempe Sancto Spíritu (sanctus enim Christi Spíritus nos ei coniúngit), hos palmítibus cómparat. Eórum enim, qui ad vitem accédunt, adhǽsio voluntátis est atque propósiti; eius autem coniúnctio nobíscum, afféctus et habitúdinis. Ex bono quippe propósito nos ad Christum accéssimus per fidem; genus autem ipsíus facti sumus, adoptiónis dignitátem ab eo consecúti. Etenim, iuxta sanctum Paulum, qui adhǽret Dómino, unus spíritus est. Sicut ergo álibi per vocem Prophétæ basis et fundaméntum nominátus est (super ipsum enim nos ædificámur, et lápides nuncupáti sumus vivéntes ac spiritáles in sacerdótium sanctum, in habitáculum Dei in Spíritu, nec álio modo póssumus in hoc ædificári, nisi Christus nobis fundaméntum fúerit), hic quoque eódem sensu vitem seípsum esse ait, pálmitum, qui ex ea sunt, quasi matrem et alúmnam. Regeneráti enim sumus ex ipso et in ipso, in Spíritu, ad feréndum fructum vitæ, non véteris illíus et exsolétæ, sed eius quæ novitáte vitæ constat et erga ipsum caritáte. Conservámur autem in esse, ipsi quodámmodo insérti, et trádito nobis sancto mandáto mórdicus inhæréntes, et nobilitátis bonum serváre studéntes, id est, non sinéntes prorsus inhabitántem in nobis Spíritum vel mínimum contristári, per quem habitáre in nobis Deus intellégitur. Quómodo enim simus in Christo, et is in nobis, ipse nobis sápiens Ioánnes osténdit, dicens: In hoc cognóscimus quóniam in eo manémus, et ipse in nobis, quóniam de Spíritu suo dedit nobis. Quemádmodum enim radix naturálem suam qualitátem palmítibus impértit, sic unigénitum Dei Verbum Dei ac Patris suǽque natúræ quandam véluti cognatiónem sanctis ínserit, Spíritum lárgiens iis potíssimum qui uníti sunt ei per fidem, et omnímodam sanctitátem, eósque ad pietátem alit, omnísque virtútis ac bonitátis cognitiónem in iis operátur. |
From a commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop
I am the vine, you are the branches
The Lord calls himself the vine and those united to him branches in order to teach us how much we shall benefit from our union with him, and how important it is for us to remain in his love. By receiving the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of union between us and Christ our Saviour, those who are joined to him, as branches are to a vine, share in his own nature.
On the part of those who come to the vine, their union with him depends upon a deliberate act of the will; on his part, the union is effected by grace. Because we had good will, we made the act of faith that brought us to Christ, and received from him the dignity of adoptive sonship that made us his own kinsmen, according to the words of Saint Paul: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
The prophet Isaiah calls Christ the foundation, because it is upon him that we as living and spiritual stones are built into a holy priesthood to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. Upon no other foundation than Christ can this temple be built. Here Christ is teaching the same truth by calling himself the vine, since the vine is the parent of its branches, and provides their nourishment.
From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through the Spirit in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit of our old, sinful life but the fruit of a new life founded upon our faith in him and our love for him. Like branches growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ, and we cling to his holy commandment in order to preserve this life. Eager to safeguard the blessing of our noble birth, we are careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, and who makes us aware of God’s presence in us.
Let the wisdom of John teach us how we live in Christ and Christ lives in us: The proof that we are living in him and he is living in us is that he has given us a share in his Spirit. Just as the trunk of the vine gives its own natural properties to each of its branches, so, by bestowing on them the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father, gives Christians a certain kinship with himself and with God the Father because they have been united to him by faith and determination to do his will in all things. He helps them to grow in love and reverence for God, and teaches them to discern right from wrong and to act with integrity.
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