20181115
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS
WITHIN US AND IN OUR MIDST
15 NOVEMBER,
2018, Thursday, 32nd Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Philemon 1:7-20 ©
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He is a slave no longer, but a dear
brother in the Lord
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I am so delighted, and comforted, to know
of your love; they tell me, brother, how you have put new heart into the
saints.
Now,
although in Christ I can have no diffidence about telling you to do whatever is
your duty, I am appealing to your love instead, reminding you that this is Paul
writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I
am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing
these chains: I mean Onesimus. He was of no use to you before, but he will be
useful to you now, as he has been to me. I am sending him back to you, and with
him – I could say – a part of my own self. I should have liked to
keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I
am in the chains that the Good News has brought me. However, I did not want to
do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of
kindness, which should be spontaneous. I know you have been deprived of
Onesimus for a time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever,
not as a slave any more, but something much better than a slave, a dear
brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as
well as a brother in the Lord. So if all that we have in common means anything
to you, welcome him as you would me; but if he has wronged you in any way or
owes you anything, then let me pay for it. I am writing this in my own
handwriting: I, Paul, shall pay it back – I will not add any mention of
your own debt to me, which is yourself. Well then, brother, I am counting on
you, in the Lord; put new heart into me, in Christ.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 145(146):7-10 ©
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He is happy who is
helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!
It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to those who are
oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners
free.
He is happy who is
helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!
It is the Lord who gives sight to the
blind,
who raises up those who are
bowed down.
It is the Lord who loves the just,
the Lord, who protects the
stranger.
He is happy who is
helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord upholds the widow and orphan
but thwarts the path of the
wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
Zion’s God, from age to age.
He is happy who is
helped by Jacob’s God.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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1P1:25
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of the Lord remains for ever:
What is this word?
It is the Good News that has been brought
to you.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn15:5
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 17:20-25 ©
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The kingdom of God is among you
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Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of
God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God
does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look
there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’
He
said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the
days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!”
or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning
flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man
when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this
generation.’
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN US AND IN
OUR MIDST
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ PHILEMON 7-20; LUKE 17:20-25 ]
The Jews during the time
of Jesus were speculating on the arrival of the Kingdom of God. In other words, they were looking
out for signs of the day of the Lord. And in those days, it was believed
that the Day of the Lord would come when there would be total destruction of the
Old Age, that is, this present world, before the New World is ushered
in. Preceding this event there would be wars and natural
disasters. That was why Jesus told them, “When you hear of wars and
rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still
to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines.
This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” (Mk 13:7f)
Rather, the Kingdom of
God is in us. This is because the Kingdom of God is the reign of God’s
love, justice and joy in our lives.
St Paul says, “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17) Thus when “asked by the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer,
‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will
be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of
God is among you.'”
Indeed, if we live the
life of the Spirit, the life of Christ, then the Kingdom of God is already here
in us and in our midst.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Conversely, St Paul warns
us, “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity,
licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger,
quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness,
carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before:
those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21)
A case in point is the
transformation of the life of Onesimus. He was most likely a runaway
slave. But for some
reason, he came to find Paul in prison. Through the mentoring and
tutorship of Paul, Onesimus was converted to the Lord. St Paul took pains
to point out to Philemon the radical transformation of Onesimus, from one who
was “no use to you before, but he will be useful to you now, as he has been to
me.” Before his conversion, Onesimus must have been a difficult slave.
But through Paul’s
preaching of the gospel and his fatherly care and love for him, he was
transformed and converted. Indeed,
the relationship that was cultivated between Paul and Onesimus was like a
father and a son. He said, “I am appealing to you for a child of mine,
whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus.” Paul
must have shown him the love of God in such a way that he was touched and moved
by his compassion and gentle love and care for him. That changed him to
want to serve Paul in prison willingly and happily. Under St Paul’s
tutelage, Onesimus did not just become a Christian but his personal life was
transformed as well, from living for himself to living for others, from an
unwilling slave to a willing slave of the Lord.
Most likely, Onesimus
was a new name given to him after his baptism because the word, “Onesimus”
means “beneficial.”
As a result of being reborn in Christ, Onesimus now lived out his identity as
Christ’s brother, and his name, which is to benefit others. His
invaluable service to Paul who was in his old age must have been remarkable and
Paul was grateful for his service. When Paul wrote to Philemon, he
assured him that he would be more useful to him than before. Indeed, he
said, “I am sending him back to you, and with him – I could say – a part of my
own self. I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute
for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me.
However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been
forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous.”
Indeed, for Paul,
Onesimus should no longer be regarded a slave but a brother in the Lord since
he had accepted Christ.
Writing to Philemon, he said, “I know you have been deprived of Onesimus for a
time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever, not as a slave
anymore, but something better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to
me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as well as a brother in the
Lord.” As a true believer in the Lord, he is the brother of Christ and
therefore our brother. In the mind of St Paul, slavery should be
abolished although at that point of time, it was still so much part of the
culture. But it is significant that Christianity speaks of the freedom of
every person because he or she has been purchased by Christ and belongs to Christ.
And if we all belong to Christ, then we are brothers and sisters.
Relationships among Christians should not be focused on a master-slave
relationship but we are all one in Christ, serving the Lord in and through each
other in different ways.
It is within this
context that Paul urged Philemon to accept Onesimus back, not as a slave, but
as a brother in the Lord because of his new identity as a Christian, a son to
him, a brother to all.
“So if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you
would me.” As Christians, we are called to accept one another in Christ,
respecting everyone regardless of race, language, wealth, rank and
status. In the Church, all must be treated equally and there should be no
discrimination between the rich and the poor, the influential and the ordinary
people. In the mind of Christ, we are all equally important to Him.
St James wrote, “If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes
and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand
there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated
among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear
brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of
the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he
promised those who love him?” (Jms 2:3-5)
But such matter should
not be seen or be reduced to an obligation because if we fulfill the command to
love and accept our brothers and sisters unwillingly, that love would not be
sincere and free. We
will be paying only lip service and not genuine hospitality. Thus, St
Paul did not wish to impose his will on Philemon to accept Onesimus back.
Rather, he said, “Now, although in Christ I can have no diffidence about
telling you to do whatever is your duty, I am appealing to your love instead,
reminding you that this is Paul writing, an old man now and, what more, still a
prisoner of Christ Jesus.” He even went to the extent of wanting to repay
what Onesimus owed him. “If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything,
then let me pay for it. I am writing this in my own handwriting: I, Paul, shall
pay it back – I will not add any mention of your debt to me, which is
yourself.”
What St Paul said to
Philemon is also addressed to us, “I am so delighted, and comforted, to know of
your love; they tell me, brother, how you have put new heart into the saints … Well then, brother, I am counting
on you, in the Lord; put new heart into me, in Christ.” Let us also
follow St Paul and Philemon in putting new hearts in those who are hopeless,
the poor, the depressed, the forlorn, the troubled, the sick and the
hopeless. We are called to be like St Paul to transform life, to heal, to
empower and to restore such wounded and dejected people to wholeness through
Christ and in Christ. Like St Paul we must see the hidden Christ in such
difficult and wounded people. They are like Onesimus, waiting to be set
free from their slavery to self and to their passions. So we must follow
St Paul in embracing them, taking them into our arms and fold, guide, heal and
give them a new life. So long as they have Christ, there is hope.
This is how we make the Kingdom of God present here and now, in our midst and
in our hearts.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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