坚振圣事常常被低估。 The sacrament of confirmation is often underappreciated.
如果告解圣事令人畏惧，坚振圣事有时则被遗忘。 If confession is feared, confirmation is sometimes forgotten.
然而，就像所有圣事一样…… Yet, like all the sacraments- ...
它也是与基督相遇。 it too is an encounter with Christ.
通过它，主以他的圣灵的恩赐坚固我们，使我们能够完成基督的工作。 Through it, the Lord confirms us with the gift of his Holy Spirit, thus enabling us to do Christ's work.
在历史长河中，升天后的耶稣派遣圣灵来转化灵魂，改变世界。 Throughout the ages, the ascended Jesus sends the spirit for the transformation of souls and the transfiguration of the world.
我们已经谈过圣事的一般性，也看过第一个重要的入门圣事，即洗礼。 So we've spoken about sacraments in general, and we've looked at the first great sacrament of initiation or incorporation, namely baptism.
现在我们来看第二个入门圣事，坚振。 So we come to the second sacrament of initiation, confirmation.
我想我可以被认为是坚振圣事理论和实践的专家， 仅仅因为我是主教，而主教要主持很多坚振礼。 Now, I suppose I'd be considered an expert in the theory and practice of confirmation, simply because I'm a bishop and bishops do a lot of confirmations.
我做主教已经四年了。 So I've been a bishop for, um, four years.
我估计我为大约一万人施行了坚振。 I confirmed, I was estimating about 10,000 people.
所以时间长了就累积了不少。 So it does add up after a while.
我大概讲过150次坚振讲道。 I've given probably 150 confirmation homilies.
当然，它们并不都是独特的。 Now, they're not all, you know, unique.
有一些是重复的，但我确实在这个圣事上花了很多时间。 There's some repetition, but I have spent a lot of time with this sacrament.
嗯，众所周知，坚振是一个人们难以清楚表达的圣事。 Um, e- sort of notoriously, a confirmation is known as the sacrament that people have a hard time articulating.
你知道，坚振到底是什么？ You know, what- what is confirmation?
如果你问公教徒关于其他圣事，他们可能会说出一些 相对连贯的解释，但说到坚振，这个圣事是什么？ If you ask Catholics about the other ones, they can probably say something, you know, relatively coherent, but when it comes to confirmation, what is that sacrament?
他们可能会有点说不出话来。 They- they can be a little tongue tied.
更重要的是，我现在在芝加哥和洛杉矶这两个大总教区都工作过，在这 两个地方我们一直在讨论，你知道，什么是施行坚振圣事最好的时间？ More to it, and I've been in now two major archdioceses, Chicago and LA, and in both places we debate all the time, you know, what's the best, uh, time to, uh, give the sacrament of confirmation?
什么是合适的年龄？ What's the- the right age?
等等，等等。 Et cetera, et cetera.
一些神学家说你应该在婴儿时期，就在洗礼之后施行坚振。 Some of the theologians say you should confirm i- in infancy, right after baptism.
其他人说，不，应该在他们七岁领受初领圣餐时施行坚振。 Others say, no, no at first communion when they're seven you should give confirmation.
还有人说，不，应该在他们12岁时。 Others say, no when they're 12.
在这里我们是在他们大约15岁时施行。 We do it when they're about 15 out here.
所以我们一直在讨论这个问题。 So we debate that all the time.
那么坚振是什么？ So what is confirmation?
很多人回到那个老生常谈，说它是公教版的成年礼。 Uh, many fall back on the kind of tried and true, uh, it's the Catholic bar mitzvah.
让我说，这肯定不对。 Uh, may I suggest that's certainly not true.
它不是公教版的成年礼。 It's not the Catholic bar mitzvah.
理解它的最好方式是将它视为第二个重要的入门圣事，因此它与洗礼密切相关。 The best way to get at it and to understand its practice, is to see it as the second of the great sacraments of initiation, and so it's deeply tied to baptism.
