基督徒

愛的四百句箴言

St. Maximus the confessor著,
400 sayings about love

26、愛的流露不僅僅在於分享金錢方面，更在於分享上 帝的聖言與身體力行、服務人群。
26. The disposition of love is made manifest not only in the sharing of money but much more in sharing the word of God and physical service.

27、 一個人如果能夠真誠地放下一切世俗的事物，並且，以愛心為身邊的人奉獻一己之力，沒有一絲虛情假意，
那麼，他將立即解脫一切情慾，享受神性之愛與知識的無限回報。
27. The one who has genuinely renounced worldly matters and serves his neighbor without pretense through love soon frees himself of all passion and is rendered a sharer of divine love and knowledge.

28、 如果一個人的心靈已經擁有神性之愛，對於那些緊密追隨上帝的人，永遠都不會升起厭煩之心，
就像神聖的Jeremiah19曾說：他會高貴地忍受別人的一切責備和非難，而不會對別人升起任何嫌惡之心。
28. The one who has acquired divine love in himself does not grow weary of closely following after the Lord his God, as the divine Jeremiah 19 says; rather he endures nobly every reproachful hardship and outrage without thinking any evil of anyone.

29、 當你受到別人的污辱，或是受到任何事物的冒犯時，請留意心中的憤怒，
以免他們利用你的惱怒或憂傷，破壞你的仁慈和善行，並且讓你陷入充滿怨恨之地。
29. When you are insulted by someone or offended in any matter, then beware of angry thoughts, lest by distress they sever you from charity and place you in the region of hatred.

30、當你深受冤枉和侮辱之苦時，請務必用心去體會， 這些苦痛將帶給你極大的益處，
因為上帝正在利用別人對你的毀謗，洗淨你心中的驕傲。
30. Whenever you are suffering intensely from insult or disgrace, realize that this can be of great benefit to you, for disgrace is God's way of driving vainglory out of you.

31、就好像記憶中的火焰並不能使身體變暖，所以，沒有愛的信仰也不能為靈魂帶來智慧的光明。
31. As the memory of fire does not warm the body, so faith without love does not bring about the illumination of knowledge in the soul.

32、正如太陽的光芒，會吸引人們強健的眼睛，上帝的知識，也會透過愛，自然而然地吸引純淨的心靈。
32. As the light of the sun attracts the healthy eye, so does the knowledge of God draw the pure mind to itself naturally through love.

33、當我們去除心中的無知，讓神性之光照進心中，心靈就會變得純淨無瑕。
33. The mind is pure when it is removed from ignorance and illuminated by divine light.

34、如果靈魂能夠解脫欲望20的束縛，並且在神性的愛中，享受長久的喜悅，那麼它就是純淨的靈魂。
34. The soul is pure when it has been freed from the passions 20 and rejoices unceasingly in divine love.

35、靈魂違反自然的行為，就是應該受到譴責的欲望。21
35. A blameworthy passion is a movement of the soul contrary to nature. 21

36、超然的態度，是靈魂的和平狀態，它能抵禦一切道德的墮落。
36. Detachment is a peaceful state of the soul in which it becomes resistant to vice.

37、一個人如果因為熱切的渴望與追求，而獲得了愛的果實，就算他遭遇無數的痛苦，也不會動搖心智。
讓我們接受基督的門徒Stephen，還有其他如同Stephen一般的賢士之勸告，讓我們仿效基督。
他為謀殺犯祈禱，他認為謀殺犯並非有意犯錯，只因內心的無知，所以他請求聖父寬恕他們的罪過。22
37. The one who has zealously acquired the fruits of love does not change from it even though he experiences countless ills. And let Stephen, Christ's disciple, and those like him, persuade you, as well as Christ himself who prays for his murderers and asks forgiveness of his Father as for those acting in ignorance. 22

38、如果耐心和善心是愛的標記，23那麼，很顯然地，喜好爭執、戲謔的人，就會遠離愛，
一個遠離愛的人，就會遠離上帝，因為「上帝是愛」。24
38. If it is a mark of love to be patient and kind, 23 the one who acts contentiously愛爭吵的 or wickedly clearly makes himself a stranger to love, and the one who is a stranger to love is a stranger to God, since "God is love." 24

39、 不要只是空口重複著Jeremiah的教導：「你就是上主的聖殿」。25
不要只是空口說著：「只有信仰耶穌基督，我們的主才能使我得救。」
因為，如果只是空口說白話，這一切就不可能達成。
只有親身去實踐，在心中充滿愛，才能使一切實現。
因為，上主不僅僅要我們去相信而已，不然「就連惡魔也相信，而且還全身顫抖。」26
39. Do not say, as the divine Jeremiah tells us, that you are the Lord's temple. 25 And do not say that "mere faith in our Lord Jesus Christ can save me." For this is impossible unless you acquire love for him through works. For in what concerns mere believing, "even the devils believe and tremble." 26

40、愛的實踐，是在深思熟慮後對身邊的人所行之善，也是對痛苦、挫折的長久忍耐，
並且以最合適的方式去運用一切事物。
40. The work of love is the deliberate doing of good to one's neighbor as well as long-suffering and patience and the use of all things in the proper way.

