20190712 TAKING
RISKS REQUIRES DIVINE ASSURANCE
12 JULY, 2019,
Friday, 14th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Genesis 46:1-7,28-30 ©
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'I can die, now that I have seen you
alive'
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Israel left Canaan with his possessions,
and reached Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices to the God of his father
Isaac. God spoke to Israel in a vision at night, ‘Jacob, Jacob’, he said. ‘I am
here’, he replied. ‘I am God, the God of your father’, he continued. ‘Do not be
afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I
myself will go down to Egypt with you. I myself will bring you back again, and
Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.’ Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons conveyed
their father Jacob, their little children and their wives in the waggons
Pharaoh had sent to fetch him.
Taking
their livestock and all that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, they went
to Egypt, Jacob and all his family with him: his sons and his grandsons, his
daughters and his grand-daughters, in a word, all his children he took with him
to Egypt.
Israel
sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that the latter might present himself to him in
Goshen. When they arrived in the land of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made
ready and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as he appeared
he threw his arms round his neck and for a long time wept on his shoulder.
Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now I can die, now that I have seen you again, and seen
you still alive.’
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm
36(37):3-4,18-19,27-28,39-40 ©
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The salvation of the
just comes from the Lord.
If you trust in the Lord and do good,
then you will live in the land
and be secure.
If you find your delight in the Lord,
he will grant your heart’s
desire.
The salvation of the
just comes from the Lord.
He protects the lives of the upright,
their heritage will last for
ever.
They shall not be put to shame in evil
days,
in time of famine their food
shall not fail.
The salvation of the
just comes from the Lord.
Then turn away from evil and do good
and you shall have a home for
ever;
for the Lord loves justice
and will never forsake his
friends.
The salvation of the
just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just comes from the
Lord,
their stronghold in time of
distress.
The Lord helps them and delivers them
and saves them: for their
refuge is in him.
The salvation of the
just comes from the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamation
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1P1:25
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of the Lord remains for ever:
What is this word?
It is the Good News that has been brought
to you.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Jn16:13,14:26
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Alleluia, alleluia!
When the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
and he will remind you of all I have said
to you.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 10:16-23 ©
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The Spirit of your Father will be
speaking in you
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Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows:
‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as
serpents and yet as harmless as doves.
‘Beware
of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their
synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear
witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry
about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you
when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of
your Father will be speaking in you. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and
the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them
put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man
who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town,
take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in
another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of
Israel before the Son of Man comes.’
TAKING RISKS
REQUIRES DIVINE ASSURANCE
It is always difficult
to start a new life, embark on a new career or migrate to another
country. The
unpredictability of the future cripples us from venturing out. We all
prefer to be in our comfort zone even if it is not the most comfortable of all
places. Well, at least the known is less feared than the unknown.
So how do we decide to move or not?
Jacob was faced with the
same dilemma as his grandfather, Abraham. He was asked to leave Canaan and go
to Egypt to be with his son, Joseph, as the country was in famine. He
must have wondered whether he was betraying the dream of his fathers, that God would
give them the Promised Land and be the Father of nations. What would the
future of his children and children’s children in a foreign land be like?
He needed directions from the Lord.
So, too, were the
disciples in today’s gospel. The Lord warned them about their future. They would be persecuted, both from
within and without. The Lord said, “Beware of men: they will hand you
over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be
dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and
the pagans.” From within, there will be opposition and betrayal. “Brother
will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise
against their parents and have them put to death.” Indeed, Jesus was
candid with them. The price of following Him would mean that they “will
be hated by all men on account of (his) name.”
In such a situation, we
need divine assurance that our dreams would be fulfilled. We need the Lord to let us know
that He is with us in our journey of life, and in seeking to realize the dreams
that He has placed in our hearts. God was kind to Jacob who was hesitant
and reluctant to leave his homeland. When he “left Canaan with his
possessions, and reached Beersheba”, the Lord confirmed the decision that Jacob
took. “God spoke to Israel in a vision at night. ‘I am
God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for
I will make you a great nation there. I myself will go down to Egypt with
you. I myself will bring you back again, and Joseph’s hand shall close
your eyes.'” Knowing that the God of his fathers was with him, gave
him consolation and security. Otherwise, he might have lived or died with
a bad conscience for betraying the dream of his fathers. The divine assurance
that God would make them a great nation in Egypt and bring them back to Canaan
was what he needed to hear.
