20171218
THE SIN OF PRESUMPTION IS A SIN AGAINST
JUSTICE
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Jeremiah 23:5-8 ©
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See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –
when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,
who will reign as true king and be wise,
practising honesty and integrity in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel dwell in confidence.
And this is the name he will be called:
The-Lord-our-integrity.
So, then, the days are coming – it is the Lord who
speaks – when people will no longer say, “As the Lord lives who brought
the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt!” but, “As the Lord lives who led
back and brought home the descendants of the House of Israel out of the land of
the North and from all the countries to which he had dispersed them, to live on
their own soil.”
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 71(72):1-2,12-13,18-19 ©
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In his days justice shall flourish, and peace
until the moon fails.
O God, give your judgement to the king,
to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
and your poor in right judgement.
In his days justice shall flourish, and peace
until the moon fails.
For he shall save the poor when they cry
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor.
In his days justice shall flourish, and peace
until the moon fails.
Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel,
who alone works wonders,
ever blessed his glorious name.
Let his glory fill the earth.
Amen! Amen!
In his days justice shall flourish, and peace
until the moon fails.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Ruler of the House of Israel,
who gave the law to Moses on Sinai,
come and save us with outstretched arm.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 1:18-24 ©
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This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be
with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour
and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had
made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She
will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who
is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the
words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did
what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
18 DECEMBER, 2017, Monday, 3rd Week of Advent
THE SIN OF PRESUMPTION IS A SIN AGAINST JUSTICE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ JER 23:5-8; MATTHEW 1:18-24
]
One of the
most grievous sins against justice is the sin of presumption. When we are
presumptuous over people’s actions, we could do great injustice to the
reputation of the person. This happens when we accept as evidence from
hearsay, gossip or from appearances. Those who are wrongly accused or
misunderstood experience great pain, especially when they are doing good.
The sin of presumption of course is perpetuated by gossip and fake news.
When people
come to tell me, “Your Grace, I heard …” My question to them is always, “Is it
true? Is it verified?” Most of time, they would say, “No, Bishop,
this is what I heard.” Then I ask again, “Why are you telling me?
Do you want me to verify for you?” Then they say, “No, bishop. Don’t
reveal my name.” My reply, “If you do not want me to tell the person
where my source is, then there is no way for me to verify the truth. I
would be like you, passing gossip and fake news to others and hurting innocent
people. If that were the case, why would you want to share this piece of
information with me? What use is it for me? Is it because you want
me to be prejudiced and suspicious against that person?”
Today, the
scripture readings speak of the necessity of exercising justice and acting with
integrity. St Joseph is a good exemplar of how one should conduct oneself
without falling into the sin of presumption. He had every reason to
accuse Mary of infidelity. No one would believe that she was impregnated
through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. It was too far-fetched a
story. Joseph would have been devastated at the thought of her betrayal.
If we were in his situation, we would surely accuse our spouse of
adultery. We would be filled with anguish and anger. We would just
react without thinking.
But Joseph,
being a just man and a man of integrity, remained calm, collected and
thoughtful.
He did not accuse Mary or charge her for lying to him. He did not jump to
conclusion. He accepted her explanation. He gave her the
benefit of the doubt. He did not think ill or negative of her. He
could not explain the situation though. He left the matter in the hands
of God and His judgement. But at the same time, it was necessary for him
to find a solution to resolve the dilemma. Instead of reacting, he
thought through the situation and concluded that it would be best to divorce
her informally so that she would be protected from the harshness of the law and
it would be good for everyone.
Nevertheless,
his logical decision was not a closed one. He was still receptive and
discerning. He brought his logical judgment to the Lord in prayer. Indeed, in life, rational
discourse and discernment is just the first step in making a judgment.
There are things beyond human understanding. We need to bring the matter
to God. And this was what Joseph did. He brought it to the Lord in
prayer. He was not fixated in his mind and in his apparently just
decision. He was docile and receptive to God’s will. And the
Lord answered him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She
will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who
is to save his people from their sins.”
However, this
was not the end of the story. After discernment with the Lord and hearing
His command, he immediately obeyed the Lord. “When Joseph woke up he did
what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his
home.” He did not insist on his way, unlike many of us. Although we
say we need to consult the Lord on our decision-making, many of us, after
knowing what the Lord wants, would nevertheless continue to insist on doing
what we have decided to do. We are adamant in our judgement. This
is so true when people judge from hearsay and appearances. They already
form a judgement and a prejudice in their minds. No matter what we say,
the person’s mind is already made up.
Indeed, this
is why Joseph is called a just man in the scriptures. If he were not just, he
would have jeopardized the economy of salvation. If he had blown up the
issue with Mary, it would have caused the death of Mary and the child in her
womb. If he had reacted rashly and presumptuously, this would have
been the result. But it was his sense of justice, not to judge without
having the facts clearly, that saved the life of Mary and that of our Lord.
But more than that, he must have been a great mentor to the young child who
“grew in age and wisdom” under the tutelage of Mary and Joseph. Christ,
being the Son of God, of course is without sin but yet in living out the Spirit
of God, He also had to learn through the daily actions and life events.
We can be sure that Joseph’s sense of justice and discerning attitude carried
Him throughout His ministry.
Indeed, in
His ministry, Jesus was never presumptuous with supposed sinners. Joseph would have had
a part to play in the way Jesus made His judgement on apparent sinners.
With the adulterous women, the Lord passed no judgement nor condemned
her. He said to the adulterous woman in John’s gospel, “Neither do I
condemn you; go, and do not sin again.” (Jn 8:11)
And to the other sinful woman in Luke’s gospel, He said, “Therefore I
tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he
who is forgiven little, loves little. Your sins are forgiven.” (Lk 7:47f)
To Zacchaeus the tax-collector, He said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down;
for I must stay at your house today …Today salvation has come to this house,
since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save
the lost.” (Lk 19:5, 9f) Have we forgotten what Jesus taught, “Judge
not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you
get.” (Mt 7:1f) Jesus not only taught but He practiced
what He preached.
For this
reason, Jesus is truly the fulfillment of the Old Testament. When Jeremiah
prophesied, “See, the days are coming when I will raise a virtuous Branch for
David, who will reign as true king and be wise, practising honesty and
integrity in the land”. Jesus is that King of peace. With Jesus, we
can be confident of God’s justice. “In his days Judah will be saved and
Israel dwells in confidence. And this is the name he will be called: The
Lord-our-integrity.” With the psalmist, we rejoice, “In his days justice
shall flourish, and peace until the moon fails. O God, give your judgement to
the king, to a king’s son your justice, that he may judge your people in
justice and your poor in right judgement. For he shall save the poor when they
cry and the needy who are helpless. He will have pity on the weak and save the
lives of the poor.”
Consequently,
as we prepare to receive the King of peace, let us be peacemakers. Let us not cause division
with our gossips and the spread of fake news, especially through social
media. Without verifying the truth of what we are passing on, we
perpetuate the injustices and the falsehood of the world, creating dissension
and destroying good and innocent people. If we are serious in helping
someone, then we must have the courage to speak, dialogue and seek
clarification from the person concerned, instead of sending anonymous letters,
fake emails, or publishing in social media or simply through gossip.
Those who truly seek justice and the good of others, should be ready to stand
up for the truth as Jesus and Jeremiah did. To hide under anonymity would
do no one any good. If we do not know the facts, then let us be quiet and
not cause misunderstanding and division or sow doubts in the minds of
others. This is the work of the devil. Do not be his collaborators
by sowing doubt in the minds of others about this or that person or project
without first verifying the facts from the right sources. This is
what Christian justice is all about, tempered by charity and integrity.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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