NO ONE IS EXCLUDED FROM THE LOVE OF GOD AND HIS KINGDOM EXCEPT THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID TO PAY THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

20150701 NO ONE IS EXCLUDED FROM THE LOVE OF GOD AND HIS KINGDOM EXCEPT THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID TO PAY THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Readings at Mass

First reading

Genesis 21:5,8-20 ©

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham gave a great banquet on the day Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah watched the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. ‘Drive away that slave-girl and her son,’ she said to Abraham; ‘this slave-girl’s son is not to share the inheritance with my son Isaac.’ This greatly distressed Abraham because of his son, but God said to him, ‘Do not distress yourself on account of the boy and your slave-girl. Grant Sarah all she asks of you, for it is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. But the slave-girl’s son I will also make into a nation, for he is your child too.’ Rising early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water and, giving them to Hagar, he put the child on her shoulder and sent her away.

  She wandered off into the wilderness of Beersheba. When the skin of water was finished she abandoned the child under a bush. Then she went and sat down at a distance, about a bowshot away, saying to herself, ‘I cannot see the child die.’ So she sat at a distance; and the child wailed and wept.

  But God heard the boy wailing, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. ‘What is wrong, Hagar?’ he asked. ‘Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s cry where he lies. Come, pick up the boy and hold him safe, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well, so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

  God was with the boy. He grew up and made his home in the wilderness, and he became a bowman.

Psalm

Psalm 33:7-8,10-13 ©

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

  and rescued him from all his distress.

The angel of the Lord is encamped

  around those who revere him, to rescue them.

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.

  They lack nothing, those who revere him.

Strong lions suffer want and go hungry

  but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

Come, children, and hear me

  that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.

Who is he who longs for life

  and many days, to enjoy his prosperity?

The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or

James1:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

By his own choice the Father made us his children

by the message of the truth,

so that we should be a sort of first-fruits

of all that he created.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 8:28-34 ©

When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’ Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go then’, and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.

NO ONE IS EXCLUDED FROM THE LOVE OF GOD AND HIS KINGDOM EXCEPT THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID TO PAY THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

SCRIPTURE READINGS: GN 21:5.8-20; MT 8:28-34

The scripture readings present to us two cases of social sins.  In the first reading, Hagar and Ishmael, according to permissible custom, were sent away.  There seems to be an injustice in such a practice, for neither Hagar nor Ishmael deserves to suffer simply because of the jealousy of Sarah and Abraham’s inability to deal with the jealousy of his wife.  In the first place, it was the lack of faith in God that Abraham and Sarah, in their impatience, found their own way to realize the promise of God.

In the gospel too, two men apparently possessed and thought to be mad were ostracized from their families and left at the tombs to fend for themselves.  We can imagine how much they suffered, not only from the power Satan had over their faculties but the loneliness that went with their affliction.  They were shunned and avoided by people.

Fortunately, today, the scripture readings show that God writes straight in crooked lines.  Whilst not allowing His promise and plan to be jeopardized by the sin of man, God at the same time does not allow even people who are not of the chosen race to suffer.  God loves all men regardless whether they have been chosen to play an important role in the plan of salvation.

So in the case of Hagar and Ishmael, God assured them of His protection and grace.  Indeed, “God heard the boy wailing.”  God sent His angel to encourage them saying, “Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s cry where he lies. Come, pick up the boy and hold him safe, for I will make him into a great nation.”  God also provided food and water for them.  We read that “God was with the boy. He grew up and made his home in the wilderness, and he became a bowman.”  Indeed, even though Ishmael was not the promised son, but on the margin of salvation, God is equally compassionate to all his creatures.

Similarly, in the gospel, we have Jesus who did not shun the possessed men.  He gave them His time and attention by delivering them from their illegal occupants and the destructive forces in their lives.  Jesus understood their loneliness and misery.  By so doing, God once again shows His power over evil.  No destructive force or evil in this world, even if it were a legion of evil spirits, 6000 of them, can prevent the Lord from overcoming them.  God continues to offer peace and safety to those who seek His help.  As the Psalmist says, “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you … Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation (Psalm 91:7,9).

