20191211
RENEWING
OUR STRENGTH BY HOPING IN THE LORD
11 December,
2019, Wednesday, 2nd Week of Advent
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Isaiah 40:25-31 ©
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The Lord strengthens the powerless
‘To
whom could you liken me
and
who could be my equal?’ says the Holy One.
Lift
your eyes and look.
Who
made these stars
if
not he who drills them like an army,
calling
each one by name?
So
mighty is his power, so great his strength,
that
not one fails to answer.
How
can you say, Jacob,
how
can you insist, Israel,
‘My
destiny is hidden from the Lord,
my rights
are ignored by my God’?
Did
you not know?
Had
you not heard?
The
Lord is an everlasting God,
he
created the boundaries of the earth.
He
does not grow tired or weary,
his
understanding is beyond fathoming.
He
gives strength to the wearied,
he
strengthens the powerless.
Young
men may grow tired and weary,
youths
may stumble,
but
those who hope in the Lord renew their strength,
they
put out wings like eagles.
They
run and do not grow weary,
walk
and never tire.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 102(103):1-4,8,10 ©
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My
soul, give thanks to the Lord.
My
soul, give thanks to the Lord
all
my being, bless his holy name.
My
soul, give thanks to the Lord
and
never forget all his blessings.
My
soul, give thanks to the Lord.
It is
he who forgives all your guilt,
who
heals every one of your ills,
who
redeems your life from the grave,
who
crowns you with love and compassion.
My
soul, give thanks to the Lord.
The
Lord is compassion and love,
slow
to anger and rich in mercy.
He
does not treat us according to our sins
nor
repay us according to our faults.
My
soul, give thanks to the Lord.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Alleluia,
alleluia!
Behold,
our Lord will come with power
and
will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Alleluia,
alleluia!
Look,
the Lord will come to save his people.
Blessed
those who are ready to meet him.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 11:28-30 ©
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My yoke is easy and my burden light
Jesus said, ‘Come
to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
RENEWING OUR
STRENGTH BY HOPING IN THE LORD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ISAIAH 40:25-31; PS 103:1-4,8,10; MATTHEW 11:28-30 ]
The context of today’s first reading was
the exile of the Israelites in Babylon. They had been in exile for 70 years in
Babylon. In their exile, they felt that the Lord has abandoned
them. Indeed, Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten
me.” (Isa 49:14) It is natural to feel that
way. When we are down and out, when we are suffering and languishing
away, not too sure of our future or whether there is a future, we feel that God
has abandoned us. Some of us may be losing hope in life, in people,
especially those whom we love and trust most. They have disappointed us,
especially our ungrateful children or our parents. We are hurt,
disillusioned and feel helpless. For others, it could be their work,
their career is at stake, or they could be suffering from ill health.
Indeed, Isaiah says, even “young men may grow tired and weary, youths may
stumble.” Regardless of our trials and struggles, we need to have hope to
stay afloat and alive.
This is what the scripture readings are
asking of us, namely, to draw strength from the Lord. Isaiah says, “those who hope in the Lord
renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow
weary, walk and never tire.” So long as we have hope in the Lord, we will
always be able to handle all challenges in life. As St Paul says, “I can
do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) In Christ, we can overcome
all things. This is why the Lord also invites us accordingly. “Come
to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you
rest.” We need to come to Jesus to find strength to face the trials
of life if we are to remain strong in hope.
What does it mean to find strength in the
Lord? Firstly, the Lord says, “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I
am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” In other words, we must carry our crosses
in life with the same mind and heart of our Lord. By embracing our
sufferings the way our Lord accepted His crosses in life, we will find strength
and courage. The Lord did not say that He will take away our pains and
our sufferings. But He said that if we carry our yoke with Him, we will
find rest for our souls.
So how did Jesus carry His yoke? By
placing His trust in the Father. Trusting God is the only way we can find the courage
to carry on. Only when we trust, will we be ready to listen to Him when
He speaks and reveals to us His holy will. Unless we trust Him, we will
always be fighting against His will. Jesus had absolute trust in His
Father. This gave Him the strength at the garden of Gethsemane, “Father,
if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be
done.” (Lk 22:42) And at
His last breath, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I
commend my spirit.” (Lk 23:46)
Trust in God presupposes that we know our
Father. This
is why we must situate the teaching of today’s gospel. Earlier on, the
Lord told the disciples, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father;
and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except
the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Mt 11:27) If Jesus could trust His
Father it was because He knew His Father. He told the Jews, “I know him;
if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do
know him and I keep his word.” (Jn 8:55) He also said, “Very truly, I
tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father
doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father
loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him
greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.” (Jn 5:19f) He also said, “I have not
spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me.” (Jn 12:49)
Do we know God enough to trust in
Him? Isaiah tells us that our God is almighty. He created the
world, sustains it and His presence continues to guide the world. “To whom could you liken me and who could
be my equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look. Who made these stars
if not he who drills them like an army, calling each one by name? So mighty is
his power, so great his strength, that not one fails to answer.”
Indeed, we cannot understand the wisdom and the mind of God. For as
Isaiah said, “who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as his
counselor has instructed him? Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and
who taught him the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed him
the way of understanding? Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and
are accounted as dust on the scales; see, he takes up the isles like fine
dust.” (Isa 40:13-15) Truly, as
the prophet said, “The Lord is an everlasting God; he created the boundaries of
the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond
fathoming.”
Secondly, God is our shepherd as
well. Not only is God faithful to His creation, He calls each one
of us by name. He
knows each and every one of us personally and individually. He is
our shepherd who knows us all. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads
them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and
the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (Jn 10:3f) Earlier on, Isaiah said, He
will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and
carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” (Isa 40:11) Thus, Isaiah told the people,
“How can you say, Jacob, how can you insist, Israel, ‘My destiny is hidden from
the Lord, my rights are ignored by my God’? Did you not know? Had you not
heard?”
Thirdly, this God is a God who forgives
us. This is what the psalmist says. “It is he who forgives all your guilt, who
heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns
you with love and compassion. The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger
and rich in mercy. He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us
according to our faults.” Truly, this God of ours is a God who saves us
and forgives us our wrongs. He does not seek to punish us but to purify us
and set us free. This chapter of Isaiah began with the prophet assuring
them that God was coming to renew them. “Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has
served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the
Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness
prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the
uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain.'”
Finally, If only we recall all the great
things the Lord has done for us, then we can continue to hold firm in our faith
in him. As
the psalmist says, “My soul, give thanks to the Lord all my being, bless his
holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his
blessings.” Many of us often forget the blessings during times of
adversity. We must continue to praise and bless Him like the psalmist,
remembering all that He has done for us and our forefathers. We
only have to recall all those moments and events in our lives, big and small,
significant events like our exams, graduation, birthdays, anniversaries, when
we gave birth to our children, then we will remember how He was there for
us. Remembering to give praise and thanks to God will strengthen our hope
that just as He was faithful to us in the past, He will do so again.
Truly, “those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings
like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.”
This, indeed, is the Good News that Isaiah
proclaims. “Get
you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your
voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do
not fear; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ See, the Lord God
comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his
recompense before him.” (Isa 40:9f) In our suffering and
hopelessness, we must continue to trust in God. He is the Mighty One, the
Ruler of all Creation. He is our shepherd who looks after us. In
Him, our burden is light and we find rest for our troubled and anxious souls.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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