20170802
RADIATING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Exodus 34:29-35 ©
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When Moses came down from the mountain of Sinai – as he came
down from the mountain, Moses had the two tablets of the Testimony in his
hands – he did not know that the skin on his face was radiant after
speaking with the Lord. And when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses,
the skin on his face shone so much that they would not venture near him. But
Moses called to them, and Aaron with all the leaders of the community came back
to him; and he spoke to them. Then all the sons of Israel came closer, and he
passed on to them all the orders that the Lord had given him on the mountain of
Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his
face. Whenever he went into the Lord’s presence to speak with him, Moses would
remove the veil until he came out again. And when he came out, he would tell
the sons of Israel what he had been ordered to pass on to them, and the sons of
Israel would see the face of Moses radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back
over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 98(99):5-7,9 ©
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You are holy, O Lord our God.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before Zion, his footstool.
He the Lord is holy.
You are holy, O Lord our God.
Among his priests were Aaron and Moses,
among those who invoked his name was Samuel.
They invoked the Lord and he answered.
You are holy, O Lord our God.
To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud.
They did his will; they kept the law,
which he, the Lord, had given.
You are holy, O Lord our God.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before his holy mountain
for the Lord our God is holy.
You are holy, O Lord our God.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ps118:105
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is a lamp for my steps
and a light for my path.
Alleluia!
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Or
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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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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.’
RADIATING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Ex 34:29-35; Ps 98:5-7,9; Mt 13:44-46
]
In the first
reading, we read how the skin on Moses’ face was so “radiant after
speaking with the Lord”, so much so “that they would not venture near
him.” Indeed, Moses must have been so transformed in likeness to
God that the sons of Israel were unsure whether it was safe to approach Moses.
In his radiance, the people could see the glory of God in Moses. Hence,
in the presence of God, one is filled with awe and reverence.
Not only did
Moses radiate the presence of God but he also brought the Word of God. We are told that when
he came down from the mountain, he “had the two tablets of the Testimony in his
hands” and “all the sons of Israel came closer, and he passed on to them all
the orders that the Lord had given him on the mountain of Sinai.” This
became the pattern of his relationship with God and his people. He became the
mediator. Earlier on, Moses played the role of intercessor, asking God for
pardon for the sins of his people. But beyond an intercessory role, Moses
was the prophet that brought the Word of God to his people. “Whenever he
went into the Lord’s presence to speak with him, Moses would remove the veil
until he come out again. And when he came out, he would tell the sons of
Israel what he had been ordered to pass on to them, and the sons of Israel
would see the face of Moses radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back
over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.”
What was the
secret of Moses in fulfilling his role as the mediator of God, radiating His
presence and giving His word to the people? Clearly, it was because of
Moses’ intimacy with the Lord. God spoke to “Moses face to face, as a
man speaks to his friend.” (Ex 33:11)
The Lord said to Moses, “I know you by name, and you have also found favor in
my sight.” (Ex 33:12) Indeed, it was because of Moses’
closeness with the Lord that he was able to share His heart and His mind.
He was one with God in His love for the people. He felt for his people as
God felt for them. Only a man who knows God can reveal His thoughts and
His heart to the people. It was at the mountain that God spoke to Moses
and revealed His thoughts in the commandments.
Indeed, this
was said of Jesus as well. “No one has ever seen God; only the Son, who
is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” (Jn 1:18)
In His last testament, Jesus said, “O righteous Father, the world has not known
thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me. I made
known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (Jn 17:25f)
Truly, Jesus Himself said “All things have been delivered to me by my Father;
and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except
the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Mt 11:27)
Other than Moses, no one has seen God and known God as Jesus did.
The secret of
Jesus’ intimacy with His Father was the same as that of Moses. He would spend time
in prayer with His Father. After a long day’s ministry, He would retire
in prayer. “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the
hills by himself to pray.” (Mt 14:23)
“And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely
place, and there he prayed.” (Mk 1:35)
And before important decisions, He would pray. “In these days he went out
into the hills to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. And
when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he
named apostles.” (Lk 6:12f) Jesus knew that He must first receive
the love from His Father and hear from Him before He could be transformed in
love and be able to transmit all that He heard from His Father to us.
Jesus was fully aware that He had come to reveal His love for us. All
that He said and did were to reveal the Father’s love and mercy.
In this
sense, Moses and the Lord shared the experience of finding the greatest
treasure in life, which is intimacy with the Father. It is the love of the
Father that kept them focused on their mission. Both parables of the
hidden treasure and the fine pearls speak of this great discovery. If
only we know the treasure we have, then we too would be elated. A person
who finds such a treasure will have a radical transformation and make radical
decisions. Moses left everything for God to deliver His people because He
found the treasure at the Burning Bush. There Moses found God as the
compassionate and merciful one. Jesus at His baptism also experienced the
overwhelming love of His Father which was the beginning of His mission.
If we want to commit ourselves to the service of God, we too must find the
treasure of our life, which is to be with God, sharing in His love and in His
life. This was the same experience of St Paul when he wrote, “For it is
the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the
transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Cor 4:6f)
Secondly, the
parables of the hidden treasure and fine pearl tell us that when we find such a
treasure, we must give up everything to buy it. Jesus said, “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.” There is a price to be paid for what we desire. We must
give all our heart to what we value in this life. If God is the greatest
treasure in our lives, then we must not allow other things and people to take
us away from Him. This is what Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not
take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their
life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 10:37-39)
In other words, we must put Jesus at the center of our lives, and in all that
we do or say, be guided by Him alone.
How then can
we find this treasure in our lives today? How can we discover that God is
the greatest treasure of our life? The gospel tells us that we can find
this treasure in the ordinariness of our daily life. The lesson of the
first parable tells us that he found it whilst working in the field. He
discovered the treasure not so much by chance but because he was going on about
his daily chores and duties. We, too, if we are diligent in carrying out
our responsibilities well, we will meet God and find Him in our daily
tasks. St Theresa of the Child Jesus reminds us that holiness is doing
ordinary things extraordinarily well. God is found in prayer and in silence
but also as we fulfill the tasks He appoints for us to do each day, in our
chores at home, in the office and in helping our brothers and sisters.
Secondly, we
can find this treasure if we desire it. We must also search for it. Unlike in the first
parable, the man in the second parable found the treasure by chance. He
actively went in search of the fine pearl. We too must work with grace by
seeking for the ultimate treasure in our life. For some people, God comes
to them in ways beyond their expectations. For some, God wants them to
find Him through study, prayer, and research. We must make ourselves
available to the different ways that the Lord wants to touch us, by going for
retreats, reading spiritual books or making time for personal prayer. It
is not enough to say that God is far from me, if we do not make ourselves
available to Him. It is necessary that we find the will of God for
ourselves so that we can give ourselves fully to Him and His will.
Regardless
whether we find the treasure by chance or by hard work, when we find it, we
will find absolute joy in life. We will find our fulfillment. In our joy,
in our radical transformation as we give up everything to the Lord, we will
find great freedom and peace. Only in that peace and joy can we radiate
what we have received. Only in the joy and peace of the Lord can we be
His messengers of peace and joy; and be radiant with His love wherever we go
and whoever we meet. Indeed, Pope Francis reminds us that to be missionaries
of the Good News, we must first receive the good news of joy ourselves.
Pope Francis wrote, “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment,
to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to
letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day.
No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since ‘no
one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.’”
(EG 3)
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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