Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: January 2018

Wednesday 31 January 2018

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN MISSION

20180201 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN MISSION

01 FEBRUARY, 2018, Thursday, 4th Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12 ©

As David’s life drew to its close he laid this charge on his son Solomon, ‘I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man. Observe the injunctions of the Lord your God, following his ways and keeping his laws, his commandments, his customs and his decrees, as it stands written in the Law of Moses, that so you may be successful in all you do and undertake, so that the Lord may fulfil the promise he made me, “If your sons are careful how they behave, and walk loyally before me with all their heart and soul, you shall never lack for a man on the throne of Israel.”’

So David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the Citadel of David. David’s reign over Israel lasted forty years: he reigned in Hebron for seven years, and in Jerusalem for thirty-three.

Solomon was seated upon the throne of David, and his sovereignty was securely established.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Chronicles 29:10-12 ©

You, Lord, are the ruler of all.

May you be blessed, O Lord,

the God of Israel, our father,

for ever, for ages unending!

You, Lord, are the ruler of all.

Yours, Lord, are greatness and power,

and splendour, triumph, and glory.

All is yours, in heaven and on earth.

You, Lord, are the ruler of all.

Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;

you are supreme above all.

Both honour and riches come from you.

You, Lord, are the ruler of all.

You are the ruler of all,

from your hand come strength and power;

from your hand come greatness and might.

You, Lord, are the ruler of all.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn15:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

I call you friends, says the Lord,

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father.

Alleluia!

Or	Mk1:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The kingdom of God is close at hand:

repent and believe the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 6:7-13 ©

Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN MISSION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 KINGS 2:1-4. 10-12; 1 CHR 29:10-12; MK 6:7-13 ]

What is common to both scripture readings is the giving of the final instructions to those who had been given the task of continuing the work that their leader had begun. Both David and Jesus sought to share with those who had been entrusted the responsibility, the secret to leadership and success in their mission. Such instructions and advice were certainly helpful because they summarize the vast experience and wisdom learnt from their trials, mistakes and endeavors. Instead of repeating history again and again, we can always learn from the wisdom of our forefathers so that we can spare ourselves the pains that they had to pay for their folly. That is why it is always wise for newcomers and new leaders to sit down with the previous leadership and older leaders to understand the what and why of what they did, before dismissing them as inept and irrelevant for our times. “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.” (Prv 19:20) Tobit gave a similar advice to his son, Tobias, “Seek advice from every wise person and do not despise any useful counsel. At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him that your ways may be made straight and that all your paths and plans may prosper.” (Tobit 4:18f)

The first principle that all Godly people would teach is this, “Observe the injunctions of the Lord your God, following his ways and keeping his laws, his commandments, his customs and his decrees, as it stands written in the Law of Moses, that so you may be successful in all you do and undertake.” This is the constant teaching of the Bible. Moses also instructed the people the same thing before they entered the Promised Land. “See, just as the Lord my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’” (Dt 4:5f)

Fidelity and obedience to God was the most important lesson David had learnt throughout his life and as a king. He knew from his mistakes that whenever he failed to listen to the Lord and went his own ways, he caused problems and sufferings both for himself and for his loved ones. On hindsight, he knew that it was his self-will and selfishness that caused his house and kingdom to suffer. We can be sure that if David were to live his life all over again, he would to be more obedient to His holy will and walk in His ways. God is always faithful. He showed His fidelity to King David by ensuring his dynasty would last forever, which would be fulfilled in Christ, the descendant of David. But that he and his sons would reign forever was dependent on whether they would walk in the ways of God. The Lord would fulfil the promise of putting his sons to reign in Israel provided, “your sons are careful how they behave, and walk loyally before me with all their heart and soul, you shall never lack for a man on the throne of Israel.”

