20150611 BE APOSTLES FOR CHRIST
Readings at Mass
First reading
|
Acts
11:21-26,13:1-3 ©
|
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.’
In the
church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon
called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod
the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord
and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart
for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and
prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Psalm
|
Psalm 97:1-6 ©
|
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
Sing a new song to
the Lord
for he
has worked wonders.
His right hand and
his holy arm
have
brought salvation.
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
The Lord has made
known his salvation;
has shown
his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his
truth and love
for the
house of Israel.
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
All the ends of the
earth have seen
the
salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord,
all the earth,
ring out
your joy.
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
Sing psalms to the
Lord with the harp
with the
sound of music.
With trumpets and the
sound of the horn
acclaim
the King, the Lord.
The Lord has shown
his salvation to the nations.
Gospel
Acclamation
|
cf.1Th2:13
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message
for what it really is:
God’s message, and
not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
Or
|
Jn13:34
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
I give you a new
commandment:
love one another just
as I have loved you,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel
|
Matthew 10:7-13 ©
|
7 And
as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven
is close at hand.
8 Cure
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin-diseases,
drive out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.
9
Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with coppers for your
purses,
10 with
no haversack for the journey or spare tunic
or footwear or a staff, for the labourer deserves his keep.
11
'Whatever town or village you go into, seek out someone worthy and stay with
him until you leave.
12 As
you enter his house, salute it,
13 and if the house deserves it, may your peace come upon it; if
it does not, may your peace come back to you.
BE
APOSTLES FOR CHRIST
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: Acts 11:21-26.
13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13
In the
first reading, we read about how the Apostolic Church rejoiced to know that “a
great number believed and were converted to the Lord.” We have received
the Good News and the anointing of the Holy Spirit as a free gift from God and
therefore, we are also called to share this gift with others. The gift of
the Holy Spirit is not meant for us only, but for all. A good indication
of whether we have received the Holy Spirit is reflected in our desire to
proclaim the Good News to others. After all, the Holy Spirit is
love. When we have received the love of God in person in the Holy Spirit,
we cannot but desire to share this love with others. Gratitude is always
expressed in sharing. We read in the first reading the missionary thrust
of the primitive Church. Whenever there was an opportunity, they would
spread the Good News.
How
then are we to proclaim the Good News? Firstly, we are called to reach
out and bring the Good News of peace. Like the disciples of Jesus, we are
sent to proclaim the Good News. This peace of course is not worldly
peace, but the peace that comes from our reconciliation with God and with our
fellowmen. When one is at peace with God, he finds true peace and
joy. The Good News is that God has reconciled us in Christ. Having
received the gift freely, we must go on to be the carrier of Good News.
Isn’t this what Jesus told His disciples, “You have received without charge,
give without charge … As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house
deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace
come back to you”? Truly, we must be people who bring the peace of God to
all men.
How can
we bring the Good News of peace if not by proclamation? We are called in
other words to testify to what God has done for us in Christ. There is
nothing like a testimony. This is because we are weak in faith and we
need to be affirmed and reminded that God is alive and at work in us.
Testimonies inspire us to carry on. This explains why in prayer meetings
and novenas, testimonies of God’s work are important to spur people to faith
and hope for more, never underestimating the power of God. So having
witnessed the power of God, we must now make Him known and let the world know
that Jesus is alive! Indeed, the early church too received the news of
conversion with great joy. We read, “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.”
Thirdly,
we are called to exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that the power of God
is made known to others and to stimulate faith in them. Jesus instructed
His disciples, “As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at
hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out
devils.” Yes, we must continue to exercise the gifts we have received.
Today, many are seeking for deliverance from illness, from being alienated like
lepers from society or from God; and many are under bondage of lust, anger and
greed. Yes, we must use the gifts of the Spirit given to us, be they
prophecy, tongues, prayers, healing, deliverance or love to restore others to
wholeness. The Good News must be proclaimed not just in words but in the
power of the Holy Spirit seen in the effects of His work among those whom we
minister to, especially the poor, the sick and the oppressed.
