Thursday, 30 January 2020

THE MYSTERY OF SIN AND THE MYSTERY OF GRACE

20200131 THE MYSTERY OF SIN AND THE MYSTERY OF GRACE


31 January, 2020, Friday, 3rd Week of Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.
These are the readings for the feria

First reading
2 Samuel 11:1-4,5-10,13-17 ©

David and Bathsheba

At the turn of the year, the time when kings go campaigning, David sent Joab and with him his own guards and the whole of Israel. They massacred the Ammonites and laid siege to Rabbah. David, however, remained in Jerusalem.
  It happened towards evening when David had risen from his couch and was strolling on the palace roof, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David made inquiries about this woman and was told, ‘Why, that is Bathsheba, Eliam’s daughter, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ Then David sent messengers and had her brought. She came to him, and he slept with her. She then went home again. The woman conceived and sent word to David; ‘I am with child.’
  Then David sent Joab a message, ‘Send me Uriah the Hittite’, whereupon Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came into his presence, David asked after Joab and the army and how the war was going. David then said to Uriah, ‘Go down to your house and enjoy yourself.’ Uriah left the palace, and was followed by a present from the king’s table. Uriah however slept by the palace door with his master’s bodyguard and did not go down to his house.
  This was reported to David; ‘Uriah’ they said ‘did not go down to his house.’ The next day David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out and lay on his couch with his master’s bodyguard, but he did not go down to his house.
  Next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. In the letter he wrote, ‘Station Uriah in the thick of the fight and then fall back behind him so that he may be struck down and die.’ Joab, then besieging the town, posted Uriah in a place where he knew there were fierce fighters. The men of the town sallied out and engaged Joab; the army suffered casualties, including some of David’s bodyguard; and Uriah the Hittite was killed too.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50(51):3-7,10-11 ©
Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
  In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
  and cleanse me from my sin.
Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.
My offences truly I know them;
  my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
  what is evil in your sight I have done.
Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.
That you may be justified when you give sentence
  and be without reproach when you judge,
O see, in guilt I was born,
  a sinner was I conceived.
Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
  that the bones you have crushed may thrill.
From my sins turn away your face
  and blot out all my guilt.
Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.

Gospel Acclamation
Ps118:27
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make me grasp the way of your precepts,
and I will muse on your wonders.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!

Gospel
Mark 4:26-34 ©

The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’
  He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’
  Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

