20170525 MAKING THE DREAM OF JESUS FOR HUMANITY OURS
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
These
readings are for the Vigil Mass on the evening before the feast:
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First reading
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Acts 1:1-11 ©
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In my earlier work,
Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the
beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen
through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive
to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had
continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had
been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait
there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have
heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now,
will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
Now
having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to
restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or
dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not
only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of
the earth.’
As he
said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from
their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in
white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee
standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into
heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go
there.’
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm
46(47):2-3,6-9 ©
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God goes up with
shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
All peoples, clap
your hands,
cry to
God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the
Most High, we must fear,
great
king over all the earth.
God goes up with
shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
God goes up with
shouts of joy;
the Lord
goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God,
sing praise,
sing
praise to our king, sing praise.
God goes up with
shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
God is king of all
the earth,
sing
praise with all your skill.
God is king over the
nations;
God
reigns on his holy throne.
God goes up with
shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
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Second reading
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Ephesians
1:17-23 ©
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May the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and
perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he
enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds
for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how
infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you
can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to
raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far
above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name
that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put
all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of
the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole
creation.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Mt28:19,20
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of
all the nations.
I am with you always;
yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 28:16-20
©
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Go and make
disciples of all nations
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The eleven disciples
set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them.
When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came
up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given
to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to
observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes,
to the end of time.’
These
readings are for the day of the feast itself:
MAKING
THE DREAM OF JESUS FOR HUMANITY OURS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [
ACTS 1:1-11; PS 46:2-3,6-9; EPH 1:17-23; MT 28:16-20]
This world is so divided.
Advancement in digital and social media, migration and travelling has turned
the world into a global village. With globalization comes increase in
tension as people grapple to deal with and adapt to people from different
nationalities, cultures and religions. Things said and done which are
perfectly acceptable within context, can easily become a source of provocation
if taken out of context and made viral via social media. Indeed, more
than ever the world has become an unsafe place to live in as wars could be
fought today without the need to even be physically present in your enemy’s
territory. Furthermore, when there is a growing divide between the rich
and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the perceived injustices can lead to
terrorist activities.
What, then, is our hope for the
world? What is your dream for this humanity? This hope is spelt out in
the Constitution of the Church. “For after we have obeyed the Lord, and in His
Spirit nurtured on earth the values of human dignity, brotherhood and freedom,
and indeed all the good fruits of our nature and enterprise, we will find them
again, but freed of stain, burnished and transfigured, when Christ hands over
to the Father: ‘a kingdom eternal and universal, a kingdom of truth and life,
of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace.’ On this earth that Kingdom
is already present in mystery. When the Lord returns it will be brought into
full flower.” (GS 39.4) This kingdom that we envisage therefore is
not a political kingdom, unlike what the disciples thought. Neither is it
a kingdom that is based on territory. It is the rule of God in our hearts
and minds. It is when we make Jesus as the Lord of our lives, sharing His
mind and heart in the way we deal with our brothers and sisters.
Ascension celebrates this dream that has
begun with the resurrection of Christ and His ascension into heaven. In
the Ascension of our Lord, we celebrate His Kingship and authority over the
nations. Now seated at the right hand of the Father, He is “far above
every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can
be named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. He has put all
things under his feet, and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of
the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole
creation.” Indeed, with His Ascension, Jesus is not just glorified
but He is invested with the power to empower all of us to bring about the
kingdom that He has started on earth. In the gospel, Jesus said,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Only
when everything is under Christ’s Lordship, will there be peace.
So like the disciples, we ask, “Lord, has
the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” The truth
is that this is not something to be left until the end of time. It must begin
now. That is what the Lord told the disciples. “It is not for you
to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, you
will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria,
and indeed to the ends of the earth.” We are called to realise this dream
of the kingdom of justice, love and peace according to our talents and
resources. That was what the Lord instructed His disciples. “Go,
therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the
commands I gave you.” We are to baptize, that is, transform the lives of
men according to the mind and heart of Christ. It is to live the
resurrected life in Christ. This calls for observance of all the commands
of Christ. The gospel of Christ is the map by which we are called to live
our lives, in charity, service, and mercy. Only when we are imbued with
the Word of God, the gospel of our Lord, can we live out the blueprint that the
Lord has imparted to us. Only when we decide to make the gospel as the
reference point and the guide, can the kingdom be established.
But dreaming is not enough, we need the
power. This can only come from the Lord Himself. This is what St
Paul said, “This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ,
when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right
hand, in heaven.” This power comes from the Holy Spirit when we are
identified with the Lord and when He lives in our hearts. Jesus
instructed the disciples “not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what
the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak
about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised
with the Holy Spirit.’” The bestowal of the Holy Spirit by the Lord is
the empowerment of every Christian to be a witness for Him. Indeed,
Jesus says, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then
you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and
Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.”
Truly, the Good News is that we too now
share in His power to establish the dream that God envisaged for
humanity. That is why St Paul wrote, “May he enlighten the eyes of your
mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he
has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that
he has exercised for us believers.” To realise this dream, we must
first keep our hope in focus, not just a hope for this life on earth but in the
life to come. It is this hope that can give us the power. It is
important to be clear of our hope in life. It is hope that keeps the fire
growing strong. We must keep the dream of Jesus with us in our
hearts. Is the dream of Jesus your dream? Until, we are convinced
that the dream Jesus started for us is a dream worth living for, then we can
start to do something about this dream.
Most of all, we need to deepen our faith
and knowledge of the Lord. It is the Holy Spirit that helps us to grow in
a fuller understanding and knowledge of Christ. “May the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception
of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him.” The Holy
Spirit leads us to Jesus Himself. This is what the Lord said, “I have yet
many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit
of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on
his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to
you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what
is mine and declare it to you.” (Jn 16:12-14) We need to continue with
our ongoing formation, like the disciples after the death and resurrection of
our Lord. We read from St Luke who wrote, “I dealt with everything Jesus
had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions
to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to
heaven.” We too need to strength our faith in Him so that we can
truly be His witnesses in the power of the Spirit.
Indeed, we will not be alone in this
proclamation of the Kingdom. Jesus has given us the assurance. “And
know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” The psalmist
says, “All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy! For
the Lord, the Most High, we must fear, great king over all the earth. God
goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. Sing
praise for God, sing praise, sing praise to our king.” Jesus will help us
and empower us. We must not work alone. Rather, as disciples
of Christ, sharing in our common baptism, as members of the One Body of Christ,
we must support each other, affirm each other so that together, each in our own
ways can fulfill the dream of Christ for us, now and in the world to come.
Consequently, from now until the Feast of
Pentecost, the Church invites us to wait and pray for the Holy Spirit.
The Lord has ascended on high to come back to give us the Gift of the Holy
Spirit. “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he
gave gifts to his people.” (Eph 4:8) The angel said, “Jesus who has been
taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way
as you have seen him go there.” Let us be receptive and docile to
the Holy Spirit through a yearning for Him again in prayers.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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