20160805 SEEKING THE FULLNESS OF LIFE
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Nahum
2:1,3,3:1-3,6-7 ©
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See, over the
mountains the messenger hurries!
‘Peace!’ he
proclaims.
Judah, celebrate your
feasts,
carry out your vows,
for Belial will never
pass through you again;
he is utterly
annihilated.
Yes, the Lord is
restoring the vineyard of Jacob
and the vineyard of
Israel.
For the plunderers
had plundered them,
they had broken off
their branches.
Woe to the city
soaked in blood,
full of lies,
stuffed with booty,
whose plunderings
know no end!
The crack of the
whip!
The rumble of wheels!
Galloping horse,
jolting chariot,
charging cavalry,
flash of swords,
gleam of spears...
a mass of wounded,
hosts of dead,
countless corpses;
they stumble over the
dead.
I am going to pelt
you with filth,
shame you, make you a
public show.
And all who look on
you will turn their backs on you and say,
‘Nineveh is a ruin.’
Could anyone pity
her?
Where can I find
anyone to comfort her?
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Deuteronomy
32:35-36,39,41 ©
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It is the Lord who
deals death and life.
It is close, the day
of their ruin;
their
doom comes at speed.
For the Lord will see
his people righted,
he will
take pity on his servants.
It is the Lord who
deals death and life.
See now that I, I am
He,
and
beside me there is no other god.
It is I who deal
death and life;
when I
have struck it is I who heal.
It is the Lord who
deals death and life.
When I have whetted
my flashing sword
I will
take up the cause of Right,
I will give my foes
as good again,
I will
repay those who hate me.
It is the Lord who
deals death and life.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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1S3:9,Jn6:68
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your
servant is listening:
you have the message
of eternal life.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Mt5:10
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy those who are
persecuted
in the cause of
right,
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 16:24-28
©
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Jesus said to his
disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and
take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will
lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then,
will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a
man to offer in exchange for his life?
‘For
the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels,
and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour. I tell
you solemnly, there are some of these standing here who will not taste death before
they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.’
SEEKING
THE FULLNESS OF LIFE
Do you want to live or
merely to exist? Are you contented with a superficial life or do you want
to live deeply? This is the question that the Lord is asking of us.
For those who seek the world, they will live only superficially. This is the
warning of Jesus when He said, “What, then, will a man gain if he wins the
whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his
life?” Indeed, this is the real folly of the world.
Many people are selling
their life for the world. They live like animals without the
spirit. It is because we have a spirit that we need more than food, drink
and pleasure. We seek meaning and purpose, love and giving. This was the
mistake of Assyria in the first reading. They were used to plundering and
crushing their enemies so that they could live on their wealth and the tributes
of those nations that came under their control. They confiscated the riches of
the people and the food of the innocent poor to feed their greed and luxurious
way of life.
God had also given them a
chance to repent. He sent Jonah to them and they repented after hearing
the message of Jonah. Alas, it was only for a while. The moment the
punishment was lifted, they returned to their sinful way of life.
Furthermore, they were using their power and prestige to entice other nations
to align with them in the name of friendship. But it was a ploy to attack
them when they became vulnerable and lowered their defences. By seducing
them into believing that they were friends, Assyria was all the while intending
to conquer these nations. Indeed, worldly people are like that. They are not
really concerned about others but themselves. Even big corporations give out
money but at the back of their mind it is merely a publicity stunt to achieve
their own ends. Pure giving is rare. Most people do things with
ulterior motives. It is a question of what they can get out of their
supposed philanthropy.
As a consequence, the
Assyrians came to a point when there was no turning back. In life, there
is always the danger that a time will come when we can no longer turn
back. This is true for those who cheat or kill. Once we enter into
that slippery path, we cannot turn back anymore. Indeed, many drug
addicts and robbers grow in their evil deeds because one evil leads to others
as they need to cover their tracks and protect themselves. Many of us are
like that. We have been given chance after chance, but we fail to heed
the mercy and patience of God. If we do not make serious efforts to
repent, we will bring disaster upon ourselves and our loved ones.
