THE CHALLENGE OF CONFESSING JESUS IS LORD AND SAVIOUR

20160401 THE CHALLENGE OF CONFESSING JESUS IS LORD AND SAVIOUR

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Acts 4:1-12 ©

While Peter and John were talking to the people the priests came up to them, accompanied by the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees. They were extremely annoyed at their teaching the people the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. They arrested them, but as it was already late, they held them till the next day. But many of those who had listened to their message became believers, the total number of whom had now risen to something like five thousand.

  The next day the rulers, elders and scribes had a meeting in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, Jonathan, Alexander and all the members of the high-priestly families. They made the prisoners stand in the middle and began to interrogate them, ‘By what power, and by whose name have you men done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 117:1-2,4,22-27 ©

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

  for his love has no end.

Let the sons of Israel say:

  ‘His love has no end.’

Let those who fear the Lord say:

  ‘His love has no end.’

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The stone which the builders rejected

  has become the corner stone.

This is the work of the Lord,

  a marvel in our eyes.

This day was made by the Lord;

  we rejoice and are glad.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

O Lord, grant us salvation;

  O Lord, grant success.

Blessed in the name of the Lord

  is he who comes.

We bless you from the house of the Lord;

  the Lord God is our light.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Ps117:24

Alleluia, alleluia!

This day was made by the Lord:

we rejoice and are glad.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 21:1-14 ©

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

  It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

  As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

THE CHALLENGE OF CONFESSING JESUS IS LORD AND SAVIOUR

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 4:1-12; JN 21:1-14 ]

In the gospel, we have the apostles confessing Jesus is Lord.  “The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord’. At these words ‘It is the Lord,’ Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water.”  Then St Peter at the end of his defence before the Sanhedrin, comprising of the Priestly aristocratic families, the educated scribes and the Pharisees, declared, “This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.”

We cannot but admire their confidence, courage and firmness in confessing their faith in Christ before a board of powerful, influential and educated leaders.  How many of us could speak so confidently and courageously before a crowd, much less before a group of professionals and prominent leaders?  Most of us fight shy to speak of our personal convictions.  We tend to say politically correct things that would not irritate anyone and at the same time not saying very much.  We are afraid to take a stand for fear of being unpopular or even condemned.  But this was the not case with the apostles.  They were no cowards. They spoke the truth even when under arrest and intimidation. Indeed, “the rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen.”

In a world of relativism, religious fundamentalism and intolerant secularism, it is more difficult for Christians to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and the Saviour of the World.  Non-Christians would immediately challenge our claims and even accuse us of being triumphalistic and arrogant.  The truth is that no other religion has claimed that their founder died and rose from the dead or that they died for our sins.  Whereas for Christians, the fact that Jesus who was put to death unjustly and then raised from the dead, proves that Jesus is truly our Savior and Lord.  Non-Christians have no issues accepting that Jesus was a good man, but what they cannot accept is our confession that Jesus is Lord and Saviour of all.

What, then, is the basis for the Christian claim?  Simply that Jesus who went about doing good was condemned and crucified but God raised Him from the dead.  The gospel underscores the reality of Christ’s resurrection.  In today’s gospel, it is clear the evangelist wanted to dispel all doubts about the resurrection of Jesus.  He was no ghost and not a vision either.  Certainly, He was not a hallucination but truly a living person, body and spirit.  If not, how could a ghost invite the apostles for breakfast?  Ghosts do not eat. Thus, “None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’ they knew quite well that it was the Lord.” St John remarked, “This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.”  So in the minds of the apostles it was beyond all doubt that Jesus is risen and He is Lord.

For those of us who have not seen the Risen Lord, St Peter invites us to see the effects of the Resurrection of our Lord.  His presence and power is seen in the works of the apostles.  Without mincing his words, St Peter said, “that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence today.”  Indeed, the fact that the cripple was healed was indisputable.  They could not deny that the man was restored of his mobility.  This made them recall the psalmist who said, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad.”

Consequently, we must understand the context in which the confession of faith in Jesus as Lord was made.  The apostles and disciples of the Lord encountered the risen Jesus.  By His rising, Jesus showed that He was truly endorsed and vindicated by God His Father.  It was this personal encounter with the Risen Lord and the ensuing manifestation of His living presence in the works of healing, preaching and miracles that gave the apostles the impetus to confess Jesus’ divine Lordship.  Without this experience, it would not have been possible to make this confession of faith.

