In the Nicene Creed, we profess, “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,” and “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.” The mysteries of the Incarnation and redemption are for our sake and for our salvation.
The mystery of the Church is the continuation of the mysteries of the Incarnation and redemption. The Church was founded by Christ “for our salvation.” The Church is “the universal sacrament of salvation.”
Christ won all the graces for all mankind on the cross and he wills the Church to dispense those graces.
Pope Pius XII wrote, “It was possible for him of himself to impart these graces to mankind directly; but He willed to do so only through a visible Church made up of men, so that through her all might cooperate with him in dispensing the graces of Redemption. As the Word of God willed to make use of our nature, when in excruciating agony He would redeem mankind, so in the same way throughout the centuries He makes use of the Church that the work begun might endure.”
He continued, “This is a deep mystery, and an inexhaustible subject of meditation, that the salvation of many depends on the prayers and voluntary penances which the members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ offer for this intention and on the cooperation of pastors of souls and of the faithful.”
The salvation of souls depends on us, the faithful sons and daughters of the Church. Our Lady said in Fatima: “Many souls go to hell because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them.”
Christ said to St. Faustina: “Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer.” The saint later wrote, “We do not know the number of souls that is ours to save through our prayers and sacrifices; therefore, let us always pray for sinners.”
It is a great joy and honour for us to help with the salvation of souls. St. Therese of the Child Jesus prayed: “How happy I would be if, at the hour of my death, I could have a single soul to offer You! There would be a soul snatched from the fire of hell to bless You for all eternity.” Saint John Chrysostom said, “There is nothing colder than a Christian who is unconcerned about the salvation of others.”
The parish is a spiritual family for the salvation of souls. Efforts to foster a sense of “belonging” in a parish community must not lose sight of “communion.” A popular slogan to foster a sense of belonging is “The parish is my home.” A family is where life is welcomed and nurtured. We do not choose who are our brothers and sisters in a family. In a family, members are loved for who they are.
A parish exists for the salvation of its members and those who not yet belong. We are more effective in working for the salvation of souls if we are united. Unity makes our prayers more effective and pleasing to God. Unity opens our hearts to the grace of God. Hence, the evil one always seeks to sow division.
One of the effective tactics employed by the evil one is “gossip.” Pope Francis said, “When we see a mistake, a fault, a slip, in that brother or sister, usually the first thing we do is to go and recount it to others, to gossip. And gossip closes the heart to the community, closes off the unity of the Church. The great gossiper is the devil, who always goes about saying bad things about others, because he is the liar who seeks to separate the Church to distance brothers and sisters and not create community. Please, brothers and sisters, let us make an effort not to gossip. Gossip is a plague more awful than Covid! Let us make an effort: no gossip.”
Promoting a sense of “belonging” yet lacking the spirit of “communion” is like doing external apostolate works while lacking the interior life. “It is to hammer vigorously and to accomplish little more than nothing, at times nothing at all; at times, indeed, it may even be to do harm.” (St. John of the Cross)
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合一促進靈魂的救贖
在尼西亞信經中，我們宣信：「祂為了我們人類，並為了我們的得救，從天降下」，並且「祂在般雀比拉多執政時，為我們被釘在十字架上，受難而被埋葬」。道成肉身與救贖的奧蹟是為了我們的緣故，為了我們的得救。
教會的奧蹟是道成肉身與救贖奧蹟的延續。教會是由基督為了「我們的得救」所建立的。教會是「救恩的普世聖事」。
基督在十字架上為全人類贏得了一切恩寵，並且祂願意由教會分施這些恩寵。教宗庇護十二世寫道：「祂本可以親自直接將這些恩寵賜予世人，但祂願意通過一個由人組成的有形教會來行事，這樣，透過教會，所有人都能與祂一同合作，分施救贖的恩寵。正如天主聖言在極度的痛苦中願意利用我們的本性來救贖世人，祂同樣在歷代世紀中利用教會，讓已經開始的救贖工程得以持續…。這是一個深奧的奧蹟，也是無窮無盡的默想主題，許多人的救贖取決於耶穌基督奧體成員為此意向所獻上的祈禱和自願的補贖，並且也取決於靈魂牧者與信眾的合作」。
靈魂的救贖依賴於我們 - 教會平信徒兒女們。聖母在花地瑪曾說過：「許多靈魂墮入地獄，因為沒有人為他們犧牲和祈禱。」基督對聖傅天娜說：「為垂死的人多多祈禱。藉著你的懇求，讓他們對我的慈悲產生信賴，因為他們最需要卻最缺乏信賴。要確信，某些靈魂在其最後時刻能否獲得永恆救恩的恩寵，取決於你的祈禱。」這位聖人後來寫道：「我們不知道有多少靈魂藉著我們的祈禱和犧牲得以救贖；因此，讓我們常常為罪人祈禱。」
幫助靈魂得救對我們來說是莫大的喜樂和榮耀。聖女小德蘭嬰孩耶穌曾祈禱說：「如果在我死去的時候，能為祢獻上一個靈魂，我將何等幸福！那將是一個從地獄火焰中搶救出來的靈魂，為了永恆而讚美祢。」金口聖若望也說過：「沒有比不關心他人靈魂救贖的基督徒更冷漠的了。」
堂區是為靈魂得救而存在的靈性家庭。在堂區中培養一種「歸屬感」的努力，絕不能忽視「共融」。為了促進歸屬感，一個流行的口號是「堂區是我的家」。家庭是一個歡迎並培養生命的地方。在家庭中，我們無法選擇我們的兄弟姐妹是誰。在家庭中，成員因他們的本人而被愛。
堂區的存在是為了其成員及那些尚未加入者的救贖。我們如果合一，為靈魂的救贖工作將更具效力。合一使我們的祈禱更有力量，更蒙天主悅納。合一也開啟我們的心靈，迎接天主的恩寵。因此，魔鬼總是試圖播下分裂的種子。
魔鬼所使用的一個有效策略就是「閒話」。教宗方濟各曾說過：「當我們看到那位兄弟或姊妹的錯誤、過失或疏忽時，通常我們第一個反應就是去告訴他人，去講閒話。而閒話會封閉我們的心靈，阻隔教會的共融。最愛散播閒話的是魔鬼，魔鬼總是四處說他人的壞話，因為魔鬼是那個說謊者，試圖分裂教會，遠離兄弟姐妹，而不是建立共融。懇請各位兄弟姐妹，讓我們努力不講閒話。閒話比新冠病毒還可怕！讓我們努力：不講閒話。」
促進「歸屬感」卻缺乏「共融」精神，就像宗徒缺乏內在生活而在外工作一樣。「這就像用力敲打鐵鎚卻幾乎沒有達成任何目標，有時甚至一無所獲；有時，這甚至會帶來傷害。」（聖十字若望）
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