20141003 EMBRACING THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE IN THE MYSTERY OF GOD

20141003 EMBRACING THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE IN THE MYSTERY OF GOD

First reading

Job 38:1,12-21,40:3-5 ©

From the heart of the tempest the Lord gave Job his answer. He said:

Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning

  or sent the dawn to its post,

telling it to grasp the earth by its edges

  and shake the wicked out of it,

when it changes the earth to sealing clay

  and dyes it as a man dyes clothes;

stealing the light from wicked men

  and breaking the arm raised to strike?

Have you journeyed all the way to the sources of the sea,

  or walked where the Abyss is deepest?

Have you been shown the gates of Death

  or met the janitors of Shadowland?

Have you an inkling of the extent of the earth?

  Tell me all about it if you have!

Which is the way to the home of the light,

  and where does darkness live?

You could then show them the way to their proper places,

  or put them on the path to where they live!

If you know all this, you must have been born with them,

  you must be very old by now!

Job replied to the Lord:

My words have been frivolous: what can I reply?

  I had better lay my finger on my lips.

I have spoken once... I will not speak again;

  more than once... I will add nothing.

Psalm

Psalm 138:1-3,7-10,13-14 ©

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

O Lord, you search me and you know me,

  you know my resting and my rising,

  you discern my purpose from afar.

You mark when I walk or lie down,

  all my ways lie open to you.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

O where can I go from your spirit,

  or where can I flee from your face?

If I climb the heavens, you are there.

  If I lie in the grave, you are there.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

If I take the wings of the dawn

  and dwell at the sea’s furthest end,

even there your hand would lead me,

  your right hand would hold me fast.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

For it was you who created my being,

  knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I thank you for the wonder of my being,

  for the wonders of all your creation.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

Gospel Acclamation           Ps144:13

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and loving in all his deeds.

Alleluia!

Or        Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel           Luke 10:13-16 ©

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.

  ‘Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.’

EMBRACING THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE IN THE MYSTERY OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: JOB 38:1,12-21; 40:3-5; LK 10:13-16
http://www.universalis.com/20141003/mass.htm

One of the greatest gifts of God to man is the gift of intellect and reasoning.  Yet, it is also one of the greatest liabilities of man because man keeps asking why, why, why, to the mysteries of life. We are always seeking for explanation and understanding.  We are never satisfied until we can understand.  Otherwise, we reject the mysteries of life and even faith in a loving and omnipotent God, since the sufferings of this world and our own lives contradict the existence of a loving, merciful and providential God.

So like Job in the first reading, we cannot but question God for the trials in our lives.  Some of us, like Job, might feel frustrated with the life we are living and wonder why we are in this situation, especially if we are suffering from some sickness or misfortune.  Sometimes, we wonder why the events of life have unfolded in such a manner that seems to be unfair to us.  At times, we question the failures in our work or project.  This was the case of Jesus in today’s gospel as well.  Jesus expressed His own disappointment and sadness at the indifference of His own people in Chorazin and Bethsaida, as well as in Capernaum, to His message and even miracles.  Jesus, being human, would have pondered deeply over the apparent failure of His mission and tried to discern the will of the Father for Himself.  He could not understand why His own people were so slow to accept the gospel, compared to the less privileged towns of Tyre and Sidon.

The irony of today’s message is that when we question God, God will not answer us just as He would not answer Job.  Why does God not feel the need to justify His plans?  The truth is that the mystery of life is simply too profound and awesome for us human weaklings to understand.  Indeed, instead of answering our questions, God is questioning us as He questioned Job out of the tempest.  The question which He asked of Job and us is whether we are God or creatures?  Unless we are God we would not be able to understand the mystery of creation and mystery itself.  Indeed, to recognize how little we know, God invites us to reflect on the wonders of creation.  If we cannot even grasp the overwhelming mystery of creation, how can we ever understand the mystery of God Himself?

Indeed, quite often we do not even understand simple things in our lives or the actions of our fellow human beings.  How many times have we been embarrassed to realize how ignorant we have been with regard to some beliefs we hold, whether it is with regard to doctrines, liturgical practices or even certain facts of life?  Indeed, life has taught us not to be too sure of those matters which we hold to be gospel truths, as a deeper study of the issues will reveal to us how blind or inadequate our knowledge is.  Like the inhabitants of Capernaum, our pride often prevents us from seeing the truth from a fuller perspective.  Indeed, the hardening of dogmatic positions is the cause of fanaticism in religion, all because we lack the full understanding of a situation.  And of course, all fanatics are sincere believers but blinded and prejudiced by their beliefs and lack of openness to dialogue and growth.

What is true with regard to beliefs hold true even in human relationships.  Quite often, we cannot accept the decisions, for example, of our superiors or colleagues, or even that of our friends. We criticize the way they do things without knowing the real circumstances, constraints and background for their decisions and actions.   But one day, when we are in their shoes or when we are aware of the full situation, we, like Job, would have to cover our mouth and say, “I have spoken once … I will not speak again; more than once … I will add nothing.”

If that is so in human relationships, what more with the ways of God?  We cannot ever fully understand His plan.  Hence, we have to come to accept that life is a mystery.  In saying that life is a mystery, we do not mean that life is puzzlement but that life is too profound and awesome for us to comprehend.  We are called to allow life to question us instead.  In other words, we must ponder on the awesome mystery of life so that we can make the leap of faith to accept the Mystery of God. 

This is what the liturgy of today is inviting us to celebrate – the mystery of life and the mystery of God.  We are called to trust in God and surrender ourselves to His mystery and divine providence.  In other words, we are called to live out the mystery.  In living it out, we will find who God is.  Instead of panicking and becoming fearful, we simply have to trust Him and do what we can within our limits, believing that God will show us the way.  This was the way Jesus lived His life.  He surrendered His failures and rejection in His mission to the Father.

We are called to imitate the humble faith of the psalmist.  God is our all providential God.  As the psalmist declares, “O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you. O where can I go from your spirit, or where can I flee from your face? If I climb the heavens, you are there.  If I lie in the grave, you are there. If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the sea’s furthest end, even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast.” Indeed, God, who is the creator of heaven and earth, of this whole universe which is beyond human comprehension, should inspire us to trust that He is in charge of this world.  The other option is to believe in a world that is totally irrational and without any direction.  The truth is that God created us and we are in the divine plan of God.  As the psalmist says, “For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation.”

WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH


ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED