2015.05.03 起癱主日
聖禮儀 (一)：參與的呼召 講道 ：李亮神父 英文紀錄：貝克教授 翻譯：張奉書
主日講解了這麼多年的福音書，今天我要講解的不是福音書，而是要來談談我們在這裡做些什麼。很多人對我們說，教會必須要舉辦一些活動。我們也試著辦一些活動，但不太成功。
而我認為我們一直在舉行的活動，就是天上地下最重要的活動。這是我今日要告訴你們的內容—聖禮儀。何謂聖禮儀？我希望可以在我們舉行聖禮儀後討論一下這個主題。首先我們眾人一同前來。這很重要，我們需要了解，我們不是獨自舉行聖禮儀，我們是將宇宙萬物一起帶到教會，我們把我們的需要帶來，也帶來我們的憂傷、我們所愛的人，以及離世的人們。
我們來到這裡合而為一。有人可能會認為，為何要和這人或那人合而為一，覺得對方不是好人或是身體很髒之類的。我說的合而為一，不是說你失去自我。我們不是變成像一碗湯，在這碗湯裡我們無法分辨油和其他加入的佐料，全都混在一起。這不是我們在談的合一。從哲學、社會學的觀點，你要明白不與其他人建立關係的人，就像是野蠻人，不像是真正的人。
某人昨天問我，如何與人合而為一？那是怎麼一回事，透過手術還是醫療程序？我告訴他合而為一指的並不是擁有共同的思想。合而為一是神的恩賜。這就是神道成肉身的原因，祂成為餅與酒，因此當我領受祂，你領受祂，我們便藉著祂合而為一。透過祂成為一體，這是非常重要的，因為這是肢體的合一，我們真的成為彼此的肢體，而不是只在思想上合一。不是我們共同接受某種哲學思想或教導而合一。
非常重要的是，你領受聖餐，因為你並非孤單一人。你無法自己一人來到這裡，就說自己想要領受聖餐。當然有人可能會問：「神父，但你帶著聖餐到其他城市，將餅酒分給在車站或其他地方的人，那時共同領受餅酒的其他人又在哪裡呢？」然而當我們在特殊情境中，像是某人住院等特殊情境時，還是可以領受聖餐，因為領受聖餐，是發生在彼此的團契（community）中（編按：意指此人是在基督的肢體中，在教會的共融中，在不可分割的信仰大家庭中領受聖餐）。
所以關乎聖禮儀的其中一個問題，就是以太過神聖和高不可攀的角度來看待聖禮儀。倘若你把某個對象看的太神聖，它就會顯得遙不可及和太過魔幻。很重要的是，在聖禮儀中我們一起做一些事。有人問我為什麼你是東正教徒，有比其他的宗教好嗎？東正教不是宗教，它是Ecclesia，希臘文的意思就是團契（community），這就是聖禮儀。這是很重要的。
從現在開始，我要請你也做一些事情，帶一點麵包給我。在樓下的麵包店買也可以，我會在聖禮儀中使用大家帶來的麵包。因為你不會在家裡做麵包，所以如果我要你烘培麵包，你也不會照做。不論你帶怎樣的麵包來，我會從中取一小塊。然後請你也帶一小張紙來，上面寫著仍在世上或過世之人的名字。或者你可以用小杯子裝一點葡萄酒，帶來給我。希臘Kalinos是個很傳統的小島，我在那裏的時候，當地的婦女會用小藥瓶裝酒帶來，我把酒倒入玻璃瓶中，用來舉行聖餐。
另一項很重要的事情是你的參與。你是其中一員，要知道你的一小塊麵包，是為了你而獻上的。你必須自己做這件事。我當然能做，但你不能只是待在一旁觀看。也請告知其他不在場的人，別再空手而來。
十八年來我未曾向各位要求過任何金錢奉獻。我在Kalinos時，有位老太太要給我一些奉獻，我不要拿。但他們告訴我，如果我不接受會冒犯到他們，所以我便拿這些奉獻去幫孩子們買些巧克力。但無論如何，你應該記得我在此要求的不是金錢奉獻。即使你不帶麵包或一小杯葡萄酒來，至少你要給我生者亡者的代禱名字。但不要僅只一次，每次來參加聖禮儀的時候，都要帶來這些東西。
要知道你是為了某個原因來到這裡。你不是為了某種神聖而高不可攀的事物來到這裡，也不是為了要看穿著奇怪衣服的神父，做著魔法般的儀式，好能讓自己得到某種神奇的力量。你不是為此而來。你來到這裡是要了與你所紀念的生者亡者、和宇宙萬物成為一體。這是無法以人的手段做到的事情，而是因著神成為人，變成餅與酒；因著領受相同的聖餐，祂成為你的身體，也成為我的身體，我們因此合而為一。
我再說一次，你領受聖餐，並非個人主義的舉止。不是你領受，而別人沒有領受，這是錯誤的想法。你領受聖餐，也是為了他人。因為基督的恩典，會透過你，傳給他人。這是天上地下最崇高的活動。
在結束聖禮儀之後，我們一起用餐。請別誤解我們的聖禮儀與幾分之鐘後我們共進午餐是完全不相干的二碼事，以為聖餐是神聖的，而午餐的食物是世俗的。這是生命的延續，因為我們也需要一般的飲食。而這些日常的食物和我們已經領受的聖體聖血，一同滋養我們的生命。
以後有機會我會進一步說明，別以為我現在說的都是李亮神父自己瘋狂的想法。若考察初代基督教會的著作，或是教會的詩歌，就會完全明白我在說什麼。
這是為何在修道院時，我們結束聖禮儀後我們會脫去聖袍，但仍以儀式和莊嚴的方式前往用餐：用餐就是聖禮儀的延續。
在此我希望下次你來到教會，你會記得帶來代禱的名單，也要記得你是為了某個原因來到這裡。上班、上學，你需要帶報告和資料，來教會同樣有你需要帶來的東西。
2015.03.03 Sunday of the Paralytic
Liturgy I : A Call to Participate
Sermon: Fr. Jonah
Transcript: Prof. Baker
After so many years of speaking about the Gospel, I don’t want to speak about it today, but instead to talk about what we are doing here. Many people say to us that the Church must have activities. And we try to do activities, but without success.
