20170730
A DISCERNING HEART
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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1 Kings 3:5,7-12 ©
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The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, ‘Ask what you
would like me to give you.’ Solomon replied, ‘O Lord my God, you have made your
servant king in succession to David my father. But I am a very young man,
unskilled in leadership. Your servant finds himself in the midst of this people
of yours that you have chosen, a people so many its number cannot be counted or
reckoned. Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good
and evil, for who could govern this people of yours that is so great?’ It
pleased the Lord that Solomon should have asked for this. ‘Since you have asked
for this’ the Lord said ‘and not asked for long life for yourself or riches or
the lives of your enemies, but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself,
here and now I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as none
before you has had and none will have after you.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 118(119):57,72,76-77,127-130 ©
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Lord, how I love your law!
My part, I have resolved, O Lord,
is to obey your word.
The law from your mouth means more to me
than silver and gold.
Lord, how I love your law!
Let your love be ready to console me
by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come and I shall live
for your law is my delight.
Lord, how I love your law!
That is why I love your commands
more than finest gold,
why I rule my life by your precepts,
and hate false ways.
Lord, how I love your law!
Your will is wonderful indeed;
therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light
and teaches the simple.
Lord, how I love your law!
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Second reading
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Romans 8:28-30 ©
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We know that by turning everything to their good, God co-operates
with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his
purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become
true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers.
He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with
those he justified he shared his glory.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn15:15
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Mt11:25
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.kingdom.
Alleluia!
EITHER:
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Gospel
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Matthew 13:44-52 ©
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He
sells everything he owns and buys the field
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Jesus said to the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy,
sells everything he owns and buys the field.
‘Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one
of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
‘Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of
all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down,
they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use.
This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate
the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there
will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
‘Have you
understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every
scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder
who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’
OR:
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Alternative
Gospel
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Matthew 13:44-46 ©
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He
sells everything he owns and buys the field
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Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy,
sells everything he owns and buys the field.
‘Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one
of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’
A DISCERNING HEART
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 KGS 3:5,7-12, ROM 8:28-30, MT 13:44-52 or MT 13:44-46 ]
Everyone
seeks happiness in life. No one wants to suffer. We seek the things that can
make us happy; pleasure, comfort, love, unity and peace. But what brings
us misery is the means by which we use to achieve our desires. Many of us
mistake the means for the ends. As a result, some of us are consumed by
the means and forget the real objectives we seek in life. Indeed, many of
us think that money is everything when money is only a means to provide comfort
and security. But money cannot buy love or peace. In fact, too much
money causes us as much worry as one who lacks money. The desire
for wealth is the cause of much division, corruption, cheating, dishonesty and
even killing. It is the same for the desire for power. We all
desire security and we think that power can give us security when in truth the
more powerful we are, the more insecure we become. Rich and powerful
people are the most insecure people in the world and that is why they need lots
of security around them.
What we need
is a discerning heart to know what is truly good for us, to distinguish the
means from the ends. What is the use of having the means when the end is not
attained? What is the use of having lots of money when the family is
alienated and we are distant from each other because we have no time for one
another? What is the use of power and fame at the expense of our freedom to be
who we are and what we are, to go where we like? Indeed, it is the lack
of discernment that causes us to suffer much in life. We make the wrong
decisions. We choose the wrong things in life. Most of us tend to
choose what is obvious or pleasing to the eye and heart without considering the
long term implications. This is the foolishness of the world today; the
world of consumerism, the world of immediate gratification. People today
cannot wait. They must get what they want in an instant. So many of
the policies that are put in place today are to satisfy the wants of the people
but we do not think of the long term implications for our children, the future
generation and the future of humanity. Whether it is the question of
euthanasia, divorce, same-sex union, promiscuity, and all the other bio ethical
issues, and the effects of globalization and migration, ecology, we never
really give serious thought to the implications of such trends.
The art of
discernment is the theme of all the scripture readings today. King Solomon, when
invited to ask a gift from the Lord asked for a discerning heart. “Give
your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, for
who could govern this people of yours that is so great?” So too in the
gospel, Jesus spoke of the parable of the dragnet. “When it is full, the
fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a
basket and throw away those that are no use.” Judgment is inevitable.
When we know
how to make proper discernment, we will find ultimate happiness. The Lord was pleased
with Solomon. “’Since you have asked for this’ the Lord said ‘and not
asked for long life for yourself or riches or the lives of your enemies, but
have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, here and now I do what you
ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as none before you has had and none
will have after you.’” Truly, when we make right choices, the rest would
also be given to us. We protect the other things of life as well, such as
wealth, status and power. When we use them wisely for the good and
service of all, we preserve what we have and even increase them all the
more. Wise judgement will spare us the time to repair damages caused by
imprudent decisions.
How, then, do
we make proper discernment? Judgement on objective matters is much easier than
matters of the heart. King Solomon did very well as a king. He was able to
govern the people with wisdom, impartiality and justice. Indeed, he was a
very capable king and was able to unite the kingdom. It was during his
reign that the kingdom became prosperous, strong, united and famous, so much so
that the Queen of Sheba came to visit him. (cf 1 Kgs 10:1-13)
However, when
it came to personal matters, Solomon made a mess of his life. He did not
know how to handle his personal affairs. He had everything cut out for him.
He received a sound religious education from his father, King David. He
was a promising youth and intellectually brilliant. He completed building
the temple of Jerusalem for his father. But what caused his downfall was
his self-indulgence, his sin of the flesh. Morally, he was weak and fell
into the sin of lust. He failed to listen to the prophet on avoiding bad
companions. He took in foreign wives that did not share his faith.
He turned to other gods as well, influenced by his pagan wives. His
wealth also became a source of temptation for him. He was too extravagant
and that led to increased taxation and suffering for the people.
How true for
us too! We can be successful in our career and in our work but when it
comes to running the family, including our marriage, we are a failure. We cannot live in
peace and love with our spouse. We are always fighting with each other,
arguing and cannot agree on anything. Instead of being a support and
helpmate to each other, we become a checkmate and a judge. We are not on
good terms with our children and in-laws as well. We do not have enough
time to spend with them. The relationship becomes distant and so we are
strangers to each other. We no longer enjoy each other’s company and we
avoid each other more and more. Very soon, from strangers, we become enemies
of each other. So what is the use of our success? Successful
in work and business but failure in famly life! This is the greatest form of
failure and the cause of misery and loneliness!
How then do
we discern? We must put God first in our lives. This is what the
two parables of the pearl and treasure seek to teach us. The first man
discovers the treasure that is hidden in a field and he goes off to sell
everything to buy it. He would pay anything to buy that treasure. This treasure
meant everything to him. The other merchant found a pearl of great
value. He too went and sold everything to buy it. Such was the
price they were willing to pay to obtain what they discerned to be the ultimate
happiness in their lives. Is God our treasure of all treasures? Is
Christ the Word of God and the Wisdom of God in person for us? If so,
then Jesus says, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt 6:33)
To seek the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness is to live like sons and daughters of
God. As St Paul reminds us, “They are the ones he chose specially long
ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the
eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called
he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.” We
are called to live the life of Christ which is a life of love, service and
compassion, for the glory of God and for the good of our fellowmen.
Consequently,
as children of God, we live by the will of God. When we put God as
the ultimate treasure in our lives, all that we do will be subordinated to the
rule of God in our lives. Our measure of judgement will be the measure
God judges us with. The psalmist says, “you are justified in your
sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.” (Ps 51:4)
The responsorial psalm urges us to take the laws of God as our guiding
principles in life. “Lord, how I love your law! My part, I
have resolved, O Lord, is to obey your word. The law from your mouth
means more to me than silver and gold. That is why I love your commands more
than finest gold, why I rule my life by your precepts, and hate false ways.”
Indeed, if we
cooperate with the will of God, then He will ensure that everything will turn
out for our good. This is what St Paul says. “We know that by turning
everything to their good, God co-operates with all those who love him, with all
those that he has called according to his purpose.” He will give us
the necessary means, as He gave to Solomon the wisdom that he needed to guide
his peoples, but He asks for our co-operation. It is not enough to pray
for the gifts of God, if we do not use them accordingly in our daily
life. Unless we use it well, we will only destroy ourselves and those
under our care. But if we do, then we will find ultimate happiness and
joy in life.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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