Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Sunday, 9 March 2025

FINDING OUR CREDO IN LIFE

20250309 FINDING OUR CREDO IN LIFE

09 March 2025, 1st Sunday of Lent

First reading

Deuteronomy 26:4-10

The creed of the Chosen People

Moses said to the people: ‘The priest shall take the pannier from your hand and lay it before the altar of the Lord your God. Then, in the sight of the Lord your God, you must make this pronouncement:

‘“My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on the Lord, the God of our fathers. The Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. He brought us here and gave us this land, a land where milk and honey flow. Here then I bring the first-fruits of the produce of the soil that you, the Lord, have given me.”

‘You must then lay them before the Lord your God, and bow down in the sight of the Lord your God.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 90(91):1-2,10-15

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

and abides in the shade of the Almighty

says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,

my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

Upon you no evil shall fall,

no plague approach where you dwell.

For you has he commanded his angels,

to keep you in all your ways.

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

They shall bear you upon their hands

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

On the lion and the viper you will tread

and trample the young lion and the dragon.

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

His love he set on me, so I will rescue him;

protect him for he knows my name.

When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you,’

I will save him in distress and give him glory.

Be with me, O Lord, in my distress.

Second reading

Romans 10:8-13

The creed of the Christian

Scripture says: The word (that is the faith we proclaim) is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart. If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Gospel

Luke 4:1-13

The temptation in the wilderness

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days. During that time he ate nothing and at the end he was hungry. Then the devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone.’

Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and said to him, ‘I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose. Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Scripture says:

You must worship the Lord your God,

and serve him alone.’

Then he led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said to him ‘throw yourself down from here, for scripture says:

He will put his angels in charge of you

to guard you,

and again:

They will hold you up on their hands

in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

But Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said:

You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.

FINDING OUR CREDO IN LIFE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dt 26:4-10; Ps 91:1-2,10-15; Rom 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13]

How can we live our life meaningfully? What principles do we follow? What are our values and hopes in life? Indeed, these are important questions for anyone who is intent on living life deeply and not drift through life following the crowd, living aimlessly, lacking stability. We need to be clear of the foundation for our life. We need to have a credo, a statement of beliefs or principles to guide us to our goals and vision in life.

What is the difference between a creed and a credo? In today’s scripture readings we have the creed of the chosen people in the first reading, the creed of the Christian in the second reading, and the personal credo of Jesus in His mission in the gospel reading. A creed refers to a collection of religious beliefs guiding a community whereas a credo is an individual’s personal statement of belief or guiding principles. The liturgy invites us to reflect on the creed of the People of God and our Lord so that we too can formulate our own personal credo. So the question is how do we transit from believing in the Creed to a personal credo? It presupposes that our faith in the Creed is not merely an intellectual assent but a conviction based on one’s experience of God in our lives and from that experience, we make a declaration of what we believe from our heart.

In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses traced the beginning of the People of Israel to the time of Jacob. He and his entire family went down to Egypt at the invitation of Joseph. “My father was a wandering Aramaean. He went down into Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty, and strong.” Over time, they multiplied in numbers and soon became a threat to the Egyptians. To deter them from multiplying, the Egyptians ill-treated them and gave them no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on them. It was against this backdrop that the God of their fathers rescued them. “The Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders.” It was in the desert at Mount Sinai that the Lord called together the Israelites and made them His people. God said to the people, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples.” (cf Ex 19:3-6) Upon entering Canaan, they eventually became a nation. And all these were possible because of God’s intervention and His mercy to save them.

Out of gratitude, the people of Israel were asked to remember what the Lord had done for them so that they would always be faithful to God and trust in His ways. To remind themselves of what God had done for them, they were to offer the first-fruits of their agricultural produce as a way to show their gratitude and renew their confidence in the Lord. Having experienced the love of God and seeing His power and might in the signs and wonders He worked in their sight, they could give themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord by walking in His commandments.

