VALUE OF A HUMAN LIFE

20200701 VALUE OF A HUMAN LIFE

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

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First reading

Amos 5:14-15,21-24 ©

Seek good and not evil so that you may live

Seek good and not evil

so that you may live,

and that the Lord, God of Hosts, may really be with you

as you claim he is.

Hate evil, love good,

maintain justice at the city gate,

and it may be that the Lord, God of Hosts, will take pity

on the remnant of Joseph.

I hate and despise your feasts,

I take no pleasure in your solemn festivals.

When you offer me holocausts,

I reject your oblations,

and refuse to look at your sacrifices of fattened cattle.

Let me have no more of the din of your chanting,

no more of your strumming on harps.

But let justice flow like water,

and integrity like an unfailing stream.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 49(50):7-13,16-17 ©

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘Listen, my people, I will speak;

  Israel, I will testify against you,

for I am God, your God.

  I accuse you, lay the charge before you.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘I find no fault with your sacrifices,

  your offerings are always before me.

I do not ask more bullocks from your farms,

  nor goats from among your herds.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘I own all the beasts of the forest,

  beasts in their thousands on my hills.

I know all the birds in the sky,

  all that moves in the field belongs to me.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘Were I hungry, I would not tell you,

  for I own the world and all it holds.

Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,

  or drink the blood of goats?

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘How can you recite my commandments

  and take my covenant on your lips,

you who despise my law

  and throw my words to the winds?’

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

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Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or:

James1:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

By his own choice the Father made us his children

by the message of the truth,

so that we should be a sort of first-fruits

of all that he created.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Matthew 8:28-34 ©

The Gadarene swine

When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side of the lake, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’ Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go then’, and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.

VALUE OF A HUMAN LIFE

01 July, 2020, Wednesday, 13th Week, Ordinary Time

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [AMOS 5:14-15, 21-24; MT 8:28-34]

People all over the world today speak of human rights, the right to life, the right to free speech, the right to freedom.   Those championing these causes seem to be very noble.  They ask for the removal of the death penalty for crimes involving killing.  They ask for freedom of speech to articulate one’s mind.  They ask for freedom to do whatever they like.  However, the world is hypocritical. They act the way the demons reacted to Jesus.  They shouted, “What do you want with us, Son of God?  Have you come here to torture us before the time?”  They knew that Jesus was the Son of God; they knew that the time of judgement would come and they would be in hell forever.  Yet, knowing the truth about Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, they did not believe in Him. For all the noise they make about human rights, it is not about true freedom and respect for life.   The promotion of euthanasia goes beyond protecting those who are suffering terminal illness but those whose lives can no longer contribute to the economy.

There is a lack of consistency in what the world wants.  They are not serious about the dignity of every human life. On one hand, they speak of the value of every human life; yet, they also promote abortion even at birth, the destruction of human embryos, and euthanasia as mercy killing.  Otherwise they will be seeking to defend life as the Church does, from conception until death.  They condemn the death penalty, but they will use advanced technological weapons to assassinate, to kill those they judge to be their enemies.  They will use their whole armory to destroy those that they feel are a threat to their security.  If we are really concerned about the dignity of human life, then these same people who champion the removal of the death penalty must also tell their governments to spend less on arms and use those billions of dollars on the many poor people dying and starving all over the world.   Is the life of the poor less precious than those of criminals?  When the Church asks for the removal of the death penalty, she bases it on the inviolable and eternal value of every human life, regardless whether it is an unborn baby, the poor, the sick or the criminal or anyone in the world.  

Is the world serious about freedom? Again, the world pays lip service to freedom.   Everyone knows that there is no absolute freedom in this world.  The freedom of the individual cannot delimit the freedom of others, especially that of the community.  What the world is promoting is an abuse of freedom, which itself is a form of slavery to one’s passions and desires.  Freedom for the world means to say whatever we want, even at the expense of destroying a person’s reputation through lies, and transmitting fake news that divide people and glorify violence.  Freedom of speech means we can abuse the dignity of others with vulgar speech. Freedom means the person is allowed to destroy marriages, hurt their spouse and their children. Freedom means we can promote pornography and promiscuity, and destroy lasting and true love in humanity.  Freedom means taking and selling drugs that destroy the lives of people, their loved ones and society.  If you disagree with the ideology of relativism, they will discriminate us.  This is slavery to one’s passion, not freedom.  This is chaos, not freedom.