顺便听听公教会教理中的这段话，非常清晰。 Listen, by the way, to this from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, very clarifying.
它说：「通过坚振圣事，受洗者与教会的联系变得更加完美，他们因圣灵 的特殊力量而更加丰富，因此他们更有责任以言语和行动作为基督的真实 见证人来传播和捍卫信仰。」这话有点长，但这就是坚振的全部神学。 It says, "By the sacrament of confirmation, the connection of the baptized to the church is rendered more perfect, and they are enriched by a special force of the Holy Spirit and are thus obliged more strictly to spread and defend the faith by word and by action as true witnesses of Christ." That's a bit of a mouthful, but that's the whole theology of- of confirmation right there.
首先注意它与洗礼的联系。 Notice first the connection to baptism.
所以它从受洗者开始，目的是要confirmare，对吧？ So it begins with the baptized and it's meant to confirmare, right?
要加强、确认在洗礼中所给予的，也就是与基督和圣灵的关系。 To strengthen, to confirm what has been given in baptism, which is that relationship to Christ and the Holy Spirit.
坚振加强它，激发它。 Confirmation strengthens it, stirs it up.
为了什么目的？ To what end?
为了以言语和行动作为基督的真实见证人来传播和捍卫信仰。 To spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ.
加强人们完成这种使命。 Strengthening people for this kind of mission.
这就是坚振。 That's confirmation.
这里有一段我找到的庇护十二世的很好的引述，来自《奥体》通谕。 Here's a nice quote I found from Pope Pius the 12th, wonderful letter, Mystici Corporis.
这是他在二十世纪中期写的一封通谕，我认为是上个 世纪最伟大的通谕之一，听听他是如何描述坚振的。 That's an encyclical he wrote back in the mid-20th century and one of the greatest, I think, of the last century, but listen to his characterization of confirmation.
「通过坚振的傅油，新的力量注入信徒，使他们可以坚定地维护和捍卫教会 这位母亲，以及从她那里接受的信仰。」同样的想法，就是激发和加强。 "By the chrism, the anointing of confirmation, new strength is infused into believers that they may uphold and defend vigorously the church, their mother, and the faith which they have received from her." The same idea of the stirring up and strengthening.
什么？ What?
为了使命，为了捍卫教会并传播信仰。 For the sake of mission, defending the church and also spreading the faith.
你知道，我能继续用这个比喻吗？ You know, can I stay with that image maybe?
这是一个比较老的比喻，但我认为仍然有帮助。 It's an older one, but- but one that I think it's still helpful.
受坚振的人成为基督的战士。 Confirmed people become soldiers of Christ.
现在，不要字面理解。 Now, don't literalize it.
我不是要把步枪放在这些青少年手中。 I'm not putting rifles in the hands of- of these teenagers.
基督的战士，这里描述的是，他们捍卫信仰，但不仅如此，他们还要前进。 Soldiers of Christ, and it's being described here, who are defending the faith, but more than that, they're going on the march.
他们要前进传播信仰。 They're going on the march to spread the faith.
你知道，顺便说一下，主耶稣自己说的那句话，我多年来一直理解错了。 You know, by the way, that line from the Lord Jesus himself that I- for many, many years I- I think I simply misunderstood.
他对彼得说：「你是彼得。 He said to Peter, you know, "Thou art Peter.
我要把我的教会建造在这磐石上，阴间的门不能胜过它。」我不知道，不知何故我 总是想象成，好吧，我猜是地狱在追击我们，而我们总能坚守阵地，但想想看。 Upon this rock I'll build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." I- I don't know, somehow I always imagined that as well, I guess so hell's coming after us and we're gonna always be able to hold our ground, but think about it.
在古代，如果你要攻打一座城市，你要征服一座城市，你会怎么做？ In- in the ancient world if you were going after a city, you were trying to conquer a city, what would you do?
你会攻打城门，对吧？ You'd go after the gates, right?
