20200526 LIFE MISSION STATEMENT
26 May, 2020, Tuesday, 7th Week of Easter
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
These are the readings for the feria
First reading
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Acts 20:17-27 ©
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I have without faltering put before you the whole of God's purpose
From Miletus Paul sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus. When they arrived he addressed these words to them:
‘You know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I have not hesitated to do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.
‘And now you see me a prisoner already in spirit; I am on my way to Jerusalem, but have no idea what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecution await me. But life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.
‘I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will ever see my face again. And so here and now I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.’
Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 67(68):10-11,20-21 ©
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Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
You poured down, O God, a generous rain:
when your people were starved you gave them new life.
It was there that your people found a home,
prepared in your goodness, O God, for the poor.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
May the Lord be blessed day after day.
He bears our burdens, God our saviour.
This God of ours is a God who saves.
The Lord our God holds the keys of death.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Jn14:18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;
I go, but I will come back to you,
and your hearts will be full of joy.
Alleluia!
Or:
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Jn14:16
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever.
Alleluia!
Gospel
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John 17:1-11 ©
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Father, it is time for you to glorify me
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Father, the hour has come:
glorify your Son
so that your Son may glorify you;
and, through the power over all mankind that you have given him,
let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth
and finished the work that you gave me to do.
Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me
with that glory I had with you
before ever the world was.
I have made your name known
to the men you took from the world to give me.
They were yours and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now at last they know
that all you have given me comes indeed from you;
for I have given them the teaching you gave to me,
and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you,
and have believed that it was you who sent me.
I pray for them;
I am not praying for the world
but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you:
all I have is yours
and all you have is mine,
and in them I am glorified.
I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.’
LIFE MISSION STATEMENT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ACTS 20:17-27; PS 68:10-11, 20-21; JN 17:1-11 ]
Living our life meaningfully, purposefully and passionately requires that we have a life mission statement. Indeed, any organization, if it were to survive and do well, must be clear of its mission. When there is no vision or mission, the organization will have no goals to pursue, no ideals to aspire to, no hope to give to its members. Eventually, the members will become complacent and inward-looking, engaging in petty quarrels and gossips as they do not have a larger vision to sustain them. Whilst it is true for any organization, for an individual, it is no less important that we have a life mission statement. In other words, what are you living for? What is your purpose in life? What is it that you would like to pour your life into? What is the overarching purpose in your life? What is it that excites you to the extent of wanting to give your sweat and blood to this mission? Who do you want to live for? These are questions that we should ask ourselves when writing our life’s mission statement.
In the scripture readings today, both Jesus and Paul show us how to form our life mission statement. Both were singular-minded in what they did and in how they lived their lives. They were singular in purpose. They knew what they were called to do in life. They gave their whole soul, body, mind and strength to live out their life mission statement to the utmost. That was why they were undefeated in times of trial, opposition, challenges and setbacks. Regardless of the situation they found themselves in, they remained focused on their mission, never straying or having second thoughts about their mission. On the contrary, the more obstacles they had, the more they sought to overcome them. They used their difficulties and troubles as stepping stones to do even more.
In the gospel, Jesus’ life mission statement is clearly spelt out as giving glory to His Father. “I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do. Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me with the glory I had with you before ever the world was. I have made your name known to the men you took from the world to give me. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” Jesus did not glorify Himself. His focus was not to gain recognition and honour for His own sake. It was always about the glory of His Father. Jesus as the Son of God knew that His mission was to reveal the Father’s love and mercy. He is the Word of the Father. He was called to make the Father known and loved by all of humanity.
How did Jesus glorify God if not by making known the Father’s love and mercy? Throughout His life Jesus proclaimed the Father’s unconditional forgiveness and compassion. Through His teachings, His works of mercy, His healing miracles, the works of exorcism, raising the dead and reconciling sinners with God, He showed Himself to be the prophet of God, most of all, by His death and resurrection. Regardless of what He said or did, it was never about Himself but His Father and His glory. The Father’s glory, that is, His identity and character was revealed in the life of Jesus. It was for this reason that in the last days of His life, Jesus asked that the Father glorified Him. This was not for the sake of Jesus but for the sake of His Father. Unless Jesus was glorified by the Father, all that He taught about His Father’s goodness and mercy would not be believed. Hence, Jesus said, “‘Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you; and, through the power over all mankind that you have given him, let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him. And eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do. Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me with the glory I had with you before ever the world was.”
What gave Jesus satisfaction in life was that He had accomplished His mission. He said, “I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do. I have made your name known to the men you took from the world to give me. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now at last they know that all you have given me comes indeed from you; for I have given them the teaching you gave to me, and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you, and have believed that it was you who sent me.” It was mission accomplished. This was repeated by the evangelist when Jesus was on the cross, “After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), ‘I thirst,’ A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, ‘It is finished’; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.'” (Jn 19:28-30) What an inspiring and beautiful ending to Jesus’ life!
For St Paul, his life mission statement was to announce Jesus as the Good News, the Saviour of all. He said, “I have not hesitated to do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.” Paul gave his entire life to this mission of proclaiming Christ, welcomed or unwelcomed. If there was anything he could have done to reach out to the people, he did it indefatigably. He found all ways to proclaim Christ, whether he was in prison, before the Sanhedrin and the rulers, with the intellectuals in Athens or the women of high society at Lystra. He spared no effort in proclaiming Christ.
Like Jesus, Paul was singular-minded in fulfilling the mission the Lord had entrusted to him. He declared, “Life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.” For Paul what counted at the end of the day was not what we dream about or what we say. Rather, it is carrying out the mission, which God has entrusted to us. What kept Paul focused all the time was only one thing, to proclaim Christ’s resurrection and His Lordship. There was no other purpose in Paul’s mind and life. He told the elders, “And so here and now I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.”
Like Jesus too, the difficulties he experienced did not shake his confidence in Christ or make him lose zeal. He knew that proclaiming the gospel would not be an easy task. There would be opposition and hindrances. He took all these in stride, saying. “You know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.” It must have been hurting for Paul to know, as we all do, that his own people, his friends, his relatives, his own colleagues would betray him, try to hinder his growth and jeopardize his mission and plans because of jealousy, ambition and insecurity. He was not afraid of greater sufferings ahead of him even when the Holy Spirit revealed to him the tremendous trials ahead of him. He said, “Already a prisoner in spirit”, I “have no idea what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecution await me.” But he was not afraid.
What about us? Have we lived out our life mission statement with that kind of zeal, fidelity, courage and singular-mindedness that Jesus and Paul had? As bishop, I am clear of my life mission statement, which is to build a vibrant, evangelizing and missionary Church in Singapore. This mission keeps me alive, hopeful, focused, and persevering. We should not ask what life can give to us or what we can get out of life but what we can give back to life, to humanity and to God. I pray that each one of you will come to find your life mission statement and live it out with zeal and devotion so that you can depart from this world with a clear conscience like St Paul and our Lord, saying, “Mission accomplished!” And together with these words, we must also say, “Into your hands, I commend my spirit.”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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