教義與信德

今天閱覽一本前輩所使用過的「信友彌撒經書」。當中有一頁是介紹天主教的教義，並且提到作為一位公教徒，究竟應該「知道」和「相信」甚麼。

Among the truths which faith teaches us, there are several which all ought to know and to believe explicitly, viz., the existence of one God; the Mystery of the Holy Trinity; the Mystery of the Redemption of mankind by the Incarnation and death of Jesus Christ, and the future state of reward and punishment.

There are things which every Catholic is also bound to know, by the express command either of God or of the Church. These things are:

1. The three most ordinary Christian prayers, viz., the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary and the Apostles' Creed; and also, at least in substance,
2. The Commandments of God;
3. The Precepts of the Church;
4. The Doctrine of the Sacraments, and especially of these three, which are necessary to every one, viz., Baptism, Penance, and the Holy Eucharist;
5. The duties and obligations of one's state of life.

It is a mortal sin for a Christian to be ignorant of these things, if it be through his own wilflness or neglect.

當中最引起小弟注意的一項，是「The duties and obligations of one's state of life」一項。個人在塵世生活的職責，其實亦包括多個角色的任務，決不能因顧此失彼，而留下缺憾。

我們既要在世界中，為基督的福音作證，實在應該活得精彩，方可成為人間的酵母。

以前人們常說某些公教道理，乃「為得救是必需」的。上述的各點，相信對我們基督徒有著切身的關係。若我們在「意願」上希望得救，則不得不同時「意願」更認識天主，和祂藉教會所訓導的道理。這也許可以解釋「必需」這詞的意義吧？