Saturday, 29 February 2020

OVERCOMING THE FORCES OF EVIL

20200301 OVERCOMING THE FORCES OF EVIL


01 March, 2020, Sunday, 1st Week of Lent

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading
Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7 ©

The Creation, and the sin of our first parents

The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.
  The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden.
  Now the serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50(51):3-6,12-14,17 ©
Have mercy on us, O 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, O 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, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
  put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
  nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me again the joy of your help;
  with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
O Lord, open my lips
  and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Second reading
Romans 5:12-19 ©

However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.
  Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgement with a verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its verdict of acquittal. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Gospel Acclamation
Mt4:4
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Gospel
Matthew 4:1-11 ©

The temptation in the wilderness

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:
Man does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:
He will put you in his angels’ charge,
and they will support you on their hands
in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:
You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’
Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:
You must worship the Lord your God,
and serve him alone.’
Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

OVERCOMING THE FORCES OF EVIL

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GEN 2:7-93:1-7ROM 5:12-19 (OR ROM 5:1217-19); MT 4:1-11]
Today, on this First Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us all, catechumens and baptized Catholics, to prepare ourselves for the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord at the Easter Triduum.  Easter, of course, is the celebration of life.  What is it that causes death in this world?  St Paul made it clear.  “Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.”   Consequently, Lent is a season when we seek to fight against Satan, temptation and sin which bring death to the world, and we are not just speaking of physical death but spiritual death.
Unfortunately, the world and humanity are ignorant.  In a world of science and technology, Satan, Evil Spirits, temptation and sin are dismissed as something that belong to the mythological world; intelligent people do not believe in spirits or sin.  Secularism tells us that God and spirit do not exist; only the material world exists.  Moral relativism, an off-shoot of secularism, tells us there is no such thing as sin because it is a matter of preference.  The world, so enchanted by knowledge, believes that science and technology will be the savior of the world.  That is why many of us fall into the sin of Adam and Eve.  They, too, wanted to have knowledge without God.  The serpent said to the woman, “your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.”  Humanity wants absolute power and independence from God.
However, the scriptures today proclaim the truth that Satan, Temptation and Sin are real.   It is recorded in the scriptures and Jesus Himself was confronted by the Devil when He began His ministry and throughout His ministry.  In recent times, from Pope Paul VI to Pope Francis, the Church has constantly warned us about the reality of the Evil One which the world dismisses as superstition.   The advancement of science proposes that there is no such thing as the Evil One but merely a disturbed conscience that comes from a disordered mind.   Science and technology which deal with the empirical world cannot explain the spiritual world.  When we are dealing with Evil Spirits, we are dealing with spiritual realities which empirical science cannot test and verify.  Hence, science rejects the spirit world, including angels and demons and the spiritual nature of the human person.
This is the strategy of the Evil One.  Satan wants the world to believe that he does not exist so that we will not be on the alert or be on the defensive.  The devil is in our midst, in society and in the world.  He is working subtly to change the Christian values of the world, by redefining gender, marriage and family.  He promotes the culture of death through abortion, euthanasia, terrorism, senseless wars and the abuse of the ecological system.  The Devil incites religious leaders to go against our Lord by living a double life; and confusing humanity with moral relativism and normalizing evil as good.
The fundamental instrument he uses is to make us confused about our identity, not just our sexual identity but our personal identity; who we really are.  Three times in the gospel, Jesus was asked by Satan, “If you are the Son of God …” The devil wanted to unsettle Jesus about His identity as the Son of God.  Are we better than animals that eat, work, sleep, procreate and then disappear from the face of this earth?  Or are we truly created in the image and likeness of God, called to share in the fullness of life with Him?  Because if we have only one life to live, then it is better to live selfishly since we only live once.  But if our life continues beyond death, then we must live selflessly and meaningfully because life continues hereafter. 
Ironically, at the other end of the spectrum, there are those who reject God but subscribe to the worship of Satan and his spirits.  There is an increasing interest in New Age theology, occult, spirits, magic, fortune telling.  It is unbelievable that some countries and public institutions even sanction satanic cults as a religion but marginalize the established religions.  A repentant Catholic who dabbled in the occult recently sent me a set of books on the occult, charms and black magic.  Realizing the dangers of such occult activities, he begged me to warn all those who are involved in them to turn back to the Lord.
But not all evil comes from Satan alone.  Temptations from the world or from the flesh are also real.  We see how Satan deceived Eve.  The Devil is very subtle in tempting us to sin, the way he tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God.  Through suggestion, creating delight in us, he tempts us to satisfy the desires of the flesh and exploits the insecurity of our ego.  The Devil comes to tempt us where we are most vulnerable, not where we are strong.  He lays siege to the weakest part of the fortress, like a general attacking a castle.
Satan sought to tempt Jesus away from His mission.  He wanted Jesus to take the easy way to fulfilling His mission.  He tempted Jesus to change stones into bread to satisfy His hunger.  He wanted Jesus to abuse the power given to Him for the service of others.  This is also our temptation as well.  Instead of using our gifts, our talents and resources for the service of humanity, we use them all for ourselves, our pleasure and comfort.  The Devil tried to tempt Jesus to put God to the test by jumping off the pinnacle of the Temple to demonstrate His power.  We too are tempted to use our power for display and glory rather than for the humble service of others.  When power is used to control others and manipulate the lives of others, we are abusing the authority given to us by God.  Finally, the Lord was tempted to worship Satan so that He could receive all the earthly glory and fame.  Indeed, there are many of us who like to flash our wealth and glory for the world to see so that we can be admired and honoured.
How can we fight against Satan and the temptations that come from him, the flesh and the world?  To overcome the sin of the flesh, the Church offers us fasting and prayer.  The forty days of fasting in the desert by our Lord reminds us of the 40 years when Israel, the Chosen People, were wandering in the desert, being tested by the Lord.  Unfortunately, they failed miserably, as they were always complaining and lamenting.  In contrast, Jesus was decisive in rejecting Satan’s temptation.  Fasting therefore is paramount in strengthening us spiritually.  It prepares us for prayer and meditation.  It helps us to turn to God instead of being distracted by the pleasures and illusions of the world.
Secondly, we must strengthen ourselves by reading and praying the Word of God.  It is significant that the Lord did not reply to the devil using His own words but instead cited from the scriptures.  To the first temptation, the Lord said, “Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  To the second temptation, the Lord said, “Scripture also says: You must not put the Lord your God to the test.”  And for the final temptation, the Lord in no uncertain terms said, “Be off, Satan! For scripture says: You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.”  Indeed, if we make time to read the Word of God, spending time to reflect on His word and keeping them in our hearts, we will be able to respond to every situation and trial in life with the Word of God.  From God’s words, we draw strength, enlightenment, consolation, and inspiration to carry the crosses of life and overcome the trials of the world.
Finally, the most important assurance in today’s scripture readings is that God will triumph in the end.  The last word would not be sin and death but holiness and new life.  This is what St Paul assures us in the second reading.  “If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgement with a verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its verdict of acquittal.”  The Devil exists and man has fallen, but Christ has defeated Satan by His obedience to God’s will and died to death, giving us new life.  This is the assurance of the Church as we begin our Lenten journey toward Easter.  We will be victorious at the end in spite of the gloom and doom we see in the Church and in the world today.  We will triumph with Christ and in Him and through Him.

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


Friday, 28 February 2020

THE JOY OF REPENTANCE

20200229 THE JOY OF REPENTANCE


29 February, 2020, Saturday After Ash Wednesday

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading
Isaiah 58:9-14 ©

You will be like a spring whose waters never run dry

The Lord says this:
If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist, the wicked word,
if you give your bread to the hungry,
and relief to the oppressed,
your light will rise in the darkness,
and your shadows become like noon.
The Lord will always guide you,
giving you relief in desert places.
He will give strength to your bones
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never run dry.
You will rebuild the ancient ruins,
build up on the old foundations.
You will be called ‘Breach-mender’,
‘Restorer of ruined houses.’
If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
and doing business on the holy day,
if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’,
and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’,
if you honour it by abstaining from travel,
from doing business and from gossip,
then shall you find your happiness in the Lord
and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land.
I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 85(86):1-6 ©
Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.
Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer
  for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am faithful;
  save the servant who trusts in you.
Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.
You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,
  for I cry to you all the day long.
Give joy to your servant, O Lord,
  for to you I lift up my soul.
Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.
O Lord, you are good and forgiving,
  full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
  and attend to the sound of my voice.
Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

Gospel Acclamation
cfPs94:8
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Or:
Ezk33:11
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man
– it is the Lord who speaks –
but in the turning back of a wicked man
who changes his ways to win life.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Gospel
Luke 5:27-32 ©

Jesus comes not to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.
  In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’


