五旬节十二

又退到山上去了

——约翰福音六章十五节

救濒死于病榻，起瘫痪于池边。以五饼二鱼之微，饱五千流离之众。惟求荣父，但为悯人；至尊如主，不受拥戴，功成身退，独自隐于高山。

卑微如我，何敢与主相匹？竟不肖主，能进难退。盛名之下，尝沾沾以自喜；实虽难副，何忘返而留连？利禄功名，于我难如粪土；虚荣私念，每似浊浪翻腾。

玻璃之海，铺陈主前；海中有火，闪耀其间。愿此圣火，焚我五中；进以事人，炽热如焰，心如晶海，止水不波；退以面主，明净清澈。

Pentecost 12

John 6:15

Jesus withdrew again to the mountain

by himself

  O Lord, you healed one about to die of disease; you commanded the paralytic beside the pool to rise and walk. With a meager five loaves and two fishes, you satisfied the five thousand. All this you did out of pity for the people to the glory of God the Father. Lord most great, you did not want to accept the people’s adulation. When you had accomplished your task, you withdrew to the mountain alone.

Abject as I am, how dare I compare myself to you? For I am not like you. I can get involved, but not withdraw. A little fame pleases me. Though the truth belies my reputation, fame intoxicates me. Withdrawal is unthinkable. Personal glory still counts for something with me. Vanity and selfishness, like polluted waters, still churn before my eyes.

A crystal sea spreads itself before God. In the sea, a fire blazes. May this holy fire ignite my heart, that I enter service to others in society as a red-hot flame. But may my inner self remain calm as that crystal sea, that when I withdraw into God’s presence, I do so clear and untroubled by selfishness.