Saturday 31 August 2019

HUMILITY IN GIVING AND RECEIVING

20190901 HUMILITY IN GIVING AND RECEIVING

01 SEPTEMBER, 2019, Sunday, 22nd Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 3:19-21,30-31 ©

Behave humbly, and you will find favour with the Lord
My son, be gentle in carrying out your business,
  and you will be better loved than a lavish giver.
The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly,
  and then you will find favour with the Lord;
for great though the power of the Lord is,
  he accepts the homage of the humble.
There is no cure for the proud man’s malady,
  since an evil growth has taken root in him.
The heart of a sensible man will reflect on parables,
  an attentive ear is the sage’s dream.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 67(68):4-7,10-11 ©
In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.
The just shall rejoice at the presence of God,
  they shall exult and dance for joy.
O sing to the Lord, make music to his name;
  rejoice in the Lord, exult at his presence.
In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.
Father of the orphan, defender of the widow,
  such is God in his holy place.
God gives the lonely a home to live in;
  he leads the prisoners forth into freedom:
In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.
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.
In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.

Second reading
Hebrews 12:18-19,22-24 ©

You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God
What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: not a blazing fire, or a gloom turning to total darkness, or a storm; or trumpeting thunder or the great voice speaking which made everyone that heard it beg that no more should be said to them. But what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with spirits of the saints who have been made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator who brings a new covenant and a blood for purification which pleads more insistently than Abel’s.

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt11:29
Alleluia, alleluia!
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me,
says the Lord,
for I am gentle and humble in heart.
Alleluia!

Gospel
Luke 14:1,7-14 ©

Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled
On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this, ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’
  Then he said to his host, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’

HUMILITY IN GIVING AND RECEIVING

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Eccl 3:19-2130-31Ps 68Heb 12:18-1922-24Lk 14:1.7-14 ]
“My son, be gentle in carrying out your business, and you will be better loved than a lavish giver.”  The words of Sirach in today’s first reading are thought-provoking because he praises the man who is humble in his dealings with others as better than one who is generous with his time and resources.   Indeed, at the end of the day, we do not remember what a person does for us per se, but we remember how he or she made us feel good, worthy, respected and loved.  It is the good memory of our encounter with the person that will leave an imprint on our hearts and in our minds rather than what the person actually did for us.
The truth is that even in giving and helping others, some lack the genuine motive and personal touch in rendering assistance.  Some give more for themselves than for those they intend to help.  They give so that they can be honoured and recognized.  Otherwise why should they want their names to be published and to be given credit?  Indeed, like the guests at a dinner the Lord noticed how the guests picked the places of honour.  This made Him remark, “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour.”   People are egoistic.  They want to be known and be seen as VIPs.
Of course, some give more for “noble” publicity so that they can get more business and contacts.  Some corporate organizations donate to causes but demand publicity to be given, otherwise they will not give.  They want the company’s logo and photos to be featured on banners, displays and magazines.  This shows that their giving is not done for philanthropic and humanistic reasons but as part of their marketing strategy to make their name known.  Such giving is not sincere.  They give as much to receive and sometimes they receive much more.  That is what the Lord said to his host, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return.”  Rather, when we give, we must not expect anything in return.  Jesus said, “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.”  (Mt 6:2)
Indeed, Sirach warns us of the dangers of pride. “There is no cure for the proud man’s malady, since an evil growth has taken root in him.”  Pride is the cause of the downfall of every man.  “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  (Prov 16:18)  When we are proud and egoistic, we alienate ourselves from people.  We want to distinguish ourselves from others.  We want people to put us on a pedestal.  We make ourselves and deceive ourselves into thinking that we are better than others.  We glorify ourselves in our riches, talents, positions and power.  So much so, we begin to believe that we are the best and we know everything.
That is why pride is the root of all rebellion.  Satan’s sin was to rebel against the authority and power of God.  He wanted to be God without submitting to the authority of God.  And this is the real downfall of humanity.  Today, humanity has become arrogant and so proud of himself because of the advancements he has made in science and technology.  He has sent spaceships to the moon and now to Mars.  He thinks the world’s problems can only be solved by his ingenuity and intelligence.  He does not need God.  He has no respect for mystery and is not aware of his limitations.  This is the root of secularism and humanism.  New Age philosophy is even worse than secularism because they proclaim themselves as gods.  There is no God because they are the manifestation of God.  So God has left man to himself and humanity is destined for destruction because of his pride, arrogance and false autonomy.
In contrast, the key to wisdom and love is humility.  This is what Sirach counsels us.  “The heart of a sensible man will reflect on parables, an attentive ear is the sage’s dream.” Those with a humble heart are always willing to listen and to learn from God and from others.  He knows that he is limited in knowledge and understanding.  Indeed, a good leader is always ready to listen to advice, seek counsel and receptive of people’s ideas and constructive feedback.  He is not defensive or argumentative.  But he takes all the different opinions and tries to consider the best option.
What is the key to humility in life, in giving and in receiving?  Firstly, we must realize that in the eyes of God, we are all equal in dignity even though not equal in talents and resources.  The second reading from Hebrews says, “what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven.”  We are all first-born sons/daughters of God in heaven.  God sees us as His sons and daughters.  In heaven and even on earth, God does not see us differently.  High or low, big or small, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly are the measures of man.  But God sees our heart and our dignity as His children.  Of course, we cannot see that yet simply because we are ignorant and not yet perfected.  The author of Hebrews writes, “You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with spirits of the saints who have been made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator who brings a new covenant.”
A humble recognition that all of us are God’s children, equal in every way, will help us to appreciate those who are less privileged than us, and be humble and grateful for what we have.  Sirach says, “The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly, and then you will find favour with the Lord; for great though the power of the Lord is, he accepts the homage of the humble.”   Indeed, why should we be proud of ourselves simply because we are wealthy, influential and powerful when all we have and is due to the generosity and mercy of God.  Just hard work alone will not bring us to where we are today if not for the many people and opportunities the Lord has provided for us.  For this reason, the more we have, the wealthier and more influential we are, the humbler we should become, for as Mary would say, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.”   Indeed, without God’s favour, we are nothing.  So there is nothing to boast about except God’s mercy. “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.  For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.”  (2 Cor 10:17f)
When we recognize that we are one with our fellowmen, that we are all recipients of God’s love and mercy for each other, then we no longer separate ourselves from others, rich or poor.  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.”  Having received all from God, Jesus reminds us that we must treat each other with respect and love regardless of their state and position in life.  Hence, He said, “When you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.”
In truth, both the poor and the rich are meant for the salvation of each other.  In reality no one in the eyes of God is poorer or richer except in the capacity of the heart.  The poor are given to us for our salvation because they teach us generosity, compassion and keep our hearts connected with God and humanity.  The poor give us a joy and freedom that money cannot buy, nor material success and pleasures can give.  If God allows the poor and the sick on this earth, it is for the sake of our salvation.  The rich receive from the poor because the poor receive as much from the rich.  When they are helped by those who can afford, they encounter God’s love and mercy; and come to believe in God’s love for them. They too are saved by our love and generosity.
So when we give or share our resources with others, we must always remain humble in service and generosity.  The psalmist says, “The just shall rejoice at the presence of God, they shall exult and dance for joy. O sing to the Lord, make music to his name; rejoice in the Lord, exult at his presence.  Father of the orphan, defender of the widow, such is God in his holy place. God gives the lonely a home to live in; he leads the prisoners forth into freedom.”  We are simply agents and dispensers of God’s love and mercy to our brothers and sisters, whether we are poor or rich, ordinary or distinguished person in society.  But one thing is clear, From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”  (Lk 12:48) 
Humility means that we allow God to decide where we should be placed in life.  It is not our choice to be where we are or who we are but we can be sure that wherever He places us in life, it is always the right place for a good reason.  We must be humble in accepting God’s plan for us, just as Mary was in being the humble handmaid of the Lord, and Elizabeth who accepted to be the mother of the forerunner to the Messiah rather than the mother of the Messiah herself.  And like Elizabeth, we should also rejoice with those who are apparently more privileged than us as she said to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?  For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”  (Lk 1:42-45)

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved


Friday 30 August 2019

ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY

20190831 ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY


31 AUGUST, 2019, Saturday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 ©

You have learnt from God how to love one another
As for loving our brothers, there is no need for anyone to write to you about that, since you have learnt from God yourselves to love one another, and in fact this is what you are doing with all the brothers throughout the whole of Macedonia. However, we do urge you, brothers, to go on making even greater progress and to make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business and earning your living, just as we told you to.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 97(98):1,7-9 ©
The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.
Sing a new song to the Lord
  for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
  have brought salvation.
The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.
Let the sea and all within it, thunder;
  the world, and all its peoples.
Let the rivers clap their hands
  and the hills ring out their joy
The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.
at the presence of the Lord: for he comes,
  he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice
  and the peoples with fairness.
The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.

Gospel Acclamation
Ph2:15-16
Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!
Or:
Jn13:34
Alleluia, alleluia!
I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you, 
says the Lord.
Alleluia!