In the second reading, St Paul urged the Christians to do likewise. He gave them the Creed of a Christian, which is faith in Christ, so that they too can be guided in their faith. He said, “Scripture says: The word, that is the faith we proclaim, is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart. If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved.” This is an allusion to Moses who dismissed any excuses that one could have for not obeying the Law. (cf Dt 30:11-14)

Consequently, the Christian must profess his or her faith in the Lord, believing in his or her heart that God raised Christ from the dead so that he or she would also be saved, regardless of whether he or she is Jew or Gentile. It is this confession of faith that will give us life and make us righteous. “Those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask for his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Believing in our heart alone will not do. We must confess in His name. In other words, what we believe, we will also do. To confess in His name is more than a verbal confession but to live our entire life according to His commandments. So faith in the Lord requires a personal conviction and a personal relationship with Him. It is a personal conviction that comes from the heart, not an intellectual decision.

In the gospel, Jesus showed the way by living out His own personal credo, which is to live out His divine sonship in obedience and in faith. To be a Son is to reflect the image of His Father. A Son therefore submits Himself to His Father, doing His will and obeying Him in all things. The Devil sought to tempt Jesus to disobey His Father and to put doubt in His divine sonship. He did this by using the same tactic he did with Eve when she was tempted. “Did God say?” (Gn 3:1) So he began by weakening His identity, knowing that He was hungry after forty days of fasting. He said, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.” But Jesus refused to use His divine power for Himself even though the devil rationalized for Jesus to do so. But Jesus made it clear, “‘Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone.”

Failing to tempt Jesus do prove His sonship, he brought Jesus to a height and said to Him, “‘I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose. Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Scripture says: You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.'” For Jesus, the glory and power of the Evil One and the world are passing and illusory. God alone is to be worshipped because He is the creator and all power and glory belong to Him alone. At any rate, Jesus was not going to use the short cut to bring about the establishment of the Kingdom of God. He would do it by way of human lowliness, suffering and death. Any glory must come from the Father and not through the Devil or the world.

Finally, the devil sought to weaken His divine identity again by urging Him to test the faithfulness of His Father. He “made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’, he said to him ‘throw yourself down from here, for scripture says: He will put his angels in charge of you to guard you, and again: They will hold you up on their hands in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’ But Jesus answered him, ‘It has been said: You must not put the Lord your God to the test.'” In all these three temptations what stood out was Jesus’ personal conviction of His divine sonship and the Father’s fidelity to Him. He never questioned or doubted His Father’s love, power and fidelity.

So long as we are on this earth, we will be tempted as Jesus was. Indeed, we read, “Having exhausted all these ways of tempting him, the devil left him, to return at the appointed time.” The devil never admits defeat and will continue to lay snares to trap us. Let us therefore during this season of Lent, strengthen our identity as God’s sons and daughters by living a life of obedience to the Word of God, renewing our personal relationship with the Lord through prayer and worship, and confessing His name by a life of charity and selfless service. In this way, at Easter, when we renew our baptismal vows, we can truly confess that Jesus is Lord of our life and that we are raised in Him, sharing in His life and love.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

Friday, 7 March 2025

SEEING THE GOODNESS OF GOD IN THE HOPELESS

20250308 SEEING THE GOODNESS OF GOD IN THE HOPELESS

08 March 2025, Saturday after Ash Wednesday

First reading

Isaiah 58:9-14

You will be like a spring whose waters never run dry

The Lord says this:

If you do away with the yoke,

the clenched fist, the wicked word,

if you give your bread to the hungry,

and relief to the oppressed,

your light will rise in the darkness,

and your shadows become like noon.

The Lord will always guide you,

giving you relief in desert places.

He will give strength to your bones

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water

whose waters never run dry.

You will rebuild the ancient ruins,

build up on the old foundations.

You will be called ‘Breach-mender’,

‘Restorer of ruined houses.’

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,

and doing business on the holy day,

if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’,

and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’,

if you honour it by abstaining from travel,

from doing business and from gossip,

then shall you find your happiness in the Lord

and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land.

I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 85(86):1-6

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer

for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am faithful;

save the servant who trusts in you.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,

for I cry to you all the day long.

Give joy to your servant, O Lord,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,

full of love to all who call.

Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer

and attend to the sound of my voice.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

Gospel Acclamation

cfPs94:8

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Or:

Ezk33:11

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man

– it is the Lord who speaks –

but in the turning back of a wicked man

who changes his ways to win life.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Gospel

Luke 5:27-32

Jesus comes not to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.

