20170701
IS ANYTHING TOO
WONDERFUL FOR THE LORD?
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Genesis 18:1-15 ©
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The Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre while he was
sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He
looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them
he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and bowed to the ground. ‘My
lord,’ he said ‘I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your
servant by. A little water shall be brought; you shall wash your feet and lie
down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh
yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servant’s
direction.’ They replied, ‘Do as you say.’
Abraham
hastened to the tent to find Sarah.’ ‘Hurry,’ he said ‘knead three bushels of
flour and make loaves.’ Then running to the cattle Abraham took a fine and
tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking
cream, milk and the calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate
while he remained standing near them under the tree.
‘Where is
your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘She is in the tent’ he replied. Then his
guest said, ‘I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will
then have a son.’ Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have
her monthly periods. So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ‘Now that I am past
the age of child-bearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my
way again!’ But the Lord asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Am I
really going to have a child now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for
the Lord? At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will
have a son.’ ‘I did not laugh’ Sarah said, lying because she was afraid. But he
replied, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Luke 1:46-50,53-55 ©
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The Lord remembered his mercy.
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
The Lord remembered his mercy.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
The Lord remembered his mercy.
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
The Lord remembered his mercy.
He protects Israel, his servant,
remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.
The Lord remembered his mercy.
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.2Tim1:10
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Mt8:17
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Alleluia, alleluia!
He took our sicknesses away,
and carried our diseases for us.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 8:5-17 ©
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When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded
with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great
pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied,
‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my
servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under
me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes;
to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was
astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in
Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from
east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the
feast in the kingdom of heaven; but the subjects of the kingdom will be turned
out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ And to
the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go back, then; you have believed, so let this be
done for you.’ And the servant was cured at that moment.
And going
into Peter’s house Jesus found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with fever. He
touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on
him.
That evening
they brought him many who were possessed by devils. He cast out the spirits
with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfil the prophecy of
Isaiah:
He took our sicknesses away and carried our diseases for us.
IS ANYTHING TOO WONDERFUL FOR THE
LORD?
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: [ Gn 18:1-15; Lk 1:46-50,53-55; Mt 8:5-17
]
In the first reading, we see the wonderful hospitality of Abraham in
welcoming his guests. Abraham was a man of generosity
and hospitality. We are told that he was very attentive and welcoming to
his guests. When he saw the three visitors, “he ran from the entrance of
the tent to meet them, and bowed to the ground. ‘My Lord,’ he said ‘I beg
you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by.’” He
was just happy to receive guests into his house. His hospitality went
beyond that of a normal host.
Instead of allowing his servants to attend to the guests, he personally
served them. He became a servant to his guests. “As
soon as he saw them he said, ‘A little water shall be brought; you shall wash
your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and
you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have
come in your servant’s direction.’” Then “Abraham hastened to the tent to find
Sarah. ‘Hurry,’ he said ‘knead three bushels of flour and make loaves.’
Then running to the cattle Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to
the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking cream, milk and the
calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained
standing near them under the tree.” Indeed, Abram was attentive to the
last point. He was a person of sincerity in wanting his guests to feel
comfortable in his tent.
We also read of the wonderful love of the centurion for his suffering
slave. “When Jesus went into Capernaum a
centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is
lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’” He was only a
servant. In those days, servants were slaves and they did not mean much to
the master. They were at their beck and call. Often they were
expected to work all day and night. But they had no rights. So it
was exceptional that the Centurion, hated by the Jews for being a Roman and an
occupier of the land, should turn to the Lord to heal his servant. Such
kindness of the Roman centurion who went out of the way to ask our Lord to heal
his servant, and considering that he was a pagan, was certainly exceptional.
If human beings could be so wonderful, kind and generous, how much more
God would be towards us? God surely cannot be outdone in
generosity. When He sees us so generous and caring towards others, He
will surely bless us abundantly. God’s response to our goodness is
even more wonderful. This was precisely the question of the Lord.