41、一個愛上帝的人，並不會因為任何事物的逝去而感到憂傷，也不會因為哀悼著某人而喪志。
因為，他只允許自己做有益身心的悲傷或哀悼，就好像受上帝祝福的保羅曾經為哥林多人哀悼那樣。27
41. The one who loves God is not sad nor does he grieve anyone because of any passing thing. Only one salutary sadness makes him sad and grieves others, the one which the blessed Paul had and with which he grieved the Corinthians. 27

42、一個愛上帝的人，會在世間過著天使般的生活，對自己的身心也會時時警覺，並且常常祈禱、唱頌讚美詩，
總是找別人的好處，給予別人祝福。28
42. The one who loves God leads an angelic life on earth, fasting and being watchful and singing psalms and praying and always thinking good of everyone. 28

43、 如果一個人渴望著某件事，那麼，很自然地，他一定會努力奮鬥以達到目的。
現在，我們可以看到，神性是無與倫比的，是比世間一切美好更值得我們渴望的。
所以，我們應該以熱切的至誠，順著自然的天性，去求取這個值得追求的至善！29
43. If anyone desires anything, he naturally strives to obtain it. Now the divine is incomparably better and more desirable than all good and desirable things. What great zeal, then, should we show to obtain what is good and desirable by nature! 29

44、不要讓下流的行為，玷污了你的身體；不要讓邪惡的思想，褻瀆你的靈魂；上帝的平安與愛，就會降臨在你的心中。
44. Do not stain your flesh with indecent actions; do not defile your soul with evil thoughts; and God's peace will come upon you and bring love.

45、用禁食與守夜來砥礪你的肉身，全心全意勤奮地投入祈禱與唱誦讚美詩，
那麼，善行之中的神性，將會降臨在你心中，帶給你無限的愛。
45. Afflict your flesh with fasting and vigils. Devote yourself diligently to psalmody and prayer, and holiness in chastity will come upon you and bring love.

46、一個有資格領受神性知識，並且藉著心中的愛，領受了神性知識之光的人，絕對不會因為內心的驕傲而吹捧自己。
然而，一個還不夠資格得到神性知識的人，就很容易被驕傲之心所左右。
如果一個人屬於後者，就應該要在生活中一切行為上尋求上帝，好似自己的一切言行都是為了上帝，
這樣的話，此人必定能夠與上帝同行，真正脫離驕傲之心的束縛。
46. The one who is deemed worthy of divine knowledge and who through love has attained its illumination will never be blown about by the spirit of vainglory. But the one who is not yet deemed worthy of divine knowledge is easily carried to and fro by it. If such a one, then, should look to God in everything that he does, as doing everything for his sake, he will easily escape it with God.

47、 一個尚未藉由愛的啟發而領受神性知識的人，會認為自己完成了許多宗教性的工作。
然而，一個已經有資格領受神性知識的人，卻只會堅定的說出與 Abraham長老相同的話，
Abraham長老在獲得神性顯現的恩典時曾說：「我只不過是塵與土而已」。30
47. The one who has not yet obtained divine knowledge activated by love makes a lot of the religious works he performs. But the one who has been deemed worthy to obtain this says with conviction the words which the patriarch Abraham spoke when he was graced with the divine appearance, "I am but earth and ashes." 30

48、敬畏上主之人，必定常保謙卑之心，而謙卑之心常常引人進入神性之愛與感恩之中。
因為，敬畏上主之人，會謹記過去的世俗生活，還有從青年時期就使他迷惑的各種試探與過失，
也會憶念著上主是如何帶領他脫離歧途、擺脫情慾，走入神性的生命。
因此，一個敬畏上主之人，會懷著敬畏之心，領受上主的愛，並且以深深的謙卑之心，感恩上帝成為他生命的恩人與嚮導。
48. The one who fears the Lord always has humility as his companion and through its promptings is led to divine love and thanksgiving. For he recalls his former worldly life and different transgressions and the temptations bedeviling him from his youth, and how the Lord delivered him from all these things and made him pass from this life of passion to a divine life. And so with fear he receives love as well, ever thankful with deep humility to the benefactor and pilot of our life.

49、不要讓色慾與嗔心，玷污了你的心靈，以免心靈疏忽了純淨的祈禱，而墮入頹喪之中。31
49. Do not soil your mind by holding on to thoughts of concupiscence and anger, lest by falling from pure prayer you fall in with the spirit of discouragement. 31

50、當我們的心靈起了邪惡或愚蠢的念頭，就會與上帝疏遠 32而墮落。
50. The mind falls from familiarity 32 with God whenever it consorts with wicked and foul thoughts.