20200403
CONSECRATED
FOR GOD’S MISSION
03 April, 2020, Friday, 5th
Week in Lent
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Jeremiah 20:10-13 ©
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He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men
Jeremiah said:
I
hear so many disparaging me,
‘“Terror
from every side!”
Denounce
him! Let us denounce him!’
All
those who used to be my friends
watched
for my downfall,
‘Perhaps
he will be seduced into error.
Then
we will master him
and
take our revenge!’
But
the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my
opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded
by their failure;
everlasting,
unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But
you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who
scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me
see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I
have committed my cause to you.
Sing
to the Lord,
praise
the Lord,
for
he has delivered the soul of the needy
from
the hands of evil men.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 17(18):2-7 ©
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In
my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I
love you, Lord, my strength,
my
rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My
God is the rock where I take refuge;
my
shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The
Lord is worthy of all praise,
when
I call I am saved from my foes.
In
my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
The waves
of death rose about me;
the
torrents of destruction assailed me;
the
snares of the grave entangled me;
the
traps of death confronted me.
In
my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
In my
anguish I called to the Lord;
I
cried to God for help.
From
his temple he heard my voice;
my
cry came to his ears.
In
my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Mt4:17
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Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Repent,
says the Lord,
for
the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
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Or:
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cf.Jn6:63,68
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Your
words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you
have the message of eternal life.
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
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Gospel
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John 10:31-42 ©
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They wanted to stone Jesus, but he eluded them
The Jews fetched
stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for
you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The
Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for
blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’ Jesus answered:
‘Is
it not written in your Law:
I
said, you are gods?
So
the Law uses the word gods
of
those to whom the word of God was addressed,
and
scripture cannot be rejected.
Yet
you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world,
“You
are blaspheming,”
because
he says, “I am the son of God.”
If I
am not doing my Father’s work,
there
is no need to believe me;
but
if I am doing it,
then
even if you refuse to believe in me,
at
least believe in the work I do;
then
you will know for sure
that
the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’
They wanted to arrest
him then, but he eluded them.
He
went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where
John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John
gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them
believed in him.
CONSECRATED FOR
GOD’S MISSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ JER
20:10-13; PS 18:2-7; JN
10:31-42]
In the gospel, Jesus was
at the Temple to celebrate the Feast of the Dedication. This feast commemorates the rededication
of the Temple in 164 B.C. (cf 1 Mac
4:36-59; 2 Mac 10:1-8) After the desecration of the Temple by the
Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Matthias led the successful Maccabean
Revolt. This feast is still celebrated today as Hanukkah, where there is
the lighting of lamps. Jesus took this occasion to speak of His own
consecration by the Father. He told the Jews, the Father had consecrated
Him and sent Him into the world. So, too, Jeremiah the prophet in the
first reading. He, too, believed that he was consecrated by God to save
his people. “Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I
consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.'” (Jer 1:4f)
How do we know that we
are consecrated for God’s mission? Firstly, we need to receive the inner
word of God. This was the case
of Jeremiah. He heard the Lord calling him in spite of his inadequacy and
his youth. The Lord assured him, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you
shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command
you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says
the Lord.” (Jer 1:8) “Then the Lord put out his hand and
touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, ‘Now I have put my words
in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to
pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to
plant.” (Jer 1:10) Our Lord received this call explicitly when
He was baptized at the river Jordan. From the heavens, the Father said,
“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17)
These words must be seen in reference to Isaiah with regard to the choice of
the Suffering Servant. (Isa 42:1-9) Jesus in fulfilment of the Suffering
Servant of Isaiah, have been chosen to be the “covenant to the people, a
light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the
prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in
darkness.” (Isa 42:6f) His mission was spelt out citing Isaiah 61 at
the beginning of His ministry. (Lk 4:18f)
We too must discern our
calling in life.
