20191010
VINDICATION
FOR THE JUST
10 OCTOBER,
2019, Thursday, 27th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Malachi 3:13-20 ©
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You say harsh things about me, says the
Lord. You ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ You say, ‘It is useless to
serve God; what is the good of keeping his commands or of walking mournfully
before the Lord of Hosts? Now we have reached the point when we call the
arrogant blessed; yes, they prosper, these evil-doers; they try God’s patience
and yet go free.’ This is what those who fear the Lord used to say to one
another. But the Lord took note and heard them: a book of remembrance was
written in his presence recording those who fear him and take refuge in his
name. On the day which I am preparing, says the Lord of Hosts, they are going
to be my own special possession. I will make allowances for them as a man makes
allowances for the son who obeys him. Then once again you will see the
difference between an upright man and a wicked one, between the one who serves
God and the one who does not serve him. For the day is coming now, burning like
a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble. The
day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, leaving
them neither root nor stalk. But for you who fear my name, the sun of
righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 1:1-4,6 ©
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Happy the man who has
placed his trust in the Lord.
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of
the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of
scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day
and night.
Happy the man who has
placed his trust in the Lord.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never
fade;
and all that he does shall
prosper.
Happy the man who has
placed his trust in the Lord.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the
wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked
leads to doom.
Happy the man who has
placed his trust in the Lord.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Jn14:6
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says
the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except
through me.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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cf.Ac16:14
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 11:5-13 ©
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Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Suppose
one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My
friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just
arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from
inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children
and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does
not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to
make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So
I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find;
knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always
receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always
have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a
scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give
your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
VINDICATION FOR
THE JUST
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Malachi 3:13-20; Ps 1:1-4,6; Lk 11:5-13 ]
We can identify with
those Jews who were disappointed with God. They felt cheated and
short-changed for being good.
“It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping his commands or of
walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? Now we have reached the point when
we call the arrogant blessed; yes, they prosper, these evil-doers; they try
God’s patience and yet go free.” This is how we feel when we have given
ourselves to the service of God, observed His commandments and sought to live
out the gospel in our lives. But being good does not seem to pay in this
world. Often, it looks like the evil, selfish and dishonest people are
enjoying the goodness of life and are successful. “All in vain have I
kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I
have been stricken, and chastened every morning.” (Ps 73:13f)
This was how the
psalmist felt about the wicked who grew in their riches. They seem to be more blessed than
those who were good. “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my
steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the
prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs; their bodies are sound and
sleek. They are not in trouble as other men are; they are not stricken like
other men. Therefore, pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a
garment. Their eyes swell out with fatness, their hearts overflow with
follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the
earth.” (Ps 73:2-9)
If we are feeling this
way, let us see things in proper perspective. God will eventually
vindicate the just.
The prophet Malachi said, “But the Lord took note and heard them: a book of remembrance
was written in his presence recording those who fear him and take refuge in his
name.” The good we do should not be thought of as wasted. It is
written in our hearts. It will bear fruit in our lives, not always
immediately but in the future. Indeed, a time will come when they have to
pay the full price for their sins and wicked deeds. “For the day is
coming now, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers
will be like stubble. The day that is coming is going to burn them up,
says the Lord of Hosts, leaving them neither root nor stalk. But for you
who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its
rays.” This is the assurance of the Lord through the prophet
Malachi. “On the day which I am preparing, says the Lord of Hosts, they
are going to be my own special possession. I will make allowances for
them as a man makes allowances for them as a man makes allowances for the son
who obeys him. Then once again you will see the difference between an
upright man and a wicked one, between the one who serves God and the one who
does not serve him.”
Indeed, we can be
short-sighted in the way we look at success and failures, blessings and curses. Not all worldly success and
blessings are good for the human person. It is how we use them for
others. Conversely, not all sufferings are bad because they can help us
to become better and more empathetic with those who are suffering. This
is what the Lord is teaching us in the gospel. He said, “What father
among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a
snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an
egg?” Very often we are mistaken in our choices of what is good in
life. We mistake stone for bread, snake for a fish. We only see the
externals and we think that the wicked with their ill-gotten possessions are
happy or the wicked and manipulative people who cheat themselves into office
are secure. Again, the psalmist says of those who appear to be doing
well. “Truly thou dost set them in slippery places; thou dost make them
fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by
terrors! They are like a dream when one awakes, on awaking you despise
their phantoms.” (Ps 73:18-20)
Consequently, the
responsorial psalm invites us to place our trust in the Lord. “Happy the man who has placed his
trust in the Lord. Happy indeed is the man who follows not the
counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the
company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders
his law, day and night. Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed
chaff shall be driven away by the wind. For the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.” This is what the gospel is also
encouraging us as well, to place our entire trust in God’s divine wisdom and
providence. By pondering over the Word of God and drawing strength from
Him, we will be fruitful like the tree “that is planted beside the flowing
waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.”
Trusting in the Lord
requires persistence, as
in the man who went to his friend in the middle of the night to ask for three
loaves of bread for his guest. But the man was already sleeping
with his family and it was inconvenient for him to get up without disturbing
the entire family. And the Lord said, “I tell you, if the man does not get up
and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him
get up and give his friend all he wants.” So when things do not appear to
be on our side even when we are sincerely doing the right and honest thing and
we see wicked people manipulating the situation and conniving with other
parties to go against us, we must remain firm in our principles. Our
integrity and honesty will one day be rewarded because there are others who are
seeking people with integrity to work with them, not simply people who are
intelligent. Being smart and intelligent without integrity will destroy
all that we are building and doing.
God knows what to give
us and when to reward us.
Jesus said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is
good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him!” God will only give us what is good for us. He will not
give us apparent happiness in life but He wants to give us the fullness of
life. Only God who is all wise knows what is ultimately good for
us. We might think something is good and we would like to have it.
But it can be destructive, perhaps not now but in the future. We are short-sighted
and we do not see far. This explains why some of the public policies that
are based on pragmatism and satisfying the pleasures of our people will bring
about more problems in the future; problems which will be beyond our ability to
manage.
That is why, what we
should ask are not things or petitions to be answered but the Holy Spirit, as
Jesus advised us.
God wants to give us nothing less than the gift of Himself. To have the
Holy Spirit is to have the mind and heart of God so that we can choose
rightly. Making the right discernment is what we need to ask of the
Lord. Thus, the Lord instructs us to ask, search and knock. “So I
say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock,
and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the
one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door
opened to him.” Why must the Lord give us only when we ask, search
or knock? In another text, the Lord said, “Therefore do not be anxious,
saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things shall be yours as well.” (Mt 6:31-33)
By asking and searching, we will come to
know what is truly good and lasting for us. We seek for the Kingdom and His justice
first because without them, the rest of the things would not be used wisely
when we have time. Often, those who suffer might appear to be the losers,
but they are the ultimate winners. We might not be able to see the
outcome of their suffering. But in due time, God will manifest to us that
truth will triumph over falsehood; goodness over evil and love over
hatred. So let us pray for a living faith in God. This is a faith
that enables us to see the way God sees us. This is a faith that is
courageous, persevering and hopeful in the face of trials, disappointments and
setbacks. Such a faith will see us through in life, giving us peace, joy
and consolation in our suffering.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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