20160202 A LIGHT TO THE NATIONS PRESUPPOSES HOLINESS OF LIFE
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
First reading
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Malachi 3:1-4 ©
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The Lord God says
this: Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the
Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the
covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts.
Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when
he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will
take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and
refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord
as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed
by the Lord as in former days, as in the years of old.
Psalm
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Psalm 23:7-10 ©
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Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
O gates, lift high
your heads;
grow
higher, ancient doors.
Let him
enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Who is the king of
glory?
The Lord,
the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord,
the valiant in war.
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
O gates, lift high
your heads;
grow
higher, ancient doors.
Let him
enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Who is he, the king
of glory?
He, the
Lord of armies,
he is the
king of glory.
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Second reading
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Hebrews 2:14-18 ©
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Since all the
children share the same blood and flesh, Christ too shared equally in it, so
that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power
over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives
by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he
took to himself descent from Abraham. It was essential that he should in this
way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and
trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins. That
is, because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help others
who are tempted.
Gospel
Acclamation
|
Lk2:32
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The light to
enlighten the Gentiles
and give glory to
Israel, your people.
Alleluia!
EITHER:
Gospel
|
Luke 2:22-40 ©
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When the day came for
them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took
him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, – observing what stands
written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to
the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is
said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Now in
Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he
looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had
been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he
had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the
Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the
Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can
let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have
seen the salvation
which you have
prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten
the pagans
and the glory of your
people Israel.’
As the child’s father
and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him,
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is
destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a
sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too –
so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
There was
a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was
well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven
years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left
the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just
at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who
looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they
had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to
their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was
filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.
A LIGHT
TO THE NATIONS PRESUPPOSES HOLINESS OF LIFE
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: Mal 3:1-4;
Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40
Christmas
is a celebration of the light that has come. Christ the Light of the world who appeared in the
darkness on Christmas night symbolically takes possession of the Temple.
He comes to sanctify us and make us People of God, consecrated to Him.
Through Christ, we now walk in the light and in truth. Christ’s coming
has given us hope because we know that we are called to be God’s children.
Having
been beneficiaries of that light, we are called to be that light. Hence, today, we carry the
candles as our commitment to bring the light of Christ to the world.
Indeed, this is what the call to new evangelization entails. We are
called to proclaim the gospel, the Good News of our Lord so that humanity can
find hope and purpose in life. This is certainly what the Holy Father,
Pope Francis is asking of us when he wrote the encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium,
the joy of the gospel.
How
can we be that light in the world? Like Jesus, we are called to be the sign of
contradiction in the world. Simeon prophesied, “You see this child: he is
destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a
sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too –
so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.” Through our lives,
in words and deeds, we are to enlighten the world. In other words, we are
called to live a life of holiness. That is why, Pope John Paul II wrote
in Novo Millenio inenunte, “I have no hesitation in saying that all pastoral
initiatives must be set in relation to holiness.”
What
is holiness if not to let the light of Christ shine through us? Holiness is the most powerful light
that shines brightly. The mission of the Church presupposes holiness and
is a call to holiness. What is holiness? Simply, it means to
live out our vocation and calling in life. Holiness is to consecrate
our lives to the Lord. We are called to offer ourselves as a living
sacrifice to God by consecrating ourselves to the Lord in whatever we do and
say. Giving ourselves for the love and service of God and our people is
what consecration entails and what holiness is all about! In the case of
Simeon, we read that he was an upright man and a man devoted to God and His people.
Just by living a righteous life, he gave glory to God and became a light to
others. In another situation, Anna, who become a young widow seven years
after her marriage, did not allow herself to wallow in self-pity but gave her
life to serve God in the Temple, “night and day with fasting and prayer”.
Similarly,
in the case of Jesus, He lived out His vocation as a man on earth. The gospel tells us that He grew
in age and in wisdom. He submitted Himself to the authority of Joseph and
Mary as He grew up. “Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled
with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.” In the letter to the
Hebrews, we also read of how Jesus shared in our humanity. Indeed, “it was not
the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from Abraham.
