20170222 FORTITUDE IN MINISTRY DEPENDS ON FAITH IN CHRIST
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
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First reading
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1 Peter 5:1-4 ©
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Now I have something
to tell your elders: I am an elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of
Christ, and with you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed. Be the
shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not
simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but
because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put
in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow. When the
chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 22(23) ©
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The Lord is my
shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my
shepherd;
there is
nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are
the pastures
where he
gives me repose.
Near restful waters
he leads me,
to revive
my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my
shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along
the right path;
he is
true to his name.
If I should walk in
the valley of darkness
no evil
would I fear.
You are there with
your crook and your staff;
with
these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my
shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a
banquet for me
in the
sight of my foes.
My head you have
anointed with oil;
my cup is
overflowing.
The Lord is my
shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and
kindness shall follow me
all the
days of my life.
In the Lord’s own
house shall I dwell
for ever
and ever.
The Lord is my
shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Mt16:18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You are Peter,
and on this rock I
will build my Church.
And the gates of the
underworld can never hold out against it.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 16:13-19
©
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When
Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his
disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he
is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’
‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are
the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of
Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed
this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on
this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never
hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you
loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’
FORTITUDE
IN MINISTRY DEPENDS ON FAITH IN CHRIST
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: [ 1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 22:1-6; Matthew 16:13-19]
St
Peter wrote, “I have something to tell your elders: I am elder myself, and a
witness to the sufferings of Christ.” Clearly, anyone who wishes to
assume leadership in the Church, regardless of which level of leadership, is
asking for a share in the sufferings of Christ. In the gospel the Lord
told His disciples in no uncertain terms, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) To the
apostles specifically, Jesus told them, “You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will
undergo?” (Mk 10:38)
Often, people think that
the call to ministry in the Church is one of pure joy without suffering.
Some want to enter the priesthood or religious life so that they can escape
from the temptations of the world; and the worldly politics, competition and
anxieties. Those who seek to flee from the world because of fear of the
world will only come to realize that they are jumping out of the frying pan
into the fire! Working and serving in the Church does not mean that we
are protected from worldly temptations, ambitions and challenges. That is
why Pope Francis always warns us, especially those in priestly and religious
life, of the traps of spiritual worldliness.
To think that we can escape
from sin is naivety. The problem is not with the world or society
but the inner man and woman. We are sinners to the core.
Jesus said, “it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions
come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come
from within, and they defile a person.” (Mk 7:21-23) We carry
our sins with us whether we live in the world or in the religious
life. So it is the individual; not the structure or society.
Indeed, being a priest and
religious could be difficult, but living out the priesthood and religious
charisms is even more difficult. So, too, for a Christian. Getting
baptized involves some sacrifices but living an authentic Christian life
requires much courage and perseverance. The sufferings of a Christian, and
especially of a Christian leader, is real. If we are just contented to be
a mediocre priest, or religious, or a Christian, then it does not take much to
be one. Such people will not make a difference in the lives of
anyone.
The call to service always
entails suffering, regardless whether we are serving in the parish or the
poor. It calls for sacrifice because there will be conflicts, division
and disagreements when it comes to approaches, policies and decisions.
Many walk out or remain defiant against authority when they cannot agree with
them. It must be their way and no other way. In a world of relativism
and individualism, getting people to agree on anything calls for grace.
Even within the Church, the call to obedience to authority is, most of the
time, just talk. Volunteers choose where they like to serve; not
what God wants them to do. That is why they walk out easily when things
are not to their liking. Priests and religious are also volunteers.
Can they walk out as they like when they disagree with the authorities or their
superiors? That they do not does not also mean that they are happy because
often obedience is given with much resentment and bitterness. This is
counter-witnessing to sharing the sufferings of Christ because Christ carried
His sufferings and rendered His obedience to the Father willingly and with
faith. He did not harbor anger at His Father for not making His ministry
fruitful and successful. He did not blame His Father for His having to
carry the cross and being abandoned on the cross. But with Jesus, He
commended everything to the Father in obedience to His holy will.
