HOLINESS IS ONE BUT EXPRESSED IN MANIFOLD WAYS

20161101 HOLINESS IS ONE BUT EXPRESSED IN MANIFOLD WAYS

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14 ©

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

  After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

  One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 23(24):1-6 ©

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

  the world and all its peoples.

It is he who set it on the seas;

  on the waters he made it firm.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

  Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

  who desires not worthless things.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

  and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him,

  seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Second reading

1 John 3:1-3 ©

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

  by letting us be called God’s children;

  and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

  therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

  but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;

all we know is, that when it is revealed

  we shall be like him

  because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

  must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

Gospel Acclamation

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 5:1-12 ©

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

  they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

  they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

  they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

  they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

  they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

  they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

HOLINESS IS ONE BUT EXPRESSED IN MANIFOLD WAYS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [  APOCALYPSE 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 JOHN 3:1-3; MATT 5:1-12 ]

Today when we celebrate All Saints Day, we rejoice with all the saints, known and unknown in heaven.  We rejoice in their victory over sin and the Evil One.  Indeed, they are the ones that St John wrote about in the first reading.  They are the perfect and countless number of Christians representing the 12 tribes of Israel, the new People of God who have been sealed as the “servants” of God.  They also belong to that “huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language.”  Indeed, now “dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

What we are celebrating now is what we are all called to be as well.  We too are included in that number in principle.  This is what John tells us.  “Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.”  To be a saint is to be a son and daughter of God.  By virtue of our baptism, we are all made children of God.   At our baptism, we are consciously informed and anointed as children of God.  All of humanity is children of God as well, but because they do not know Christ, they remain unaware of their calling to be adopted sons and daughters in Christ.  This is what St John said, “Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.”

Consequently, to be a saint is to become a true child of God.  We are called to share in the sonship of Christ.  The blueprint to becoming a child of God is given to us by Christ Himself in the beatitudes.  In these beatitudes, we are invited to live a blessed life.  Hence, the beginning of each of the beatitude begins with the word, “blessed!”  This is the kind of life that Jesus Himself lived, including Mary and all the saints.  The beatitudes could be considered as the principles of Christian living.

The apex of all the principles is to have a poverty of Spirit, that is, a total dependence on God for all that we are and all that we do.  But we are also called to be gentle, that is, meek, firm and yet diplomatic in our pursuit of the truth.  Meekness does not mean weakness.   Jesus and Moses were described as meek but they were certainly not weak leaders.   Meekness means to be in control of our strength.  A leader who does not know how to control his strength can over react in situations.   We seek to be peacemakers and reconcilers, not people who divide.  But what distinguishes us from others is that we remain aware of our own sinfulness and mourn for our sins and imperfections in life so that we will never become judgmental and harsh towards others.  A child of God is one who always lives in the truth, seeking justice for all; and yet remains merciful to those who fail in life.  Justice and compassion must always go together.

To ensure that we are walking in the right direction, what is of utmost importance is the purity of heart and the willingness to suffer for what is right.  The psalmist asks, “Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?  Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things.”  St John says the same thing, “My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.  Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.”   We need to be purified in our service of God and love for our fellowmen.  The persecution, trials and suffering that come along the way are means by which we are purified.  We must not take the oppositions we face in life as if we are innocent and the victims all the time.  More often than not, we are reacting from our pride and selfishness, even when apparently serving God and His people.  So through all the challenges of life, we learn to grow in purity of heart and mind so that we can truly serve God and His people with a love that is sincere, pure and generous.

However, these principles offered by the Lord need to be applied concretely in our situation.  Holiness is one and the same for all.  But there are manifold ways to live out that holiness in our lives.  There are many kinds of saints.  That is why the Church honours the different kinds of saints who are known to live the life of Christ according to their charisms, temperaments and situations in life.  To be a saint does not mean to replicate any particular saint.  Rather, it is to imitate their virtues and how they live out the Christian beatitudes according to their circumstances in life.  For this reason, the Church continually canonizes modern saints for today’s generation as our lives are very different from that of the saints who lived in their times.

Being a saint therefore simply means to live out the life of Christ according to our vocation.  We become holy not by withdrawing from the world and our responsibilities.  We become holy through living out our vocation in life, whether as a spouse, parent, son or daughter, a student, a worker, a professional or a priest.  We must never think that only those who are priests and religious have a greater chance to become saints.  Holiness is not determined by what vocation we have in life but how faithful we are to our calling.  Even in priestly and religious life, there are many temptations.  We have seen many priests and religious who are not living out their vocation but make use of their vocation to look after their own interests rather than the Church’s interests.  But this is true in any vocation.  As parents, are we responsible for the way we raise up our children and give ourselves to forming them to be sons and daughters of God in Christ?  For those of us who are married, have we been responsible to our spouse and live out the marriage vows we took on our wedding day?  As workers and professionals, have we made an honest living and shown ourselves to be exemplary workers, dedicated to our work, responsible in our tasks, and proactive in all that we do?

Holiness therefore is to become who we are, namely as children of God.  We grow in holiness by giving ourselves fully to what we are called to life.  If we are faithful to our vocation and our state of life, we become holy.  In every vocation and state of life, we will be confronted with the same principles that Christ gives us in the beatitudes.  We will be called to exercise humility, justice, compassion, mercy and to be mediators of peace in the midst of conflicts.   By exercising these principles in decision-making, we grow in grace and holiness.  Hence holiness is the common call for all but how we live out this holiness concretely in our life is dependent on what we are called to do.  If we are faithful to our calling and act according to the beatitudes, we become holy.  We can be just an ordinary worker, a homemaker or just a domestic helper but if we take our vocation seriously and live it out for the greater glory of God and service of our fellowmen, we can become great saints.

Yet in the final analysis, holiness is not mere effort alone.  We must remember that to be a Christian is to share in the victory of Christ that He has won for us.  St John wrote, “These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.”  In other words, holiness is also grace.  Inspired by the Lord, we need to turn to Him for strength and the capacity to share in His death and resurrection.  Only through the love of Christ and in the power of His Spirit can we imitate Him both in life and in death.  “Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

So if we truly want to grow in holiness, let us see the face of God.  The psalmist tells us, “He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.”  Holiness is not reducible to ethical living.  It is to allow Christ to live in us through His Spirit.  So without a deep prayer life, without constant contemplation of His face in the scriptures and receiving His Spirit in Holy Communion, we would deprive ourselves of the means to grow in holiness.  That is why St John Paul II urges us to train ourselves in holiness through the Word of God, prayer, the Eucharist and the Sacrament of reconciliation.

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

THE CHALLENGES TO COMMUNION IN MISSION

20161031 THE CHALLENGES TO COMMUNION IN MISSION

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

Philippians 2:1-4 ©

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, So that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 130(131) ©

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

O Lord, my heart is not proud

  nor haughty my eyes.

I have not gone after things too great

  nor marvels beyond me.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

Truly I have set my soul

  in silence and peace.

A weaned child on its mother’s breast,

  even so is my soul.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

  both now and forever.

Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider

the wonders of your law.

Alleluia!

Or

Jn8:31-32

Alleluia, alleluia!

If you make my word your home

you will indeed be my disciples,

and you will learn the truth, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 14:12-14 ©

Jesus said to his host, one of the leading Pharisees, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’

THE CHALLENGES TO COMMUNION IN MISSION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [  Philippians 2:1-4; Luke 14:12-14 ]

One of the biggest challenges in kingdom building is uniting the People of God in one mission.  We have division at every level, from the universal church to the diocese and the parish and within church organizations.  There will always be elements that will sow seeds of division.  At the same time, we know that without unity, there is no mission.  Since the mission of the Church is to bring all into communion, the division among ourselves is a contradiction to the message we are bringing to the whole of humanity.  In other words, if we cannot put our own house in order, how can we be a catalyst of communion for others?

This was the same appeal of St Paul to the early Christians when he wrote, “If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy.”  Indeed, nothing can make the head of any household happier than to have a united family.  One of the greatest sadness of any parent is to see the family divided.  So, too, for the universal and local church.  A divided Church is a cause of sadness and scandal to all.  That is why the last prayer of Jesus for the Church is the prayer for unity among His disciples. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  (Jn 17:20f)

How, then, can we build communion among ourselves? St Paul urges us to “be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind.”  Unity can only come about when we are ready to align ourselves together for a common purpose, which is the spread of the gospel and for the glory of God, and the salvation of humanity.  Without this alignment with the entire Church, each of us would be doing our own thing and in our own ways.  When we do that, regardless of what we do, even if it is good and praiseworthy but brings about division in the Church, it would be counterproductive.  It may serve our purpose but not the greater goal of the Church.   It therefore behooves every one of us, laity, priests and religious, to endeavor to seek to be one with the local church and with the bishop in our ministry, just as the bishop seeks to unite the local church with the universal church under the leadership of the Holy Father.

It is for this reason that the structure of the Catholic Church is both a hierarchical and organic model.  It is hierarchical in the sense that there are different levels of authority in the Church where all are called to respect for the sake of unity. The Holy Father is the symbol of unity in the Church.  Consequently, he has absolute power over the church of Christ so that the Church could be always one in the face of diverse opinions.  To preserve the unity of the universal church, the local bishops pledge obedience and allegiance to the Holy Father, working in unity with him, in close consultation and always deferring to the decisions of the Holy Father.  Similarly, the bishop of the local diocese is given full power over his diocese so that he could align his priests and the people with the universal mission of the church under the leadership of the Holy Father.   No bishop can act independently of the college of bishops and of the Holy Father.   Similarly too, no priest or individual in the local church can act independently without being in communion with the local bishop. Whilst respecting the organic dimension of the church, that is, all with different gifts, there is a need to ensure that all gifts are used for the good of the Church and in support of the mission of both the local and universal church.

So what is it that prevents this alignment from taking place?  There are two main causes of disunity, pride and self-centeredness.  St Paul was aware of such competition originating from pride and egotism among the Christians.  “There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing.”   In the community, the sin of pride continues to manifest itself in competition among church organizations, the struggle for power, recognition and honour.  Often, organizations and movements within the church compete with each other for membership and popularity. Within organizations, members are envious of each other, especially of those who are talented and can do better than the others.  Most of all, arrogance, which is the sin of pride, is the cause of much division. This is especially evident in those who are supposedly talented and accomplished in life.  They will not listen to the opinions of others but insist that their views and their ways are the only way.   They cannot compromise and see beyond their narrow confines and interests.   Their tunnel vision often causes much division in any group they are in.  Sometimes they are harsh, sarcastic and destructive in their words, causing other members of the group to be hurt.

The second factor that causes disunity is self-interest.  Although all in the church say that they are working for Christ and the Church, yet many do so with self-interests and hidden agendas.  It is about themselves, their desires and their needs.  This prompted St Paul to remind the Christians, “that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.”  In our conduct in the community, do the interests of the larger church come before our own in all that we do?  There are many church members and groups that desire to have things their way.  They become cliquish and demanding.   Most church groups only care for their members and the reputation of their organization, but they are not concerned about the interests of the larger community.  They do not work for them or with them.

Consequently, today we are called to exercise humility in our service.  St Paul invites us to “always consider the other person to be better than yourself.”   None of us must think only of our interests and be too proud to learn from others.   A truly wise man is one who is capable of listening and welcoming others who have different views of life.  Without humility, we can no longer listen to others.  We must be clear that our desire is to bring glory to God and not to ourselves.  St Paul urges us to be self-effacing, ever ready to give way and deference to others.  Whether in words or in actions, we need to act and speak charitably so that we do not hurt others who listen to us.  When we are truly humble without any airs or behave as if we are somebody, then people will find us easy to talk to and are comfortable with us, knowing that we do not judge them.

Secondly, let our service to the church be without vested interests.  This is the meaning of the parable in today’s gospel.  Often the rich are invited for meals and functions because we expect favours from them.  We do things out of selfish motives so that we can gain something from it.  Indeed, many are helping in government, NGOs and the church with a personal agenda and ulterior motives.  Their service is not pure and noble.  Some help in the church not as an expression of love but out of guilt and fear that God would punish them for not doing anything good.  Others are involved so that they can get contacts for their businesses.

Let our love and service be without vested interests.  This is why Jesus told the people to invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.”  Real service is when it is done without selfish interests, not for one’s glory or honour, or one’s benefit.  When there is nothing to gain and when things are done without any expectation of reward, favour or recognition, then we can afford to be detached in whatever we do.  Then we would avoid fighting for position, power and recognition.  In this way, our service will bring about true unity among our brothers and sisters.

