20150414 THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNION IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY WITNESSING TO THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

20150414 THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNION IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY WITNESSING TO THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Readings at Mass

First reading

Acts 4:32-37 ©

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.

  The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.

  None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.

  There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.

Psalm

Psalm 92:1-2,5 ©

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;

  the Lord has robed himself with might,

  he has girded himself with power.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

The world you made firm, not to be moved;

  your throne has stood firm from of old.

  From all eternity, O Lord, you are.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.

  Holiness is fitting to your house,

  O Lord, until the end of time.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Rv1:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

You, O Christ, are the faithful witness,

the First-born from the dead,

you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood.

Alleluia!

Or

Jn3:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Son of Man must be lifted up

so that everyone who believes in him

may have eternal life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 3:7-15 ©

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘Do not be surprised when I say:

You must be born from above.

The wind blows wherever it pleases;

you hear its sound,

but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’

‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus.

‘I tell you most solemnly,

we speak only about what we know

and witness only to what we have seen

and yet you people reject our evidence.

If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world,

how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?

No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who came down from heaven,

the Son of Man who is in heaven;

and the Son of Man must be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’

THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNION IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY WITNESSING TO THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

SCRIPTURE READINGS:  ACTS 4:32-37; JN 3:7-15In today’s first reading, St Luke painted a very beautiful image of the early Christian community as one that was so deeply united, loving, caring and dynamic.  Everyone showed mutual concern for each other, putting the interest of the members of the community before their own.  So intense was their fraternal communion and charity that they would call nothing their own, but whatever they possessed were sold and given for the common good.  Thus, it was a community where there was a spirit of communion and brotherhood. Truly, the community was one of love and mutual support.

But is this too idyllic a picture?  Is it possible in today’s context? Is it not true that the Church is called to communion?  As Church, we are called to be the sacrament of unity for the whole human race.  Our mission is to invite others into communion and fellowship with us.  Necessarily, we cannot accomplish this mission without ourselves being in communion.  To deny that such a reality is possible is to deny the power of the Resurrection of Christ in which we all participate.  Nevertheless, it is also true that most Christian communities, including the seminary and religious communities, are far from ideal.

Still, we can truly say that there are elements of such an ideal community that are nascent in some of our Church communities.  Although still imperfect and sinful, they have made efforts, with God’s grace, to be true to what they believe in.  Members have given generously of their time to the service of God.  Many have given up their secular jobs, sometimes at the height of their career, so as to render voluntary service to the community at large.  Then there are members who generously contribute to fund the operations and evangelical works of the community. On the spiritual dimension, members are generally sincere in their desire to grow in faith and in holiness in spite of their weaknesses.  They are prayerful, faith-filled and evangelical minded.

What is the key to building such a community? For such a community to exist, we need to have faith in Jesus’ resurrection, His exaltation and His Lordship.  For as Jesus reminded us in today’s gospel, “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”  He was of course referring to His passion, death, resurrection and ascension.

How is it possible then, to have faith in Jesus the Risen Lord?  

First and foremost, faith comes through the testimony of believers, especially that of the leaders of the Christian community, clergy or lay.   We read in the Acts that “the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.”  Yes, Christian leaders play a decisive role in inspiring faith among believers.  Faith is imparted and comes normally through personal testimony, as such testimonies are not open to scientific verification.   There is always an element of trust that is needed.  For in the final analysis, Jesus’ resurrection was an event that is trans-historical.  It is beyond history and only faith can see the Risen Lord.

Of course faith is not something that is merely subjective, but it is also objective.  Thus the teaching of the apostles and the Church leaders help to ground the subjective experience of faith in the Risen Lord with facts from scripture and history.  It is necessary therefore that our faith must also be founded on the apostles’ teachings and that of the Church. It is through such convicted and anointed preaching that listeners are touched by the personal faith of the preacher, which is both objective and subjective.

Preaching and teaching alone, however, cannot suffice to inspire faith.  If the apostles earned the respect of their members, it was because they not only preached with conviction, but they walked the talk.  In their own lives, they demonstrated the effects of their belief in the Risen Lord.  It was by their faith in the Risen Lord that they performed miracles, as such healings were done in the name of the Lord.  In the final analysis, it was a transformed lifestyle manifested in the fruits of the Spirit that convinced the people that Jesus is alive. Leaders therefore are challenged to live an authentic and integrated life that is exemplary, so that the Risen Lord can be seen in them.  Otherwise, as the atheistic philosopher Nietzche reprimanded the Christians, “I don’t believe that your Christ is risen because I see you all Christians still dead in your sins.”

However, even that is not sufficient.   Testimony, regardless of how inspiring they may be, will remain external to the listeners, unless the Holy Spirit who lives in them draws them to faith in what they hear.  This is what the gospel wants to remind us in the incident when Jesus explained to Nicodemus that “The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.”  The truth is that the Holy Spirit as a person cannot be seen as He is pure spirit.  We can only see the Holy Spirit from the effects, just like the wind.   We cannot see the Holy Spirit, but we can feel His presence working in and through us.

The good news is that the Holy Spirit has been given to us when we were baptized and confirmed.  Through baptism, we are given the Holy Spirit and thus we are reborn in Christ, and because we share His Spirit and sonship, we are now truly also the sons and daughters of the Father.  And we know that we have the Holy Spirit, because the presence of the Holy Spirit is seen in the effects of our lives e.g. when we experience inner and physical healing; the grace of forgiveness and letting go those who have hurt us; the spiritual manifestations experienced through our intimacy with God and most of all, holiness of life.

Through this encounter with the Holy Spirit, we will also come to know Jesus more personally and, through Jesus, come to experience the love of the Father.  So in communion with the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit, we are now in union with God.  With the joy of this union, we are empowered to establish among ourselves, a fraternal communion in love and service, so that through us, we can reach out to others and bring them to communion with the Trinitarian God and with us.  Let us therefore pray for a renewal of the Holy Spirit and a greater consciousness of the Holy Spirit so that we can manifest the fruits of the Spirit, which is a life of joy, peace and love.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

© All Rights Reserved