20171027
KNOWING AND WILLING
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Romans 7:18-25 ©
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I know of nothing good living in me – living, that is, in my
unspiritual self – for though the will to do what is good is in me, the
performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I
want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want. When I act against my
will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me.
In fact,
this seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do good it is
something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I dearly love God’s Law,
but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law
which my reason dictates. This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin
which lives inside my body.
What a
wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?
Thanks be to
God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 118(119):66,68,76-77,93-94 ©
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Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me discernment and knowledge
for I trust in your commands.
You are good and your deeds are good;
teach me your statutes.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
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, teach me your statutes.
I will never forget your precepts
for with them you give me life.
Save me, for I am yours
since I seek your precepts.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ps94:8
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
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.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 12:54-59 ©
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Jesus said to the crowds: ‘When you see a cloud looming up in the
west you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is
from the south you say it will be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to
interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to
interpret these times?
‘Why not
judge for yourselves what is right? For example: when you go to court with your
opponent, try to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the
judge and the judge hand you over to the bailiff and the bailiff have you
thrown into prison. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the
very last penny.’
KNOWING AND WILLING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Rom 7:18-25; Ps 119:66,68, 76-77, 93-94; Lk 12:54-59 ]
Why do we
sin? Why do we do things that are wrong? More so especially when we
know there are serious penalties and consequences for our offences.
When we look at the crimes committed in the world, they are committed by people
of every strata of society. It is not just those who are poor or uneducated
that commit crimes but also professionals, rich and powerful people. It
cuts across the spectrum of humanity. No one is exempted from sinning or
doing wrong things. This is what the doctrine of Original Sin wants us to
know, that all of us are sinners and potential sinners because sin lives in
us. This is what St Paul came to realize when he wrote, “This is what
makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body.” And
this was written after his conversion experience.
Indeed,
people sin first and foremost because they are ignorant. Our minds are
darkened by sin and we cannot judge rightly. We lack prudence and
the humility to see the truth, or because of our vested interests, we are blind
to the full truth before us. At times, we have limited knowledge of the
matter or influenced wrongly by what we read and hear. For such people,
the Lord on the cross prayed for them and made excuses for them saying to His
Father, “Forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34)
But there are
many of us who are fully aware of the truth of the matter. We know what
we do is wrong and yet continue to do it. This is the experience of many of us,
especially good Catholics who want to walk the way of the gospel. Yet, we
find ourselves helpless, so much so that every time we seek to do the right thing,
the flesh draws us to do the wrong thing. This again is the struggle of
St Paul when he wrote, “I know of nothing good living in me – living, that is,
in my unspiritual self – for though the will to do what is good is in me, the
performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I
want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want.”
How truthful
St Paul is in recognizing our spiritual struggles! The fact is that
knowing what we should do does not mean that we can do it. If that were so, then
all priests, religious, teachers, lawmakers, law enforcers and all parents and
superiors would have always done the right thing because we tell people what
they cannot do. We impose the observance of the Laws on them. We
teach them the law, morality and ethics. But we ourselves do not practice
what we preach and teach. It shows therefore that having knowledge of
what is true and good does not translate into practice all the time.
Of course,
there are different degrees of understanding and levels of conviction. For those of us who
are more convinced, we are more likely to find the strength to do what we
believe. For those who are less convinced, they will be less likely to
carry out what they believe. Consequently, whilst knowing is not
everything in conquering sin, still it is an important element in the process
of fighting against sin. By growing in knowledge and understanding of the
nature of sin, its seriousness and consequences, we might find some motivation
and strength to resist the temptation. That is why those who contract
cancer or have too much sugar in their blood, become more aware of the dangers
to their health. They are in a better position to control if they want to
prolong their life and to enjoy living. Of course, some are too weak to
resist even though they know that it is against their well-being. Take
the case of those who drink and drive. They all know the consequences of
their actions, but they give in to the temptation, hoping that nothing untoward
will happen to them. But then we will never know whose lives and the
security of their dependants we put at risk because of our
negligence. So we need to go beyond just reason to overcome sin and
evil.
What is the
root cause of our tendency to sin? As St Paul said, “When I act against
my will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me. In
fact, this seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do good it is
something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I dearly love God’s
Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against
the law which my reason dictates.” This sin comes from our nature,
or rather a wounded nature. So it is not a question of logic and
understanding but of the will.
When we speak
about the consequences of original sin, we are referring to the wounded will, a weakened will that makes
it very difficult to do what is right even though we might desire it in our
mind. This weakened will is often called concupiscence. In itself
it is not a sin. This is where we disagree with Martin
Luther. There is an innate tendency for us to sin because of a
disordered will. But we are not totally defeated. It is not a
depraved will or nature, as Martin Luther suggests. Rather, we say
that it is a weakened will, and with God’s grace, we can overcome sins although
not without a struggle.
Hence, the
Church always teaches that salvation is by grace alone, not by our efforts. Our efforts alone
will not save us. We cannot overcome all evil just through knowledge and
by our will. This is because we are not only weak, but sin lives in
us. We belong to the sinful nature and this nature commands us. So
to be saved means that we acknowledge our sinfulness and come to realize that
it is beyond logic and knowledge alone. This is what St Paul wrote, “What
a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me form this body doomed to death? Thanks
be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
What do we
mean that we are saved by grace? Firstly, it means that we cling on to the
forgiveness of God. We will always sin and fall short of what we should
do. We must turn to Jesus who forgives us our sins freely. “For
there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of
atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” (Rom 3:23-25)
In the same vein, St John also wrote, “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us
from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and
just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If
we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in
us.” (1 Jn 1:7b-10)
Secondly, it
means that we open ourselves to the mercy and love of God in our lives by
contemplating on His passion, death and resurrection. In the responsorial psalm,
we pray, “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.” It is the love of God for us that can heal us of our
brokenness. The capacity to overcome sin comes from the love of
God. We sin because we love ourselves. But if we love someone
more than we love ourselves, than we are willing to keep ourselves righteous
for that person. Indeed, there are many who would fast and make
sacrifices for their loved ones who are sick, in the hope that their
mortifications could help them. So the only way to overcome sin is by
love. But we can love God and our fellowmen as much as we love
ourselves only when we are filled with His love. God’s love for us
will heal and strengthen us and give us the capacity to love. St Paul wrote,
“For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died
for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who
live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised
for them.” (2 Cor 5:14f) He was moved and touched by the example of
Christ’s love which is the basis for his ministry.
Thirdly, not
only is Christ our example of love but He fills us with His love so that we can
love like Him. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5)
This is the living principle and foundation of our capacity. So we do not
depend on our human strength alone but the Holy Spirit which is the living
principle of God in us. He gives us the grace to bear the fruits of love.
That was how St Paul lived out his life and ministry, by relying on the
strength that came from the love of Jesus and the graces that came from the
Holy Spirit which empowered Him. “Three times I appealed to the Lord about
this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient
for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more
gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and
calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”
(2 Cor 12:8-10)
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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