In the gospel, Jesus came for the individual.  He came to set everyone free from the Evil One.  We read, “When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side of the lake, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way.”  How many of us would be bothered with possessed people? We would prefer to leave them alone, stay away from them lest they harm us.  We would just let them suffer and rot than to reach out to them.  Who would be concerned to deliver the person under the bondage of the evil spirits?  Furthermore, who would want to go to the graveyard where spirits lurk?   This was why the two demoniacs were left alone to suffer under the evil spirits, tormented by them and thus was in great pain.  Their lives were unimportant.

For Jesus, every life was important to Him, including those who were non-Jews.  He was in a pagan territory.  It would be considered taboo for Him to visit a cemetery and be made ritually unclean, or even to reach out to the Gentiles.   Nevertheless, Jesus did not ignore the suffering of the two demoniacs.  He went head-on to confront the demons because He wanted to free the two demoniacs.  He was even merciful to the demons who pleaded with the Lord, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”  “And he said to them, ‘Go then,’ and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff and into the lake and perished in the water.”  By allowing this to take place, Jesus placed the value of these two lives more than all the pigs that were drowned as they fell from the cliff into the waters.  In the mind of Jesus, no human life can be compared to any animal.  There is no price for a human life, whether the person is a criminal, poor, or physically or mentally challenged because human life is created in the image of God and every soul is immortal.  Every life is precious and every human person is equal before God.

However, we look at the reaction of those who had vested interests in the pigs.   “The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs.  As soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.”  In contrast to our Lord, they placed the economic value of the pigs over the intrinsic value of the human person.  It was about money and profits.  The human person is irrelevant unless that person can contribute to the economy.  As far as they were concerned, the two demoniacs were useless.  They had no value at all.  The pigs were more important because of their economic value.  But this is precisely how the world acts.  It places profits in business and the price of their crops and products over the hunger of the world.

Is not this the way the world also regard the human person, based on his economic value, productivity and usefulness?  For all the noise they make about human rights, it is not about true freedom and respect for life.   The promotion of euthanasia goes beyond protecting those who are suffering terminal illness but those whose lives can no longer contribute to the economy.  So those who are depressed, unable to work, those who are mentally or physically challenged, unable to contribute to the workforce, and those who are elderly and unproductive should die so that others can live.  Embryos are destroyed in IVF and other scientific experiments so that one among the many can live.  Indeed, if one can no longer be productive or useful, the subtle implication is that we must die, otherwise we will be regarded as selfish.  By our continued existence, we take up the energy and time of others who could be more productive in other areas of life.  Where is the intrinsic value of the human person?  It is hypocrisy.  The world chooses what they like without consistency.

This was what Amos charged his people with as well.  They were corrupt, involved in cheating and bribery, unjust judgements and exploiting the poor.  They were doing things against their fellowmen. The rich were making use of the poor and the powerful, exploiting the weak and vulnerable.  And yet, they sought to cover up their crimes and contradiction by going to the Temple to offer worship and sacrifices.  The Lord said, “I hate and despise your feasts, I take no pleasure in your solemn festivals. When you offer me holocausts, I reject your oblations, and refuse to look at your sacrifices of fattened cattle.   But let justice flow like water, and integrity like an unfailing stream.”  God does not desire all these external forms of worship unless our worship comes from a heart of integrity and love.  We can be going to Church and be involved in ministry, but we lack integrity and charity.

The words of Amos should inspire us to be consistent in giving glory to God by living a good and just life.  He said, “Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and that the Lord, God of hosts, may really be with you as you claim he is. Hate evil, love good, maintain justice at the city gate, and it may be that the Lord, God of hosts, will take pity on the remnant of Joseph.”  If we do good and live upright lives, not only will our offerings, but our whole life, will be pleasing to God and bring blessings upon us and our fellowmen.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD

20200630 PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

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First reading

Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12 ©

It is for all your sins that I mean to punish you

Listen, sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt:

You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged,

therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you.

Do two men take the road together

if they have not planned to do so?

Does the lion roar in the jungle

if no prey has been found?

Does the young lion growl in his lair

if he has captured nothing?

Does the bird fall to the ground

if no trap has been set?

Does the snare spring up from the ground

if nothing has been caught?

Does the trumpet sound in the city

without the populace becoming alarmed?

