20200422 LOCKED-IN AND LOCKED-OUT
22 April, 2020, Wednesday, 2nd Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
First reading
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Acts 5:17-26 ©
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The men you imprisoned are in the Temple, preaching to the people
The high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.
But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.’ They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.
When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin – this was the full Senate of Israel – and sent to the gaol for them to be brought. But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, ‘We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside.’ When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could mean. Then a man arrived with fresh news. ‘At this very moment’ he said, ‘the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.’ The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.
Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 33(34):2-9 ©
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This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ has risen and shone upon us
whom he redeemed with his blood.
Alleluia!
Or:
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Jn3:16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:
everyone who believes in him has eternal life.
Alleluia!
Gospel
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John 3:16-21 ©
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God sent his Son into the world so that through him the world might be saved
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.
On these grounds is sentence pronounced:
that though the light has come into the world
men have shown they prefer darkness to the light
because their deeds were evil.
And indeed, everybody who does wrong
hates the light and avoids it,
for fear his actions should be exposed;
but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light,
so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’
LOCKED-IN AND LOCKED-OUT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 5:17-26; PS 34:2-9; JOHN 3:16-21 ]
Today, we hear increasingly the word, “lockdown”. When one is in a state of lockdown, or what we call ‘Circuit Breaker’ in Singapore, we cannot leave our homes unless for essential activities. All non-essential businesses, schools and institutions are closed. However, even before we heard of the word “lockdown”, we have always been locked-in and locked-out. The scripture readings today speak about being locked-in and locked-out. We lock ourselves in our own world and we lock out others from coming into our lives. We lock out God; especially for fear that He will mess up our lives and make our lives difficult.
The gospel tells us that God so loved the world and that He came to set us free. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.” God was not locked-in in Himself. He came out of Himself into the world so that the world might share in His life and love. Jesus came into the world and became locked-in permanently to the world by His incarnation. This is the heart of God’s love. One who is not locked-in is always going out to share His life and love with others.
Is not this the true image of a resurrected man? When we share in the life of the Risen Christ, we will also be outgoing. The Risen Lord, upon coming out of His tomb, reached out to the women of Jerusalem, the apostles and the disciples. He wanted to assure them of His forgiveness and, most of all, that He was still alive and there was nothing to fear anymore because He has conquered death forever. With death conquered so too, sin and hatred. Jesus could never be locked in, neither in the tomb or closed doors. As the Risen Lord, He went out to everyone, especially those who were fearful and disillusioned, like the disciples at Emmaus. This was why the tomb could not contain the Risen Lord. Even when the tomb was enclosed with a stone, it was rolled away by the angel.
So, too, the apostles could not be locked in. After encountering the Risen Lord, they proclaimed His resurrection with boldness. After being set free from their guilt, fear and anxiety, they proclaimed courageously that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour of all humanity. They were not fearful even of the authorities or of torture, imprisonment and death. They were ready to die for Jesus because they were set free from the fear of death since death has been overcome by Christ’s resurrection. Even the prison could not lock them in. The angel set them free. “He led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.’ They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.” Even the gaol could not lock them in. “When the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, ‘We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside.'” Ironically, those who tried to lock out the Good News were defeated.
Indeed, the gospel cannot be locked-in. The gospel must continue to spread even when there are oppositions. This was how the apostles responded when they were persecuted and misunderstood. In embracing love and joy, they also wanted to set the Jewish leaders from being locked-in in their guilt for killing the Lord and to be set free to find life in Him. The Jewish leaders were jealous and insecure. “Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.” This is always the case as well. Many of us are like them, rejecting the Good News because of fear, insecurity, selfishness and pride. Instead of being open, they closed their minds and hearts to the fullness of life and love.
The truth will prevail. Indeed, Christ could not be locked in because He is the light of the world. Jesus told the disciples, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn 8:31f) When we walk in the truth, no one can enslave us. That was why when the apostles were in prison, they were not sad or depressed but happy to suffer for the Lord and for the truth. After being released from prison, the apostles were back to preach immediately without fear for their lives and retaliation from the authorities. As the Lord said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Lk 12:4f)
However, there is a warning; the gospel can be locked out. Jesus assured us, “No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son. On these grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.” Those who are not ready for the truth will seek to lock out the gospel. This was why the Lord remarked. “Everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.” Because the religious priests and the Pharisees wanted to protect their vested interests, they had the apostles arrested and put in prison. They sought to hide the truth from everyone. They were afraid of the light, lest the light exposed their evil deeds.
The fearful ones are the unjust and evil people. “The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.” They knew the truth. The apostles had the support of the people because they were doing good and they were simply testifying to them that the man was healed in the name of Jesus. There was no attempt to hide or change the facts. Today, secular humanism seeks to lock out the gospel. Religion is considered a private matter. Only secularism can exist in society. When that fails, they would distort and discredit the Church’s teaching. Secularism fears Christianity most. It seeks to silence the gospel in subtle ways.
But we must not allow the world to lock us in or lock the gospel out. We must proclaim the gospel, welcomed or unwelcomed, as St Paul urges. “I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. (2 Tim 4:1-5) We must not fight shy of proclaiming the gospel publicly. The Good News will not destroy humanity but we are doing it as a service for the greater good of humanity. It is secularism that impoverishes our people. We must turn to the Lord for protection. “This poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them.” Let us take courage in the Risen Lord.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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