神師訊息
每年，四旬期開始，教會都會在禮儀中施放聖灰，我們聴到的經文提醒我們原是塵土，將來還要歸於塵土﹔或是：「你要悔改，信從福音」。
我們常常因為當天的工作，未能夠出席聖灰禮儀日。一些本地教堂亦察覺到這情況，決定在接著的主日提供施放聖灰予教友。
然而，一些教友易於批評這種做法。當天的主日是基督徒慶祝耶穌復活，戰勝死亡的日子，同時施放聖灰在我們前額的儀式亦能喚起這意義。
事實上，聖灰周三的禮儀，是提醒我們有必要從自己的罪過中悔改，更接近天主，也就是說：「出死入生」。換言之，神父施放聖灰時，在我們前額劃十字，就是提醒我們生命會流逝，永生才是我們的最終命運。
這在種情況下，主日，耶穌的日子，當我們紀念祂的死亡和復活，也是最合適的時間將自己交給天主，祈求祂的幫助，使我們的生活更接近祂。如果對將來的生活有憂慮，這是好好的機會去反省我們每天的行為，決心改正不良的行為，追求我們在天上的財富。
我們的母親，天主教會，透過修和聖事，提供每年一次的個人反省，去重新思考我們的日常生活，努力使自己變成更加好的基督徒。
聖母，瑪利亞，時常在我們身邊引導我們接近耶穌。我們只要打開心扉，讓天主改變一切，必能成為一個熾熱的基督徒。
陳永達神父
聖體會神師
2015年3月
(張雲彩譯)
Year after year, at the beginning of Lent, during the ceremony of the distribution of the ashes, we hear the words reminding us that we are dust and to dust we shall return, or otherwise, we may hear the words, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”
Many times, because of our daily responsibilities, we may not be able to attend the Ash Wednesday ceremony. Some local churches, aware of this situation, decide to provide the giving of ashes again the following Sunday.
However, some parishioners are sometimes prone to criticise this decision on the grounds that Sunday is the day when Christians celebrate life, the Resurrection of the Lord, and not death, as the ritual of the placing of the holy ashes on our foreheads evoke.
Actually, the celebration of Ash Wednesday has no other meaning than making us aware of the need we all have for conversion from our sinful ways to come closer to God, that is to say, to pass from death to life. Put it in different words, the sign of the cross the priest draws in our foreheads at the placing of the ashes, reminds us that this life is passing and eternal life is our ultimate destiny.
In this context, Sunday, the day of the Lord, when we commemorate his death and Resurrection, is a most opportune time to offer ourselves to God and implore his help to turn our lives onto him. If this life is lived with little concern for the future, there is always an opportunity to reflect on our day to day conduct and decide to mend our ways in pursuit of our heavenly treasure.
Our mother, the Catholic Church, provides a yearly time of personal introspection through the sacrament of reconciliation to reconsider our daily endeavours to become better and better Christians.
Our Lady, Mama Mary, is always by our side leading us towards her Son Jesus. We have only to decide to open our hearts and allow God to change whatever is necessary to become a more fervent Christian.
Fr. Sergio Chavira, MG
Church of the Annunciation
Assistant Parish Priest
Hong Kong, March, 2015