20190127
ALIGNMENT
IN MISSION
27 JANUARY,
2019, Sunday, 3rd Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Nehemiah 8:2-6,8-10 ©
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All the people listened attentively to
the Book of the Law
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Ezra the priest brought the Law before the
assembly, consisting of men, women, and children old enough to understand. This
was the first day of the seventh month. On the square before the Water Gate, in
the presence of the men and women, and children old enough to understand, he
read from the book from early morning till noon; all the people listened
attentively to the Book of the Law.
Ezra
the scribe stood on a wooden dais erected for the purpose. In full view of all
the people – since he stood higher than all the people – Ezra opened
the book; and when he opened it all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the
Lord, the great God, and all the people raised their hands and answered, ‘Amen!
Amen!’; then they bowed down and, face to the ground, prostrated themselves
before the Lord. And Ezra read from the Law of God, translating and giving the
sense, so that the people understood what was read.
Then
Nehemiah – His Excellency – and Ezra, priest and scribe and the
Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people, ‘This day is
sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.’ For the people
were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.
He
then said, ‘Go, eat the fat, drink the sweet wine, and send a portion to the man
who has nothing prepared ready. For this day is sacred to our Lord. Do not be
sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 18(19):8-10,15 ©
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Your words are spirit,
Lord, and they are life.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
Your words are spirit,
Lord, and they are life.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
Your words are spirit,
Lord, and they are life.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
Your words are spirit,
Lord, and they are life.
May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
Your words are spirit,
Lord, and they are life.
EITHER:
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Second reading
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1 Corinthians 12:12-30 ©
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You together are Christ's body, but each a different
part of it
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Just as a human body, though it is made up
of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one
body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as
well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all
to drink.
Nor
is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. If the foot were
to say, ‘I am not a hand and so I do not belong to the body’, would that mean
that it stopped being part of the body? If the ear were to say, ‘I am not an
eye, and so I do not belong to the body’, would that mean that it was not a
part of the body? If your whole body was just one eye, how would you hear
anything? If it was just one ear, how would you smell anything?
Instead
of that, God put all the separate parts into the body on purpose. If all the
parts were the same, how could it be a body? As it is, the parts are many but
the body is one. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you’, nor can
the head say to the feet, ‘I do not need you.’
What
is more, it is precisely the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest
which are the indispensable ones; and it is the least honourable parts of the
body that we clothe with the greatest care. So our more improper parts get
decorated in a way that our more proper parts do not need. God has arranged the
body so that more dignity is given to the parts which are without it, and that
there may not be disagreements inside the body, but that each part may be
equally concerned for all the others. If one part is hurt, all parts are hurt
with it. If one part is given special honour, all parts enjoy it.
Now
you together are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it. In
the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets,
the third to teachers; after them, miracles, and after them the gift of
healing; helpers, good leaders, those with many languages. Are all of them
apostles, or all of them prophets, or all of them teachers? Do they all have
the gift of miracles, or all have the gift of healing? Do all speak strange
languages, and all interpret them?
OR:
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Alternative Second reading
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1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27 ©
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You together are Christ's body, but each a different
part of it
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Just as a human body, though it is made up
of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one
body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as
well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all
to drink.
Nor
is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. Now you together
are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Lk4:18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord has sent me to bring the good
news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21 ©
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'This text is being fulfilled today even
as you listen'
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Seeing that many others have undertaken to
draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these
were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and
ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story
from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you,
Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is
that you have received.
Jesus,
with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation
spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone
praised him.
He
came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on
the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the
scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it
is written:
The spirit of the Lord has been given to
me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to
the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.
He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back
to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you
listen.’
ALIGNMENT IN
MISSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Neh 8:2-6,8-10; Ps 19:8-10, 15; 1 Cor 12:12-30 (or >< 12:12-14.27); Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21 ]
In the gospel, we read
of the inauguration of the mission of Jesus. “He came to Nazara, where he had been brought
up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He stood
up to read, and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.” Jesus
was clear of His mission. He saw Himself as a continuation of the
Prophetic Tradition which was to reconcile man with God and with each other,
living a life of justice and equality. He understood Himself to be the
Suffering Servant of Isaiah when He cited from the prophet, “The spirit of the
Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the
good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new
sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.”
We too are called to
share in His mission of proclaiming the Good News. Our mission
necessarily must take the cue from our Lord. Like Jesus, we are called to
proclaim the Good News primarily to the poor. The poor would include those who are
materially rich but whose lives are empty and meaningless; the lonely and
abandoned, especially the elderly at home; the materially poor who are deprived
of the necessities of life; the disadvantaged in society, especially those who
are physically and mentally challenged; the sick and those who are wounded and
marginalized.
Liberation of the
captives requires education and information. There are many in the world who are seeking
meaning and purpose in life but are ignorant of their identity, destiny and
calling. Education is the way to development and growth. This
is the way to give them new sight, new vision and new hope. Education of
course cannot be complete without being enlightened in the fullness of truth
which comes from the Word of God. Without making referral to God, we
cannot explain ourselves, our purpose, who we are and what we are called to in
life. We need the Word of God to guide us, as the responsorial psalm
says, “Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life. The law of the Lord is
perfect, it revives the soul. The rule of the Lord is to be trusted, it gives
wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the
eyes.”
The messengers of the
Good News must exude and be motivated by the right spirit expressed in concrete
actions and not mere words. The heart of the proclamation is justice,
compassion and charity. We
are motivated by love for God and for our fellowmen. It is not about
proselytization but about helping people to encounter the love of God in Christ
through our services. So whatever we do must be motivated by sincere love
for our fellowmen and compassion for the weak and the suffering. The
preferential option of the Church’s mission is for the poor. Indeed,
stories of people helping the poor always touch our hearts more than stories of
success, unless these success stories are those of the poor or the
disadvantaged that have worked themselves up the ladder. We are moved by
the generosity of people and the perseverance and diligence of those who worked
hard to make good of their lives.
St Paul in the second
reading affirms this call
to pay attention to the weakest in our community. This is the key to
build a society that is gracious, kind and united in love. He said,
“What is more, it is precisely the parts of the body that seem to be the
weakest which are the indispensable ones; and it is the least honourable parts
of the body that we clothe with the greatest care. So our more improper parts
get decorated in a way that our more proper parts do not need. God has arranged
the body so that more dignity is given to the parts which are without it, and
so that there may not be disagreements inside the body, but that each part may
be equally concerned for all the others. If one part is hurt, all parts are
hurt with it. If one part is given special honour, all parts enjoy it.”
By caring for the weak, the poor and the disadvantaged, we show the love of God
and participate in His love.
What is the basis for
caring for each other, especially the weak members of the community? The
truth is that we are all one body of Christ. St Paul wrote, “Just as a human
body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these
parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. Nor is the body
to be identified with any one of its many parts. If the foot were to say, ‘I am
not a hand and so I do not belong to the body’, would that mean that it stopped
being part of the body? If the ear were to say, ‘I am not an eye, and so I do
not belong to the body,’ would that mean that it was not a part of the body? If
your whole body was just one eye, how would you hear anything? If it was just
one ear, how would you smell anything?” We cannot be wholesome unless all
are of us happy together. That is why every community and institution,
church and school and organization must help the weaker ones to rise so that
they too can look after themselves and can contribute to society.
How can this mission be
realized? It
involves the contribution of every member of the community. We are called
to share in the mission of Christ in different ways. St. Paul speaks
of the diversity of gifts in the one body of Christ. “Now you together
are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it. In the Church,
God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third to
teachers; after them, miracles, and after them the gift of healing; helpers,
good leaders, those with many languages. Are all of them apostles, or all of
them prophets, or all of them teachers? Do they all have the gift of miracles,
or all have the gift of healing? Do all speak strange languages, and all
interpret them?”
Hence, we need to
respect that we are endowed with different gifts. Every gift is important to the
building of the Church and the mission. We must not belittle the
contributions of people. Everyone must be valued and appreciated for
their contribution. It would be a mistake to think that success is due to
the work of leaders alone. Officers without soldiers cannot win a
battle. Leaders are just the brains but we need the hands and feet.
This is what St Paul wrote, “God put all the separate parts into the body on
purpose. If all the parts were the same, how could it be a body? As it is, the
parts are many but the body is one. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not
need you,’ nor can the head say to the feet, ‘I do not need you.'” We all
need each other to accomplish the mission of proclaiming the Good News of the
Kingdom and building His Church.
Because we all have
different gifts and roles to play, then it means that we must be aligned so
that the one mission of Christ is served. The weakness of our Church is that many
organizations within the parish and the archdiocese are working in silo or
worse still, in competition with each other. There is a lack of mission
in communion. Unless we all see ourselves as inter-dependent on each
other, playing our particular role, we will not assist each other.
Indeed, there must greater collaboration between the parishes and the
archdiocesan offices and organizations, and among all Catholic organizations,
institutions, and schools. There must be greater collaboration among all
members within and among church organizations and institutions. Catholic
schools should be better aligned with the archdiocesan vision and
mission. There should be greater collaboration among principals, teachers
with the help of parents, volunteers and alumni. This collaboration
between schools, parishes, church organizations and archdiocesan bodies will
bring about greater synergy, support and mutual understanding. If only we
are ready to work as one Church, with the one mission of building a vibrant,
evangelistic and missionary church, we will do well as Church and as individual
organizations.
The passion for the
mission presupposes that we are filled with the Holy Spirit like Jesus. We read that “Jesus, with the power
of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout
the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.”
We too have been given the same spirit as well at our baptism. “In the
one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as
citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.” Without
being imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit, we will lack passion and zeal
to proclaim the Good News to the poor. It will just be reduced to mere
work and activity, but not a mission.
But this Spirit we
received at baptism must grow. This is the mistake of many Catholics.
They do not take the trouble to grow in their intellectual and personal faith. As a result, under criticism and
scrutiny, they are shaken in their faith. The responsorial psalm makes it
clear, “Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.” Through
attentive reading of the Word of God, we acquire the Spirit of Christ. We
must be like the Israelites who listened to the Word of God which was read and
preached to them, “from early morning till noon; all the people listened
attentively to the Book of the Law.”
Only when we are filled
with the Lord’s Spirit, can we trust in Him even when we find His teachings too
difficult to accept. Filled with His joy, like the Israelites, we are
ready to share our joy with others. Nehemiah said to all the people, “This day
is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep. For the people
were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law. Go, eat the
fat, drink the sweet wine, and send a portion to the man who has nothing
prepared ready. For this day is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad: the joy of
the Lord is your stronghold.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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