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CONSECRATED LIFE AS
THE APEX OF THE CHURCH’S HOLINESS
02 FEBRUARY, 2018, Friday,
Presentation of the Lord
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First reading
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Malachi 3:1-4 ©
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The Lord God says this: Look, I am
going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are
seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you
are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. Who will be able to
resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he
is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as
refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold
and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be
made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed by the Lord as
in former days, as in the years of old.
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Second reading
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Hebrews 2:14-18 ©
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Since all the children share the same
blood and flesh, Christ too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could
take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all
those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it
was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from
Abraham. It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his
brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of
God’s religion, able to atone for human sins. That is, because he has himself
been through temptation he is able to help others who are tempted.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 23(24):7-10 ©
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Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of
glory!
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the
valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in
war.
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of
glory!
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.
Who is the king of
glory? He, the Lord, he is the king of glory.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Lk2:32
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The light to enlighten the Gentiles
and give glory to Israel, your people.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 2:22-40 ©
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My eyes have seen your salvation
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When the day came for them to be
purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to
Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, – observing what stands written in
the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the
Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said
in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an
upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy
Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he
would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted
by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child
Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and
blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant
go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the
nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood
there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed
them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the
fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is
rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the
secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she
had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now
eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with
fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God;
and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of
Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required,
they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child
grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.
CONSECRATED LIFE AS THE APEX OF THE
CHURCH’S HOLINESS
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: [MALACHI 3:1-4; HEBREWS 2:14-18; LUKE 2:22-40 ]
Today, we celebrate the conclusion of Christmas, which is the
celebration of the festival of light. With
the feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, we come to a fitting
conclusion of Christmas since at Christmas, Christ came as the Light for all
humanity, bringing peace to humankind. Simeon’s prophecy sums up
beautifully the mission of Christ when he said, “ Now, Master, you can let your
servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the
salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to
enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.” Indeed, the
Presentation of our Lord in the Temple is Mary’s offering of her child, Jesus,
to God to be consecrated for the work of salvation. Jesus was a gift of
God and therefore rightly so He must be offered to God for His work of
redemption.
The consecration of Jesus at the Temple reminds us all of our own
consecration to God at our baptism. By virtue of our baptism, we too
are consecrated to God and are called to live a life of holiness. St John
Paul II wrote, “Baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through
incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a
contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic
and a shallow religiosity.” (NMI 31) The call to holiness is not
exclusive to religious and priests but it is a call for all; each according to
his circumstance in life is called to holiness.
What is holiness? This is where today, when we celebrate
Consecrated Life, we are called to turn to those in religious life to show us
the way to holiness. Indeed, a consecrated life is the apex
of the Church’s holiness. Religious are called to shine out to the world,
so that they become the light to enlighten the pagans and be the glory of the
Church in holiness. This is what Vatican II in Lumen Gentium says, “The
profession of the evangelical counsels, then, appears as a sign which can and
ought to attract all the members of the Church to an effective and prompt
fulfillment of the duties of their Christian vocation. The people of God have
no lasting city here below, but look forward to one that is to come.” (LG
44.3) Like the messenger prophesied by Prophet Malachi, we are
called to prepare a way for the Lord and purify the Temple of God.
Religious are called to lead the people of God in holiness so that the people
of God too can also consecrate their lives to God according to their vocation
and state in life.
So what is holiness? Holiness is simply the perfection of love for
God and neighbor. It involves first
and foremost the love of God. The Decree on Perfectae Caritatis says,
“Let those who make profession of the evangelical counsels seek and love above
all else God who has first loved us (cf. 1 John 4:10)
and let them strive to foster in all circumstances a life hidden with Christ in
God (cf. Col. 3:3). This love of God both excites and energizes that
love of one’s neighbor which contributes to the salvation of the world and the
building up of the Church. This love, in addition, quickens and directs the
actual practice of the evangelical counsels. Drawing therefore upon the
authentic sources of Christian spirituality, members of religious communities
should resolutely cultivate both the spirit and practice of prayer.” (PC
6)
Indeed, the gospel presents to us the exemplary example of both Simeon
and Anna in encountering the love of God. It was
Simeon’s yearning to see the Lord that prompted God to fulfill his
prayers. “He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s
comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by
the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ
of the Lord.” So too, Anna. “Her days of girlhood over, she
had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now
eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with
fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God;
and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of
Jerusalem.”
This love of God is then poured out in our love for our neighbours.
This can be done in contemplative life. “Communities which are entirely
dedicated to contemplation, so that their members in solitude and silence, with
constant prayer and penance willingly undertaken, occupy themselves with God
alone, retain at all times, no matter how pressing the needs of the active
apostolate may be, an honorable place in the Mystical Body of Christ, whose
‘members do not all have the same function’ (Rom. 12:4).”
(PC 7) Of course, there are others who are called to apostolic life.
They are to present “Christ to believers and non-believers alike in
a striking manner daily through them. The Church thus portrays Christ in
contemplation on the mountain, in His proclamation of the kingdom of God to the
multitudes, in His healing of the sick and maimed, in His work of converting
sinners to a better life, in His solicitude for youth and His goodness to all
men, always obedient to the will of the Father who sent Him.” (LG
46) Those in apostolic life must not forget that what they are doing is a
holy service of love carried out in the name of the Church. Hence, “in
order that their members may first correspond to their vocation to follow
Christ and serve Him in His members, their apostolic activity must spring from
intimate union with Him. Thus love itself towards God and the neighbor is
fostered.” (PC 8)
In the context of these twofold objective of consecrated life, this is
where the evangelical counsels are important. The
importance of the profession of the evangelical counsels is seen in the fact
that it fosters the perfection of love of God and love of neighbor in an
outstanding manner and that this profession is strengthened by vows. They are
not ends in themselves but means to the perfection of love of God and
neighbor. Indeed, the council reminds us, “that the profession of the
evangelical counsels, though entailing the renunciation of certain values which
are to be undoubtedly esteemed, does not detract from a genuine development of
the human persons, but rather by its very nature is most beneficial to that
development. Indeed, the counsels, voluntarily undertaken according to
each one’s personal vocation, contribute a great deal to the purification of
heart and spiritual liberty. They continually stir up the fervor of
charity.” (LG 46)
Chastity is observed not as a denial of one’s sexual needs but in order
for us to have inclusive love for all. Chastity is an aid to an
undivided love for God and for the service of our fellowmen. It is to
free the heart for love and communion with others. It should not make a
person less loving and more inward- looking to the extent of living a selfish
bachelor lifestyle, the freedom to do what I like for myself, rather than for
others.
Poverty is esteemed so that we can show what matters most in life.
Being rich in love rather than in this world’s goods is what gives us real
happiness. It is not how much we have or how luxurious a life we
live. But it is when we live our lives in total trust in divine
providence, and being grateful for whatever we have, that we learn to share our
goods with others and overcome our desire to possess and accumulate things and wealth
for ourselves. Without the spirit of poverty, we might be tempted to make
use of the ministry to satisfy our material needs and worldly pleasures.
Obedience is given so that we will remain humble always before the Lord
even in service, not trusting in ourselves but in the power of God.
Today, many of us are individualistic and have our own mind. Without
obedience, the community would be destroyed, and the Church as well. In a
relativistic and individualistic culture, all the more the vow of obedience is
necessary, given not so much to man but in faith to God who acts through their
superiors. Of course, superiors who have to give an account to God for
the souls entrusted to them should exercise their authority as an act of
service for their good so that they can fulfill the will of God for them.
Truly, the calling to consecrated life is a high calling. It is a
call to lead the way in the path to holiness. It is not a separation from
the ordinary life of our people. It is not a calling to live apart
from the people. On the contrary, it means that we are more united with
the people and identified with them in their struggles. Only then can we
lead them to a higher calling in life. That is why religious in apostolic
life are very much in the world as a sign of Christ’s presence through their
involvement in education, the sick, refugees, the poor, the wounded, the
marginalized, the young and the elderly, and those who are lost and
lonely. This was what Jesus did. In the second reading, we are told
that He became man. “It was essential that he should in this way become
completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and
trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins. That
is, because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help others
who are tempted.” He died so that He could conquer the fear and slavery
of death through His resurrection.
By living a life of holiness to its highest degree, religious can give
the People of God hope that they too can imitate them in their love for God and
for their neighbours. That is why religious do not do
the work themselves but inspire many others to join them as lay members or
collaborators according to their charisms and state of life. In this way,
they learn to live happy lives in this world, a life of detachment, a life of
inclusive love and a life of service to God and to their fellowmen. This
is the foretaste of eternal life. So as consecrated people, let us not
forget that we are called to be the sign, their mentor and light to them; and
the glory of the Church. This is our calling, to be a light to the
Gentiles and the glory of the Church and of God.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh,
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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