20140910
NOT TO CLING TO THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF LIFE
First
reading
1
Corinthians 7:25-31 ©
About
remaining celibate, I have no directions from the Lord but give my own opinion
as one who, by the Lord’s mercy, has stayed faithful. Well then, I believe that
in these present times of stress this is right: that it is good for a man to
stay as he is. If you are tied to a wife, do not look for freedom; if you are
free of a wife, then do not look for one. But if you marry, it is no sin, and
it is not a sin for a young girl to get married. They will have their troubles,
though, in their married life, and I should like to spare you that.
Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is
growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and
those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who
are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about;
those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of
their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become
engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.
Psalm
Psalm
44:11-12,14-17 ©
Listen,
O daughter, give ear to my words.
Listen,
O daughter, give ear to my words:
forget your own people and your father’s
house.
So
will the king desire your beauty:
He is your lord, pay homage to him.
Listen,
O daughter, give ear to my words.
The
daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,
her robes embroidered with pearls set in
gold.
She
is led to the king with her maiden companions.
Listen,
O daughter, give ear to my words.
They
are escorted amid gladness and joy;
they pass within the palace of the king.
Sons
shall be yours in place of your fathers:
you will make them princes over all the earth.
Listen,
O daughter, give ear to my words.
Gospel
Acclamation 1Jn2:5
Alleluia,
alleluia!
Whenever
anyone obeys what Christ has said,
God’s
love comes to perfection in him.
Alleluia!
Or Lk6:23ab
Alleluia,
alleluia!
Rejoice
and be glad:
your
reward will be great in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 6:20-26 ©
Fixing
his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:
‘How
happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy
you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy
you who weep now: you shall laugh.
Happy
are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as
criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance
for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their
ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But
alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas
for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas
for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.
‘Alas
for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors
treated the false prophets.’
NOT
TO CLING TO THE TRANSITORY NATURE OF LIFE
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: 1 COR 7:25-31; LK 6:20-26
http://www.universalis.com/20140910/mass.htm
It is our human tendency to
cling to things, power, people and achievements in life. But our
attachment goes beyond things and people, we find ourselves clinging even to
our hatred for others, the unforgiveness and resentment in our hearts. This
need to cling arises basically from our own insecurity. We need
to remind ourselves of our achievements so that we feel good about
ourselves. We need to cling on to things so that we feel materially
provided and that we are self-sufficient. And we even cling to
negative attitudes that destroy our lives because we need to feel righteous
against those who sinned against us, or be punished for our sins so that we
have paid for our offences
But the truth is that it is
our attachment and our tendentious clinging to all these that have brought
us so much misery in life. Yes, our happiness is so easily affected when we
lose certain things in life e.g. our mobile phone, money, prestige, job,
etc. More painful is when we lose our friends due to some misunderstanding
or because we have to part. But most of all, many of us feel hurt when we
are slighted, humiliated or ignored, or when we experience failures in
life. It is due to our clinging that we are always unsettled and
unhappy.
How, then, can we find
the courage to let go? The key to authentic liberation is found in St Paul’s letter to
the Corinthians. Overshadowed by the expected coming of the Kingdom of
God, i.e. the end of the world, Paul gave his views on celibacy and
marriage. But the main point that Paul wanted to bring across is not just
regarding celibacy and marriage but the transitory nature of things and life.
If he advised them not to get married, it was because he believed that the
Kingdom was coming soon. “Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is growing
short.”
This basic principle of
Paul’s advice must also be applied to every area of our daily life. What is
important is not so much celibacy but that our whole life must be overshadowed
by the thought that the end of the world is coming soon. We must live
as if the world is coming to an end for us tomorrow. The truth is
that the world as we know it is passing away. Unless we grasp the reality
that all things are changing and passing, we will continue to cling on to
things, people, and our pride in life. We will delude ourselves into
thinking that we are going to live forever and so we spend so much time storing
up our wealth, our achievements, thinking that we will be able to enjoy
them. The fact is that life is passing away each day.
Once we realize this, we would not cling to anything in life anymore, not even
our pride and ego because in the face of eternity all these are nothing. When
we come to realize that nothing remains the same, then in the face of poverty,
adversity and failure, we know that things can only get better; and in the face
of prosperity and success, we are mindful that these earthly achievements
cannot last either.
This point is very well
illustrated in today’s gospel. The beatitudes are indeed the blueprint
to life. The question we need to ask is, why did Jesus call those
who are hungry, poor and weeping and rejected as blessed? In human
understanding, they are really cursed and suffering. But in truth
they are blessed because to be poor, hungry and rejected by others is to be a
person without ego, without anything to cling on to. Only such people are
truly open to God. They are totally dependent on God and no longer rely
on themselves. When we experience hunger, poverty and suffering, we learn
compassion and gratitude for what we already have. Only such people are
truly free because they are not slaves to anything or anyone. From this
point onwards, everything for them would be gain.
Conversely, we must hold
that those who are rich, full, and well respected by others are really cursed,
not blessed. Why is that so? Because for these people, they
will always have to live in insecurity, with the possibility that they might
lose all that they have accumulated. Hence, those who are rich need to
protect their riches; those who are powerful need to protect their power – it
will be a life-long fear that they have to deal with. Those who are
honoured and served will always have many enemies who envy their position and
waiting to take over from them. In their case, they have everything to
lose. As a result, the rich and powerful fear that their wealth and power
will be taken away. Furthermore, when they lose their wealth or status,
they will find it very difficult to adapt to a lower standard of life and an
unknown life.
Hence, what is required
of us is to adopt an attitude of holy indifference to all things, people and
life. We must learn to take life as it comes, without choosing this
or the other. Happy is the person who neither craves for this or that,
nor has an aversion to this or that. He is, in other words,
equanimous. In that state, he reaches a state of tranquility. He is
no more fearful of death, of suffering, of poverty, of humiliation, etc.
Thus, he can truly live. He can afford to be generous with whatever
little he has – he can share generously without calculating the cost.
Indeed, Blessed Mother Teresa says that those who know themselves neither fear
disgrace nor honour, because they know who they are.
Yes, one of the ways in
which we can always keep life in its proper perspective is to meditate on death,
not just the death of someone we love, but especially on our own death.
This was why St Paul told the Christians to consider everything in the light of
the coming of God’s kingdom. It is when we are conscious of the fact that
we can die anytime, whether it is a few days from now or months, then we will
stop clinging to all securities in life. We will also surrender our
hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness, the achievements, wealth and power we
have gained. Why? Because in the face of death, all these mean
nothing. We cannot bring them with us. If our last thought on earth
is the first thought in the next life, then by not forgiving and letting go of
all that is earthly, worldly and sinful, we will only bring them to the next
world. If we want to complete our life on earth with great satisfaction,
what we would be most concerned with is that we be at peace with our fellowmen
and that we will live and spend the rest of our life to the fullest in love and
service.
Ultimately, what brings
the greatest happiness in life is simply a life of true freedom, making the
best of what we have in life, without craving for things that are neither ours
or being attached to them. Yes, all things in this world, even you and I,
are passing. As someone said, “We pass through this world but once, if
there is any good that we can do, let us do it now!” Indeed, let us take
to heart the exhortation of St Paul that “those who mourn should live as though
they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as
though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things
should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal
with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world
as we know it is passing away.”
WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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