WORKING FOR THE LORD

20170501 WORKING FOR THE LORD

Readings at Mass

First Reading : COL 3:14-15,17,23-24

14 Over all these clothes, put on love, the perfect bond.

15 And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together in one body. Always be thankful.

17 and whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God the Father through him.

23 Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as done for the Lord and not for human beings,

24 knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving.

Psalms 89 : 2-4,12-14,16

2 for you have said: love is built to last for ever, you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens.

3 'I have made a covenant with my Chosen One, sworn an oath to my servant David:

4 I have made your dynasty firm for ever, built your throne stable age after age.

2 you created the north and the south, Tabor and Hermon hail your name with joy.

13 Yours is a strong arm, mighty your hand, your right hand raised high;

14 Saving Justice and Fair Judgement the foundations of your throne, Faithful Love and Constancy march before you.

16 In your name they rejoice all day long, by your saving justice they are raised up.

Gospel : MT 13:54-58 

54 and, coming to his home town, he taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, 'Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

55 This is the carpenter's son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude?

56 His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?'

57 And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is despised only in his own country and in his own house,'

58 and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

WORKING FOR THE LORD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ COL 3:14-15,17,23-24; PS 89:2-4,12-14,16; MT 13:54-58 ]

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St Joseph the worker.  All are called to be collaborators in the vineyard of the Lord.  It does not matter whether we are priests working in the Church, or full time workers, or even volunteers helping in Church organizations or involved in humanitarian services.  The problem for many people helping in the Church or in charitable organizations is that we often do not have the right disposition or attitudes in the way we commit ourselves.  That is why we need to reflect on today’s scripture readings and see what we can learn from St Joseph.

Firstly, St Joseph was clear that in whatever he did, he was serving God and not man. St Paul reminds us, “Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving.”   Our primary attitude in service, regardless who we are and wherever we serve, is to remember that it is God who is our boss.  We do not even serve the priest or even the bishop in the church.  Our allegiance is not to a particular priest or a particular person, just as St Paul reprimanded his people for the divisions they were causing because some said they were for Paul and others for Apollos.  So St Paul said, “For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.”  (1 Cor 3:4f)

Only when we are aware of this principle of serving God, can we then take instructions from legitimate authority appointed by Christ for His Church.  Following this principle, we then obey and collaborate with those appointed by the Lord to lead us, whether at home, in church or in the office.  That is why St Paul also told the slaves to obey their earthly masters “in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.”  (Col 3:22)  At the end of the day, we must be conscious that we are accountable to God, for He is the ultimate person that we serve.  Our service to God is rendered through the service of man appointed to lead us.

Flowing from this principle, it means that regardless whether we are full-time or part-time workers or volunteers, our commitment to our vocation or responsibility cannot be lesser, since it is God we are serving.  Often, in the church, volunteers think that they do not need to be accountable for what they do because what they do is voluntary work.  They come and go as they like; and do what they want.  If that were the case, can priests and religious just walk in and out as we like, or give up our priesthood too when faced with trials and difficulties, since we are also volunteers?  Of course not!  Again, this is because it is the Lord we serve.  And we must always give our best to the Lord for He deserves all our devotion and fidelity and collaboration. There is no excuse for slipshod work.

Secondly, vocation is a gift.  It is a calling.  We cannot demand to be a priest or even be appointed to any position in life.  It is God’s free choice to determine our vocation in life and what we are called to do.  We do not merit our position, for what we are, who we are, all our talents and resources come from God alone.  Indeed, this was what the townsfolks of Jesus did not understand.  We read that “Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’”  The answer is clear; Jesus is the appointed messiah of God, the Chosen and anointed one of God!  So there is nothing for anyone of us to claim glory and honor because it is all the work of God and purely His grace.

Instead, we are called to be thankful to our vocation.  Again this is what St Paul urges us.  “Always be thankful. Never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Gratitude is most important in any vocation we are in, whether it is a married vocation, a profession or priestly and religious life.  When we give thanks, it means we are appreciative and we value what we are doing and the responsibility given to us.  The sign of gratitude is always zeal, commitment and sacrifice.  When we are grateful for what has been given to us, we give ourselves generously out of gratitude for the gifts that we have received.  Those who have no sense of gratitude often abuse their position and their privileges.  Instead of using their gifts for the service of God and His people, we use them for ourselves.  

