20170613
REKINDLING OUR ZEAL FOR THE LORD
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
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First reading
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2 Corinthians 1:18-22 ©
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I swear by God’s truth, there is no Yes and No about what we say
to you. The Son of God, the Christ Jesus that we proclaimed among you – I
mean Silvanus and Timothy and I – was never Yes and No: with him it was
always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes to them all is in
him. That is why it is ‘through him’ that we answer Amen to the praise of God.
Remember it is God himself who assures us all, and you, of our standing in
Christ, and has anointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge,
the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 118(119):129-133,135 ©
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Let your face shine on your servant.
Your will is wonderful indeed;
therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple.
Let your face shine on your servant.
I open my mouth and I sigh
as I yearn for your commands.
Turn and show me your mercy;
show justice to your friends.
Let your face shine on your servant.
Let my steps be guided by your promise;
let no evil rule me.
Let your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.
Let your face shine on your servant.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ph2:15-16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Mt5:16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your light must shine in the sight of men,
so that, seeing your good works,
they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 5:13-16 ©
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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But
if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for
nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.
‘You are the
light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights
a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for
everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of
men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father
in heaven.’
REKINDLING OUR ZEAL FOR THE LORD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 2 Cor 1:18-22; Ps 118:129-133,135; Mt 5:13-16 ]
In today’s
gospel, Jesus said to His disciples: “’You are the salt of the earth.’… ‘You
are the light of the world.’” Clearly, Jesus expects His disciples to
make a difference in the lives of their fellowmen. Do we bring our riches
to enrich the rest of humanity? Do we share our resources with others to make
this world a better place? Like salt, we are called to make this world a
vibrant place to live in. Like salt, we are called to add value to
what others are doing. Unless, we make positive contributions to the
lives of our fellowmen we are not living out the gospel.
Besides being
the salt of the world, we are called also to be the light of humanity. Our task as Christians is to
lead people to the fullness of the light and the fullness of truth. We
who have been enlightened in the truth about our identity as the sons and
daughters of God and called to share in the life of Christ must, like St Paul,
also proclaim the mystery of God’s plan for all humanity. All of us are
members of the family of God but not all are aware of their calling to share in
the fullness of life that Christ has shown us in His passion, death and
resurrection. Most of all, we are called to share in the Trinitarian life
of God, a life of joy, abundant love and life.
However, the
more important questions are those which Jesus posed to us – “But if salt
becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? A city built
on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it
under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the
house.” The truth is that some of us who have been passionate in
spreading the Good News to everyone have lost our passion and zeal.
Indeed, there is much turnover in Church membership and active
involvement. Many who are newly baptized or have found the Lord are full
of life and are committed to many activities in the Church. They are
zealous and happy to be able to serve Christ in His Church. But along the
way, many lose their zeal. Some become jaded, others are disillusioned
and some even resentful.
What are the
reasons for losing our zeal and our shine? Firstly, we fall into
routine. When we do the same thing again and again, we get used to what we
do. Initially, we do with our mind and heart. But when such activities,
which include spiritual practices such as daily mass, meditation and devotional
prayers are repeated, they get done mechanically. The lips are moving but
the heart is far from God. This is true even in Church activities.
We can simply be singing correctly in the choir but without the heart and the
sentiments. We can be teaching catechism but we are just imparting
information, not a conviction. Extra-ordinary communion ministers could
just be distributing the hosts as quickly as they can, but without the
consciousness that they are bringing Christ to those who come to receive them.
Secondly, we
become jaded because of burnout. The danger for those who are active in Church is that
people are always looking for a willing horse. So those who are already
committed in the Church are often asked to do more and more. They join a
few organizations as their services are needed. They do not know how to
say “no.” Eventually, they over commit. They get tired and
fatigued. They have no time to pray or even have time for family and
work. As a result, everything starts crashing and from over involvement,
the person gives up everything.
Thirdly, we
lose our zeal because of the lack of support and opposition, not so much from
without the Church but from within. The most insidious enemies are those within the
Church. They have nothing but negative criticisms. They have
nothing good to say about anything. They are skeptical and destructive in what
they say. Some have ulterior motives because their interests are
compromised. Some seek power and popularity. When we meet such wet
blankets, we get easily discouraged. As it is, the work we do is out of
passion, voluntarism and generosity on our part. But when we receive
little support, we become disillusioned, resentful, and it would be a matter of
time before we lose our zeal and passion. We react by just maintaining the
status quo, afraid to rock the boat and become mediocre in our
commitment. The fire and zeal are extinguished by the harsh critics in
our life. After some time, we will say to ourselves, “Why should I suffer
such ingrates? Why should I be bothered with the organization; after all
I am providing a free service!” Truly, we have many good and dedicated
people who have given up serving the Church simply because they were rejected.
Fourthly,
some lose their zeal because of the world. Instead of changing the world, they have
allowed the values of the world to change them. Instead of Christianizing
the world, they have allowed the world to secularize them. When we are
too much of the world and not just in the world, we will lose our faith and
values. The truth is that many Catholics do not have Catholic friends of
Catholic influence other than the Sunday mass they attend. Being in the
world most of the time, they pick up values that are contrary to the gospel and
to the faith. As a result, the light that they have received from the
Lord dims over time. No one loses his faith immediately. But our
faith, just like love and zeal, dies out over time when we do not rekindle
it. So we must not allow the world to influence us; adopting values such
as promiscuity, consumerism, relativism and living a sensual life of pleasure
and fun.
“But if salt
becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again?” The responsorial psalm gives
us the answer. “Let your face shine on your servant. Your will is
wonderful indeed; therefore I obey it. The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple. Let my steps be guided by your promise; let no evil
rule me. Let your face shine on your servant and teach me your
decrees.” Indeed, there is no other way than to turn to the Lord
for His mercy and enlightenment. The lack of prayer life is the primary
cause of losing zeal and passion in our ministry. The lack of intimacy
with the Lord is the cause of losing our relationship with Him.
That is why St
Paul reminds us of the anointing that we have received and that we have been
given the first pledge of salvation. “Remember it is God himself who
assures us all, and you, of our standing in Christ, and has anointed us marking
us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we carry in our
hearts.” When we were baptized and when we received the Holy
Spirit, we were filled with His presence and given the gifts as well.
What we need to do is to renew our lives in the Holy Spirit. We need to
renew our relationship with the Lord, contemplating on the Word of God and
receiving the sacraments with devotion and fervor.
Finally, let
us cling to the fidelity of God towards us. St Paul was able to remain firm in his
faith and ministry because he knew that Christ is reliable. He said, “I
swear by God’s truth, there is no Yes and No about what we say to you.
The Son of God, the Christ Jesus that we proclaimed among you was never Yes and
No: with him it was always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes
to them all is in him. That is why it is ‘through him’ that we answer
Amen to the praise of God.” We can rely on Christ because He is the
fulfillment of the promises of God as prophesied in the Old
Testament. In Christ, all that God has promised His people are
fulfilled. That is why, Christ is the fulfillment of the plan of God for
humanity. With confidence in Christ’s fidelity to us, we can
continue to persevere in our faith and ministry, regardless of the trials and
difficulties,because we know that just as the Father was faithful to Jesus even
at death, He will be faithful to us if we continue to shine in the sight of
men, so that, seeing our good works, they may give the praise to our Father in
heaven.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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