你试图攻破城门。 You try to break through the gates.
那是城墙最薄弱的部分。 There's the weakest part of the wall.
这不是防守的形象。 That's not a defensive image.
这是进攻的形象。 That's an offensive image.
阴间的门不能胜过你。 The gates of hell will not prevail against you.
换句话说，彼得，你是我建造教会的磐石。 In other words, Peter, you're- you're the rock upon which I'm building my church.
教会要前进为基督征服世界。 The church is meant to go on the march to conquer the world for Christ.
再说一次，不要把这理解为侵略性或暴力。 Again, don't- don't interpret that aggressively or in terms of violence.
这是一个比喻。 Uh, it's- it's a metaphor.
在我看来，受坚振的人很大程度上都在这个庇护下。 Confirmed people are very much under that aegis, it seems to me.
他们已经得到了圣灵的力量，激发在洗礼中已经给予的，使他们能够捍卫并传播信仰。 They've been given the strength of the Holy Spirit, stirring up what was given already in baptism so they might defend and then spread the faith.
这里有一段来自圣经的内容，我觉得很有启发性。 Here's something now from the scripture that I find illuminating.
我认为坚振之于洗礼，就像五旬节之于复活节。 I think confirmation stands to baptism a bit as Pentecost stands to Easter.
我的意思是这样的。 And here's what I mean.
记得复活节晚上，耶稣向门徒，使徒们显现，向他们吹气。 Remember Easter Sunday night, Jesus appears to the, uh, disciples, the apostles, and he breathes on them.
在希腊文中很美，翻译成拉丁文就是气息。 Beautiful in Greek, m- s- translated in Latin, breath.
他向他们吹气说：「领受圣灵吧。」所以圣灵在洗礼中赐下，但看，在复活节和五 旬节之间，使徒们虽然有圣灵，但他们还没有为他们的伟大工作得到加强和巩固。 He breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit." So the Holy Spirit's given in baptism, but see between Easter and Pentecost the apostles, though they had the spirit, they- they had not been fortified and strengthened for their great work.
然后来到五旬节，圣灵降临的日子，还有那些美丽的风和火的象征…… Then came Pentecost, the day of the Spirit and those beautiful symbols of wind and fire....
从那一刻起，他们发生了什么？ and from that moment, what happened to them?
他们成为热心的信仰捍卫者，并将信仰传遍世界。 They became ardent defenders of the faith and spreading it all over the world.
阴间的门不能胜过你。 The gates of hell will not prevail against you.
很好。 Good.
充满这种信心，他们就出发了。 And filled with that confidence, off they went.
坚振就像五旬节时刻，圣灵的涌入，为这项伟大的工作加强和巩固人们。 Confirmation is like the Pentecost moment, the inrushing of the Holy Spirit to fortify, strengthen people for this great work.
圣经中还有一件事，我认为真的很有启发性。 One more thing from the scripture, I think, is really illuminating.
如果你看使徒行传第八章，你会发现这个场景。 Uh, if you look in the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, you'll find this scene.
圣斐理伯去了撒玛利亚，他使几个人皈依了。 Saint Philip has gone to Samaria and he's converted several people.
经上说他们奉主耶稣的名受了洗，对吧？ They've been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, it says, right?
他们接受了洗礼。 They received baptism.
但在耶路撒冷的使徒们得知这事，就说：「好，他们已经奉主的名受洗了 ，但是他们还没有领受圣灵。」于是使徒们派出两位使徒重量级人物。 But the apostles in Jerusalem find out about this and they say, "Okay, they've been baptized in the name of the Lord, but, but they've not yet received the Holy Spirit." And so the apostles sent two apostolic heavyweights.
他们派彼得和约翰到撒玛利亚去，为他们求圣灵降临，事就这样成就了。 They sent Peter and John to Samaria to call forth the Holy Spirit upon them, and so it happened.
