20190604
BEING
FOCUSED UNTIL THE END
04 JUNE, 2019,
Tuesday, 7th Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
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First reading
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Acts 20:17-27 ©
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I have without faltering put before you
the whole of God's purpose
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From Miletus Paul sent for the elders of
the church of Ephesus. When they arrived he addressed these words to them:
‘You
know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you
in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and
trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I have not hesitated to
do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and
instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to
turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.
‘And
now you see me a prisoner already in spirit; I am on my way to Jerusalem, but
have no idea what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, in town
after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecution await
me. But life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I
finish my race I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and
that was to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.
‘I
now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the
kingdom will ever see my face again. And so here and now I swear that my
conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I have without
faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm
67(68):10-11,20-21 ©
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Kingdoms of the earth,
sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
You poured down, O God, a generous rain:
when your people were starved
you gave them new life.
It was there that your people found a
home,
prepared in your goodness, O
God, for the poor.
Kingdoms of the earth,
sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
May the Lord be blessed day after day.
He bears our burdens, God our
saviour.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
The Lord our God holds the
keys of death.
Kingdoms of the earth,
sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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John 17:1-11 ©
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Father, it is time for you to glorify me
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Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Father, the hour has come:
glorify your Son
so that your Son may glorify you;
and, through the power over all mankind
that you have given him,
let him give eternal life to all those you
have entrusted to him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth
and finished the work that you gave me to
do.
Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify
me
with that glory I had with you
before ever the world was.
I have made your name known
to the men you took from the world to give
me.
They were yours and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now at last they know
that all you have given me comes indeed
from you;
for I have given them the teaching you
gave to me,
and they have truly accepted this, that I
came from you,
and have believed that it was you who sent
me.
I pray for them;
I am not praying for the world
but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you:
all I have is yours
and all you have is mine,
and in them I am glorified.
I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.’
BEING FOCUSED
UNTIL THE END
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 20:17-27; PS 68:10-11, 20-21; JN 17:1-11 ]
In today’s scripture
readings, we see that both St Paul and our Lord were focused on fulfilling the
mission that God had entrusted to them right to the end of their lives. St Paul said, “But life to me is not a
thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out
the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the Good
News of God’s grace.” He was given the mission to bring the Good
News to all and he gave his whole life to this work, in good and bad
times. In the same vein, Jesus told His Father, “I have glorified you on
earth and finished the work that you gave me to do.” Jesus too was
singular-minded in His mission. He was focused and knew that He had to
give everything of Himself. He said, “…the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mt 20:28) He told His disciples, “No one
has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You
are my friends.” (Jn 15:13f)
What about us? Are
we passionate and faithful to the vocation that the Lord has given to us? Our vocation is usually expressed in the
state of life we choose, and the service we render to the community. We
may be single or married or consecrated to God in priestly or religious
life. We may be a teacher, a professional, doctor or lawyer, social
worker or simply an ordinary worker. It does not matter which state of
life we have chosen or what service we render to God and the community. The
point is, can we in conscience say with Jesus and St Paul that we have given
every ounce of our energy, strength, whatever resources given to us, our time,
and our talents to what the Lord has appointed us to do? In other words,
have we been faithful and self-sacrificing to our spouse and children, putting
them, the community or organization that we are to serve before our needs?
Many of us start with
enthusiasm and passion but over time, we lose our zeal. When things are
new, when there is excitement and success, when we receive accolades for what
we do, we may be passionate and focused. Over time, some of us lose focus on our goal and
vision. Instead of looking ahead, we are distracted by the attention we
are getting, the frills, honour and privileges that come with success, even
material gains. As a result, the mission is often forgotten.
It is like walking towards our destination but along the way we are so
enchanted by the flowers we see in the field that we forget our journey and
remain with the flowers, when the flowers were put there to lighten our
journey.
However, not every
moment of our life or ministry is on the high. There will be moments of dullness,
inaction, failure and challenges. We will face disappointments, betrayal,
opposition, constraints, and division among team members. It is during
such times when our perseverance, courage and faith are tested.
