20171005
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL IN WORD AND IN DEEDS
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Nehemiah 8:1-12 ©
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When the seventh month came, all the people gathered as one man on
the square before the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book
of the Law of Moses which the Lord had prescribed for Israel. Accordingly Ezra
the priest brought the Law before the assembly, consisting of men, women, and
children old enough to understand. This was the first day of the seventh month.
On the square before the Water Gate, in the presence of the men and women, and
children old enough to understand, he read from the book from early morning
till noon; all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Ezra the
scribe stood on a wooden dais erected for the purpose; beside him stood, on his
right, Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; on his left,
Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. In
full view of all the people – since he stood higher than all the
people – Ezra opened the book; and when he opened it all the people stood
up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people raised their
hands and answered, ‘Amen! Amen!’; then they bowed down and, face to the
ground, prostrated themselves before the Lord. (Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin,
Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabab, Hanan, Pelaiah,
who were Levites, explained the Law to the people while the people remained
standing.) And Ezra read from the Law of God, translating and giving the sense,
so that the people understood what was read.
Then
(Nehemiah – His Excellency – and) Ezra, priest and scribe (and the
Levites who were instructing the people) said to all the people, ‘This day is
sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.’ For the people
were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.
He then
said, ‘Go, eat the fat, drink the sweet wine, and send a portion to the man who
has nothing prepared ready. For this day is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad:
the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.’ And the Levites calmed all the people,
saying, ‘Be at ease; this is a sacred day. Do not be sad.’ And all the people
went off to eat and drink and give shares away and begin to enjoy themselves
since they had understood the meaning of what had been proclaimed to them.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 18(19):8-11 ©
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The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
They are more to be desired than gold,
than the purest of gold
and sweeter are they than honey,
than honey from the comb.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Mt4:4
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Mk1:15
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The kingdom of God is close at hand:
repent and believe the Good News.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 10:1-12 ©
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The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of
him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to
them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the
harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am
sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no
sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first
words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace
will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same
house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves
his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where
they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are
sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter
a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We
wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with
you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that
day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL IN WORD AND IN DEEDS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Neh 8:1-12; Lk 10:1-12]
“The Lord
appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all
the towns and places he himself was to visit.” Like the disciples,
we are all called to prepare the way for the Lord to enter into the lives of
people, be they Catholic or otherwise. Indeed, our task is to lead
them into an encounter with the Lord. The work of evangelization is to
offer them the Good News, which is Jesus Christ Himself. Only by
encountering the Lord personally, can they be converted and follow Him in the
way of love and service.
How then can
we prepare the way for the Lord to enter into their lives? Firstly, we
are called to be messengers of peace and love. “Whatever house you
go into, let your first words be, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if a man of peace
lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to
you.” Many are looking for peace in their lives. Many are confused
and burdened by sin and by their worldly pursuits of life. They live in
deep insecurity and are blinded by their fears, which lead them to act
selfishly towards others whom they see as their competitors. As a result,
they have many enemies in their lives. Of course, they themselves are
their worst enemies because of the lack of authentic self-love, direction,
purpose and meaning in life. To such people, we are called to offer the
Good News of peace and joy. This was the message of the angels to the
Shepherds when they said, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good
news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he
favors!’” (Lk 2:10-14)
Secondly, to
find peace, they need to hear the Word of God. The psalmist praises the
beauty of the Law when he said, “The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul. The rule of
the Lord is to be trusted; it gives wisdom to the simple. The
precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord
is clear it gives light to the eyes. The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just. They are more to be desired than gold, than the
purest of gold and sweeter are they than honey, than honey from the comb.” This
was what Ezra the Scribe did for the people of Israel. “On the square
before the Water Gate, in the presence of the men and women and children old
enough to understand, he read from the book from early morning till noon; all
