20180723
COVER UP
23 JULY, 2018, Monday, 16th Week,
Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Micah 6:1-4,6-8 ©
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The Lord asks only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, to
walk humbly
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Listen to what the Lord is saying:
Stand up and let the case begin in the hearing of the mountains
and let the hills hear what you say.
Listen, you mountains, to the Lord’s accusation,
give ear, you foundations of the earth,
for the Lord is accusing his people,
pleading against Israel:
My people, what have I done to you,
how have I been a burden to you? Answer me.
I brought you out of the land of Egypt,
I rescued you from the house of slavery;
I sent Moses to lead you,
with Aaron and Miriam.
– ‘With what gift shall I come into the Lord’s presence
and bow down before God on high?
Shall I come with holocausts,
with calves one year old?
Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand,
with libations of oil in torrents?
Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong,
the fruit of my body for my own sin?’
– What is good has been explained to you, man;
this is what the Lord asks of you:
only this, to act justly,
to love tenderly
and to walk humbly with your God.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 49(50):5-6,8-9,16-17,21,23 ©
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I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘Summon before me my people
who made covenant with me by sacrifice.’
The heavens proclaim his justice,
for he, God, is the judge.
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘I find no fault with your sacrifices,
your offerings are always before me.
I do not ask more bullocks from your farms,
nor goats from among your herds.
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘But how can you recite my commandments
and take my covenant on your lips,
you who despise my law
and throw my words to the winds,
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘You do this, and should I keep silence?
Do you think that I am like you?
a sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me
and I will show God’s salvation to the upright.’
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.2Tim1:10
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Ps94:8
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 12:38-42 ©
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There is something greater than Solomon here
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Some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up. ‘Master,’ they said
‘we should like to see a sign from you.’ He replied, ‘It is an evil and
unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is
the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster
for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the
earth for three days and three nights. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will
stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they
repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here. On Judgement day the
Queen of the South will rise up with this generation and condemn it, because
she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is
something greater than Solomon here.’
COVER UP
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ MIC 6:1-4, 6-8; MT 12:38-42 ]
On one hand,
the people of Israel seemed to be faithful to God and the Covenant. They were diligent in
offering sacrifices and doing what the law required of them for temple worship.
They offered gifts of holocausts to the Lord. Externally, they
observed the ceremonies and the rituals that were required of them.
On the other
hand, both the leaders and the people were hypocritical. They were offering
worship to the pagan gods as well. That was why the Lord asked the
mountains to be His witness because they erected high altars on the mountains
to worship the deities. They were corrupt and selfish. Those from
the richer strata of society were taking advantage of the poor, the widows and
the orphans. They were not living a just life based on charity and
compassion.
Many of us
are like the Israelites. We pray our prayers piously every day, and
dutifully attend Sunday mass. We observe the precepts of the Church, in fasting,
abstinence and support the Church. Some of us might even be involved in
Church ministry and serve as wardens, Extra-ordinary ministers of communion,
Altar servers and choir members. But our conduct at home, in the office
and sometimes in the church are far from what is expected of a Christian.
We are tyrannical at work and at home, ordering people around and do not lift a
finger to help in the house chores. Some live double lives, cheating,
having affairs, and engaging in dishonest or even immoral activities.
When we
appear to be religious on one hand and live an irreligious life on the other,
we are just covering up our sins. We are not sincere in living the life of the
Covenant or the life of Christ. Performing pious exercises does not
exempt us from living a life of integrity, mercy and compassion. This was
what the Lord said to the Israelites, “I find no fault with your sacrifices,
your offerings are always before me. But how can you recite my commandments and
take my covenant on your lips, you who despise my law and throw my words to the
winds.”
Indeed, God
does not need all the external offerings we give to Him. If we do offer such
sacrifices or perform pious devotions, it is not for the sake of God but for
our sake. By performing the rituals and pious practices, our intention
should be to put into practice what we worship. They are means to help us
put ourselves right with God. They give us the grace to do what is right
and live in accordance with the laws of God and the precepts of the
gospel. They do not substitute but enhance a life of charity. The
prophet tells us what the Lord truly wants from us. “What is good has
been explained to you, man; this is what the Lord asks of you: only this, to
act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God.”
We must act
justly towards our fellowmen and not infringe or cheat them of their rights and
dignity.
This is the central message of the Prophet Amos. This is particularly
true when we do business or when it comes to exercising responsibility for the
common good. As Jesus in the gospel tells us, “In everything do to others
as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mt 7:12)
We should not do to others what we do not like them to do to us. It means
we have to exercise social responsibility in caring for others, respecting
their rights and cooperating to work for the common good and happiness of all.
Secondly, we
are called to love tenderly, that is to love mercifully those who have failed
us. Prophet Hosea continually reminds us of the tender love of God
towards His rebellious people. He was always ready to forgive
and relent even when the people remained ungrateful and continued to grieve the
heart of God. The Lord said, “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I
hand you over, O Israel? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows
warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again
destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your
midst, and I will not come in wrath.” (Hos 11:8f)
We too are called to exercise mercy and compassion for those who fail us
because we have received God’s mercy and unconditional forgiveness.
Thirdly, we
are called to walk humbly. Prophet Isaiah always urged his people, particularly the
kings, to cling to God in faith and trust in the face of their enemies.
Humility is the way to allow God to enter into our lives. Without
humility, there can be no faith in God. St Peter exhorts us, “God opposes
the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast
all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Pt 5:5-7)
This was what
the Assyrians did when they heard the preaching of Jonah. The prophet was
reluctant to obey God’s word to go to Nineveh to preach the gospel of
repentance. He did not like the cruel and mighty Assyrians. All he
wanted was for them to be destroyed. But all the same, after a futile
attempt to run away from God’s call, he unwillingly went to Nineveh and
preached the Word of God. To his surprise, the people and the king and
his officials repented. They put on sackcloth and fasted and repented of their
evil deeds.
The pagans appear
to be more disposed to the Word of God than our own people are. Those of us in
the ministry for too long can become jaded. We treat sacred things
without respect or reverence because we deal with them too often. An
extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and even a priest could lose the sense
of the sacred when he holds the Eucharist daily and distributes them.
Ironically, seekers of truth are more sensitive to the sense of the sacred and
pay attention to the Word of God when it is preached.
In the same
way too, Jesus lamented at how “the Queen of the South will rise up with this
generation and condemn it.” The Queen of Sheba heard the fame of Solomon,
particularly his wisdom. Although wise, Solomon did not live out what he
taught. Yet Queen Sheba honoured him. How much more should we
welcome Jesus who is the wisdom of God in person, the Word incarnate?
But we are
not ready to accept the Lord and His teaching. We are not ready to seek
repentance and live the life of Christ. Again, we cover up by asking
questions like the scribes and Pharisees who were looking for signs. We
want proof about the reality of Jesus and His resurrection. The truth is
that no proof will suffice if we are not disposed to believe in Him. The
Lord replied, “It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a
sign! The only sign that it will be given is the sign of the prophet
Jonah.” The people just refused to recognize Him because they had already
made up their mind. They were only seeking for reasons to prove Him
wrong. They were closed to what the Lord wanted to give them.
Indeed, we
have all the evidence but we do not wish to admit them. We have the life, passion,
death and resurrection of our Lord. We have the testimonies of the
apostles, their preaching and the martyrs who died for their faith. We
have the witnesses of saints, missionaries, priests, religious and holy lay
faithful who have vouched for the truth of Christ’s saving presence in their
lives. We have many who recount the power and mercy of God they
experienced in their lives through reconciliation, healing, even of physical,
psychological and emotional illnesses. Such testimonies over the
centuries should suffice for us to believe.
So what must
we do to remove the hypocritical love of God in our lives? The psalmist advises
us, “A sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me and I will show God’s salvation to
the upright.” We must recall the wonderful miracles and signs of God’s
love in our lives. This was what the Lord sought in His appeal to Israel
to repent when He cried out, “My people, what have I done to you, how have I
been a burden to you? Answer me. I brought you out of the land of Egypt, I
rescued you from the house of slavery; I sent Moses to lead you, with Aaron and
Miriam.” Have they forgotten what the Lord did for them during the Exodus
and as they journeyed through the desert and claimed Canaan as the land
promised to them? We too must cling to the promises of God. We must
remember what He has done for us; recall all those wonderful events when we
encountered God’s mercy and love. Only when we remember, can we then
respond in true love, in justice, charity and humility.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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