Gratitude for our vocation is expressed in fidelity.  From St Joseph, we must learn that commitment is to seek the will of God and to do it.   St Joseph had his own plans with regard to his marriage with Mary.  But when God chose Mary, his plans were totally derailed.  Instead of insisting on his own ways, he was totally available to the Lord’s will for Him. Instead of sending Mary away, he cooperated with God’s divine plan by being the spouse of Mary and the foster father of Jesus.  Such was the generosity and docility of St Joseph to the will of God for him in his life.   He was obedient to the Lord’s command as Mary was.   In whatever we do in life, we too must always, at every moment, seek the will of God, for in His will is our peace.

How do we know that we are doing God’s work and His will?  What are the fruits of the Spirit?  St Paul gives us these basic criteria.  Firstly, he said, “Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love.”  All that we do at the end of the day must be for the service of love.  Whatever we do must be done for the sake of love and out of love.  St Paul said, even “If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Cor 13:3)  The second criterion is this: that in whatever we do, we foster unity and love in the Body of Christ because we are parts of this one body. “It is for this that you were called together as parts of one body.”  The promotion of unity among those whom we are serving is the sign that we are walking in the Spirit of Christ because the Holy Spirit brings unity and oneness.

If we fulfill our responsibilities and have the right attitude towards our work, then the end result is peace!  Again, St Paul said, “May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts.”  Indeed, when our conscience is at peace with God, then we will have peace in our hearts, the peace that the world does not know.  This peace comes from a certitude that we have done what we should before God and His people.  This peace comes about because we are accountable to God. Having said this, St Paul also reminds us not to be over presumptuous.  He said, “I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.”  (1 Cor 4:4)

Finally, the psalmist warns us not to take for granted the privilege that God has given to us.   If we do not do all we can now, later on we will regret and it will be too late.  The psalmist reminds us of the shortness of our life.  “You turn men back to dust and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’ To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night. Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger forever? Show pity to your servant!”  So, whilst we have the time and the energy, let us give our full devotion to what the Lord has appointed us to do.  A time will come when we are sickly and when we no longer hold office, and then we will not be able to do even if we want to.

Nevertheless, let us not be too worried about success either.  Success is the work of God and not ours!  So we do not rely on ourselves, our strength and our ingenuity.  The psalmist invites us to pray to the Lord for success.  After we have done all we could, let us commend our work to the Lord.  “Give success to the work of our hands, O Lord.  Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end.  In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children.”  As St Teresa of Calcutta told us, God is pleased with us so long as we are faithful to our calling, for we are not called to be successful but faithful like St Joseph in doing the will of God and cooperating with His Divine plan for humanity.

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

20170501 WORKING FOR THE LORD

WORKING FOR THE LORD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ COL 3:14-15,17,23-24; PS 89:2-4,12-14,16; MT 13:54-58 ]

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St Joseph the worker.  All are called to be collaborators in the vineyard of the Lord.  It does not matter whether we are priests working in the Church, or full time workers, or even volunteers helping in Church organizations or involved in humanitarian services.  The problem for many people helping in the Church or in charitable organizations is that we often do not have the right disposition or attitudes in the way we commit ourselves.  That is why we need to reflect on today’s scripture readings and see what we can learn from St Joseph.

Firstly, St Joseph was clear that in whatever he did, he was serving God and not man. St Paul reminds us, “Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving.”   Our primary attitude in service, regardless who we are and wherever we serve, is to remember that it is God who is our boss.  We do not even serve the priest or even the bishop in the church.  Our allegiance is not to a particular priest or a particular person, just as St Paul reprimanded his people for the divisions they were causing because some said they were for Paul and others for Apollos.  So St Paul said, “For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.”  (1 Cor 3:4f)

Only when we are aware of this principle of serving God, can we then take instructions from legitimate authority appointed by Christ for His Church.  Following this principle, we then obey and collaborate with those appointed by the Lord to lead us, whether at home, in church or in the office.  That is why St Paul also told the slaves to obey their earthly masters “in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.”  (Col 3:22)  At the end of the day, we must be conscious that we are accountable to God, for He is the ultimate person that we serve.  Our service to God is rendered through the service of man appointed to lead us.

Flowing from this principle, it means that regardless whether we are full-time or part-time workers or volunteers, our commitment to our vocation or responsibility cannot be lesser, since it is God we are serving.  Often, in the church, volunteers think that they do not need to be accountable for what they do because what they do is voluntary work.  They come and go as they like; and do what they want.  If that were the case, can priests and religious just walk in and out as we like, or give up our priesthood too when faced with trials and difficulties, since we are also volunteers?  Of course not!  Again, this is because it is the Lord we serve.  And we must always give our best to the Lord for He deserves all our devotion and fidelity and collaboration. There is no excuse for slipshod work.

Secondly, vocation is a gift.  It is a calling.  We cannot demand to be a priest or even be appointed to any position in life.  It is God’s free choice to determine our vocation in life and what we are called to do.  We do not merit our position, for what we are, who we are, all our talents and resources come from God alone.  Indeed, this was what the townsfolks of Jesus did not understand.  We read that “Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’”  The answer is clear; Jesus is the appointed messiah of God, the Chosen and anointed one of God!  So there is nothing for anyone of us to claim glory and honor because it is all the work of God and purely His grace.

Instead, we are called to be thankful to our vocation.  Again this is what St Paul urges us.  “Always be thankful. Never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Gratitude is most important in any vocation we are in, whether it is a married vocation, a profession or priestly and religious life.  When we give thanks, it means we are appreciative and we value what we are doing and the responsibility given to us.  The sign of gratitude is always zeal, commitment and sacrifice.  When we are grateful for what has been given to us, we give ourselves generously out of gratitude for the gifts that we have received.  Those who have no sense of gratitude often abuse their position and their privileges.  Instead of using their gifts for the service of God and His people, we use them for ourselves.  

Gratitude for our vocation is expressed in fidelity.  From St Joseph, we must learn that commitment is to seek the will of God and to do it.   St Joseph had his own plans with regard to his marriage with Mary.  But when God chose Mary, his plans were totally derailed.  Instead of insisting on his own ways, he was totally available to the Lord’s will for Him. Instead of sending Mary away, he cooperated with God’s divine plan by being the spouse of Mary and the foster father of Jesus.  Such was the generosity and docility of St Joseph to the will of God for him in his life.   He was obedient to the Lord’s command as Mary was.   In whatever we do in life, we too must always, at every moment, seek the will of God, for in His will is our peace.

How do we know that we are doing God’s work and His will?  What are the fruits of the Spirit?  St Paul gives us these basic criteria.  Firstly, he said, “Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love.”  All that we do at the end of the day must be for the service of love.  Whatever we do must be done for the sake of love and out of love.  St Paul said, even “If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Cor 13:3)  The second criterion is this: that in whatever we do, we foster unity and love in the Body of Christ because we are parts of this one body. “It is for this that you were called together as parts of one body.”  The promotion of unity among those whom we are serving is the sign that we are walking in the Spirit of Christ because the Holy Spirit brings unity and oneness.

If we fulfill our responsibilities and have the right attitude towards our work, then the end result is peace!  Again, St Paul said, “May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts.”  Indeed, when our conscience is at peace with God, then we will have peace in our hearts, the peace that the world does not know.  This peace comes from a certitude that we have done what we should before God and His people.  This peace comes about because we are accountable to God. Having said this, St Paul also reminds us not to be over presumptuous.  He said, “I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.”  (1 Cor 4:4)

Finally, the psalmist warns us not to take for granted the privilege that God has given to us.   If we do not do all we can now, later on we will regret and it will be too late.  The psalmist reminds us of the shortness of our life.  “You turn men back to dust and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’ To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night. Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger forever? Show pity to your servant!”  So, whilst we have the time and the energy, let us give our full devotion to what the Lord has appointed us to do.  A time will come when we are sickly and when we no longer hold office, and then we will not be able to do even if we want to.

