Monday, 31 December 2018

PSEUDO-CATHOLICS

20181231 PSEUDO-CATHOLICS


31 DECEMBER, 2018, Monday, 7th Day Within Octave of Christmas
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading
1 John 2:18-21 ©

You have been anointed by the Holy One
Children, these are the last days;
you were told that an Antichrist must come,
and now several antichrists have already appeared;
we know from this that these are the last days.
Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, but they had never really belonged;
if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us;
but they left us, to prove that not one of them
ever belonged to us.
But you have been anointed by the Holy One,
and have all received the knowledge.
It is not because you do not know the truth that I am writing to you
but rather because you know it already
and know that no lie can come from the truth.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 95(96):1-2,11-13 ©
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
  sing to the Lord all the earth.
  O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day,
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
  let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
  all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
  he comes to rule the earth.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
With justice he will rule the world,
  he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
A hallowed day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, worship the Lord,
for today a great light has shone down upon the earth.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn1:14,12
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.
To all who received him he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!

Gospel
John 1:1-18 ©

The Word was made flesh, and lived among us
In the beginning was the Word:
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through him.
All that came to be had life in him
and that life was the light of men,
a light that shines in the dark,
a light that darkness could not overpower.
A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
as a witness to speak for the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
He was not the light,
only a witness to speak for the light.
The Word was the true light
that enlightens all men;
and he was coming into the world.
He was in the world
that had its being through him,
and the world did not know him.
He came to his own domain
and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to all who believe in the name of him
who was born not out of human stock
or urge of the flesh
or will of man
but of God himself.
The Word was made flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
John appears as his witness. He proclaims:
‘This is the one of whom I said:
He who comes after me ranks before me
because he existed before me.’
Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received –
yes, grace in return for grace,
since, though the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God;
it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart,
who has made him known.


PSEUDO-CATHOLICS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 JOHN 2:18-21JOHN 1:1-18 ]
One of the ironies of the Catholic Church is that we boast of 1.3 billion Catholics in the world. In Singapore, on statistics, we have 383,000 Catholics.  But how many are really Catholic?  How many practise the faith fervently?  How many attend church services regularly and receive the sacraments?  How many are active in Church?  How many subscribe to the teachings of the gospel and the Church?  Therefore, there are Catholics and there are Catholics.  Not all Catholics are truly Catholic.  This was so at the onset of the Church.
In the first reading from St John’s letter, he warned of the days of the Antichrist.  “Several antichrists have already appeared; we know from this that these are the last days. Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, but they had never really belonged; if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us; but they left us, to prove that not one of them ever belonged to us.”  The greatest threat to the Church is not from without but from within.  The strategy of Satan is to divide the household.  This was what Jesus said during His ministry.  “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”  (Mk 3:24f)  This was why in His last testament, He prayed for unity in the Church. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  (Jn 17:20f)
There are three kinds of pseudo-Catholics.  Firstly, there are those who call themselves Catholic but never practise the faith.  They hardly pray and attend church services.  They live a life contrary to the gospel and the teachings of the Church. Those who belong to this group start by simply being indifferent or complacent to the faith.  However, this negligence soon leads to hostility because they cannot accept the teachings of the Church that do not agree with their lifestyle.  From being indifferent, they graduate to attacking the Church’s teachings, often publicly, whilst calling themselves Catholic.
Secondly, there are those who are selective of the biblical and Church teachings.  They pick and choose what they like and ignore what they do not like.  They make the bible accommodate their preferences.  St Augustine warns such people, “If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”  Indeed, either the entire bible is the Word of God and therefore infallible or it is not the Word of God because we do not know which word is true.
Thirdly, there are those who twist and turn the teachings of the bible and the Church to fit their lifestyle.  They use scripture texts selectively and interpret them in their favour or thinking.   Because of greed, they preach the prosperity gospel based on certain texts of the bible.  Because they favour divorce or same-sex union, they will select those texts that they could interpret to show that homosexuality or divorce is the accepted truth.  When we adapt the bible and reduce it to our standards of judgment, the bible is no longer the objective norm of truth but we have become the judge.   If we want to know the truth, we need to examine a truth not based on selected scripture verses but what the entire bible says and what the Church has taught for centuries.
However, why is there deviation in the way we interpret the scriptures, even among Christians?  John says, “they had never really belonged; if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us; but they left us, to prove that not one of them ever belonged to us.”   Indeed, even though they might be Catholic, many of them are just nominal Catholics.  They do not share our faith in Christ and our faith in the teachings of Christ and His Church.  They are only Catholic in name but not in fact.  This is understandable because they do not know Jesus.  “He was in the world that had its being through him, and the world did not know him.”  There are of course those who know Jesus but because of self-interests, they are not ready to accept Jesus as His teachings contradict their lifestyle.  They reject Jesus for the world.  St John wrote, “He came to his own domain and his own people did not accept him.”
If we want to be true Catholic Christians, we must first and foremost accept Jesus as the Word of God in person.  “In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him. All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower.”   Only when we believe that Jesus is the Word of God from the beginning, that is, with the Father, that we will be able to accept the truth of what Jesus has taught us.
Only because Jesus is from the beginning with God, could He reveal to us the truth about God, about who we are, our origin, purpose and destiny in life.   John wrote, “Grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” Indeed, because Christ is the Son of God, could we accept all that Jesus said even when we do not understand or agree with Him.  As the Word of God, He is “the true light that enlightens all men; and he was coming into the world.”  The question is, ‘Do we have faith in Jesus as the Son of God’?
If we accept Jesus as the Son of God, then we will accept all that the bible says and what the Church teaches because He has handed over the Word to the apostles and to the Church.   Whatever the Church teaches is authorized by Him because He promised to be with the Church until the end of time. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Mt 28:19f)  To Peter He said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  (Mt 16:18f)  This is because the Holy Spirit has been given to the Church through baptism, confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  St John says, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and have all received the knowledge. It is not because you do not know the truth that I am writing to you but rather because you know it already and know that no lie can come from the truth.”
In the final analysis, our faith is dependent on the witness of our fellow Christians, especially the early Christians who encountered the Lord personally.  Our faith is founded on those apostles and disciples who had seen the Lord.  As the gospel says, we need to listen to John the Baptist. “He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light.  This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me ranks before me because he existed before me.”   We need to rely on the apostles who saw the glory of the Lord.  “The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
If we do, then we will enter into the fullness of life in Christ because we share in His adopted sonship in the Holy Spirit at baptism.  “But to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to all who believe in the name of him who was born not out of human stock or urge of the flesh or will of man but of God himself.”  To be baptized is to be one with the Lord and accept His word and Spirit so that we can live out our sonship and daughtership in Him.  By so doing, we enjoy the dignity and life as God’s children.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved


Saturday, 29 December 2018

BECOMING MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY

20181230 BECOMING MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY


30 DECEMBER, 2018, Sunday, The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
EITHER:
First reading
1 Samuel 1:20-22,24-28 ©

This is the child I prayed for: he is made over to the Lord.
Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, and called him Samuel ‘since’ she said ‘I asked the Lord for him.’
  When a year had gone by, the husband Elkanah went up again with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow. Hannah, however, did not go up, having said to her husband, ‘Not before the child is weaned. Then I will bring him and present him before the Lord and he shall stay there for ever.’
  When she had weaned him, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 83(84):2-3,5-6,9-10 ©
They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord.
How lovely is your dwelling place,
  Lord, God of hosts.
My soul is longing and yearning,
  is yearning for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my soul ring out their joy
  to God, the living God.
They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord.
They are happy, who dwell in your house,
  for ever singing your praise.
They are happy, whose strength is in you,
  in whose hearts are the roads to Zion.
They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer,
  give ear, O God of Jacob.
Turn your eyes, O God, our shield,
  look on the face of your anointed.
They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord.

Second reading
1 John 3:1-2,21-24 ©

We are called God's children, and that is what we are
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
My dear people,
if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,
we need not be afraid in God’s presence,
and whatever we ask him,
we shall receive,
because we keep his commandments
and live the kind of life that he wants.
His commandments are these:
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another
as he told us to.
Whoever keeps his commandments
lives in God and God lives in him.
We know that he lives in us
by the Spirit that he has given us.

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ac16:14
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!

Gospel
Luke 2:41-52 ©

Mary stored up all these things in her heart
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
  Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’
  ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
  He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
  His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.

BECOMING MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 Sm 1:20-22,24-28Ps 841 Jn 3:1-2,21-24Lk 2:41-52 ]
“Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.”   This is such a wonderful privilege, to be called God’s children and to be one of them.  That is who we really are.  All of us are God’s children because we have the same heavenly Father who is the source of all life.   Unfortunately, not many of us realize our dignity as God’s children, not only those who do not believe in God but even among Christians!  This is what St John said, “Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.”
Those who do not acknowledge God do not know their identity.  This is the main reason why today in the face of secularism and atheism, many people are confused about their identity.  They do not know who they are.  They are confused about their sexual identity, whether they are male or female.  They are confused about what a family is, whether it is comprised of a man and a woman with children or simply three persons.  Disagreement over our identity is rooted in the fact that we do not know God.  The bible says, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  (Gn 1:27) The failure to understand our dignity also arose from the fact that many do not know that God is their Father, as St John said, “Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.  My dear people, we are already the children of God.”
However, those of us who know that God is our Father and we are His children are called to deepen this identity by purifying ourselves.  “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”  (1 Jn 3:3) The truth is that children are called to reflect their parents.  We are the product of our parents and often children follow the footsteps of their parents in life and sometimes even in work.  So if we believe and claim to be God’s children, then we must live as one.
So what does it mean to be a member of God’s family?  Firstly, it requires that we keep his commandments and live the kind of life that he wants.”   This entails that “we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he told us to.”  Children must reflect the lives of their parents just as Jesus the Son of God is the image of the Father in His love and mercy for us.  Just as God is glorified in Jesus, we too are called to be the glory of God.  (cf Jn 17:1-4) In other words, we are to live a life of love and service after our Lord who came to serve us and empty His life for us.  When we love like Jesus, believing that He is our brother and leader in salvation, we become adopted sons and daughters of God in and through Him.  This is what St John wrote, “Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.”
Secondly, to be children of God means that we desire to stay in the House of God.  This is what the psalmist says, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, God of hosts. My soul is longing and yearning, is yearning for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my soul ring out their joy to God, the living God. They are happy, who dwell in your house, for ever singing your praise. They are happy, whose strength is in you, in whose hearts are the roads to Zion.”  We read in the gospel that Jesus stayed behind at the Temple because He wanted to be with His Father.  To be God’s children means that we desire God’s company and we want to be in relationship with Him in prayer and in worship.   If God is our Father, then we want to bask in His love and in His intimacy as Jesus did when He would pray to His Father daily.
Thirdly, to be children of God means that we want to belong to the family.  All children find happiness and joy in being with their parents and family members.  The family is where we can be ourselves when we are loved unconditionally and accepted for what we are and how we can grow to become more and more the children of God.  We all need to belong.  When we do not have a family whom we can belong to, life becomes lonely and meaningless.  We are social beings and we need to find a niche where we can belong to some people.  Otherwise, we seek for a family outside our homes if our family does not provide that supportive and welcoming ambiance.
That being the case, as parents we have a grave responsibility to ensure that our children are brought up as children of God.  We must not forget that our children do not belong to us.  They belong to God.  God has entrusted them to us to look after and raise them up to the fullness of their identity as God’s children.  We should therefore not act as if our children are our property and we can do what we will with them.  We are accountable to God as to how our children are formed in love and service and in character.
This was the disposition of Hannah in the first reading.  She was childless for many years.  She prayed to God to take away her shame because of her infertility.  God answered her prayers and she “conceived and gave birth to a son, and called him Samuel.”  She was ever grateful to God for giving her a child.  Instead of keeping the child for herself, she knew that the child came from God and therefore it was right that she consecrated the child back to God.  So after three years of weaning the child, “she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh.”  And she came to Eli saying, “If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.”
How many of us are conscious of this truth that our children must be consecrated to the Lord?  They belong to Him and therefore, as parents it is our duty to ensure that our children are given over to the Lord for His service.   Our task as parents is to form them to be God’s children, growing in virtue, in maturity, in truth and in love.  We are to help them to find their vocation in life, how God wants them to serve Him and His people.   We are to help them grow in their charisms, in knowledge and skills so that they can be of better service to God and His people.   Most of all, we are called to mold them in our faith so that by growing in relationship with God, they will become more godly in the way they conduct themselves.  This was what Mary and Joseph did when they brought Jesus to the Temple on pilgrimage.
Unfortunately, many parents do not bring their children up in the faith nor help them to realize their dignity as God’s children and to live out their vocation in life.  What do parents teach their children today?  That they must work hard so that they can be successful in life.  They must hold some distinguished positions in society.  They must earn big bucks, drive big cars, stay in a condominium and live a life of luxury.  It is all about themselves, their interests, their desires.  It is not about helping them to live a life that is meaningful, purposeful, contributive to society and giving glory and honour to God.   Instead of encouraging their children to serve God and be involved in Church ministry or social work, they discourage them from even coming to Church!
Children on their part are called to be docile and receptive like our Lord.  We read that Jesus was humble enough to learn from the adults.  He was left behind in the Temple for three days “sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions.”  Jesus was not afraid to learn and to ask questions and to propose answers as well.  Indeed, “all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies.”  He was ever ready to learn and to inquire further into the truth.  Young people today have many questions about life, suffering, meaning, purpose and God.  You must not be afraid to explore these questions and find answers to them so that your faith can grow and deepen each day.  Adults must not be defensive when they do not know the answers but together they should discover the truth by searching the scriptures and consulting the teaching of the Church on such matters.
Indeed, Jesus was not only docile but He was obedient to His parents.  When they found Him, “He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.”   Jesus was ever ready to submit to His foster parents, and taking His time to grow in wisdom and in stature in the eyes of God and men.
Whether as parents or children, we need to ask whether we are faithful to our calling as God’s children and whether we are faithful to Him in relationship and whether we are immersed in the family of God, His Church.    If we want to receive the blessings of God for our children, then let us form them and raise them up to be like Christ in love, in service and in virtues.
If we have done what we could, then our conscience can be clear, like Hannah before God.  We should not feel guilty or be dismayed or condemn ourselves if after doing all we can to bring them up in the faith, they choose to follow the ways of the world.  The truth is that today, parents have limited influence over their children because of social media, internet, peer pressure and the negative influence of society.  Our young people listen more to the internet and their friends than their own parents.   We can only commend them into the hands of God in prayers.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved