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INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN MISSION
01 FEBRUARY, 2018, Thursday, 4th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12 ©
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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.
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Responsorial Psalm
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1 Chronicles 29:10-12 ©
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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.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn15:15
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
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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Mark 6:7-13 ©
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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.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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