the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” And we
also read that when “Ezra opened the book; and when he opened it all the people
stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people
raised their hands and answered, ‘Amen! Amen!’; then they bowed down and, face
to the ground, prostrated themselves before the Lord.” This was the great
reverence for the Word of God. Unless we have that same conviction, the
Word of God has no effect on us. This is what St Paul wrote, “We also
constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God
that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it
really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (1 Th 2:13)
Thirdly, the
Word of God needs explanation and exposition. Indeed, the homily at
mass is part of the Word of God. It is a living interpretation of the
Word of God for us today. This is the task of the preacher of the
gospel. “The Levites explained the Law to the people while the people remained
standing. And Ezra read from the Law of God, translating and giving the
sense, so that the people understood what was read.” For the Word of God
to be alive, it requires that we apply the principles of the Word of God to our
daily lives. Reading the Word of God is not simply for information but
for our formation in the truth of the gospel so that we can walk the way of the
Lord. God uses His word to sanctify us, to protect us and to build us
up. “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that
everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good
work.” (2 Tim 3:16f)
Indeed,
hearing the Word of God that is preached with conviction, with depth and
understanding brings about conversion of the heart. This is what we read
“Then Nehemiah – His Excellency – and Ezra, priest and scribe (and the Levites
who were instructing the people) said to all the people, ‘This day is sacred to
the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.’ For the people were
all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.” As preachers and
teachers and evangelizers of the gospel, if our words do not strike the hearts
of our listeners, it is because we lack the Holy Spirit to read the inner
spirit of the Word of God which we read. We must preach and teach in the
power of the Holy Spirit as St Paul did. He wrote, “When I came to you,
brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in
lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except
Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in
fear and in much trembling. My speech and my
proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration
of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human
wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Cor 2:1-5)
Fourthly, the
ultimate purpose of hearing the Word of God is the transformation of the person
and not just enlightening the person with great insights and beautiful words of
inspiration.
As St James warns us, “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who
deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers,
they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at
themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere,
being not hearers who forget but doers who act – they will be blessed in
their doing.” (Jms 1:1-5) This was not what the Israelites
did. They did not keep the joy to themselves. On the contrary, they
were instructed to share their joy with others by sharing their food with those
who had nothing. “’Go, eat the fat, drink the sweet wine, and send a
portion to the man who has nothing prepared ready. For this day is sacred
to our Lord. Do not be sad.’ And all the people went off to eat and drink
and give shares away and begin to enjoy themselves since they had understood
the meaning of what had been proclaimed to them.”
Indeed, in
the final analysis, the proclamation of the gospel is not merely by words but
by deeds. The latter speaks more powerfully than the former. It is for
this reason that the disciples were asked to proclaim the gospel, not so much
by their words but by their deeds. Jesus instructed them, “Stay in the
house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves
his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town
where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you.” By their
simplicity and unconditional love and acceptance of people whom they visit, they
are called to show them God’s acceptance of their graciousness, regardless what
food they could offer. This is important so that no one would feel
unworthy to receive the Good News of salvation
Then Jesus
said, “Cure those in it who are sick, and say, ‘The kingdom of God is very near
to you.’” It is not enough to proclaim the Good News with mere words of
encouragement and hope. But we need to testify to this hope here and now
by healing the sick and bringing the kingdom near to them. For this
reason, in the early Church, the proclamation of the Good News was always
accompanied by deeds. “And these signs will accompany those who believe:
by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any
deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and
they will recover.” (Mk 16:17f) Unless we demonstrate our words by works of
charity, compassion and healing, people will not be able to encounter the love
of God in a real and personal way.
But we cannot
preach and teach with conviction, or find the power to demonstrate His love in
action unless we are in touch with the Lord and are totally dependent on Him. That is why Jesus
told the disciples, “Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like
lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals.” We cannot
rely on our own strength but on Him. Unless preachers understand and
experience the power of God helping them in their lives, they cannot preach the
Word with conviction. So the evangelical counsels of poverty, obedience
and celibacy are to make us rely totally on His grace, will and His love.
So long as we can depend on ourselves, we will hinder God from working in
and through us. That is why before preachers can preach the Word, they
need to spend time in prayer, meditation on the Word of God daily. If
preachers are not ready to make time to converse with the Lord in prayer and
set aside time to reflect on the Word of God, His Word will have no effect in
our lives. A true preacher of the gospel must depend on Christ alone who
gives us His Holy Spirit to announce Him to the world.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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