Secondly, we are called to rely on the power and grace of God. In sending out the Twelve, Jesus “instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses.” This was to make the apostles rely on divine providence and to live by faith, not by sight or by might. When we can no longer depend on our own strength and resources, then we start relying on God. This is the great disadvantage for those of us who are capable, intelligent, self-sufficient, have plenty of money and resources, because we never know what it is to live in faith with open hands waiting for the next meal. When we are strong, we do not understand the meaning of faith and of course, we will never experience the power of God at work in our lives, unlike those who are sick, weak and desperate. This made St Paul remark, “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 12:10)

Thirdly, Jesus sent “them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits.” The authority over unclean spirits is an authority given by God. The authority we exercise as leaders is always exercised on behalf of God and in the name of God. “Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve, the Lord Christ.” (Col 3:23f) Indeed, Jesus as the Lord, chose the Twelve and gave them authority, so we leaders are also chosen by God. It is Christ who summons us to serve Him and His people. He calls us to specific tasks. Even Solomon’s brother, Adonijah who tried to steal the throne from him acknowledged this fact. He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign; however the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord.” (1 Kg 2:15) So it is important that we do not abuse our authority to serve our interests. Authority is given not to be used for evil but for good.

Fourthly, this authority is also exercised in collegiality. It must be noted that Jesus sent them out in pairs. We cannot accomplish the mission alone. We need to walk with others and work with others. Alone, we cannot accomplish much, and even if we could, we would not be able to last for long. But when we have good collaborators to journey with us, they will give us the necessary encouragement during times of trial and difficulties. The mission of the apostles was assigned them as a college, with St Peter as the head. This is how the Church continues to be structured with the Pope as the head of the apostolic college of bishops. When we exercise our authority in collegiality with the others, we can be more confident of the will of God for us.

Fifthly, there must be no coercion or imposition on others. When we use force, we will only receive negative reaction. Rather, as leaders, we must do all we can to persuade and convince. As leaders, we must do all within our power that which is good and right. Beyond that, we should allow freedom to respond. Knowing that we have done all in our power the right thing, we should be clear that our responsibilities are limited to that extent. Hence, Jesus in the gospel advised the disciples how to respond to those who reject the gospel. He said to them, “If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake of the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.” In other words, so long as we have done our part, the failure to respond is not our failure but that of the recipients. We need not feel responsible when people reject the message or the good we do. We entrust them into the hands of the Lord. Success at the end of the day, is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not within our control and that is why we must allow the grace of God to work in its own ways.

In the final analysis, it is not so much what we say but what we do. We read that “they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.” Preaching and words alone cannot change hearts. It is the work of charity and miracles of healing that testify to the power of God. So as leaders, it is when people see us doing good for them, serving them and their interests instead of ours that will move them to respect us and believe in us. It is when we live out our faith in love that we impart the best legacy to those whom we serve.

When we impart to others a living faith, we give them everything. Just as King David did not tell Solomon how to rule the kingdom, but gave him the most important foundation of leadership, which is to have faith in God and walk in His ways, the best legacy we can leave to our children too is the gift of faith. But many parents are short-sighted. They think that giving their children a good education or finding them a good career is everything, failing to realize that all these things, whilst good, are not sufficient to help them find happiness unless they use their knowledge, skills and resources for the service of God and their fellowmen. Giving them the heart of God, is what will make them truly happy in whatever they do in life. Only faith in God can assure that we will be strong and show ourselves as men of God, men for others.

Tuesday 30 January 2018

SAINTLY SINNERS

20180131 SAINTLY SINNERS

31 JANUARY, 2018, Wednesday, 4th Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

2 Samuel 24:2,8-17 ©

King David said to Joab and to the senior army officers who were with him, ‘Now go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and take a census of the people; I wish to know the size of the population.’ Having covered the whole country, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. Joab gave the king the figures for the census of the people; Israel numbered eight hundred thousand armed men capable of drawing sword, and Judah five hundred thousand men.

