教皇保罗二世论苦难

程宝林 译

For a believer, illness and suffering are not a tragic fate that must be passively endured but, rather, a task, thanks to which he can live his Christian vocation in a special way.  They are the invocation of God to mankind:  an invocation to us to be fraternally close to those who are suffering and to help them using all the means offered by medical science; an invocation to the sick not to resign themselves to their suffering, or rebel out of bitterness, but, rather, to recognize in it the possibility of a more intense form of following Christ.  Faith alone can give us courage and strength.  If we are trustfully accepting, every human suffering can become personal participation in the offering of Christ who suffered for our sins in order to save the world.  Thus the Passion of Christ continues in the individual who suffers.  So, too, all the help and love we can manifest are in the end addressed to Christ.  “I was sick and you visited me,”  Christ says, and continues, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

信主者，必不以疾苦为命定之悲，顺而受之，而应视如非常之职，出于天授，基督徒藉以复命。疾苦乃上帝之祈望，达于众生，祈望吾辈以手足之情，医术之精，施援于病痛悲苦之人；祈望病者，勿因疾苦不堪而自弃，或因不堪其苦而背主，而应于疾苦中，发见追随吾主之途径，既多且广。主为救人类罪孽而受疾苦，设若吾辈，信而纳之，则主之救赎，吾亦与焉。如是，则主之悲悯，藉疾苦之身，传之遐迩矣。慈悲救助，我之见证者，终归基督。基督言曰：“吾病，汝来视吾。”俄而言曰：“汝之善行，施予吾之兄弟者，皆及于吾身，信矣哉！