中世紀基督教講道文兩則

窩小人家最近讀宗教史，很欣賞中世紀基督教講道文的簡短與敬虔，因此特分享兩則。

在中世紀的彌撒中，牧師或主教公開禱告一般是用拉丁語，而講道則一般是用本土方言。中世紀有很多擅長講道的名人，會在各地巡迴講道。西元14～15世紀的修道士約翰·米爾克（John Mirk）將甚受歡迎的英語講道文彙編成了Liber Festivalis一書。而下面的第一篇講道文就出自該書（來源：餵雞百科）。第二篇講道文，則出自西元12～13世紀的修道士海斯特巴赫的凱撒留斯（Caesarius of Heisterbach）所彙編的Dialogus miraculorum一書（來源：Professor Jacob Lackner, PhD）。

【流血的聖餐麵包】

英文：

This bishop had with him several of his clergy who did not have a perfect belief in the sacrament of the altar and said that they might not believe that Christ shed his blood in the Mass. So this bishop was sorry for their disbelief and prayed to God constantly for their amendment. And so, one day, he was at his Mass, and when he had made the fraction in the prescribed manner, he saw blood drop down from the Host into the chalice. Then he signalled those who disbelieved to come and see. And when they saw that his fingers were bloody and that blood ran from Christ's body into the chalice, they were terrified to the extent that they cried out in real fear: “Blessed be you that have this grace so to handle Christ's body. We believe now that this is truly God's body and his blood that dropped there into the chalice. But now pray to him, whom you have there in your hands, that he send no vengeance upon us for our disbelief.” And so the sacrament turned into the form of bread as before; and they were good men and always after perfect in their faith.

漢語譯文：

有一位主教手下的幾位神職人員並不完全相信自祭壇領受的聖餐。他們懷疑基督是否確實有為參加彌撒的眾人流血。因此，主教為他們的不信感到憂傷，於是便堅持日復一日地向上帝禱告、請求上帝使他們歸信。後來，有一個禮拜日，主教在彌撒中掰開餅時，兩大塊餅竟然流出了鮮血，滴入到聖杯中。於是，主教示意那幾位懷疑的神職人員過來看看。當那幾位神職人員目睹主教雙手沾滿鮮血、而鮮血還在從基督聖體滴入聖杯中時，他們驚恐不已，一邊顫抖一邊流淚著說：「您甚有福，能夠主持分發基督聖體的聖事。我們相信這餅確實是上帝的身體、這滴入聖杯的血確實是上帝的寶血。請您向上帝的聖體請求，不要因為我們先前懷疑而懲罰我們。」正在這時，鮮血突然消失了，餅又變回了乾麵包的樣子。這次以後，這幾位神職人員終身為善，再也沒有懷疑過信仰。

【賣斗篷換葡萄酒的朝聖人】

英文：

A pilgrim once exchanged his mantle for wine, and he got so drunk that he walked around aimlessly, not knowing where he was going. That night, his soul was taken to the place of horrible torments where he saw the prince of hell sitting next to a pit which was covered with a great log. The abbot of Corvey was brought in front of the devil, who warmly welcome him. He gave the abbot a fiery cup of burning brimstone to drink, and when the sinful man took a drink, fiery liquid burst out of his eyes, nose, and ears. Then the devil uncovered the pit and cast the abbot into hell for his gluttony, drunkenness, and self-indulgence.

When the pilgrim saw all of this, he was terrified. Then, the devil bellow, "now bring me the that pilgrim who sold his cloak for wine!" The pilgrim cried out to the angels to help him, and he promised never to sin again if he would be saved. At that moment, his soul returned to his body and he woke up.

When he returned to his home in Corvey, he found that the abbot had died at the exact hour when the pilgrim saw him cast into the pit of hell.

漢語譯文：

從前，有一位朝聖路上的科維人賣了身上的斗篷換葡萄酒喝，還喝得酩酊大醉，像夢遊般不知向何方而行。夜晚，他靈魂離開了肉體，被帶到了一個可怕的、折磨眾人靈魂的地方。那裡，他親眼見到地獄之王坐在一個無底深淵的入口邊，而入口被一根大原木蓋著。他又看見與他同鄉的貪食、酗酒、生活放縱的科維大修道院院長被帶到魔鬼面前。魔鬼欣快地給了大修院長一杯燃燒著的硫磺喝。罪惡的大修院長喝下硫磺後，燃燒著火焰的液體從他的眼睛、鼻孔、與耳孔內噴出。就在此時，魔鬼移開了大原木，將大修院長扔進了地獄深淵。

目睹的朝聖人驚恐不已。然而，他立即聽見魔鬼咆哮著說：「給我把那個賣斗篷換葡萄酒的朝聖人抓過來！」朝聖人在驚恐中向天使大呼求救，並保證今後再不酗酒。正在這時，朝聖人的靈魂突然回到了肉體，醒了過來。

很久以後，他回到了科維的家鄉，驚聞大修院長已經去世了。而大修院長去世的日期和時間，正是他此前靈魂出竅、目睹大修院長被扔進地獄後醒來的同一個時辰。