20181013
CHILDREN OF
GOD THROUGH FAITH IN GOD’S LOVE
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Green.
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First reading
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Galatians
3:22-29 ©
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There are no more
distinctions: all are one in Christ Jesus
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Scripture makes
no exceptions when it says that sin is master everywhere. In this way the
promise can only be given through faith in Jesus Christ and can only be given
to those who have this faith.
Before faith came, we were allowed no freedom by the
Law; we were being looked after till faith was revealed. The Law was to be our
guardian until the Christ came and we could be justified by faith. Now that
that time has come we are no longer under that guardian, and you are, all of
you, sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. All baptised in Christ, you
have all clothed yourselves in Christ, and there are no more distinctions
between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one
in Christ Jesus. Merely by belonging to Christ you are the posterity of
Abraham, the heirs he was promised.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm
104(105):2-7 ©
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The Lord
remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
O sing to the
Lord, sing his praise;
tell
all his wonderful works!
Be proud of his
holy name,
let
the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
The Lord
remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
Consider the
Lord and his strength;
constantly
seek his face.
Remember the
wonders he has done,
his
miracles, the judgements he spoke.
The Lord
remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
O children of
Abraham, his servant,
O
sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is
our God:
his
judgements prevail in all the earth.
The Lord
remembers his covenant for ever.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn14:23
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Alleluia,
alleluia!
If anyone loves
me he will keep my word,
and my Father
will love him,
and we shall
come to him.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Lk11:28
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Alleluia,
alleluia!
Happy are those
who hear the
word of God
and keep it.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke
11:27-28 ©
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'Happy the womb that bore
you and the breasts you sucked!'
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As Jesus was
speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that
bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who
hear the word of God and keep it!’
CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH
FAITH IN GOD’S LOVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ GALATIANS 3:22-29; LUKE 11:27-28 ]
St Paul says, “Scripture
makes no exceptions when it says that sin is master everywhere.” This
is a fact of life since the fall of Adam. St John also wrote, “If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his
word is not in us.” (1 Jn 1:8,10) This is because sin lives in us and so we
find ourselves helpless to overcome the temptations of the Evil One. (Rom 7:17-20) No matter how much we try to
resist sin, we find ourselves powerless. The temptations that come from
the flesh and the world are too overwhelming for us to reject them. We
are under the slavery of sin.
What, then,
is the purpose of the Laws? Laws are given to guide us and to inform us what is
right and wrong. Laws are provided to help us discern the
ethical thing to do in the various situations in life. St Paul wrote, “if
it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known
what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.'” (Rom 7:7) So “before faith came, we were
allowed no freedom by the Law; we were being looked after till faith was
revealed. The Law was to be our guardian until the Christ came and we could be
justified by faith.”
But at the
same time, knowing the law leads us to sin because as St Paul noted,
“sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of
covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart
from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and
the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.” (Rom 7:8-10) If not for the law, we would be
sinning in ignorance. This would be the case of Adam and Eve if they did
not eat the forbidden fruit. Once having eaten it, their eyes were opened
and they came to know the shame of their sins. “Then the eyes of both
were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves
together and made loincloths for themselves.” (Gn 3:7) But once we know the law, we sin even
more because we deliberately go against the law knowingly, out of pride and
self-indulgence. Knowledge of what is right and wrong does not
tantamount to having the power to do what is right. Indeed, as St Paul
puts it succinctly, “So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but
with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.” (Rom 7:25b)
In the face
of our powerlessness against the temptations that come from the flesh, the
world and Satan, like St Paul, we can only exclaim, “Wretched man that I am! Who
will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus
Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:24f) Truly, on our
own strength, we cannot overcome our sinful tendencies and desires. This
is precisely the reason for the law, to drive us into a deep realization that
we cannot obey the laws. This explains why in every country there are
prisons even though everyone knows that committing crimes will land them in
prison. Yet they still commit them anyway simply because they are not
capable of resisting the temptations of sin.
How, then,
can we overcome our helplessness? Only faith in Christ as the Son of God
can empower us to live the life of the Spirit. Faith in Christ gives
us the grace to be saved. Faith in Jesus as the Son of God who gave His
life to save us strengthens our confidence in God’s unconditional mercy and
love for us. In Christ Jesus, we are guaranteed of the Father’s forgiveness
for all the wrongs we have done. “For we do not have a high priest who is
unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect
has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the
throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help in time of need.” (Heb 4:15f)
Faith in
Christ makes us sons and daughters of God because we are justified in Him. “Now that that time has
come we are no longer under that guardian, and you are, all of you, sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus.” In Christ Jesus, our sins have been
forgiven because He has taken our place for the punishment we deserve.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from
sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been
healed.” (1 Pt 2:24) Having been
given freely in Christ, we cannot but be overcome by His love for us as St Paul
did. He fulfilled the laws not because of fear or by his own strength but
by the power that came from His love for him. He wrote, “For through the
law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And
the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for
if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” (Gal 2:19-21)
The key to
fulfillment of the law comes from faith in Christ’s love and mercy for
us. Love is the key to perfect the laws that have been given to us. The laws are good but
without love, they cannot be carried out. This was what the Lord said to
His disciples, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love
me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and
reveal myself to them. 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. Whoever
does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not
mine, but is from the Father who sent me.” (Jn 14:21, 23f) When we love God, we can do everything
joyfully for Him. Obedience is always the consequence of love. Just
before going to His passion, the Lord declared, “I will no longer talk much
with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over
me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know
that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.” (Jn 14:30f)
So we must be
clothed in Christ so that we can love the Father the same way He has loved us. “All baptised in
Christ, you have all clothed yourselves in Christ, and there are no more
distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of
you are one in Christ Jesus. Merely by belonging to Christ you are the
posterity of Abraham, the heirs he was promised.” Belonging to Christ
means that we are one in mind and heart with the Lord. We put on the mind
of Christ by not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by
the renewing of your minds, “so that you may discern what is the will of God –
what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2)
Today, we are
called to imitate the example of Mary who is clothed with Christ for she
responded to God the same way that her Son did. Jesus presented to us
in the gospel His mother as a model of faith. “As Jesus was speaking, a
woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and
the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word
of God and keep it!'” Mary’s greatest privilege was not so much to be the
mother of our Lord but to be given the grace to hear the Word of God and the
power to obey it. This is truly a great grace. She must have felt
the love of God in her heart that gave her the same capacity to respond to
God’s Word as St Paul did.
We too must
hear the Word of God daily like Mary and pray for God’s grace that His Word can
transform our minds and hearts. On our own, we cannot, but as St Paul says, “to
him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far
more than all we can ask or imagine.” (Eph 3:20) But this presupposes we are filled
with His love. His prayer for us is “that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. Pray that you may
have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and
length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses
knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:17-19)
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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