The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Am I really going to
have a child now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?
At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will have a
son.” How could the Lord not be more wonderful in love and care for each
one of us, more than anyone of us could ever be?
Indeed, we must not be skeptical like Sarah who was not too convinced
that God’s love and power could make the dream happen, after all they waited
for almost 24 years and nothing happened. “Abraham
and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have monthly
periods. So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ‘Now that I am past the
age of child-bearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again!’”
Precisely, this God is a God of surprises. When we least expect Him, He
is there. So God, through the three men, promised that Sarah would
conceive and have a child by next year. He gave Abraham and Sarah a child
in their old age. What He did for Sarah and Abraham, He did for the
servant of the Centurion who was in pain. He healed the servant from afar
even though He wanted personally to go down to Capernaum to see the
servant. “I will come myself and cure him.” Nothing was too
difficult for Him to do.
However, to receive the miracles of the Lord, we must be humble and
trusting in the Lord. We need to have faith for the
miracle to happen. That was why Sarah was reprimanded for laughing.
She was not convinced that such a promise could be fulfilled. She was
half believing and half wondering whether it could be real. But the
Centurion, in contrast, was a man of extraordinary faith. He did not need
Jesus to go to his house to heal the servant. He was sensitive to the
conventional customs that surrounded the Jews. So he told the Lord, “Sir,
I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant
will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and I have soldiers under
me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes;
to my servant: Do this, and he does it.” He was full of confidence that
all that was needed was a word from the Lord for his servant to be well.
The Lord was full of praise for Him. “When Jesus heard this he was
astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in
Israel have I found faith like this.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go
back, then; you have believed, so let this be done for you.’ And the
servant was cured at that moment.”
Such faith in God’s power requires an act of humility. Abraham
and Sarah were humble servants to the three guests. They were always
ready to give and serve others. This was in spite of the fact that they
were rich. But they were not living a high and mighty life. Rather,
they saw themselves as servants to their fellowmen. So, too, the
Centurion! He humbled himself to ask for the healing of his slave.
Although, he was an officer, he did not feel embarrassed to ask the Lord for
help. He was not too proud to ask a favour from Him. The gateway to
God and all miracles is humility. God only works on those who are humble
of heart. The responsorial psalm says we must rely on the power of
God. “He looks on his servant in her nothingness; henceforth all
ages will call me blessed. The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy his
name! His mercy is from age to age, on those who fear him. He fills the
starving with good things, sends the rich away empty. He protects Israel, his
servant, remembering his mercy, the mercy promised to our fathers, to Abraham
and his sons for ever.”
Indeed, today, the Lord wants to continue to heal us. But we must
grow in faith in His love and mercy. Jesus is our healer. He
comes to take away our pains and our sorrows. “And going into Peter’s
house Jesus found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with fever. He touched her
hand and the fever left her, and she got up and she began to wait on him.
That evening they bought him many who were possessed by devils. He cast
out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to
fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: He took our sicknesses away and carried
our diseases for us.” He is ever ready to heal us provided we have the
faith. Like those people during the time of Jesus who could not afford
any medical help, they looked to the Lord to find healing. And we read
that Jesus healed all those who came to Him in faith and love.
Indeed, there is a warning against pride and the lack of faith.
We will be put out of the kingdom. Jesus said, “I tell you that many will
come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
at the feast on the kingdom of heaven; but the subjects of the kingdom will be
turned out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
Jesus came for the Jews but many did not open themselves up to them. They
were missing out the love and mercy of God through Christ Jesus. Because
of pride and selfishness, they were not receptive to His message and healing
grace.
So let us never think that the Lord is not more wonderful than us.
He is a God who wants to show us His love and power. But He would not
force Himself on us. He leaves it free for us to respond to His
love. In faith and trust, and in humility, let us turn to God, rely on His
grace whilst doing all we can on our part. When we cooperate with His
grace, just like Abraham and Sarah, and the Centurion, the Lord shows forth His
power and manifests His love for us.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh,
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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