20140922 PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD OF GOD
First
reading
Proverbs
3:27-34 ©
My
son, do not refuse a kindness to anyone who begs it,
if it is in your power to perform it.
Do
not say to your neighbour, ‘Go away! Come another time!
I will give it you tomorrow’, if you can do
it now.
Do
not plot harm against your neighbour
as he lives unsuspecting next door.
Do
not pick a groundless quarrel with a man
who has done you no harm.
Do
not emulate the man of violence,
never model your conduct on his;
for
the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to the Lord,
who confides only in honest men.
The
Lord’s curse lies on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the virtuous.
He
mocks those who mock,
but accords his favour to the humble.
Psalm Psalm 14:2-5 ©
The
just will live in the presence of the Lord.
Lord,
who shall dwell on your holy mountain?
He
who walks without fault;
he
who acts with justice
and
speaks the truth from his heart;
he
who does not slander with his tongue.
The
just will live in the presence of the Lord.
He
who does no wrong to his brother,
who
casts no slur on his neighbour,
who
holds the godless in disdain,
but
honours those who fear the Lord.
The
just will live in the presence of the Lord.
He
who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who
takes no interest on a loan
and
accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such
a man will stand firm for ever.
The
just will live in the presence of the Lord.
Gospel
Acclamation James1:18
Alleluia,
alleluia!
By
his own choice the Father made us his children
by
the message of the truth,
so
that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of
all that he created.
Alleluia!
Or Mt5:16
Alleluia,
alleluia!
Your
light must shine in the sight of men,
so
that, seeing your good works,
they
may give the praise to your Father in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 8:16-18 ©
Jesus
said to his disciples: ‘No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put
it under a bed. No, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light
when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing
secret but it will be known and brought to light. So take care how you hear;
for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he
thinks he has will be taken away.’
PROCLAMATION
OF THE WORD OF GOD
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: PROVERBS 3:27-34; LUKE 8:16-18
http://www.universalis.com/20140922/mass.htm
Last Saturday, the parable
of the Sower and the Seed spoke about the need to be docile to the Word of God
by making ourselves the fertile ground for the Word to have an effect on our
lives. Today, the gospel goes further to remind us that having
received the Word of God, it is not sufficient to keep it for oneself but
we must share it with others through words and deeds. In fact, the theme of
Matthew’s gospel is focused on the duty of the proclamation of the
gospel. This is indeed a timely reminder both for Matthew’s Christian
community and for us. Quite often, Catholics are complacent in the work of
proclamation. We lack the enthusiasm to proclaim the gospel,
both through deeds and through teaching, that is, Christian living, a life of
holiness and the direct proclamation of the gospel.
This obligation to
proclaim the gospel is brought out in the parable of the lamp. Jesus said, “No one lights a lamp to
cover it with a bowl or to put it under the bed. No, he puts it on a lamp
stand so that people may see the light when they come in.” What is the
purpose of the lamp? It is obvious that the lamp is only a means, not the
end itself. It is not meant to be kept hidden, nor even simply for
display. Rather, a lamp is for oneself so that one can see where one is
going. Similarly, one receives the Word of God for oneself so that one
can live the truth. Light is always a symbol of inner beauty, truth, and
goodness of God. The psalmist tells us that “His word is a lamp that guides our
steps (Psalm 119:105). Anyone who walks in the light will find true joy,
peace and happiness. Christ, of course, is our Light and our Lamp.
Indeed, personal sanctification is itself a powerful form of witness for
Christ.
However, having received
Christ, the Word of God, as our Lamp and illuminated by Him, it is important
that the light of Christ must shine through us. Truly, as recipients of
the light, we are now to be light-bearers of Christ for the world, to
enlighten all men so that they can come to know the truth of the gospel and the
grace of God. We do this firstly by living a good Christian life.
We must proclaim the gospel in our daily life through honest living and a life
of charity. This is what the first reading from the book of Proverbs
tells us. Our faith in Christ must transform the way we relate with the
cosmos and our fellow men.
Secondly, we are called to share
the light through an explicit proclamation of the gospel. Quite
often, we tend to be diffident, shy and even apologetic in this area.
Even among our fellow Catholic brothers and sisters, and within our church
communities, we sometimes avoid talking about our God experiences, sharing the
gospel, our faith and our convictions, or using scripture to comfort or counsel
one another. We prefer to talk about mundane matters, dispense our head
knowledge or gossip. Why do we keep the light instead of sharing
it?
Firstly, because we lack
a real appreciation of the gift we have received. Perhaps many of us
do not really read the Word of God or pray the scriptures. We like to
read books on philosophy, psychology and theology, but how many of us really
read the Word of God prayerfully every day? Of course, this is not to say
that we should not read other related literature, but our first preference must
be given to the Word of God. Love for the scriptures is fundamental.
Nothing can replace the Word of God.
Secondly, perhaps, we
are fearful. Fear makes us feel diffident. We think we have
nothing worthwhile to share with others about our faith. Perhaps so, if
we have not read or prayed the scriptures! But if we have and still are
not enthusiastic about it, then possibly, it is because of fear. Fear
could also be the reason for our selfishness in not sharing the Word. We
fear that the Word would challenge us to change our lives, especially our
status quo. We are not ready to make sacrifices in living according to
the gospel life.
How then can we find the
key to the proclamation of the Word? Firstly, we must be convinced
of the great gift of the Word of God. We need to pray that we
cultivate a real love for the Word. Unless we feel that the Word of God
is truly the Word of God, we will not be very impressed by it. For this
reason, Jesus advised us, “So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will
be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be
taken away.” If we are not attentive to the Word, then whatever we have
heard will not only fail to do us any good, but when we do not share it with
others, the little faith we have would also be lost.
Indeed, only by living
out the Word ourselves and sharing it, can our faith grow stronger each day.
Our faith is reinforced every time we put it into practice. By loving
others, we become more loving each day. Indeed, the book of Proverbs
tells us that to receive the blessings of God, we must do good to others, for
God will bless us for our kindness by making us even more kind. The
paradox of life is that the more we share, the more convinced we become, for
our faith is clarified in the process. This principle is reiterated by
Jesus who said, “To anyone who has, more will be given”, but only because we
give it away. If we are generous and do not withhold love or kindness, God will
reward us with greater love. Indeed, when we do not give away what we
have, we have already lost it!
WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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