读使徒行传第八章，因为它准确解释了教会直到今天仍在继续做的事。 Read Acts: 8 because it explains exactly what the church continues to do to the present day.
它派遣像我这样的人，主教们，作为使徒的继承人，派遣他们到受洗 者那里，呼求圣灵降临，使他们成为热心的信仰捍卫者和传播者。 It- it takes people like me, uh, bishops, who are successors of the apostles and it sends them to the baptized to call forth the Holy Spirit to make them fiery defenders and spreaders of the faith.
这就是坚振。 That's confirmation.
好的。 Okay.
现在，圣灵降临，记住ex opere operando。 Now, the Holy Spirit comes, and remember ex opere operando.
当我在坚振礼上呼求圣灵时，我完全确信圣灵会来。 W- when I am there at a confirmation calling forth the Holy Spirit, I've got total confidence the Holy Spirit's going to come.
这不取决于我的德行，也不取决于孩子们是否完全开放。 It doesn't depend on my virtue, doesn't depend on whether the kids are totally open to it or not.
圣灵会来，ex opere operando。 It comes, ex opere operando.
好的。 Good.
而且，各位，圣灵从不空手而来。 And the Holy Spirit, everybody, never comes empty-handed.
圣灵带来恩赐。 The Holy Spirit comes bearing gifts.
教会有这个美妙的传统，可以追溯到以赛亚先知，列举圣灵的七个恩赐。 And the church has this marvelous tradition, stretching back to the Prophet Isaiah, of naming the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
我来讲个故事。 I'll tell you a story.
当我刚开始主持坚振礼时，我试图真正地让孩子们参与进来，所以我会 出去和领坚振者，现在我发现，领坚振者，在他们坚振的那天交谈…… When I first started doing confirmations, I was trying to really engage the kids, so I'd go out and I'd talk to the confirmandi, well I've discovered this now, confirmandi, the day of their confirmation...
我的意思是，主教出来了，你知道，「嘿，你们知道圣灵 的任何恩赐吗？」我是说，什么都没有，什么都没有。 I mean, and the bishop comes out, you know, "Hey, do you know any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit?" I mean, nothing, nothing.
所以一开始，我在这个堂区，我出去说：「你们能说出圣灵的恩赐吗？」什么都没有。 So early on, I- I'm at this parish and I- I went out and I said, "So can any of you name the gifts of the Holy Spirit?" Nothing.
我说：「那一个呢？ I said, "How about one?
你们能知道一个圣灵的恩赐吗？」什么都没有。 Can you know one gift of the Spirit?" Nothing.
好的。 Okay.
所以我讲完道，我转身，我不知道我怎么会错过这个， 但我转身，就在祭台后面，用巨大的横幅写着七个…… So I finished the homily, I turn around, I don't know how I missed this, but I turn around and right, right behind the altar, in huge banners are the seven gifts of...
我说：「来吧，你们。 And I said, "Come on, you.
它们就在那上面。」你知道吗？ They're right up there." You know?
智慧、知识、聪敏、超见、孝爱、刚毅和敬畏上主。 Wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord.
现在，不要给我太多功劳。 Now, don't give me too much credit.
那是150次坚振讲道。 That's 150, uh, confirmation homilies.
这就是我记住圣灵七恩的方式。 That's how I've memorized the seven gifts of the Spirit.
但是，你知道，每一个恩赐，我会简短地说一下，都值得思考一下，因为它显示了领受 坚振的人如何被装备去完成他们的使命，如果你愿意，可以继续保持那个战士的比喻。 But, you know, each one, and I'll do it just real briefly, is worth thinking about a bit because it shows you how the confirmed are being equipped for their mission, and- and keep, if you want, that soldierly image in mind.
智慧。 Wisdom.
托马斯·阿奎那说智慧是从山顶看到的景象。 Thomas Aquinas said that wisdom is the view from the hilltop.
他的意思是从最高原因的角度看生命。 What he meant was the view of life from the standpoint of the highest cause.
很酷，不是吗？ It's cool, isn't it?
看，我可以从各种角度看我的生活，你知道，我的家庭 生活，我的职业生活，我的人际关系，我的政治生活。 See, I- I can look at my life from all kinds of angles, you know, my- my family life, my professional life, um, my relationships, uh, my political life.
我可以从不同角度看事物，但如果我从神的角度来看，神想要什么？ I- I can look at things from different angles, but if I look at it from the standpoint of God, what does God want?
神在做什么？ What's God up to?
神现在试图完成什么？ What's God trying to accomplish right now?
那么我就有了智慧的态度。 Then I've got the attitude of wisdom.
你知道，在今天的军事领域这可能不太适用，但是，回顾几个世纪前。 You know, it- it's not true so much today in- in military, uh, circles, but look, go back a couple centuries.
士兵们总是寻求什么？ What did soldiers always seek?
将军们总是寻求什么？不就是制高点吗？ What did generals always seek but the high ground, right?
这样他们就能观察整个战场。 So they could survey the whole field.
这就是智慧的态度。 Well, that's the, that's the attitude of wisdom.
这就是智慧的视角。 That's the perspective of wisdom.
我在高处。 I'm up on the height.
我从神的角度看事物，因此我知道该做什么。 I see things from the standpoint of God, and therefore I know what to do.
我知道如何解读生命。 I know how to interpret life.
这就是智慧。 That's wisdom.
那知识和聪敏呢，圣灵的下两个恩赐？ How about knowledge and understanding, the next two gifts of the Spirit?
它们与三角函数、物理、化学和历史无关…… They don't have to do with trigonometry and physics and chemistry and history and...
我告诉学生们：「不要以为你们有了这些恩赐就能通过考试 。」它们与我们理解和教导信仰的重要真理的能力有关。 I tell the students, "Don't think, you know, you'll- you'll pass your test 'cause you've got these gifts." They have to do with our understanding of and our capacity to teach the great truths of the faith.
在过去二十年里，我一直在谴责公教信仰的简单化。 I've been decrying now for the past, I don't know, 20 years, the dumbing down of Catholicism.
这是一场牧灵的灾难，请注意。 It's been a pastoral disaster, mind you.
我们是一个智慧的宗教。 We're a smart religion.
我们一直都是。 We always have been.
我们是一个智慧的宗教。 We're a smart religion.
我们尊重理智。 We- we honor the mind.
我们尊重神学。 We honor theology.
你想成为一个有效的信仰捍卫者和传播者吗？ You want to be an effective defender and spreader of the faith?
你需要这些知识和聪敏的恩赐来理解教会的教导，能够向越来越怀疑的文化传达它。 You need these gifts of knowledge and understanding to understand what the church teaches, to be able to speak it to a culture growing increasingly skeptical of it.
继续用战士的比喻。 Stay with the soldier, uh, analogy.
士兵需要聪明吗？ Soldiers need to be smart?
当然需要。 You bet.
如果他们不聪明，对他们自己和周围的人都很危险。 And if they're not, that's pretty dangerous for them and for them, uh, the people around them.
那刚毅的恩赐呢？ How about the gift of fortitude?
士兵需要刚毅，需要勇气。 Soldiers need fortitude, courage.
当然需要。 You bet.
今天捍卫和传播信仰容易吗？ Easy today defending the faith and spreading it?
如果你对此有任何怀疑，我建议你随时上网看看。 If you have any doubts on that score, I recommend going on the internet any time of the day or night.
我刚刚完成了一件事，不知道你们听说过没有，叫做Reddit AMA。 I just finished something, I don't know if you heard about this, the, uh, it's called the Reddit AMA.
Reddit是一个非常受欢迎的网站，你知道，我认为是 世界上最受欢迎的网站之一，人们在那里交流各种观点。 So Reddit's this very popular website where, you know, it's one of the most popular, I think, in the whole world, and people exchange opinions on everything.
