THE REASONS FOR THE LACK OF CONVERSION IN OUR LIVES

20170304 THE REASONS FOR THE LACK OF CONVERSION IN OUR LIVES

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading

Isaiah 58:9-14 ©

The Lord says this:

If you do away with the yoke,

the clenched fist, the wicked word,

if you give your bread to the hungry,

and relief to the oppressed,

your light will rise in the darkness,

and your shadows become like noon.

The Lord will always guide you,

giving you relief in desert places.

He will give strength to your bones

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water

whose waters never run dry.

You will rebuild the ancient ruins,

build up on the old foundations.

You will be called ‘Breach-mender’,

‘Restorer of ruined houses.’

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,

and doing business on the holy day,

if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’,

and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’,

if you honour it by abstaining from travel,

from doing business and from gossip,

then shall you find your happiness in the Lord

and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land.

I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 85(86):1-6 ©

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer

  for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am faithful;

  save the servant who trusts in you.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,

  for I cry to you all the day long.

Give joy to your servant, O Lord,

  for to you I lift up my soul.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,

  full of love to all who call.

Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer

  and attend to the sound of my voice.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

Gospel Acclamation

cfPs94:8

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Or

Ezk33:11

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man

– it is the Lord who speaks –

but in the turning back of a wicked man

who changes his ways to win life.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Gospel

Luke 5:27-32 ©

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.

  In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’

THE REASONS FOR THE LACK OF CONVERSION IN OUR LIVES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ IS 58:9B-14; PS 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; LK 5:27-32 ]

What are the reasons for the lack of conversion in our lives?  According to the gospel, the first reason is that we do not know that we are sinners.  Like the scribes and the Pharisees, we are self-righteous.  We think we are OK but everyone else is not OK.  We do not feel the need to change our life-styles.  We remain smug and complacent.  For such people, conversion is impossible.  In fact, what is even worse is that this group of people seeks the conversion of others instead, creating more disharmony around them.

The second reason, perhaps, is that we do not realize that to live in sin is to be really sick.  Jesus in the gospel tells us that “the healthy do not need a doctor, only the sick.”  The really sick in this world are not those who are physically ill.  Rather they are those who are sick in their minds and in their hearts.  Quite often, our physical ailments are but manifestations of a deeper ill, that is, our minds and our hearts.  And it is our sinful and ignorant way of life that gives rise to a sick mind and a sick heart.  To have a sick mind is to have impure thoughts and a negative outlook on life.  To have a sick heart is to be full of bitterness, anger and selfishness.  Such people always feel that the whole world is against them.  Yes, unless we realize that we are sick within us, we would not want to change our life-styles.

The third reason for the lack of conversion in our lives is found in today’s first reading.  It tells us that we cannot change our lives unless we are convinced that changing our way of life will improve our circumstances.  Many of us are not ready to give up our bad habits because we fear that we will be worse off.  Hence, a person is not ready to give up his grudges and bitterness for fear that he would appear weak.   A person might not be ready to share his time and services and things with others because he feels that he might be left a little poorer.  Furthermore, he might feel that serving an unappreciative community will not benefit them.  Then again, a person might not be ready to sacrifice some time from his recreation or studies for personal prayer because he fears that he might not have enough time for what he deems to be more important.  In a nutshell, these people are not convinced.

But as Isaiah prophesied in today’s first reading, it is when we live a godly and charitable life that we will be blessed by the Lord.  He will then renew us and guide us, and we will find great delight in Him.  Applying this exhortation to the above situations, we must realize that giving up our grudges actually sets us free to love and be happy in life; that spending more time in prayer actually brings about greater productivity in our work and we become more emotionally healthy as well; and that in helping others, even if they are ungrateful, we are actually growing in authentic love and service.

Today, we are called to emulate Levi.  He trusted in the Lord’s way of life.  And so when he was called, we are told he left everything and followed Him.  He took the risk of following Jesus.  It would surely be wiser, in the eyes of the world, to stick to his lucrative job rather than to follow Jesus and live as a vagabond with all its uncertainties.  But the gospel tells us that Levi never regretted.  In fact, he seemed so happy in his new way of life that he threw a big banquet and invited his fellow friends in the same trade to celebrate his new found joy and happiness, hoping that they too might join him.

Yes, the wish of Levi is the wish of Jesus and the Church.  The Church wants our conversion, not to make life difficult for us but to set us free, so that we might be truly healthy people, with a healthy mind and a healthy heart – people who are free to love and share, people who always think well of others and are positive towards life.

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