

各位弟兄姐妹,
今天是我们天主教会的天主圣三节。今天的弥撒读经虽然没有用“天主圣三”或“三位一体”等名词,但告诉了我们:天主是三位一体的天主,三位一体的天主是至爱的天主。现在我就以“至玄至真至爱的天主圣三”为道理题目,跟大家一起分享三位一体天主的道理。
一、至玄的天主圣三
天主三位一体的信仰,是我们天主教会最核心的信仰,也是我们基督徒生活的最高典范,我们每次请圣号,念信经,领圣事,做祈祷时,总是呼求天主圣三之名,表明我们对圣三的真诚信仰与崇高敬意。
天主三位一体的信仰,还是我们天主教会所有信仰中最奥妙的道理,连天使也不能洞彻的奥理:天主只有一个,但一个天主包含三位:第一位圣父、第二位圣子、第三位圣神。圣父不是圣子,圣子不是圣神,圣神不是圣父;可圣父圣子圣神不是三个天主,而是独一的天主;祂们无大小先后,是同性、同体、同等、同尊、同荣、同在、同工、同徳、相爱、合一。
相传我们教会最伟大的圣师之一圣奥斯定,他为了能从神学上把天主三位一体的奥理说清楚而绞尽脑汁。有一次,他在海边的沙滩上散步,突然看到有一个小孩子在海滩上挖了一个坑,然后用贝壳从海里舀水,又把水倒在小坑里。圣奥斯定百思不得其解,就问这个孩子,“你在做什么呢?”小孩子很认真的说:“我想把整个大海的水舀进这个坑里。”圣人听后开怀大笑,说:“这怎么可能呢?你怎么能把无边无际的大海装在你这个小小的坑里呢?”谁知那个小孩子居然说:“是的,你也知道我的小坑装不了大海,那你有限的头脑怎么能明白无限的三位一体的天主呢?”说完,小孩子突然不见了。
二、至真的天主圣三
天主三位一体的信仰虽然很玄奥,不是我们人的理智所能完全明白的,但却是真理。这既有圣经的启示,也有宇宙万物等的启示。
(一)圣经的启示
有关天主三位一体的真理不仅在旧约圣经中已有暗示,在新约圣经中更是有明显的启示。
若望福音十四章23—26节耶稣说:“你们所听到的话,并不是我的,而是派遣我来的父的话。……那护慰者,就是父因我的名所要派遣来的圣神,祂必要教训你们一切,也要使你们想起我对你们所说的一切。”
耶稣这段话,说明一个天主内有父、子、圣神三位,三位彼此合作无间,并对遵守耶稣教训的人爱护备至。
玛窦福音廿八章19节耶稣说:“你们要去使万民成为门徒,因父及子及圣神之名给他们授洗。”耶稣这段话说明:因父及子及圣神之名接受洗礼,是成为耶稣门徒的必要条件。
在今天弥撒的读经二格林多后书13章13节,圣保禄宗徒祝福格林多教会的教友说:“愿主耶稣基督的恩宠,和天主的爱情,以及圣神的相通,常与你们众人相偕。”
(二)宇宙万物的启示
1.太阳的启示。太阳本体,喻为天主;太阳射出的紫外线,喻为圣父;太阳发出的光,喻为圣子;太阳的热能,喻为圣神。光、紫外线和热能同属于一个太阳。同样,圣父、圣子和圣神也同属于一个天主。
2.水的启示。水,比作天主。水有三种状态:液态、固态和气态。液态的水,喻为圣父;固体的水,喻为圣子;气态的水,喻为圣神。液态水、固态水和气态水均属于水。同样,圣父、圣子和圣神也同属于一个天主。
三、至爱的天主圣三
各位弟兄姐妹,我们天主教所信奉的天主既是圣父、圣子和圣神三位一体的天主,也是至爱的天主。
1.天主的本性就是爱。天主是谁?我们天主教的要理问答告诉我们:天主是造天地、造天使、造人、造万物的真主宰。这当然不错!但从天主的本性来说,若望宗徒说“天主是爱”。(若壹4:16)
在今天弥撒的读经一中,上主对梅瑟大声喊说:“雅威,雅威是慈悲宽仁的天主,缓于发怒,富于慈爱忠诚。”(出34:6)
在今天弥撒福音中,圣若望宗徒深有感触地说:“天主竟这样爱了世界,甚至赐下了自己的独生子,使凡信他的人不至丧亡,反而获得永生。”(若3:16)这就是天主对我们人类难以形容的极大的爱!