But afterwards David’s heart misgave him for having taken a census of the people. ‘I have committed a grave sin’ David said to the Lord. ‘But now, Lord, I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault. I have been very foolish.’ But when David got up next morning, the following message had come from the Lord to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, ‘Go and say to David, “the Lord says this: I offer you three things; choose one of them for me to do to you.”’

So Gad went to David and told him. ‘Are three years of famine to come on you in your country’ he said ‘or will you flee for three months before your pursuing enemy, or would you rather have three days’ pestilence in your country? Now think, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me.’ David said to Gad, This is a hard choice. But let us rather fall into the power of the Lord, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men.’ So David chose pestilence.

It was the time of the wheat harvest. The Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning till the time appointed and plague ravaged the people, and from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of them died. The angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord thought better of this evil, and he said to the angel who was destroying the people, ‘Enough! Now withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was beside the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. “When David saw the angel who was ravaging the people, he spoke to the Lord. ‘It was I who sinned;’ he said ‘I who did this wicked thing. But these, this flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me then, and on my family.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 31(32):1-2,5-7 ©

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,

whose sin is remitted.

O happy the man to whom the Lord

imputes no guilt,

in whose spirit is no guile.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

But now I have acknowledged my sins;

my guilt I did not hide.

I said: ‘I will confess

my offence to the Lord.’

And you, Lord, have forgiven

the guilt of my sin.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

So let every good man pray to you

in the time of need.

The floods of water may reach high

but him they shall not reach.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

You are my hiding place, O Lord;

you save me from distress.

You surround me with cries of deliverance.

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Jesus went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

SAINTLY SINNERS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 2 SM 24:2, 8-17; PS 32:1-2, 5-7; MK 6:1-6]

Holiness is understood by many as impeccability, perfection, without sin. By this definition, no one can be considered as holy. No wonder, many of us fight shy when people say that we are holy. Some of us even presume that holiness is for a few and most of us are not called to holiness. Of course, this is an ongoing process. The point of arrival can only be attained upon death. But we are already saints on earth if we accept our humanity and limitations humbly with a view to continually striving to perfect oneself in faith and love with the grace of God. St Paul himself speaks of this perseverance in holiness. (cf Phil 3:12-14)

Indeed, holiness is not something we reach with our own strength but through His grace alone. We “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 3:24f) This too was the discovery of Martin Luther when he came to realize that holiness is not through the observance of the laws. (cf Phil 3:8f) This was why he could claim paradoxically that a justified person is a saint and a sinner at the same time. On our own strength, we will forever be sinners but with God’s grace and mercy, we are saints in His sight.

We see this truth played out in the life of David. Samuel said that “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be ruler over his people.” (1 Sm 13:14) David was said to be that man. But did he really have a heart of God? When we look at his life, he was a man with as many human frailties and faults as anyone of us. He was definitely not a man who was impeccable, without faults and obedient to the commands of the Lord all the time. He too failed in his obedience to the Lord. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, which consequently led to his murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, who was one of his most loyal officers, in order to cover up his crime. (2 Sm 11)

In today’s first reading, he showed himself to be proud and arrogant. Instead of relying on the strength and power of God, he wanted to show his might and power by taking a census of the strength of his army despite the warning of his right-hand man, Joab. (cf 2 Sm 24:3f) And so the census was taken to God’s displeasure, for not believing that He is the Lord of Hosts and not David and his men. He thought the success of his military campaigns were due to him and his soldiers. He forgot that God was behind his success and his battles. As a consequence, God sent the prophet Gad to warn him of the punishments ahead. David was given three choices of punishment that he would like God to inflict on him and his people.

This too was the case of Jesus’ townsfolks as well. They were unable to see the holiness in Jesus because they knew Him too well as a child. They said, “Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? And they would not accept him.” They were too proud to listen to Jesus or to see the glory of God in and through Him. They were blinded by their prejudice, pride and lack of faith to acknowledge that Jesus was holier and more enlightened than them.

We too are no better than King David and the relatives and contemporaries of Jesus. We too suffer the sin of pride, thinking we know better than anyone else, unable to listen to our superiors, or lesser still, our subordinates. We lack objectivity and wisdom to discern what is good and true. We cling to our narrow mindsets and vested interests. We too are often tempted by the sin of lust. In this promiscuous world, it is difficult to resist sexual temptation. So in truth, we are also exposed to the same sins that tempted King David and the rest of the so-called chosen people of God and the chosen leaders.

But there is a big difference between King David and many of us. He was quick to acknowledge his faults and ask for forgiveness. When confronted with his wrongdoings, he was quick to admit his failings and ask for pardon. When confronted by Prophet Nathan over his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, King David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (2 Sm 12:13) He did not make any excuses or tried to justify himself. In humility, he confessed his sins and asked for forgiveness. So too, in today’s reading, he also recognized his arrogance and impetuosity in carrying out the census. He said to the Lord, ‘I have committed a grave sin. But now, Lord, I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault. I have been very foolish.”

Secondly, he was ready to accept the consequences of his sins. He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. (2 Sm 12:22f) In today’s episode, again he showed himself a man ready to accept God’s punishment. “David said to Gad, ‘This is a hard choice. But let us rather fall into the power of the Lord, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men.’ So David chose pestilence.”

Thirdly, he was ready to assume full responsibility for his mistakes and spare his men from the consequences of his actions. He did not blame anyone for his mistakes or justified himself. Instead, he took the burden of his sins graciously. When King David was insulted by one of the Benjaminite who cursed him, his reply to his men was, “My own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on my distress, and the Lord will repay me with good for this cursing of me today.” (2 Sm 16:11f) Again today when he saw the sufferings of his people, he pleaded with the Lord, “It was I who sinned; who did this wicked thing. But these, this flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me then, and on my family.” He was ever ready to defend his people and carry his own sins and that of his people.

Fourthly, he was sincere in offering repentance and atonement for his sins. When he was asked by the Prophet Gad to offer burnt offerings to the Lord as an act of repentance, he refused to take the piece of land and the animals for free from Araunah. Instead, he said, “No, but I will buy them from you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” (2 Sm 24:24) He was sincere that any offering must come from his heart. There must be some sacrifice on his part, otherwise it would not be truly a sacrificial offering even though he was offered the plot of land for free to build an altar of sacrifice to the Lord. (cf 2 Sm 24:18-25)

Today, we are called to find hope and encouragement from King David. We are sinners like him. But God accepts us all the same. So long as our heart is with God in sincerity, God will overlook our sins and weaknesses. This does not mean that we do not have to pay the price of our folly because what we sow is what we reap. But God will not abandon us. He will give us the grace to overcome all our trials and sufferings because of our mistakes. We must learn from David to trust in God’s mercy. We are justified by His grace through faith in God’s mercy in Christ Jesus. It is better to trust in God’s mercy than man. This is what David said, “let us rather fall into the power of the Lord, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men.” We need to have faith in Jesus if we want Him to work miracles in our lives. The people did not have faith and hence, “he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them.”

Following Jesus and David, let us give our lives in total dedication to God and for His people. If we do that, we will never go wrong. St Peter reminds us “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pt 4:8) Even if we sin, then let us be humble and acknowledge our sins. With David, we only need to turn to God and say, “Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin. Happy the man whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted. O happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile. But now I have acknowledged my sins; my guilt I did not hide.”

Finally, let us also be forgiving and tolerant of others, especially our leaders who fail us in their personal life. This is particularly true of our priests and lay leaders. We are not perfect because we are human. “Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people.” (Heb 5:1-3) We must overlook their failings in living the gospel life, especially the virtues of humility, chastity, and generosity. Rather, let us recognize that they are weaklings like the rest of humanity. But we must encourage them to grow in holiness. So long as they put their hearts in the right place, which is their sincere desire to devote their lives to God and to the service His people above themselves, we should be more forgiving and tolerant of their human frailties. After all, we are all saintly sinners.