20121206 PROCLAIM CHRIST AS THE HOPE OF HUMANITY
Readings at Mass
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First reading
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Isaiah
30:19-21,23-26 ©
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Thus says the Lord
God, the Holy One of Israel:
People of
Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you
when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer. When the Lord has given
you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher
will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether
you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is
the way, follow it.’ He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and
the bread that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. Your cattle
will graze, that day, in wide pastures. Oxen and donkeys that till the ground
will eat a salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty
mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day
of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall. Then moonlight will be bright
as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter – like the light
of seven days in one – on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people
and heals the bruises his blows have left.
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Psalm
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Psalm 146:1-6 ©
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Happy are all who
hope in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Praise the Lord for
he is good;
sing to
our God for he is loving:
to him
our praise is due.
The Lord builds up
Jerusalem
and
brings back Israel’s exiles.
Happy are all who
hope in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
He heals the
broken-hearted,
he binds
up all their wounds.
He fixes the number
of the stars;
he calls
each one by its name.
Happy are all who
hope in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Our Lord is great and
almighty;
his
wisdom can never be measured.
The Lord raises the
lowly;
he
humbles the wicked to the dust.
Happy are all who
hope in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Is55:6
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Seek the Lord while
he is still to be found,
call to him while he
is still near.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Is33:22
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord is our
judge, the Lord our lawgiver,
the Lord our king and
saviour.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew
9:35-10:1,5,6-8 ©
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Jesus made a tour
through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming
the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when
he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and
dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The
harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to
send labourers to his harvest.’
He
summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits
with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Go rather to the
lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of
heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,
cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’
PROCLAIM
CHRIST AS THE HOPE OF HUMANITY
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: : IS 30:19-21.23-26; MT 9:35 – 10:1.6-8
Everyone seeks happiness
in life. Unlike
the Israelites in exile who sought freedom and fullness of life, we are not
simply seeking food, clothing and shelter, but physical, affective, emotional,
moral and spiritual needs.
Although science and
technology have managed to extend the life of man, yet in every age, we
continue to have new diseases, sicknesses and suffering.
Today, the fear of pandemic and other natural disasters, war and terrorism
continue to haunt us. Indeed, everyone is sick in some ways. Some
might worry about financial problems; others seek physical, emotional and
spiritual healing. Many are afflicted with all kinds of sicknesses.
Many more are suffering from emotional hurts because of difficult and soured
relationships. Not a few are suffering because of their enslavement to
sin, especially of lust and greed.
The question we all ask is: Is there a way
out? Can I be healed? Can I be liberated from the snares of the
devil? Will God answer my prayer? Unless the answer is a positive “Yes”,
then it is difficult for us to carry on with life. Indeed, what is it
that man needs in order to live, especially in the face of suffering? It is
hope! Life cannot be lived without hope. It is our hope for a
better life and a better world that humanity continues to work for peace,
progress and prosperity. If we do not believe that such goals are
possible, then such pursuits would be simply a dream. This explains why
those who commit suicide are people who have given up hope on themselves,
humanity and even God!
But what is the basis of
this world’s hope?
It is founded on unsubstantiated hope. Such hope is weak and uncertain. For us
believers, our hope is substantiated and certain because it is founded in
God. Truly, the good news of today’s liturgy is that God is coming.
He is coming to rescue us. God is our Hope! Prophet Isaiah consoled the
people saying, “People of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no
more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he
will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the
water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see
your teacher with your own eyes.“ Indeed, the Messiah will come and He
will be the teacher that shows us the way. He will not only heal us but
also give us direction and meaning in life. He will show us the way to
walk with confidence and faith.
This Hope that has been
promised by Isaiah is fulfilled in the person of Jesus. He is the fulfillment of the Old
Testament prophecies. In Christ Jesus, salvation has dawned. As the
evangelist tells us, “when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because
they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Indeed,
Jesus as the Shepherd after the heart of His Father went about healing the
sick, bandaging the wounded and liberating those trapped in their sins.
Yes, the gospel says, He went about proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom in
both words and deed. Hence, the assurance of peace and deliverance is
concretely demonstrated in Jesus.
It is within this context
that today’s readings must be understood. Advent, which means “coming”,
invites us to remember that Christ has already come more than two
thousand years ago. Remembering the words and deeds of Jesus should give
us hope in our future. That is why the dominant mood and theme of Advent
is joy, which comes from the fulfillment of hope. For this reason, Advent
invites us to contemplate on the first coming of Christ, so that we remember
that Christ has already come. Remembering this will give us confidence,
especially when we feel forlorn and want to give up hope.
However Advent is not
asking us to be nostalgic about Christmas. We are not to go back and
take refuge in history, in a past event. In the same breath, Advent also
speaks of the present coming of Christ, here and now. If we think that
Advent is focusing only on the historical coming of Christ at Christmas, we
would have missed the whole message. For the historical coming of Christ
is important insofar as it gives weight and basis to speak of His ongoing
presence and coming here and now.
Indeed, what is
proclaimed in the gospel about Jesus’ healing miracles and His teaching continues
in the Church. Today, Jesus makes Himself present to us sacramentally
in the Church. Through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist,
Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, He nourishes us with His word and
life; and heals and liberates us. Truly, in the sacraments, Christ comes
to us in a very real manner, thereby continuing His healing work and giving us
His sanctifying grace. Through the sacraments, we are not only healed
spiritually but physically as well.
In a special way, He
comes to us when the Word is proclaimed and preached at Mass. He also comes to us at prayer,
especially when we meditate on the Word of God, for it is in prayer that Christ
will teach and lead us as our teacher. By so doing, He fulfills the
prophecy of Isaiah, for as teacher, He directs us, “This is the way; walk in
it!” Thus, if we are seeking for direction in life, we only have to
acknowledge Him as our teacher and master. It is only when we choose to ignore
His guidance that we make greater mistakes. When we allow His Word to transform
our minds and hearts, God will come to live in us. This is what Jesus
said in John’s gospel. He told us that those who abide in His word, His
Father and He would live in our hearts.
But this is not all.
If Jesus comes to give Himself to us in the Sacraments and His Word, it is in
order that the Church, that is, all of us, can be His sacrament or presence in
the world. It is envisaged that by receiving Jesus, we become the extension
of His presence in the world. Jesus makes it clear, “You received
without charge, give without charge.” We who have received Jesus and from
Jesus free of charge, must now pass on to others what we have received.
This must be done without expecting any kind of payment or reward.
The Church, as the
Sacrament of Jesus, exists ultimately for the world, to be a sign
and instrument of salvation. That is why the whole Church is
missionary in nature. Every Christian is missionary. Catholics must
reach out to the world and bring the gospel to all. We are called to
continue the work of Jesus, namely, that of teaching, healing and
reconciliation.
For this reason, we read in
the gospel of Jesus commissioning the Twelve to be His apostles.
An apostle is one who is sent. To be in mission is to be sent.
And because the world is in need of salvation, enlightenment and liberation, we
need labourers for the harvest. This is what Jesus Himself said, “The
harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to
send labourers to his harvest.”
This explains why Jesus
instructed the apostles to “Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of
Israel.” This is because salvation is supposedly to come through
the Jews who were His Chosen people. In the same way, we Catholics who
are the New Chosen People of God are called to be the instruments of Christ in
the proclamation of the Good News. Unless we are fed with the Word,
we cannot in turn proclaim to others what we have not received.
Today, the Lord’s
exhortation remains relevant, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few,
so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.”
Yes, before we do anything, we must pray for vocations. Of course, in the
process of praying for more vocations, we must realize that we ourselves might
be the ones the Lord is calling. Are we ready if we are
called? As we pray for vocations, we will be able to hear the cries of
the world more clearly and not remain indifferent to their thirst for God’s
love and truth. We will understand the heart of Jesus who listens to the souls
of many in the world seeking for guidance, direction and meaning in life.
Let us pray that we will be generous in giving ourselves for the mission of the
Church in the same spirit of sacrifice according to our state of life.
WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV
WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP
OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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