Does misfortune come to a city

if the Lord has not sent it?

No more does the Lord do anything

without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets.

The lion roars: who can help feeling afraid?

The Lord speaks: who can refuse to prophesy?

I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

and you were like a brand snatched from the blaze;

and yet you never came back to me.

It is the Lord who speaks.

This therefore, Israel, is what I plan to do to you,

and because I am going to do this to you,

Israel, prepare to meet your God!

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 5:5-8 ©

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

You are no God who loves evil;

  no sinner is your guest.

The boastful shall not stand their ground

  before your face.

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

You hate all who do evil;

  you destroy all who lie.

The deceitful and bloodthirsty man

  the Lord detests.

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

But I through the greatness of your love

  have access to your house.

I bow down before your holy temple,

  filled with awe.

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice.

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Gospel Acclamation

Ps147:12,15

Alleluia, alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He sends out his word to the earth.

Alleluia!

Or:

Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Matthew 8:23-27 ©

Jesus rebuked the winds and the seas, and all was calm

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD!

30 June, 2020, Tuesday, 13th Week, Ordinary Time

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12; Ps 5:5-8; Mt 8:23-27 ]

God was deeply disappointed with Israel because Israel took their election for granted and abused the privileges given to them.  As He said, “You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged.”  Indeed, of all the peoples on the earth, God in His mercy and graciousness had chosen Israel to be His own.  God told Israel, “It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you – for you were the fewest of all peoples.  It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Dt 7:6f)  Furthermore, the Lord also said, “You are a people holy to the Lord your God; it is you the Lord has chosen out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession.”  (Dt 14:2)

Don’t we as well?  Don’t we take our privileges for granted in life too?  We have been blessed with good health, with a loving spouse and family, with good education, prospective career and faithful friends.  But what have we done with the blessings we have received?  Do we treasure our loved ones, make time for them and be with them?  Do we show our appreciation for what they do for us? Do we share our blessings with others?  If we are inward-looking, demanding and ungrateful for what the Lord has given to us, and use what we have for evil rather than good, for ourselves rather than for others, then the Lord will soon come and deliver His judgement on us as He did with the Israelites.

What is God’s judgement?  He will punish us with the very sins that we commit.  What we reap is what we sow.  “Therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you. Do two men take the road together if they have not planned to do so? Does the lion roar in the jungle if no prey has been found? Does the young lion growl in his lair if he has captured nothing? Does the bird fall to the ground if no trap has been set? Does the snare spring up from the ground if nothing has been caught? Does the trumpet sound in the city without the populace becoming alarmed? Does misfortune come to a city if the Lord has not sent it? No more does the Lord do anything without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets.”

This is why the Lord allows us to face the storms in life.  It is not about the storms.  It is about meeting God in the storms.  We read that the disciples were in the boat and a storm developed suddenly.   Even though they were professional fishermen, we were told that it was so “violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat” and in their fear, they went to wake the Lord up saying, “Save us, Lord, we are going down!”  Like the disciples, if we are not careful, when the storms of life suddenly come, we will not be able to handle them in spite of our resources.  Wealth, power, health are all false security because all these can be taken away as we see what the Covid-19 pandemic has done to the economy in the world and the lives of many people including the rich and powerful and wealthy.  No one is shielded from Covid-19 simply because he is somebody in life.

When the storms set in, those of us without faith will sink with the boat.  Those who are unprepared will be swept up by the storms.  This is true for many of our Catholics.  Their faith is weak.  Their knowledge of their faith is shallow.  They are hardly familiar with the bible because they only read it occasionally and superficially if at all.  Their knowledge and understanding of the doctrines is even lesser.  Their relationship with the Lord is one of utility, turning to Him only when they need Him to help them pass an exam, get a job, regain their health or to protect them from harm if they are travelling.  They have no real encounter.

So what do you expect when the trials of life set in?   They become frightened.  They lose faith.  Then they turn to other gods and other religions to secure what they seek.  Otherwise, they blame the Church or come to conclude that God does not care and therefore does not exist, all because they are not prepared for the trials ahead of them.  The Lord said to His disciples, “Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?”  When our faith is weak, we are frightened of the future.  We are afraid to surrender our lives into His hands.