THE MYSTERY OF SIN AND THE MYSTERY OF GRACE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 11:1-1013-17PS 51:3-710-11MK 4:26-34]
After reading so much about the virtues of King David, his fidelity and devotion to God, his bravery in sacrificing himself for his country, his magnanimity in forgiving Saul for seeking his life, his compassion for his men, the scripture presents the weak side of David.  In spite of his inherent goodness, the man after the heart of God, yet, he was a sinner like all of us.  He was not impeccable and without faults of his own.  We read of his fall from grace when he committed one sin after another, beginning with the sin of sloth, then adultery and finally murder.   Indeed, this is a good lesson for us all.  No one is exempted from temptation and sin no matter who we are.  We can be bishop or priest, but we are all sinners.  We can fall into sin if we are not careful and alert of the temptation of the Evil One.  We must not be presumptuous and over confident of ourselves.
How could he have sunk so low after all that God had done for him and helped him in his battles?  The truth is, success and comfort often lead to complacency.  David had been successful in all his battles because God was with him.  But with success, he became lazy.  He was taking his fortune for granted.  He did not feel the need to go and fight for his people anymore.  He just delegated the hard work to his men whilst he slumbered and idled away.  The author remarked, “at the turn of the year, the time when kings go campaigning, David sent Joab and with him his own guards and the whole of Israel.  They massacred the Ammonites and laid siege to Rabah.  David however remained in Jerusalem.”
Complacency is the manifestation of the sin of sloth.  Again, this is so true for the world today.  Why has the world fallen into such a decadent stage?  Simply because of affluence and the abuse of science and technology.  When man has enough to eat, he becomes idle and takes his standard of living for granted.  This is particularly true for our younger generation.  They had never gone through the days of poverty and hence many do not know how to value hard work, simplicity, thriftiness and proper stewardship of money.  Even as grown-ups, working and having a job of their own, many of their parents are still providing for them!
When we become complacent and lazy, it leads to other sins.  Idleness is the devil’s workshop.  So this was what happened to David.  “It happened towards evening when David had risen from his couch and was strolling on the palace roof, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful.”   From seeing, it led to conniving and adultery.  As a consequence, Bathsheba became pregnant.  To cover up his sin of adultery, he had her husband return from the battle front so that he could sleep with his wife.  But Uriah was a faithful solider to the king and refused to sleep with his wife whilst he was on such a dangerous mission.  As a last resort, David had him posted to the most dangerous place in the battle, had the army abandon him so that he would eventually be killed by the enemy.  But the real enemy was David who murdered him, one who was faithful to him in service.
Indeed, the tragedy of life is that sin begins small but multiplies not just in number but in gravity.   Sin never comes singly.  One sin leads to another sin.  David began with the sin of sloth, which lead to adultery and then to murder.  So too for us all.  No one becomes a great sinner overnight.  It begins with a neglect of a serious prayer life.  Then we fall into sin.  Instead of repenting and going for confession, we delay and postpone.  Once the devil has a foothold in our heart, he will lead us to more sin.  Our eyes are blinded to the truth and to the selfishness of our hearts.  So one sin will lead to other sins.  We begin to act selfishly and hurt people.  We are guilty and we throw tantrums and visit our anger and resentment on others.  This causes us to sin even more, creating division among our loved ones, office colleagues, and friends.  We become angry and vindictive, leading even to murder.
This is what the Lord is warning us in the gospel.  Whether it is good or evil, it begins small but it will grow to become really huge.  If we sow goodness then our little goodness will grow and bring others into goodness as well.  Indeed, “it is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.”  So we must never underestimate the power of sin.  Often, many of us don’t pay attention to venial sins because we think they are insignificant.  We overlook them and continue to commit them without feeling sorry or contrite, or make efforts to avoid falling into sin again.  The truth is that small sins, when added together or when they are repetitive, will only harden our heart and weaken our will so much so that we will fall into bigger and more serious sins.  Indeed, when we do not pay attention to small things, we will have to bear with greater disaster. 
Hence, it is important that we sow good seeds and virtues.  Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed on the ground.  “Night and day, while he sleeps, while he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how; he does not know.  Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.”  The question is, what kind of harvest do we expect?  It all depends on what kind of seed we plant.  St Paul warns us, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.”  (Gal 6:7-9)  So if we sow the seeds of evil, what can we expect but a harvest of evil!
Yet, God is always merciful.  He gives us the grace of repentance.  Sin is tragic and destroys our happiness, joy and meaning in life.  Sin breaks relationships, trust and unity.  We do not need to condemn our past.  The mystery of sin is often overcome by the mystery of grace.  As St Paul wrote, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Rom 5:21)  Even when King David sinned, God gave him the grace of repentance.  God confronted him through the prophet Nathan.  When he was confronted with his sins, David repented immediately.
The responsorial psalm was written as an expression of his contrite heart. “Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. My offences truly I know them; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.  That you may be justified when you give sentence and be without reproach when you judge, O see, in guilt I was born, a sinner was I conceived.  Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may thrill. From my sins turn away your face and blot out all my guilt.”  He accepted God’s judgement on him and his sins.  He did not exonerate or excuse himself but sincerely confessed his sins to the Lord.  If only he had done so earlier after sinning with Bathsheba, he would have been saved from the greater evil of murder.   Still, it was not too late.  God gave him the grace of repentance.
But through this sin of his, God demonstrated the power of grace.  Even though he committed the sin of adultery with Bathsheba, God, through her, produced the future ancestor of the Messiah, King Solomon.  So the plan of God cannot be derailed.  God is in charge even when sin seems to have the upper hand.  Good will triumph over evil eventually.  So let us continue to have hope that if we have lived a sinful life, or our children have gone astray or the world seems to be at the brink of self-destruction, we must trust in God’s grace and mercy.  God writes straight in crooked lines, He will know how to turn evil into good, disgrace into grace.  Like King David, we only have to repent and God will give us a new lease of life.  Like St Paul, we become channels of God’s mercy for others.


