20180924 WALKING IN THE
PRESENCE OF THE LORD
24 SEPTEMBER,
2018, Monday, 25th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Proverbs 3:27-34 ©
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The Lord blesses the home of the
virtuous
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My son, do not refuse a kindness to anyone
who begs it,
if it is in your power to
perform it.
Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go away!
Come another time!
I will give it you tomorrow’,
if you can do it now.
Do not plot harm against your neighbour
as he lives unsuspecting next
door.
Do not pick a groundless quarrel with a
man
who has done you no harm.
Do not emulate the man of violence,
never model your conduct on
his;
for the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to
the Lord,
who confides only in honest
men.
The Lord’s curse lies on the house of the
wicked,
but he blesses the home of the
virtuous.
He mocks those who mock,
but accords his favour to the
humble.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 14(15):2-5 ©
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The just will live in
the presence of the Lord.
Lord, who shall dwell on your holy
mountain?
He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue.
The just will live in
the presence of the Lord.
He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honours those who fear the Lord.
The just will live in
the presence of the Lord.
He who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the
innocent.
Such a man will stand firm for ever.
The just will live in
the presence of the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamation
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James1:18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
By his own choice the Father made us his
children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of
first-fruits
of all that he created.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Mt5:16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your light must shine in the sight of men,
so that, seeing your good works,
they may give the praise to your Father in
heaven.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 8:16-18 ©
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Anyone who has will be given more
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Jesus said to the crowds:
‘No
one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under a bed. No, he puts
it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For
nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be
known and brought to light. So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will
be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be
taken away.’
WALKING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ PROVERBS 3:27-34; LUKE 8:16-18 ]
“The just will live in
the presence of the Lord.” If
we want to live a life of happiness, peace and joy, we simply have to live in
the presence of the Lord. This is what we said in the responsorial
psalm. To live in the presence of the Lord does not mean that we are free
from the trials and sufferings of life but it means that we can go through all
these with joy and peace of mind.
How does one live in the
presence of the Lord? Firstly, we must allow the light of Christ to shine
in us before He can shine through us.
Jesus said to His disciples, “No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or
to put it under the bed. No, he puts it on a lamp stand so that people
may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be
made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light.” It
is important therefore that we must be recipients of the light. This
saying comes immediately after the parable of the Sower when Jesus spoke on the
different levels of reception of the Word of God. (cf Lk 8:4-15)
Following this parable,
the Lord warns us, “So take care how you hear.” How we hear the Word of
God will affect the way we live our lives. This was what the earlier parable of
the Sower sought to explain. The degree of reception and understanding
will impact the way we will be able to live out the messages. The truth
is that many are not able to hear the Word of God because of so much
distractions and competing messages that are more attractively presented,
especially through the social and mass media. There is a diarrhea of
information, so much so that the Word of God is not heard. It seems that
non-religious views are more appealing because it promises happiness, wealth,
power and prestige.
Secondly, there is the
corresponding responsibility of spreading the light of Christ and sharing the
Word of God. What
we receive as a gift must be shared generously. The failure to share the
Word of God or of Christ to others means that we do not regard the Word of God
as truly inspiring and liberating. Otherwise, like the apostles, we will
be ever ready to witness to the Word of God. St Paul said, “If I proclaim
the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on
me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my
own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a
commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I
may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in
the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:16-18)
However, the call to
proclaim Christ to the world is not just a matter of doing a service to God and
humanity but for one’s faith as well.
It certainly does not exclude the objective of witnessing so that those who
receive the light and the Word of God would be enlightened and be saved.
But witnessing has a double purpose. It enlightens those who are ignorant
and lacking faith but it also strengthens the faith of the one who makes
himself the light. When we evangelize others, we evangelize
ourselves. The best way to remember something is to talk constantly about
it. The most effective way to learn is by teaching others. We learn
doubly and gain more when we share with others. That is why the Lord
said, “anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he
thinks he has will be taken away.” So by sharing what we have, we retain
the knowledge and most of all, grow in knowledge and conviction of what we
share. That is why at the end of the gospel, the Lord commissioned the
disciples to go out to the whole world to proclaim the gospel. “Go into
all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mk 16:15)
Thirdly, the concrete
way of walking in the presence of God is to walk in truth and in charity. The Old Testament prescribes it
this way. Godly living is synonymous with righteous living. In the
responsorial psalm, the psalmist quipped, “Lord, who shall dwell on your holy
mountain? He who walks without fault; he who acts with justice and speaks the
truth from his heart; he who does not slander with his tongue. He who does no
wrong to his brother; who casts no slur on his neighbor; who holds the godless
in disdain, but honours those who fear the Lord. He who keeps his pledge, come
what may; who takes no interest on a loan and accepts no bribes against the
innocent. Such a man will stand firm forever.”
It is significant that
the Bible underscores the importance of justice and compassion in the life of a
believer and a Christian.
A life of justice is basic to walking in the presence of God. The Lord
hears the cries of the poor and the oppressed. “He strikes them for their
wickedness while others look on, because they turned aside from following him,
and had no regard for any of his ways, so that they caused the cry of the
poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted.” (Job 34:26-28) The psalmist reiterates
this truth when he prayed, “The eyes of the Lord are on the
righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of
the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of
them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the
brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Ps 34:15-18)
Consequently, in the
Mosaic law, carrying out justice is paramount in the observation of the
commandments, more than the observance of rituals and sacrifices. The prophet Hosea said, “I
desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than
burnt offerings.” (Hos 6:6) True worship is
to offer justice to our fellowmen. The Lord said through Isaiah, “Is not
this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo
the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every
yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the
homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and
not to hide yourself from your own kin?” (Isa 58:6f) This, in the eyes of God, is
how we let His light shine out in the world. For Isaiah remarked, “Then
your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring
up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of
the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and
the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I
am.” (Isa 58:8f)
This is precisely what
the Book of Proverbs teaches as well. We must avoid doing evil to
others. The sin against others is a sin against God. “Do not plot harm against your
neighbor as he lives unsuspecting next door. Do not pick a groundless quarrel
with a man who has done you no harm. Do not emulate the man of violence, never
model your conduct on his; for the willful wrong-doer is abhorrent to the Lord,
who confides only in honest men.” Those who hurt their brothers and
sisters especially the poor and the vulnerable offend the dignity and hide the
glory of God.
Indeed, going beyond
justice and truth, we must live a life of charity. “My son, do not refuse a kindness to
anyone who begs it, if it is in your power to perform it. Do not say to your
neighbour, ‘Go away! Come another time! I will give it to you tomorrow,’ if you
can do it now.” A true love of God is expressed in our love for our
fellowmen and compassion for the poor. St James reminds us, “Has not God
chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom
that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the
poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into
court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked
over you? You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the
scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Jas 2:5-7) If we act justly, love
tenderly and walk humbly before God and man, we will truly walk in the presence
of God, so that others may see our good works and give glory to our Father in
heaven. (cf Mic 6:8; Mt 5:16) Such a person will find deep
peace, joy and happiness, regardless of his wealth and suffering in life
because He knows that God is with Him and will bless Him accordingly.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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