20170920 HOLINESS IN OUR TIMES
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Red.
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First reading
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1 Timothy 3:14-16 ©
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At the moment of writing to you, I am hoping
that I may be with you soon; but in case I should be delayed, I wanted you to
know how people ought to behave in God’s family – that is, in the Church
of the living God, which upholds the truth and keeps it safe. Without any
doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed:
He was made visible in the flesh,
attested by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the pagans,
believed in by the world,
taken up in glory.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 110(111):1-6 ©
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Great are the works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of the just and their
assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love them.
Great are the works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Majestic and glorious his work,
his justice stands firm for ever.
He makes us remember his wonders.
The Lord is compassion and love.
Great are the works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
He gives food to those who fear him;
keeps his covenant ever in mind.
He has shown his might to his people
by giving them the lands of the
nations.
Great are the works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.1Th2:13
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message for what it really is:
God’s message, and not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
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Or
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cf.Jn6:63,68
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 7:31-35 ©
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Jesus said to the people:
‘What
description can I find for the men of this generation? What are they like? They
are like children shouting to one another while they sit in the market-place:
‘“We played the pipes for you,
and you wouldn’t dance;
we sang dirges,
and you wouldn’t cry.”
‘For John the Baptist comes, not eating bread,
not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man comes, eating
and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners.” Yet Wisdom has been proved right by all her children.’
HOLINESS IN OUR TIMES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Tim 3:14-16; Ps 111:1-6; Lk 7:31-35 ]
St Paul wrote, “I wanted you to know how people ought to behave
in God’s family.” In every family and in every society, there are
norms of conduct that are expected from every one so that there will be
harmonious living, peace and unity. This is true of Church members.
There are certain rules governing how Christians must behave and conduct
themselves within the Church and outside the Church. But Christianity
must not be reduced to a set of rules and laws by which members are to
follow. It is not the observance of the laws themselves that are primary,
but living a life of holiness. The laws are meant to be an expression of
how holiness of life is to be lived.
So what does it mean to live a life of holiness? There is no one way to live a life of holiness. Whilst the
call to holiness of life is for all, the way we express and live out this life
of holiness is different. Different people, because of culture, status,
profession, age and health, are called to holiness in different ways.
Living a life of holiness is to live a holistic life in accordance with the
Spirit of the gospel, a life of wisdom, truth and love. The way each one
of us concretizes the Spirit of the gospel would differ.
Hence, some spiritualties are suitable for a period of time, within the historical context, the cultural situation and the
personalities involved. Indeed, the Church over the 2000 years of history
have encompassed a whole range of spirituality, from hermit to community
living, from contemplative to active apostolate, from extreme asceticism to a
life of moderation. It is not a question of who is right or wrong, or
which one is better. Spirituality is simply the way in which one seeks to
live out the life of the Spirit. In the final analysis, we need to ask
ourselves whether we are living a life of moderation, of truth, love,
compassion and charity.
In the gospel, we have an apparent contrast between the
spirituality of Jesus and that of John the Baptist. The latter, since he came before Jesus, was steeped in
Jewish spirituality, which is that of observance of the laws and the impending
judgement of God on humanity if they did not repent. So John the Baptist
fled from the temptations of the world by living a life of asceticism in the
desert, eating only wild honey. Because of his extreme ascetical
practices, he was perceived either as a holy man or, by his critics, as being
possessed by a demon. This was what Jesus said, “For John the Baptist comes,
not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, ‘He is possessed.’” In
contrast, when “the Son of Man comes, eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look,
a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” They
saw Jesus as anything but a rabbi or a prophet. He did not appear to be
like the prophets of His time because He was enjoying a good meal and having
fellowship with the most hated and ostracized people.
The spirituality of Jesus was that of the incarnation. This is what St Paul meant when he cited the hymn that was sung in
the early Church in praise of the humanity and divinity of Jesus.
“Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed: He was
made visible in the flesh, attested by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed
to the pagans, believed in by the world, taken up in glory.” In this
short hymn, the humanity and divinity of Jesus is recognized and
worshipped. Jesus the eternal Son of God was truly incarnated in the
flesh. He was truly a man and assumed our humanity in all its
dimensions. But at the same time, He was raised up from death to fullness
of life in the resurrection. He was given back His former glory of His
divinity. Jesus therefore shows us how to live by living the life
of a human being infused by the Spirit of God. He lived His life on earth
in the power of the Spirit. Although He was God, He did not exercise His
divine powers but allowed the Spirit to work in and through Him.
Accordingly, when St Paul speaks of “the Church of the living God,
which upholds the truth and keeps it safe”, he was referring to the centrality
of the doctrine of the Church, namely, the
incarnation of Christ, His passion, death and resurrection. The heart of
the Church’s spirituality is rooted in the incarnation of our Lord. In
Christ, there is one person with two natures, human and divine. The
humanity and divinity of our Lord is distinct but not separated. Neither
is it mixed or assumed into one nature.
From this fundamental Christological doctrine arises a balanced
spirituality. What does an incarnational spirituality look like?
The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. As
such, the body remains the window of the human spirit as well. The body
is matter and the soul is the form. Spirit has no matter and uses matter
to form it. Body therefore is an expression of how the soul in us
feels. Whether we are happy or sad, worried or carefree, are expressed
through our body. So the body mediates the thoughts and feelings of the
spirit. It is but a vehicle of expression. Conversely, the spirit
needs the body to mediate love, compassion, kindness and joy.
Conversely, the body also influences the spirit as well. If the body is well and healthy, it will give the spirit joy and a
sense of well-being. If the body is well fed, it will give satisfaction and
contentment to the spirit. So food and pleasure are good both for the
body and the spirit. When the body is well looked after, then the spirit
will be at peace. For this reason God, whilst is concerned with our spirit,
knows that we are not pure spirit. Our body needs sustenance and pleasure
as well. “Thus, He gives food to those who fear him; keeps his covenant
ever in mind. He has shown his might to his people by giving them the
lands of the nations.”
However, this unity and balance between the body and the spirit
must be maintained at all times. One cannot
do without the other. If the body is sick and neglected, or had too much
indulgence, the spirit also becomes sick and weary. Conversely, if the
spirit is neglected, the body would suffer because pleasure is not everything
in life. Too much physical enjoyment will cause the spirit to be
lethargic and listless. Thus, holiness is to strike a balance
between the care of our body and the spirit. Either extreme will make our
life miserable. But to live a life of holiness is to take everything we
have in moderation, whether it comes to food, enjoyment, sleep, sex and
spiritual life. We are called to live a life like Jesus who did not
disdain the human pleasures given to us as gifts from God. But He was not
addicted to any form of bodily cravings. He was free to be full or to be
hungry. This, precisely, was the spirituality of St Paul as well
when he wrote, “Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever
state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound;
in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and
hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens
me.” (Phil 4:11-13)
We must not make the same mistake of the Pharisees and the
scribes. They were finding fault with the
spirituality of John the Baptist and our Lord. It was not because
they disagreed, but because they were reprimanded by their way of life.
They were not sincere in living a life of truth and love. They were
finding reasons to justify their actions and their rejection of them. They were
hypocritical by pretending to observe the laws, but out of pride and
self-righteousness; not because of love and compassion. They were not
leaders with moral and spiritual integrity. Their lives were divided and
lacked integration between their spiritual life and how they lived out their
lives in charity.
Indeed, holiness is to live in such a way that our body is a
reflection of the interior Spirit of Christ living in us. We are called to glorify God with our body and in our
body. Through the body, we are called to mediate God’s compassion and love;
His joy and peace to others. Through the Holy Spirit, we are directed in the
way we live a life of charity. Living in the power of the Spirit as Jesus
did when He was on earth is how we are to live our lives
meaningfully. The psalmist says, “Majestic and glorious his
work, his justice stands firm for ever. He makes us remember his
wonders. The Lord is compassion and love.” This is how the
friends of Jesus would live their lives. “Yet wisdom has been proved
right by all her children.” We who are the children of God must live
accordingly like Jesus, glorifying God in and through our bodies.
Written by The
Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights
Reserved
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