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

Wednesday, 29 January 2020

GOD’S GENEROSITY CANNOT BE OUTDONE

20200130 GOD’S GENEROSITY CANNOT BE OUTDONE


30 January, 2020, Thursday, 3rd Week of Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
2 Samuel 7:18-19,24-29 ©

'The house of your servant will be blessed for ever'

After Nathan had spoken to him, King David went in and, seated before the Lord, said: ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this? Yet in your sight, O Lord, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future. You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, Lord, have become their God.
  ‘Now, O Lord, always keep the promise you have made your servant and his House, and do as you have said. Your name will be exalted for ever and men will say, “The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel.” The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence, since you yourself, Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, “I will build you a House”; hence your servant has ventured to offer this prayer to you. Yes, Lord, you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this fair promise to your servant. Be pleased, then, to bless the House of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your presence; for you, Lord, have spoken; and with your blessing the House of your servant will be for ever blessed.’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 131(132):1-5,11-14 ©
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
O Lord, remember David
  and all the many hardships he endured,
the oath he swore to the Lord,
  his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
‘I will not enter the house where I live
  nor go to the bed where I rest.
I will give no sleep to my eyes,
  to my eyelids I will give no slumber
till I find a place for the Lord,
  a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.’
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
The Lord swore an oath to David;
  he will not go back on this word:
‘A son, the fruit of your body,
  will I set upon your throne.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
‘If they keep my covenant in truth
  and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule
  on your throne from age to age.’
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
  he has desired it for his dwelling:
‘This is my resting-place for ever;
  here have I chosen to live.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

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:
Ps118:105
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is a lamp for my steps
and a light for my path.
Alleluia!

Gospel
Mark 4:21-25 ©

A lamp is to be put on a lampstand. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given

Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
  He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

GOD’S GENEROSITY CANNOT BE OUTDONE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 7:18-1924-29Ps 132:1-511-14Mk 4:21-25]
In the first reading, we read of David’s plan to build a house for the Lord after he finally managed to unite the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.   At last, Israel became once again a united kingdom.  “Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.'”  (2 Sm 7:1f)  Partly out of guilt and partly out of gratitude, King David thought he should repay the Lord for seeing him through all the battles, military and political, and for providing stability and peace to the kingdom.   So he thought of building a house for the Lord so that he would not feel so uncomfortable as he was living in a house whereas the Lord was living in the Tent.
But God would never allow us to outdo Him in generosity.  Instead of King David building a House for Him, the Lord instructed Nathan to tell him that He does not live in a house because he moves with His people.  He could not be domesticated as He is the Lord of humanity and all of creation.  On the contrary, God would build a house for David instead.  He said, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”  (1 Sm 7:12f)  When David heard of it, he was humbled and amazed at God’s mercy and love.  Sitting before the Lord, he said, “Who am I, Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this?  Yet in your sight, Lord, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future.  You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, Lord, have become their God.”  Such was the greatness and generosity of God towards David and Israel.  Not only did God cut off his enemies so that Israel could live undisturbed but He also ensured their continued existence.
Are we conscious of His blessings for us too?  God has not only blessed David but He has blessed us all in different ways.  Have we sat down before the Lord like King David to recount all the blessings He has given to us?  David was always conscious that his success in his military and political campaigns was due solely to God’s divine assistance and mercy, and not because of his ingenuity and strength.  All through his life, he sought to obey the Lord, and turned to Him for help in his battles against his enemies.  So it behooves us to spend some quiet time before the Lord to consider where we were and where we are today, who we were and who we are in life.  Unless, we learn from David to be conscious of God’s blessings, we will always remain resentful, envious and ungrateful.
Although our blessings differ from each other, we are blessed the way we need to be blessed. We are given gifts for a purpose and not just for ourselves.  Gifts are given to us so that we can use them for the good of others.  In the process, we ourselves could partake of the joy of others.  Only when we share our gifts and blessings with others, can our joy increase and make us truly happy and fulfilled in life.  If we just use our blessings and resources for ourselves, we might satisfy our needs, but our hearts will be empty and we will be deprived of the joy and love of God which comes from the fact that God gives and shares Himself with us without reserve.  God is pure love and joy simply because He is pure giving and pure loving.  He loves and gives out of His abundance.  We who receive His blessings will also be so filled with joy and love that out of gratitude to His unconditional love and mercy to us, we too share ourselves and all we have with others.   We do it not because we are guilty like King David but simply because we who receive freely also want others to receive it freely as well.
Indeed, the Lord warns us, “the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”  Only when we share with others what we have, not necessarily from our abundance but even from our poverty, that our blessings will grow and double.  When we share from our abundance, those without will feel blessed because they are the beneficiaries.   But when we share from our poverty, even the rich will be blessed because when they see our generosity and magnanimity in sharing with others the little resources we have, they will be moved to help even more since they have plenty.  Even if they could not be generous like the widow who gave her only mite, they would be inspired to give more; and those who have less would also be encouraged to give as generously.  This explains why charitable organizations could collect lots of money for their cause simply because people could see the genuineness of such organizations in giving whatever they have to the poor.
But there is also a warning as well.  Jesus also demands accountability for the blessings and graces we have received from God.  He said, “Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed?  Surely you will put it on the lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.”  If we do not handle responsibly or make use of the gifts the Lord has blessed us with, we would be liable for judgement and condemnation.  That is why transparency in public funds is required today.  Public funds must be used in such a way that it is open to scrutiny and accountability.  As the Lord said, what is hidden must be disclosed and what is secret be brought to light.  Whatever the Lord has given to us is meant for the community, society and the good of humanity.  We must not keep God’s blessings and gifts given to us for our personal use and lavish living only, but we need to use them for the greater good of all.   So all gifts, whether personal gifts or gifts donated by the public for a particular cause, must be used for the common good. Those in charge must exercise proper stewardship.
This was the same judgement and warning given to King David. Whilst God is always faithful to His covenant, He is also just.  And so the Lord warned David with regard to his descendants to the throne, “I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.  But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.”  (2 Sm 7:14f)  The responsorial psalm reiterates this point, “The Lord swore an oath to David; he will not go back on this word: ‘A son, the fruit of your body, will I set upon your throne.  If they keep my covenant in truth and my laws that I have taught them, their sons also shall rule on your throne from age to age.'”  We must be responsible for the gifts that the Lord has given.  Abuse of these gifts will lead to our self-destruction.
The failure to develop what we have been given will lead to the loss of the gifts.  Indeed, “the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”  It is just like those who have the gift of writing, painting or music.  If they do not continue to write, paint or sing or play music, they will lose them eventually.   The best way to keep anything is to give them away.  The best way to keep our faith is to share it.  The reason why we Catholics are so weak in our faith is because we do not share our faith with others.  We do not evangelize.  As a consequence, we cannot remember the scripture texts.  We do not speak about our beliefs.  Unless we share, teach and explain to others our faith and beliefs, we will forget about what we believe.
So let us make ourselves a dwelling place of God, like King David.  We need to allow the Lord to fill us with His love, wisdom and His presence.  King David says, “I will not enter the house where I live nor go to the bed where I rest. I will give no sleep to my eyes, to my eyelids I will give no slumber till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.”  Like David, we too must see and hear clearly what the Lord asks of us.  “If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this. Take notice of what you are hearing.”  Only when we contemplate on His word and His love, can we grow in true wisdom and in generosity in love.


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