Gospel
Matthew 25:14-30 ©

You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness
Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.
  ‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
  ‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”
  ‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
  ‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
  ‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [  1 Th 4:9-11Ps 98:17-9Mt 25:14-30 ]
There are two groups of people who belong to this entitlement mentality.  Firstly, there are those who are poor, not because they were given only “one talent” as in the parable but because they are irresponsible and uncooperative with the grace of God given to them.  They expect others to feed them and take care of them when they are able to do some work.  Instead, they spend their time idling, sleeping and gossiping, finding trouble with everyone, making themselves a nuisance.   They like to blame society and the government for their lack.  They have this mentality that society owes them a living.   This was what happened to the man with the one talent.  Instead of making good of whatever he had, he found all kinds of excuses not to do anything.  He even blamed the master for giving him that one talent, and because of him he did not dare take any risks.   He said, “”I heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground.  Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.”
Secondly, we have the other extreme group.  They are rich and successful in life.  They work hard and have become wealthy, famous and influential in society.  But they have become arrogant and self-centered.  They think that because of their hard work, ingenuity and sacrifices, they deserve whatever they have.  They spend all the wealth on themselves, buying luxury goods, luxury cars, live lavishly, pamper themselves with all the pleasures and comforts without any thought for those who are in a disadvantaged position in life.  They feel entitled to this form of lifestyle because they earned it by their sheer hard work. They are inward-looking, concerned only about themselves with no thought for the common good of society.
Both groups have failed to appreciate that whatever they have is a gift from God.  St Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?”  (1 Cor 4:7)  What we have comes from God alone.  He is the giver of all gifts.  How often do we forget that all we have come to us as a gift; our talents, our health, our status in life, our connections, our teachers, our career and opportunities?  All these are given.   We did not earn them or make them happen.  They were given to us.  For this reason, we cannot think that we are entitled to the gifts and the fruits of our labour without sharing our gifts with others.   Whilst it is reasonable for us to keep some of the fruits of our labour for ourselves, we must share the fruits with our loved ones, the poor and those who are in a greater disadvantage in life.  Indeed, the goods of this world belong to all, and God has entrusted creation to us and its resources so that we can share with all of humanity.
We must never forget that it is our responsibility to share our resources with the rest of society.  God has given us the gifts not for ourselves.  Jesus warned us, “That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” (Lk 12:47f)  Vatican II teaches, “Attention must always be paid to this universal destination of earthly goods. In using them, therefore, man should regard the external things that he legitimately possesses not only as his own but also as common in the sense that they should be able to benefit not only him but also others.  On the other hand, the right of having a share of earthly goods sufficient for oneself and one’s family belongs to everyone. Men are also obliged to come to the relief of the poor and to do so not merely out of their superfluous goods. If one is in extreme necessity, he has the right to procure for himself what he needs out of the riches of others.”  (Gaudium et spes, 69)
But some of us might feel that God is not fair.  Why did He give the first man five talents, another two and the last, one talent?   The point is not how much we are given in life but how well we cooperate with His gifts.   If we cooperate with the gifts He has given us and do well with them, we will find fulfilment.  God gives to us differently because He created us all with different capacities.  Although differently created and endowed with different talents, happiness and fulfilment is given to all regardless of our position, wealth and status in life.  It is not how much we own, what we have, our status that will make us fulfilled but how we maximize ourselves.  This explains why the man with five talents was given five more; and the one with two talents given two more.  Whereas the one with one talent lost even the little he had because he failed to realize his potentials to the fullest.  As a consequence, Jesus said, “from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
We must therefore cooperate with the grace of God.  Instead of comparing our gifts with others or envying them, we should simply be contented with what we have and make full use of them.  When we do that, the time will come when our capacity to do more will be increased.  Otherwise, if we are entrusted with something or a responsibility too big for our shoes, we will end up frustrated, stressed up, angry, disorientated and lose our happiness and health. When we fail to develop ourselves according to what the Lord has given to us, we deserve a life that is unfulfilled.  So the problem is not God but because we fail to appreciate the gift that has been given to us and so do not make any effort to develop what we already have.  St Paul said, “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!”  (1 Cor 4:8)   We have all the graces to multiply His graces if only we cooperate with Him. In truth, we have all that is necessary to become the fulfilled person that God meant us to be. But we are afraid to take risks, make sacrifices and inconvenience ourselves.  We want others to give us without our working for them.  We are lazy and egoistic. St Paul, too, reprimanded such people, “Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”  (2 Th 3:10-12)
In the final analysis, we are accountable to God for the way we use His gifts.  At the end of our life, we will have to examine ourselves before God, how we have used what the Lord has blessed us with in a way that has benefitted ourselves and humanity.  If we have kept our talents and our riches for ourselves, then we are like that useless servant because we never used what was entrusted to us well.  This life is short and we are told that the master will return.  We must be able to render an account of how we have realized our potentials in life and how we have helped others to realize their potentials as well.  Let us “go on making even greater progress and to make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business and earning your living.”
So the key is to be thankful for what we have been given.  A grateful person will always give back what he has received.  An entitlement mentality means such a person is never grateful.  He is demanding, calculating and self-centred.  If only we understand how much God loves us and have given to us, entrusting us with His gifts, we would use them well and bring glory to Him.  If we know how much our parents have to sacrifice for our education, we would give our best to our studies and not waste time and opportunity.  Alas, not many young people are appreciative of the education they are receiving because they have this entitlement mentality that they deserve all these from their parents. Without gratitude, we cannot be responsible for what is given to us and to society or to God.  St Paul told the Thessalonians, that “as for loving our brothers, there is no need for anyone to write to you about that, since you have learnt from God yourselves to love one another.”  Only God can teach us to love.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved