COMPLACENCY

20161115 COMPLACENCY

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

Apocalypse 3:1-6,14-22 ©

I, John, heard the Lord saying to me: ‘Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect, and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me. There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white. Those who prove victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my Father and his angels. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

  ‘Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea and say, “Here is the message of the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the ultimate source of God’s creation: I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. You say to yourself, ‘I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want’, never realising that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too. I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see. I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves: so repent in real earnest. Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 14(15):2-5 ©

Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.

Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?

He who walks without fault;

he who acts with justice

and speaks the truth from his heart;

he who does not slander with his tongue.

Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.

He who does no wrong to his brother,

who casts no slur on his neighbour,

who holds the godless in disdain,

but honours those who fear the Lord.

Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.

He who keeps his pledge, come what may;

who takes no interest on a loan

and accepts no bribes against the innocent.

Such a man will stand firm for ever.

Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

Or

1Jn4:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

God so loved us that he sent his Son

to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

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.’

COMPLACENCY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [  REVELATION 3:1-6, 14-22; LUKE 19:1-10   ]

The Catholic Church is the biggest single organization in the world.  We have more than a billion members under the leadership of our Holy Father.  It is so huge and members so diverse that it has become increasingly difficult to minister to each and every member individually and personally.  Furthermore with the declining number of ordained ministers and religious, the work of formation is much affected and often neglected.  This explains why although we are the biggest Church but yet not as vibrant as we should be, considering the resources and heritage we have.

Indeed, most of our Catholics are nominal Catholics.  More than half are merely Sunday Catholics.  The half other do not step into the church except on special occasions, if at all. Those who take their faith seriously are much fewer.  This is not just our complaint but that of the Lord as well when He reprimanded the churches in Asia Minor.  To the church in Laodicea the Lord says, “I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  Indifference to the faith is the sin of the majority of our Catholics. They are not bad Catholics because they do come to church on Sundays, and even if they don’t they would say some Catholic prayers now and then.  They are happy and proud to be identified as Catholics.  And if they are in deep trouble, they would quickly turn to God and our Blessed Mother for assistance.

But this is where conversion becomes difficult.  It is easier to convert real sinners than lukewarm Catholics.  This is what the Lord says to the church in Sardis.  “I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead.”  Indeed, many of us who attend mass regularly, even daily mass, and are active in Church organizations, rendering our services to the Church, are very far from the Lord.  In fact, one of the criticisms against Church members is that they appear to be pious and holy but they lack compassion, sensitivity, sincere love and humble service to the community.  This is equally true of priests and religious too.  After some time in the ministry, we become jaded and perfunctory in the way we carry out our duties, more as a routine and duty than with passion, excitement and devotion.

What is the reason for this change in attitude?  We do not take the call to holiness seriously.  Our involvement in the affairs of the world has contaminated us.  We are tired, burnt-out and sometimes, disillusioned and helpless.  Over exposure to the pastoral ministry can make one lose his or her focus on God and the spiritual life.  The irony of clerics, religious and Church workers is that we are supposed to take care of the souls of our people but we fail to look after our own souls!  This is the lamentation of God.  He said, “So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect, and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message.”   How true when we think of our initial calling to Church ministry.  We were so happy and felt so privileged that we could serve the people of God in the Church.  We felt so humbled that God could even choose us to be His priests and religious.  But then we got used to this gift of the priesthood and religious life and forgot that the reason why we wanted to serve in the Church was to grow in our spiritual life and in holiness.  The truth is that the longer we serve in the Church, the less holy we become because what we do becomes spiritual professionalism.  We are not sincerely seeking to grow in holiness through a deeper prayer life, through sacrifices, penance and mortification. In fact, often those who are involved in Church activities and services are so overwhelmed by the demands and responsibilities that they hardly have time to pray, to reflect on their own personal life, whether they are growing in the virtues of Christ and fidelity to the gospel.  The Lord warns us that if we do not wake up and repent, we will hurt ourselves.

What are those factors that hinder us from coming to the Lord and growing in holiness and in grace?  It is the temptation of self-sufficiency.  This is the problem of the rich man, not necessarily in material terms but in terms of self-sufficiency.  The Lord has this to ask us, “You say to yourself, ‘I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want,’ never realizing that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too.”  Those of us who are rich in wealth, talents, knowledge and power think that we can do everything without God.  We think that we can manage on our own.  Instead of relying on God, we tend to rely on ourselves.  Proud and intellectual people are very difficult to convert them.  Even those in Church ministry hardly pray to Him to bless their labour, although they profess that everything is the grace of God.  They work hard but they do not make time to pray and ask for God’s blessings and assistance.  This is why Pope Francis in his encyclical, the Joy of the Gospel, calls the whole Church, beginning with himself and the clergy, to seek repentance and conversion.  This is what the Lord is asking of us, “I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see. I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves: so repent in real earnest.”

Of course, there are also the worldly riches that tempt us from growing in faith and holiness.  Many are tempted by money and the pleasures of life.  We think that if we are rich and have plenty of money, our lives will be well cared for.  We would not have to worry about anything and we would not need God. We will spend our lives eating, drinking, and carousing away.  But in truth, living in big mansions, dressing in fine linens and clothes, dining at exclusive clubs and restaurants cannot make us happy in life.  Those of us who are really rich, after some time, find all these distasteful.  The good food is no longer good.  The beautiful house is just another house.  We get used to what we have.  There is a saturation point when it comes to material happiness and gratification.  After which, it has a declining satisfaction.

This was the case of the Zacchaeus in the gospel.  We read that “he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.”  He had everything he needed in life.  He had a secure and comfortable career that would ensure him many more years of accumulating huge profits from his dubious profession.   But he was feeling empty and unfulfilled.  When Jesus came along, we are told that he was “anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was.”  He must have heard about Jesus and what a man He was.  In other words, he wanted to seek the fullness of life.  So he was interested in Jesus but of course, as a tax collector, he also knew that he had not much hope to meet Jesus personally.  So, “he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.”

If we are feeling this way, the Good News is that the Lord will come into our house if only we will invite Him. “Look, I am standing at the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”   We must imitate Zacchaeus.  He was only hoping to have a glimpse of Jesus but in truth, Jesus was waiting for him to open the door of his house.  No matter who we are, even sinners, if we are ready to open the door of our hearts, He will come and live in us and be with us.  All we need is to welcome Jesus into our home and give Him hospitality.

The great joy is this that when Jesus comes into our lives, we will undergo a total transformation.  Our lives will never be the same again, as in the case of Zacchaeus who told 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.”  Indeed, once we taste the joy of intimacy with Jesus, we see life in perspective.  Life is more than money and pleasure.  Life is about relationship, intimacy, love, service and compassion.  In coming to know Jesus, his eyes opened and he found all the things of this world incomparable to life in Christ.

Happiness in life is to live a righteous life as the responsorial exhorts us.  “Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent? He who walks without fault; he who acts with justice and speaks the truth from his heart; he who does not slander with his tongue. He who does no wrong to his brother, who casts no slur on his neighbour, who holds the godless in disdain, but honours those who fear the Lord. He who takes no interest on a loan and accepts no bribes against the innocent. Such a man will stand firm forever.”  This is the victorious life that the book of Revelation speaks about.  It is victory over sin and death after being purified in love and growing in holiness.  “Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

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