DOCTOR OF DIVINE MERCY

20160701 DOCTOR OF DIVINE MERCY

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

Amos 8:4-6,9-12 ©

Listen to this, you who trample on the needy

and try to suppress the poor people of the country,

you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over

so that we can sell our corn,

and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?

Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel,

by swindling and tampering with the scales,

we can buy up the poor for money,

and the needy for a pair of sandals,

and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’

That day – it is the Lord who speaks –

I will make the sun go down at noon,

and darken the earth in broad daylight.

I am going to turn your feasts into funerals,

all your singing into lamentation;

I will have your loins all in sackcloth,

your heads all shaved.

I will make it a mourning like the mourning for an only son,

as long as it lasts it will be like a day of bitterness.

See what days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –

days when I will bring famine on the country,

a famine not of bread, a drought not of water,

but of hearing the word of the Lord.

They will stagger from sea to sea,

wander from north to east,

seeking the word of the Lord

and failing to find it.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118:2,10,20,30,40,131 ©

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

They are happy who do his will,

  seeking him with all their hearts,

I have sought you with all my heart;

  let me not stray from your commands.

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

My soul is ever consumed

  as I long for your decrees.

I have chosen the way of truth

  with your decrees before me.

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

See, I long for your precepts;

  then in your justice, give me life.

I open my mouth and I sigh

  as I yearn for your commands.

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps24:4,5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Teach me your paths, my God,

make me walk in your truth.

Alleluia!

Or

Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13 ©

As Jesus was walking on he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

  While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

DOCTOR OF DIVINE MERCY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Amos 8:4-12; Ps 118; Mt 9:9-13 ]

For us reading about the call of St Matthew, we might wonder what the big fuss was all about.  This is because we do not know what it was like to deal with such tax-collectors or publicans as they were called.  They were the most hated of peoples, not only because they worked for the Romans, their enemies and occupiers, but they collected taxes over and above what they gave to the Roman authorities.  And there were taxes of all kinds.  There was land tax for the crops, income tax, custom tax, transport tax, road tax etc.  Most of all, they were over-charging so that they could make some profits for themselves.  Not surprisingly, the tax-collectors were among the richest in the land.  They were labelled alongside the Gentiles and sinners, since they also dealt with the Gentiles and hence considered unclean.  Hence, we can understand why those who were involved in this occupation were despised and hated by the Jews.

The same indictment was made by the Prophet Amos to the Israelites living in the Northern Kingdom.  The country was prosperous and wealthy.  But they fell into complacency and decadence.  The rich became richer at the expense of the poor.  They cheated in business and short-changed the people. They did this “by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.” All they thought about was money and pleasure.  They could not wait for the religious festivals to be over and done with, for they said, “When will New Moon be over so that we can sell our corn, and Sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?”  So bad was the situation that they could even “buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals.”  The power and wealth of the few were causing great injustice to the poor.  There was great social injustice and inequality brought about by corruption and dishonesty.

To sinners and the poor as such, the Lord has come.  Today, Jesus, the doctor of Divine Mercy declares that He has “not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.”  This is rather significant because Jesus compares Himself to a doctor.   He said, “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick.”   This saying of Jesus is so true.   Indeed, the doctor is for the patient.  If the doctor were to stay away from the patients because they are sick, how could they diagnose the patients and help them?  To attend to the patients, the doctor must come among them.  So too was the reason Jesus gave for why He ate and drank with tax-collectors and sinners.  Jesus called them to the meal to let them know that He loved them without condition and that He had come for them.   Eating with sinners is to let them know that they could have fellowship with God.  By staying away from sinners, the Pharisees would never be able to restore them back to God.  By shunning them, they would be left to walk in darkness.   So we should not isolate sinners but be their friends.

Secondly, the doctor comes to heal, not to make the patient worse.   The task of the doctor is to give life, hope and heal the person.  He is a life-giver and a healer, not just of the body but of the soul and spirit.  Indeed, the meaning of the word, “physician” is to be a healer of the soul.  A doctor heals not just by providing medication but also by words of encouragement and enlightenment.  So too, Jesus came to heal sinners, not by condemning them because this would make them feel worse.  Rather, He came to give hope to sinners who are blind, ignorant and caught in the mess they are in, unable to get out of the trap.  Only by being with them, enlightening them and showing the way to a better life than what they were having, could He then bring them to God.  Truly, those of us who behave like the Pharisees, condemning others and sinners, only cause them to feel marginalized, unwanted, rejected and more hostile towards society.

Such is the way of the Lord.  He told the Pharisees, “Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.”  Jesus quoted this text from the prophet Hosea who said, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.”  (Hos 6:6)  The prophet Hosea was a prophet of love who spoke much about the love and mercy of God to a people who were unfaithful in love.  God wants to restore us so that we can be His people and then be a light to the nations.