In the light of the two readings, we can pray with the Psalmist and sing God’s praise saying, “The Lord hears the cry of the poor. When the poor one called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”

Indeed, good can come out of evil.  This is true even in the case of the pigs which were possessed by the devils and then drowned in the sea.  Whether it actually happened historically or not, or whether it is symbolic of the devils being cast into the abyss of hell, the point remains that through such an unfortunate incident, the people in the town came to be aware of the power of Jesus.  Of course, we cannot see the good that can come out of evil unless we are detached from our will; only then will we be able to see the will of God in all things.  Good comes out of evil when we look at them with eyes of faith and see God in them.  God works with those who love Him.  It is said, that every Saint has a past, every sinner has a future.   In this pilgrimage of life, we have our ups and downs, mistakes and successes.  Nevertheless, even in our failures, we can be certain that there is a future for us with God’s infinite love and mercy.  If we have faith in Him and remain open to His grace, God will lead us out of our sinful situation and bring us into this kingdom of grace.

In contrast we have those who rejected Jesus. These were people who missed the opportunity of coming to Jesus because of fear. Instead of surrendering and welcoming Jesus, they asked Him to leave.  They were not willing to pay the price for being liberated from the power of sin and evil.  Jesus is ready to free us from anything that binds us.

Yes, in all situations in life, let us surrender ourselves to the Lord.  Let us pray that we might be attentive to the presence of His Spirit.  God will help us provided we are willing to cooperate with Him, just as the possessed men and Hagar did.  For those who love Him, everything will work in his favour.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

© All Rights Reserved

O MAN OF LITTLE FAITH!

20150630 O MAN OF LITTLE FAITH!

Readings at Mass

First reading

Genesis 19:15-29 ©

The angels urged Lot, ‘Come, take your wife and these two daughters of yours, or you will be overwhelmed in the punishment of the town.’ And as he hesitated, the men took him by the hand, and his wife and his two daughters, because of the pity the Lord felt for him. They led him out and left him outside the town.

  As they were leading him out he said, ‘Run for your life. Neither look behind you nor stop anywhere on the plain. Make for the hills if you would not be overwhelmed.’ ‘No, I beg you, my lord,’ Lot said to them ‘your servant has won your favour and you have shown great kindness to me in saving my life. But I could not reach the hills before this calamity overtook me, and death with it. The town over there is near enough to flee to, and is a little one. Let me make for that – is it not little? – and my life will be saved.’ He answered, ‘I grant you this favour too, and will not destroy the town you speak of. Hurry, escape to it, for I can do nothing until you reach it.’ That is why the town is named Zoar.

  As the sun rose over the land and Lot entered Zoar, the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord. He overthrew these towns and the whole plain, with all the inhabitants of the towns, and everything that grew there. But the wife of Lot looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.

  Rising early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord, and looking towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and across all the plain, he saw the smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

  Thus it was that when God destroyed the towns of the plain, he kept Abraham in mind and rescued Lot out of disaster when he overwhelmed the towns where Lot lived.

Psalm

Psalm 25:2-3,9-12 ©

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

Examine me, Lord, and try me;

  O test my heart and my mind,

for your love is before my eyes

  and I walk according to your truth.

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

Do not sweep me away with sinners,

  nor my life with bloodthirsty men

in whose hands are evil plots,

  whose right hands are filled with gold.

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

As for me, I walk the path of perfection.

  Redeem me and show me your mercy.

My foot stands on level ground:

  I will bless the Lord in the assembly.

Your love, O Lord, is before my eyes.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps147:12,15

Alleluia, alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He sends out his word to the earth.

Alleluia!

Or

Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 8:23-27 ©

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

O MAN OF LITTLE FAITH!

SCRIPTURE READINGS: GN 19:15-29; MT 8:23-27

In the first reading, we read of the power of faith in having our prayers answered.  Abraham, a man so intimate with God, placed his entire faith in the mercy of the Lord.  In spite of the inevitable destruction that was to come on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham interceded for the people living in the cities. Alas, there were not even ten good people in the city.  Nevertheless, God answered the prayer of Abraham by delivering his nephew, Lot, and his wife from the disasters awaiting them.  God sent His angels to warn them of the impending catastrophe.

If God were so merciful to Abraham, it was because he was a man not only of faith but a man who interceded selflessly for others.  In spite of the quarrels he and his workmen had with Lot and his workers, Abraham only thought of their safety and well being.  He did not hold any grudges against them.  Because he held no anger or resentment against them, the Lord acceded to the request of Abraham to at least save his relatives.  Faith in the Lord, confidence in Him and living a life of contentment and forgiveness are keys to effective prayer, especially intercessory prayer.  Indeed, Psalm 24:3f says, “Who shall go up to the mountain of the Lord?  Who shall stand in his holy place?  The clean of hands and pure of heart, whose heart is not set on vanities.”

