|Bishop Barron
翻译|Carrie

朋友们，今天的福音敦促我们在等待主来临时保持警惕。将临期是等待的季节。我们就像那些几个世纪以来一直等待救世主来临的人们一样。我们和他们一起呼唤，“主啊，还要等多久？”

 

虽然耶稣不负众望，但是我们依然要等待。弥撒公祷文写得很清楚：“使我们虔诚期待永生的幸福，和救主耶稣的来临。”在感恩祷文中，有这样的一句，“我们期待祂光荣的来临…”信经说，“祂还要光荣地降来，审判生者死者。”而《新约》的结尾写道：“主耶稣，你来罢！”

 

我们要怎样理解这些话？我们是否真的认为祂会再次来临，行走于世上？我们在等待中若能经常祈祷、自学教理、参与圣事（尤其是圣餐）、在物质上和精神上都乐善好施、成为爱的化身，那么我们就是清醒的。

 

Friends, today’s Gospel urges us to stay alert as we await the coming of the Lord. Advent is the season of waiting. We place ourselves in the position of those who, over the centuries, waited for the coming of the Messiah. With them, we cry out, "How long, O Lord?"

 

Though Jesus fulfilled the expectations of his people, nevertheless we still wait. The liturgy states it very clearly: "as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ." In one of the Eucharistic prayers, we find, "as we await his coming in glory…" The Creed says, "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead." And the very last words of the New Testament are "Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus."

 

What do we make of all of this? Do we really think that he is going to come again and walk on the earth? We stay awake in our waiting if we pray on a regular basis; if we educate ourselves in the faith; if we participate in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; if we perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; if we become people of love.