2.天主照顾人的生活。我们人生活上很多基本的需求,都是天主白白的赐予。如雨水、日光、空气,虽然人未必已经认识他,但“他从天上给你们赐了雨和结实的季节,以食物和喜乐充满你们的心。”(宗14:17)
所以,当人向他祈求,他愿意垂听、帮助,使人在实际生活上体会他的爱。
3.天主希望人相爱。天主本身是慈爱的,祂也要求信奉祂的人要彼此相爱,使人与人之间藉着互信、互谅、互助,建立一个祥和的社会,使人生充满快乐和满足。
主耶稣说:“我给你们一条新命令:你们该彼此相爱;如同我爱了你们,你们也该照样彼此相爱。”(若13:34)
圣若望宗徒说:“我们应该爱,因为天主先爱了我们。假使有人说:我爱天主,但他却恼恨自己的弟兄,便是撒谎的;因为那不爱自己所看见的弟兄的,就不能爱自己所看不见的天主。我们从祂蒙受了这命令:那爱天主的,也该爱自己的弟兄。”(若壹4:19-21)
各位弟兄姐妹,我们不仅要相信天主圣三是至爱的天主,更要把天主圣三的至爱在生活中实践出来,为天主圣三的至爱作证。
结语
各位弟兄姐妹,最后让我们反省以下三个问题:
1.天主圣三间是怎样的关系?
2.天主圣三的奥理,与我有什么关系?
3.我该怎样敬礼天主圣三?
愿主耶稣基督的恩宠,和天主的爱情,及圣神的相通,常与你们众人同在!阿们!
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son
Who is the greatest lover of all? True love always costs dearly! God, the perfect lover, has given us, his beloved, the most perfect gift of all. “To ransom a slave God gave his Son” (an ancient prayer from the Easter vigil liturgy). God sent his Son to free us from the worst of tyrannies – slavery to sin and the curse of death. Jesus’ sacrificial death was an act of total self-giving. Jesus gave himself completely out of love for his Father. And he willing layed down his life out of self-less love for our sake and for our salvation. His death on the cross was both a total offering to God and the perfect sacrifice of atonement for our sin and the sin of the world.
John tells us that God’s love has no bounds or limits (John 3:16). His love is not limited to one people or a few chosen friends. His love is limitless because it embraces the whole world and every individual created in “his image and likeness”. God is a persistent loving Father who cannot rest until all of his wandering children have returned home to him. Saint Augustine says, God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love. God gives us the freedom to choose whom and what we will love and not love. Jesus shows us the paradox of love and forgiveness and judgment and condemnation. We can love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God’s truth, goodness, and mercy. If our love is guided by what is truly good, wise and beautiful, then we will choose for God and love him above all else. What we love shows what we prefer. Do you love God above all else? And do you seek to put him first in all your thoughts, cares, choices, and actions?
How can we personally know God the Father and his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? It is the Holy Spirit who reveals the Father and the Son to us and who gives us the gift of faith to know, understand, and live out the truth of God’s word with joy and confidence. Through the Holy Spirit, we proclaim our ancient faith– proclaimed by the Apostles – in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ until he comes again. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher, Guide, and Helper so we can grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God and his great love for us. Ask the Holy Spirit to deepen your understanding and experience of God the Father’s love for you and his desire that you be completely united with him and his Son in a community of love and peace.
May the Lord Jesus put his hands on our eyes also, for then we too shall begin to look not at what is seen but at what is not seen. May he open the eyes that are concerned not with the present but with what is yet to come, may he unseal the heart’s vision, that we may gaze on God in the Spirit, through the same Lord, Jesus Christ, whose glory and power will endure throughout the unending succession of ages. (prayer of Origin)