But for those who have faith, God will strengthen their faith further through trials.  St Peter wrote, “In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith – being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire.” (1 Pt 1:6f) St James also said a similar thing. “Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”  (Jms 1:2-4)

Indeed, God meets us in the storm not to destroy us but to strengthen our faith further so that we can find Him in the storms of life.  This was what happened to the disciples.  When we feel down and out and helpless, this is when the Lord would step in to save us.  The reason why many of us never encounter God is because we do not really need Him.  Those who are rich and self-sufficient will have difficulties encountering God’s love and power.  This is why the Lord remarked, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mt 19:23f)  So long as they can depend on themselves, God is only a spare battery or a booster.  This is why people in the world today, because they have education, knowledge and technology, think that they can change the world without God.  Knowledge and technology are the new gods. Faith in ourselves is a misplaced faith.  Only when we are helpless, then the Lord will show us who is in charge!  This was precisely what the fishermen experienced in the gospel.  When the storm was beyond their ability to control, they turned to the Lord and cried for help.

Indeed, when God shows His mighty hand, then we come to realize that our God is truly the Lord.  In the gospel, we read, “he rebuked the winds and the seas; and all was calm again.  The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this?  Even the winds and the seas obey him.'”  Indeed, who is He that can control the winds and the storms?  This was the same question God challenged Job.  In two chapters 38 and 39 of Job, the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, “‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”  (Job 38:1-4) God interrogated Job on the creation of the world, the control of the weather, the seasons, the rain, the lightning, the animals, etc.  The Lord concluded, “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond.” (Job 40:2) Job’s reply at the end of God’s interrogation, “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.  I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.”  (Job 40:4f)  Indeed, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26)  Only God can calm the storms because He is Lord.

So it is critical that we must ask the same question, “‘What kind of man is this?”  We need to know who Jesus is and strengthen our relationship with Him if we want to be prepared for the storms of life and the judgment of God that will come when we least expect.  Otherwise, we will succumb to the storms because we do not know Him well enough to trust Him and submit our lives under His Lordship.  Let us nurture our faith by reading the Word of God daily and receive Him in the Eucharist so that His love will always be in us.  Faith in Him alone will help us to overcome all trials in life because He says to us, “It is I, do not be afraid!”   God is ever ready to rescue us if only we turn to Him in faith and in humility.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

THE INDEFATIGABLE CHURCH OF CHRIST

20200629 THE INDEFATIGABLE CHURCH OF CHRIST

First reading

Acts 12:1-11 ©

'Now I know the Lord really did save me from Herod'

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

  On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33(34):2-9 ©

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

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.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

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.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

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.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

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.

From all my terrors the Lord set me free.

or

The angel of the Lord rescues those who revere him.

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Second reading

2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 ©

All there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

  The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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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!

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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.’

THE INDEFATIGABLE CHURCH OF CHRIST

29 June, 2020, Monday, Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 12: 1-11; Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tim 4, 6-8. 17-18; Mt 16, 13-19]

The Church is undergoing tremendous challenges in recent times.  The world has developed so fast and so much because of advancement in science and technology.  Cultures, lifestyles and moral trends are changing as well.  With secularism and secularisation, religion is losing its presence in society, and morality as well.  However, not only is society affected, but our own members as well.  Regrettably, it seems the values of our Catholics are formed more by society than the Church and the gospel.  This affects not just our laity but even the clergy, religious and the hierarchy of the Church as well.  We are not immune from the degeneration of the world.  Instead of growing in holiness, even some of our priests and religious are corrupted by the values of the world, whether it is in materialism, riches, power or sex.  The scandals of the hierarchy have rocked the faith of many Catholics.  Many have left the Church out of disillusionment.

Will the Church be able to withstand the onslaughts of the Evil One, seen in the negative and evil forces growing from strength to strength in the world?  The encouraging assurance of today’s scripture readings on the Solemnity of St Peter and Paul is that the Church will be protected from the gates of hell.  Jesus declared, “You are Peter and on this rock, I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.”  This is the promise of our Lord given to St Peter and his successors.  Jesus will defend the Church from falling into error and from destruction.  This is because the Church is built on Rock.

What is this rock?  This rock refers primarily to the faith of Peter who confessed that Jesus is the Christ, “the Son of the living God.”  By this confession, Peter is declaring that Jesus is the Anointed One of God, the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, the son of David and therefore as King, also the Son of God, and more importantly, the Eternal Son of the Father.  Unless we share this faith with Peter, we will not be able to stand firm on the gospel, neither with the Church nor with Peter and His successors.   This was why when Peter made this confession of faith in Christ, it was not due to his intelligence or reasoning but by a divine revelation.  Hence, the Lord said to Peter, “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.”  It is not incidental that Jesus addressed Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah” because the word, “Jonah” which means “dove” in Hebrew, suggests that Peter had a special link with the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit that the Lord gave to the apostles at Pentecost that empowered Peter as the head of the apostolic college to deliver the first homily with power and brought about the conversion of three thousand who were baptised on that Pentecost day.

Arising from this faith in the Lord, we have faith in the authority of Peter and his successors to guide the Church of Christ.  For the Lord did not just give Peter the authority to teach, decide and govern, but the guarantee of His divine assistance.  “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.”  It is our belief that the Church is more than just a human institution, unlike the institutions in the world.  These have come and gone.  As an institution the Church has withstood more than 2000 years, and is still standing strong in spite of all the trials and scandals affecting the Church.  But if the Church could stand for so long unlike the other human institutions, empires and kingdoms, it is because the Lord is watching over the Church through His successor, Peter and the apostles and their successors.  Only with this faith in Christ and His successor can we withstand the gates of hell.

Indeed, this divine assistance given to Peter is confirmed in the scriptures and in the history of the Church.  In the founding acts of the Church, beginning with the gathering of the Twelve apostles, and Jesus appointing Peter as the one to hold the key, that is, to be given the authority to safeguard the Church, our Lord also promised Peter that He would be with him in his weakness.   Jesus clearly foresaw how the Church would be persecuted just as He was persecuted.  Immediately after the Confession of faith, Jesus foretold His passion and resurrection.  “From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”  (Mt 16:21) Jesus warned His disciples, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.”  (Jn 16:20)

In another founding act of the Church, our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist.  Indeed, the Eucharist makes us Church.  Therefore, the Church can never be without the Eucharist because the Church is the Body of Christ.  The Eucharist is also connected with the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and His resurrection. What is instructive is that after empowering the apostles to “do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19), the apostles were still jostling for power. (cf Lk 22:24-27)  The Lord assured Peter, “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”  (Lk 22:31)  Jesus knew that Peter by himself without His assistance would fail him.  This authority of Peter to shepherd the Church of Christ was sealed after His resurrection when the Lord entrusted Peter the task of feeding and looking after His sheep.  After Peter renewed his profession of love for the Lord, the mere love of human friendship, and realising how inadequate his love was, Jesus still instructed him to feed and tend His sheep.  (cf Jn 21:15-19)

In today’s first reading, we have a clear demonstration of how the Lord continues to stand by the side of Peter when he was persecuted.  This was the third time that he was arrested and the second time to be put in jail.   It is significant that the account of Peter’s miraculous escape from jail was reminiscent of God delivering the Hebrews from Egypt.  Like the Hebrews, Peter was in jail at the Passover week.  Then the Lord sent an angel to release him just as He sent the angel to free the Hebrews from death by bypassing their doors.  Just as the chains fell from the hands of Peter and he put on the belt and sandals, so, too, the Hebrews were set free from the chains of Pharaoh and in the middle of the night, wearing belt and sandals they walked out of Egypt into the Promised Land. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know it is all true. The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.”

So today, we take hope that God will remain faithful to His Church.  We should not fear or be shaken by what is happening in the Church and in the world.  The Lord will ensure that His Church and His vicar on earth will, under persecution, be protected from harm and not be destroyed.  Just as the Lord stood by Peter, the shepherd of the Church, and Paul, the symbol of the missionary dimension of the Church, we too as Church must stand together with our chief shepherd, Peter and his successor.  We will not just keep the “Church of the living God”, strong as “the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15), but we will continue to look beyond ourselves to the world as we engage in evangelising and missionary activities to spread the gospel and grow the Church.

This is why it is the duty of every Catholic to pray for the Holy Father and his bishops so that, guided by the Holy Spirit and protected from the temptation of the Evil One, they will continue to steer the Church through this very difficult time of turmoil and bewildering changes.  This was what the early Church did.  Indeed, “All the time Peter was under guard, the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.”  We must follow the early Church in supporting our Church leaders, most of all by praying for them as they pour out their life as a libation for us.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved