20200522 JOY COMES FROM A CERTAIN HOPE
22 May, 2020, Friday, 6th Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
First reading
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Acts 18:9-18 ©
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'I have many people on my side in this city'
At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.
But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves – I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.’ Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all.
After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.
Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 46(47):2-7 ©
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God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.
God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God is king of all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation
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Jn14:26
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Holy Spirit will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Alleluia!
Or:
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cf.Lk24:46,26
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Alleluia, alleluia!
It was ordained that the Christ should suffer
and rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
Alleluia!
Gospel
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John 16:20-23 ©
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Your hearts will be full of joy that no-one will take from you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.
A woman in childbirth suffers,
because her time has come;
but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering
in her joy that a man has been born into the world.
So it is with you: you are sad now,
but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,
and that joy no one shall take from you.
When that day comes,
you will not ask me any questions.’
JOY COMES FROM A CERTAIN HOPE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 18:9-18; PS 47:2-7; JN 16:20-23 ]
Yesterday, we just celebrated the Solemnity of the Ascension. Before His ascension, the Lord already prepared His disciples for His departure. There is nothing in life that is as heartbreaking as leaving a relationship. There are many things we can quite easily give up. But to give up a relationship is very difficult. This is so true for couples and friends. This was why the disciples were feeling lost and sad. They had been journeying with the master for three years. Jesus was their inspiration, their life and their hope. But with the imminent departure of Jesus, the disciples would be totally lost. In fact, that was what happened at His death. The apostles were scattered and ran away when the Lord was arrested. They felt alone and frightened at the prospect of being arrested and meeting the same fate as their master.
But the Lord understands our dependence on Him. He understands the importance of maintaining relationships. Even as we celebrate the Ascension, we must not imagine that Jesus is now taken away from us into the clouds. On the contrary, the gospel assures us that Jesus will come in a new way, at His resurrection and at Pentecost. This was what the Lord said to the disciples. “So it is with you: you are sad now, but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you. When that day comes, you will not ask me any questions.” Indeed, when they saw the Lord again at His resurrection and when they were filled with His Holy Spirit at Pentecost, then they understood what Jesus was trying to explain to them.
This is particularly true as well for our departed loved ones. Some of us might still be in bereavement, wondering what happened to our loved ones, whether they are in heaven or in purgatory; whether they are happy or sad. We miss their presence and their love. Yet, the truth is that they are not far from us. They are still connected to us in the Spirit. We might not feel their presence but they are with us in this communion of saints. We will one day be reunited again. But this is provided we believe in the resurrection of our Lord, that He has conquered death and that He is still with us in a new way in His Spirit.
For this reason, when we speak of the joy of a Christian, it is not just a passing joy that comes with the event itself. Christian joy is both of the present and the future, realized and yet awaiting fulfillment. Such a joy can withstand the suffering of the present because of a clear and definite outcome at the end. When we know why we are suffering and for what we are suffering, we will suffer with joy. Only meaningless and aimless sufferings make us feel disillusioned and discouraged. This is particularly true for those of us who suffer injustices. We wonder whether it is the justice of God. We feel abandon and angry with God that the evil people seem to triumph over the just. There seems to be no real justice on earth and maybe even in heaven.
But when we suffer with a certain hope for the future, that suffering always carries with it joy. This was what St Peter wrote to the Christians, “By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.” (cf 1 Pt 1:3-9) This was the hope that St Peter presented to the Christians. This was the same hope of the apostles and of St Paul which gave them the courage to continue to witness to the Lord in spite of sufferings and opposition.
This is what the Lord meant when He gave them the analogy of the woman in childbirth. He said, “I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful but your sorrow will turn to joy. A woman in childbirth suffers, because her time has come; but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering in her joy that a man has been born into the world.” Truly, when a woman is carrying her baby in her womb, she suffers much inconvenience. Some women, because of a weak womb, have to suffer the inconvenience of being in bed for months in order to protect the life of the baby. An expectant mother lives in anxiety every day and every week as the baby develops. She is anxious about whether the baby is growing well, whether he or she is receiving the nutrients needed for him or her to grow, whether the baby would suffer from any physical or intellectual defects. So after many months of anxiety, when it is time to deliver the baby at last, we can imagine the excitement and also the great fear and anxiety of the last lap of suffering, the labour pain. When that is all endured, and the baby is born, there is a great relief, untold joy and happiness, not just of the mother but also of her loved ones. When the baby is delivered in good health, all the pains, inconveniences and sufferings are almost immediately forgotten. Such is the joy of motherhood. It is a celebration of new life. The birth of a baby gives hope to the world.
So, too, in our spiritual life and growth as well. It is a long painful journey. Growth is always painful but when we think of the outcome, we are willing to pay the price for it. This was true in the case of St Paul. He was not afraid to witness to the Lord. He was focused and singular-minded. In fact, at the end of his life, he said, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:12-14) It is the prize promised to him, and he was so confident of it that he was never afraid of the sufferings he had to undergo. “For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:6-8)
The problem with the world today is that many are living in despair because they do not have a hope beyond this earthly life. They only live for this life and all that this world can offer. But their spirit is hungry and the soul is empty. They are longing for more, a greater intense relationship that can outlast the test of time. Unless they have Jesus, their joy is limited. Without faith in the resurrection, there is no meaning and purpose in this life. As Isaiah said, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” (Isa 55:2) Then we will face the outcome of King Solomon who at the sunset of his life reflected, “So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” (Eccl 1:9-11)
Today, the Lord is assuring us as He assured Paul in a vision. “Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.” This promise of divine protection to Paul is given to us all as well. No persecution or harm can destroy us or hinder the message from being proclaimed. The Lord will protect us even when we face trials in life. He is faithful. Just as He safeguarded Paul’s life from the attacks of the Jews by inspiring Gallio to reject their charges, so too the Lord will be with us as we seek to be faithful to Him in our vocation and mission. Indeed, because of God’s fidelity, “at Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.” He was able to fulfill his vow for he knew that the Lord would accomplish His work in and through Him. He will do the same for us if we trust in Him.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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