善待長上

數日前讀一本靈修書，當中提及一種「判斷長上」的心態，為自己而言，很值得引以為誡：

Be patient with your superiors

Superiors are often the objects of faultfinding. Submission to authority in some way is a necessary duty of every human creature. No one can escape obedience. This is the plan God set up for the world, that He would delegate His divine authority to parents and other legitimate human superiors. He Himself gave an outstanding example of submission to that authority, for St. Luke says He "was obedient to them," (Luke 2:51) meaning His mother and foster-father in the natural order of things.

Faults and defects are bound to appear in human instruments; hence, faults are to be found in superiors. A position of authority can sometimes bring into prominence the faults of human nature. Superiors, even with the best of intentions, will manifest certain defects. For instance, a superior can be the overbearing type, too obviously conscious of his position, easily aroused to impatience and anger, indifferent to the needs and complaints of those subject to them, and too insistent on trivialities. Some of these faults will inevitably produce a certain amount of irritation and friction.

God does not will the faults of superiors, but He does want you to be kind in judging them. He set up His plan of delegated authority knowning that faults would be found. In a sense, He uses those faults, and He desires those who are under authority to be purified by them. Superiors have an obligation to work against their faults, especially because of the consequences of their failure to do so.

To supernaturalize your obedience is to see God's Providence even in the faults of your superiors, and to practice devotion to duty and charity and patience in spite of these faults.

(Lawrence G. Lovasik, The Hidden Power of Kindness, p. 47-48)

這段文章，的確令我記起不少往事。不論在家庭、工作和教會生活中，我們都要認真地處理自己和「長輩」、「上司」、「領袖」和「神長」間的關係。

很多時，自己往往會對他們寄予很高很大的期望，然而期望愈大，難免亦導致失望。這一點，尤其表現於我們特別重視的事項－－為何在這些事情上，他們不肯服從「真理」？

許多時，事端往往與「誰是『真理』的詮釋者和代言人」的問題有關。在這問題上，縱然我們認同「長上」或「權威」的決策不一定正確，但為處事而言，則往往最「便利」和「實際」。

亦有些時候，即使事理明顯，但「人為」的因素，導致「真理」未能在此時、此地、此人身上落實。問題是在於：即使在這情況下，與其「據理力爭」，反而應否對「人」的有限和軟弱，抱多一點體貼和包容的態度，並接受他們、甚至制度性的「未能在此刻完全皈依」的事實？我自己又是否在另一意義下，處身於相似的境況中？

又很多時，這些「真理」往往並不是甚麼大是大非的關節事項，而只是近乎雞蛋裡挑骨頭的「口味」和「感覺」而矣！

想深一層，若能對他們的難處和挑戰多些諒解和包容，則群體的生活亦可多點和諧、少些衝突。

善用世物

這個月真忙得很，今天總算是有點時間，可寫點東西。

這個常年期第十七主日的上午，參加了堂區青年會的聚會。一班教友聚在一起，很多時都會分享大家怎樣「忙」，進一步就會分享一下，該如何善用大家的時間，與主交談。

就是這些問題，引領我進入今天的禮儀當中。

而今天的禮儀經文，亦不乏一點點提示：

天主，仰望你的人，必蒙助佑；離開了你，一切都沒有價值，更無聖善可言。求你廣施憐憫，使我們在你的引領下，善用世上易於消逝的財物，以獲取永存不朽的賞報。因你的聖子......

（原文：）

Protéctor in te sperántium, Deus, sine quo nihil est válidum, nihil sanctum, multíplica super nos misericórdiam tuam, ut, te rectóre, te duce, sic bonis transeúntibus nunc utámur, ut iam possímus inhærére mansúris. Per Dóminum ...

中文版的禱文，算是譯得不錯，頗能帶出天主的角色和地位、以及我們對世間「易於消逝」的事物所應抱的態度。

原文重視天主自己就是仰望祂的人的「保護者」，不過這點又很難能以淺白的中文說出。

此外，禱詞所述的「te rectore, te duce」，乃道出天主對我們的「指引」和「領導」角色。前者屬方向上的「指點迷津」，而後者則指行動上的「攀山涉險」。

「Transeuntibus」一詞的意義相似英文的「transient」，當中包括「短暫」、「臨時」、「易逝」的意思。然而它不專指一件事情或物件的「將」逝和「易」逝的特質，亦指出它「正在」消逝的現實。很有中文「過眼雲煙」的意味。

「Inhærere mansuris」一語，帶有雙關的意義。現時譯文將它理解為「永恆不朽的賞報」的「獲取」－－這是取了它的「繼承」義，就有如英文的「inheritance」。但「Inhaerere」一詞亦有「眷戀」、「緊貼」和「恪守」的意義。

對我來說，這篇禱詞是提醒自己：即使在紛亂繁雜的世俗事務中，亦要祈求天主施以憐憫，使我能看清世間事物－－即使美好－－亦只屬過眼雲煙而矣！我們的崗位和本分，並非要我們「不管」或「懶理」，反而應在天主的啟導和引領下，將它們倍加善用和管理，好使我們亦能眷戀並注目於「永恆」而「持久」的事物、意義和價值。

今天禮儀所觸動我的另一處，是領主詠的歌詞：

Honóra Dóminum de tua substántia ...

此曲應出自聖經的〈箴言〉（3:9），當中有謂：「應以你的財物......去尊崇上主」。我不清楚聖經原文中「財物」一詞的意義。但拉丁文的「substantia」則甚能表達一種奉獻精神所應包括的神髓。我們欽崇天主，不可用一些對我們而言「可有可無」（accidens）的東西來作祭禮，而應以關乎我們「實質」的事物－－這不是指我們「自己」嗎？

當中的意義，實在很值得進一步反省。

司儀

今期Zenit的禮儀專欄，提及「禮節司」的問題。

都幾有趣的：香港的堂區內，往往有一種習慣，將「領經」（Commentator：正確地應譯作「旁述」）的職務稱為「司儀」（Master of Ceremonies）。

有時不同的名稱，顯示教友們傾向於對禮儀的某種解讀。

「領經」一詞，相信是出於擔當這種職務的教友，「帶領」其他教友們作出適當的言和動作上的回應，而當中亦包括「經文」。但久而久之，在一些人心目中，亦出現了「帶領禮儀進行」的理解。然嚴格而言，「帶領」禮儀進行，應是主禮的任務。

至於司儀中的「司」（Master），其實原義不是指「主人」或「話事人」，而更應該指「老師」、「師傅」和「導師」之意。他們深諳禮儀學問，而在禮儀舉行前後、及舉行時，實際協調禮節的進行和處理。他們的存在，多少反映著禮儀的客觀性。

在這裡，記起了 Martin Mosebach 所著的《The Heresy of Formlessness - The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy》，當中描述一位神父，在主教禮儀中擔當「禮節司」角色的意義：

... In the pontifical Mass the celebrating bishop has an assistant at his side, the presbyter assistens, who dose not wear Mass vestments but choir dress, a cope (pluviale). The priest's task is to guide the bishop through the Missal, turning the pages and indicating the next prayers to be said. In former times he used a small rod for this purpose, a metal scepter ending in a tiny hand and extended index finger. Interestingly, a very similar pointing-stick is used when reading the Torah in the orthodox Jewish service. It may seem puzzling first that prelates who spend their whole lives in and with the liturgy cannot find their way around the Missal on their own; but we begin to see that this ritual of pointing actually manifests the celebrant's submission to the traditional order of prayer: it is not something created by him. Here again the cult wishes to be understood and experienced as something given, not made by the man of the moment. The celebrant is an instrument, just as the pointing-stick is. When the Mass is celebrated by an ordinary priest, the "master of ceremonies" indicates the relevant places in the Missal with his entire hand, not, for course, with the index finger; this pointing is very closely associated with the use of the Missal: of the thousand possibilities contained in it, the pointer "from above" indicates the particular reality applicable to the day. As for the subordinate gestures of the hand on the part of lower clerics and even laymen, they always have a reference to the ministry of the angels. Indicating the correct place in the Missal partakes - most definitely - of the character of revelation ...