20160318 SEARCHING FOR GOD’S WILL IN OUR MINISTRY
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Jeremiah
20:10-13 ©
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Jeremiah said:
I hear so many
disparaging me,
‘“Terror from every
side!”
Denounce him! Let us
denounce him!’
All those who used to
be my friends
watched for my
downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be
seduced into error.
Then we will master
him
and take our
revenge!’
But the Lord is at my
side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will
stumble, mastered,
confounded by their
failure;
everlasting, unforgettable
disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of
Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the
loins and heart,
let me see the
vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed
my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered
the soul of the needy
from the hands of
evil men.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 17:2-7 ©
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In my anguish I
called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I love you, Lord, my
strength,
my rock,
my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock
where I take refuge;
my
shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of
all praise,
when I
call I am saved from my foes.
In my anguish I
called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
The waves of death
rose about me;
the
torrents of destruction assailed me;
the snares of the
grave entangled me;
the traps
of death confronted me.
In my anguish I
called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
In my anguish I
called to the Lord;
I cried
to God for help.
From his temple he
heard my voice;
my cry
came to his ears.
In my anguish I
called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Mt4:17
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Glory to you, O
Christ, you are the Word of God!
Repent, says the
Lord,
for the kingdom of
heaven is close at hand.
Glory to you, O
Christ, you are the Word of God!
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Gospel
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John 10:31-42 ©
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The Jews fetched
stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for
you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The
Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for
blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’ Jesus answered:
‘Is it not written in
your Law:
I said, you are
gods?
So the Law uses the
word gods
of those to whom the
word of God was addressed,
and scripture cannot
be rejected.
Yet you say to
someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world,
“You are
blaspheming,”
because he says, “I
am the son of God.”
If I am not doing my
Father’s work,
there is no need to
believe me;
but if I am doing it,
then even if you
refuse to believe in me,
at least believe in
the work I do;
then you will know
for sure
that the Father is in
me and I am in the Father.’
They wanted to arrest
him then, but he eluded them.
He
went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where
John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John
gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them
believed in him.
SEARCHING
FOR GOD’S WILL IN OUR MINISTRY
Doing
God’s work is one of the most challenging tasks in life, especially when it is
concerned with prophetic work. This is because people are challenged by what we teach or do.
People are happy so long as what we do does not hinder what they are doing
as well. But if they see us as obstacles to their ambition, goals or
success, whether in business or for power, they will seek to destroy us.
This was the case of Jeremiah who was a threat to the status quo of the
king and his officials. So too was the case of Jesus because His teaching
too challenged the status quo of the Jewish leaders.
Consequently,
it is a mistake to think that doing Church work or being involved in the
work of evangelization is fun and always full of joy. If we are seeking fun and pleasure,
then we are doing things for ourselves, not for God. Service to God and
His people is a very demanding task which calls for much sacrifice, not
just in terms of time and resources but even in personal freedom. In
truth, many Catholics are not ready to suffer for the ministry. When they
meet with trials and difficulties, they get disillusioned and resign. This
clearly shows that they are not working for God but for themselves.
Service to God, whether voluntary or paid, is not a matter of whether we
like our job or not, but it is a matter of doing God’s will. So if God
wills that we do a certain job, even if we do not like it, we are to obey
His will. And if God wants us to suffer for Him in doing good even when we
are providing a free service, then we must accept such trials in the
spirit of Christ. We do not simply give up because the going is tough! Did
Jesus or Jeremiah give up their prophetic tasks simply because they were
opposed on all sides? Nay, they remained in their posts even when
threatened with death.
In
the face of challenges and opposition, what should we do? How can we remain
firm like the Lord? Firstly, we need to discern and decipher exactly
whether what we are doing is the Lord’s will. When Jeremiah was opposed, he began to
have self-doubt as to whether what others said of him could be true.
Jeremiah said: “I hear so many disparaging me, ‘Terror from every side!’
Denounce him! Let us denounce him! All those who used to be my
friends watched for my downfall, ‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him and take our revenge!’ Could he be deceived or
misled? Could he be a false prophet and heard God’s voice wrongly? So
Jeremiah took time to search the depths of his heart and the voice of God
that He heard calling him so deeply to speak to His people the message that
he received from God.
Secondly,
we need to be clear of our identity and calling. Jesus knew Himself, His
identity, His relationship with God and what He had been called to do.
