書名：天主教的信仰

作者： 鄧秀霞

Caspar Lam' Reflection

One of the things that struck me most when reading The Catholic Faith (天主教的信仰) is its practical engagement with the Chinese imagination: the deeply embedded values and traditions that are assumed in our everyday lives. I have observed that the way the Faith is expressed in Mass and in practice, often passes over cultural assumptions held by the Chinese laity. This is rightly so, as the universality of Catholicism transcends all man-made boundaries. However, from time to time, the Faith and its practices are viewed as Eurocentric that is “different” or even apart from Chinese culture. Most often, these are manifested from the sidelines through everyday life and ingrained cultural habits. 

As a practical catechism, The Catholic Faith was refreshing reading for me. While many Catholics are familiar with the Catechism and its systematic presentation, this particular book framed Catholicism within a set of pragmatic questions aimed at the skeptic and the unchurched. In particular, I was intrigued by the opening chapters acknowledging the relationship between Catholicism and Chinese culture (including notions of heaven, moral principles, and philosophy). Indeed, I believe that a greater acknowledgment and engagement with culture (so often assumed) is needed so that the Faith can merge more fully and uniquely into our lives. This is much needed here in Hong Kong so that Catholics can view themselves as heirs to the manifold expressions and cultural treasures of Catholicism--no matter its origins. By taking stewardship of these treasures, Chinese Catholics in Hong Kong can add their own cultural contributions to the Universal Faith, as well. In doing so, we can retain the essence of Chinese culture, buttressed by the extraordinary support of the Gospel, enriched by the experience of other peoples, and allow the more unsavory habits of our tradition to recede. 

For me, The Catholic Faith was a reminder that Catholicism is not a religion: it is a way of life, and the patterns of our lives form the basis of society and our cultural imagination. If we dare dream for a better tomorrow, it is only because our Faith gives us the hope that such dreams are possible.

God bless!

《天主教的信仰》讓我看見一個艱巨的挑戰：天主教的精神該怎麼融入中國人，特別是香港人的文化和日常生活中？在毎個主日的彌撒中，我察覺到我們在表達信仰的方式中忽視了中國人的生活習慣和文化。我們會問：天主教的信仰精神與我們中國人的生活習慣和文化為什么㑹合不來？ 

但是我覺得這問題有值得深究的地方，因為這不是問題的主要根源。我們信一個至公的天主教會，而「至公」代表着我們的信仰為人類是無邊無際的貢獻。然而，這一點與中國人的民族文化及信仰文化有相當的距離。這距離在我們日常生活習慣中顯現出天主教與中國文化有抵触。

在我認識的《天主教教理》，《天主教的信仰》令我大開眼界！因為這本書用辯證法來簡單地解釋了天主教的真理。這本書是寫給慕道者或無神論者閱讀的，但我相信這本書，尤其是在討論天主教與中國文化丶中國倫理及中國天道觀等等的頭幾章，令終生天主教徒對於天主教有一個耳目一新的體㑹！我認為我們的天主教徒有責任討論如何令天主教的文化融入中國和香港文化當中。我們天主教徒的祖國不只是屬於中國，而應該概括了天國。我們的文化除了中國文化，更包含所有天主教二千年來承傳下來的文化。如果我們可以確認、甚至保存這個巨大的瑰寶，我們獨特的文化會對全天主教會一定有所貢獻的。

《天主教的信仰》更提醒我這一點：天主教不只是一個宗教，它是一個教導我們怎样處世的教會、所以我們的生活方式就是社會的基礎和精神。天主邀請我們追求一個理想就是天主經的“爾旨承行於地，如於天焉”！我覺得人生一世，草生一春。不管現實，不管政治：我們教友可以追求這個夢想，正正因為我們的信仰帶來了最大的希望 – 天主的希望。

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