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

THE CALL TO REACH OUT TO INSIGNIFICANT, DIFFICULT AND LOWLY PEOPLE

20161030 THE CALL TO REACH OUT TO INSIGNIFICANT, DIFFICULT AND LOWLY PEOPLE

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

Wisdom 11:22-12:2 ©

In your sight, Lord, the whole world is like a grain of dust that tips the scales,

like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground.

Yet you are merciful to all, because you can do all things

and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent.

Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence,

for had you hated anything, you would not have formed it.

And how, had you not willed it, could a thing persist,

how be conserved if not called forth by you?

You spare all things because all things are yours, Lord, lover of life,

you whose imperishable spirit is in all.

Little by little, therefore, you correct those who offend,

you admonish and remind them of how they have sinned,

so that they may abstain from evil and trust in you, Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):1-2,8-11,13b-14 ©

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

I will give you glory, O God my king,

  I will bless your name for ever.

I will bless you day after day

  and praise your name for ever.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

  slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

  compassionate to all his creatures.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

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.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

The Lord is faithful in all his words

  and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

  and raises all who are bowed down.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

Second reading

2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2 ©

We pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

  To turn now, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk19:38,2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on the King who comes,

in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven

and glory in the highest heavens!

Alleluia!

Or

Jn3:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:

everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 19:1-10 ©

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’

THE CALL TO REACH OUT TO INSIGNIFICANT, DIFFICULT AND LOWLY PEOPLE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [  WIS 11:22 – 12:2; 2 THESS 1:11 – 2:2; LK 19:1-10 ]

It is only natural to favour a good child over a naughty one, a good student over a poor one, and a well-behaved man over an uncouth man.  Yes, we prefer not to mix with insignificant and troublesome people.  We want to be seen with respectable and great people.  Some of us are even ashamed of our own parents because they are not so well dressed or educated.  When we behave in this manner, then we are no better than the Pharisees in today’s gospel.  They too avoided associating with sinners and people with low reputation for fear that they might be identified with them and compromise themselves.

This kind of love is at most a pagan love.  It cannot be called Christian love since we only care for those who are good, healthy, rich and upright.  In reality, we do not love them since we love them only because they are good to us and they can offer us happiness.  We love them for our sake rather than for theirs, since they do not cause us much trouble and do not inconvenience us.

Regrettably, the problematic ones are those who really need us but we drive them further away from us.  We consider them a nuisance in our lives since they give us nothing but trouble. We must realize that if there are some people who seem so unlovable; it is because they have been rejected in love in the first place.  Thus, we often find people who are jilted in love acting in a resentful, bitter and skeptical manner.  This is equally true of us who are sinners and living sinful lives.  Some hate themselves because they cannot overcome their sins. Yes, we hate ourselves for being powerless in this situation.

But it is to such people who feel unworthy that today’s liturgy seeks to assure them that they are loved and accepted. The first reading reminds us that although we are insignificant, “like a grain of dust that tips the scales, like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground”, yet God counts us important. It is because we are important in His eyes that we continue to exist. The author of Wisdom says that God holds nothing of what He has made in abhorrence, for had He hated anything; He would not have formed it.

This was certainly the way of Jesus too. Even though Zacchaeus was a sinner and short and insignificant, yet He singled him out of the crowd. He did not ignore him simply because he was not living a good and holy life. He did not try to dissociate Himself from him even though others were cynical when they saw Him reaching out to him.  Jesus did not care what they thought since for Him, Zacchaeus too was a son of Abraham and He “has come to seek out and save what was lost.”  So we can imagine how happy and honoured Zacchaeus must have been to be recognized.  He was so touched when Jesus noticed him.  Like God, Jesus came for the outcast and those ostracized by society.   Everyone was important to Him and He regarded everyone personally.

Secondly, the scriptures proclaim that God loves all, including sinners.  Even in our sinfulness, grace is present.  He is merciful to all, because He can do all things and overlook man’s sins.  God is patient with us and wants us all to share in His life.  The Lord wants us to repent and be converted.  He does not want us to die or live an aimless and meaningless life.  He helps us at times by allowing us to go through the trials in life so that we can learn from our sorrows, recognize the power of God and the consequences of sins.  But this must not be mistaken as God’s punishment.  He does not punish us because we have sinned.  Rather, our suffering is the result and consequence of our foolish actions.  God loves us too much to want to see us suffer, just as parents would not want to see their children suffer as well.

But even if we suffer because of our sins, we must realize that it is also the grace of God working in us.  Sufferings are not meant to make us bitter but better.  They are meant to awaken us to our consciousness since many of us cannot understand unless we suffer.  More often than not, through sufferings in life, broken relationships, and mistakes made, we come to know ourselves better and see our foolishness and blindness.  This too was also the case of Zacchaeus.  The gospel said he was a rich man.  But he was poor in love, in friendships and meaning in life.  It was his isolation and rejection that awakened him to his misery, emptiness, loneliness and selfishness.  It took suffering to help him come to realize his own sinfulness.

Thirdly, we are told that God takes the initiative to reach out to us even in our sinfulness and unworthiness.  As if this was not already a great surprise for Jesus to notice Zacchaeus, Jesus went further and called out to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ That must have been the happiest day of his life for, “he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.”   Of course, the people around him grumbled, “He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house.”  But aren’t we the same too because at every mass before communion we say, “Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof”. In the second reading St Paul too exhorted the primacy of God’s grace.  He knew that it was the grace of God that saved him.

The result was conversion.  Yes, it was Jesus’ graciousness and goodness that eventually converted him. He was overwhelmed by His love, concern and acceptance in spite of his unworthiness. The love of Jesus restored his self-esteem.  He began to love himself again.   And when he did, he lived a dignified life by making a decision to live an honest and upright life.  Hence, he said to Jesus, “Look, Sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody, I will pay him back four times the amount.”  Yes, to be saved means to be restored to our original dignity of being God’s children whom He loves because He created us.

What are the implications for us?  Firstly, for those of us supposedly good and righteous Catholics, instead of feeling envious like the Pharisees “who complained when they saw what happened”, we must be kind to such people and feel happy for them when they return home.  Hence, instead of feeling smug, complimenting and praising ourselves like the self-righteous Pharisees, we must be humble to realize that everything is but the grace of God. If God treats us thus, then we too are called to reach out to the difficult people, the criminals and drug addicts, since they too are the sons of Abraham and the children of God, just as Jesus said of Zacchaeus.

Secondly, for those of us who have very low self-esteem or feel that we are unworthy sinners, we must find courage to seek out Jesus.  The path of conversion does not exempt us from co-operating with the grace of God.  God will not force us to welcome Him and be reconciled with Him.  But He will give the opportunity, just as He gave Zacchaeus the occasion.  But like Zacchaeus, we must be sincere in wanting Jesus to come into our lives.  We cannot simply sit at home, paralyzed, bemoaning the fact that we are stupid, useless, unloved or that we are great sinners.  No, we must do something about our situation.

So if we are still staying away from Church, from Jesus, or the sacraments or just feeling rejected and unloved, then the gospel is addressed to us in a special way to us.  We must make some effort to pray the scriptures, receive the sacraments, and make contact with those who can help and enlighten us.  In other words, we must be open to the grace of God.  Zacchaeus did not simply sit in his house and wait for Jesus to knock at his door.  Grace requires that we must also cooperate with God at least by receiving it.

Yes, let those of us who are blessed with the grace of God, those of us who are sinners or feel insignificant, beg for the grace of conversion and the experience of His overpowering and unconditional love.  Only God can make us worthy of His call, and only by His power can our desire for goodness be fulfilled.  Indeed, it is through faith in Him and in His love that we will have the power to live out the good news in our lives.  Without this fundamental faith that God loves us unconditionally, even if we are sinners, no real conversion is possible.

Most of all, we must begin now.  We must respond to the grace of God whilst we have the opportunity before it is too late.  We cannot delay any longer and wait until our deathbed.  It might be too late.  It would be foolish to think that that day would not come until the end of the world.  This was the warning given by St Paul when he said, “please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.”   No, we cannot afford to wait for the last day because any day can be our last day.  Let us grasp the opportunity and start living the good life now and share this good life with others.

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