FAITH AND FAMILIARITY

20150831 FAITH AND FAMILIARITY

Readings at Mass

First reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ©

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them; to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

Psalm

Psalm 95:1,3-5,11-13 ©

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

O sing a new song to the Lord,

  sing to the Lord all the earth.

  tell among the nations his glory

  and his wonders among all the peoples.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

The Lord is great and worthy of praise,

  to be feared above all gods;

  the gods of the heathens are naught.

It was the Lord who made the heavens,

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,

  let the sea and all within it thunder praise,

let the land and all it bears rejoice,

  all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,

  he comes to rule the earth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

With justice he will rule the world,

  he will judge the peoples with his truth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or

Lk4:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 4:16-30 ©

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,

for he has anointed me.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives

and to the blind new sight,

to set the downtrodden free,

to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’

  But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’ And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

  ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’

  When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

FAITH AND FAMILIARITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 TH 4:13-18; LK 4:16-30

How many of us would concur with Jesus that “this text is being fulfilled today” even as we read or listen to today’s gospel text?  Why are we are no longer excited about the Good News?  What makes us indifferent or insensitive to the Good News?

Familiarity is the cause for our lack of faith.  But how could this be the problem?  After all, we have often been taught that God is our friend and so be casual with Him.  We can pray to Him anywhere and everywhere even whilst lying down on our bed.  There is no need to be too formal with Him, no need to kneel or fold our hands in a praying position.  This over-familiarity has resulted in indifference and insensitivity.  Indeed, many Catholics have lost their sense of the sacred.  They come to Mass casually dressed, sloppily dressed or even under-dressed.  They have no respect for the sacredness of the Church.  They talk in Church loudly as if it was a community center, make phone calls, surf the internet or chat with their friends via sms or facebook.  Indeed, many of us have fallen into the snare of familiarity.  We are so familiar with the Mass that we do not really pay attention to every word that is uttered, or what is going on during Mass.  We pray the Divine Office or daily prayers so often that we simply repeat the prayers, but our hearts are far from what we say.

Familiarity does make us blind.  Familiarity is different from intimacy.  Familiarity is often masqueraded as intimacy when it is only a shallow relationship or understanding of the reality.  When we say someone is familiar, we mean that we know someone on the surface, or that we have seen some familiar features of this person.  But to be familiar does not mean intimacy at all.  On the contrary, it means that there is no depth in that relationship.

This was what happened to the townsfolk of Jesus.  They thought they knew Him as the son of Joseph, the carpenter.  Of course, this was true.  But they only knew about Him. They did not know Him.  As a result, they demanded proof from Him.  In their hearts, they were saying, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your countryside”.  If we need proof, it is only because there is no relationship.  When we know someone, we do not ask him or her to prove that he or she loves us.  Certainly, we do not demand from our friends proof of our friendships.  Of course, when there is no real relationship, then we need proof to reassure us.

Consequently, today, the liturgy invites to deepen our relationship with the Lord.  Faith requires intimacy.  St Paul in the first reading illustrates what faith is all about.  It is a conscious awareness of death and life.  Unless we are embalmers, undertakers, doctors or nurses, many of us do not come across death on a daily basis.  Certainly, there are people dying everyday.  But when we encounter the death of someone we know, that demise is different.  We pay attention to that death and we are affected in some ways.

Similarly, if we want to deepen our relationship with the Lord, we need to grow in depth in our relationship with the Lord.  Intimacy with the Lord is just the opposite of familiarity.  Intimacy is a relationship that has depth and meaning.  It is not a superficial knowledge of God, but a relationship that is built on true knowledge and understanding.  In intimacy, we become more aware and conscious of the one whom we love.  This is what faith presupposes – for trust and love can develop only when there is an in-depth relationship.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

© All Rights Reserved

REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL

20150830 REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL

Readings at Mass

First reading

Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8 ©

Moses said to the people: ‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God just as I lay them down for you. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?’

Psalm

Psalm 14:2-5 ©

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?

He who walks without fault;

he who acts with justice

and speaks the truth from his heart;

he who does not slander with his tongue.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

He who does no wrong to his brother,

who casts no slur on his neighbour,

who holds the godless in disdain,

but honours those who fear the Lord.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

He who keeps his pledge, come what may;

who takes no interest on a loan

and accepts no bribes against the innocent.

