【聖公會坎特伯雷主教座堂合一祟拜】【周守仁樞機講道全文】
（公教報訊）來自世界各地的天主教及聖公會的主教於1月28日在英國聖公會坎特伯雷主教座堂參與聖餐祟拜，以下是周守仁樞機的講道全文：
Anglican Eucharist at Canterbury – Jan. 28
Rev 12:1-5a Mk 1:21-28
As we are coming to the end of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Summit, besides being filled with deep gratitude and profound appreciation for our Lord and the organizing team, I would say every participant is affirmed why we are here in the first place, if not for our Lord and his mesmerizing call on us, “come closer, come together in communion, my mission for you.” Coming to Rome and Canterbury is certainly not for vacation nor an escape from work at home. I am fairly sure that some of us would prefer to be in a warmer climate for vacation. And work, beyond doubt, is faithfully waiting for our return.
This Jesus, whom we hail as our Lord and Savior, how has he been our own role model? The reaction of those people in the gospel reading today, they were “astonished” by the teaching and authority of Jesus as he exorcised the man, serves as a wake-up call to me. Jesus was being greeted as a great prophet of God through their sense of astonishment. They were astonished by how he used his power of liberation to substantiate his teaching. No, the rules abiding, and predictable scribes did not receive such wonderful treatment.
So, I ask myself when were my homilies ever greeted with astonishment by my congregations? In what ways can I use my authority and power to substantiate my teaching? Or, maybe I should be thankful that they have stayed awake or somewhat amused during my homilies.
Furthermore, how was Jesus my role model when I was a Jesuit provincial and now a bishop? I am certainly not the one described in the Book of Revelation with a mystical presence and epical mission, “ruling all the nations with an iron rod.” It was my Lord. I am only a small and insignificant potato really.
But is this really the case? Can I really get away with such a feeble excuse? Didn’t this Jesus call me to be his companion and partner in mission? Yes, my Lord also needs me to be his partner, bringing him and his salvific message of love to this broken and increasingly suffering world. Then I should be confident that I am empowered to carry out his mission, for him and with him. Jesus will not make his partners some powerless fools, unless we decide to go our own ways entirely. But how has Jesus manifested that power?
The iron rod that Jesus uses, after all, is not meant to kill. It is the power of love that inspires us to understand the Holy Trinity who is the eternal communion of life and love, to be aware of our sinfulness and our existential need for this God. The power of Jesus’ teaching must have come out of his heart, His conviction of what he was going to say actually came from his love for his Father. What his Father told him, he told us. Moreover, what he believed, he put in action, e.g., setting the man free from the power of the evil one spoke for Jesus’ salvific mission. Genuine teaching in ‘words’ was being supported by the liberating ‘actions’ of love. These had made Jesus an incredible rabbi and prophet.
Indeed, the same Jesus has brought us together. The same Lord has graced us with an array of rich experiences that should prompt our hearts and move us into ecumenical actions.
I recall the heart-wrenching experiences that were shared by fellow bishops in Amazon, Middle East, Myanmar, Sudan, South Sudan, etc., where martyrdom is a real possibility; the pain of not able to receive communion together serves as a reminder of how much we still need to advance in our ecumenical journey; the gratitude for the mandate from Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin to walk and grow together in our communion and missions; and our sacred duty toward safeguarding our children and the vulnerable, which should include our Common Home.
We, Anglicans and Roman Catholics, are called to be Jesus’ partners, individually and collectively. The twelve apostles and disciples were not called to form camps working for their own missions or competing against each other. They were called to become an assembly, a community, a communion, a synodal koinonia, praying and discerning, teaching and serving for the mission of our Triune God.
God is not amused by anyone losing out, especially those who are marginalized and disconnected, including those in our Church. It keeps on amazing me how the sins of the sixth commandment weight so much more than the other serious sins. Indeed, we are all sinners, yet deeply, deeply loved by God.
May God’s ever-loving and ever-inclusive mission of salvation, and what we have learned at this summit enlighten us, spur us forward so that we can be counted as worthy mission partners of the Son of God. May God bless you all, my sisters and brothers, in the Church that is of Christ!
Stephen Chow, S.J.
相關報道見2月4日公教報頭版
- 圖：聖公宗 — 天主教合一與使命國際委員會
