During this past year of the COVID pandemic we experienced the interconnectedness of the human community. Our safety was influenced by others and we in turn could either protect or endanger others with our behaviours. In the spiritual sphere, we are also influenced by others and they in turn are affected by us.
Rev. Patrick Gearon said, “We are ever influencing, for good or for evil, the souls of those around us, and this, too, whether we are reflecting upon actions or are totally oblivious of what is going on.”
Pope Pius XII wrote beautifully about members of the Church contributing to the salvation of souls: “Dying on the Cross He (that is, Christ) left to His Church the immense treasury of the Redemption; towards this she contributed nothing. But when these graces come to be distributed, not only does He share this task of sanctification with His Church, but He wants it in a way to be due to her action. Deep mystery this, subject of inexhaustible meditation; that the salvation of many depends on the prayers and voluntary penances which the members of the Mystical Body of Christ offer for this intention and on the assistance of pastors of souls and of the faithful, especially of fathers and mothers and families, which they must offer to our Divine Saviour as though they were His associates.”
Father Patrick wrote, “Our Divine Lord is the Saviour of mankind. he is what we shall call Saviour with a capital “S.” But each and every one of us can become a saviour with what I shall call small ‘s.’ Whether we realize it or not, we cannot be good or bad without affecting others for better or for worse.”
St. Paul wrote, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col. 1:24).
The value of Christ’s sufferings is infinite. There is nothing lacking in term of meriting graces for mankind. The only thing wanting is the application of graces. It is of their application that St. Paul was speaking. He was thus becoming a saviour with a small “s.”
We are capable of becoming either instrument of grace or instrument of sin. The “communion of saints” builds up the Church, whereas the “communion of sin” drags down the Church.
St. John Paul II explained: “One can speak of ‘a communion of sin,’ whereby a soul that debases itself through sin drags down with itself the Church and, in some way, the whole world. In other words, there is not a single sin, not even the most intimate and secret one, the most strictly personal and individual one, that exclusively concerns the person committing it. With greater or lesser violence, with consequences of greater or lesser harm, every sin has repercussions on the entire ecclesial body and the whole human family.”
Father Patrick said, “It would be an eye-opener if were to find out the number of sins which were committed by people just because they had seen another doing that very same thing.” He lamented: “People who otherwise are very mortified, seem to seek compensation in talking about others.”
Father Patrick listed three reasons of the abuse of the tongue: 1. the anxiety to be a source of interest, 2. secret envy, and 3. outbursts of anger.
St. Josemaria Escriva wrote, “Gossip is trash that soils and hinders the apostolate. It goes against charity, takes away strength, takes away peace, and makes one lose his union with God.” The saint gave us this simple rule in speech: “Don’t make negative criticism. If you can’t praise, say nothing.”
我們的行為影響他人
過去一年，新冠疫情期間，我們經驗了人類社團中的相互連結。我們的安全為他人所影響，同樣我們也以我們的行為可以保護或危害他人。在靈性境界中，我們也同樣影響他人，他人也影響我們。
可敬的Patrick Gearon神父說：『環繞著我們的人，我們的靈魂，在好和壞的事情上從來都互相影響的，無論我們是深深明白或毫不察覺這些行為，情形也都是一樣。』
教宗庇護十二世曾美妙的寫過有關教會成員對靈魂救恩的貢獻：『祂（基督）在十字架上的死亡，給教會留下巨大救贖的寶藏；在這方面，教會沒有什麼的貢獻。但當這聖寵分發的時候，不單是祂與祂的教會分享祂聖化的工作，但祂也願意它是因教會的行動而成就。這深的奧秘，無盡默想的主題；就是很多人的得救是依靠著基督奧體成員們為這意向奉獻的祈禱和自願的補贖，和依靠著靈魂的牧者及信徒的協助，特別是父母和家庭奉獻給我們至聖救主所作的幫助，一如他們是祂的合作者』。
Patrick神父寫道：『我們至聖的主人是人類的救贖者。英文中這救贖者我們冠以大寫的“S”。但每人，和我們每一位都可以成為救贖者，是以小寫的“s”代表。無論我們明白與否，我們不可以在不影響別人更好或更壞下，而成為好的或壞的。』
聖保祿寫道，『如今我在為你們受苦，反覺高興，因為這樣我可在我的肉身上，為基督的身體 ──教會，補充基督的苦難所欠缺的』（哥1:24）基督所受苦難的價值是無限的。在為人類爭取聖寵功勞中是絕無所缺的。所需要的是分施這些聖寵。這就是聖保祿所講及的。他因此也成了以小寫‘s’的救贖者。
我們可以成為聖寵的工具或罪惡的工具。建立教會的“諸聖相通”，也可是拖挎教會的“諸惡相通”。
聖若望保祿二世解釋說：『所謂“諸惡相通” 是靈魂透過罪惡貶低自己，也拖拽整個教會，在某方面同樣也拖拽了整個世界。換句話說，甚至是最私有的和秘密的，最私人的和獨一的，這不獨是有關犯罪的人。或大或少的暴行，會有或多或少的後果，每一罪過對整個教會和全人類家庭都帶來惡果。』
Patrick神父說：『我們目光會開放，當我們發現很多的罪，人犯上了因為他們目睹其他人做了同樣的事。』他哀悼說：『一些人在其他各方面都很克制，似乎要以談及他人來尋求補償。』
Patrick神父列了三個人濫用的唇舌的理由：1.渴望成為感興趣的出處，2. 秘密的妒忌，和3.忿怒的爆發。
聖施禮華寫道：『講是非是垃圾，它沾污並防礙使徒工作。它違反愛德，撂奪力量，撂奪平安並使人失去與天主的結合。』這位聖人給了我們言辭上的一件簡單規則：『不要作負面的批抨。如果你不能讚美，什麼也不要說。』
