20180516
GUARDING THE FAITH WE HAVE INHERITED
16 MAY, 2018, Wednesday, 7th Week of
Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
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First reading
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Acts 20:28-38 ©
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I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, and its power
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Paul addressed these words to the elders of the church of Ephesus:
‘Be on your
guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made
you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own
blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you
and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men
coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the
disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day
for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one
of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has
power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.
‘I have
never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work
I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to
show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering
the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more happiness in
giving than in receiving.”’
When he had
finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were all
in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what saddened
them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they
escorted him to the ship.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 67(68):29-30,33-36 ©
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Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Show forth, O God, show forth your might,
your might, O God, which you have shown for us.
For the sake of your temple high in Jerusalem
may kings come to you bringing their tribute.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, praise the Lord
who rides on the heavens, the ancient heavens.
He thunders his voice, his mighty voice.
Come, acknowledge the power of God.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
His glory is on Israel; his might is in the skies.
God is to be feared in his holy place.
He is the Lord, Israel’s God.
He gives strength and power to his people.
Blessed be God!
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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Mt28:19,20
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of all the nations.
I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn17:17
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 17:11-19 ©
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Father, keep those you have given me true to your name
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Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except the one who chose to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these things
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you to remove them from the world,
but to protect them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’
GUARDING THE FAITH WE HAVE INHERITED
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 20:28-38; PS 68:29-30,33-36; JOHN 17:11-19]
Many of us
take our faith for granted. We live out our faith carelessly and
complacently. We fail to treasure the faith we have received through the
sacrifices of our forefathers in faith. It is therefore important
that we not only strengthen our faith but also be responsible for the faith of
those who are under our care. This was what St Paul said to the elders of
the Christian community, “Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock
of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God
which he bought with his own blood.” Similarly, Jesus prayed at the end
of His life, “Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so
that they may be one like us. While I was with them, I kept those you had
given me true to your name.”
The truth is
that as Christians we face onslaughts both from within and without. In the gospel, Jesus
spoke of the persecution of His disciples by the world. He prayed
to His Father, “I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am not
asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil
one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the
world.” Indeed, today in a secular world, there is discrimination against
those who profess a religion by the minority who do not. The rules
are in favour of secularism even though the greater part of the people are
faith believers. Religion is excluded from public life in the name of
religious neutrality. So it appears that only secularists benefit from
the system.
However, the
opposition comes not just from without but also from within. This is even more
insidious. St Paul warned the Christians of the opposition that comes
from within, ie among themselves. “I know quite well that when I have
gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even
from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the
truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them.” Indeed, the
Church would have been an indomitable and formidable force in the world if only
Christians, especially their leaders, live a life of Christ and are true to the
name that they received from God. It is the division that comes from
disagreement in doctrines, in leadership and in pastoral approaches that have
caused us to weaken. When we are not united as one Body, but fight among
ourselves, we lose focus and direction. Instead of directing our energies
towards spreading the Good News to the world, we exhaust ourselves with
internal bickering, fighting and quarrelling. Oftentimes, leaders, by
their poor examples of Christian living, are themselves the cause
scandal. They are egoistic, self-serving, dictatorial and
authoritarian, lacking humility in their service of the Lord and His people.
How, then,
can we help ourselves and our loved ones to protect the faith we have
inherited? Firstly, we must consecrate ourselves to our Father. Jesus said, “Consecrate them
in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent
them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too
may be consecrated in truth.” Before we can lead others to God and help
them preserve their faith, we must, like Jesus, first consecrate ourselves to
God. We must surrender our whole life to Him and seek to protect His
honour and glory by living an exemplary life of love and truth. This is
what Jesus meant when He prayed, “Holy Father, keep those you have given me
true to your name, so that they may be one like us. While I was with
them, I kept those you had given me true to your name.” To be true to the name
of God means that we exemplify our life according to our identity, which is to
live as how God’s children should live.
Secondly, it
means that we be consecrated to the truth through the Word of God. Jesus said, “I passed your
word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no
more than I belong to the world.” We need to be rooted in the Word of
God. Christian leaders, parents and teachers, have a duty to feed those
under their charge with the Word of God. St Paul reminds us, “Be on your
guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made
you the overseers, to feed the Church of God.” We need to instruct our
children in the faith. Quite often, parents neglect their responsibility
to teach and talk to their children and loved ones about their shared
faith. At home, we discuss about everything that is mundane, but when it
comes to God, we are diffident and shy about sharing and discussing our
faith. Parents and teachers should initiate discussion about their faith
regularly so that by asking and inquiring, their children will come to
appreciate the faith better through understanding and knowledge. Jesus
could, with a clear conscience at the end of His life, say to His Father,
“I have watched over them and not one is lost except the one who chose to be
lost, and this was to fulfil the scriptures. But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these things to share my joy with them to
the full.”
Most of all,
we must involve ourselves through study and reading of scripture to enlighten
us in the truth. As St Paul says, “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)
It is necessary that as Christians we not just read the Word of God everyday
but also contemplate on His Word, study the scriptures and share the Word with
our fellow Christians. Only through constant contact with the Word of God
can we remain strong in our faith and allow Christ to live in us. “Those
who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come
to them and make our home with them.” (Jn 14:23)
Thirdly, to
be consecrated in the truth is to be consecrated in love. Truth is not a
concept or an idea but a verb. It is love in action. To live in the
truth is to live in love for God and our fellowmen. Only love can keep us
in the truth. That was how St Paul reminded the Christian community, by
demonstrating his sincere love for them. He sought to win them over by
his love and devotion. The preaching of St Paul was not mere words.
He reminded the Christians to be faithful to the faith simply because Christ
shed His blood for the Church. He said, “Be on your guard for yourselves
and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to
feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood.”
Above all,
Paul himself too suffered much for the community, laboring in unselfish love.
He
wrote, “So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three years I
never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one of you.” It
was his untiring service and love that kept the Christian community growing
from strength to strength. His love for the people was demonstrated in
tears and patient suffering. To show his sincerity, Paul strove to offer
the gospel free. He said, “I have never asked anyone for money or
clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned enough to meet my
needs and those of my companions.” He did not wish to take any
money or assistance from them but worked for his own upkeep. The reason was
simply that he did not wish to tax the poor with unnecessary burden. “I
did this to show you that is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak,
remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, ‘There is more
happiness in giving than in receiving.’”
Finally, we
must always pray for those under our care and for each other. Prayer is the means
by which we ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit to help us to be strong in
times of trials and tribulation. In the gospel, Jesus was aware of
the difficulties that His disciples would face after He was gone.
That was why He ended His mission with a long prayer to His heavenly Father to
protect the Church. St Paul too prayed earnestly with the Christians. “he
knelt down with them all and prayed.” Prayer means to depend on His power
and on His strength. Praying together with each other strengthens our
common bond and friendship.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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