20150520 GUARDING THE UNITY OF OUR COMMUNITY
Readings at Mass
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First reading
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Acts 20:28-38 ©
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Paul addressed these
words to the elders of the church of Ephesus:
‘Be on
your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has
made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own
blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you
and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men
coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the
disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day
for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one
of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has
power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the
sanctified.
‘I have
never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work
I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to
show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak,
remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more
happiness in giving than in receiving.”’
When he
had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were
all in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what
saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then
they escorted him to the ship.
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Psalm
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Psalm
67:29-30,33-36 ©
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Kingdoms of the
earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Show forth, O God,
show forth your might,
your
might, O God, which you have shown for us.
For the sake of your
temple high in Jerusalem
may kings
come to you bringing their tribute.
Kingdoms of the
earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Kingdoms of the
earth, sing to God, praise the Lord
who rides
on the heavens, the ancient heavens.
He thunders his
voice, his mighty voice.
Come,
acknowledge the power of God.
Kingdoms of the
earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
His glory is on
Israel; his might is in the skies.
God is to
be feared in his holy place.
He is the Lord,
Israel’s God.
He gives
strength and power to his people.
Blessed be God!
Kingdoms of the
earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Mt28:19,20
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of
all the nations.
I am with you always;
yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Jn17:17
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O
Lord:
consecrate us in the
truth.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 17:11-19 ©
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Jesus raised his eyes
to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
keep those you have
given me true to your name,
so that they may be
one like us.
While I was with
them,
I kept those you had
given me true to your name.
I have watched over
them
and not one is lost
except the one who
chose to be lost,
and this was to
fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming
to you
and while still in
the world I say these things
to share my joy with
them to the full.
I passed your word on
to them,
and the world hated
them,
because they belong
to the world
no more than I belong
to the world.
I am not asking you
to remove them from the world,
but to protect them
from the evil one.
They do not belong to
the world
any more than I
belong to the world.
Consecrate them in
the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into
the world,
I have sent them into
the world,
and for their sake I
consecrate myself
so
that they too may be consecrated in truth.’
GUARDING
THE UNITY OF OUR COMMUNITY
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One of
the things that I always thank God for is the fraternal love and unity among
the staff in my office, where there is mutual respect, consideration and the
willingness to help each other, regardless of rank and responsibilities.
We have achieved a level of unity that is not found in many places.
Indeed, unity and love is all that we desire wherever we are, whether in our
family, office or church.
This is
the joy that Jesus came to share with us. He prayed, “Holy Father, keep
those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like
us.” The joy of a Christian is to share in the Trinitarian life of
God, the intense relationship between the Father, the Son and the Spirit.
We are called to share in their life so that we can also live like the Holy
Trinity among our fellow human beings in our relationships with each
other. Truly, sharing the Trinitarian life is what brings us joy to the
full. “And while still in the world I say these things to share my joy
with them to the full.”
The
family spirit in the Archbishop’s office however cannot be taken for
granted. We remain sinners and we are weak. The unity is always
fragile and sometimes sins will have the better of us. For this reason, the
scripture readings of today urge us to be on guard. Even Jesus was
realistic about the future of the community He established. St Paul
too, before he left Ephesus, was aware of the divisions and challenges of the
newfound churches. He told them, “I know quite well that when I have gone
fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock.”
Who are our enemies that we need to be on guard against?
He
warned them about the enemies that will come from without, from the world that
opposes the truth and the gospel. “I passed your word on to them, and the
world hated them because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the
world.” So we should not be surprised if the world opposes us and the
truths of the gospel we proclaim. Without doubt the values given to us by
Christ will not be accepted by the world, that is, those who are not ready to
seek the truth.
But the
real enemy is not from without but from within. When you have a mole in
the community, the whole community can be destroyed like the yeast in the
flour. Conscious of the conflicts within the Christian community, St Paul
warned the elders of the Church of Ephesus, “Even from your own ranks there
will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce
the disciples to follow them.” How true this is, even in our communities,
offices and home. Most of the problems we face are internal problems,
conflicts, misunderstandings, competition, ambition and the desire for power
and glory. The sins of pride, envy, greed, sloth and anger hold us
bondage. Jesus hinted about this truth as well. He said of Judas, “I kept
those you had given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one
is lost except the one who chose to be lost, and this was to fulfill the
scriptures.”
Yet,
the greatest of all enemies from within is ourselves! This is because sin
always begins with the individual. We could be blinded from the truth
ourselves and thus judge wrongly and mislead others. We can even be
malicious because of fear, pride and envy. This is why Jesus prayed for
protection of His disciples. This protection is not just from
external enemies but internal enemies as well. He said, “I am not asking
you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one. They
do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.”
How,
then, can we be protected from our enemies, both from within and without?
Firstly, Jesus prayed that they be consecrated in the truth. “Consecrate them
in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent
them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too
may be consecrated in truth.” Truly, it is the lack of truth in ourselves
that cause the community to be divided. We misjudge others. We are
presumptuous and judgmental. Instead of seeking clarification we draw
conclusions based on our fears and envy. And the worst thing is that we
gossip and spread lies, causing the whole community to be divided. So we
need to make sure that we are in the truth individually before we can proclaim
the truth.
Where
is this truth to be found if not the Word of God! Jesus said, “Your word
is truth!” We need to be imbued with the Word of God and the gospel that
has been transmitted to us by the apostles. St Paul said, “And now I
commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up
and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.” Only the Word
of God can lead us into the fullness of truth and have the power to build us
up. Love for the Word of God and a prayerful reading and sharing of the
Word of God in the community is the key to fostering unity and love.
Without contemplation of the Word of God and sharing the Word among members of
a community, the devil will sow his seeds of envy and mistrust, causing
disunity.
Secondly,
we are called to walk the truth. Truth is not a word but an event.
St Paul himself showed us the way when he said, “I have never asked
anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned
enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to show you that
is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the words of
the Lord Jesus, who himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in
receiving.’” We must take steps to promote unity through sharing and acts
of love and humble service to each other. By giving ourselves to each
other generously as St Paul did, we will win the trust and confidence of
others. It is for this reason that we make time for bonding, whether at
meals or in celebration or in prayer. We must outdo each other in love
and service and generosity.
Thirdly,
we must find inspiration from those who walked before us. St Paul reminds
us that if we are appointed leaders, it is the work of the Holy Spirit.
He said, “Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the
Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he
bought with his own blood.” When we think of how the Church was
established by the blood of the martyrs and especially the blood of Christ, we
should be grateful by protecting what the Lord has won for us. St Paul
loved the Church so much that he would do anything for the love of Christ and
His flock. “So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three
years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one of
you.” By recalling what our Lord and the Christians did before us, we too
must walk that path.
Finally
and above all, we must pray. The family that prays together stays
together. St Paul himself prayed for the Christians at
Ephesus. “When he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and
prayed.” Jesus, before He departed from this world, also prayed to the
Heavenly Father to protect His flock. Only in prayer can we overcome
disunity. This is why we must always pray as a community.
Otherwise, when divisions set in, it will be too late. The best way to
defend ourselves from the lies that the Evil One sows in our family and office
is through prayer and the Word of God and the Eucharist. Let us therefore
always make time for prayer, no matter how busy we are. Otherwise, all
the work we do will be in vain because we exhaust our time and energy fighting
fire within and without, settling conflicts and disagreements instead of
expending on our work. We must ensure that this will never happen in our
communities. In this way, the prayer of Jesus for the unity of the
Church will be realized in our midst as we work together for the coming of His
kingdom. And most of all, to know that our Lord is glorified in us.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh
Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
©
All Rights Reserved
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