20190131
LET
US KEEP FIRM IN THE HOPE WE PROFESS
31 JANUARY,
2019, Thursday, 3rd Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
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First reading
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Hebrews 10:19-25 ©
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Let us keep firm in the hope we profess
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Through the blood of Jesus we have the
right to enter the sanctuary, by a new way which he has opened for us, a living
opening through the curtain, that is to say, his body. And we have the supreme
high priest over all the house of God. So as we go in, let us be sincere in
heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope
we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned
for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not stay away
from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage each other to go;
the more so as you see the Day drawing near.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 23(24):1-6 ©
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Such are the men who
seek your face, O Lord.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.
Such are the men who
seek your face, O Lord.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy
place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless
things.
Such are the men who
seek your face, O Lord.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who
saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of
Jacob.
Such are the men who
seek your face, O Lord.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ph2:15-16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright
stars
because you are offering it the word of
life.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Ps118:105
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is a lamp for my steps
and a light for my path.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Mark 4:21-25 ©
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The seed is sprouting and growing as he
sleeps
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Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Would you bring
in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the
lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept
secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him
listen to this.’
He
also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure
out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who
has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be
taken away.’
LET US KEEP FIRM
IN THE HOPE WE PROFESS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Heb 10:19-25; Ps 24:1-6; Mk 4:21-25 ]
In the first reading from the letter to
the Hebrews, the author urged the early Christians “to keep firm in the
hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful.”
How then can we keep firm in our faith? The truth is that many Catholics
easily stray away from the faith that they received. Many young people
lose their faith in Christ after the Sacrament of Confirmation. Some lose
it a few years after RCIA. Others lose it even after encountering God in
a dramatic way. What are the reasons for their falling into complacency,
becoming indifferent and even hostile towards Christ and the Christian Faith?
To remain firm in the
faith we profess, we must continue to grow in our faith. The fault with many Catholics is
that they think baptism is a graduation from having acquired knowledge and
understanding of their faith. After completing their catechism classes or RCIA
journey, they no longer seek out opportunities to continue growing their faith,
both doctrinally and spiritually. Their only occasion to grow in faith is
the one-hour mass that they attend every Sunday. This is hardly enough to
sustain the life of a Catholic. Of course, the Church is largely to be
blamed because we do not insist that Catholics continue with their ongoing
formation, and secondly, we do not provide them the means, resources and
programs to meet their diverse spiritual and doctrinal needs.
The warning of the Lord
is clear. Those who do not grow in their faith are already losing their
faith. There is no
neutrality. “Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure
out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who
has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be
taken away.” Faith, like relationships, needs time to grow. Just
like relationships, faith needs to be strengthened every moment, each day,
every week and every year. There is no question of stopping when it comes
to nurturing our faith as in any relationship. Relationships between
spouses or friends when not deepened because we take each other for granted
will eventually lead to distancing, misunderstandings, doubts and
suspicions. So, too, in our faith relationship with God.
How, then, can we grow
in our faith? Firstly, we need to deepen our intimacy with God through
Christ. The letter of
Hebrews invites us to enter the sanctuary of God “by a new way which he has
opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, his body.
And we have the supreme high priest over all the house of God.” In the
Old rite, only the priest could enter the Holy of Holies hidden behind the
curtain once a year on the Day of Atonement. However, with Christ, we can
approach the throne of God not only once a year or only through His priests but
directly through Christ. He is the Way to the Father. In Christ, we
come to know and love the Father. This is what the author meant when he
said we come to God through “his body.” In other words, by His passion,
death and resurrection, Christ has opened for us the way to have direct access
to His Father’s love and mercy. To go through His body means that we must
go through the humanity of Christ by contemplating on His life, passion, death
and resurrection so that we can come to appreciate the Father’s love for
us. For this reason, Catholics must fight shy of those pseudo-Christian
spiritualties that attempt to reach God by bypassing the humanity of
Christ. A true Christian spirituality is always rooted in not just the
mystical body of Christ but in His humanity. This has always been the
teaching of the mystical writers and the Church.
Secondly, we must be
rooted in the Word of God.
Twice in the gospel, Jesus warned us. “If anyone has ears to hear, let
him listen to this. Take notice of what you are hearing.” We cannot grow
in our faith without deepening our love and appreciation for the Word of God
through bible study and most of all, a prayerful reading and sharing of the
Word of God. When we do not make time to read, study and pray the
scriptures, we cannot know Christ since St Jerome makes it clear that “to be
ignorant of the scriptures, is to be ignorant of Christ”. And Christ
Himself says, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with
you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and
the psalms must be fulfilled.” (Lk 24:44) He reprimanded the Jews, “You
search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life;
and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you
may have life.” (Jn 5:39) Jesus
told the Sadducees, “You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor
the power of God.” (Mt 22:29)
Thirdly, we must seek
the support of the Christian community. The letter to the Hebrews said, “Let us be
concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not
stay away from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage each
other to go; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.” The main
reason why many Catholics fall off from their faith is because their faith is a
personal individualistic faith, between God and them alone. A Catholic
without the support of his fellow Catholics will eventually fall out from the
faith, especially when he undergoes the trials and challenges of life, the
influence of secularism, and the materialistic, individualistic and atheistic
views of the world. A Catholic who is disconnected from his fellow Catholics
will not have fellow Catholics to encourage, support and journey with him in
his life of faith. Without hearing the testimonies of fellow Catholics in
their encounter with the Lord and how they live out their Catholic faith, we
will lack inspiration, models and mentors to edify and guide us.
Catholics must not only come for Sunday Mass regularly, but they must also
belong to a faith-sharing group, a community that could support them in their
faith. Otherwise, their faith will become weak and when they have no ties
with the community, they will wander away to find another community, often a
secular community without godly values.
Fourthly, to grow our
faith, we need to evangelize and be a witness to Christ. We evangelize ourselves by evangelizing
others. By sharing our faith with others, we strengthen our own
faith. By teaching our faith to others, we grow in understanding and
clarity in what we believe in. So often, Catholics take their faith for
granted until it is challenged. They do not make the effort to know more
about their faith but they will have the time to read all the worldly articles
about health, finance, the stock market and all the gossips in the
news. Indeed, the Lord said, “Would you bring in a lamp to put it
under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For
there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to
be brought to light.” By not sharing the faith, it is already a
counter-witness. We cannot truly claim that we believe in the Gospel, the
Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we do not share it with others. If
it is truly Good News, no one will hide it from others, especially their
friends and loved ones. By not sharing our faith, it means that we hardly
believe that the Good News is really that great or worth sharing. Again,
when it comes to jokes, the latest gossips, best place for food, we will
forward the information to others for reading, but not about our faith.
We must take note of what the Lord said, “the man who has will be given more;
from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” By not
giving out what we have, even the little faith we have would be lost.
Finally, growing in
faith, in the final analysis, is to grow in our Christian life. This is the most effective form of
witnessing. This is what the letter to the Hebrews is encouraging us. “So
as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds
sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water.” Instead of being sprinkled by the blood of the animal as a
sign of atonement in the Old Testament, we are sprinkled with water, the symbol
of forgiveness and cleansing. However, more than a symbol, it effects
what it sanctifies. So it means that those of us who are baptized must
live a life of holiness and purity, free from sin and a bad conscience.
This is what the psalmist is reminding us. “Such are the men who seek
your face, O Lord. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who
desires not worthless things. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and
reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face
of the God of Jacob.” A life of holiness and charity are the fruits of a strong
spiritual life and a life of hope founded in the promises of God.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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