FORMING LEADERS OF COMMUNION

20151103 FORMING LEADERS OF COMMUNION

Readings at Mass

First reading

Romans 12:5-16 ©

All of us, in union with Christ, form one body, and as parts of it we belong to each other. Our gifts differ according to the grace given us. If your gift is prophecy, then use it as your faith suggests; if administration, then use it for administration; if teaching, then use it for teaching. Let the preachers deliver sermons, the almsgivers give freely, the officials be diligent, and those who do works of mercy do them cheerfully.

  Do not let your love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. If you have hope, this will make you cheerful. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying. If any of the saints are in need you must share with them; and you should make hospitality your special care.

  Bless those who persecute you: never curse them, bless them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and be sad with those in sorrow. Treat everyone with equal kindness; never be condescending but make real friends with the poor. Do not allow yourself to become self-satisfied.

Psalm

Psalm 130:1-3 ©

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

O Lord, my heart is not proud

  nor haughty my eyes.

I have not gone after things too great

  nor marvels beyond me.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

Truly I have set my soul

  in silence and peace.

A weaned child on its mother’s breast,

  even so is my soul.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

  both now and forever.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our mind,

so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

Or

Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 14:15-24 ©

One of those gathered round the table said to him, ‘Happy the man who will be at the feast in the kingdom of God!’ But he said to him, ‘There was a man who gave a great banquet, and he invited a large number of people. When the time for the banquet came, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, “Come along: everything is ready now.” But all alike started to make excuses. The first said, “I have bought a piece of land and must go and see it. Please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies.” Yet another said, “I have just got married and so am unable to come.”

  ‘The servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the householder, in a rage, said to his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” “Sir” said the servant “your orders have been carried out and there is still room.” Then the master said to his servant, “Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and force people to come in to make sure my house is full; because, I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet.”’

FORMING LEADERS OF COMMUNION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: ROM 12:5-16;  LK 14:15-24

The mission of the Church is communion.  It is to share in the communion of the Holy Trinity.  Through our communion with the Holy Trinity, we live out this communion among each other.  “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”  (1 Jn 1:3)  In this way, the Church becomes a sacrament of love and unity.   As Christians, our primary vision is to build a communion of communions.  Our task is to build a loving community that is deeply in love with God, caring for each other and from such love received, we bring the love of God into the world.

Consequently we must avoid the danger of activism.  The signs of an authentic parish are not to be measured by the number of activities it engages in, but whether the parish is becoming more cohesive, welcoming and hospitable from within and without.  Otherwise, regardless of the number of programs we have in the parish we would have failed in our mission if our people are not united in fraternal love among themselves and reaching out to others who are in need.  All activities must be geared toward the fostering of love and unity. Otherwise, we become egoistic, task orientated and people are made use of for our objectives rather than loved.

Indeed, the gospel condemns the individualism of those invited to the banquet.  Each one was concerned about his own business.  They were not bothered about the rest.  The same too can happen to Church people and organization members.  Some of us are so involved in our projects that we put ourselves above everyone else.  People are used to fulfill our goals rather than embraced as collaborators in the mission of love.  We can become individualistic and fail to realise that we are all working together for the same mission, which is to build communion.  Some Church groups act as if they are not related to the whole or to the rest of the Church.  It is important that Church groups and individuals serving the Church realize that they are called to promote the spirituality of communion and to build communities according to their charisms.  Hence everything we do as individuals and groups must contribute to this end.  If our mission is communion, then it must be accomplished in communion.  At the end of the day, our success is measured by how well we have built a community of love and fraternal brotherhood and not in terms of how much we have achieved.   Hence, forming our people to be a community of love must be the real objective.  The rest are only the means.

How, then, can this be brought about?  What are the principles to guide us in ensuring that our people are building and fostering communion among themselves?

Firstly, we need to be loved by God.  This is the starting point.  This is the message of the parable.  The entry to the kingdom is not by application but solely by invitation.  The Pharisees wanted to gain entry via their own ways by observing the Laws.  This is what the letter of St Paul to the Romans speaks against.  Justification is not by observance of the Laws but faith in Jesus Christ who is the love and mercy of God.  We cannot earn God’s mercy and love through the Laws because none of us will be able to observe the Laws, and even if we do succeed, we would become proud and demanding.  Hence, we read that the master in the parable invited all the outcasts of society to the banquet, the unworthy people and undeserving ones, whilst the religious leaders were left out since they thought they could go in by themselves rather than surrendering themselves to the mercy of God.

On this basis, can we then live out the spirituality of communion?   Living out the principles of communion presupposes the prior love of God.  St Paul who spoke against the Laws in the earlier part of the letter to the Romans now gives a whole list of the dos and donts of the Laws, starting from Romans chapter 12 onwards.  Why the apparent change?  The Laws could now be given because they are fulfilled as a response to the love of God.  Receiving His unconditional mercy and love, we can now love genuinely.  The instructions to love therefore presuppose that one has been justified.  Having been loved, we now share this love with others without conditions.  How can this concretely take place?

Firstly, we need to move from being called to being gifted.   We need to help people know their charisms and empower them.  We must help them to recognize their gifts.  “All of us, in union with Christ, form one body, and as parts of it we belong to each other.  Our gifts differ according to the grace given us.  If your gift is prophecy, then use it as your faith suggests; if administration, then use it for administration; if teaching, then use it for teaching.  Let the preachers deliver sermons, the almsgivers give freely, the officials be diligent, and those who do works of mercy do them cheerfully.”   We need to help those with the right charisms to do the work for the Church.  As it stands now, many Catholics fail to realize that they have been given charisms to serve the Church; some do not know where to serve.  We should have a body that helps discern for our members where they are called to serve in the body of Christ.  We need to be affirming and recognize the gifts that God has blessed the members of our community with.  Our task is to ensure that members are gainfully employed for the good of the community.

Secondly, we need to be sincere in love and not condescending towards those who are poorer, whether in gifts, status or money.  We reach out to them not because we are superior or better off, but in empathy and compassion.  St Paul reminds us thus, “Do not let your love be a pretense, but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Treat everyone with equal kindness; never be condescending but make real friends with the poor. If any of the saints are in need you must share with them; and you should make hospitality your special care.”    In a Christian community, all are equal in the sight of God for all gifts belong to Him.  Those who are blessed with more are called to share with others.

Thirdly, because we are not perfect in the Christian community, we need forgiveness.  We need to accept each other.   “Bless those who persecute you: never curse them, bless them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and be sad with those in sorrow.”   We must accept each other’s failures, only because we are aware that we are forgiven sinners. Instead of cursing and condemning each other, we are asked to bless and pray for each other, that God will give us each the grace to be healed and changed.   Even when others sin against us, we are invited to feel with them in their pain.

In this way, we will always be zealous in the good news and have support from each other.  St Paul wrote, “Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit.  If you have hope, this will make you cheerful.  Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying.”  Indeed, when we have people supporting us in our ministry, we will be able to overcome all trials and challenges.   Together with the body of Christ, the Church, we will accomplish our mission of communion in communion.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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