In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’

SEEING THE GOODNESS OF GOD IN THE HOPELESS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 58:9-14; PS 86:1-6; LUKE 5:27-32]

We live in a world that is lacking in graciousness and charity. This is a cruel world. It does not tolerate imperfections, failures and shortcomings. People expect leaders to be perfect from the day they were born. They must not have any skeletons in their cupboards. They must have lived a perfect life to be a leader. Moreover, during their course of leadership, they cannot afford to make any mistakes. Otherwise, they will be condemned and judged as untrustworthy and incompetent. Some would even expect them to commit suicide to show their remorse and grief for their failures.

Ironically, the truth is that no one is perfect. We all have made our fair share of mistakes in life. Some mistakes were serious, like taking drugs, stealing and even molesting our siblings. However, like the Pharisees, we are so quick to pick at the faults of others, judge and condemn them, failing to realize that we too have sinned in our own lives. Jesus taught, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (Mt 7:1-3) Indeed, by judging others, we have judged ourselves to be self-righteous and presumptuous.

Not only does the world judge and condemn sinners, it gives up on sinners and failures. We write them off completely from the book of life. Sinners and those who are dropouts in life often condemn themselves to the situation they are in because society does not have faith and confidence in them. They are made to believe that they are incorrigible, hopeless and useless. Indeed, drug addicts and ex-offenders are often rejected by society after their release from prison. They are unemployed because no employer would trust them enough to give them a job and to start a new life. As a result, many of them in their desperation for money return to their old way of life and end up in prison once again.

Is this not the way we also treat our children, our unfaithful spouse and our friends? When our children show themselves to be slow, dull-minded and poor in their studies, we write them off as useless and a failure in school. Spouses who had been unfaithful are often never given a second chance when they seek to repair the marriage and the relationship. In the eyes of the spouse who felt betrayed, they are not to be trusted ever again. That is why the relationship remains indifferent, cold and distant even after the couple has been reconciled. Friendships are cut off over one mistake, notwithstanding the fact that the relationship has been built over many years, and that those involved have stood by us through thick and thin for years. We are intolerant of the failures, weaknesses and sins of others, even though we cannot claim to be perfect ourselves.

Most of all, we try not to associate ourselves with them because we do not want to be seen in bad company. From young, we are told, “Birds of a feather flock together.” So, we are told not to mix with people who have a bad reputation, are uncouth, uneducated and deemed failures in life because they are a bad influence. This was how the Pharisees and Scribes treated sinners. They kept away from sinners so that they would not be contaminated by them. Thus, when Jesus was with the tax-collectors for dinner, they were scandalized. They complained to His disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Many of us too are afraid to be seen with people who are frowned upon by society, whether AIDs or mental patients, people who hold menial jobs and those who are engaged in dubious activities. We do not wish to be identified with them and so we keep our distance. In our hearts, we despise them and look down on them, thinking that we are above them.

However, Jesus looks at us very differently. He sees so much goodness in each one of us in spite of our sinfulness. He can see more goodness in us than we can see in ourselves. Whilst others only see our weaknesses and give up hope on us, Jesus sees the potentials that have yet to be unearthed. For Jesus, we are rough diamonds waiting to be polished. He does not look at us from the outside, just by what we do, or our position and office. He sees us from the inside. He is able to intuit our mind and heart. Even in the person who is always grumpy, nasty, boastful, arrogant and rebellious, He is able to see the beauty of his heart.

That was how our Lord saw Matthew. He was a rich man who amassed riches from his work as a tax collector. He would have cheated and charged exorbitant taxes in order to gain more commission from his service. He was of course despised by his own people who saw him not just as a traitor serving the Romans but that he took advantage of the people. With the rest of the tax collectors, he was castigated as a sinner and ostracized from society. We can be sure that Jesus understood how he was feeling. He felt alone. He had no real friends. Although rich, his conscience was not at peace. He was far away from God.

Jesus saw in him, one who was ready for harvesting. “Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” Jesus did not simply call him to follow Him but He showed His confidence in Him by making him an apostle. Which religious leader in His right mind would choose someone known to be a sinner in society, a notorious swindler, to be His disciple and apostle? Like St Paul who said, “But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles.” (Gal 1;15) Jesus saw the potential in Levi to be an apostle and a saint when others could not see.

