20160131 THE VOCATION OF A PROPHET IS ROOTED IN LOVE
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Jeremiah
1:4-5,17-19 ©
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In the days of
Josiah, the word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:
‘Before I formed you
in the womb I knew you;
before you came to
birth I consecrated you;
I have appointed you
as prophet to the nations.
‘So now brace
yourself for action.
Stand up and tell
them
all I command you.
Do not be dismayed at
their presence,
or in their presence
I will make you dismayed.
‘I, for my part,
today will make you
into a fortified
city,
a pillar of iron,
and a wall of bronze
to confront all this
land:
the kings of Judah,
its princes,
its priests and the
country people.
They will fight
against you
but shall not
overcome you,
for I am with you to
deliver you –
it is the Lord who
speaks.’
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Psalm
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Psalm
70:1-6,15,17 ©
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My lips will tell
of your help.
In you, O Lord, I
take refuge;
let me
never be put to shame.
In your justice
rescue me, free me:
pay heed
to me and save me.
My lips will tell
of your help.
Be a rock where I can
take refuge,
a mighty
stronghold to save me;
for you
are my rock, my stronghold.
Free me from the hand
of the wicked.
My lips will tell
of your help.
It is you, O Lord,
who are my hope,
my trust,
O Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned
from my birth,
from my
mother’s womb you have been my help.
My lips will tell
of your help.
My lips will tell of
your justice
and day
by day of your help.
O God, you have
taught me from my youth
and I
proclaim your wonders still.
My lips will tell
of your help.
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Second reading
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1 Corinthians
12:31-13:13 ©
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The supremacy of
charity
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Be ambitious for the
higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.
If I have
all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a
gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy,
understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I
have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am
nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I
even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no
good whatever.
Love is
always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or
conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not
resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the
truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever
comes.
Love does
not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when
they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue for ever; and
knowledge – for this, too, the time will come when it must fail. For our
knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect; but once perfection
comes, all imperfect things will disappear. When I was a child, I used to talk
like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a
man, all childish ways are put behind me. Now we are seeing a dim reflection in
a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have
now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known.
In short,
there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of
these is love.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Jn14:6
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the
Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to
the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 4:21-30 ©
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Jesus began to speak
in the synagogue: ‘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.
THE
VOCATION OF A PROPHET IS ROOTED IN LOVE
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: Jer 1:4-5.17-19;
1Cor 12:31-13:13;
Lk 4:21-30
In the
second reading today, St Paul speaks of our Christian vocation. What is
this vocation? It is the vocation of love. The highest of all
vocations perhaps, is the vocation of a prophet. We are called to be
prophets in the world, in our society and even within our own homes and
community. Amongst all vocations, this is one vocation that few people
are keen to undertake. This is a vocation that does not earn us appreciation
but only enemies. This is particularly difficult in a relativistic world when
it is hard to tell whether something is right or wrong. People in
the world today are disagreeable about values. So when we champion the
right values, we are often seen as conservative or backward. In an
individualistic world, no one wants to be told that he or she is
wrong. Everyone believes he is right and that he has the best
ideas.
As a
consequence, like Jeremiah, we can get discouraged. The truth is that we
all want to be loved by everyone. We want to be popular. We want to be liked
and appreciated. So in order not to offend anyone, we refrain from saying
things that people do not like to hear, or we use politically correct language
so that our disagreement is couched in ambiguity. This is true with
respect to religious, political and moral matters such as same-sex union,
abortion and euthanasia.
So
what do we do? If we speak, we offend people. If we do not speak,
others will get hurt. This is what the Lord told the prophet Jeremiah. “Do not
be dismayed at their presence, or in their presence I will make you
dismayed.” Whilst it is true that when we speak, we risk being rejected
and at times even hated, yet by not speaking the truth, we betray justice, and
those who suffer on account of such people. If our loved ones are the
ones guilty of such immoral, evil and dishonest things, we feel sad to see them
take the slippery road to perdition and destruction. By not warning them,
we know that we have failed in our responsibility, especially when we are their
elders or their leaders. To keep silent in the face of wrongs is as good
as to condone evil and be accomplices of evil. Of course, no one likes us
when we threaten their status quo and reveal their true motives and objectives
in what they do. Then again, at times, it could be really a matter of
perspectives and values. Regardless, a true prophet cannot remain silent,
because it would be irresponsible and certainly a failure in love.
How,
then, can we carry this task of being a prophet? To be fair, not all
prophets are rejected by the community. Before we think that we
belong to the category of Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Jesus, we must also
ask ourselves whether we are prophets of love. In other words, whilst the truth must
be spoken, the fundamental criterion of a true prophet is that he is motivated
only by one reason, love. This is what St Paul wrote, “If I have
all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a
gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy,
understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I
have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am
nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I
even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no
good whatever.” So before we undertake the office of prophet, we must be
conscious that this office is assumed because of love.
What
is this love that will qualify one to be a prophet? It is not just the
love for those being unjustly treated, but a true prophet must also be equally
concerned for the oppressors and perpetuators of injustices. So from beginning to end, every word
and action of the prophet must be motivated by a sincere love for his friends
and loved ones who suffer; and also a sincere love for his enemies and
opponents. He does not only stand up for the sake of those oppressed but
he speaks and acts also for the greater good of his enemies in the sincere hope
that they would see the light and repent for their own good and
salvation. Otherwise, in championing the underdogs and the victims, these
prophets of justice very often become oppressive themselves and even violent in
dealing with their opponents. When challenged or opposed, many of them
become angry, vindictive and revengeful. So what may have started as an
act of love ironically becomes vengeance!
Prophets
of love therefore will act in charity. Indeed, St Paul says, “Love takes no pleasure in other
people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to
trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.” If we correct
others, it must be done purely for their sake and not for ours. We speak only
because we sincerely care for their interests and do not want them to be led
astray.
Prophets
of love must also speak the truth in charity. St Paul exhorts us, “Love is always
patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it
is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not
resentful.” It is not enough to say the right thing but to say the right
thing rightly and at the opportune time. Otherwise, we might cause a
backlash, even a riot, a religious or civil war. For this reason,
we need to tread carefully and with great sensitivity and not make baseless or
inaccurate statements. Consequently, before judgement is made, we need to
verify the facts, dialogue with respect, seek the truth with those concerned
and try to understand where the other person is coming from. Even when
what we say is the truth, it must be done with great tact and gentleness.
How
must we behave as prophets of love? Firstly, we do not take upon
ourselves to be prophets. It is a calling. The Lord told Jeremiah who was
an unwilling prophet. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before
you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the
nations. So now brace yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command
you.” So there must be an inner conviction and a compulsion to speak even
though one does not speak. We know that we are called to act as a prophet
when there is a deep stirring in our hearts, not simply in a moment of anger,
retaliation or self-righteousness. The more we do not wish to be a
prophet, the more likely we are called to be a prophet.
Secondly,
a true prophet does not speak on his own authority or out of revenge; he speaks
because God asks him to speak. This presumes that the prophet is a man of deep prayer
and contemplation. He speaks the truth on the authority of God in
love and without anger or reprisal. He does not act because his interest
is at stake, but rather the interests of others, including the wrongdoers, are
compromised. For that reason, a prophet would spend time in prayer,
searching his motives, listening to what the Lord wants him to say or do. He is
ever ready to listen to those who are supposedly doing the wrong things.
He is never presumptuous, judgmental or harsh towards them. It is the approach
of gentleness, respect and a genuine desire to help.
Indeed,
as a prophet myself because of my office as bishop, prayer is the most
important aspect in my ministry.
Prayers
strengthen my faith in God, that He would lead me and give me the strength to accomplish His
mission just as He assured Jeremiah, “I, for my part, today will make you into
a fortified city, a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze to confront all this
land: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests and the country people. They
will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver
you – it is the Lord who speaks.”
Prayers
give me hope even in apparent hopeless situations and incorrigible offenders
and stubborn people.
Prayer helps me to purify my motives, remove self-centeredness and keep me
objective in dealing with issues and persons. In prayer, the Holy Spirit
helps me discern what is the best thing and best approach in dealing with
situations and people.
Finally,
prayers fill me with the love of God and empower me to love always and
at all costs, even when love causes suffering and pain. Indeed, St Paul
said, “Love does not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the
time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not
continue forever; and knowledge – for this, too, the time will come when it
must fail.” St Paul concludes, “In short, there are three things that
last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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