So we should not be surprised that their confession of faith in the resurrection of Jesus caused the priests to be unhappy with them.  It was against their faith, as the Sadducees denied the doctrine of the resurrection.  They were also afraid of the swelling crowd at the Temple which could cause the Roman authorities to intervene to maintain social order. But most of all, the priests were afraid that they might lose their prestige and power.   So without a personal encounter with the Risen Lord, they could only react to protect their own interests.  But now that a cripple since birth has been healed, they were challenged to offer an explanation of which they could not.

In the same vein in our dealings with those of other faiths, how do we handle them because they too would not be able to accept our confession of faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour?  Whilst we should not compromise our faith in Christ as Lord, since the resurrection established Him as Lord and God, we must remember that this confession is possible only in the context of faith in Christ.  For those who have not encountered the Lord in their lives, either personally through prayer and intimacy, as in the case of St John the beloved disciple who immediately intuited Him as the Lord; or like the rest of the disciples through the miracles in their lives, it would not be possible to make this confession of faith.  We must realize that the confession of faith is an experience, before it is a doctrine.   So on the level of theological argument alone, one might not be able to convince someone who does not share a common experience of Christ working in their lives.

This is true of other religions as well.  We have no right to denigrate their beliefs or faith because we do not come from the same religious tradition and experience.  Whilst we can make our confession of faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour of the world, we cannot on the other hand dismiss their religious claims.   Indeed, Vatican II in Nostra Aetate says, “Men expect from the various religions answers to the unsolved riddles of the human condition, which today, even as in former times, deeply stir the hearts of men: What is man? What is the meaning, the aim of our life? What is moral good, what is sin? Whence suffering and what purpose does it serve? Which is the road to true happiness? What are death, judgment and retribution after death? What, finally, is that ultimate inexpressible mystery which encompasses our existence: whence do we come, and where are we going?” (NA 1)

“From ancient times down to the present, there is found among various peoples a certain perception of that hidden power which hovers over the course of things and over the events of human history; at times some indeed have come to the recognition of a Supreme Being, or even of a Father. This perception and recognition penetrates their lives with a profound religious sense. Religions, however, that are bound up with an advanced culture have struggled to answer the same questions by means of more refined concepts and a more developed language.”  (NA 2)

Hence, “the Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.” (NA 2)

Truly, the Catholic Church embraces all humanity because, as Nostra Aetate reminds us, “One is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the face of the earth. One also is their final goal, God. His providence, His manifestations of goodness, His saving design extend to all men, until that time when the elect will be united in the Holy City, the city ablaze with the glory of God, where the nations will walk in His light.”  (NA 1)  This paradoxical confession of Jesus as Lord and Saviour of the World can also accommodate people from other religions who are searching for the fullness of truth and life.

After all, as the gospel says, the Church is able to accommodate people of all nationalities and cultures and languages.  This is the significance of Peter who “dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken.”  The number 153 stands for all the nations in the world; and the net stands for the Church.  “The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men.”  (NA 2)

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

ENCOUNTERING, SHARING AND ANNOUNCING THE GOOD NEWS

20160331 ENCOUNTERING, SHARING AND ANNOUNCING THE GOOD NEWS

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Acts 3:11-26 ©

Everyone came running towards Peter and John in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called, where the man was still clinging to Peter and John. When Peter saw the people he addressed them, ‘Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness? You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see.

  ‘Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesus, whom heaven must keep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his holy prophets. Moses, for example, said: The Lord God will raise up a prophet like myself for you, from among your own brothers; you must listen to whatever he tells you. The man who does not listen to that prophet is to be cut off from the people. In fact, all the prophets that have ever spoken, from Samuel onwards, have predicted these days.

  ‘You are the heirs of the prophets, the heirs of the covenant God made with our ancestors when he told Abraham: in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. It was for you in the first place that God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 8:2,5-9 ©

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

How great is your name, O Lord our God,

  through all the earth!

What is man that you should keep him in mind,

  mortal man that you care for him?

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Yet you have made him little less than a god;

  with glory and honour you crowned him,

gave him power over the works of your hand,

  put all things under his feet.

