20190430
BEING
BORN AGAIN
30 APRIL, 2019,
Tuesday, 2nd Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
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First reading
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Acts 4:32-37 ©
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The whole group of believers was united,
heart and soul
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The whole group of believers was united,
heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as
everything they owned was held in common.
The
apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great
power, and they were all given great respect.
None
of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would
sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was
then distributed to any members who might be in need.
There
was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed
Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he
sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 92(93):1-2,5 ©
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The Lord is king, with
majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;
the Lord has robed himself
with might,
he has girded himself with
power.
The Lord is king, with
majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
The world you made firm, not to be moved;
your throne has stood firm
from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you
are.
The Lord is king, with
majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your
house,
O Lord, until the end of time.
The Lord is king, with
majesty enrobed.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Rv1:5
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Alleluia, alleluia!
You, O Christ, are the faithful witness,
the First-born from the dead,
you have loved us and have washed away our
sins with your blood.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn3:15
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Son of Man must be lifted up
so that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 3:7-15 ©
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No-one has gone up to heaven except the
Son of Man who has come down from heaven
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Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘Do not be surprised when I say:
You must be born from above.
The wind blows wherever it pleases;
you hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or
where it is going.
That is how it is with all who are born of
the Spirit.’
‘How can that be possible?’ asked
Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’
replied Jesus.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
we speak only about what we know
and witness only to what we have seen
and yet you people reject our evidence.
If you do not believe me when I speak
about things in this world,
how are you going to believe me when I
speak to you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man who is in heaven;
and the Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
desert,
so that everyone who believes may have
eternal life in him.’
BEING BORN AGAIN
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 4:32-37; PS 93:1-2, 5; JOHN 3:7-15 ]
“Do not be surprised
when I say: You must be born from above.” Indeed, many of us are
not living the fullness of life because we simply live an earthly life. This is how people in the world
live. Their focus is only on this world. They say, “you only live
once” so we should enjoy all that we can and experience every fun and thrill on
this earth because when we die, we will just disappear. This explains why
the modern man is self-centered, individualistic, materialistic and
selfish. He is afraid to miss out on the pleasures this world affords
because his life is short. Death is the greatest enemy of man. He
tries to camouflage it by not talking about it, mask it through cosmetic
makeovers, and prolong his life through all kinds of supplements and health
foods.
But what is even worse
than an earthly life, is a worldly life. There is a difference between an
earthly life and worldly life. An earthly life is one that is lived like
an animal, eating, sleeping, working and playing. But a worldly life is a
life enslaved by sin, addiction to what is evil – pornography, alcoholism,
gambling, drugs, sex, violence, killing and anger. St Paul wrote, “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)
That is why we need to
be born again through baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is what the Lord
said to Nicodemus, “The
wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where
it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of
the Spirit.’ ‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus.” Being born in
the Spirit is to put on the Spirit of Christ. This Spirit is given to us
when we are baptized in Christ. Baptism is the gateway to the reception
of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, there is “love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control.” (Gal 5:22f)
Indeed, the Holy Spirit
makes it possible for us, Christians, to be united in heart and soul like the
early Church. We
read in the Acts that “the whole group of believers was united, heart and soul;
no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned
was held in common.” When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we are no
longer individualistic, always thinking about ourselves, but we are always
thinking about others instead. Rather than focusing on our own needs, we
look to attend to the needs of others. The Holy Spirit gives us the spirit
of empathy and generosity. Indeed, a sign that we are a born-again
Christian is not simply evidenced by whether we have received the gift of
tongues or rested in the Spirit but whether we are generous and have lost our
attachment to money and the things of this world. St Paul wrote, “those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires.” (Gal 5:24)
We become conscious that
we are brothers and sisters in Christ and that we are one Body in Him. Indeed, we read that “None of their
members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell
them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then
distributed to any members who might be in need. There was a Levite of Cypriot
origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of
encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the
money, and presented it to the apostles.” Charity and inclusiveness are
signs of being born again!
Indeed, when we are born
again, the way we regard money and wealth is seen through a different pair of
lenses. We
no longer see them simply for our use on pleasures and happiness alone.
Instead, we see them as something to be shared with others because we know that
all we have come from God. This was how the early Christians felt.
“No one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned
was held in common.” Whatever we have are for us to hold in trust for
those who do not have. We are called to use our money, wealth, talents,
time and resources wisely for the service of God’s kingdom, especially for
those who have not. Money is no longer our god but our servant.
Those who are still attached to money are serving false gods. It is, as
St Paul says, a form of idolatry. (cf Col 3:5) They have a hold over us,
making us always think of money. Instead of being motivated by love and
passion, we are motivated by what we can get from a service that we do.
Detachment from money and wealth is a clear proof that we are truly born again
in the Lord.
But like Nicodemus, we
also ask, “How can that be possible?” Indeed, we wonder why there are some people who can
live such carefree lives. Why are they able to be so generous with their
money and resources, giving without counting the cost? We envy such
people who could just let go of their resources and trust in the providence of
God. Yet, we know that such people are really free because they are not
slaves to anything in this world. As St Paul wrote, they “have been
raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at
the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things
that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in
God.” (Col 3:1-3)
We have testimony from
our Lord Himself as to how He lived His life. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You are a teacher in
Israel, and you do not know these things!” Indeed, we might be doctors of
science, philosophy and theology, and yet we do not know how to live our lives
meaningfully and joyfully. This is the irony of the world. Even
professionals are living a life of slavery to their work and fears and desires
to be rich, famous and powerful. Hence, Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly,
we speak only about what we know and witness only to what we have seen and yet
you people reject our evidence. If you do not believe me when I speak
about things in this world, how are you going to believe me when I speak to you
about heavenly things?” Looking at His life will teach us how to live ours!
We have the testimony of
the early Christians and the apostles of our Lord. We read that “the apostles continued to
testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were
all given great respect.” It was not simply by their preaching alone that
inspired faith in the early Church and in the Christian community but it was by
their faith in the Lord, reliance on His power, love for the Church and
especially the poor, the orphans and the widows. Instead of grabbing
power, wealth and honour as they did before the resurrection, they were now
ready to share the humiliation of being Christ’s apostles. Instead of
trying to save their lives, they were ready to die for the Lord and their faith
in Him. This was possible only because of their faith in the Risen
Lord and their reception of the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, today, we must
strengthen our faith in the Risen Lord if we are to be able to stay firm in our
faith, and not just being born again but living a transformed life of grace. Jesus in no uncertain words made it
clear, “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have
eternal life in him.” Our faith in Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection
is what will help us to live the life of the Spirit. In Christ, we can
truly proclaim that God is our king, as the psalmist declared, “The Lord is
king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might! He has
girded himself with power. From all eternity, O Lord, you are. Truly your
decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the
end of time.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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