20190727
REALISM
IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH
27 JULY, 2019,
Saturday, 16th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
|
First reading
|
Exodus 24:3-8 ©
|
|
This is the blood of the Covenant that
the Lord has made with you
|
Moses went and told the people all the
commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. In answer, all the people said
with one voice, ‘We will observe all the commands that the Lord has decreed.’
Moses put all the commands of the Lord into writing, and early next morning he
built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones for the
twelve tribes of Israel. Then he directed certain young Israelites to offer
holocausts and to immolate bullocks to the Lord as communion sacrifices. Half
of the blood Moses took up and put into basins, the other half he cast on the
altar. And taking the Book of the Covenant he read it to the listening people,
and they said, ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.’
Then Moses took the blood and cast it towards the people. This’ he said ‘is the
blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you, containing all these
rules.’
|
Responsorial Psalm
|
|
Psalm
49(50):1-2,5-6,14-15 ©
|
Pay your sacrifice of
thanksgiving to God.
The God of gods, the Lord,
has spoken and summoned the
earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion’s perfect beauty
he shines.
Pay your sacrifice of
thanksgiving to God.
‘Summon before me my people
who made covenant with me by
sacrifice.’
The heavens proclaim his justice,
for he, God, is the judge.
Pay your sacrifice of
thanksgiving to God.
Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God
and render him your votive
offerings.
Call on me in the day of distress.
I will free you and you shall
honour me.’
Pay your sacrifice of
thanksgiving to God.
|
Gospel Acclamation
|
Heb4:12
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and
active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
|
Or:
|
Jm1:21
|
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept and submit to the word
which has been planted in you
and can save your souls.
Alleluia!
|
Gospel
|
|
Matthew 13:24-30 ©
|
|
Let them both grow till the harvest
|
Jesus put another parable before the
crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in
his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among
the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel
appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not
good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come
from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you
want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the
darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the
harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the
darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’
REALISM IN
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Ex 24:3-8; Ps 50:1-2,5-6,14-15. R. v.14; Mt 13:24-30 ]
In the first reading, we
read of the readiness of the Israelites to sign the Covenant with the Lord. This would require them to observe
“all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances.” With one
accord and one voice, twice, they said confidently and enthusiastically, “We
will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.” They could
give such a promise because they just had seen the mighty hand of God
delivering them from the hands of the Egyptians, and destroying their
enemies. In their moment of awe and gratitude, they willingly committed
themselves to the Living God.
We, too, in our
enthusiasm for God after a personal encounter with Him, readily offer to give
our entire lives to the Lord.
This is particularly true after going through a life-changing retreat or a
God-experience. Coming out of the retreat, we, too, make many promises of
wanting to live the gospel life, to change our lives and to be His
witnesses. Newly baptized Catholics do the same thing. Someone who
is newly ordained or a religious just professed, too seek to give their lives
entirely to God and His people. So, too, those of us who undertake a new
office or a new job, career or vocation; we want to give ourselves passionately
to what we are doing. Newly wedded couples do the same. They
profess their vows to each other before the Lord, that they would be faithful
to each other, in good and in bad times, in sickness and in health, in poverty
or riches, all the rest of their lives.
Alas, we know that few
are able to keep the vows and promises made to the Lord. We are just like
the Israelites in today’s first reading. In spite of their ratification of the
Covenant, they were unfaithful to the Lord right from the start of the Covenant
until the end. Again and again, they turned away from the Lord and went
after false gods, worshipping the pagan gods, money, power and
pleasures. Are we not like them as well? How long do we keep
our vows and promises that we made to God or our fellowmen? More so in
today’s world, few keep their promises. We are fickle-minded and lack perseverance
in times of trial and temptation.
However, fortunately,
the Lord knows the hearts of men.
“The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse who can understand
it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give
to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.”
(Jer 17:9f) As King David said, “Indeed, I was
born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.” (Ps 51:5) This is why in the parable of the
Wheat and Darnel, the Lord urges patience in dealing with the sins and
imperfections, whether of ours or of our fellowmen.
We thank God that He is
our judge and not our self-righteous and impatient fellowmen. This is because our fellowmen would
have no compassion for us, as in the case of the servant who asked his master,
“Do you want us to weed it out?” But the Lord answered, “No, because when
you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them
both grow until the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the
reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then
gather the wheat into my barn.” This is why the letter of Hebrews says to
us, “Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we
do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without
sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:14-16) Indeed, Christ who
has been tempted like us all, but without sinning, knows our struggles against
the temptations that come our way each day.
Indeed, when we seek to
grow in our spiritual life, we will be tempted like the Lord to sin. Whenever we seek to do good, the
devil gets jealous and wants us to fall from grace. He will not just
tempt us to sin, but being the Father of all lies, he will deceive us, as that
is his nature. “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand
in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks
according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44) This was what he did to Eve when he
said to her, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your
eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gn 3:4f) He confuses us with what is good and
evil. The ideology of relativism is the strategy that Satan uses today to sow
falsehood in society. With relativism, one no longer knows what is right
or wrong.
Indeed, it is very
difficult to distinguish what is good or evil today, just like distinguishing
what is wheat or darnel when they are still seedlings because they look alike. We will only know whether they are
wheat or darnel when they grow up. “When the new wheat sprouted and
ripened, the darnel appeared as well.” Again, the Evil One is very
crafty. He will do things and help us to achieve success and fruitfulness
in our work and ministry and we begin to think that these are from God.
However, the devil can mask himself as an angel of light. He will suggest
that we get involved in certain projects, New Age techniques, superstitious
practices, occult and immoral activities because they can bring us prosperity,
wealth and success. But such success might not be from God and sometimes,
it could even be from God. Nevertheless, the devil will tempt us in our
success and achievements to rely on ourselves even more, or some superstitious
and pagan practices, until the time when we are very dependent on him, and then
he will start to destroy our lives and take away all our successes, as in the
case of Job. Only then will we realize, albeit too late, that we have
been tricked by the Evil One.
Indeed, the need for
discernment is always so necessary for growth in spiritual life. Most of us unfortunately lack
discernment of what is truly from the Lord and what is from our human
desires. This is because most of us, whilst seeking to do good, often
fall asleep and neglect our spiritual life. That is why the Lord said,
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his
field. While everybody was asleep, his enemy came, sowed darnel all among
the wheat, and made off.” The lack of spiritual alertness to the wiles of
the Evil One causes us to fall into the snares that he puts for us. St
Peter therefore exhorts us, “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a
roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to
devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your
brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”
(1 Pt 5:8f)
How can we overcome the
temptations of the Evil One? We need the Word of God to guide us. This was the purpose of the Laws
that God gave to His people through Moses. But they did not listen to the
Word of God. The letter of Hebrews tells us, “Indeed, the word of God is
living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides
soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and
intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are
naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.”
(Heb 4:12f) St Paul writing to the young
Bishop, Timothy said, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful
for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient,
equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16f)
Secondly, we need to be
in true communion with the Lord in worship and in our lives. In the Old Testament, we read that
the Covenant was ratified with the blood of the immolated bullocks cast towards
the altar and towards the people as communion sacrifices. Christ gave
Himself, His own blood for the forgiveness of our sins and our sanctification.
We continue to make this sacrifice, which was done once and for all, present at
every mass we celebrate.
However, the blood of
Christ, like the blood of the holocausts, would be useless in taking away our
sins unless we make the sacrifice of Christ our own. To be in communion with the Lord is
more than merely attending mass or even receiving communion, but to share in
His life and sacrificial love in our service to God and to our fellowmen.
Only when we are in deep union with Him, can we truly say to the Lord with
confidence like the Israelites, “We will observe all the commands that the Lord
has decreed.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment