万军的上主，求你再来！

将临期第一主日 读经分享

一个人（基督）出国旅行（升至天堂），离开家（教会或世界），并给他的仆人（信徒）分配了不同的工作（拯救世界的使命），让其各自负责。他没有告知他自己返回的时间，只提醒他们要时常警惕。福音中的这一邀请“当心、醒悟祈祷”是如何与选自依撒意亚先知书的读经一（依63:16-19，64:2-7）和选自格林多前书的读经二（格前1:3-9）相联系的呢？依撒意亚和保禄都代表福音的守护者，负责为此警惕。不过，他们对主人的迟迟未到所具有的态度不同。依撒意亚心怀绝望；而保禄却满怀希望。

“上主啊，你为什么让我们离开你的道路？使我们的心变硬而不敬畏你？”（依63:17）他大胆呼喊出这一话语，全因植根于犹太人从巴比伦流亡的历史经验（公元前538年以后）。一小撮充满希望和心怀热忱的人，返回巴勒斯坦，重建耶路撒冷及其圣殿，开始新的生活。不幸的是，他们持续不断的种种困难已经磨灭了他们的希望。他们在异教徒环境的影响下很快就偏离了上主的道路。依撒意亚先知在痛苦的祈祷中敢于说，天主的怒气和祂隐藏的面容都不能解决人的罪恶问题（依64:6、8）。“哦！望你冲破诸天降下”（依63:19）。正如在梅瑟时代，天主的荣耀启示一样，依撒意亚看到了解决其问题的方法：这将引导人们悔改。天主，万民之父，是他们的创造者和拯救者。

“（基督）要坚固你们到底”（格前1:8）。圣保禄所面对的，不是失落的流亡返回者，而是一个年轻的神恩团体。格林多人信奉福音，拥有圣神丰富的神恩恩赐，等待基督的启示。希腊文中的“等待”（格前1:7）一词表示急切地期待，也正是福音期望于基督的仆人们的。他们的等待得到基督和天主信实的支持。保禄宗徒毫不怀疑，天主的恩宠会使他们“在我们的主的日子上无暇可指”（格前1:8）。然而，这个信念并没有使他放松警惕心。他必须倾流许多眼泪，付出诸多努力，才能使这个团体走上福音的道路。

依撒意亚之后的2500年，保禄之后将近2000年后的今天，我们面临同样的问题。基督仍然迟迟未到，这种延迟对信徒也有负面的影响。有许多人，本该活于基督，却睡着了——活在罪中。到处都有年轻和热情高涨的团体，但面对基督教生活方式的日益严峻挑战，他们将持续多久，我们无法知晓。所以，让我们用圣咏上的话来为教会祈求：“万军的上主啊，求你要从高天看顾并保护这葡萄树（咏80:15）。恩赐助佑，使我们不再离开你；赐给我们新的生命，传扬你的名”（咏80:19）。

Return, O Lord of hosts

A man (Christ) traveling abroad (ascended to heaven) and left home (Church or the world) and placed His servants (the faithful) in charge, each with his own work (ministry for the salvation of the world). He did not inform them about the time of His return. He only charged them with being watchful. How does this Gospel’s call “take heed, watch and pray” relate to the readings from Isaiah (Is 63:16-19; 64:2-7) and from the first Corinthians (1 Cor 1:3-9)? Isaiah and Paul, both represent the doorkeeper of the Gospel, tasked with being watchful. However, they differ in their attitude towards the delay of the owner’s return. Isaiah is desperate; Paul is hopeful.

“Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?” (Is 63:17). This daring verse is rooted in the historical experience of the Jewish returnees from the Babylonian exile (after 538 BCE). A small group of returnees full of hope and zeal return to Palestine to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple, and to begin new life. Unfortunately, their continuing hardships have worn out their hope. They fell under the influence of pagan environment and quickly strayed off the Lord’s ways. In his painful prayer, the prophet dares to state that neither God’s anger nor hiding His face solve the problem of people’s sinfulness (Is 64:6.8). “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down” (Is 64:1). It is in the revelation of God’s glory like in the times of Moses that Isaiah sees the solution to their problem: it would lead the people to conversion. God, the Father of the people, is their Creator and Redeemer.

„[Christ] will confirm you till the end” (1 Cor 1:8). Saint Paul did not face worn out returnees but a young and charismatic community. The Corinthians believed in the Gospel, possessed the fullness of charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit and awaited the revelation of Christ. The word “await” (1 Cor 1:7) in Greek indicates awaiting with eagerness, which the Gospel expects from Christ’s servants. Their awaiting was supported by Christ and God’s faithfulness. The apostle had no doubts, that the grace of God will keep them “blameless in the day of our Lord” (1 Cor 1:8). Yet this conviction did not release him from watchfulness. The apostle had to pour out many tears and put a lot of effort in order to keep this community on the path of the Gospel.

2500 years after Isaiah and nearly 2000 years after Paul, today we face the same problem. Christ delays His coming and this delay has a negative influence on the morale of the faithful. There are many, who have fallen asleep – instead of living **in Christ**, they live **in sin**. Here and there, there are youthful and zealous communities, but how long they will persevere in front of mounting challenges to their Christian way of life remains unknown. Therefore we pray for the Church with the words of psalm: “Hearken, O Lord of hosts, look down from heaven, see and protect this vine” (Ps 80:15); Grant your help so “we will not turn away from You; give us new life, and we will call upon Your name” (Ps 80:19).