AMA的意思是「问我任何问题」。 Well, AMA means ask me anything.
所以人们会来说：「好的，你知道，随便问。 So people come on and say, "Okay, you know, fair game.
问我任何你想问的问题。」好吧，积极的一面是我 排在比尔·盖茨之后，排在伯尼·桑德斯之前。 Ask me whatever you want." Well, uh, the positive thing is I was number two after Bill Gates and I was just ahead of Bernie Sanders.
不是开玩笑。 No kidding.
相信我，不是因为这些孩子都知道我是谁。 And believe me, not 'cause it, you know, all these kids know who I am.
他们不知道，但他们对宗教真的很感兴趣。 They don't, but religion, they're really interested in religion.
现在，坏消息是…… Now, the- the bad news...
我的意思是，你必须有很强的承受能力才能看完Reddit上的评论。 I mean, you- you gotta have a pretty strong stomach to make your way through the comments on Reddit.
有很多恶意，很多对教会的仇恨，对神的仇恨吗？ Uh, is there an awful lot of vitriol, awful lot of hatred of the church, hatred of God?
是的。 Uh-huh.
刚毅？ Fortitude?
当然需要。 You bet.
那些捍卫和传播信仰的人需要它。 Those who are defending and spreading the faith need it.
这是圣灵的恩赐。 That's a gift of the Holy Spirit.
那超见呢？ How about counsel?
超见是在坚振时赐下的，是圣灵的恩赐。 Counsel's a gift given at confirmation, a gift of the Holy Spirit.
超见是道德的实践智慧。 Counsel is moral knowhow.
想想一个熟练的四分卫，他能读懂防守，因为他知道形势已经改变而临时改变战术，他退到 口袋阵里看到战术已经被打乱，但如果他在这里稍微移动一下，他就能发展出另一个战术。 Think of a, uh, of a skilled quarterback who's able to read the defense, call an audible 'cause he knows things have shifted, who goes back in the pocket and sees the play is broken down, but here's another play that he could develop if he scrambles a bit here.
这是一种感觉，一种实践智慧…… It's a feel, it's a knowhow....
知道在当前情况下该做什么。 what to do in the present situation.
或者想想在商业领域熟练的人也能做类似的动作，能调整并改变他们的计划等等。 Or think of someone skilled in the, in their area of business that can do a similar move, can adjust and can make, uh, changes in their plans, et cetera.
这就是明智或实践智慧。 That's prudence or practical wisdom.
所以超见是在道德生活和灵修生活中的这种实践智慧。 So counsel is this kind of practical wisdom when it comes to the moral life and the spiritual life.
「主啊，我现在该做什么？ "What do I do now, Lord?
现在的要求是什么？ What, what's the, the demand of the moment now?
主啊，当事情以我没有想到的方式改变时，我该如何反应？ Lord, as things are shifting in maybe ways I didn't imagine, how do I react?
我该做什么？ What do I do?
我该如何选择？」想想圣经中的伟大人物。 How do I choose?" Think of the great figures now in the Bible.
想想伟大的圣人们。 Think of the great saints.
他们有这种超见的恩赐。 They had this gift of counsel.
你想捍卫和传播信仰吗？ Do you want to defend the faith and spread the faith?
你需要这个。 You need this.
为什么？ Now, why?
为什么？ Why?
因为正如圣教宗保禄六世所说：「人们听从教师，是的， 但只在教师也是见证人的程度上。」你明白他的意思。 Because as Saint Pope Paul VI put it, "People listen to teachers, yes, but only in the measure that teachers are also witnesses." You see what he meant.
那些知道如何过基督徒生活的人，他们在行动中展现基督徒的生活。 People that know how to live the Christian life, th- they exhibit the Christian life in action.
这就是有超见的人所具有的。 That's what people of counsel have.
那孝爱的恩赐呢？ How about the gift of piety?
