20191004
COLLECTIVE
SINS OF THE NATION
04 OCTOBER,
2019, Friday, 26th Week, Ordinary Time
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First reading
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Baruch 1:15-22 ©
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Integrity belongs to the Lord our God; to
us the look of shame we wear today, to us, the people of Judah and the citizens
of Jerusalem, to our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, as to our
ancestors, because we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, have disobeyed him,
and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God telling us to follow the
commandments which the Lord had ordained for us. From the day when the Lord
brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today we have been disobedient
to the Lord our God, we have been disloyal, refusing to listen to his voice.
And so the disasters, and the curse which the Lord pronounced through his
servant Moses the day he brought our fathers out of Egypt to give us a land
where milk and honey flow, have seized on us, disasters we experience today.
Despite all the words of those prophets whom he sent us, we have not listened
to the voice of the Lord our God, but, each following the dictates of his evil
heart, we have taken to serving alien gods, and doing what is displeasing to
the Lord our God.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 78(79):1-5,8-9 ©
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Rescue us, O Lord, for
the glory of your name.
O God, the nations have invaded your land,
they have profaned your holy
temple.
They have made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.
They have handed over the
bodies of your servants
as food to feed the birds of heaven
and the flesh of your faithful
to the beasts of the earth.
Rescue us, O Lord, for
the glory of your name.
They have poured out blood like water in
Jerusalem;
no one is left to bury the
dead.
We have become the taunt of our
neighbours,
the mockery and scorn of those
who surround us.
How long, O Lord? Will you be angry for
ever;
how long will your anger burn
like fire?
Rescue us, O Lord, for
the glory of your name.
Do not hold the guilt of our fathers
against us.
Let your compassion hasten to
meet us;
we are left in the depths of
distress.
Rescue us, O Lord, for
the glory of your name.
O God our saviour, come to our help.
Come for the sake of the glory
of your name.
O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;
rescue us for the sake of your
name.
Rescue us, O Lord, for
the glory of your name.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ps144:13
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Ps94:8
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 10:13-16 ©
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Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Alas
for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had
been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in
sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at
the Judgement as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be
exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.
‘Anyone
who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those
who reject me reject the one who sent me.’
COLLECTIVE SINS
OF THE NATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ BARUCH 1:15-22; PS 79:1-5,8-9; LK 10:13-16 ]
We are lamenting that
the world today is the most unsafe place to live in the history of humanity. On the global level, we have wars,
including trade wars. We constantly live under the threat of
terrorists’ attacks. On the home front, there are so many
crimes committed each day: rape, molestation, pedophilia, adultery, voyeurism,
cheating, stealing, criminal breach of trust, scams, drug and human
trafficking, drink driving, murder and killing. Many are addicted to
pornography, gambling and drinking. We wonder how a civilized society
like ours today could behave thus when most people are more educated and many
hold a decent job or career. And the truth is that crime and sins are
committed not just by uneducated people or those who are poor, but even those
who are rich, educated and influential.
But what is our response
to all these crimes and sins against humanity? Instead of looking at the
cause, we tackle the symptoms. We formulate more laws to protect the citizens so that
there will be justice, peace and harmony. We even increase the penalty
for those who break the laws such as drug trafficking, human trafficking,
illegal prostitution, molestation, rape, pedophilia, voyeurism, careless and
reckless driving, etc. But are we really solving the problem or just
removing the symptoms? The truth is that society is not ready to face the
truth about themselves. We want to blame society but we forget that we
are part of society. As much as the individual is the product of society,
society is also the product of man.
What are the deep-seated
reasons for the misery and problems in the world today? The first reading
gives us the cause of the current situation in the world. Israel, too, was going through the
consequences of their sins. The prophet Baruch diagnosed the
situation of Israel by tracing it to their disobedience and rebellion against
God and His commandments. He said, “And so the disasters, and the curse
which the Lord pronounced through his servant Moses the day, have seized on us,
disasters we experience today. Despite all the words of those prophets
whom he sent us, we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, but,
each following the dictates of his evil heart, we have taken to serving alien
gods, and doing what is displeasing to the Lord our God.”
Indeed, the real cause
of sin is the failure to recognize God as the absolute reality in our lives and
the Ultimate Moral Order. Secularism is the capital sin of
society. Like
the people in Capernaum, the Lord asked, “did you want to be exalted high as
heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.” We are arrogant.
