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
|
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
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