But how many of us share the same intimacy of Abraham with God?  How many of us have his depth of faith in Him?  The truth is that we do not have such deep faith and confidence in God as Abraham did.  That is why he is called the Father of Faith in the bible.  We are only children in faith, or rather, infantile in our faith.  Should we be surprised?  Even Jesus’ intimate disciples did not have such faith initially, in spite of being with Jesus all day.  No wonder Jesus called them, “Men of little faith!”  Should we then despair because we cannot surrender and trust God the way Abraham did?

We should not be too hard on ourselves if we are unable to give that utter faith to God, a faith that can move mountains.  God is also pleased with our little faith.  He is not so unreasonable that He would not wait for us to grow up and increase in our faith.  He perfectly understands our struggle in trusting Him.  After all, even in human relationships, it takes time to win the trust of someone whom we love, or to trust someone who likes us. The failure of many relationships is due to the impatience of building a relationship gradually, moving from strength to strength.  Many beautiful relationships start well, but couples are impatient in love.  Before they can strengthen their emotional bonds with each other, sharing their hearts and minds, they have already surrendered their bodies to each other, often resulting in insecurity, suspicion, mistrust and misunderstanding, because they do not yet know each other enough to trust the partner completely.  Relationships, which require trust take time, years in fact, to build and to be strengthened.  But of course, no relationship can grow unless we take the first step to trust in the person we love.  And through time, we grow in mutual understanding; sensitivity to each other’s likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.  In this way, faith and trust in each other become stronger.

And truly, God will wait for us too.  He showed His patience for us when He sent His angels to lead Lot and his family out of the town where they lived.  This was in spite of Lot’s hesitation.  The angels even “took him by the hand, and his wife and his two daughters, because of the pity the Lord felt for him.  They led him out and left him outside the town.”  Most probably, the thought of leaving all his property and wealth behind made it difficult for him to abandon his home.  This is true in many disasters today.  In most cases, warnings of an imminent earthquake or volcano eruption, typhoon, hurricane or Tsunami were given.  But the inhabitants did not want to leave for fear of losing their livelihood and all the things they had accumulated over the years.  Because of their attachment and vacillation, they were killed when the natural disaster struck.  Such is the mercy of God.

Even after being led out, Lot again doubted the power of God to save him.  Once again, he appealed to the Lord’s indulgence.  Lot said, “The town over there is near enough to flee to, and is a little one.  Let me make for that – is it not little? – and my life will be saved.”  Amazingly, this merciful God granted him his request.  So we have an instance of Lot who lacked faith and confidence in the Lord, yet the Lord still answered his request.

Indeed, many of us, instead of surrendering our life to God, are like Lot, not running for our lives but always looking back and hesitating in doing the Lord’s will. We keep on doubting His love for us.  We question His wisdom.  We want to do our own will.  When trials and opposition set in, we give up so easily without a fight.  We cannot even tolerate a little suffering, occasional setbacks and failures; the human frailties of our fellowmen or even of ourselves. What is worse, we become resentful of God!  We give up faith in Him.

This, too, was the case of the disciples of Jesus in the gospel.  They were facing a violent storm and the boat was about to sink.  Apparently, they thought that Jesus was indifferent to their fears and anxieties.  They forgot that Jesus had earlier on cured so many who were sick and delivered those possessed by the devils.  Yet, after having seen Jesus’ power over illnesses, suffering and death, they still did not trust Jesus sufficiently that He would protect His disciples from all dangers.  When they in panic turned to Jesus and woke Him up saying “Save us, Lord, we are going down!”, the reply of Jesus was one of assurance and yet a challenge to them: “Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’  And with that he rebuked the winds and the seas; and all was calm again.”

The lesson we can learn from the disciples in the storm is that the Lord is always watching over us, even when He appears to be indifferent to our plight.  Such occasions are meant to help us to deepen our faith in Him, as in the case of the disciples.  Otherwise, greater disasters will await us.  Although God wants to save us all, if we do not at least give Him some confidence, He cannot help us because He does not force His love on us.  All He asks of us is a little faith and from that small seed of faith, He will bring it to fruition and maturity.  Only faith in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour can help us to tide over the storms of life without becoming overwhelmed.  We need not be under the bondage of the Devil, whether it is our addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, greed and anger, if we allow Jesus to calm the storms of life for us.

Unfortunately, Lot’s wife did not surrender even that little faith the Lord asked of her.  She was disobedient over a simple instruction not to look back. “But Lot’s wife looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.”  Whoever looks back will be like her as well.  When we do not let go of those things in life that cause us misery, such as gambling, womanizing, drinking and cheating, we will eventually turn into a pillar of salt, because we would be full of anger, resentment, hatred and disillusioned with ourselves and everyone else.

