FINDING PEACE AND COURAGE IN SERVING THE LORD

20160426 FINDING PEACE AND COURAGE IN SERVING THE LORD

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Acts 14:19-28 ©

Some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.

  Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.’ In each of these churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.

  They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

  On their arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144:10-13,21 ©

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

or

Alleluia!

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

  and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

  and declare your might, O God,

to make known to men your mighty deeds

  and the glorious splendour of your reign.

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

or

Alleluia!

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

  your rule lasts from age to age.

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

or

Alleluia!

Let me speak the praise of the Lord,

  let all mankind bless his holy name

  for ever, for ages unending.

Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk24:46,26

Alleluia, alleluia!

It was ordained that the Christ should suffer

and rise from the dead,

and so enter into his glory.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 14:27-31 ©

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,

a peace the world cannot give,

this is my gift to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.

If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,

for the Father is greater than I.

I have told you this now before it happens,

so that when it does happen you may believe.

I shall not talk with you any longer,

because the prince of this world is on his way.

He has no power over me,

but the world must be brought to know

that I love the Father

and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.’

FINDING PEACE AND COURAGE IN SERVING THE LORD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 14:19-28; JOHN 14:27-31    ]

We are all looking for peace and happiness in life.  The greatest irony of life is when we think that by giving up our worldly pursuits to serve Christ, we will find peace and joy.  Yet, it is a fact that for many of us, the response to the call of service inevitably comes with a heavy cross; not only from the demands of ministry, but also from opposition, persecution, misunderstandings, criticisms, slander, rejection, marginalization and injustices both from within and outside the Church.  As a consequence, many have not only given up serving in the Church but have left the Church or even their faith in Christ completely. If we are seeking consolation and courage today in continuing our ministry in the Church and for the sake of humanity, we need to turn to St Paul and our Lord for inspiration.

The first reading speaks of the courage and perseverance of Paul and Barnabas in their first missionary trip to Galatia.  Not only did they have to face the difficult and rough journey by sea and by land, they had to contend with opposition from their fellow Jews who instigated the rest of the citizens to rise against them. They even tracked them down all the way from Antioch and Iconium to stop their work.  They “turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead.”  Such were the trials that Paul and Barnabas faced each day when they proclaimed the Gospel of our Lord.  It was not only difficult but full of risks and dangers from enemies, the terrain and the weather.  Yet, they never gave up.  Amazingly, after being stoned almost to death, we read that “the disciples came crowding round (Paul) but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.” No one could stop the passion of Paul in preaching the Good News.  Where did he get such courage?

In the gospel, we also saw Jesus’ determination to move on towards the passion.  He told the disciples, “Rise, let us be on our way.” (Jn 14:31b)  Jesus was singular-minded in what He had to do even when He knew the imminent dangers ahead of Him.  He was not cowed by His enemies or the fear of the passion awaiting Him. Instead of His disciples consoling Him and giving Him courage, it was Jesus who consoled His disciples. He said to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return. If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

How could they not be troubled when the Master was leaving them?  How can we not be troubled when we are facing heartaches, disappointments and discouragement in the ministry, in our family and office, especially from the people we serve, love and care for most?  Indeed, we are troubled, hurt and wounded.  Some of us may have become resentful and angry.  We do not know what is ahead of us.  We do not know whether the time and effort we devote to these people are in vain?  Is it worth the trouble to live for these people when they do not appreciate or care?  We might as well live for ourselves instead of wasting our time and shedding our blood for ingrates!  Indeed, such reactions are human and normal because we all want to feel appreciated, accepted and understood.  Yet, the point remains if there is no peace and joy in service to the Lord and His people, then why serve at all?

Firstly, we must be clear that the peace that Jesus spoke about is not the peace of the world.  We have misunderstood the nature of this peace.  He clearly said, “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.”