Nevertheless, let us not be too worried about success either.  Success is the work of God and not ours!  So we do not rely on ourselves, our strength and our ingenuity.  The psalmist invites us to pray to the Lord for success.  After we have done all we could, let us commend our work to the Lord.  “Give success to the work of our hands, O Lord.  Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end.  In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children.”  As St Teresa of Calcutta told us, God is pleased with us so long as we are faithful to our calling, for we are not called to be successful but faithful like St Joseph in doing the will of God and cooperating with His Divine plan for humanity.

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

TRAVELLING THE JOURNEY OF FAITH TOGETHER

20170430 TRAVELLING THE JOURNEY OF FAITH TOGETHER

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Acts 2:14,22-33 ©

On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him:

I saw the Lord before me always,

for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me.

So my heart was glad

and my tongue cried out with joy;

my body, too, will rest in the hope

that you will not abandon my soul to Hades

nor allow your holy one to experience corruption.

You have made known the way of life to me,

you will fill me with gladness through your presence.

‘Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-11 ©

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

or

Alleluia!

Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.

  I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.

O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;

  it is you yourself who are my prize.’

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

or

Alleluia!

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,

  who even at night directs my heart.

I keep the Lord ever in my sight:

  since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

or

Alleluia!

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;

  even my body shall rest in safety.

For you will not leave my soul among the dead,

  nor let your beloved know decay.

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

or

Alleluia!

You will show me the path of life,

  the fullness of joy in your presence,

  at your right hand happiness for ever.

Show us, Lord, the path of life.

or

Alleluia!

Second reading

1 Peter 1:17-21 ©

If you are acknowledging as your Father one who has no favourites and judges everyone according to what he has done, you must be scrupulously careful as long as you are living away from your home. Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who, though known since before the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake. Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for that very reason – so that you would have faith and hope in God.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk24:32

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us.

Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 24:13-35 ©
They recognised him at the breaking of bread

Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.

  Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’

  Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.

  When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’

  They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

TRAVELLING THE JOURNEY OF FAITH TOGETHER

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 2:14.22-33; PS 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; 1 PT 1:17-21; LK 24:13-35 ]

All of us are like the disciples at Emmaus on the road of life.  This life is complex and there are many questions that we cannot answer and mysteries that we do not understand.  This is particularly true when we face crises, like the disciples.  Their great hope, as the gospel mentioned, was in Jesus.  “Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free.”  But with the death of Jesus, their hopes were totally crushed.  It was almost an anti-climax because Jesus of Nazareth seemed to be “a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people.”

This could be true for us as well.  We might have had great hopes of doing well in our studies or getting into the school we want.  Or just when we thought that everything was going well for us, we suffer a broken relationship, or discover that we have an illness that is incurable.  When such things happen, our life crashes.  We feel that life is a chore; it is nothing more than keeping up with others. Doing well in our studies, getting a good job and being popular.  So much so, many of us wonder what life is all about.  Why all the stresses, competition, the vain pursuit of nothing?  Isn’t this the useless way of life that Jesus came to free us from that St Peter spoke about?  A life without meaning, an aimless life?

Indeed, Christ has come to set us free from this hopeless and aimless life.  St Peter wrote, “Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who, though known since before the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake.”   By His death and resurrection, Christ has shown us that God has His plan for us.  “Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for that very reason – so that you would have faith and hope in God.”  That God raised Him from the dead is the basis of Christian hope.  We too are certain of our hope in the future and what we are called to do here and now.  St Peter reminds us, “If you are acknowledging as your Father one who has no favourites and judges everyone according to what he has done, you must be scrupulously careful as long as you are living away from your home.”

But that is not all.  St Peter clearly demonstrated through scriptures that nothing happens outside the purview of God’s plan. “This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power”.  There are many things that happen in life that we might not understand for now.  We are called to have faith in God who does all things well.  Instead of allowing our sorrows and woes to discourage us, we must find faith in the Lord and entrust all things to Him as Jesus did in commending His life to the Father at the cross.

Today, the Lord continues to journey with us as He did with the disciples at Emmaus.  He understands our desire to walk the way of truth and love.  Like the psalmist, our prayer is “Show us, Lord, the path of life.  I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart.  I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right-hand happiness forever.”   Only by walking the path of life that Jesus walked can we find fullness of life.   But we must invite Him into our lives if we want Him to journey with us.

