20190605
BE
ON YOUR GUARD
05 JUNE, 2019,
Wednesday, 7th Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Red.
These are the readings
for the feria
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First reading
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Acts 20:28-38 ©
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I commend you to God and to the word of his grace,
and its power
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Paul addressed these words to the elders
of the church of Ephesus:
‘Be
on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has
made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own
blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and
will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men
coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the
disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day
for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one
of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has
power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the
sanctified.
‘I
have never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the
work I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did
this to show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak,
remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more happiness
in giving than in receiving.”’
When
he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they
were all in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what
saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then
they escorted him to the ship.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 67(68):29-30,33-36 ©
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Kingdoms of the earth,
sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Show forth, O God, show forth your might,
your might, O God, which you
have shown for us.
For the sake of your temple high in
Jerusalem
may kings come to you bringing
their tribute.
Kingdoms of the earth,
sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, praise
the Lord
who rides on the heavens, the
ancient heavens.
He thunders his voice, his mighty voice.
Come, acknowledge the power of
God.
Kingdoms of the earth,
sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
His glory is on Israel; his might is in
the skies.
God is to be feared in his
holy place.
He is the Lord, Israel’s God.
He gives strength and power to
his people.
Blessed be God!
Kingdoms of the earth,
sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 17:11-19 ©
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Father, keep those you have given me true to your
name
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Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your
name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your
name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except the one who chose to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these
things
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you to remove them from
the world,
but to protect them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too may be consecrated in
truth.’
BE ON YOUR GUARD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 20:28-38; PS 68:29-30, 33-36; JOHN 17:11-19 ]
In the proclamation of the gospel, even
when we seek to do good for humanity, church and society, we are faced with
opposition and persecution. With enemies all around us, we must be on
guard at all times, as St Paul advised the elders from the Church of Ephesus. “Be
on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy
Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought
with his own blood.”
The first and greatest
enemy is always ourselves.
There is no greater enemy in this world than our own self. The way we
conduct ourselves, the attitudes that we have, our perspective of life, will
determine the way we respond to situations, the world and whatever challenges
there may be. If we are lost and hurt, we are not going to be able to
look at the world positively except through our own pains and brokenness.
We need to ensure that we are walking in the truth before we can guide others.
We need to find healing ourselves, if we are to heal others. Otherwise, if
we are in darkness, we will lead others into the ditch like ourselves.
Like St Paul, we need to strengthen our spiritual life, to grow in grace,
self-discipline and in generosity. St Paul purposely worked for his own upkeep
instead of depending on others. He said, “I have never asked anyone for
money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned enough to
meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to show you that is how we
must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord
Jesus, who himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in
receiving.'”
Secondly, we need to
deal with opposition from without.
St Paul warns the elders, “I know quite well that when I have gone fierce
wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock.” As
Christians who live in the world but do not belong to the world, we will always
be misunderstood and opposed. This is what Jesus also forewarned His
disciples when He said, “I passed your word on to them, and the world hated
them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am
not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil
one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the
world.” The world here refers to what is worldly, not so much what is
earthly. It refers to the sinful desires and cravings of humanity for
power, glory, status, things and pleasures. It cannot be helped that the
truth will always be a nuisance and a threat to those who champion such
values. They will see us as obstacles to their ambition. If the
Church speaks against pornography and gambling, it will affect not just those
who are addicted to them but most of all, those whose businesses are dependent
on such sinful entertainment. This explains why disagreement with the
Church’s moral positions is more than mere philosophical disagreement on what
is true but they are motivated by selfish and materialistic concerns.
Anyone who seeks to be an authentic Christian would surely be rejected and
opposed by the world. So should we be surprised if we are not always
popular with the world?
However, the most
insidious enemy is not from without but from within. This is the enemy of division, counterfeit
and counter-witnessing. St Paul warns the elders of the division within
the Church. He wrote, “Even from your own ranks there will be men coming
forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to
follow them.” Indeed, most of the energy in church ministry is spent
dealing with squabbles, unhappiness, and disagreements. It is the
division within that caused many to be disillusioned with the Church, and
ultimately losing their faith in the Church and in Christ.
How, then, can we be on
guard so that we will not succumb to the attacks of our enemies? In
facing opposition from without, firstly, we must remember that we are appointed
by the Holy Spirit and chosen by the Lord. St Paul reminded the elders of their duty
to “all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed
the Church of God.” In the gospel, Jesus made it clear that He had chosen
the disciples and consecrated them for the mission. “As you sent me into
the world, I have sent them into the world.” We are chosen, not that we
have chosen Him. To be consecrated means that we are set apart for a
cause and a mission. We are ‘consecrated’ means that we are set apart for
the work of God and not for ours.
Secondly, we are called
to be faithful to His flock and the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us “which he bought with his own
blood.” Jesus and Paul were faithful to their calling right to the
end. Jesus told the Father, “While I was with them, I kept those you had
given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is
lost except the one who chose to be lost, and this was to fulfill the
scriptures. But now I am coming to you and while still in the world I say
these things to share my joy with them to the full.” We are called
to persevere in our tasks to guard and guide those under our
charge. We do not run from the world but we must work within the
world to overcome it. Jesus did not promise the disciples a rose garden
in this life but that they are protected from the Evil One and that they remain
faithful to the gospel. He prayed thus, “I am not asking you to remove
them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong
to the world any more than I belong to the world.”
In facing ourselves as
potential enemies of the gospel, we need to be consecrated in the truth if we
are to defend ourselves.
Jesus said, “I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because
they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am not asking
you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one. They
do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.” The sure
safeguard against living in self-deception or being deceived by the world is to
be consecrated in the truth. But it is not enough to be consecrated unless we
walk in the truth. Jesus said, “for their sake I consecrate myself so
that they too may be consecrated in truth.” Where is the Word of God to be
found if not in the scriptures? As St Paul told Timothy, “All scripture
is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16f)
Secondly, we must grow
to become more and more like our Heavenly Father. This was the prayer of Jesus when He said,
“Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may
be one like us.” To be true to the name of God means that we become more
like Him in thought, in word and in action. Our task is to grow in union
with the Lord so that we can reflect the presence of God in our lives. This
is the only way to purify ourselves in the truth and be an example for others
to follow.
Finally, to withstand
the enemies, especially from within, we need to pray for unity as Jesus did. We see the unity between Jesus and
the Father that gave Him strength for His mission. We see the fraternal
support among the elders for St Paul. “When he had finished speaking he
knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were all in tears; they put
their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what saddened them most was his
saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the
ship.” As Catholics, we need to strengthen our fraternal bond with
each other. Only then can we withstand the opposition from without.
Without unity, the gospel cannot be preached. The greatest obstacle to
the mission is often the infighting among Church members and leaders, the
tendency to exclusivity, protectionism and competition. The mission of
the Church has been hindered by the disunity among Christians and Catholics.
But where there is love, where there is oneness in mission, we become powerful
witnesses of love.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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