In the same way too,
Jesus assured His disciples that in spite of the persecutions, God would be
with them. He
said, “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to
say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it
is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking on
you.” “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom
the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know
him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” (Jn 14:16f) Indeed, the Holy Spirit was
the One that assisted them when they stood before the Sanhedrin and rulers, as
happened to Peter and John, and Paul after the resurrection. (cf Acts 4:1-22)
However, divine
assurance does not mean that God’s plan would be fulfilled without much
struggle and suffering. God’s
divine plan for us requires that we trust in Him and are willing to surrender
our lives to Him, walking not by sight but by faith, one day at a time, seeking
to do His holy will, often making mistakes but learning from them as we journey
in life. In other words, we must not expect that it will be a smooth journey
towards the fulfillment of our dreams. In the case of the Israelites,
they had to stay more than 400 years in Egypt. The book of Exodus
records, “The time that the Israelites had lived in Egypt was four hundred
thirty years. At the end of four hundred thirty
years, on that very day, all the companies of the Lord went out from
the land of Egypt.” (Ex 12:40f) The Lord had first to build
up the people by increasing and multiplying them. After their deliverance
from Egypt, the Lord had to train the army so that they could be strong to
resist their enemies. The Lord also had to test them in their faith,
teach them to observe the commandments so that when they entered the Promised
Land, they would know how to govern the nation and ensure that there would be
peace, unity and prosperity.
So, too, for the
disciples. They had to persevere in faith, knowing that the Lord would
assist them in their mission.
They needed to use their ingenuity and intelligence in dealing with their
enemies. Jesus said, “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep
among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.”
Then again, He advised them, “If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in
the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another.” Indeed,
“the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.” They needed to
cooperate with the grace of God using their human talents, even as they relied
on God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. Grace perfects nature.
So it is the same for us
in our aspiration to realize the dreams that God has placed in our hearts. We must cooperate with His grace
according to what the Lord has given to us. We need to trust in His
divine providence and wisdom. What we must do is to do our best, work
hard, seek the help of our fellowmen, and most of all, seek the guidance of God
and His divine blessings. But we cannot sit back and do nothing and hope
that God will do everything for us. We too must go through the trials of
life for through them, we learn wisdom, understanding, compassion and
gratitude. Jesus made it clear, “If any want to become my followers, let them
deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want
to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will
save it.” (Lk 9:23f)
Indeed, we must pray in
faith like Jacob at Beersheba when he offered sacrifices to the God of his
father, Isaac. We must trust like the psalmist. “The salvation of the just comes
from the Lord. If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you
will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he
will grant your heart’s desire. He protects the lives of the upright,
their heritage will last forever. They shall not be put to shame in evil days,
in time of famine their food shall not fail. Then turn away from evil and
do good and you shall have a home for ever; for the Lord loves justice and will
never forsake his friends. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord,
their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and
saves them: for their refuge is in him.” In confident and expectant
prayer, the Lord will realize His dreams for us.
We must be patient in
allowing the plans of God to unfold in His time. “My purpose shall stand, and I will
fulfill my intention, calling a bird of prey from the east, the man for my
purpose from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have
planned, and I will do it.” (Isa 46:10f) This was what the Lord said
to the disciples as well. “I tell you solemnly, you will have gone the round of
the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” He often gives us signs
that all things would be well, as the Lord did for Jacob. “When they
arrived in the land of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to
meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as he appeared he threw his arms
round his neck and for a long time wept on his shoulder. Israel said to
Joseph, ‘Now I can die, now that I have seen you again, and seen you still
alive.'” Indeed, knowing that his son was alive and more than well – the
second in command in Egypt – gave him the assurance that God will protect his
people, and that they would indeed become a great nation in time to come.
Hence, he could leave and rest in peace.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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