20190731
RADIATING
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
31 JULY, 2019,
Wednesday, 17th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
These are the readings
for the feria
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First reading
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Exodus 34:29-35 ©
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Moses passes on to the people the orders given by
the Lord
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When Moses came down from the mountain of
Sinai – as he came down from the mountain, Moses had the two tablets of
the Testimony in his hands – he did not know that the skin on his face was
radiant after speaking with the Lord. And when Aaron and all the sons of Israel
saw Moses, the skin on his face shone so much that they would not venture near
him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron with all the leaders of the community
came back to him; and he spoke to them. Then all the sons of Israel came
closer, and he passed on to them all the orders that the Lord had given him on
the mountain of Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking to them, he put a
veil over his face. Whenever he went into the Lord’s presence to speak with
him, Moses would remove the veil until he came out again. And when he came out,
he would tell the sons of Israel what he had been ordered to pass on to them,
and the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses radiant. Then Moses would
put the veil back over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 98(99):5-7,9 ©
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You are holy, O Lord our
God.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before Zion, his
footstool.
He the Lord is holy.
You are holy, O Lord our
God.
Among his priests were Aaron and Moses,
among those who invoked his
name was Samuel.
They invoked the Lord and he
answered.
You are holy, O Lord our
God.
To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud.
They did his will; they kept
the law,
which he, the Lord, had given.
You are holy, O Lord our
God.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before his holy
mountain
for the Lord our God is holy.
You are holy, O Lord our
God.
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Gospel Acclamation
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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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Or:
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Jn15:15
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 13:44-46 ©
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He sells everything he owns and buys the field
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Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of
heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it
again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.
‘Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds
one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’
RADIATING THE
PRESENCE OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Ex 34:29-35; Ps 99:5-7,9; Mt 13:44-46 ]
In the first reading, we read how
the skin on Moses’ face was so “radiant after speaking with the Lord”, so
much so “that they would not venture near him.” Indeed, Moses must
have been so transformed in likeness to God that the sons of Israel were unsure
whether it was safe to approach Moses. In his radiance, the people could see
the glory of God in Moses. Hence, in the presence of God, one is filled
with awe and reverence.
Not only did Moses
radiate the presence of God but he also brought the Word of God. We are told that when he came down
from the mountain, he “had the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands” and
“all the sons of Israel came closer, and he passed on to them all the orders
that the Lord had given him on the mountain of Sinai.” This became the
pattern of his relationship with God and his people. He became the mediator. Earlier
on, Moses played the role of intercessor, asking God for pardon for the sins of
his people. But beyond an intercessory role, Moses was the prophet that
brought the Word of God to his people. “Whenever he went into the Lord’s
presence to speak with him, Moses would remove the veil until he come out
again. And when he came out, he would tell the sons of Israel what he had
been ordered to pass on to them, and the sons of Israel would see the face of
Moses radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he
returned to speak with the Lord.”
What was the secret of
Moses in fulfilling his role as the mediator of God, radiating His presence and
giving His word to the people? Clearly,
it was because of Moses’ intimacy with the Lord. God spoke to “Moses
face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Ex 33:11) The Lord said to Moses, “I know you
by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.” (Ex 33:12) Indeed, it was because
of Moses’ closeness with the Lord that he was able to share His heart and His
mind. He was one with God in His love for the people. He felt for
his people as God felt for them. Only a man who knows God can reveal His
thoughts and His heart to the people. It was at the mountain that God
spoke to Moses and revealed His thoughts in the commandments.
Indeed, this was said of
Jesus as well. “No one has ever seen God; only the Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” (Jn 1:18) In His last testament, Jesus
said, “O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee;
and these know that thou hast sent me. I made known to them thy name, and I
will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them,
and I in them.” (Jn 17:25f) Truly,
Jesus Himself said “All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no
one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son
and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Mt 11:27) Other than Moses, no one has
seen God and known God as Jesus did.
The secret of Jesus’
intimacy with His Father was the same as that of Moses. He would spend time in prayer with
His Father. After a long day’s ministry, He would retire in prayer.
“And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to
pray.” (Mt 14:23) “And in
the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place,
and there he prayed.” (Mk 1:35) And before important decisions,
He would pray. “In these days he went out into the hills to pray; and all
night he continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his
disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.” (Lk 6:12f) Jesus knew that He must
first receive the love from His Father and hear from Him before He could be
transformed in love and be able to transmit all that He heard from His Father
to us. Jesus was fully aware that He had come to reveal His love for
us. All that He said and did were to reveal the Father’s love and mercy.
In this sense, Moses and
the Lord shared the experience of finding the greatest treasure in life, which
is intimacy with the Father.
It is the love of the Father that kept them focused on their mission.
Both parables of the hidden treasure and the fine pearls speak of this great
discovery. If only we know the treasure we have, then we, too, would be
elated. A person who finds such a treasure will have a radical transformation
and make radical decisions. Moses left everything for God to deliver His
people because He found the treasure at the Burning Bush. There Moses
found God as the compassionate and merciful one. Jesus at His baptism
also experienced the overwhelming love of His Father, which was the beginning
of His mission. If we want to commit ourselves to the service of God, we,
too, must find the treasure of our life, which is to be with God, sharing in
His love and in His life. This was the same experience of St Paul when he
wrote, “For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has
shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show
that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Cor 4:6f)
Secondly, the parables
of the hidden treasure and fine pearl tell us that when we find such a
treasure, we must give up everything to buy it. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven
is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again,
goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one
of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.”
There is a price to be paid for what we desire. We must give all our
heart to what we value in this life. If God is the greatest treasure in
our lives, then we must not allow other things and people to take us away from
Him. This is what Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than
me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross
and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose
it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 10:37-39) In other words, we must put
Jesus at the center of our lives, and in all that we do or say, be guided by
Him alone.
How, then, can we find
this treasure in our lives today? How can we discover that God is the
greatest treasure of our life? The gospel tells us that we can find this
treasure in the ordinariness of our daily life. The lesson of the first parable
tells us that he found it whilst working in the field. He discovered the
treasure not so much by chance but because he was going on about his daily
chores and duties. We, too, if we are diligent in carrying out our
responsibilities well will meet God and find Him in our daily tasks. St
Theresa of the Child Jesus reminds us that holiness is doing ordinary things
extraordinarily well. God is found in prayer and in silence but also as
we fulfill the tasks He appoints for us to do each day, in our chores at home,
in the office and in helping our brothers and sisters.
Secondly, we can find
this treasure if we desire it. We must also search for it. Unlike in the first parable, the man
in the second parable found the treasure by chance. He actively went in search
of the fine pearl. We, too, must work with grace by seeking for the
ultimate treasure in our life. For some people, God comes to them in ways
beyond their expectations. For some, God wants them to find Him through
study, prayer, and research. We must make ourselves available to the
different ways that the Lord wants to touch us, by going for retreats, reading
spiritual books or making time for personal prayer. It is not enough to
say that God is far from me, if we do not make ourselves available to
Him. It is necessary that we find the will of God for ourselves so that
we can give ourselves fully to Him and His will.
Regardless whether we
find the treasure by chance or by hard work, when we find it, we will find
absolute joy in life. We
will find our fulfillment. In our joy, in our radical transformation as
we give up everything to the Lord, we will find great freedom and peace.
Only in that peace and joy can we radiate what we have received. Only in
the joy and peace of the Lord can we be His messengers of peace and joy; and be
radiant with His love wherever we go and whoever we meet. Indeed, Pope
Francis reminds us that to be missionaries of the Good News, we must first
receive the good news of joy ourselves. Pope Francis wrote, “I invite all
Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter
with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask
all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this
invitation is not meant for him or her, since ‘no one is excluded from the joy
brought by the Lord.'” (EG 3)
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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