We think we can solve all problems without God. We make ourselves the
measure of all things, supplanting the place of God. We behave as if we
can determine our life and our future without God’s grace and divine
providence. When society rejects God and evicts Him from their lives, and
society becomes secularized, humanity has no reference point that it can refer
to. One lives only for this life because there is no future for
humanity beyond this world. Happiness in life is just enjoying as much as
we can get out of this world. Why worry about tomorrow? Why
should we be concerned about the future of humanity or the future of
creation? Why should we take care of this earth and respect ecology when
we will not be living here in 100 years’ time?
Secularism leads to
relativism. This is the
outcome of rejecting God. Without God, there are no moral absolutes; no
way to determine what is right or wrong. We can do anything so long as
the laws do not prevent us. But there is no truth in the laws as
well because these are man-made and can change with time. Law makers will
frame the laws according to the wishes of the people since they are elected by
them. Laws are legislated not because they are true and just and
for the common good but because they are popular with the people.
Relativism is lived out
as pragmatism and individualism. It
is about making decisions not based on truth but on what we are comfortable and
happy with for now. It is about making a popular decision that is
accepted by all. It does not matter whether the outcome in the future is
good or bad. It does not consider the future of humanity. It is
about feeling good and accepted in the present. Since there is no right
or wrong, everyone makes choices based on his or her preferences. This
leads to individualism. It is about me, about my rights, my happiness and
my freedom to do what I want. So what is wrong with living a promiscuous
life? What is wrong with eating and drinking excessively? What is
wrong with living luxuriously and caring for oneself? There are no
eternal consequences of our actions because once we die, everything is
over. So, the most that can happen to anyone of us is death. It is
a question whether we die sooner or later. But death is the outcome for
everyone regardless, which is also the end of everything.
Indeed, the symptoms of
the problems of society today are the consequence of the current amorality of
society, beginning with a denial of the existence of God and the Sacred. So long as man no longer believes in God
and His divine vocation to share in the life of God, here and hereafter, he lives
his life recklessly and carelessly. Since his actions on this earth have
no eternal consequences, there is no motivation to do good or live a righteous
life. When human beings are reduced to mere matter, and when he has no
soul, he no longer has any respect for the dignity of life. This explains
why the modern man is promoting a culture of death, beginning from conception
to birth and to those who no are longer productive or are elderly.
The irony of the world
is the lack of consistency.
We promote promiscuity, but when people fall into sexual offences, we are quick
to condemn them and punish them, when we are the ones laying the snares for
them. We promote gambling and drugs. We make available places for
gambling and in some countries, drugs are available, but when people get
addicted and commit crimes, we are quick to arrest them and confine them in
prison. We are worried about the depopulation of our country, but we
advocate abortion. We are concerned about the stability of our
family, but we are causing confusion in understanding what is family and what
is marriage. We are worried whether our children will grow up to be good
citizens and people that will serve society and country, but our children come
from dysfunctional families, and from same-sex marriages.
Truly, as the prophet
Baruch says, the disasters we have brought upon ourselves. The
evils of society are the collective sins of the nation. We are all paying the price of our
collective sins because from the top to the bottom, as the prophet said, from
“the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem, to our kings and princes,
our priests, our prophets, as to our ancestors, because we have sinned in the
sight of the Lord, have disobeyed him, and have not listened to the voice of the
Lord our God.” Since the State has given up its moral authority over their
people, and since even religious leaders no longer have the credibility to be
the world’s moral spokesman, no one has the truth anymore. So,
we allow the world to advocate promiscuity, drugs taking, drinking and smoking,
gambling and entertainment that seeks to satisfy the sensual desires of our
people. Jesus warned us, “For if the miracles done in you had been done
in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and
ashes. And still, it would not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon, at the
judgement as with you.” Humanity will destroy itself when we allow
society to degenerate like Israel. It will then be too late.
That is why we need to
speak with the prophets, calling humanity to repentance. Whether they want to hear or not, St Paul
urges us, “Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or
unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in
teaching. The time is coming when people will not put up with sound
doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers
to suit their own desires, and will turn away from
listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” (cf 2 Tim 4:2-5) Indeed, Jesus assures us,
“Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me,
and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.” What we should be
concerned is whether our words are spoken in union with Jesus so that whatever
we say or do, we reflect the words of Christ and His person. Whether the
world listens to us or not, that is not our worry. We do not have to get
angry or disillusioned if what we say fall on deaf ears. We should leave
them to the Lord for He knows how to deal with them accordingly. What is
important is that we have done our part to be prophets of God in life and in
society.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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