20200222
FAITH
IN CHRIST AS THE BASIS FOR AUTHORITY IN THE MINISTRY
22 February,
2020, Saturday, Chair of St Peter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
|
First reading
|
1 Peter 5:1-4 ©
|
Watch over the flock, not simply as a duty but gladly
Now I have
something to tell your elders: I am an elder myself, and a witness to the
sufferings of Christ, and with you I have a share in the glory that is to be
revealed. Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch
over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid
money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group
that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow.
When the chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.
|
Responsorial
Psalm
|
Psalm 22(23) ©
|
The
Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The
Lord is my shepherd;
there
is nothing I shall want.
Fresh
and green are the pastures
where
he gives me repose.
Near
restful waters he leads me,
to
revive my drooping spirit.
The
Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He
guides me along the right path;
he
is true to his name.
If I
should walk in the valley of darkness
no
evil would I fear.
You
are there with your crook and your staff;
with
these you give me comfort.
The
Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You
have prepared a banquet for me
in
the sight of my foes.
My
head you have anointed with oil;
my
cup is overflowing.
The
Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely
goodness and kindness shall follow me
all
the days of my life.
In
the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for
ever and ever.
The
Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
|
Gospel
Acclamation
|
Mt16:18
|
Alleluia,
alleluia!
You
are Peter,
and
on this rock I will build my Church.
And
the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.
Alleluia!
|
Gospel
|
|
Matthew 16:13-19 ©
|
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church
When Jesus came
to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who
do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the
Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’
he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’
he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you
are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you
but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I
will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out
against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind
on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall
be considered loosed in heaven.’
FAITH IN CHRIST
AS THE BASIS FOR AUTHORITY IN THE MINISTRY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 PETER 5:1-4; PSALM 23; MATTHEW 16:13-19 ]
Today as we celebrate
the Chair of St Peter, we also celebrate our unity with the Holy Father who is
the Head of the Catholic Church.
The Chair of St Peter symbolizes the authority and power invested on the Holy
Father who, as the chief elder among elders, preserves the unity of the Church
through His teaching authority. In confessing his faith in Christ, St
Peter as the head of the apostolic college confesses on our behalf the faith of
the Church. Through the faith of St Peter and His successors, the purity
of the faith is preserved and on this faith, Christ promised the Church, a
clear authority, victory and fidelity.
Hence, the Petrine
office cannot be founded on human strength alone but on the mercy, grace and power
of God given to His successor. Faith in the authority of St Peter and
His successors must rely on the promises made to St Peter. In the gospel,
Jesus told St Peter, “So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I
will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out
against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you
bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth
shall be considered loosed in heaven.” So our faith and obedience to the
Holy Father springs ultimately from our faith in Christ because of what He has
guaranteed us. Obedience to the Holy Father is obedience given to
Christ. It was by revelation that St Peter could declare with conviction
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
However, this office
cannot be exercised in a dictatorial manner. That was why Jesus left the Church not just the
office of St Peter but the College of Apostles. St Peter together with
the apostles, working together in collegiality, rules the Church of
Christ. Today’s celebration is a reminder that the authority
invested on the Bishop and then delegated to his priests is for the service of
unity, not domination. Sharing in the apostolic succession, this feast
reminds bishops to bring greater unity among priests, religious and the laity.
Truly, everything we do must be for the
sake of unity of the parish, the local Church and the universal
Church. Authority is given to the Pope, the Bishop and his priests
for the sake of unity. Authority must always be exercised for the service
of the community and never for oneself and one’s interests. Just as the task of
a priest is to ensure unity in his parish, the role of the Bishop is to forge
unity in the diocese. The task of building communion is indeed a
challenging task because of divergent views in almost everything. At the
end of the day, we need authority to make a decision, since consensus alone is
insufficient. Even more, we need legitimate authority to make the
decision on behalf of a fragmented community.
Like the Holy Father,
bishops and priests, in exercising authority, we can never act in a dictatorial
manner. Today,
the emphasis is on team ministry and communal discernment. Authority
is vested on leaders not to control the people but to bring greater unity in
the people of God. It would be foolish and arrogant for us to think that
we have the answer to all the questions and challenges ahead of us.
Instead, we are called to dialogue and consult those under our charge.
Without consulting them, we will not be able to win them over. What is
necessary today is that we bring everyone on board in making decisions for our
community. As Pope Emeritus Benedict tells us, we are called to be
co-responsible for the mission of the Church. The laity and our fellow
priests are not merely collaborators or our servants but people who are to help
us to govern the Church of God.
Indeed, today I want to
thank God for the people He sent to help me in my apostolic ministry. Truly, all this while in office, without
the help of so many priests and laity, I could not have done all that I have
done. I am most grateful to the Curia, the consultors and the senators
because they have been really my great supporters and helpers. Without
their wisdom, advice and competency, I would not have been able to steer the
Church this last year with just a few scratches. I am also indebted to my
staff at the Archbishop’s House, the different commissions, the Board of
directors from the many organizations and parish priests. Without their
leadership and commitment, the archdiocese could not be where we are now.
But the Pope and the
bishops are more than just governors or administrators; we are called to be
living examples of a Good Shepherd to those under our charge. This is perhaps the greatest
challenge. We need to imitate Jesus the Good Shepherd in dealing with
those under our charge. Whilst compassion is the key to building unity
and empowering others, sometimes difficult decisions have to be taken regardless.
Being understanding, patient and not retaliating when faced with opposition is
never easy. In acting, a leader must never forget that all the sheep in
the diocese have been entrusted under our care and not just some of the
sheep. Just as the Holy Father cares for the universal Church,
bishops are called to care for all the People of God in their diocese.
Every parishioner under our care is important. Jesus came for the lost sheep,
not just the healthy and strong. Through our care and compassion, we are
called to bring them back to Jesus. All these must be done purely out of
love and not for personal gain.
Respect for authority
today cannot be imposed and cannot simply be dependent on our office. It
requires personal
authority. St Peter wrote to his fellow elders, “Be the shepherds of
the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty
but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are
eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge,
but be an example that the whole flock can follow. When the chief shepherd
appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.” Indeed,
today, no one pays much respect to the institution. Respect and obedience
must be earned. Gone are the days when someone respects you because
you are holding an office. Today, unless we show ourselves to be a true
leader, no one will respect us.
Finally, like the Holy
Father, bishops are called to suffer for the Church and with the Church. Bishops wear a purple Zucchetto and purple
cassock, as a symbol of the Anointed One, sharing in the shame and humility of
Jesus. Indeed, suffering is and will always be part and
parcel of our ministry. Just as Jesus suffered innocently and so did the
apostles, we too must embrace the sufferings that come from the ministry
patiently. St Peter advised us, “I have something to tell your
elders: I am elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and with
you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed.” Indeed, as
bishop, I know that suffering is part of this office. I pray that I will
have the strength to bear the crosses that come from this ministry because of
misunderstandings, betrayal, slanders and wrong judgments, or opposition that
comes from within and without the Church, whether due to disagreements,
jealousy or otherwise.
But in carrying out our
office, we can trust in Jesus who is our Good Shepherd. Indeed, the responsorial
psalm speaks to me beautifully, for I know that the Lord is my Shepherd.
“He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in
the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and
your staff; with these you give me comfort.” I am sure that the Lord will
protect and shield us. Knowing that I have done my best each day, I
surrender the rest to the Lord. It is His Church ultimately, and I am
just His steward. So I can rest peacefully each day because my conscience
is clear as I have done what I could possibly do within the limitations I have.
For this reason, in the final analysis, I believe
that our ministry must rest on our personal relationship with the Lord.
A bishop or priest who neglects his prayer life or pray in a perfunctory
manner, or allows the ministry and the apostolate to take him away from prayer,
will eventually lose his direction, zeal and compassion in the ministry.
Like the psalmist, we must take refuge in the Lord. To Him, we turn for
guidance, comfort and consolation. Without a personal faith in Jesus as
the Christ, the Son of the Living God, we will not be able to build our faith
since it is on this rock, that of St Peter and his faith, that the Church will
endure till the end of time. We, too, must cultivate and make St
Peter’s faith our own in order to be able to be faithful to the Lord in our
ministry. With St Peter’s faith in Christ, we too will persevere to
the end for the glory of God, and the good of the Church.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment