聖家節 (2008年12月28日)諸聖嬰孩殉道 A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 2:22-40 Israel Strikes Hamas, at Least 225 dead

主日講道 - 聖家節 (2008年12月28日)
諸聖嬰孩殉道
恭讀聖路加福音　2:22-40按梅瑟的法律，一滿了他們取潔的日期，耶穌的父母——若瑟和瑪利亞，便帶著孩子上耶路撒冷，去獻給上主，就如上主法律上所記載的：「凡開胎首生的男性，應 祝聖於上主。」並該照上主法律上所吩咐的，獻上祭品：一對斑鳩或兩隻鶵鴿。那時，在耶路撒冷有一個人，名叫西默盎。這人正義虔誠，期待著以色列的安慰，而 且聖神也在他身上。他曾蒙聖神啟示：自己在未看見上主的受傅者以前，決見不到死亡。他因聖神的感動，進了聖殿；那時，抱著嬰孩耶穌的父母正進來，要按照法 律的慣例為他行禮。西默盎就雙臂接過他來，讚美天主說：「主啊！現在可照祢的話，放祢的僕人平安去了！因為我親眼看見了，祢在萬民前準備好的救援：為作啟 示異邦的光明，祢百姓以色列的榮耀。」嬰孩耶穌的父親和母親，就驚異他關於耶穌所說的這些話。西默盎祝福了他們，又向耶穌的母親瑪利亞說：「看，這孩子已 被立定，為使以色列中許多人跌倒和復興，並成為反對的記號。至於你，要有一把利劍刺透你的心靈，為叫許多人心中的思念顯露出來。」又有一位女先知亞納，是 阿協爾支派法奴耳的女兒，已上了年紀。她出閣後，與丈夫同居了七年，以後就守寡，直到八十四歲。她齋戒祈禱，晝夜事奉天主，總不離開聖殿。正在那時候，她 也前來稱謝天主，並向所有希望耶路撒冷得到救贖的人，講論這孩子。耶穌的父母按照上主的法律，辦完了一切，便返回了加里肋亞，他們的本城納匝肋。孩子漸漸 長大而強壯，充滿智慧，天主的恩寵常在他身上。
─上主的話。
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 2:22-40
22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; 30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan’u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
—The Gospel of the Lord.
十二月二十八日諸聖嬰孩（慶日）
東方賢士朝拜耶穌聖嬰後，黑落德王為了除去新生的「猶太人的國王」，曾屠殺當地兩歲以下的嬰兒。教會常把這些嬰兒視作殉道者，因為他們是為了耶穌的緣故而遭殺害的。
Israel Strikes Hamas, at Least 225 dead
By Keith A. Fournier12/27/2008
The Middle East is once again the center of violence on this Second Day in the Octave of Christmas when so much of the world is commemorating the Nativity of the One who is the path to peace.
GAZA CITY (Catholic Online) – The sounds of exploding bombs and screaming people were heard Saturday morning in the Gaza strip. Israel has executed simultaneous strikes against Hamas strongholds. Reuters reports that an aide to Defense Minister Ehud Barak had indicated that Israel is poised to escalate its assault on the Gaza Strip saying, "The operation will be pursued and widened as required and subject to (commanders') assessments… We are facing a period that will not be simple or easy." Reports from Ghaza Health Ministry official Moawiya Hassanain from the ground indicated at least 225 were dead after 100 tons of bombs strike at Hamas, a number expected to escalate as rescue workers are able to reach some of the more devastated sites. There are close to 400 wounded. The air is heavy and toxic with black smoke. The sounds of wailing family members searching for their loved ones is being heard everywhere in this land which is hailed as holy by so many. Among the bodies recovered was the Gaza Police Chief along with several other uniformed officers. Israel claims to have specifically targeted these security compounds in a defensive response to the continual rocket fire which Hamas has been raining down upon Israeli citizens from Gaza. The Hamas sympathizers and victims of this strike who were interviewed by the Press promised to fight back until “the last drop of blood”. In the meantime, fathers and mothers search for missing children, husbands for wives, wives for husbands ...and the pained expressions on the faces of all engaged in the rescue mission speak loudly of the anguish in a land besieged with fear. Prayers are being uttered in loud wails from both sides. The Middle East is once again the center of violence on this Second Day in the Octave of Christmas when so much of the world is commemorating the Nativity of the One who is the path to peace. The One whose sacred feet once walked on these very lands.