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

All of them, sheep and cattle,

  yes, even the savage beasts,

birds of the air, and fish

  that make their way through the waters.

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Ps117:24

Alleluia, alleluia!

This day was made by the Lord:

we rejoice and are glad.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 24:35-48 ©

The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.

  They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

  Then he told them, ‘This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms has to be fulfilled.’ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.’

ENCOUNTERING, SHARING AND ANNOUNCING THE GOOD NEWS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 3:11-26; LK 24:35-48 ]

What does the work of evangelization entail?  Is it an attempt to propagate an ideology?  Is it a matter of skills, techniques and strategizing?  Is it a means to indoctrinate people or to proselytize?  Is it a system of thoughts that we have arranged logically so that we can convince people of what we believe and the values we subscribe to?

Nay, the work of evangelization springs primarily from a personal encounter with the Risen Lord.  This is the beginning and the pre-requisite of evangelization.  This is what we read in the scripture readings.  The disciples encountered the Risen Lord on the way to Emmaus during the sharing of scriptures and the breaking of bread.  Then we are told how the Lord appeared to them showing them His hands and feet.  He even ate a piece of grilled fish before their eyes, proving that He was no ghost, nor a hallucination on the part of the disciples, not a vision but truly His resurrected body.   The consequence of such an encounter brings joy, peace and hope. “Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded.”

After so great an encounter, the natural response is to share the Good News of the Risen Lord. In fact, the sure sign that you have had a personal encounter with the Risen Lord is your desire to share this encounter with others.  The deeper the encounter, the greater is the enthusiasm to share with others about this experience. This is done without asking, without coercion and without obligation.  Indeed, we know that those who have encountered the Risen Lord, like the women of Jerusalem, the disciples and apostles of Jesus, could not stop sharing their amazing encounter with the Risen Lord. Good News must be shared as those who receive them cannot contain them in their hearts.

Indeed, the great thing about being a Christian is that we have a group of fellow Christians whom we can share our experiences with.  Every religious experience needs to be authenticated and strengthened.  As Christians, we are not alone in our encounter with the Lord.  When we start sharing our experiences, it is wonderful to have other Christians identify with us. Such fellowship among Christians strengthens faith and reinforces the truth of the resurrection encounter.  This was what happened when the disciples at Emmaus shared with the apostles.  As they recounted their story, they must have been so reassured to know that what they saw was confirmed by the apostles as well.

It is also important that in Christian sharing of their encounters with the Lord, His presence is manifested.  We read how when they were sharing their story, the Lord appeared to them in their midst.  “They were still talking about all this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost.”   Very often, in the resurrection narratives, the Risen Lord is portrayed as coming from nowhere and then after manifesting Himself, disappeared to nowhere.  He is also portrayed as passing through walls and doors; making Himself visible and invisible as He wishes.   What is the lesson that the evangelist wants to share with us?  Simply this, that whenever Christians gather together to share their faith with each other, the Lord is present always in their midst even when they do not see them with their eyes.  In sharing their faith stories, the Lord will open their eyes, touch their hearts and move them to feel the reality of His presence among them.  That was why the Lord told the disciples that whenever two or three are gathered together, He is among them.  (Mt 18:20)  Hence, we see the importance of faith-sharing among Christians.  It is the failure to share our faith stories among ourselves that we begin to feel alone in our relationship with the Lord and very soon, we begin to doubt whether He is real at all.  That was why the Lord said, “Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts?”

Through faith sharing too, we come to understand deeper our experience by turning to the scriptures.  Again, to help the disciples ground their encounter; the Risen Lord referred them to the scriptures that foretold His coming and His paschal mystery.  He opened their minds to understand the scriptures.  Besides sharing faith stories, we must share and study the scriptures together if we are to grow in faith in the Risen Lord and deepen His presence in our midst because the Lord comes to us not just when we gather together but when we search the scriptures together in faith and love.

Arising from this deepening encounter and confirmation of the reality of the presence of the Risen Lord, the next natural development is to announce the Kergyma, that is, the Good News of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.  This is what we read in the first reading when St Peter addressed the people who came “running towards Peter and John in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called, where the man was still clinging to them.” In obedience to our Lord’s command to announce the forgiveness of sins in His name, St Peter took the occasion of the miracle to make clear to them that the healing of the paralyzed man was not their work but that of the man, Jesus, whom they handed over to be crucified.   “It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses; and it is the name of Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that has restored this man to health, as you can all see.”