Fourthly,
besides testifying to the power of God in words and deeds, we are called to
instruct our people in the faith. We read that “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 number of people.” So we must continue to be instructed and
instruct others about our faith in Christ. Only by instructing others can
we truly learn about our faith. Faith cannot grow if we simply depend on
miracles, apparitions and emotional experiences. We need to grow in
knowledge and understanding of our faith so that our relationship with the Lord
can grow in maturity, a depth that can withstand the tribulations of life, and
its ups and downs.
Finally,
to be effective in our evangelical activity, we must be exemplary and be people
of Good News in person. We are called to be like Barnabas for we are told
that because he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith … a
large number of people were won over to the Lord.” At the end of the day,
there is nothing like being a witness in our faith and in our daily
lives. The preacher must walk the talk, otherwise his teachings will not
change lives. We are enlightened by a talk or a good homily but we are
inspired by a person who endeavours to be the incarnation of the gospel.
Hence, preachers must not only preach with conviction, but this conviction must
be seen in his lifestyle as well.
However,
to exercise all these qualities, we cannot rely on ourselves but on the power
of God. It is within this context that we come to understand why
Jesus instructed the disciples accordingly, “Provide yourselves with no gold or
silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the
journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his
keep.” The truth is that so long as we are self-sufficient, we will not
rely on the power of God, but on our own ingenuity and strength. And even
though some of us might acknowledge that our talents and charisms are the gifts
of God, yet the experience of God’s power at work in us would not be powerfully
felt. The invitation to simplicity and poverty is to force us to trust
and depend on God alone, on His power and wisdom and not on human means.
This was the way of Jesus. He could perform miracles because in His
powerlessness, His total dependence on His Father allows God to reveal His
power in and through Him in the Holy Spirit. Unless we depend on the Holy
Spirit rather than on our own strength, we cannot work the same miracles that
Jesus did.
To rely
on God’s power requires that we continue to be devoted to the Lord. That
was why Barnabas urged the newly converted Christians that being baptized is
only the first stage of spiritual life. Because the Lord is faithful to
us; we should be faithful to Him as the early Christians were. They “remain(ed)
faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion”. Yes, we must put God
as the centre of our lives. Heartfelt devotion speaks of a personal
relationship with someone. Thus, we must maintain a personal
relationship with the Lord for this is the whole purpose of the baptism in the
Holy Spirit. It is hoped that having received the Holy Spirit, the love
of God in person, we will be able to cultivate a personal relationship with
Christ.
Thirdly,
we must pray and fast. That was what the early Church did. We are
told that the Holy Spirit spoke to the Christians when “they were offering
worship to the Lord and keeping a fast”. In prayer, we deepen our
relationship with the Lord. But fasting is also important, for only when
we are hungry physically can we feel the presence of God because of our
weakness. Of course, fasting is essential because we are called to fast
from sin, evil thoughts and the sins of the flesh. Our sins prevent us
from being the Good News of God in person. We must believe in the
power of intercessory prayer.
Discernment
of mission is not possible without prayer and fasting. Only in prayer and fasting
can we hear what the Lord wants of us, just as the Holy Spirit told the early
Christians, “I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have
called them.” The first reading makes it clear that it was “after fasting
and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off. In this way,
we will not be doing our will but the will of God.” We must not choose to
do what we desire, but what God wants. This is implied in Jesus’
instructions to the disciples, “Whatever town or village you go into, ask for
someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave.”
Finally,
as we celebrate the Feast of St Barnabas, let us give encouragement to each
other. Incidentally, Barnabas means the son of encouragement. So it
is important that in our ministry, we must encourage each other. Quite
often, people active in Church ministry give up their service in church or
become disheartened because they do not receive support from their leaders and
members. Our faith is dependent on God certainly, but also on the
Church, the Body of Christ. We must come together often in praise and
worship so that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, renewed by His love for
us and be empowered for the mission. Christ always sends out His
disciples in pairs precisely to teach us that this mission must be done in
communion and in collaboration with each other. Only when we
evangelize as a Church can we be a potent force in the world.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh
Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
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