This explains why Jesus was able to remain firm when opposed by the Jews
and refused to take back His claims when they threatened to stone Him to
death as prescribed by the Law of Moses for those who blasphemed. Jesus
knew that He came from the Father and that He did everything in union with
the Father. He defended Himself saying, “If I am not doing my Father’s work,
there is
no need
to believe me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am the Father.”
Thirdly,
Jesus vindicated Himself by His works. When “the Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said
to them, ‘I have done many good works for you to see, works from
my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?” We can doubt a person’s
words but we cannot doubt His works because every tree must be judged by
its fruits. So too with Jesus! He did not ask that they believe in His
words but what proved His message was from God were the works that He
performed, the works of God which was mercy, compassion and love seen in
the healing miracles and works of mercy, compassion and liberation.
Fourthly,
Jesus justified Himself as one being sent. He did not come from Himself but He was sent by the
Father. When the Jews accused Him of claiming to be God, He said, “’Is
it not written in your Law: I said, you are gods? So the Law used the word
gods of those to whom the word of God was addressed, and scripture cannot
be rejected. Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent
into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because he says, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
Indeed, Jesus knew that He was sent by the Father and was consecrated for
a mission. The mission of Jesus was to represent the Father’s love and
mercy. To be called the son of God was not exceptionally strange because
quoting from Psalm 82:6, the
Israelite leaders and judges were called gods. (cf Ex 4:16; 7:1). They were seen as agents of
God’s revelation and His divine will. Following this scriptural basis,
the claims of Jesus could not be considered blasphemy. In fact, Jesus was
claiming that He was one with His Father in mind and heart.
How
many of us can stand firm with Jesus and when challenged refer to our opponents
to the works we do?
Can we say that we always walk the talk? Unless, we are true to ourselves
and live blameless lives, we cannot speak with that confidence to others or
tell them what to do. In the final analysis, instead of taking things
into our own hands, after all that is said and done, like Jeremiah, we
must turn to the Lord for courage and strength. Let us surrender
judgement and justice to God. Jeremiah said, “But the Lord is at my side,
a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, mastered, confounded by their
failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.” Instead of
taking actions against our enemies, let the Lord who is our commander and
fighter seek justice for us. For as Jeremiah said, “But you, Lord of
hosts, you who probe with justice, who scrutinise the loins and heart, let me
see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to
you.”
We
must wait for the time to strike by seeking out God’s timing, not ours. We read that when they wanted to
arrest the Lord, “He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay
in the district where John had once been baptising.” Jesus did not fight
head-on with His enemies because He knew He still had much work to do.
“They wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded them.” He ran away not
because He was a coward but because He needed time to finish what He had
to do. He went away in order to return another day to fight the battle
that would bring ultimate victory. Jesus did not allow His ego to take
the better of Him. Rather, His thought was always the accomplishment of
the Father’s will and His divine plan. So there was an opportunity for
that.
It
will be good also for us to learn from Jesus, to return to our Galilee or
Transfiguration experience. We read that whilst withdrawing from the heat of the
opposition, He went to renew and refresh Himself in the Father’s love by
returning to that place where He was baptized. It was necessary for Jesus
to recall the Father’s promise of His love for Him when He was baptized
and the mission given to Him at His baptism. We too must always return
to that moment of our calling, that event in which we experienced the love
of Christ and how we heard Him calling us to serve Him. Constant withdrawal
and remembrance of His love for us will help us to stay focused,
especially in times of doubt and trials. Like the disciples of John, we
must not forget our own God-experience. We read that “Many people who came
to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was
true’; and many of them believed in him.” So in our frustrations and in
those moments we feel so tired, alone and disillusioned in our ministry,
let us withdraw to that place and event when we felt the Lord so intimately.
Always
in prayer and quiet reflection do we, like Jesus and Jeremiah, find strength to
regain our energy and focus so that we can finish the job that the Lord
has entrusted us. With
the psalmist, we pray, “ I love you, Lord, my strength, my rock, my
fortress, my saviour. My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield,
my mighty help, my stronghold. The Lord is worthy of all praise, when I
call I am saved from my foes. In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he
heard my voice.” With praise and thanksgiving and trust, we should join
Jeremiah in trusting Him. “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has
delivered the soul of the needy
from
the hands of evil men.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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