In the person of Matthew, we come to appreciate the transforming power of love and mercy.  Matthew must have been surprised and felt totally unworthy to be called by the Lord.  We can be sure that he would have heard the teachings of Jesus from afar and was inspired by His message about the Kingdom of God and His works of mercy.  Something was stirring in his heart but he must have discounted and disqualified himself as an impossible candidate for discipleship.  Yet, Jesus looked at him, not as a tax-collector but as a son of David and therefore a child of His heavenly Father.  Jesus called Matthew the tax-collector to follow Him.

The response of Matthew was immediate and decisive.  “And he got up and followed him.”  He did not count the loss of his lucrative trade, money and wealth.  He abandoned all and followed the Lord.  This was because all this while, like the psalmist, he was praying, “My soul is ever consumed as I long for your decrees. I have chosen the way of truth with your decrees before me. See, I long for your precepts; then in your justice, give me life.  I open my mouth and I sigh as I yearn for your commands.”  So when the Word of the Lord came to him and when the Lord called him, in obedience, he followed the Lord. Again, like the psalmist he knew, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. They are happy who do his will, seeking him with all their hearts, I have sought you with all my heart; let me not stray from your commands.”

So Matthew might have lost his business and wealth, but he had regained his dignity.  He was once again a child of God.  He lived in freedom, peace and joy as he served the Lord and His people.  Once he used his pen to make money but later the Lord taught him to use his pen to write the gospel.  Just as he was meticulous in using his pen to collect taxes, now meticulously, he used his pen to record the sayings, teachings and life of Jesus and produced a gospel for the use of generations for all time.   Indeed, when a man chooses to serve the Lord, he is given another life, a new life, a life of joy, love and freedom.  As the Lord warns us, “For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”  (Mt 16:26)

Indeed, the warning of the prophet Amos is real.  If we do not take heed of the Word of the Lord and live a righteous life, then we will suffer the consequences of our actions.  This was what happened to the Northern Kingdom.  In their prosperity, they forgot the Lord and His laws.  They failed to live up to their responsibilities to their call to be God’s people and be a light to the nations.  As a consequence, on the day of the Lord, that is the judgement day, they would have to bear with the consequences of their actions.   Indeed, they were sent away as exiles to a foreign land, stripped of their wealth and became captives of the Assyrians.  On that day, as the Lord promised, “I will make the sun go down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight. I am going to turn your feasts into funerals, all your singing into lamentation; I will have your loins all in sackcloth, your heads all shaved. I will make it a mourning like the mourning for an only son, as long as it lasts it will be like a day of bitterness.”

But repentance is only possible for those who recognize themselves as sinners.  Jesus said, “I did not come to call the virtuous.”  Those who do not need help cannot be helped.  Those who think they are righteous cannot be redeemed.  The Pharisees thought themselves as righteous.  They only knew how to criticize and judge others but were blind to their own faults and pride.  If we want the Lord to heal us and set us free for a life of love and joy, then we must come with humility to the Lord, recognizing that we are sinners and in need of Him.

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

SUPPORTING OUR HOLY FATHER’S VISION OF MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP

20160629 SUPPORTING OUR HOLY FATHER’S VISION OF MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP

First reading

Acts 12:1-11 ©

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

  On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33:2-9 ©

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Glorify the Lord with me.

  Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

  from all my terrors he set me free.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Look towards him and be radiant;

  let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

  and rescued him from all his distress.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

The angel of the Lord is encamped

  around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

  He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

Second reading

2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 ©

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

  The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt16:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.

And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 16:13-19 ©

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

SUPPORTING OUR HOLY FATHER’S VISION OF MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Acts 12: 1-11; Ps 33:2-9; 2 Tim 4, 6-8. 17-18; Mt 16, 13-19 ]

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis is bringing much needed renewal to the Church and the world.  Indeed, he is truly visionary and courageous.  He has undertaken radical reforms in the Church, especially the Curia and the different Church organs.  He has given a new face to the papacy by his simplicity, ordinariness and compassion, especially for the poor and the ordinary people. He is also very much in touch with the struggles of ordinary Catholics, whether in family life, in marriage and especially those who are divorced.   He feels with those with a different sexual orientation, the marginalized and the outcast.   He has also made radical changes in the liturgy to make it simpler and connected to life. He reaches out beyond the Church to peoples from other Christian communions and other religions as well.  His speeches and homilies are straight from the heart and not couched in nice political language.  Indeed, because of his authenticity and genuine love for all, many outside the Catholic Church admire him and find him truly the face of Christ for them.  Because of him, the Church has become more missionary and evangelical and he has changed the image of a cold, indifferent and outdated Church fazed by scandals, especially pedophilia to a Church of compassion and mercy.  

Indeed, Pope Francis shows himself to be a true shepherd of the flock of Christ and a true missionary in bringing Christ to all, especially the poor and the marginalized.  He seeks to exercise both roles by modelling his life after St Peter and St Paul.  St Peter is the symbol of the call to be a shepherd to the flock of Christ, whereas St Paul reminds us of our missionary call to proclaim Christ to the earth.  Every Pope, bishop and priest and lay person is also called to be both a shepherd and a missionary.  The mission of the Church consists of both ad intra and ad extra; within, as we renew ourselves in the faith and without, by being evangelical minded.  Pope Francis seeks to bring both these aspects into his ministry by being the shepherd of the universal Church by governance and teaching on one hand, and on the other hand, by being creative and proactive in reaching out to those who have left the Church, those outside the Church and those who are unreached.  And he is doing this at the risk of being misunderstood and opposed by his own. 