It
was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate
and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins.
That is, because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help
others who are tempted.” Jesus was a man like us in all things except sin,
going through the same struggles and temptations of daily life as He sought to
proclaim His Father’s love and mercy by His words and deeds.
Holiness
in life therefore does not require us to perform extraordinary feats. We all need to live out our
vocation as God’s sons and daughters in the way the Lord has apportioned for
us. Being true to ourselves and true to God in living the life of the gospel is
what holiness is all about. As St Theresa says, it is to do ordinary
things in an extraordinary way.
Yet,
we know that it is not easy to live a life of integrity. Because of our fallen nature, we
fear death, as the letter to the Hebrews tells us. We are afraid that we are
not loved sufficiently. We are afraid not just of physical death but
separation from our loved ones. We are afraid we might not have
enough. Hence, we have this self-preservative instinct. This is the
root of all sins. Death is the cause of selfishness. Christ, by assuming our
human nature, enables us to overcome the fear of death. It is significant
that when Simeon saw the Lord, he was no longer afraid of death for he said,
“Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the
nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people
Israel.” The fear of death, of the unknown, is because one does not know
the Lord.
For
this reason, we need living examples so that we can trust God sufficiently
to take care of us. Consecrated life is the sign of God’s divine
providence and faithfulness. Religious are called to be a sign of hope to
the world and to testify to the fidelity of God’s love for us. They are
to live their lives in such a way that contradicts the ways of the world.
Like Jesus, religious are called to be the instrument for the rise and fall of
many so that their hearts will be pierced like Mary, and eyes enlightened “so
that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.” That is why today, when we
celebrate the day for consecrated life, the Church rejoices that we have in our
midst, people who truly want to live a life of holiness. Consecrated and
religious life is the apex of the holiness of the Church’s life when men and
women give themselves totally to live the life of Christ, imbibing in the
evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. Through their
very life, we see the holiness of the Church.
Holiness,
according to Pope John Paul II, requires training in prayer. Without a deep contemplative
prayer life, we cannot grow in holiness. Without a deep reflection
on the Word of God and a meditative prayer life, we cannot grow in holiness as we
will lack self-awareness. Only through contemplative prayer, can we grow
in union with God, in wisdom and understanding of ourselves, purifying our
motives in serving Him. Today, we are invited to imitate the examples of
Simeon and Anna. Both were prophets because they listened to the voice of
God and hence they could discern the Messiah when they saw Him. They
could even prophesy what the future was in store for Mary and her Son.
We, too, cannot truly purify ourselves and grow in holiness without a deep
meditative prayer life.
There
is no excuse for us not to pray, regardless how busy we are in the ministry. Success in ministry is not
simply the work of our hands but the grace of God. Every one of us,
regardless whether we are priests, religious or laity, must deepen our prayer
life so that we can truly unite ourselves with the work of Christ. We
need His inspiration, grace, wisdom and strength to do His work. Prayer
must be the starting point for our ministry. Without the love of God in
us, how can we love freely and unconditionally? Without knowing His
divine providence, how can we surrender our lives and future to Him?
Without encountering His divine wisdom and humility in Jesus’ obedience to
Mary, Joseph and to the Father, how can we submit in obedience even unto death
like Him?
Holiness,
of course, is the grace of God but it requires our cooperation. We know that we are weak and
human. So long as we are trying sincerely to grow in holiness and
integrity, God understands us. Christ Himself was a man and was tempted
in many ways like us. To Him, who is the throne of grace, we find both
mercy and grace. Through our failures and struggles, we will also
become more compassionate and be able to identify with the struggles of our
fellowmen who try to live a life of holiness. May our experiences and
struggle in striving to live a life of holiness, with all our weakness and
strength, be a source of encouragement to all who seek to live a life of grace.
So let us come to the throne of grace always and seek His strength.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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