It is significant that the preaching of the Good News was not a philosophical discourse on some doctrines or some lofty thoughts like Greek philosophy but it was about a miracle that happened before their very eyes.  This is why the Church today cannot dispense with miracles and works of mercy in announcing the Good News, otherwise she has no power in her preaching because there is no Good News to show.  Proclamation of the gospel in words without deeds will be reducible to mere propaganda of an ideology.  As a consequence of a personal and direct preaching of the Risen Lord that they knew, the apostles could convict the hearts of their listeners.  Effective proclamation of the gospel demands both the event and the interpretation of the event through the scriptures.

Yet, in laying the guilt upon them, St Peter was no anti-Semitist.   He acknowledged their ignorance and did not lay blame on them. He justified them, saying, “Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing, this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that Christ would suffer.”  What is important is not what happened in the past, because this was all God’s plan.

Instead of regretting our past mistakes, what is more important is that we humbly recognize our ignorance and repent, so that we can also receive the author of life.  St Peter urged them, “Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesus, whom heaven must keep till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his holy prophets.”  Truly, the goal of proclamation is to bring about a change of hearts.

The gospel is preached not to condemn or make people feel guilty but to enlighten them in their ignorance and failures so that they could repent and receive the fullness of life.  That was why St Peter reminded them of how Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Moses. This is what God desires for us all, as St Peter said, “You are the heirs of the prophets, the heirs of the covenant God made with our ancestors when he told Abraham: in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. It was for you in the first place that God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

INTEGRATING OUR PAINS AND JOYS IN THE PASCHAL MYSTERY

20160330 INTEGRATING OUR PAINS AND JOYS IN THE PASCHAL MYSTERY

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Acts 3:1-10 ©

Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 104:1-4,6-9 ©

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name,

  make known his deeds among the peoples.

O sing to him, sing his praise;

  tell all his wonderful works!

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Be proud of his holy name,

  let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

Consider the Lord and his strength;

  constantly seek his face.

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

O children of Abraham, his servant,

  O sons of the Jacob he chose.

He, the Lord, is our God:

  his judgements prevail in all the earth.

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

He remembers his covenant for ever,

  his promise for a thousand generations,

the covenant he made with Abraham,

  the oath he swore to Isaac.

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.

or

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Ps117:24

Alleluia, alleluia!

This day was made by the Lord:

we rejoice and are glad.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 24:13-35 ©

Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.

  Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’

  Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.

  When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’

  They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

INTEGRATING OUR PAINS AND JOYS IN THE PASCHAL MYSTERY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 3:1-10; LUKE 24:13-35 ]

On this third day of Easter Octave, are you still languishing away in the tomb?  Why do we remain in the tomb when the Lord has removed the stone away?  Christ is risen but we are not!

That was the case of the downcast disciples at Emmaus.   Why were they sad?  They were disillusioned and had lost all hope.  With the death of Jesus, their only hope had been snuffed out.  They said, “Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free.”  Hence, we read that they were moving away from Jerusalem like downtrodden and crushed soldiers retreating to a village called Emmaus.  They could not integrate the death of Jesus in their lives, especially the death of a good man and the expected Messiah.  With His tragic death, all plans collapsed.  Not only could they not make sense of His unjust death but they also heard some strange happenings like the sighting of Jesus and the empty tomb.

This is true for many of us. We cannot integrate pains and sorrows in our life, especially when we suffer tragedy, the loss of a loved one in death, accident, or a betrayal of friendship, particularly if it was our own spouse or our ungrateful children.  At times, we suffer an expected illness that has no cure or even terminal.  In such moments, we feel paralyzed, like the man who was crippled from birth.  It must have been a terrible feeling not being able to walk since birth.  He had to rely on some goodwill people daily to carry him to the Temple entrance “so that he could beg from the people going in.”   We can presume that he would have often blamed God for his woes, which were no fault of his own.  He could have cursed his parents for giving birth to him.  He could have continued the blame game and wallowed in self-pity.  Thus, when he saw Peter and John, it was with expectant eyes that he looked at them.  He was looking for hope.   We would probably have acted the same way had we been in the same situation.  That is why we are still in our tomb of self-pity, resentment, anger and frustration.

