我們探討過亞道夫.鄧奎利神父Fr. Adolphe Tanquerey有關「渴求完美」的提議，今天我們一談他提出的第二個內在成聖方法—-「認識天主和自己」。一本教理書中寫著：「為得到天堂的永福，我們在世上要認識、愛慕和侍奉天主。」首先必須要認識天主，我們才能愛天主，因為我們不會去愛不認識的；而當我們愛慕天主之時，便願意侍奉祂。

鄧神父指出三種認識天主的方法：研習神學、默想和養成從一切事物中看到天主的習慣。

研習神學

教會偉大聖師如聖多瑪斯.阿奎諾和聖文多辣，他們不僅思攷神學，亦心繫神學。聖多瑪斯說過：「從飽學之士的箸作中所學得的，不比我從苦架中領略到的，獲益良多。」鄧神父續指出：「熱心的神學家，懂得自教理當中，悟出如何去敬拜、讚嘆、感恩和去愛。」

默想

若望. 赫頓神父寫道：「所有天主教神修作家，都主張每日默禱，那怕只是數分鐘的時間，重要是一心一意，心棄旁慮；特別為初習默禱的人來說，用有系統的祈禱方式，尤其有幫助。有不少作者，建議一些簡單的默想方法。」

聖十字架若望訓道：「默想和默禱，最終讓我們對超性事物有更多認識，也更愛天主。」聖女大德蘭認為：「祈禱不在乎思攷得多，而是在乎愛得多。」正如聖衣會會士佳播. 聖瑪大肋納神父Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen寫道：「默想的思維不在於領略更多智識，而是使我們愛天主愛得更多。」他寫的每日默想書—-「神親Divine Intimacy」—–確實是達至「愛的智識」的寶鑑。

從每事看到天主

每天默想，可以誘導我們習慣在每天的人、物、事上，看到天主，事實上，萬物顯示天主的威能、上智和美善；而萬物之靈能提昇至超性的領域，更加活現天主的肖像、相似天主。

讓我們在諸事中見到天主的旨意，並深信「天主使一切協助那些愛祂的人，就是那些按祂的旨意蒙召的人，獲得益處 (羅馬書 8:28)」。

良心省察

鄧奎利神父教我們：「認識天主」引導我們直接愛天主，而「認識自己」則使我們意識到對天主的絕對需要，因而間接引導我們去愛天主。

認識自己其中一個好方法，是每天坦誠的自我反省。晨時默想令我們認識天主，暮時省察令我們認識自己 –––––– 睡前，檢討當天的所作所為，因善行而感謝天主，因惡行向天主請求寬恕，並設法定志改善。

「主，讓我認識祢，好能愛慕祢！讓我認識自己，好能謙虛自己！」

Last week we looked at one of the four interior means of perfection listed by Father Adolphe Tanquerey: the desire for perfection. This week we are going to look at the second means, knowledge of God and of self.

One catechism states: “To gain the happiness of heaven we must know, love, and serve God in this world.”

The sequence is to know first, then love, and then serve. We cannot love what we do not know, and when we love, we are willing to serve. In order to love God it is necessary first of all to know Him.

Father Tanquerey pointed out that the three effective means for arriving at the knowledge of God are: the devout study of theology, meditation, and the habit of seeing God in all things.

Study of theology

The great doctors of the Church, like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure, studied theology not merely with their mind, but with both mind and heart. St. Thomas said that he had learned more from his crucifix than from the works of doctors of the Church.

Father Tanquerey pointed out that “the devout theologian will know how to rise from the contemplation of the most speculative truths to acts of adoration, of wonder, of gratitude, and of love, which spring spontaneously from the study of Christian dogmas.”

Meditation

Father John Hardon wrote, “All Catholics writers on the spiritual life agree that there should be daily mental prayer, if only for a few minutes, at certain times when a person is sure of being freed from other duties, and there ought to be some system of prayer, particularly for beginners. Most writers recommend various simplified forms of meditation.”

St. John of the Cross teaches us that “the end of meditation and mental consideration of divine things is to obtain some knowledge and love of God.” St. Teresa of Avila said that prayer consists, “not in thinking much, but in loving much.”

Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, a Discalced Carmelite, wrote: “While we do think during the meditation, our purpose is not to become more learned, but to increase our ability to love God more.” The meditation book written by Father Gabriel, Divine Intimacy, is an excellent tool to help us to attain “loving knowledge.”

Seeing God in all things

One of the results of faithful daily meditation is that we acquire the habit of seeing God in all His works: in things, persons, and events.

All creatures reflect the power, wisdom, and goodness of God. Intelligent creatures, raised to the supernatural realm, are images and living likeness of God.

We see all events in the light of the Will of God, believing “God is always making things work for the good of those who love Him” (Rom. 8:28).

Examination of conscience

Father Tanquerey teaches us that the knowledge of God leads us directly to love Him, and the knowledge of self helps us indirectly to love God by disclosing to us the absolute need we have of Him.

One of the best ways to obtain self-knowledge is daily examination of conscience. It is good to take time for meditation in the morning to attain knowledge of God, and to make an examination of conscience in the evening to attain knowledge of self.

Each evening before going to bed we should recall how we have conducted ourselves throughout the day. If we have done anything good, we should offer thanks to God; if we have done anything wrong, we should ask God’s forgiveness and make practical resolutions to improve.

“May I know You, O Lord, that I may love You; may I know myself, that I may despise myself.”