20140719
FORTITUDE MUST BE
TEMPERED WITH PRUDENCE
Scripture Reading for 19th Jul 2014
Reading 1, Micah 2:1-5
1 Disaster for those who plot evil, who lie in bed
planning mischief! No sooner is it dawn than they do it, since they have the
power to do so.
2 Seizing the fields that they covet, they take over
houses as well, owner and house they seize alike, the man himself as
well as his inheritance.
3 So Yahweh says
this: Look, I am now plotting a disaster for this breed from which you will not
extricate your necks; you will not hold
your heads up then, for the times will be
disastrous indeed.
4 That day they will make a
satire on you, they will strike up a
dirge and say, 'We have been stripped of everything; my people's land has been
divided up, no one else can restore it to them, our fields have been awarded to
our despoiler.'
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 10:1-2, 3-4, 7-8, 14
1 Why, Yahweh, do you keep so distant, stay hidden in
times of trouble?
3 The wicked is proud of his inmost desires, by his
blasphemies the grasping spurns Yahweh,
4 the wicked in his arrogance does not look very far;
'There is no God,' is his only thought.
7 he wishes it on others. His speech is full of lies and
browbeating, under his tongue lurk spite and wickedness.
8 In the undergrowth he lies in ambush, in his
hiding-place he murders the innocent. He watches intently for the downtrodden,
14 You have seen for yourself the trouble and vexation,
you watch so as to take it in hand. The oppressed relies on you; you are the
only recourse of the orphan.
Gospel, Matthew 12:14-21
15 Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many
followed him and he cured them all
16 but warned them not to make him known.
18 Look! My servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in
whom my soul delights, I
will send my Spirit upon him,
and he will present
judgement to the nations;
FORTITUDE
MUST BE TEMPERED WITH PRUDENCE
Today, there are many
who suffer the loss of their basic rights and dignity at the workplace, and
even at home. Many are manipulated by the rich and the powerful to do
their bidding. Often, money is used to tempt the poor to commit
crimes. Power is used to threaten the weak to corroborate with the evil
doings of the influential, and quite often, the weak are caught in a bind,
because of the fear of harm and suffering that may befall them or their loved
ones if they do not cooperate. For the sake of apparent security, we
often lie and cheat to win favour with our superiors.
This was the situation
of the Israelites during the time of the Prophet Micah. As God’s spokesman, he
exposed the rich for their oppression of the poor. Without compromising
the message of God, he decried and denounced the unjust social policies and
systems of his nation. As Christians, our prophetic office demands that
we too must strive to ensure that we live justly and honestly, treating our
workers, bosses and fellowmen, including our family members, with respect,
fairness and dignity. At the same time, we also have the obligation to
defend the rights of the weak who are voiceless and deprived of their basic
rights.
In the gospel, Jesus too
championed the plight of the poor. He was conscious that He was
called to be in the line of the Prophetic Tradition of exposing the ills of
society and the repressive social and religious customs and practices of His
time. On one hand, He went about alleviating the sufferings of His people
by healing them of their illnesses. But He also enlightened them through
His teachings, and through His preaching, gave them faith and hope in God who,
as the psalmist affirms, does not forget the predicament of the poor.
Truly, in Jesus, we know that God “behold(s)” our “misery and sorrow”, taking
them in His hands.
Yet, in the process of
serving the poor and the cause of justice, we create enemies and opposition,
because we jeopardize the plans of the wicked. This is where we need to
be strong in the face of confrontation. We need fortitude and courage to
remain firm in our beliefs and in our mission. This was the dilemma
that the prophets faced. Jesus too, as THE prophet, the Word of God in
person, had to contend with the escalating resentment and prejudices against
Him by the religious leaders. Just before today’s episode, Jesus went
against the slavish interpretation of the Sabbath law which was practiced in
such a way that it oppressed the poor rather than liberate them. He
defended His disciples for plucking corn from the fields and the healing of the
man with the shriveled hand at the synagogue on the Sabbath. These two
incidents incensed the Pharisees who, from that point onwards, “began to plot
against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him.”
What is significant is the
lesson we can take from Jesus in the way He dealt with the mounting
opposition against Him. He did not cower from their conspiracy to
destroy Him, but remained determined and focused in wanting to carry out the
Father’s will. It would be foolish for us to think that fidelity to God’s will
and His Word requires us to be reckless and imprudent in dealing with our
enemies. On the contrary, the virtue of fortitude does not mean that we
must be headstrong in opposing our enemies. Sometimes, fortitude is
misunderstood as being foolhardy in confronting our enemies. Jesus’ action in
today’s gospel presents a person who wanted to avoid confrontation. We read
that when “Jesus knew this.… (He) withdrew from the district.” Not only
did He withdraw to avoid further conflict with them, but He chose to stay away
from the trouble zone and the limelight. The evangelist noted that “many
followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known“.
Indeed, Jesus was not only
courageous; He was prudent in dealing with the situation at that particular
point of time. Where possible, He tried to give His opponents and critics
time to think over and come to terms with themselves. He was patient with
them, just as He was patient with sinners. As the evangelist rightly
portrayed Jesus with the citation from the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, Jesus
was not one who would “brawl or shout”, nor “break the crushed reed, nor put
out the smoldering wick till he has led the truth to victory.”
Although He would never stop proclaiming “the true faith to the nations” so to
give sinners, including His enemies, hope, He would do it in the gentlest of
ways, which is the way of innocent suffering and of humility. It was
through the cross, by laying down His life for us, that Jesus brought us to
victory, by His unconditional love and mercy.
Whilst fortitude enables
us to do the right thing, prudence helps us to do the right thing in the best
way. Acting
impulsively can destroy all the good intentions we have. This is true in
many situations in life. Many Catholics I know have great hope,
aspirations and enthusiasm in wanting to see the Church change for the better,
be more proactive, relevant and missionary minded. They have great ideas
too, but due to the lack of prudence and tact, they antagonize those in
authority or those who disagree with them and as a result, the truth of their
message and the validity of their ideas are buried under the heat of emotional
exchanges.
It is in this light that
the Catholic Church has an institution called the Pontifical Ecclesiastical
Academy, which is responsible for training candidates for the Holy See in
diplomatic service. Diplomacy is as old as the Catholic Church. The
Church has always used diplomacy to engage the world so that the rights of all
peoples are protected, including that of the lay faithful, especially in
countries that lack religious freedom and respect for the moral values of
Christians. Through these diplomats, the Holy Father keeps abreast of the
situations in the Particular Churches and in the world, and at the same time
exercise his prophetic role by being the spokesman and moral defender of
humanity in the name of Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Yes, we are reminded
time and again to speak the truth, but the truth must always be spoken with
charity. Proclaiming the truth without love is itself a
contradiction, and brings about just the reverse effect on our listeners.
Most people want to seek the truth, but because of their hidden fears and
inbuilt defense mechanisms, they tend to oppose anything that challenges their
comfort zone. Given time, patience and compassion however, most people
are ready to listen and to rethink their position. Hence, we must seek
the way of Jesus in winning over our detractors and those who are hardliners in
their way of thinking. Through compassion and understanding; patience and
love; respect and encouragement, we will help them to be receptive to the grace
of God, His truth and His love.
WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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