And I was thinking that we have one activity that is the most important thing in the heavens and the Earth. And this is what I will talk to you about today – the Liturgy. What is the Liturgy? It is that we come all together first. Of course, I hope to talk about this a little more after the Liturgy. But it is very important to understand that we are not alone when we do this. We bring to the Church all the universe. We bring to the Church our needs, our sorrows, our beloved people, our dead people.
And we come here to become one. Somebody might say, why should I become one with this person or that person, you might be dirty or bad, so why should I become one with him. When I say to become one, I don’t mean to lose what you are. We don’t become a soup where you can’t distinguish the oil and other things that we put inside. But you must know from philosophy, from sociology the point of view that one human being who is not connected by relationships with other human beings is a kind of savage, not like a real human being.
Somebody asked me yesterday, how to become one? And how is it, through some operation or medical procedure? I say that to become one is not to have one common way of thinking. This becoming one is the gift of God. This is why God becomes human, becomes this bread and wine, so that when I take Him and you take Him, we become one by Him. To become one through Him is very important because it is bodily to become one; it is not philosophy, like we might accept this philosophical teaching or another; it is not that.
And it is very important that you are receiving the Holy Communion because you are not alone. You cannot come here individually and just say, “I want to receive the Holy Communion.” Of course, somebody might ask, “But Father you go to other towns carrying the Holy Communion and you give the Holy Communion to people in stations or other places. Then where are the other people?” But the meaning is that when we receive the Holy Communion under special circumstances, like when somebody is in the hospital or something like that, but the person can take it because this happens in the community.
So, one thing about the Liturgy is that it is so holy. But if you think about something that is holy, then it seems like something far away and magic. And it is very important that in the Liturgy we do something. People ask me why I am Orthodox and what is this religion? Is it better that other religions? Orthodox is not a religion. It is ecclesia, which is Greek for community; and it is the Liturgy. This is very important.
And from now on, please, I am begging you to do something. I want you to bring me a little of bread. It can be something you buy from a store downstairs and I will do the liturgy with that. It is OK to buy it since you don’t make it in your houses and if I ask you to make it, you will not make it, so I will take a small piece whatever you bring. And bring a small piece of paper with the names of your living and dead people. Or you can have a small medicine bottle with a little wine and you can give me the small bottle with a little catalogue of your living and dead people. When I was on the small Greek island of Kalinos, which is a very traditional place, the women there would come with a small medicine bottle of wine, and I would have a glass that they would put it into and then I would use it for the Holy Communion.
It is very important to understand that to participate, know that you are one, to know that your small piece of bread, it is for you. You must do it for yourself. I could do it, of course, but you cannot stay here just watching. It is good to inform the others not to come again with empty hands.
After eighteen years I have never asked you for money. I am not asking you for this. When I was on Kalinos, the old women were giving me money. I did not want it, but they told me that it was very offensive not to take it, so I was accepting it to buy chocolates for the kids. But anyhow, I never ask you for money here, and you should remember that. But even if you don’t bring anything, you will give me the names of your living and dead beloved people. Not just once, but every time you come to the Liturgy.
You must understand that you come here for a reason. You don’t come here for something “holy”, to see some person dressed in strange clothes who is doing some kind of magic so you can get some kind of power. You don’t come for this. You come here to become one with your dead people and your living people and with all the universe. And this cannot be done in a human way. And that is the point of God who becomes human, who becomes this bread and wine He becomes part of my body and your body because we receive the same Holy Communion.
Once more I say, when you receive the Holy Communion, it is not an individualistic thing where you receive it and somebody else does not receive it and it solves your problem, not his. That is very wrong. People also can receive the grace of God because somebody else receives the Holy Communion. And this is the highest activity that exists in Heaven and Earth .
And after finishing this we then eat common food together. Don’t misunderstand that what we do in the Liturgy and what we will do in a few minutes are two separate things, where one is holy and the other is not holy. It is a continuation of life, because we need also to have common food and the common food comes with the Body of Jesus Christ that we already have inside of us.
At another time I will say to you more. But don’t thing that what I am saying is just some crazy idea of Father Jonah. If you search the writings of the first Christianity and if you see the songs of the Church, you will see exactly what I am saying. This is why in the monasteries when we are finished with the Liturgy, even after we have taken off our formal clothes, but in a very ceremonial and solemn way we go to eat: to continue the Liturgy by eating.
So I hope from now that when you come to the church you can ask the others where is the list of their names. You should remember that you are coming here for a reason. If you go to the office or to school you need to bring paper and things to work with; it is the same.
Acts of the Apostles 9:32-42
IN THOSE DAYS, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, rise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
The Gospel of John 5:1-15
At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk.’ “They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