What is the peace of the world?  It is a peace based on false compromises, superficial unity and pacification.  The world’s peace is not based on truth but on relativism, seeking to please everyone, allowing everyone to have what they want through compromise. Today, the laws of the land are not based on whether it is right or wrong but whether it is the most pragmatic way of doing things, otherwise people will revolt and there will be social disorder.  Indeed, the great challenge of the state is always seeking to hold the peoples together, especially when they are so diverse in every way. Such peace remains fragile for society. As for the individual, he or she has no peace if he or she is not living in the light, in truth and in love.

The peace of Jesus is however rooted in Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. This is what the Lord told Thomas earlier on.  (cf Jn 14:5-7)  The peace of Jesus comes from doing the Father’s will, from doing what is right and true. It has nothing to do with freedom from sufferings. Rather, the peace comes from having a clear conscience and entrusting the daily struggles of life, our anxieties about our health, relationships, material needs, etc to the Lord.  Only this kind of peace brings joy, as St Paul wrote: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6f)  The true peace of God does not come from success and glory or achievements but simply the peace of the heart, the joy of the Spirit that the world does not know.  Like St Paul and the disciples, even when they were suffering, they were filled with joy!

Secondly, this peace is founded on a certain victory over sin and evil.  Jesus said, “I have told you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. I shall not talk with you any longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me.”  Whilst the devil might have limited powers in this world, he is not omnipotent and his kingdom and his angels will be defeated eventually. Jesus is assured of victory over sin and death which takes place at the resurrection, the ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit.  Clearly, the departure of Jesus is not permanent.  He will return as He promised.  He came in the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; He comes again every time when we welcome the Holy Spirit and He will come again at the end of the World for the consummation.  It is for this reason that Paul could continue to encourage the early Christians, putting “fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.’”

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised, will lead us to the fullness of truth.  He helps us to understand the message of Jesus and all His teachings so that we can continue to find encouragement, strength and understanding of the will of God in our lives.  With understanding of His divine plan and will, we can then give ourselves confidently and embrace the sufferings that come our way.  The Holy Spirit will also supply us all the gifts necessary to live the Christian life.  He comes to give us, above all gifts, the gift of peace which is the first gift of Easter.  Peace and joy comes from the Holy Spirit. “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal 5:22) St Paul also wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17)

Most of all, Christian peace and courage come from a deep love for the Father and our Lord.  If Jesus could endure the sufferings, it was because of His love for His Father. When everything is done in love, we will always find strength and courage and never give up, regardless.  A true Christian, a true missionary, is always motivated by his love for Christ. This was the case of Jesus when He said, “the world must be brought to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.” The passion does not mean that Jesus was defeated by the Devil.  On the contrary, Jesus defeated the Devil by doing the Father’s will.  It was His love for His Father that empowered Jesus to give Himself totally, in spite of His sufferings.  He died for us to show how much He loved His Father who loves us.  With His death, no one can doubt the love of Jesus for His Father.

We too are called to demonstrate our love for Jesus and His Father.  St Paul showed the depth of his love for Jesus and the gospel. If he could persevere in his missionary journeys, welcome or unwelcome, it was because of his love for the Lord. “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.” (2 Cor 5:14)   With St Paul, we too must not give up in our mission and in our ministry even when we face failures, rejection, opposition, unjust criticisms and injustices.  Let us remember that we work for the Lord, not for men!  “Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters.” (Col 3:23)

Finally, let us pray that Church leaders will be deeply rooted in their spiritual and moral life. When leaders are not serving the Lord and His people with pure motives that spring from the love of Jesus but for their self-interests, their ambition, ego and even material needs, the Church will suffer.  That is why all of us must fast and pray for the bishop, his priests, religious and all lay leaders serving the Church. Without prayer and fasting, regardless how talented they are, how gifted they may be, they will only bring destruction to the Church because they will end up serving themselves, often unconsciously, because their conscience is dead and numbed due to routine and functionalism.

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