At times, it could be the joys that we experience as well.  We read that when the people saw the crippled man healed, they too could not understand.  The most regrettable moment of an atheist is when he experiences something incredibly beautiful in his life; it could be a miraculous healing, a beautiful sunset or an experience of unconditional love, but he has no one to direct his praise and thanks. At least for the psalmist, when he experienced the mercy and love of God, he could sing and say, “Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. O sing to him, sing his praise; tell all his wonderful works!”

Indeed, when we are not able to integrate our joys, we cannot be grateful and we do know whom to thank.  If we are not grateful for what we have, we will not be happy in life.  Only grateful people are happy people because they see everything they have as a blessing, a bonus and a grace; not their entitlement.   Furthermore, we will also miss out on the mystery and the love of God as proclaimed in the responsorial psalm.  The Israelites recognized the wonders of God in all things.  They say, “Be proud of his holy name, let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice. Consider the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face.  O children of Abraham, his servant, O sons of the Jacob he chose. He, the Lord, is our God: his judgements prevail in all the earth.  He remembers his covenant forever, his promise for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.”   They knew that everything is by the mercy of God.

So it is important that we learn how to integrate both pains and joys in our lives and see it in the context of God’s plan for us if we are to live a meaningful and purposeful life.   

How then can we find meaning in life, whether in our pains or sorrows?  We need to seek the Lord!  The psalmist says, “Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.”  Like the crippled man, we need to look towards the Lord.  “Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us’. He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them.”  Instead of looking to the world for solution like the disciples, with eyes looking down, we must turn to the Lord instead.

How is this done if not through the scriptures?  The meaning and direction of life is found in the Word of God.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”  (2 Tim 3:16)  In the final analysis, all scriptures refer to Christ who is the Word of God. All scriptures must be read in such a way that it points to Christ, whether we are reading the Old or the New Testament.  So if we want to find the Risen Lord and His direction for us in life, we only need to turn to the scriptures.  We need to contemplate on His passion and resurrection to find strength in life.

Indeed, in the scriptures, the Risen Lord continues to speak to us.   “Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’”   He enlightens us on the truth of life.  He helps us to see that the pain in our life is part of the process of God’s redemptive work.   God is triumphant and He is in control. Most of all, He will help us understand that everything works for our good to those who have faith in Him.   So in joy and sorrow, the Lord is with us.  Even in those moments when we feel His absence, He is in truth carrying the cross for us.  Otherwise, we will not have the strength to do so.  With Jesus, nothing is impossible for those who believe.  It was this faith that enabled St Peter to heal the crippled man.

What is the sign that we are integrated?  When we begin to tell our stories!  This is what we read about the disciples.  “They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road.” Truly, when we find meaning and are able to integrate our pains in our lives, then we will be filled with joy like the disciples at Emmaus and the apostles.  We would want to go out and announce the Good News too.  For them, it meant that they were no more ashamed or sorry that Jesus died but they came to realize that the death of Jesus was but God’s way to reveal His true glory for humanity to see.   Like the crippled man, we too can jump and shout for joy. When we are healed, we will no longer be ashamed of our failures, or our mistakes and past because we know that through all these trials, we have become wiser, stronger and better.   Rather, like St Paul we could boast of our past.

And what is the best place to tell our story if not at the Eucharist?  We read that the disciples came to recognize Christ at the breaking of bread. “Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight.”  For what is the Eucharist, if not the commemoration of His passion and resurrection, the paschal mystery of our Lord? So in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember once again the love of Christ in His passion and the wonderful miracle of the resurrection.  This gives us courage and hope, especially in our trials and difficult moments of life.   In the Eucharist, we celebrate the dying and rising, the integration of death and life.

Yet, it is significant that both the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Eucharist are not to be disconnected.  Word and Sacrament must always go together. The liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist comprise a single celebration.  Without the Word, the events are meaningless.  But if there is no event, the Word is empty.  What we hear, we must also experience as well.  What is experienced must be understood.  Emmanuel Kant once said, “Thoughts without content are empty; intuitions without conceptions blind.”  Indeed, words without experience are empty and experience without words is blind.  Indeed, in celebrating the Eucharist, the Lord comes close to us both in word and deed.   “When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.”

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved