原文|Bishop Barron
翻译|Carrie

朋友们，在今天的福音中，耶稣向门徒提出一个极具爆炸性的问题：“你们说我是谁？” 众门徒一声不吭。他们有所畏惧？也许吧。最后西满伯多禄说：“你是默西亚，永生天主之子。”你是默西亚、受傅的君王、人们期盼已久的救世主，但不仅如此，你是天主之子，并非只是一位凡人英雄。这种玄妙的信德正是基督教精神的核心。凡是心怀这种圣伯多禄信德的人就是基督徒；凡是否认这种信德的人就是否认基督教。

 

然后耶稣一语惊人：“约纳的儿子西满，你是有福的，因为不是肉和血启示了你，而是我在天之父。”这种顿悟并非西满自己思考的结果，而是天主的恩赐，所以伯多禄是磐石。

 

教会不是建于任何世俗的基础之上，而是以奥秘为基础，因为伯多禄对天主的启示满怀信德而应运而生。教会既不具有民主性也不具有贵族性—而是深具天赐的超凡性。这就是它的魅力所在。

 

Friends, in today's Gospel Jesus asks his disciples that devastating question: "But who do you say that I am?" But the disciples don't speak. Are they afraid? Perhaps. Finally Simon Peter speaks: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." You are the Meshiach, the anointed one, the long-awaited savior, but more to it, you are the Son of God, not just a human hero. This is the mystical faith that stands at the heart of Christianity. To hold this Petrine faith is to be a Christian; to deny it is to deny Christianity.

 

And then those amazing words of Jesus: "Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." This insight did not come from Simon's own intelligent speculation. It came from above, through grace, from God. And this is why Peter is a rock.

 

The Church is built, not on a worldly foundation of any kind, but on a mystical foundation, born of Peter's faith in the revealing God. The Church is neither democratic nor aristocratic—it is charismatic. And this is where its power comes from.

 

朋友们，今天的福音集中讨论宗教领导层的隐患和完满典范。这周内所有的神父、教长和布道者说教的对象应该是他们自己。耶稣以尖锐的目光注视并且狠狠地批评宗教领袖们多方面的腐败。

 

在这个人人都能清晰看到神职人员的腐败和渎职的多事之秋，我们很难忽视这篇福音的现实意义。耶稣作出了最重要的区分。“经师和法利塞人坐在梅瑟的讲座上，凡他们对你们所说的，你们要行要守”。主在提醒我们，他们的确合理地处于教导的岗位上，因此对于他们的教导，我们应该给予相应的尊重。

 

在公元四世纪，圣奥古斯丁面对多纳图斯派的质疑。他们声称只有无过失的、品格高尚的神父才能有权执行圣事。奥古斯丁说，不，执行者自身的邪恶并不损害圣事的有效性。

 

这一原则具有重大意义。奥古斯丁效法着基督说，邪恶的人可以教导圣言和执行圣事。

 

Friends, our Gospel for today focuses on the pitfalls and ideals of religious leadership. This is a week when priests, ministers, and preachers have to preach to themselves. Jesus turns his sharp eye and withering critique on the many ways that religious leaders fall into corruption.

 

It is hard to miss the practical application of these texts to our troubled time, a period when clerical corruption and misconduct has been vividly on display. Jesus makes a distinction of capital importance. "The scribes and Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all the things they tell you." The Lord reminds us that they do sit legitimately in teaching offices and that their teaching should be, accordingly, respected.

 

In the fourth century, St. Augustine faced the challenge of the Donatists. They claimed that only pure and morally upright priests could legitimately dispense the sacraments. Augustine said, no, the personal evil of a minister does not compromise the validity of what he does sacramentally.

 

This principle is of great significance. Augustine says in imitation of Christ, there can be evil men who do and teach the works of God.