A MATTER OF THE HEART

20160705 A MATTER OF THE HEART

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

Hosea 8:4-7,11-13 ©

Thus says the Lord:

They have set up kings, but not with my consent,

and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.

Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols,

which are doomed to destruction.

I spurn your calf, Samaria,

my anger blazes against it.

(How long will it be before they purge themselves of this,

the sons of Israel?)

A workman made the thing,

this cannot be God!

Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.

They sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind;

their wheat will yield no ear,

the ear will yield no flour,

or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it.

Ephraim has built altar after altar,

they have only served him as occasion for sin.

Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my Law for him,

they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.

They love sacrificing; right, let them sacrifice!

They love meat; right, let them eat it!

The Lord takes no pleasure in these.

He is now going to remember their iniquity

and punish their sins;

they will have to go back to Egypt.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 113B:3-10 ©

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.

or

Alleluia!

Our God, he is in the heavens;

  he does whatever he wills.

The idols of the heathen are silver and gold,

  the work of human hands.

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.

or

Alleluia!

They have mouths but they cannot speak;

  they have eyes but they cannot see;

they have ears but they cannot hear;

  they have nostrils but they cannot smell.

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.

or

Alleluia!

With their hands they cannot feel;

  with their feet they cannot walk.

Their makers will come to be like them

  and so will all who trust in them.

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.

or

Alleluia!

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord;

  he is their help and their shield.

Sons of Aaron, trust in the Lord;

  he is their help and their shield.

Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our mind,

so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

Or

Jn10:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;

I know my own sheep and my own know me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 9:32-37 ©

A man was brought to Jesus, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.’

  Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.

  And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

A MATTER OF THE HEART

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ HOS 8:4-7, 11-13; MT 9:32-37 ]

We all know how painful it is when we are misunderstood, especially when we mean well.  We get very hurt and discouraged when people impute dubious motives in what we do, or even suggest that we have done something wrong or that we are benefiting from it.  We can imagine how Jesus would have felt when His opponents accused Him of casting out devils “through the prince of devils.” Indeed, His enemies never had anything good to say about Him, regardless of what He said or did.  They always had an axe to grind and were always finding fault with Him, watching Him and waiting to catch Him making a mistake.  We too have many people like that in our lives, even in Church ministry.  It pains us to know that even our so called brothers and sisters in Christ are attacking us and slandering us and reputation when we are serving the Church, often at our own expense and time.

In contrast, we read that the common people, those who needed assistance and divine intervention, were the ones who were moved by the compassion and the healing power of our Lord.  They were amazed and remarked, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”  So on one hand, the hierarchy and the established institution frowned upon the work of Jesus and sought to remove Him, whereas the people saw Him as their Saviour and deliverer.  Such contrasting reactions all go to show that it is not a matter of logic or even fact, because the fact is that people were healed and those possessed were delivered.  But it is a matter of the heart.  We do not see things as they are but we see things as we are.  This is shaped by our past experiences, needs and situation in life.  For those who are self-sufficient and secure in their own world, they would not need Jesus to help them.  They feel they can manage on their own.  So the reaction is one of skepticism and even hostility.  However one day, when they are desperate, because either they or their loved ones are terminally ill, then they will turn to the Lord for mercy and for miracles.

With such people, there is no reason to argue with them.  Jesus did not react much to their negativities.  He was clear of what He was doing.  He did not spend much time arguing with them or getting discouraged by such hurtful remarks.  Rather, we read that He continued to make “a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.”  Jesus did not stop doing good just because some people were not happy with Him or tried to discredit His ministry.  We, too, must be like Jesus and not react to destructive people by withdrawing, but continue the good works we are doing.  Not all people will appreciate us but those who need our services and our help will be grateful.  We serve those who desire to have our services.  To resign from ministry just because of some false allegations would not be the best thing to do.

Of course, we need to examine our motives and consider the criticisms of our detractors.  Sometimes, they could be right as we could be blind in self-awareness.  The truth is always difficult to accept because we do not like to be told that we are not good enough.  Rejection of our works is often taken as a rejection of the person.  We become discouraged and fall into despair.  So when we are criticized, we must immediately bring such criticisms into prayer and to see whether the comments of our critics are true.  Truth has different degrees.  By entering into ourselves and examining the truth of the criticisms of our enemies with humility, we might be able to learn something from them.  The mud that they sling at us could very well be the means by which we are refined, polished and purified. So let us make good use of our critics for our growth.  Discard the criticisms however if they are not true.

In the case of Jesus, He was a man of great compassion.  He always acted out of mercy and empathy for those who are suffering.  He did not perform miracles for show or to prove Himself.  He always acted spontaneously in response to a need, regardless of the situation.  Whether it was a fellow Jew who asked Him for help, to heal or to raise someone from the dead; or even from a non-Jew, He would help without worrying whether He had broken the ritual laws.  Even when the ear of the slave of the high priest was cut off by Peter, His immediate reaction was to heal the man (Luke 22:51).  Hence, we can feel with the Lord for His people.  “And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’”

We too must be motivated not by power, glory, honour and status but simply by the sufferings of our people.   Why are we in the ministry?  Are we motivated because many are living aimless lives in this world, without direction, purpose and meaning?  If so, then we are called to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord so that we can give meaning to their lives.  Some of us might be motivated by the sufferings of humanity.  Hence, we are involved in social ministry, whether serving those who are physically sick, materially poor or those who are lonely or emotionally hurt.  Different people are called to different ministries, depending on what moves us.  This explains why personal contact with those who are suffering would often touch the hearts of people.  When we see the poor being deprived of basic needs and those who are going through much emotional pains and struggles, our hearts go out to them.  The natural response of the human heart is to heal and to help them.  What we do not see with our eyes or touch with our hands, we are not easily moved.  Hence, the invitation to do charitable works and give to the poor is not based on logic but on moving the hearts of people to give out of their abundance.

In the first reading, the prophet Hosea delivered God’s judgement on the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  In contrast, they were not motivated by truth but by pride and selfish reasons.  They erected their own sanctuaries so that their people would not have to go down to Jerusalem to worship.  They appointed their own kings and even adapted their faith by importing the pagan worship and practices. By so doing, the leaders, both political and religious, misled the people and caused them to sin against the Lord.  They were not sincere in wanting to worship the Lord or obey the laws of the Lord.  “Ephraim has built altar after altar, they have only served him as occasion for sin.  Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my law for him, they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.”  At the end of the day, it was not because the leaders wanted God to be worshipped or the laws to be observed; they established their own political and religious systems purely for political and selfish motives.

Similarly, the religious leaders too could not accept Jesus not because His teachings were at odds with some of their teachings.  Granted that for some of them so steeped in their faith, they were not able to accommodate any different interpretations of the Laws other than their own.  But for some, it was not just the religious institution that was at stake but their status quo was being challenged.  If they were to agree with Jesus, they would have to abandon their ways of doing things and change the way they see religions.  It would have meant the loss of prestige, position and power.

So in the light of Christ’s example, we certainly must respond to His call to join Him in the harvest.  We cannot remain indifferent and waste our time squabbling over petty issues, rules and laws.  This is not to say that policies and rules are not important but they are meant for efficiency, transparency, accountability and unity.  My fear is that we spend so much time debating over all these when the real work of proclaiming the Good News, bringing people to know Jesus in worship and in prayer; in teaching and study of the faith; and most of all, reaching out to the poor and suffering are neglected and become secondary.

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