What should our attitude be with respect to the changes that Pope Francis is undertaking for the Church?  What if some of us cannot agree with him and feel confused with the developments in the Church, especially with regard to time immemorial doctrines and practices, particularly liturgical practices?  Indeed, for those of us who are happy with the changes, they have all but praise for him and thanksgiving to God.  But for those who sincerely object to the innovations and initiatives of our Holy Father, particularly in seeking to make the faith more real and relevant in the lives of our people, especially those who feel ostracized by the Church, how should we handle this dilemma? 

The real question at the end of the day is:  do you have faith in St Peter and his successors, the college of bishops, the magisterium?  Do you believe that the Holy Spirit that is promised to the Church guarantees the infallibility of the teaching of the Church?  At the end of the day, it is a matter of faith, not logic or understanding, or even finding consensus.  As the Vicar of Christ and the pastor of the universal Church, the Holy Father has full and supreme authority over the Church.  When he teaches in matters of faith and morals, we must give a religious assent to His teachings; if ex cathedra, submission in faith; and if ordinary teaching, the submission of the intellect and will.  (Cf LG 22,25)   Precisely, in matters of faith, reason is not sufficient to establish but revelation is required.  Otherwise, faith is reduced to mere reason alone.

The scripture readings of today assure us that St Peter is under the protection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In the first reading, we read how St Peter was miraculously released from jail by an angel who could simply be a messenger of the Lord.  At first he thought it was a dream, but later when Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know it is all true. The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.”

In the gospel too, we read how the Lord assured St Peter of divine assistance.  In the first place, his declaration that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” is through divine revelation given to him. The Lord said, “Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.”  Furthermore, the Lord entrusted St Peter with the authority to govern the Church of Christ.  He said, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”  Not only St Peter but He also protects His apostles.  St Paul too experienced God’s protection when he recounted, “The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.”

Based on this promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church has consistently professed the supreme teaching authority of St Peter and his successors throughout the ages.   His teaching when declared ex cathedra is to be accepted in faith; and when taught ordinarily, it must be accepted with the religious submission of the intellect and will.

Today, when we celebrate the re-dedication of the Church of Sts Peter and Paul, we want to reaffirm our faith in Christ according to the mind of the Church as declared on our behalf by St Peter.  The rock that Jesus spoke about is both St Peter as the rock on which His Church is built, that is, under His guidance.  But it is also a reference to the faith of Peter in Christ as the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  Unless, we make St Peter’s faith our own, both in mind and in heart, we cannot find salvation.  We too must be able to declare personally that Christ is the Son of God.  It is not enough therefore simply to rely on the faith of St Peter or the Church but it must also be our own.   Without this faith in Christ as the Son of God, we cannot profess our faith in the teaching of the Holy Father as well.

But this personal faith in Christ as the Son of God has its implications.  All of us are called to nurture the faith of those Catholics under our care.  We are called to look after the faith of our loved ones, especially our young.  The reason why the faith of many of our Catholics is weak is because many are poorly instructed in their faith.  Doctrinally, they know so little and spiritually, they do not read the Word of God or share the Word of God with their brothers and sisters.  Their faith in Christ at most is an intellectual faith but not the personal faith demanded of Christ when He asked the disciples the question, “Who do you say I am?” We cannot be missionary minded unless we take our discipleship seriously.

At the same time, this feast also reminds us that it is not sufficient just to look into the interests of the Catholic community; we are called to be like St Paul, sharing this faith with the whole world.   His whole life was given for the spread of the gospel, especially to those who do not know him.  He wrote, “As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish.”  With St Paul, we are reminded that the Church does not exist for herself but for the world.  So whilst it is important to follow St Peter in shepherding our Catholics and looking after our Catholic community, in our parish and in the diocese, we must not forget the missionary thrust of the Church.  As Pope Francis often reminds us, we are always missionary disciples.  We need to look after our faith and strengthen our faith, but this is for the sake of the mission.

When we celebrate this feast of Ss Peter and Paul, we must never forget that we are called to imitate both St Peter and St Paul.  With St Peter, we must take part in the life of the community, serving the community and learning from each other so that we can deepen our faith in the Lord.  We must never forget that we need to deepen our faith each day so that we can arrive at the faith of St Peter, making his faith our own personal conviction.  So it is not enough to serve in the ministry but we need to be disciples of Christ through prayer, study and fellowship.  With St Paul, let us be missionaries and evangelists for Christ so that the world will know Him as Saviour and Lord.  We need to actively reach out beyond our community and bring Christ to the world directly or indirectly through works of mercy and charity.

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