SING PRAISES WITH YOUR LIFE

20160526 SING PRAISES WITH YOUR LIFE

1Peter 2:2-5

2 Like new-born babies all your longing should be for milk -- the unadulterated spiritual milk -- which will help you to grow up to salvation,

3 at any rate if you have tasted that the Lord is good .

4 He is the living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him

5 so that you, too, may be living stones making a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Psalms 99:2-5

2 Yahweh is great in Zion. He is supreme over all nations;

3 let them praise your name, great and awesome; holy is he

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4 and mighty! You are a king who loves justice, you established honesty, justice and uprightness; in Jacob it is you who are active.

5 Exalt Yahweh our God, bow down at his footstool; holy is he!

Mark 10:46-52

46 They reached Jericho; and as he left Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus -- that is, the son of Timaeus -- a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road.

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and cry out, 'Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.'

48 And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.'

49 Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him here.' So they called the blind man over. 'Courage,' they said, 'get up; he is calling you.'

50 So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus.

51 Then Jesus spoke, 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man said to him, 'Rabbuni, let me see again.'

52 Jesus said to him, 'Go; your faith has saved you.' And at once his sight returned and he followed him along the road.

SING PRAISES WITH YOUR LIFE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 PT 2:2-5. 9-12; PS 99:2-5; MK 10:46-52  ]

One of the most remarkable manifestations of those in the Charismatic Renewal is the spontaneous joyful praise and worship to God.  Charismatic people and all those who live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit are an Alleluia people.  The exuberant, unabashed praise and testimony to the power of God’s love leave those outside the Charismatic renewal puzzled, amused and wondering.  The skeptical ones feel that it is faked and over exaggerated or too emotional.  Others are even frightened out of their wits at some of the spiritual manifestations.  Most are extremely uncomfortable and out of place at the raising of hands and the boisterous worshipping.  Such reactions are understandable, especially when those outside of the Spiritual Renewal tend to reduce prayers mostly to petitions, contrition and sometimes thanksgiving.  The nature of such prayers in themselves would lead to a more subdued and reserved form of expression.

Why are those in the renewal so full of praise and joy, especially in worshipping God? 

They have, as St Peter said, “tasted the goodness of the Lord.”   They have experienced the joy of being loved by God and basking in His love in prayer and especially in the different spiritual manifestations.  When we are filled with the love of God poured into our hearts in the Holy Spirit (cf Rom 5:5), we experience also the mercy of God.  Again, St Peter reminded the Christians of a shared experienced with the Hebrews when they were in slavery in Egypt.  He said, “Once you were outside the mercy and now you have been given mercy.”   Like Blind Bartimaeus, we can expect that the Lord will be merciful to us.

How do we experience the goodness and mercy of God?  Firstly, like the bind man, we are released from our bondage.  We do not have to worry that we are not good enough for the Lord.  We know that it is not through our efforts alone that we get to heaven.  Rather, it is purely by His grace alone.  At the same time, we know that in our weakness, God is always forgiving and merciful.  Thus, like the blind man, we can throw off the cloak of sin and shame that comes with our sins.  With courage we turn to Jesus, especially in the Sacrament of reconciliation, so that freed from the burden of guilt and sin, we feel liberated from our fears, our shame and our brokenness.   Indeed, there is nothing more liberating than to know that we are forgiven and loved unconditionally.

Secondly, the great joy of being a Christian is to recover our sight.   Like the blind man, we are given back our spiritual sight.   Indeed all those in sin walk in darkness and ignorance.  They are asleep because they are drunk with debauchery and sin.  Indeed, St Paul says, “Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.”  (Rom 13:13-16)  For this reason, St Peter says, we are “a people set apart to the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Thirdly, we know now that Jesus is the center and meaning of our life.  “He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house.” In Jesus we find our meaning and purpose in life.  In Jesus, we find our salvation, security, peace and joy.

Fourthly, like the Israelites, we have become the New People of God.  St Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”   We no longer belong to ourselves but to the Lord.  As the Chosen People of the New Covenant, we are called to be witnesses for the Lord in whatever we do or say.   This is what St Peter meant when he said that we are set apart to sing God’s praises. This is what the psalmist invites us to do as well.  We are not chosen for ourselves.  We are chosen for humanity. “Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy.  Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.  Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.”

How, then, can we sing His praises?  Firstly, as a priestly people, we are called to spend time in prayer and worship.  This is the first duty of a priest.   But the priest is also called to be a mediator in offering sacrifices for the salvation of others.  Christ is our High Priest and He has offered Himself once and for all for our salvation. (cf Heb 11:27)  We in turn are called to make our lives as a living sacrifice for others.  St Paul wrote to the Romans, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  (Rom 12:1-2)   So offering our priestly duty goes beyond offering worship but most of all, our very life must be the expression of our worship.

Secondly, as a prophetic people, we are called to announce the Good News.  We are not here to impart an ideology or some doctrines but the Word of God, the Good News of freedom and salvation.  What is this Good News that we have?  Can we share with others what the Lord has done for us?  Can we testify to His love and power in our lives, in miracles and in the healing power of God?  Can we share His love with others through works of mercy and enlightening those walking in darkness without hope, meaning and purpose in life?  We have to make sure that the proclamation of the Good News is not reduced to mere doctrines and empty rituals but truly good news that those who receive it are liberated, enlightened and healed.    

Finally, as a royal people of God, we must show that we are not slaves of the world but that the world and the things of this earth are under our control.  St Peter urges the Christians, “My dear people, while you are visitors and pilgrims to keep yourselves free from the selfish passions that attack the soul.  Always behave honourably among pagans so that they can see your good works for themselves and, when the day of reckoning comes, give thanks to God for the things which now make them denounce you as criminals.”   There is no better way to witness to the Good News than by our lives of integrity, honesty and compassion.

So, let us as an Alleluia People of God, sing praise to God by our words and our lives. St Peter also reminds us of the need to nurture our faith in Christ and grow in Christian maturity.  He said, “You are new born, and, like babies, you should be hungry for nothing but milk – the spiritual honesty which will help you to grow up to salvation – now that you have tasted the goodness of the Lord.”   Let us never take our faith for granted but grow in faith each day through prayer, reading of the Word of God, through the Eucharist and regular celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Finally, let us be with our fellow Catholics because we are called to be a People of God, not individualistic Catholics journeying alone.  In this way, we will arrive at our destiny.  Like the blind man who “followed him along the road” after regaining his sight, we too must walk with Jesus, follow Him.   Indeed, we must come to that living stone, that cornerstone of our faith and life.

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