Such a man will stand firm for ever.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

Second reading

James 1:17-18,21-22,27 ©

It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created. So do away with all the impurities and bad habits that are still left in you – accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.

  Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

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

Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23 ©

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:

This people honours me only with lip-service,

while their hearts are far from me.

The worship they offer me is worthless,

the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ He called the people to him again and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL

SCRIPTURE READINGS: Deut 4:1-2.6-8; Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5; Jas 1:17-18.21-22.27; Mk 7:1-8.14-15.21-23

Are you proud of your faith?  Are you happy to be identified as a Catholic?  Or are you one of the cloistered Catholics who dare not let the world know that you are a Catholic. This is because being is a Catholic does not make you look cool.   We prefer to be known by our titles and the positions we hold in life.   In truth, to be known as a Catholic might be disadvantageous in some jobs and even a hindrance to one’s career path.  So many Catholics holding positions in society are unknown.   They are the closet or cloistered Catholics.

If you are not a cloistered Catholic, then perhaps you could be a skin-deep Catholic.  A skin-deep Catholic is one whose faith does not affect his life at all.   His faith does not influence his values or his moral life.  His lifestyle is worldly and his faith does not come to play in decision-making, personal or business.   He lives his life as if he were a pagan or an atheist.  He is only a Catholic perhaps during Sunday mass.

Then there are scrupulous, legalistic Catholics.   To them, salvation is by good works and observance of the laws.  They do not believe in the grace of God.  Like the scribes and the Pharisees, they are more concerned about keeping the laws and getting a place in heaven than in a personal relationship with God or with their fellowmen.  Their whole purpose of religion is to avoid breaking the laws or face condemnation and perdition.  They are legalists and over scrupulous, like what we read in today’s gospel about the ablution requirements of the Jews.

The next category is the robotic Catholics.   These are Catholics who take faith like a culture.  They have been programmed into it since young.  They are doing what the Church asks of them without understanding or conviction.  They are contented with mere practices and performance.  Externally, they appear to be good Catholics and devout.  But Jesus would say to them, “This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations. You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.”  When we observe the traditions blindly, we become routine Catholics.  The heart is not there; only the body.

Finally, we have the superstitious Catholics whose religion is born out of fear.   They are easily sensationalized.  They chase after prophecies and apparitions.  They imagine all kinds of things about hell and the next life.  So they seek to prevent misfortune by indulging in certain devotional practices, treating holy water and medals as if they were charms.  Their faith does not lie in the power of God but in the sacramentals themselves.  For such Catholics, their lives are always full of fear and anxiety.  They have not been liberated by Christ or believe that Christ has conquered sin, death and Satan.

Why are many Catholics in such a state in their faith?  This is because they have not encountered the kerygma, that is, the Good News of God’s unconditional love and mercy in Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.  Consequently, they have not fallen in love with God.  The mercy and love of God remains at most an idea, nice theology but they are merely words and doctrines, not an experience.  When there is no relationship, there is no passion and excitement.  We will be excited only when there is a personal relationship involved.  The only way to engage people is to sync with their minds and hearts.  When there is a meeting of minds and hearts, then there is union and compassion.

Unlike the Israelites in the first reading, who were proud of their faith, we are not.  What was their secret?  They knew their identity and they knew who God was.  Having encountered the power and mercy of God liberating them from the slavery of Egypt and giving them the Promised Land, they believed in the God of Moses.  Through Moses, they knew their identity as the People of God.  They knew that they had a special relationship with God sealed in the Covenant signed at Mount Sinai.  They knew that God was their Lord and it was Him alone that they served and depended on.

Because they knew the Lord, they also treasured every word that comes from the mouth of God.  They accepted the commandments; not as regulations imposed on them, but they understood the commandments as the Wisdom of God to help them to live a life of harmony and peace.  The laws were meant to keep them from falling into evil. Today, people no longer trust in the inspired Word of God.  They take things into their own hands.  They change the laws to suit themselves rather than live a life based on the truth.  People seek to change the laws of marriage, the protection of innocent life, babies and elderly.