Have we heard that inner voice from God calling us for a particular vocation or
mission, or is it our own desire and ambition? This is the first step of
the discernment process. In the case of Jeremiah, he heard the call so
clearly that he could not resist even if he wanted to. “O Lord, you
have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have
prevailed.” (Jer 20:7) It was the same experience of St Paul when
he wrote, “God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through
his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might
proclaim him among the Gentiles.” (Gal 1:15f)
So a person who wants to know his mission in life must first receive an inner
calling, a stirring of his heart, a passion and a mission to accomplish
something, not for himself but for the people he is called to serve. This
principle grounded the vocation of the prophets, Jesus and the apostles.
Secondly, we need the
external forum to confirm what we experienced in our hearts. The Lord in
today’s gospel vouched for His divine identity by referring to the testimony of
the scriptures. The
Jews said, “We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you
are only a man and you claim to be God.” He said, “Is it not written in
your Law: I said, you are gods? So the Law used the word gods of those to whom
the word of God was addressed, and scripture cannot be rejected.” The
Lord was referring to the text from Psalm 82:6.
God says, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you.” So
calling Himself the Son of God was not something blasphemous as the sons of
Israel were called gods. In citing this text, Jesus showed that He was not
contradicting the scriptures. So in our discernment, we must ensure
that what we do does not go against the teaching of scripture as well.
Indeed, the bible
remains the reference point in our work of discernment. St Paul wrote, “All scripture is
inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may
be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)
The letter to the Hebrews says, “the word of God is living and active, sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints
from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart.” (Heb 4:12) And St Peter said, “So we have the
prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to
this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your hearts. First of all, you must understand this, that no
prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no
prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God.” (2 Pt
1:19-21)
However, this does not
mean that revelation cannot grow in understanding and perception and
fulfillment. Jesus sought to
fulfil the scripture texts. When God called those sons of Israel who
received the Law as gods, Jesus, who is the Word of God and One who is
identified with the Word, living out what He preaches, therefore is the
perfection the laws. Indeed, in the gospel, the Lord said, “Do not think
that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish
but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until
all is accomplished.” (Mt 5:17)
That is why Jesus is seen as the New Moses and the New Elijah in the
gospel. Jesus brings the prophecies to fulfilment by His works, words and
life.
But words are not
sufficient to vouch for one’s divine mission or calling. We need to
authenticate with works.
Jesus did not simply make claims but He substantiated His claims with the works
of wonder. The works that Jesus did were not simply works but they were
considered the great work of God. His works were like the deeds of God,
both in terms of power and graciousness. The Lord had power over nature,
as seen in the calming of the storms and in the multiplication of loaves.
The Lord showed His power over sickness by healing the sick, the blind, the
lame and the lepers. Most of all, the Lord showed that He was the giver
of life by raising Jarius’ daughter, the son of the Widow of Naim and Lazarus
from the dead. But His works were more than just demonstration of His
power; rather, they were acts of mercy and compassion. Hence, the Lord argued,
“If I am not doing my Father’s work, there is no need to believe me, at least
believe in the work I do; then you will know for sure that the Father is in me
and I am in the Father.” Of course, works remain merely signs, not
proof. In the final analysis, we need to respond in faith after hearing
the words and seeing the signs.
So if we claim that we
have a divine mission or calling to serve our people, then we need to verify by
the works we do.
When we truly serve the people and put their interests first before ours, then
we can be more certain that we are called. But if it is a question of
serving our ambition and satisfying our ego and desires, then it shows that
such a call is inauthentic. It is in the process of graciously serving
our people, uplifting their lives and giving them hope and meaning, that we
know that this call is from the Lord. When we have nothing to gain from
our service, then we know that this call is genuine.
The litmus test of this
selfless motive in serving God and His people is how we respond with fidelity
to His call when we face opposition and rejection, as Jeremiah and Jesus did. They were misunderstood and
ridiculed. They were condemned and their opponents sought to put them to
death. Jeremiah said, “I hear so many disparaging me, ‘Terror from every
side!’ Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall.” As for the Lord, the Jews fetched stones to
stone Him. If we are ready to die for our belief and our mission, then it
means that we know it is the Lord and His people we are serving. But if
we run away because the journey is difficult and the suffering is immense, then
we are most probably serving ourselves. Like John the Baptist who vouched
for Jesus and for God even to the extent of being put to death, we too are
called to testify to Jesus and to the mercy of God, especially when we are put
to the test.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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