20161229 DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
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First reading
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1 John 2:3-11 ©
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We can be sure that
we know God
only by keeping his
commandments.
Anyone who says, ‘I
know him’,
and does not keep his
commandments,
is a liar,
refusing to admit the
truth.
But when anyone does
obey what he has said,
God’s love comes to
perfection in him.
We can be sure that
we are in God
only when the one who
claims to be living in him
is living the same
kind of life as Christ lived.
My dear people,
this is not a new
commandment that I am writing to tell you,
but an old
commandment
that you were given
from the beginning,
the original commandment
which was the message brought to you.
Yet in another way,
what I am writing to you,
and what is being
carried out in your lives as it was in his,
is a new commandment;
because the night is
over
and the real light is
already shining.
Anyone who claims to
be in the light
but hates his brother
is still in the dark.
But anyone who loves
his brother is living in the light
and need not be
afraid of stumbling;
unlike the man who
hates his brother and is in the darkness,
not knowing where he
is going,
because it is too
dark to see.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm
95(96):1-3,5-6 ©
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Let the heavens
rejoice and earth be glad.
O sing a new song to
the Lord,
sing to
the Lord all the earth.
O sing to
the Lord, bless his name.
Let the heavens
rejoice and earth be glad.
Proclaim his help day
by day,
tell
among the nations his glory
and his
wonders among all the peoples.
Let the heavens
rejoice and earth be glad.
It was the Lord who
made the heavens,
his are
majesty and state and power
and
splendour in his holy place.
Let the heavens
rejoice and earth be glad.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Jn1:14,12
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word became
flesh, and dwelt among us.
To all who received
him he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Alleluia, alleluia!
A light to enlighten
the pagans
and the glory of your
people Israel.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 2:22-35 ©
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When the day came for
them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took
him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands
written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to
the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is
said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in
Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he
looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had
been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he
had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the
Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the
Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can
let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have
seen the salvation
which you have
prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten
the pagans
and the glory of your
people Israel.’
As the child’s father
and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him,
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is
destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a
sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too –
so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
DO YOU
KNOW JESUS?
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: [ 1 John 2:3-11; Luke 2:22-35 ]
Christ is born. But
do we know Him? I presume most Catholics would say that they know
Jesus. Knowing someone of course has different meanings. Most
Catholics know Jesus intellectually. They have some factual information
about Jesus that they studied in their catechism classes or through personal
reading. Some know Jesus more intimately through prayer, worship, and
meditation on the Word of God. Others encountered Jesus in the sacraments or
had the privilege of a radical Christ-experience. Even then, such Christ
experiences have different depths. The Seven Mansions, as described by St
Teresa of Avila, shows the different levels of entering into the mystery of Christ
and His love.
Nevertheless, in the final
analysis, to know means to share in the life and love of someone. When we
know someone, we imbibe in the person’s values and perspectives of life.
We are identified with those whom we love. This is particularly true of married
couples. Intimacy is more than just physical union but a union of heart
and mind in all that we do and think. Otherwise, such physical intimacy
is superficial and have not much benefit than just an act of
pleasure. But if there is mutual willing and thinking, such
intimacy crowns the union and becomes a real celebration.
This is
what St John means when he wrote, “We can be sure that we know God only by
keeping his commandments. Anyone who says, ‘I know him’, and does not keep his
commandments, is a liar, refusing to admit the truth.” Keeping the
commandments of God is easy only if we love Him deeply and could identify with
Him completely. Otherwise, the commandments become a burden, a
restriction, and an imposition. It is never difficult to obey someone
whom we love, not just affectively, but when we are able to see the truth from
the person’s perspective. Christ had no issues with obeying the Father
because He knew the Father and the Father knew Him. (cf Mt 11:27) He freely
gave up His life out of obedience not reluctantly but willingly for the love of
His Father. (cf Jn 10:18)
Secondly,
St John says, “We can be sure that we are in God only when the one who claims
to be living in him is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.” The
litmus test of whether God or Christ is in us is whether we live the life that
Jesus has taught us to live. To be in Christ means to say with St Paul,
“it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me.” (Gal 2:20)
So the best way to gauge our knowledge of God is not in doctrinal knowledge or
even our God-experiences, but by the fruits of the Spirit that are manifested
in our lives. These fruits of the Spirit are common to all, but the gifts
of the Spirit differ. Regardless of the gifts we receive, it does not
matter so long as we produce the fruits of the Spirit, as St Paul wrote to the
Galatians. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there
is no law.” (Gal 5:22f)
Thirdly, we know that we
are in Christ only when we love our brothers and sisters. St John wrote,
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the
dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be
afraid of stumbling; unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the
darkness, not knowing where he is going, because it is too dark to see.”
Anyone who has the heart of God will love everyone intensely the way God loves
each one of us, regardless of our race, language or religion. Everyone is
precious to God, even those who do not know Him, or are His enemies. God
wants to save us all because He loves us all. If God is in us, then we
will recognize that our common love for the Father and our sonship in Christ
makes us brothers and sisters of all, regardless.
In the gospel, we have
someone who knew Jesus intimately. We read the prophecy of Simeon.
When he saw the child, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he said,
“‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the
nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people
Israel.” Such confession of faith in Christ goes beyond logic and
understanding. Through the grace of God alone, Simeon, under the
influence of the Holy Spirit, could immediately recognize Jesus, that little
baby, as the Promised Messiah, the one who will be the light of the nations,
enlightening all in the truth about God and about themselves. Most
of all, by His life, His works, teachings, His death and resurrection, He will
glorify God. The little child in the arms of His blessed mother was
foretold to bring great and revolutionary changes in the lives of
humanity. Simeon said to Mary, “You see this child: he is destined for
the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is
rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the
secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.”
If we come to this truth
and this knowledge of Christ, it is almost as if we have entered the sixth or
seventh castle of the doctrine of St Teresa of Avila because at this point,
there is no turning back. We just want to be with God and bask in His
love and mercy forever. This experience of Simeon of wanting to go back
to God is the consequence of encountering the glory of God in the humanity of
Christ. Like the psalmist, we would want to sing for joy. “Let the
heavens rejoice and earth be glad. O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to
the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name. Proclaim his
help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the
peoples.” Within this context, we can appreciate the sharing of St Paul
when he spoke of his dilemma. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain. If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two.
My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to
remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” (Phil 1:21-24) More
importantly, he also said, “with full courage now as always Christ will be
honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Phil 1:20)
In the light of our
reflection, we must therefore consider how much we know the Lord. What is
the depth of our relationship with Him? Let us not deceive ourselves into
thinking that we love the Lord and know Him so much when we are not ready to
die with Him or follow His way of life. We can say all about Jesus,
talk about Him, serve Him in ministry, but if we are not ready to live as He
lived, love as He loved, suffer as He suffered, forgive as He forgave, then we
are still far from knowing Him. Our knowledge is only a cerebral
knowledge; it has not yet reached our hearts nor touched the depths of our
spirit.
Realizing
how superficial our knowledge and love for the Lord as seen in our sinful way
of life, in giving in to sin and selfishness and living in darkness, we must
follow Mary in contemplating on Him more and more. “The child’s father
and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about
him.” Unless we are willing to make time to contemplate on the
Lord, we will never get to know Him from our being. Intimacy with the
Lord is a gift. We must nurture this gift by entering into the mind and
heart of Christ more and more each day through silence, prayer and reading of
the Word of God. So we too must pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead us
to Jesus.
Simeon tells us how we can
prepare for the Holy Spirit by living a devout and holy life. Simeon “was
an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the
Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that
he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord.”
Let us, with the grace of God, be the glory of God for others by living
the radical life that the Lord is inviting us to live. This life of
Christ, St John says, is “what is being carried out in your lives as it was in
his, is a new commandment; because the night is over and the real light is
already shining.” Christ gives newness in the way we should fulfill the
commandments which are as old as Moses.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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