20141212 WELCOMING CHRIST, THE WISDOM OF GOD IN PERSON
Readings at Mass
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First reading
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Isaiah 48:17-19 ©
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Thus says the Lord,
your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I, the Lord, your
God, teach you what is good for you,
I lead you in the way
that you must go.
If only you had been
alert to my commandments,
your happiness would
have been like a river,
your integrity like
the waves of the sea.
Your children would
have been numbered like the sand,
your descendants as
many as its grains.
Never would your name
have been cut off or blotted out before me.
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Psalm
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Psalm 1:1-4,6 ©
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Anyone who follows
you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
Happy indeed is the
man
who
follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the
way of sinners
nor sits
in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is
the law of the Lord
and who
ponders his law day and night.
Anyone who follows
you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
that is planted
beside
the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit
in due season
and whose
leaves shall never fade;
and all
that he does shall prosper.
Anyone who follows
you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so are the
wicked, not so!
For they like
winnowed chaff
shall be
driven away by the wind.
for the Lord guards
the way of the just
but the
way of the wicked leads to doom.
Anyone who follows
you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Alleluia, alleluia!
See, the king, the
Lord of the world, will come.
He will free us from
the yoke of our bondage.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord will come,
go out to meet him.
Great is his
beginning and his reign will have no end.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 11:16-19
©
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Jesus spoke to the
crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children
shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:
“We played the pipes
for you,
and you wouldn’t
dance;
we sang dirges,
and you wouldn’t be
mourners.”
‘For
John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The
Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a
drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved
right by her actions.’
WELCOMING
CHRIST, THE WISDOM OF GOD IN PERSON
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: IS 48: 17-19; PS 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6; MATT 11: 16-19
We are
almost at the end of the Second Week of Advent. The first week of Advent
presents to us Jesus as the Hope of humanity. This whole week the Church
has been leading us into a deeper meditation on who Christ is and what He means
to us. Advent means the coming of God whose coming is proclaimed in
Christ. He is therefore the Wisdom of God in person. The
scripture readings portray Jesus as the Wisdom of God proven by His words and
action.
Unfortunately,
not many have the eyes of faith to recognize Him as the Word and Wisdom of
God sent to us for our salvation. The first reading tells us the
desire of God to instruct us in the right path so that our lives will be
fruitful. “I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead
you in the way that you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments,
your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of
the sea. Your children would have been numbered like the sand, your descendants
as many as its grains.” Jesus is the Teacher sent to us by the Father to
lead us to eternal life.
In the
gospel, however, Jesus bemoans the irony of the insincerity of man to seek
the truth. Although, like the scribes and Pharisees, we all claim
that we want to know the Truth and the Way to life, yet when presented with the
truth and the means, we are not ready to accept them. As Jesus rightly
described the people of His generation. “For John came, neither eating
nor drinking, and they say, ‘He is possessed.’ The Son of Man came, eating and
drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners.’”
Isn’t this the case of
many of our Catholics?
Oh yes, they would grumble and express dissatisfaction that the Church does not
provide enough on-going formation, whether by way of scripture lessons or
retreats and recollection. But when presented with such opportunities,
they shy away, giving excuses such as “Oh it is too far away, we are very busy
with our work and family responsibilities”, that they cannot take
leave from their work. However they will always find time to go for
long holidays but not a few days each year to be with the Lord! Again,
many Catholics lament that we lack fellowship with each other because the
parish is too large for interpersonal relationship. But when invited to
join some church organization or a neighourbood Catholic community, they would
not turn up.
The truth is that we are
resisting Him by giving all kinds of lame excuses. We are not ready to change, give up our
convenience and complacency. We prefer the present status quo as it is
more secure and less troublesome. Like the religious leaders in Jesus’
day, instead of admitting that we are lazy and selfish and not willing to
change, we try to find fault in everything. Such people are impossible to
please. The truth is they are not happy with themselves and as a result,
make life difficult for everyone else. In contrast, the contented man is
easy to please because he is humble, receptive and always grateful.
Truly, if we were more sincere in examining ourselves, we would recognize that
we do not truly desire to seek authentic life and love.
Hence, Jesus reminds us
that wisdom must be proven right by actions. If we truly want to
find peace and happiness in life, knowing that Christ is the Word and Wisdom of
God, then we must prove what we desire by our actions. We must cooperate
with the grace of God given to us here and now. This was the whole
problem with the religious leaders during the time of Jesus. They would
not cooperate with the grace of God. They continued to resist God’s grace
which came in the person of Jesus. Like spoilt children playing in the
market place, Jesus remarked, “What description can I find for this generation?
It is like children shouting to each other … ‘We played the pipes for you, and
you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t be mourners.’”
Jesus is not only coming
at Christmas but He has already come and is coming at each moment of our life,
if only we would welcome Him into our hearts. He comes to us in so many ways. He is there
to enlighten and console us whenever we pray the Word of God. He is there
to give us Himself in the bread and wine whenever we celebrate the
Eucharist. He is there to assure us of His Father’s mercy and forgiveness
and to heal our broken hearts in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He is
there in the poor and the needy. He is there in our family, especially
our spouse and children. He is also found in nature, in creatures like
animals and pets. He is everywhere.
If we sincerely want God to
enter our lives then we must welcome Jesus, the Word and Wisdom of God by
listening to Him. This was how the psalmist found life. He
said, “Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life. Blessed
the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of
sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of
the Lord and meditates on his law day and night.”
During this season of
Advent, we must make a decisive resolution to spend more time keeping vigil
with our Lord in prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament. If
only we realize how much benefits and blessings we would receive when we come
to the Lord in prayer and in Holy Communion, we would make time for Him.
The assurance of the psalmist for those who follow the Lord will be “like a
tree planted near running water that yields its fruit in due season and whose
leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.” Let us listen to the advice
of the people of God who through the ages have vouched for the fidelity of
God’s love and mercy for us. If we repent upon hearing His Word and
follow the path of repentance, then salvation is near at hand.
And so as we arrive mid-way
in Advent, for those of us who have not yet started to put their spiritual life
in order or have not yet begun to spend more time in prayer and reflection,
then we would miss the boat when Jesus comes in a special way at Christmas.
It will be a Christmas without Christ. And what do you expect of a
Christmas without Christ? It will only be a mess. You will be fed
with food and merry making but your heart will remain broken, mind confused and
hope an illusion, because nothing would have changed. The merry making
would have been escapism, the way the religious leaders avoided the truth
proclaimed by John the Baptist and Jesus. Show your wisdom by proving
with actions of repentance and a personal conversion to the Lord in prayer and
in works of mercy and compassion.
WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV
WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP
OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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