However, we must clarify
that is it not all pure suffering but there is also much joy in the ministry,
provided we see our sufferings in context. This was the attitude of St
Paul when he wrote, “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in
my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake
of his body, that is, the church.” Christian joy is paradoxical
joy. It is joy in suffering. This joy comes from the heart of
love and compassion. When we suffer for love and because of love, there
will be a deep interior joy that the world cannot give. Jesus did not
simply come to give us joy but godly joy.
So if there is no love in
our hearts, we cannot be a witness to Christ’s suffering. Instead, we will
cause others to suffer because of our arrogance and self-centeredness.
Peter warns us against becoming a dictator, using our power to oppress the
lives of others and suppressing those who disagree with us. In the face
of sufferings, we will become even more resentful and vindictive. If you
are not ready for self-sacrificing and humble love for the Lord, then don’t
aspire to Christian leadership or even service. Priests are always
reminded at mass that we are not just priests who offer the sacrifice of Christ
but we are victims, for Jesus tells us at the Eucharistic meal, “Do this in
memory of me.” When we choose to become His priests, cleric or laity, we
are called to make ourselves a living sacrifice to the world. St Paul
appeals to us “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Rom 12:1)
That is why St Peter
exhorts us to be good shepherds purely out of love and service; “Be the
shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not
simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but
because you are eager to do it.” The only motive for aspiring to leadership,
whether in the Church or in the world is because we recognize the talents given
to us by God and we assume the responsibilities that God entrusts to us in
looking after His sheep. Servant leadership has nothing to do with gain,
whether glory, power or even monetary gains. When a Church leader serves
with such motives, he or she has already lost focus. Instead of being “an
example that the whole flock can follow”, we become counter-witnesses.
So what is needed for us to
stay on course? In the final analysis, it depends on our personal
relationship with the Lord. In a most critical moment of His ministry,
Jesus asked the apostles, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” What was
their response? “Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others
Jeremiah or one of the prophet.” Jesus retorted, “But you, who do you say I
am?” Who Jesus is to us will determine our fortitude and perseverance in
serving the Lord and His people. If we know Jesus personally as our Good
Shepherd, then we will walk with Him even in the valley of darkness because
“Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful
waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. He guides me along the
right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of
darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your
staff; with these you give me comfort.” Jesus remains our source of
strength, courage and guide. With Jesus as our shepherd “there is nothing
I shall want.”
Secondly, it depends on
whether we have faith in Christ as the Son of the Living God, which was the
confession of St Peter. Unless we confess with our lips that Jesus is
Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, (cf Rom 10:9) we will not be
able to withstand the onslaughts of the world, especially in the face of
relativism and secularism. This is the rock that we are called to stand
on. Jesus said to Peter, “You are Peter and on this rock I will
build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth
shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered
loosed in heaven.” This rock is the confession of faith in His divinity
and sonship. Without which, our faith is built on sand and we cannot
stand with Jesus especially when our faith and morals are being challenged by
the world.
To receive this key, that
is the authority that comes from faith in His divine sonship is a gift from
God. Jesus remarked, “Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it
was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in
heaven.” So when we see priests, religious and lay leaders lacking in
faith and in Christian leadership and example, perhaps, we should learn to be
forgiving. Perhaps, they never really had a deep and life-changing
encounter with the Lord. They have faith but their faith is founded on
tradition, culture, upbringing, transmission from their elders and study.
They have yet to encounter Jesus personally. It is a gift from the
Father. We can only pray for this experience because it is not given even
through study and theology.
Finally, let us have hope
and confidence in the Lord. Jesus asked this critical question to prepare
the apostles ahead of His passion. We must in times of suffering look
beyond the here and now towards the future and the life that is to come.
Hope of a better world and a share of His fullness of life should keep us
going. This was what St Paul wrote, “I have a share in the glory that is to be
revealed.” And to his fellow elders, he assured them, “When the
chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.”
So do not think our sufferings for the Lord and His Church are given in vain.
They are the seeds of the new Church and the kingdom of God.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights
Reserved
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