Indeed, nations are destroying themselves because they have replaced the laws of God with the pragmatic and self-centered materialistic needs of man. Hence, if we do not wish to walk that path of perdition and the destruction of our fabric of society, which is marriage and the family, we must not be short-sighted.  We must not think that what is happening in the world has nothing to do with us. We must rediscover the beauty of our faith.  This was why the Year of Faith was promulgated by Pope Emeritus Benedict in 2012.  We need once again to appreciate the beauty of the gospel.  What is the Good News we have inherited if not that God loves us in Jesus and has forgiven us all our sins.  He has reconciled us with God.  He has shown us the way to salvation.  Indeed, we are a new creation and our dignity is one of sonship and daughtership in Christ.  How wonderful to know our true dignity as God’s children.  How great it is to encounter God in our lives and enjoy intimacy with Him in prayer.

Today, we are called to be true to our identity.  We are called to live a life of holiness in the presence of the Lord.  We are called to live a life of integrity, that is, our lives must express the faith we have in Christ.  There cannot be a dichotomy between faith and life. Indeed, “he who keeps his pledge, come what may; who takes no interest on a loan and accepts no bribes against the innocent. Such a man will stand firm forever.”

We are called to share the joy of loving and serving.  Christian joy is to share the joy and love of Christ with others.  True joy for a Christian is in humble service, giving hope to those who are hopeless and light to those in darkness.  “Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain? He who walks without fault; he who acts with justice and speaks the truth from his heart. He who does no wrong to his brother, who casts no slur on his neighbour, who holds the godless in disdain, but honours those who fear the Lord.”

Finally our confidence and freedom is our faith in God who is a faithful God.  We can trust Him like the Israelites in His divine providence and wisdom.  St James wrote, “It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change.

So, how can we rediscover the joy of the gospel?  We need to have a personal encounter with Him like the Israelites in Exodus.  This encounter takes place through a renewed love for the Scriptures, the Word of God.  St James urges us, “Accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.”   Only a prayerful reading of the scripture in faith can lead us to repent and encounter the Wisdom of the Lord.

Secondly, we experience His love especially through an intense and fervent celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of reconciliation.  If we prepare ourselves well for these celebrations, the possibility of tasting the goodness and sweetness of the Lord is there.  Through active participation in the Eucharist and a sincere and contrite confession, we will be set free from what prevents us from seeing and encountering His divine presence, love and mercy.

Thirdly, we need to encounter His personal love also in the Christian community, especially through our small Christian community, neighbourhood and cell groups.  By sharing our faith with each other regularly and from our hearts, we help to form each other in faith, edifying and strengthening each other.  Through mutual support, the love of Christ and His presence become real in our hearts and in our lives.  In this way, we become the Body of Christ and are proud to belong to His Church and His body.  Only with such a faith can we remain strong in love and hope.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

© All Rights Reserved

THE NECESSARY DISPOSITIONS BEFORE ONE CAN PROCLAIM THE TRUTH FEARLESSLY

20150829 THE NECESSARY DISPOSITIONS BEFORE ONE CAN PROCLAIM THE TRUTH FEARLESSLY

Readings at Mass

First reading

1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 ©

As for loving our brothers, there is no need for anyone to write to you about that, since you have learnt from God yourselves to love one another, and in fact this is what you are doing with all the brothers throughout the whole of Macedonia. However, we do urge you, brothers, to go on making even greater progress and to make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business and earning your living, just as we told you to.

Psalm

Psalm 97:1,7-9 ©

The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.

Sing a new song to the Lord

  for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

  have brought salvation.

The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.

Let the sea and all within it, thunder;

  the world, and all its peoples.

Let the rivers clap their hands

  and the hills ring out their joy

The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.

at the presence of the Lord: for he comes,

  he comes to rule the earth.

He will rule the world with justice

  and the peoples with fairness.

The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.

Gospel Acclamation

Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

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

Mark 6:17-29 ©

Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

  An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

THE NECESSARY DISPOSITIONS BEFORE ONE CAN PROCLAIM THE TRUTH FEARLESSLY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: JER 1:17-19; MK 6:17-29

Although many of us are unable to act the way John the Baptist did, we can still reflect on how one might be able to gather such courage and imitate his noble example.  In other words, the question is what kind of dispositions must one have before one can speak the truth for justice?  What is it that John the Baptist has that we do not?