Of course, it took some time for Matthew to rise to be an apostle and later a great saint. However, without Jesus giving him a chance, he would not have made it. We too must give opportunities to others and not write them off as incorrigible, hopeless and useless. Many a great leader was born because someone never gave up on him or her. Through patient encouragement, support, love and compassion, there is always hope. We see such miracles happening everywhere, especially those who were abandoned in the homes by their parents and guardians, or those who came for conversion retreats. When such people are given a second chance, what is a setback is turned into a comeback. Indeed, the Lord’s words are so touching for those of us who are sick or miserable in life, having lost hope in the world and ourselves. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Instead of isolating sinners from Him, the Lord came to meet the people, ate among them and fellowshipped with them. Not afraid of losing His reputation as a rabbi, He accepted the invitation to eat and drink among the friends of Matthew, the tax collector. Eating and drinking with them, the Lord made the tax collectors feel at ease with Him. He did not come to meet them in a condescending manner. Rather, Jesus treated them as friends and as members of His family. He wanted to know them personally so that He could enlighten them, make them feel loved and know how they can find true and real happiness even in their profession. Jesus was clear of His mission, which was to restore all of us, regardless who we are, into the fullness of the dignity of God’s children.

We too must learn from Jesus by reaching out to sinners and bring them back to God. St James says, “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Jm 5:19f) By helping our brothers and sisters to return to God, we too will also grow in faith ourselves. We must give hope and encouragement through our love and acceptance of the weak and wicked.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES ARE MEANS NOT THE END

20250307 SPIRITUAL EXERCISES ARE MEANS NOT THE END

07 March 2025, Friday after Ash Wednesday

First reading

Isaiah 58:1-9

The sort of fast that pleases me

Thus says the Lord:

Shout for all you are worth,

raise your voice like a trumpet.

Proclaim their faults to my people,

their sins to the House of Jacob.

They seek me day after day,

they long to know my ways,

like a nation that wants to act with integrity

and not ignore the law of its God.

They ask me for laws that are just,

they long for God to draw near:

‘Why should we fast if you never see it,

why do penance if you never notice?’

Look, you do business on your fast-days,

you oppress all your workmen;

look, you quarrel and squabble when you fast

and strike the poor man with your fist.

Fasting like yours today

will never make your voice heard on high.

Is that the sort of fast that pleases me,

a truly penitential day for men?

Hanging your head like a reed,

lying down on sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call fasting,

a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me

– it is the Lord who speaks –

to break unjust fetters and

undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and break every yoke,

to share your bread with the hungry,

and shelter the homeless poor,

to clothe the man you see to be naked

and not turn from your own kin?

Then will your light shine like the dawn

and your wound be quickly healed over.

Your integrity will go before you

and the glory of the Lord behind you.

Cry, and the Lord will answer;

call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):3-6,18-19

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

My offences truly I know them;

my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in your sight I have done.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,

burnt offering from me you would refuse,

my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps129:5,7

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word,

because with the Lord there is mercy

and fullness of redemption.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Or:

cf.Amos5:14

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,

and that the Lord God of hosts may really be with you.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel

Matthew 9:14-15

When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast

John’s disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES ARE MEANS NOT THE END

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 58:1-9; PS 51:3-6,18-19; MATTHEW 9:14-15]

During the season of Lent, the Church encourages us to undertake the three spiritual exercises of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. But it is strange that the scripture readings today appear to discourage us from fasting. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord rejected the fasting of the people. In the gospel too, Jesus seemed to take the tradition of fasting lightly. In reply to John’s disciples who asked Jesus why His disciples did not fast, unlike them and the Pharisees who took fasting seriously, Jesus said, “Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them?”

As we are at the beginning of the Lenten season, the liturgy wants us to keep the right perspective in what we do. We can be so concerned with particular details that we forget the larger picture. So it is important that whilst looking at the details or the spiritual practices recommended by the Church in Lent, we must not forget the objective of this season, which is to prepare us to celebrate the Nuptial Wedding with our Lord. The Church wants to prepare us to be the bride of Christ by strengthening our spiritual life through the Lenten exercises.

Indeed, the Lenten liturgy is careful not to over emphasize on penance and good works during this season, even if they are helpful and important for one to come closer to God. This was what the Lord instructed the prophet to say, “Shout for all you are worth, raise your voice like a trumpet. Proclaim their faults to my people, their sins to the House of Jacob. They seek me day after day, they long to know my ways, like a nation that wants to act with integrity and not ignore the law of its God. They ask me for laws that are just, they long for God to draw near.” What is more important is that we come to know Christ and put on Christ in our life. This explains why from the fourth week of Lent, the focus is more and more on the identity of our Lord, His imminent passion, death and resurrection. Knowing Christ and following Him is ultimately the purpose of Lent. Only in Christ can we find salvation. Only in Christ do we understand what love is all about. It is our union with Christ that gives us real happiness.