So let us give that little faith to Jesus.  That is all He is asking of us.  Let the Lord lead us by His hand as He did with Lot.  When we are afraid, then Jesus says, “Remember, It is I.”  We must wake up to the presence of Jesus in our lives. When we give Him that seed of faith, He will produce wonders and miracles in our lives.  After which, our faith will grow from strength to strength.  So it is all right that we do not have faith in Jesus completely.  But we must seek to trust Him more and more.  When Jesus told the father of the boy suffering from epileptic demoniac, “Everything is possible for one who has faith.”  We read, “At once the father of the boy cried out, ‘I have faith.  Help my lack of faith!’”  (Mk 9:24f).  And Jesus did by casting out the evil spirit from his son.  We can be certain that after witnessing what Jesus did, his faith certainly would have grown stronger and deeper.  So let us learn from him.  In truth and sincerity, we must tell Jesus the same thing, “I have faith.  Help my lack of faith.”

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

© All Rights Reserved

ASSURANCE OF DIVINE PROTECTION FOR HIS BESIEGED CHURCH

20150629 ASSURANCE OF DIVINE PROTECTION FOR HIS BESIEGED CHURCH

Readings at Mass

First reading

Acts 12:1-11 ©

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

  On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

Psalm

Psalm 33:2-9 ©

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Glorify the Lord with me.

  Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

  from all my terrors he set me free.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Look towards him and be radiant;

  let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

  and rescued him from all his distress.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

The angel of the Lord is encamped

  around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

  He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Second reading

2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 ©

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

  The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt16:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.

And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 16:13-19 ©

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

ASSURANCE OF DIVINE PROTECTION FOR HIS BESIEGED CHURCH

SCRIPTURE READINGS: Acts 12: 1-11; Ps 33:2-9; 2 Tim 4, 6-8. 17-18; Mt 16, 13-19

Today, the Church is living through a very difficult period of her history.  She is facing hostility from without and division from within.  From without, she is attacked by the world for her fidelity to the teachings of the gospel and our Lord Jesus Christ, particularly in the areas of morality and more specifically, with respect to the Church’s position on marriage, the family, human sexuality, abortion, euthanasia and bioethics. Besides moral issues, the Church has to contend with moral relativism, materialism, consumerism and a growing secularism.  Within the Church, there is division on the pastoral approach towards these contemporary issues facing our people.  There is a growing tension between the traditionalists and the liberals with respect to theological, moral and liturgical issues.  Even the sacred authority of the Church, the Pope and bishops are being challenged.

Indeed, the persecution of King Herod in today’s first reading takes new forms in our times.  We read how “King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well.”  Notable too, was that he carried these out during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread.  This was because he wanted to gain political advantage by pleasing the Jews who came for the week-long celebration.  In this way, he could gain their support and popularity.

For political gains too, world leaders are bending to the demands of the people.  We have few leaders today who have the courage to implement policies because it is the right thing to do even though it is not popular.   Most would do what gives them political mileage so that they could remain popular and stay in office.  This is true even for religious leaders.  Many religious leaders also lack the fortitude to stand up for their beliefs and do the right thing for fear of opposition and suffering too.  Today, we need leaders who have the courage to do what is right and truly good for the people.

Today, as we celebrate the two pillars of faith from the early Church, we find consolation from them.   St Peter, the head of the apostolic college, the Vicar of Christ of the Universal Church, and that of St Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, were under much persecution in steering the primitive church and withstanding the onslaught of their enemies too, especially from the Jews and the Romans.

Today, we are invited to follow the examples of Sts Peter and Paul, not only in their apostolic zeal but also in being faithful to Christ and the gospel.  St Peter was faithful right through till his martyrdom in Rome.  St Paul too was executed in Rome.  But these did not deter them from being faithful to Christ.   Before his death, he wrote to Timothy, “As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish.”

What does it take for us to stand firm in the Lord and in our beliefs?  Firstly, we need to have the faith of St Peter.  Jesus declared, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.”  What is this rock, if not faith in Jesus as the Son of the Living God?  On this faith, we stand tall.  With this faith, we can overcome all trials in life.  If we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then we can have confidence that He will protect His Church.

This faith of St Peter in the identity of Christ is given through revelation.  Jesus told Peter, “Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.”   Indeed, Catholics believe that reason needs to be supplemented by faith.  Without faith, we will not be able to arrive at the supernatural truths.  But many of us in truth do not believe in divine truths.  We trust our own judgement of what is right and wrong.  We pay lip service to the faith that the bible is the inspired Word of God.  This is because we are selective in reading and believing in what the bible says.   We do not accept all that the Word of God teaches.   We need to pray for the gift of faith.

