20180614 GOD’S POWER TRANSFORMS US FROM WITHIN
14 JUNE, 2018, Thursday, 10th Week,
Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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1 Kings 18:41-46 ©
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'A cloud no bigger than a man's hand'
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Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go back, eat and drink; for I hear the sound
of rain.’ While Ahab went back to eat and drink, Elijah climbed to the top of
Carmel and bowed down to the earth, putting his face between his knees. ‘Now go
up,’ he told his servant ‘and look out to the sea.’ He went up and looked.
‘There is nothing at all’ he said. ‘Go back seven times’ Elijah said. The
seventh time, the servant said, ‘Now there is a cloud, small as a man’s hand,
rising from the sea.’ Elijah said, ‘Go and say to Ahab, “Harness the chariot
and go down before the rain stops you.”’ And with that the sky grew dark with
cloud and storm, and rain fell in torrents. Ahab mounted his chariot and made
for Jezreel. The hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and tucking up his cloak he
ran in front of Ahab as far as the outskirts of Jezreel.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 64(65):10-13 ©
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To you our praise is due in Zion, O God.
You care for the earth, give it water,
you fill it with riches.
Your river in heaven brims over
to provide its grain.
To you our praise is due in Zion, O God.
And thus you provide for the earth;
you drench its furrows;
you level it, soften it with showers;
you bless its growth.
To you our praise is due in Zion, O God.
You crown the year with your goodness.
Abundance flows in your steps,
in the pastures of the wilderness it flows.
The hills are girded with joy.
To you our praise is due in Zion, O God.
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.1Th2:13
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message for what it really is:
God’s message, and not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn13:34
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 5:20-26 ©
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Anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it
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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than
that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of
heaven.
‘You have
learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You
must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the
court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer
for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for
it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it
in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there
remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there
before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come
back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time
while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over
to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’
GOD’S POWER TRANSFORMS US FROM WITHIN
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 Kings 18:41-46; Ps 65:10-13; Matthew 5:20-26 ]
How are you
feeling? Some of you might be in the desert, like the Israelites facing a
long drought. Some of us are unhappy with our life. We are not
happy where we are and what we are, whether with our marriage or our
work. We find life meaningless and empty. Some of us live in fear and
anxiety about the future and as a result, are greedy like King Ahab.
Others are unhappy with people around us, not just with our enemies but even
with our friends and loved ones. We are always fighting with people
whom we see as obstructing our will to do what we want and how we
live. Very often, we tend to blame people. We pick on
others. We look for scapegoats for our failures and mistakes in life
instead of recognizing that it is our fault as well. This was the case of
the people of Israel. They were unfaithful to the covenant. Instead
of looking at themselves, they looked for other causes.
When we live
superficially and lack authenticity in the way we live our lives, especially in
relationships, we will be exposed eventually. That is what Jesus is warning us in
today’s gospel, “Come to terms with our opponent in good time while you are
still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge
and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you
solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.” This
is the price for our folly and lack of integrity. Our friends will see
how fake we are. When they come to realize how inward-looking and
self-centered we are and that we are doing things only to win their attention,
they will dump us. We want genuine people who are not necessarily perfect
but are honest with themselves, are striving to improve themselves and willing
to admit their mistakes. When people put up a show and live a life
of pretense, we don’t want them as friends.
Rather, Jesus
asks us to look deep within us. He warns us against behaving like the Pharisees and the
scribes who lived superficially by impressing to get attention, glory and
honour. They fulfilled the laws only to feel justified before men and
God. There was much pride and self-righteousness in the way they
conducted themselves. That is why Jesus invites us to live deeply.
He says, “If your virtue goes not deeper than that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.”
So we must
come to terms with ourselves, our brokenness and our goodness. We must
learn to connect with ourselves. Hence, we must ask ourselves the
reasons for our misery and emptiness. What is causing us to be so full of
anger, vindictiveness, hatred, intolerance and unforgiveness? Even anger
for Jesus is but the sign of a deeper issue affecting us and causing us to hurt
others and in the process, hurt ourselves. Jesus said, “You have learnt
how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he
must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry
with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his
brother, ‘Fool’ he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls
him ‘Renegade’ he will answer for it in hell fire.”
Happiness in
life requires us to live deeply. To live deeply means to live a
life of God. How can one live deeply? Firstly, we must remove our
sins, especially of anger and revenge. When we are angry, we
cannot look at things objectively. Our sins cause us to be
blind. This is why the Lord asks us to forgive our brothers and
sisters. When we are not at peace with ourselves and with others, we act
out of our wounds and pain. Indeed, most of us react to situations rather
than act. The fact that we are reacting means that we are not dealing
with the events and challenges objectively. We need to heal the pains
that come from old wounds, especially those traumatic events in our lives
inflicted on us, especially by our loved ones, parents, siblings and
relatives. Anger is the cause of misery.
Secondly, to
live deeply requires that we live our faith deeply, not just a superficial
faith or ritualistic faithbut authentically. This is to say that
we must believe deeply in our hearts what we believe in. The trouble is
that many of us do not truly believe in what we have been taught. We only
pay lip service to the Word of God and the doctrines of the Church. We
are not completely sold on the teachings of the Church because we tend to
listen more to the world’s views than the Church’s views. Our faith in
Christ and in the Bible is superficial. We are more concerned with
external practices and obligations, believing that if we observe some of the
rules, we can count ourselves as good Catholics. The truth is that we are
not saved by good works but by Christ’s forgiving love and mercy on the
cross. Unless we come to understand this truth, we will always see religion
as a set of practices rather as an invitation to love and live like Christ who
shows us the way to fullness of life.
The fruits of
our salvation are demonstrated in a virtuous life transformed in Christ. Indeed, Jesus makes
it clear that “If your virtue goes not deeper than that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” It is more
than just performing some pious exercises. Rather, it is to allow the
saving work of Christ to show its effects in our lives by allowing His Spirit
to work in and through us. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the
Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another,
envying one another.” (Gal 5:22f, 25ff)
Thirdly, to
live deeply means going beyond the letter of the law to the
Spirit. This is the intention of Jesus with regard to the
teaching on anger. On the surface, we think anger is quite acceptable
because many of us get angry easily. He saw it as a deeper issue.
He is against all forms of anger as it would lead to shouting, verbal abuse,
violence and even killing. So, it is more than just breaking the law. If
we do not reconcile, we will be led to greater evil. The separation will
cause greater misunderstanding and make us lose our peace of mind. It
prevents us from worshipping God totally and blocks our hearts from entering
the love of God. When we are not in union with God, then other issues
will arise. That is why the Lord advises us accordingly, “So then, if you
are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother
has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and
be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your
offering.”
In the same
vein, offering worship to God is not just an external performance of sacrifices. Love of God
and love of our fellowmen go together. Jesus makes it clear that
these two commandments are inseparable, “’You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is
the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets.” (Mt 22:37-40)
John is even more explicit. “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their
brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or
sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. ‘The
commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their
brothers and sisters also.” (1 Jn 4:20f)
Consequently,
today, we are called to follow Elijah in developing a personal relationship
with the Lord rooted in faith and trust. It was his faith in the Lord
and His power that enabled him to pray with expectation that the Lord would
fulfil what he asked of Him. His fervent prayer brought about the
rain. And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go
down, lest the rain stop you.’ And in a little while the heavens grew black
with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.” The Lord too wants to
send down His blessings on us. But we must surrender to Him in
prayer. We must cultivate a personal faith in the Lord Jesus.
Only then, can we live our lives authentically, in the power of the Spirit, in
truth and in love. Just as the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, so too,
His hand would also be on us if we seek Him with all our hearts, turn away from
sin, live in truth and love, and in integrity, and not follow the bad example
of King Ahab whose insincerity caused him and his family to suffer.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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