我看着我要给他们坚振的孩子们说：「我打赌你们大多数人都不想被称为虔诚，对吧？ 」你知道，我们常常把虔诚与某种做作的宗教性联系在一起，但这完全不是它的意思。 I look out at the kids that I'm confirming and I say, "I bet most of you wouldn't want to be called pious, would you?" You know, we, we kind of associate pious with a sort of simpering religiosity maybe , you know, but that's not at all what it means.
孝爱是一种正义，将应归于神的归于神，这位从无中创造了 我们的神，赐给我们存在、生命、气息、力量和能力的神。 Piety is a type of justice, rendering to God what is due to God, God who made us from nothing, God who gave us being and life and breath and power and capacity.
我们所有的一切都是被赐予的。 Whatever we have, it's been given to us.
保罗说过这话。 Paul said that.
「你有什么不是领受的呢？」孝爱就是一个人的回应， 说：「是的，主，我知道这一点，因此我欠你敬拜。 "What do you have that's not been given?" Well, piety now is the response of someone who says, "Yes, Lord, I know that, and therefore I owe you my worship.
我欠你尊崇。 I owe you my honor.
我欠你生命。」这不是做作的宗教性。 I owe you my life." That's not simpering religiosity.
这是一个很坚定的立场。 That's a very strong stance.
这是一个知道「我在正义上的义务是去参与弥撒，是祈祷， 是尊崇神」的人。你想捍卫和传播信仰，你绝对需要这些。 That's the person that knows, "My, my obligation in justice is to go to mass, is to pray, is to give honor to God." You want to defend the faith and spread it, you need those things absolutely.
最后，敬畏上主。 Finally, fear of the Lord.
这是圣灵的恩赐。 That's a gift of the Spirit.
这与害怕神毫无关系。 Hasn't a thing to do with being terrified of God.
不要那样想。 Don't think of it that way.
而是在神面前深深的、彻底的、持久的敬畏，我会这样说。 But this deep and profound and abiding awe in the presence of God, I'd put it that way.
谁值得我们心中最深的崇敬？ Who deserves the deepest reverence of which our heart is capable?
唯独神。 God alone.
不是家庭，不是国家，尽管这些都很好，不是我的组织，我的公司，尽管这些可能都很棒。 Not family, not country, as, as wonderful as those are, not my organization, my company, as great as those might be.
唯一值得我心中最深、最热切崇敬的是神。 The only one that deserves the deepest, most ardent reverence of which my heart is capable is God.
因此，我有敬畏上主的心。 And therefore, I have fear of the Lord.
什么能吸引人们信仰我们的信仰？ What attracts people to our faith?
是的，思想的清晰。 Yes, clarity of thought.
我完全赞成。 I'm all in favor of it.
我要聪敏和知识，绝对要。 I want understanding and knowledge, absolutely.
道德正直，是的，有超见的人，这吸引人们信仰。 Moral uprightness, yeah, people of counsel, that attracts people to the faith.
但我认为也许比其他任何事情更重要的是，当他们在我们身上感受到神点燃了我们 心中最深和最持久的火焰，当他们看到这一点，感受到这一点，他们就被吸引了。 But I think maybe more than anything else, when they sense in us that God has lit the deepest and most abiding fire in our hearts, when they see that in us, they sense that in us, they're drawn.
所以如果我们要传播信仰，我们需要这个敬畏上主的恩赐。 And so we need this gift of fear of the Lord if we are to spread the faith.
让我以此结束。 Let me close with this.
这是基于很多很多次的坚振和主持坚振礼。 This is based now on, on, you know, lots and lots of confirmations and doing the confirmation ceremony.
我们请年轻人…… We ask the young people...
再说一次，他们大多是年轻人…… Again, they're mostly young people...
站起来，然后我带领他们重复他们的洗礼誓言。 to stand, and then I take them through their baptismal promises.
再次记住，坚振和洗礼之间的联系，它们都是入门圣事。 Again, remember the connection between confirmation and baptism, both sacraments of initiation.
