20180825
SPIRITUAL WORLDLINESS
25 AUGUST, 2018,
Saturday, 20th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Ezekiel 43:1-7 ©
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The vision of the coming of the glory of
the Lord to the Temple
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The angel took me to the gate, the one
facing east. I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A
sound came with it, like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his
glory. This vision was like the one I had seen when I had come for the
destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen on the bank of the river
Chebar. Then I prostrated myself.
The
glory of the Lord arrived at the Temple by the east gate. The spirit lifted me
up and brought me into the inner court; I saw the glory of the Lord fill the
Temple. And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood
beside me. The voice said, ‘Son of man, this is the dais of my throne, the step
on which I rest my feet. I shall live here among the sons of Israel for ever.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm
84(85):9-14(Sat20) ©
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The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his
friends.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in
our land.
The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have
embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from
heaven.
The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its
fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his
steps.
The glory of the Lord
will dwell in our land.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ps118:36,29
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Mt23:9,10
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You have only one Father,
and he is in heaven;
you have only one Teacher,
the Christ.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 23:1-12 ©
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They do not practise what they preach
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Addressing the people and his disciples
Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must
therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be
guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie
up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger
to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like
wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place
of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted
obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You,
however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one
master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father,
since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow
yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
SPIRITUAL WORLDLINESS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ EZEKIEL 43:1-7; MATTHEW 23:1-12 ]
In the first reading,
the prophet Ezekiel was writing to the Israelites in exile to give them hope
that they would be restored to their homeland and their former glory. In their exile, they felt the abandonment
of God. But God was with them, preparing them to return to Jerusalem. This
was the vision of Ezekiel. “I saw the glory of the God of Israel
approaching from the east. A sound came with it, like the sound of the
ocean, and the earth shone with his glory. The glory of the Lord arrived at the
Temple by the east gate. The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the
inner court; I saw the glory of God fill the Temple.” This was his vision
of the glory of God returning to Israel. He continued, “And I heard
someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me. The
voice said, ‘Son of man, this is the dais of my throne, the step on which I
rest my feet. I shall live here among the sons of Israel forever.'”
The Temple remained the dwelling place of God where He lived in their midst.
However, for God to
return, the people had to first repent of their sins of idolatry and show the
will to restore the Temple to its former glory. “Now let them put away their
idolatry and the corpses of their kings far from me, and I will reside among
them forever. As for you, mortal, describe the temple to the house of Israel,
and let them measure the pattern; and let them be ashamed of their
iniquities.” (Ezk 43:9f) The period of
exile was meant to be a time for them to reflect on their sins and purify
themselves so that they would live a life of holiness. Only such a life
can reflect the glory of God. So too for us. If we feel the absence
of God in our lives, it is because of our sins. By not living a life of
holiness, we deprive the glory of God from shining through us. St Paul wrote,
“For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)
Yet, the return of the
Jews from exile led to another form of worldliness. It was the temptation to spiritual
worldliness, which Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical “Evangelii Gaudium.”
[Spiritual worldliness, which hides behind the appearance of piety and even
love for the Church, consists in seeking not the Lord’s glory but human glory
and personal well-being. It is what the Lord reprimanded the Pharisees for:
“How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the
glory that comes from the only God?” (Jn 5:44). It is a subtle way
of seeking one’s “own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Phil 2:21).
It takes on many forms, depending on the kinds of persons and groups into which
it seeps. Since it is based on carefully cultivated appearances, it is not
always linked to outward sin; from without, everything appears as it should be.
But if it were to seep into the Church, “it would be infinitely more disastrous
than any other worldliness which is simply moral”.] (EG 93)
This was what the Lord
is warning us in today’s gospel. There is a temptation for us to use
religiosity and piety to hide the real intention of our hearts, which is to
glorify ourselves and for our personal interests. When we are not sincere in serving
the Lord and living a life of holiness, we use religious practices to cover up
the wickedness and selfishness in our heart. This is seen when we seek
our glory instead of the glory of God. The religious leaders of the day
were more concerned about seeking their glory than the glory of God. Jesus
remarked, “Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing
broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of
honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted
obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.”
Indeed, all of us, priests, religious and lay leaders included, often seek
positions of glory and honour. We put on a good show that we are holy,
but are not living a life of holiness. We participate in religious
activities and rituals but our lives are far from what we claim to believe and
worship.
Pope Francis gave us
concrete examples of how spiritual worldliness is manifested in the Church
today. [“This insidious
worldliness is evident in a number of attitudes which appear opposed, yet all
have the same pretence of “taking over the space of the Church”. In some people
we see an ostentatious preoccupation for the liturgy, for doctrine and for the
Church’s prestige, but without any concern that the Gospel have a real impact
on God’s faithful people and the concrete needs of the present time. In this
way, the life of the Church turns into a museum piece or something which is the
property of a select few. In others, this spiritual worldliness lurks behind a
fascination with social and political gain, or pride in their ability to manage
practical affairs, or an obsession with programmes of self-help and
self-realization. It can also translate into a concern to be seen, into a
social life full of appearances, meetings, dinners and receptions. It can also
lead to a business mentality, caught up with management, statistics, plans and
evaluations whose principal beneficiary is not God’s people but the Church as
an institution. The mark of Christ, incarnate, crucified and risen, is not
present; closed and elite groups are formed, and no effort is made to go forth
and seek out those who are distant or the immense multitudes who thirst for
Christ. Evangelical fervour is replaced by the empty pleasure of complacency
and self-indulgence.] (EG 95)
The Lord reminds us that
in whatever we do, we are to refer people to God, not to us. We must not
be the center of focus, taking away the glory of God. Unless, our lives lead people to
see God and not us, we would have failed in our responsibilities. Those
in positions of authority and influence must not allow their ego to consume
them and think that they are the focus for others. This explains why the
Lord said, “You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since
you have only one Master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one
on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in
heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have
only one Teacher, the Christ.” Our task is to help people to be the glory
of God by living a life of holiness. When titles are given to us,
we must never forget that we are acting on behalf of God for He is the only
Master, Father and Teacher. We all derive our authority from Him for the
service of His people. We are only ambassadors and servants of the
Father.
The Lord said, “The greatest among you must be
your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who
humbles himself will be exalted.” At the end of the day, it is
not about us but about God and His people. A leader does not focus on
himself, his interests and his glory but that of God and the people that he
serves. Therefore, as servants of God, we must be careful that we are not
serving our interests. This can happen when theologians and priests redefine
faith and morals according to the standards of the world in order to gain
popularity and acceptance. Catholics who would only accept those Catholic
teachings they like and reject those that they do not are also
self-serving. Catholics who are afraid to live out their faith because of
fear of rejection from society fall into the same category of spiritual
worldliness and hypocrisy. Most of all, we too suffer from spiritual
worldliness when we use devotions and church involvement to cover up our need
for power and recognition.
Yet, the fact remains
that we are weak and sinful. In truth, we all lack the courage to stand up for what
we believe. In different ways, we live hypocritical lives even when we
appear to be good Catholics. Even religious leaders fail us,
not just those in authority. The Lord has this to advise us when we face
hypocritical leaders or those who fail to live up to what they preach.
“The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must
therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be
guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they preach.” So
it remains our constant challenge as leaders to seek authenticity and integrity
lest we be accused of being those who “tie up heavy burdens and lay them on
men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them?” Instead of
condemning others for seeking spiritual worldliness, we must look into
ourselves and honestly examine those areas in our life where we have failed to
live sincerely, with the right motives for what we believe and what we
teach. Let the glory of God shine through us by our lives of humble
service.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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