Unfortunately, most of us succumb to trials and difficulties. We feel
frustrated, angry and resentful. We get discouraged easily and give up on
our hopes and struggles. When that happens, it shows that it is not so
much that we want to do God’s will or follow His plan but that we are using the
ministry to serve our ego and our needs rather than for the greater good of our
fellowmen and for the service of God. Today, we are asked to
examine our conscience as to how we have made use of our life and the resources
the Lord has blessed us with to fulfill the mission that He has given to us in
this world. We must take stock of our life and commitment to our vocation
so that we can renew our zeal and passion, just as Paul and Jesus during the
last days of their life took time to examine how they had served God.
What, then, is the
secret of Jesus and Paul in remaining not just faithful to their mission but
passionate and courageous right to the end without flinching in the face of
challenges? Firstly, they were deeply loved by God. Paul was moved and touched by
Jesus’ love for him when he wrote, “it is no longer I who live, but it is
Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) “For the love of Christ urges
us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have
died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for
themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:14) Jesus too encountered the
Father’s love at the beginning of His ministry and just before He went to His
passion when a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with
whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17; cf Mt 17:5)
Secondly, they would not
allow suffering to deter them from fulfilling the will of God. They
trusted in God’s will and plans even
when it went against the grain. What was important for them at every
stage of their journey was not about being successful but being faithful in
their mission. “And now you see me a prisoner already in spirit; I am on
my way to Jerusalem, but have no idea what will happen to me there, except that
the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment
and persecution await me.” Paul was aware of the sufferings ahead of him,
but he did not baulk or withdraw because of the certainty of the trials
ahead. So too was Jesus. Many times, He told the disciples, “that
he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
(Mt 16:21) Indeed, St Luke remarked,
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to
Jerusalem.” (Lk 9:51) He was resolute
in facing the trials awaiting Him in Jerusalem.
Thirdly, we must live
our lives in such a way that we have a clear conscience; one that is examined
and tested. In the
case of Paul, he told the leaders in Ephesus that he
had given all he had for the proclamation of the gospel, reserving nothing for
himself. “You know what my way of life has been ever since the first
day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility,
with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.
I have not hesitated to do anything that would be helpful to you; I have
preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging
both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.” Indeed,
his conscience was clear before God and the people. “And so here and now
I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I
have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.”
Jesus’ conscience too
was clear with respect to His work on earth. All His life, He had glorified His Father by
His life, work and teaching. In His priestly prayer, He said to the
Father, “I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me
to do. Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me with the glory I had
with you before ever the world was. I have made your name known to the men you
took from the world to give me. They were yours and you gave them to me, and
they have kept your word. Now at last they know that all you have given me
comes indeed from you; for I have given them the teaching you gave to me, and
they have truly accepted this, that I came from you, and have believed that it
was you who sent me.”
In the final analysis,
happiness in life is when we offer ourselves as an offering for others. “By the mercies of God … present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” (Rom 12:1) Living for ourselves is
burning our lives away. Those who live for themselves cannot find real
joy and meaning in life because their life is only about themselves, their
enjoyment. They are living a narcissistic life, a life that is lived in
vain because it has not brought any good to humanity or to themselves.
They only exist to use up the world’s resources but contribute nothing.
As such, they get nothing fulfilling as well.
Rather, like Jesus and
Paul, we must offer ourselves as a libation to God. “As for me, I am already being
poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
(2 Tim 4:6f) Indeed, we are called to
imitate God who is life-giving. The psalmist says, “You poured down, O
God, a generous rain: when your people were starved you gave them new
life. It was there that your people found a home, prepared in your
goodness, O God, for the poor. May the Lord be blessed day after day. He
bears our burdens, God our saviour. This God of ours is a God who saves. The
Lord our God holds the keys of death.”
The outcome is joy and
happiness in the Lord.
St Paul said, “From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to
me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:8) This is what the Lord asked
of His Father as well. “Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so
that your Son may glorify you; and, through the power over all mankind that you
have given him, let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to
him.” In glorifying the Father with our lives, the Father will glorify us
in return by identifying Himself with us.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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