So whether in fasting, prayer or almsgiving, what is more important is whether what we do is merely for show, fulfilling a duty, or truly an expression of our love for God and for our brothers and sisters. The people of Israel asked the Lord, “Why should we fast if you never see it, why do penance if you never notice?” The truth is that they might have fasted, just like Catholics who try to follow the laws of the Church. They fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. They abstain from meat on Fridays. They fulfil the obligation to attend Mass every Sunday, etc. But they are not living a life of integrity, a life of justice and charity towards their fellowmen, like the Israelites. The Lord said, “Look, you do business on your fast days, you oppress all your workmen; look, you quarrel and squabble when you fast and strike the poor man with your fist. Fasting like yours today will never make your voice heard on high. Is that the sort of fast that pleases me, a truly penitential day for men? Hanging your head like a reed, lying down on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call fasting, a day acceptable to the Lord?”

Indeed, the Lord makes it clear that fasting itself is but a means to an end, which is to live a life of integrity. If they continue to oppress their workmen, just like some Catholics who treat their domestic helpers or workers like slaves, not giving them sufficient rest and respect, their fasting is useless. Just looking sad and remorseful for their sins will not make God listen to their prayers and come closer to them unless they truly seek justice for their fellowmen, and practice charity towards them. Unless, we become better people through fasting, such religious exercises are hypocritical and do us no good.

True fasting is to make us identify with the poor and the suffering. Truly, if one lacks compassion for others, it is because we are numb to their suffering. We should not treat others badly, especially our workers, scolding and shouting at them, when we ourselves would feel embarrassed or hurt if others did the same to us. How could we make our domestic helpers work all day and night with little rest when we know how tired we are after working all day long? They are no different from us because we are all human beings. Our needs are also theirs. We must feel with them and treat them the way we want to be treated, as the Lord said, “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mt 7:12)

What truly pleases the Lord is not the fasting but the outcome of the fasting. Fasting must lead to almsgiving. This is the first principle for fasting. He said, “Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me – it is the Lord who speaks – to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the man you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin?”

Fasting is a means to enter into ourselves and examine our sins. In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist says, “Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. My offences truly I know them; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done. For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.” When we enter into fasting, we become more focused in life, especially when we reflect on what we think, what we do or say, we become more aware of our faults and shortcomings. What is important is that fasting leads us to have a contrite heart and keeps us humble knowing that we are also sinners. This will lead us also to forgive those who have sinned against us.

Finally, fasting has another reason as well. Fasting should not only lead us to live a life of charity and justice but it should also lead us to God. In the gospel, Jesus underscores when we should fast. “The time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them and then they will fast.” One of the reasons for fasting is to make us feel the absence of God in our life. Fasting is always very helpful in strengthening our prayer life. This is why, when we do a retreat or seek a closer relationship with the Lord, we are encouraged to fast so that we are reminded of our hunger for God. Physical hunger keeps us focused on our need for God. Without fasting, we will be busy doing our things and allowing the world and its pleasures to drown our thirst for God. So fasting is always helpful to make a person more focused on prayer, leading him to contemplate on God. When we feel that the Lord is absent in our lives, fasting helps us to be sensitive to His absence and creates in us a longing for God’s presence and love.

Truly, when we fast, we are transformed into the light of Christ. As the prophet said, “Then will your light shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over. Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you.” When we begin to live a life of charity and justice, we will shine out like light at dawn. When we begin to reach out to others and feel with them in their suffering, we become one with them. When we become aware of our sins and our own failures, our wounds would also be healed because we know that others are also sinners and weak like us. Those who are not healed and cannot forgive are those who think that they are perfect and expect others to be perfect. They cannot see that they are also selfish, dishonest, rude, uncharitable and not always truthful. When we recognize our own sinfulness, our own emptiness and our hunger for love, understanding and compassion, we too will be able to render to others what we have received from God. Hence, as the prophet said, “Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, ‘I am here.'” Indeed, the Lord lives in us and works in us when we welcome Him into our lives and let Him live in us. He is our bridegroom and we are His bride, in union with Him in love and in life and in death.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

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