This rock also refers to the office of St Peter who has been given the authority to keep the Church firm in faith.  Hence, following the declaration, the Lord added, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.”  Truly, the Church is protected by Christ.  Just before He departed from this world at Pentecost, He assured the apostles that He will be with the Church until the end of the world.  For this reason, Catholics not only respect the Holy Father but also give unwavering support and obedience to him in matters of faith and morals.  We recognize that Jesus has granted the Pope, together with his college of bishops, the gift of infallibility in teaching morals and doctrines.  Again, we do not truly believe in the successors of Christ, the Pope and the college of Bishops.  We do not listen to the Magisterium.  We trust in ourselves and our own reasoning.  If that were the case, we might as well build our own church.

The promise of Jesus to be with His Church is not an empty promise, for historically, the Lord showed His fidelity to His promise when He rescued St Peter from an untimely death.  When St Peter was arrested and presumably waiting for execution, the Lord sent an angel to rescue him miraculously from prison. In the same vein, He also helped St Paul to accomplish his mission of bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. St Paul said, “The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” 

Secondly, on our part, how do we support the Church under siege?  What is the secret of being faithful to the Lord especially when under persecution?  

The most important assistance is fervent prayers.  In the early Church, we see the people always praying for their leaders.  We read, “All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.”  It was the intercession of the Christian community that St Peter was spared.  We too must always pray for leaders of the Church.  That is why in the Eucharistic prayer, we always pray for the Holy Father and the bishop of the diocese, because they have to make decisions for the Church.  They need our prayers for God’s wisdom, fortitude and prudence so that they can act with courage for the sake of the truth and the good of the people of God and society.  Indeed, intercessory prayer is indispensable for the Church if the Church were to grow in strength, in depth and in number.  Every one of us; priests, religious and laity must pray and fast for Church leaders.

However, we must pray with an expectant faith.  We read later on in the same chapter that when St Peter was released from the jail and eventually returned home, they could not believe it, thinking that he was an angel.  When we pray, we must believe that God can answer our prayers.  With the psalmist, we too must pray with confidence, “The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them.”

We also need to pray for healing for our wounded leaders.  Many of our leaders are wounded in ministry because of misunderstanding and betrayals.  St Paul as a leader did not allow his personal grievances to hinder him from preaching the gospel.  He said, “At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them!” Leaders like our Lord who suffered betrayals and rejections must not be vindictive but be forgiving so that their hearts can be set free for the gospel of mercy and compassion.  If leaders are full of anger and bitterness, they cannot proclaim the gospel of joy and compassion.  By their bitterness, they close their heart not just to our enemies but others as well because they look at all situations with a wounded and resentful heart.  Unconsciously, some of them hit back at others.  It is natural that when one is spurned in love, the person could become more vindictive, especially when he or she has given his or her whole self to the Church.  Hence, we need to pray that they be healed by the Lord so that they can forgive from their hearts. 

Besides prayers, we must support the leaders of the Church through fraternal love and encouragement as well, because they are also human.  This was what happened to St Paul.  Further down the passage, he wrote with a tinge of sadness at those who betrayed him, those who gave up the faith for worldly riches, those who abandoned him in his mission; and some even testified and worked against him. In spite of feeling alone and hurt, he forgave them all; thanks to the support he received from people like Timothy, Luke and Mark.  We too must do all we can to render support to our Church leaders.  They too, being human, can capitulate to weakness.  Together, we stand strong against the opposition of the world.  When the leader succumbs, then the whole church will suffer.  Do you encourage your pastors and leaders and stand by them?  Or do you only criticize them when things are wrong but fail to affirm them when they do well? Of the hundred letters I receive about priests, most of them are complaints, and maybe one is a compliment.  Priests are also human; they need encouragement from the people of God, whom they have given their lives to. That is why they often get very discouraged, just like parents who feel that their children do not appreciate them. 

Finally, we must surrender to the Lord all our works in faith and trust.  Let us leave justice and success to God.  Even if we have to die on earth without justice being served, let us remember that true justice is only possible in heaven.  This is our Christian hope and that of St Paul when he wrote, “I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.”

So today, let us once again find confidence in Christ our Rock and share in the faith of Sts Peter and Paul.  We pledge our allegiance to Him and His successors.  Cooperating with His grace, let us remain firm and faithful to our faith and loyal to Christ so that we too can say with St Paul that we have fought the good fight, we have won the race and we can await the Lord to glorify us with Him.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

© All Rights Reserved