In the gospel, Jesus gives
us the key to avoid disasters that could ruin our lives. He said, “If
anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his
cross and follow me.” If we say that Jesus is the fullness of life, the way,
the truth and the life, then we must choose to follow the Lord. Following
the Lord is to walk in His love.
Following the Lord entails,
first and foremost, self-denial. Denying oneself is more than just
making sacrifices and performing acts of mortifications. It is the
attitude of putting ourselves last. It is one of total giving. It
is denying ourselves so that others might live. So we are called to
live in such a way that we always put the interests and the happiness of others
before self. This was how Jesus lived His life. He would put the
needs of the people before His own, even when He was tired and needed time to
be alone to pray. Jesus never served His own interests but He came
so that we might have life, and life abundantly. It is to say “yes” to
God and His people and “no” to oneself as the basis of our decisions.
Secondly, we are called to
take up the cross. This cross comes from the daily sacrifices of
life. When we seek to do the right thing, it means that we have to pay
the price of suffering. It comes in the form of sacrifice. As a
leader, we have to wake up before the rest of the world. As a leader or a
parent, we need to sacrifice our money and time for our children and those whom
we look after. When we love, we always sacrifice what we would have desired for
ourselves for those whom we love. We give them the best, whatever we
have. At times, this sacrifice includes being misunderstood, taken
for granted, used and abused, slandered and suffering the ingratitude of those
whom we have given ourselves to so generously.
Thirdly, it calls for
taking risks. Any life to be lived fully involves risk. No risk, no gain.
There cannot be any real gains in life without taking calculated risks.
Great leaders take risks for the people. Unless we are ready to take
risks, we cannot grow and do anything great. Pope Francis is truly a man
who is ready to take risks to renew the Church, not just spiritually but
structurally as well, at times incurring the wrath of those opposed to such
changes in the institution. We too must be like Jesus who took the risk
of teaching us even when confronted by His enemies. Those who are ready to
venture and be adventurous will find life fulfilling. Those of us who are
afraid to die and afraid to make mistakes cannot do anything great or
fulfilling in their lives. Hence, Jesus clearly says, “For anyone who
wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake
will find it.” Some are afraid to be vulnerable and so never have the courage
to love or enter into a relationship. Some have been called to priestly
or religious life but are afraid of the commitment and live in
regret. So a Christian is one who is ready to risk His life for
Jesus.
There is a warning for
those who do not choose the path of the Lord. “For the Son of Man is
going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he
will reward each one according to his behaviour.” There will be judgement
and this is inevitable. How we choose to live our lives will determine
our happiness and fulfillment. For every decision we make, we are
determining our future and molding our character as well. We either grow
in grace and holiness or we become more inward-looking and self-centered.
If we do not live for others as Jesus did, then we will die a miserable
death. We will be afraid of death when it comes because we have clung on
to the things of this world which we cannot bring with us. Only virtues
remain with the soul at death, not the things of this world. “See now
that I, I am He, and beside me there is no other god. It is I who deal death
and life; when I have struck it is I who heal.”
However, for those who
choose to follow the Lord in self-denial, they already begin to enjoy or have a
foretaste of the life to come. Jesus said, “I tell you solemnly, there
are some of these standing here who will not taste death before they see the
Son of Man coming with his kingdom.” In the case of Jesus and His
disciples, they were blessed to see that the Cross did not end in shame and
disgrace but the wonderful power of the resurrection changed all things.
We too might have to carry the cross and the sufferings now, but upon looking
back later in life, we will be filled with great joy because we had given
ourselves completely to our spouse, children, Church and society. Knowing
that we have contributed to humanity and left a legacy to them to continue the
spirit of giving, we will be able to die in peace and joy because our
conscience is clear.
So the decision is ours today!
Do we find life or do we seek the world? There is no
neutrality. Choosing life is to choose to follow Jesus to the cross,
death and to the resurrection. To choose the world is to choose self and
the things of this earth. If we care for ourselves and think only of
ourselves, we will live an impoverished life. But for those who give
their lives to others, they will live a life of true riches that money cannot
buy. Only by giving ourselves entirely to Christ can a man find
life to the fullest.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights
Reserved
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