20170621 PASSION AND MOTIVATION
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
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First
reading
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2 Corinthians 9:6-11 ©
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Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow,
the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind,
not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful
giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send
you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for
yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare
for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in
almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.
The one who provides seed for the
sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make
the harvest of your good deeds a larger one, and, made richer in every way, you
will be able to do all the generous things which, through us, are the cause of
thanksgiving to God.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 111(112):1-4,9 ©
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Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel
Acclamation
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cf.Col3:16a,17
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you;
through him give thanks to God the Father.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Jn14:23
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Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 ©
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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good
deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all
reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it
trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in
the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their
reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is
doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is
done in secret will reward you.
‘And when you pray, do not imitate
the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues
and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they
have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you
have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your
Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a
gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are
fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast,
put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are
fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father
who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’
PASSION AND MOTIVATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 2 Cor 9:6-11; Ps 111:1-4,9; Mt 6:1-6. 16-18 ]
Happiness in life is
dependent on the state of mind and heart more than the external
realities. In order to live happily and be fulfilled in life, we need to have
a passion for something. We need to be driven by some goals in
life. It is sad to see that many people live their lives without a
purpose. Instead of growing through life, they go through life like a
blind man or a zombie. They live without purpose, without any
motivation. For such people, they live a mediocre life, a life of
boredom, of drudgery. They are merely existing but not living.
Such is the case of the
unmotivated child in school. Many drag their feet to school each day as if it is a
punishment. They hate school and detest their books. They
only want to play computer games, hang out with friends and bum around.
This is the only thing that motivates them – pleasure! They have no real
motivation to sustain them and as a result waste their lives, achieving nothing
great for themselves or for others. On the contrary, those students who
are motivated often do well in their studies without much coercion or pressure
from their teachers or their parents. They are resourceful and full of
initiative. Their life is always filled with activities and
vibrancy. They seem to have so many things to accomplish but so little
time.
This is also true for a
worker without passion in the office. Many are there just to make a living. They do not
have any real passion for their work. They are not interested nor believe
in what they do. It is just a job! Their real interest is
again pleasure. They want to quickly get out of the office so that
they can be with their friends or their loved ones. Such workers cannot
perform. Life in the office is a misery. Not only do they make
their lives miserable but they cause others in the office to feel miserable
too. They create problems for their colleagues and are often not cooperative
and won’t go the extra mile. But a worker who is motivated is different.
He is proactive, resourceful, creative and takes pride in his work. He is
hardworking and passionate.
Again, it can happen to
those who are retired without any meaningful retirement plan. Many think that
retirement from work is also retirement from life. They spend their time
sleeping, eating, drinking and enjoying themselves. After some time, they
fall into boredom because they discover that they are not wanted or useful
anymore. They find themselves living an animalistic life, a shallow
lifestyle, without any growth in mind and spirit. Worst of all, they
become psychologically insecure and physically their health, body and mind deteriorate
at a much faster rate. In truth, one can never retire from work because
it is work, especially meaningful work, that keeps us alive and healthy.
Hence, the question
that is addressed today is, what is motivating us in our passion? Happiness
in life is found not so much in what we do but why we do what we do.
External performance cannot give us happiness. This is because we are not
giving ourselves wholeheartedly to what we do. We are no better than
robots.
There are two ways to be
motivated; either by love of self or love of God and others. For those who are motivated
by love of self, their only concern is what they can get out of it. In
other words, it is the question of reward – what do we get for doing what we
do? People are motivated by rewards. Sometimes they are motivated
by the stick! They are afraid of punishment. Is it wrong to
be motivated by reward? The question is not so much the reward but
what kind of rewards are we seeking?
For those of us who are
motivated by love of self, the fundamental motive is power. This will for power is
expressed in seeking rewards that range from material goods to ambition. The
lowest rung of motivation is wealth and pleasure. Wealth of
course is a form of power. It gives us control over our lives and even
that of others. That is why, as St Paul said in the first reading, some
do not give because they are afraid to be deprived of what they have and so
lose their security and control. Others give because they hope to get
more in return. It is a kind of investment. This is particularly
true for those who make use of religion and worship of God for monetary gain
and material prosperity.
There are others who are not
so much motivated by money but by status, prestige and recognition.This is the criticism of
Jesus against the Jewish religious leaders. They fasted, gave alms and
prayed for the wrong reasons. These external performances were merely for
people to see so that they could be praised and exalted. They did not
perform them out of inner conviction but to get publicity and approval.
Indeed, there are many who do all sorts of good works and services for the
Church and the community because they want the world to see and honor
them. Indeed, some are more concerned about leaving a legacy for
themselves than for others.
For those of us who seek
such materialistic and worldly rewards, Jesus says, this is just what you get. Three times, He said,
“I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward.” St Paul also said, “Do not
forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap.”
The truth is that such rewards cannot give us real happiness. They make
us more insecure and unfulfilled. Living a life of pleasure will reduce
us to the life of an animal and we lose appreciation of our self-worth and most
of all, meaning and purpose in life. For those who seek power and
recognition, they are always insecure because they are dependent on what people
say or think of them. They lack the inner freedom to live their lives
joyfully.
So what makes us truly happy
in life? Ironically, we must be motivated in order to live
passionately. However, this is true for those of us seeking material
gains. For a Christian, his giving is not motivated by external
factors. If there is any motivation at all, it comes from within and
often unconsciously. This explains why Jesus said, “when you give alms, your
left hand must not know what your right is doing; your alms-giving must be
secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward
you.” In other words, we give because the love of God in our heart
that overflows to others. Such giving is not compelled by fear or force
but by love. Such a person gives without knowing that he is giving because
giving and loving is part of his nature. This is the way God gives.
God cannot but give because He is love. This giving is without motivation
because it flows from within our hearts. When a person is able to give
without motivation, he has become identified with love itself.
Hence, St Paul tells
us that happiness comes from giving from our heart. “Each one should
give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made
to, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Giving should never be made under
compulsion because neither the giver nor the recipient is happy in the
end. No one is happy to receive anything from someone who gives
grudgingly. Giving should come from a heart of love. We give
because we want to and desire to. When we are motivated by service of
others, we forget about ourselves.
What, then, are the rewards
that we will be blessed with? It is the joy of giving. When we give from our heart
and help those in need, there is a joy that cannot be described. In loving and
helping others, we actually love ourselves as well. To know that we have
brought joy and hope to someone makes us feel that we have not lived our life
in vain. This is a most satisfying reward that money and power cannot
buy. Indeed, the best way to love ourselves is to love oneself in
others. The poor are sent by God to give us love. So anyone who
gives, shares in the joy of God.
Secondly, the reward of
doing good is that you will be able to do even more. This is what St Paul
said, “The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for the food will
provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds
a larger one, and, made richer in every way, you will be able to do all the
generous things which, through us, are the cause of thanksgiving to God.”
When we do good and serve our fellowmen, God will bless us with more resources
to bless others. When we give, we will be blessed with love and a greater
capacity to love. The more we love, the bigger we grow in
magnanimity. The happiness of a man is dependent on how big his heart
is. We become a channel of grace to others. And as we serve others
in greater ways, the greater is our joy.
Thirdly, the Lord will bless
us in return, not because we expect to receive any blessings but because love
attracts love. Hence, St Paul says, “There is no limit to the blessings
which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you
need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to
spare for all sorts of good works.” We are blessed with friends as
well because when we love others, it is natural that people will respond in
love as well. Those who have no friends are those who only love and care for
themselves. Most of all, we will be rich in God because we become more
and more like Him. Those who love will see God in the poor and in turn
will find deep joy and peace.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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