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20111128 Jesus leads the way to our final home 耶穌引領我們到天鄉

The fifth and sixth articles of the Apostles’ Creed are “He descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead” and “He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty”.

From hell to heaven

When Jesus died, His soul separated from the body. His body was buried in the tomb and His soul “descended into hell”. The word “hell” in the broader sense means the place of the dead. In the stricter sense it means the place of the devils and the damned souls. In the Apostles’ Creed it has its first meaning of the place of the dead.

The soul of Christ descended into the limbo of the patriarchs (also called the bosom of Abraham). It was there that the souls of the just were waiting for Him. Christ went there to announce to the souls waiting there the joyful news that He had reopened heaven to mankind.

Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, the third day after His death. His Resurrection shows that He is true God and teaches us that we too shall rise from the dead.

After His Resurrection, Christ remained on earth for forty days in order to prove that He had truly risen from the dead and to complete the instruction of the apostles.

Before His Ascension, Jesus said to His disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20).

With these words Jesus entrusted to the apostles and their successors His threefold office: first, the teaching office: proclaim the Gospel to all people (“make disciples of all nations”); second, the priestly office: the power to administer the sacraments (“baptizing them….”); third, the pastoral office: supervising the faithful who shall be held to the observance of the commandments (“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”).

Reward, superiority and authority

Jesus blessed His disciples, and ascended into heaven in their sight. Christ ascended into heaven both for His own glory and for our benefit.

Jesus Christ “sits at the right hand of the Father”. For as God, Jesus is equal with the Father, and as man, He is exalted above all creatures. He is sitting on the throne as our king and judge. The word “sits” also signifies that after the great works of redemption, Christ is enjoying an unchangeable repose in eternal happiness.

Christ ascended into heaven for our benefit. He ascended: first, to open heaven for us; second, to send us the Holy Spirit; and third, to intercede for us with the Father.

Father John Hardon, S.J., the author of The Catholic Catechist’s Manual, pointed out that the teaching of the sixth article of the Apostles’ Creed should bring home three truths of faith: reward, superiority, and authority.

Christ as man merited heaven as a reward for His perfect obedience to the Father’s Will. By His Ascension into heaven, Jesus attained superiority over all creation, and this superiority is expressed by the title of “Christ the King”. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

Father John Hardon wrote: “We believe that the Risen Lord has authority to teach, to govern, and to sanctify. This is more than saying that He is, in the popular sense, authorized. It literally means that He is the Author of all the wisdom that we need to learn; of all the moral power to command, to reward and punish; and of all the graces by which everyone is finally sanctified.”

宗徒信經的第五和第六信條是祂下降陰府,第三日從死者中復活。祂升了天,坐在全能天主父的右邊

從陰府到天堂

當耶穌死後祂的靈魂與肉身分離。祂的身體埋在墳墓裡,祂的靈魂則「降地獄」或「下降陰府」。「地獄」廣義而言是指死人的地方,狹義而言是魔鬼和失落的靈魂被困的地方。宗徒信經提及的「地獄」是廣義的,即是死人的地方。

耶穌的靈魂下降到陰府,聖祖門的靈薄獄(又叫亞巴朗的懷抱)。在那裡義入的靈魂正在等待著耶穌。基督到了那裡向在等待著的靈魂宣布天堂為人類從新開放的喜訊。

基督在祂死後的第三日,復活主日從死者中復活了。祂的復活顯示了祂是真天主也教導了我們將來世人會從死亡中復活起來。

耶穌復活後,祂多留在世上四十日,以證明祂真的從死者中復活起來,也去完成對門徒們的教導。

耶穌升天前對門徒們說:「你們要去使萬民成為門徒,因父及子及聖神之名給他們授洗,教訓他們遵守我所吩咐你們的一切!」(瑪28:19-20)

憑這些說話,耶穌授與祂的門徒們繼承祂的三大使命:第一,訓導的職務:向全世界萬民宣講福音(「使所有民族成為我的門徒」);第二,聖化的職務:施行各聖事的權柄(「給他們授洗」);第三,治理的職務:指引信眾,讓他們遵守主的誡命(「教訓他們遵守我所吩咐你們的一切!」)。

賞報優越和權柄

耶穌祝福了祂的門徒,在他們的視線中升了天。耶穌升天是為祂自己的光榮,也為我們的益處。

耶穌「坐在天主父右邊」。在天主性而言,耶穌與聖父同性同體;在入性而言,祂被提升到所有受造物之上。祂坐在寶座上,因為祂是君王和判官。「坐在」也指在救贖世人的偉大工程後,主耶穌在永恆的快樂中享有永恒不變的安息。

基督升天是為我們的好處。第一,祂為我們打開天國之門。第二,祂為我們派遣天主聖神。第三,祂為我們轉求天主。

耶穌會的若翰.哈頓神父指出, 宗徒信經的第六信條,提醒我們三項真理: 賞報、優越和權柄。

基督的人性,因對天父旨意的絕對遵從,而賺得天堂的賞報。祂的升天,使祂優越於一切受造物,因而被稱為「基督君王」。天上地下的一切權柄都交在主耶穌的手中。

若翰、哈頓神父教導:「我們相信升天的主擁有訓導、治理和聖化的權柄。祂不單只是被『授權』(authorized) ;祂本身就是一切智慧、道德和聖寵的『創作者』(Author) 。」