20150830 REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL
Readings at Mass
First reading
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Deuteronomy
4:1-2,6-8 ©
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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
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Psalm 14:2-5 ©
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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
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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
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cf.Jn6:63,68
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are
spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message
of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Or
|
James1:18
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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
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