THE JOY OF REPENTANCE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 58:9-14PS 86:1-6LUKE 5:27-32 ]
Lest the emphasis on doing penance during the season of Lent gives the impression this is a gloomy period of the Church’s year, the liturgy today seeks to correct such a negative attitude.  Indeed, we should not think that repentance is for the sake of God and that God wishes to humiliate us, as if He is a joy killer.  On the contrary, what God desires for us is fullness of life.  He had said it repeatedly in the scriptures. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”   The Good News is about restoring us to fullness of life.  Indeed, it is for this reason that He came.
However, in order to live in the light and share in the life of God, we must give up our sinful way of life.  We cannot sincerely say that we want to be in the light and yet live in darkness.  St Paul wrote, “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.”  (Rom 13:11-13)  Indeed, the choice is ours.  We cannot find peace and rest unless we repent of our sins.  God desires to give us light and love, but we must give up darkness and hatred.
In similar words, the prophet Isaiah said, “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk ….”  So long as we oppress others, our lives will be full of anger, fear, anxiety and hatred.  Such a person creates his own hell and misery.   So, too, when someone is always accusing others and using foul language, slandering others, it only shows that the person is full of bitterness and lacking peace in his heart.  Instead of letting go of what is hurting him, he continues to lick his wounds, nurse them, embellish his pain and reinforce his bitterness against life, others and himself.
The way out of our misery and emptiness in life is to do what the prophet advised us.  “If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”  When we use our energy and resources thinking of how to help the poor and relieve the sufferings of the oppressed, we would have less time to think of our own perceived and exaggerated hurts.  Instead of using our energy and talents for evil and retaliation, we should employ them positively for the service of our fellowmen, especially the poor and the marginalized.  When we reach out to those who are suffering, those who are hungry and sick, and when we see their faces lighted up, the joy we receive is incomparable to all the worldly things we acquire.   Not only do we light up their lives and faces, we light up our lives as well.
The truth is that when we bless others, God will bless us directly or through others, not always financially but in different ways, such as peace, love and joy; meaning, purpose and fulfillment.  Indeed, God will not abandon a just man.  The psalmist testifies, “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing.”  (Ps 37:25f)  Indeed, when we are kind to others, although not all will repay us with goodness, generally, most people are grateful.  They will acknowledge our kindness.  Thus, the prophet said, “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” In giving of ourselves, God will give us back in ways that we cannot imagine because He cannot be outdone in generosity.  We will have a share of His joy and peace.
The way to walk in the light is to follow Levi in today’s gospel.  When the Lord called him, he did not hesitate but “got up, left everything and followed him.”  Levi was grateful to the Lord for giving him a new lease of life.  He knew that his way of life, whilst bringing him wealth, made him miserable.  He lived in guilt and shame.  He was alienated from his people and stood condemned before God.  He knew that cheating and betraying his people for wealth was not in accordance with the plan of God.  Therefore, when the Lord called him, he seized the opportunity.  He did not tarry because grace might pass him by.  He dropped everything, his livelihood, his wealth and his past and followed our Lord.
We, too, during the season of Lent, must once again recall our privilege to be baptized as Catholics.  For adults, where were you and how did you feel when you were baptized?  For those of us who were cradle Catholics, what sentimental and beautiful experiences did we have of our faith and Catholic traditions?  Only by recalling where we were and where we are now, can we come to realize that we have strayed from the path of holiness which we were then seeking.  We should value the gift of faith planted in our hearts.  St Paul in his writing to Timothy reminded him of this when he said, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”  (2 Tim 1:5-7)
This calls for a commitment to the Lord.  Putting God as the center of our life is what helps us to walk the way of life.  “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”  We must observe the Sabbath, not slavishly like the religious leaders who had no life and were joy killers by insisting that others lived that way.  Jesus wants us to live the spirit of the gospel so that we can be true neighbours to our brothers and sisters.   Many of us turn inwards, simply because we make ourselves the center of the lives of others.   Often, false gods, power, fame, glory and wealth take center stage in our lives.   Now we must make Jesus the center of our lives.
Indeed, this was what Levi did after encountering the Lord.  He became an apostle to his fellow sinners.  He organized a dinner so that many of his own kind who never knew the mercy and love of God could feel God’s love through Jesus too.   Levi wanted to give hope to his fellow tax collectors and let them know that God was also reaching out to them through Jesus.  What he received gratuitously, he wanted others, especially his colleagues, to encounter Jesus.   Hence, “Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.”  Obviously, the Pharisees and the Scribes were scandalized that Jesus was eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. 
Again, the message of the Lord is clear.  He retorted, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  Jesus came precisely for sinners, like a physician whose work is to heal the sick.  Those who are healthy do not need Jesus, only those who are sick.   In other words, when Jesus calls us, it is to make us healthy again, to give us life, not to make our life miserable.  So during this season of Lent, we must take this period to rethink how we should live our life more meaningfully and selflessly.  Only those who see the truth about the shortness of life will know how fragile our life is.  We must not waste it away chasing after illusory happiness, such as money, power and fame.   True happiness in life consists of walking in union with the Lord, with a clear and good conscience, doing our work well and responsibly, living out our vocation as we strive towards perfection of charity in life.  Lent is to empower us to live such a life by taking away our sins and by helping us to focus on God and our neighbours.

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