我带领他们重复他们的洗礼誓言。 I take them through their baptismal promises.
「你信神吗？ "Do you believe in God?
你信耶稣基督吗？ Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
你信圣灵吗？ Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
你弃绝撒旦和他的一切作为吗？」我以教会的名义在做什么？ Do you renounce Satan and all his works?" What am I doing in the name of the church?
我在促使这些年轻人站起来，向神和房间里的每个人表明他们是谁，他们为什么而立。 I'm compelling these young people to stand on their own two feet and tell God and everybody in that room who they are, what they stand for.
在古代，当一个年轻人加入罗马军队时，他要宣誓表达对罗马军队和罗马帝国的忠诚。 When a, um, a young man joined the Roman Army in ancient times, he took an oath expressing his loyalty to the Roman Army and the Roman Empire.
你知道那个誓言叫什么吗？ You know what that oath was called?
在拉丁语中叫做sacramentum，即圣事。 It was called a sacramentum in Latin, a sacrament.
你现在明白了，这些即将成为基督战士的人，教会要求他们 作出公开的sacramentum，公开宣告他们是谁。 You see now, these soldiers of Christ to be, the church compels them to make a public sacramentum, a public declaration of who they are.
然后，他们一个一个上前来，我给他们傅油，真的很奇怪，用耶稣 的十字圣号，顺便说一下，这在古罗马世界是一个耻辱的记号。 And then, they come forward one by one, and I anoint them, how strange, really, with the sign of the cross of Jesus, which was meant, by the way, in the ancient Roman world to be a sign of shame.
如果你挡我们的路，我们就会这样对你。 Th- that's what we'll do to you if you, if you get in our way.
我们会把你放在这个刑具上。 We'll, we'll put you on this instrument of torture.
但是看，我们基督徒举起它，甚至像是一种挑战。 But see, we Christians hold it up even as a kind of taunt.
为什么？ Why?
因为我们知道神的爱比十字架更有力量。 Because we know God's love is more powerful than the cross.
它比世界上的任何事物都更有力量。 It's more powerful than anything that's in the world.
它比人类的残酷更有力量。 It's more powerful than the cruelty of human beings.
所以我们举起耶稣的十字架，我…… And so we hold up that cross of Jesus, and I...
现在听好。 Listen, now.
以教会的名义，用这个记号给这些年轻人打上印记，因为坚振是这些印记性圣事之一。 In the name of the church, brand those young people with that sign, because confirmation is one of these character sacraments.
你知道这个词从哪里来的吗？ You know where that word comes from?
我们的character这个词来自拉丁语。 Our word character is from a Latin word, .
它的意思是印记。 It means a brand.
当你加入罗马军队时，你宣誓了你的sacra mentum，但你知道他们接下来做什么吗？ When you joined the Roman Army, you took your sacramentum, your oath, but you know what they did next?
也许，记得那部电影，现在是部老电影了，《角斗士》，罗素·克劳主演的，记得吗？ And maybe, remember the movie, uh, it's an old movie now, um, uh, Gladiator with, uh, Russell Crowe, remember?
他手臂上有这个纹身，因为他们会给你打上印记，给你打上罗马军队的纹身印记。 He had this, uh, tattoo on his arm, because they would brand you, they'd brand you with the, with the tattoo of the Roman Army.
一旦这些年轻人作出他们的sacramentum，我就以教会的名义，用基督 十字架的记号给他们打上今生和来世的印记，使他们成为基督的战士，激发他们洗 礼的神恩，使他们能捍卫信仰和传播信仰，知道连阴间的门都不能胜过他们。 Once these young people make their sacramentum, I then, in the name of the church, brand them for this life and the life to come with the sign of Christ's cross to make them soldiers of Christ, stirring up their baptismal charism so they can defend the faith and spread the faith, knowing that not even the gates of hell will prevail against them.
各位，这就是坚振的力量。 Everybody, that's the power of confirmation.