20150428 PROTECTIONISM VS INCLUSIVITY

20150428 PROTECTIONISM VS INCLUSIVITY

Readings at Mass

First reading

Acts 11:19-26 ©

Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

  The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.

  Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’

Psalm

Psalm 86:1-7 ©

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

On the holy mountain is his city

  cherished by the Lord.

The Lord prefers the gates of Zion

  to all Jacob’s dwellings.

Of you are told glorious things,

  O city of God!

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

‘Babylon and Egypt I will count

  among those who know me;

Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,

  these will be her children

and Zion shall be called “Mother”

  for all shall be her children.’

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

It is he, the Lord Most High,

  who gives each his place.

In his register of peoples he writes:

  ‘These are her children,’

and while they dance they will sing:

  ‘In you all find their home.’

O praise the Lord, all you nations!

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 10:22-30 ©

It was the time when the feast of Dedication was being celebrated in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied:

‘I have told you, but you do not believe.

The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness;

but you do not believe,

because you are no sheep of mine.

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

I know them and they follow me.

I give them eternal life;

they will never be lost

and no one will ever steal them from me.

The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

PROTECTIONISM VS INCLUSIVITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS:  ACTS 11:19-26; JN 10:22-30

In the world, economy and trade are divided by two apparently irreconcilable world views.  On one hand there are those who advocate free trade and on the other hand, for nationalistic reason, there is a need to protect the local industries that are unable to compete with competitors in the free international market.   In other words, the latter is dominated by fear and the latter focuses on challenges, free and fair competition and reciprocal exchange.

Such exclusivist or inclusivist attitudes are also present in the area of faith and evangelization.  The traditionalist does not want change but simply to maintain the status quo. The progressive demands change and accommodation to the developments in society and in the world.  Indeed, we see two groups of believers present in today’s scripture readings with regard to the proclamation of the gospel as a consequence of the persecution they faced.

On the one hand, we have the conservative Jewish Christian converts.  They tend to be more nationalistic in their understanding of faith, for in Judaism, race and religion are almost identified.  So when they were persecuted, they were scattered, but most of them only tried to spread their faith to fellow Jews as they did not want to be contaminated by mixing with the Gentiles.  As St Luke noted, “those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews.”

However, Acts also recorded that “Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.”  This group belonged to the Greek-speaking Jews, the diaspora Jews who have adopted the Greek culture and language.  It is notable that they were more aggressive and courageous for they preached the gospel not only to their fellow Jews but even the non-Jews.

It is not surprising therefore that we see in the gospel, the great resistance of the Jews with regard to the claims of Jesus.  They demanded proof from Jesus as to whether He was the Christ.  They said to Him, “How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Why would they not believe?  The truth is that they did not want to change.  They were not willing to change or come out of their status quo and comfort zone.

Today, the Church is experiencing the same challenge when it comes to make making changes in the life of the Church or in the work of evangelization.  More often than not, we tend to be inward looking and parochial minded.  We fear to take risks and are afraid of change.  This is true in many of our Church organizations where we are happy to continue as we have always done in the past.  We stifle new ideas from those who wish to see the Church grow in strength and in depth.  We are contented with a maintenance mode of operation. As a result we have lost many young people and professionals who want to help in the Church but do not find receptivity to their talents.  The Holy Father, recognizing the new wave of renewal brought about by the Holy Spirit, especially in the mushrooming of the new ecclesial movements, often lament that such movements are not welcome by the people of God.  Instead, they see them as competitors or a threat to their existing status quo.

Of course, openness does not require us to throw prudence to the wind.  That was why when “the church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.”  It was necessary for the Church to verify whether such developments were truly the work of the Holy Spirit.  At the same time, it was important that the new converts and new communities be connected with the Church in Jerusalem, lest they allowed their enthusiasm to mislead them in their faith about Jesus.  When we speak of progress, it must not be seen in terms of total discontinuity with the past.  True progress is a development of what is already present.  There is a real continuity with the faith.  Today, as Catholics, we must learn from the early Christians, their creative and evangelical spirit in bringing Christ to peoples in new lands who did not know Him.  We must be like them, taking new initiatives to make Christ known and loved.  We cannot remain complacent and stagnant in our faith and in our Church or else we will be marginalized and become redundant to the world.

More so when we are facing so many challenges and attempts to discredit the integrity of the Church.  Like the early Christians we must use the current attempts to persecute the Holy Father and discredit the Church by detractors as means for us to extend the Good News.  As we are being purified of our sins and weaknesses and mistakes, we will become stronger to face the world.  We must be thankful indeed that the world is exposing all our sins and negligence, otherwise because of our lack of courage and ignorance, we sin even without fully being aware of the gravity of what we are doing.  Thus, instead of simply trying to defend ourselves against the onslaught of the world, we must leverage on all their accusations and unhappiness so that by allowing them to purify us, we will become truly a force in the world, since the Church could then say that not only do we teach the truth but we live always in the truth.  We should not be afraid of the truth for only the truth can set us free.  Thanks to their “persecutions” they are helping the Church to truly grow in holiness, especially among her leaders.

Hence, we are called to imitate the courage and openness of early primitive Church leaders, especially in the person of Barnabas.  He was truly a man who was open to the work of the Holy Spirit.  We read that when he reached Antioch, “there he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him.”  Instead of feeling threatened by the success of the evangelical work of the persecuted Christians, “he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion.”  Barnabas truly lived up to his name, since the etymology of his name means, the man of encouragement.  He did not stop them from converting non-Jews.  He did not reserve the Christian faith only to Jewish people.  Instead he encouraged them to persevere and continue the good work they were doing.

Barnabas was not a man who wanted to seek glory for himself or for self-interests. His openness, courage and generosity is further manifested when he “then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’.”  Barnabas welcomed Paul to the ministry when others were suspicious or apprehensive of him, because of his previous background.  Even though he knew Paul was talented, he was not afraid to bring Paul in to work with him.  Barnabas knew his charism as one who gives encouragement and he allowed Paul to take the limelight in the ministry.

What, then, is the secret of Barnabas in his courageous decision to invite Paul and always adopting a positive attitude towards those who are successful?  It was his love for the Lord and his docility.  Acts tells us that “he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith.”  It was the faith of Barnabas that empowered him to empower others, like John the Baptist, decreasing as others increase.

Yes, today, the gospel invites us to listen to the voice of Jesus our Good Shepherd.  St John indicated that it was during the Feast of Dedication when the Jews came to ask Him, “How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  This feast celebrates the festival of light.  So Jesus comes as the Light of the World to enlighten us in darkness.  But we can receive this light only when we are willing to listen and hear His voice.

Listening requires faith and humility.  This is what Jesus said to those who could not accept Him, “I have told you, but you do not believe.  The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness; but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”  Are you identified with Jesus just as Jesus could say, “The Father and I are one”?  Unless we hear His voice, we cannot follow Him to the pasture of eternal life.  Indeed, it is notable that in the first reading we read that “it was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’.”  To be a Christian is to be identified with Jesus the Good Shepherd, which presupposes that we are very much in personal relationship with Jesus; otherwise, it would not be possible to hear His voice.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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