Today’s lesson from Emmaus teaches us how we can allow Jesus to journey with us so that we need not feel that we are alone in this journey.  The reason why many Catholics fall out of their faith is because they are loners.  They have no Catholic friends to help them grow in their faith or to make sense of their lives.  So in the face of trials, doubt and temptation, they are led astray by the world and lose their faith.  Today’s lesson has a two-fold purpose; the first, to teach us how to let the Lord enter into our lives, and the second, how we can help others to let the Lord enter their lives.

If we want to find hope in life, then we must begin by speaking to the Lord in prayer. Prayer is a dialogue and a conversation.  So we have Jesus initiating the conversation by inquiring into their sorrows.  The Lord is interested to hear from us.  Prayer is always the means by which we unload our fears, our sorrows, our pains and our aspirations onto Jesus.  In the gospel, we hear the disciples pouring out their disillusionment and confusion to the Lord.  They could not make sense of Jesus’ death and less still. the sightings of the empty tomb and the reports that He was alive.  Connecting with our wounds is a necessary stage to clearing our minds and to see things in perspective.  That is why prayer is always necessary in daily life.  It was at the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus came to terms with His passion as well.

Once the connection is made, once we have said all we need to say to the Lord, we are called to listen to Him.  Only after letting them pour out their fears, anxieties and pains, did the Lord begin to explain the meaning of the events that had happened.  To connect these events, the Lord used scriptures to help them understand the plan of God for humanity.  He said to them, “’You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.”  The way to understand life events is never to isolate them from the bigger picture.  When we do that, the single event does not make sense.  Life is out of perspective whenever we detach our problems, struggles, pains and disappointments from the larger picture of life.  In life, everything has a purpose.  It is how we connect them and make sense of them.  What better way to do so than to connect and interpret our events in the light of the Word of God!

But the healing would not be complete without a meal.  This was why the Lord shared a meal with them.  “Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight.”  It was at the breaking of bread that they were reminded of the Jesus of Nazareth.  The Eucharist indeed sums up the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord.  So when they had the meal, they were reminded of how the Lord anticipated His death and resurrection at the Last Supper.  The Eucharist for us remains the hope for all of us that by undergoing the same passion of our Lord and death, we will rise with Him in glory. All sufferings in life when taken positively is our participation in Christ’s death.  Such sufferings will end in glory.

But all this is possible only with the grace of the Holy Spirit.  The personal encounter with the Risen Lord is always through the assistance of the Holy Spirit. St Peter’s first homily rendering an account of the resurrection of the Lord was the outcome of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  They could see for themselves the power of the Spirit at work in their lives.  This same Spirit is the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.  St Peter reiterated, “God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by Gods right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.”  This explains why the faith of Catholics who have not experienced the outpouring of the Spirit in their lives, remain an intellectual faith; not a personal faith.  But when we are receptive to the power of the Spirit at work in our lives, in prayer, in miracles, in healing and in the understanding of the Word of God, then we know that Jesus is Lord and that He is alive.

What the Lord has done for us, we must now do the same for others.  We must now journey with our fellow Catholics and all those who are seeking for meaning, purpose and hope in life.  Our hearts must go to those who need our fraternal support and encouragement.  As Catholics, we need to reach out to each other.  Church organizations must not only think of members as people who serve the Church and perform their duties and functions.  Rather, they must first be seen as brothers and sisters sharing the faith with each other in Christ.  Only when we travel together, will the journey become bearable and not too daunting.

How do we journey with each other?  We must begin by making friends and reaching out in sincerity. Then, we are called to listen to each other, sharing our joys and sorrows together in faith.  But this must be done in the context of the Word of God; not through licking each other’s wounds or gossiping.  Through the sharing of the Word of God, we are called to enlighten and encourage each other.  And out of this shared faith, shared community and love, we then pour out our love to the rest of the community.  Praying and sharing the Word of God together is critical in faith formation. Celebrating the Eucharist sums up the Christian experience of being in communion with God and with each other.  This is then expressed in Christian fellowship through shared activities, shared meals where we are called to enjoy each other’s company and Christian love.

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