Firstly, John the Baptist shows us that one must have a deep faith in God.   Indeed, John the Baptist was seen by everyone, even Herod himself, as a man of God, as he was an upright and holy man.  We know that he himself has spent all his life in the desert listening to the voice of God.  Only a man who has a deep faith in God is not afraid of death or any consequences because he trusts that God will somehow bring out good from any kind of situation.   This deep faith in God will also enable the person to do what he perceives to be right.

This is the second disposition necessary for a man to act.  Indeed, only a man who has a deep faith and relationship with God would be centered enough to discern the situation.  John the Baptist was not muddle-headed in evaluating the situation.  He saw that an injustice had been done and he spoke accordingly.  Without clarity of mind and heart, it is not possible even to act, or at least to act with conviction and strength.  Without conviction, one cannot commit oneself totally.  Conviction however must come from a clear mind a clean heart.

Thirdly, a deep faith in God will bring about selflessness.  When a person is truly one with God, he cannot but become selfless.  In his union with God, he loses himself and does not think of himself anymore.  Because he is already so happy to be united with God, such a man does not need anything or to gain anything from anyone since neither can add to his happiness.   This, surely, was the case for John the Baptist.  He was a man who lived meagerly because he had found the joy of God in his life.  And because he was selfless, he could stand up to Herod without fear even at the risk of his own life.  Surely, by speaking out against Herod, John the Baptist had no self-interests at all.  If John the Baptist had vested interests, then he would have lost the moral strength to speak against Herod.

Fourthly, only a selfless person can be a compassionate person.  Compassion implies that we have forgotten about our own passion and learnt to identify with the passion of another.  It is compassion for others, especially those who suffer and are voiceless, that enables one to take up their cause.  Compassion is the concrete expression of love of one’s neighbours.  In this respect, we can be very certain that John the Baptist must have felt the injustice that Herod had done to his brother.

Yes, if John the Baptist was willing to stand for the truth and for justice, it was simply because he was truly a man of God, deeply in love with Him and therefore with his fellowmen.  His lifestyle was surely in contrast to ours and to the other characters portrayed in the scripture readings of today.  Perhaps, it is good to reflect for ourselves where we stand with regard to our relationship with God and therefore with our neighbours.

Perhaps, some of us are like King Herod.  He can be likened to most ordinary Christians.  Like many of us, Herod was searching for God but had not yet found Him.  He had a certain respect for the sacred but had not come to full understanding yet.  That is why he liked to listen to John the Baptist and yet was afraid to accept his message.  Herod was confused, like many of us.  We are not too sure as to what should be done in some situations.

If we are not like Herod, perhaps, some of us are like Jeremiah.  Unlike Herod, he had deep faith in God.  However, his faith was not deep enough yet as he still lacked love for his fellow human beings.  Jeremiah, unlike John the Baptist, was not selfless.  He was more afraid for his life and his own interests than the plight of his countrymen.

There are two other characters which one can identify with.  We have the character of Herodias’ daughter.  She did not seem to have a mind of her own.  She listened to whatever her mother said.  She was unable to discern what was good and what was not good.  She had no values at all.  However, she was obedient to authority.  But isn’t that the way most people act?  Many people do not have values of their own.  The values that they have are imbibed from the mass media or from some authorities.  Are we also like her?  Are we also so obedient to authority that we have relinquished our responsibility to speak and act according to what we discern to be right?  Have we forgotten that authorities at times can be wrong in judgement?  They are not infallible.

Finally, we can be like Herodias herself, the vindictive kind.  In not so nice contemporary parlance, we call her a real bitch.  She was full of hatred and defensiveness. Why?  Because unlike John the Baptist she was fearful; fearful of her interests.  She only wanted things her way.  She had no heart for others.   She was so fearful that she needed to connive with her daughter to have John the Baptist beheaded. Her heart was so full of evil, so closed to goodness and truth that she was unable to see beyond herself at all.  She only knew revenge.  She was one who not only did not discern but was incapable of discernment.  She is an example of a real hardened sinner.

Yes, to confront the truth about the state that we are in is indeed painful.  But this is why this feast is celebrated.  We all know that most of us are far from what we should be.  We know that we are all called to be John the Baptist.  And if after reflection, we know that we belong instead to one of the other four characters, then at least we know where we have gone wrong and what we are lacking.  Let us pray that a deeper relationship with God will empower us with His love so that we too might love God and His people so deeply to the extent that we are willing to live and die for them.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

© All Rights Reserved