20200707 REAPING WHAT WE SOW
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading
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Hosea 8:4-7,11-13 ©
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They have sown the wind; they will reap the whirlwind
Thus says the Lord:
They have set up kings, but not with my consent,
and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.
Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols,
which are doomed to destruction.
I spurn your calf, Samaria,
my anger blazes against it.
(How long will it be before they purge themselves of this,
the sons of Israel?)
A workman made the thing,
this cannot be God!
Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.
They sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind;
their wheat will yield no ear,
the ear will yield no flour,
or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it.
Ephraim has built altar after altar,
they have only served him as occasion for sin.
Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my Law for him,
they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.
They love sacrificing; right, let them sacrifice!
They love meat; right, let them eat it!
The Lord takes no pleasure in these.
He is now going to remember their iniquity
and punish their sins;
they will have to go back to Egypt.
Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 113B(115):3-10 ©
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Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Our God, he is in the heavens;
he does whatever he wills.
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
They have mouths but they cannot speak;
they have eyes but they cannot see;
they have ears but they cannot hear;
they have nostrils but they cannot smell.
Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
With their hands they cannot feel;
with their feet they cannot walk.
Their makers will come to be like them
and so will all who trust in them.
Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
Sons of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
Sons of Israel, trust in the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Ep1:17,18
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Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
Or:
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Jn10:14
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Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.
Alleluia!
Gospel
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Matthew 9:32-37 ©
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The harvest is rich but the labourers are few
A man was brought to Jesus, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.’
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
REAPING WHAT WE SOW
07 July, 2020, Tuesday, 14th Week, Ordinary Time
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HOS 8:4-7, 11-13; MT 9:32-37]
In the first reading, the prophet Hosea warned the rulers and the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel about the dire consequences of their moral and spiritual depravity. The people were hypocritical in their relationship with God. They did not know God but claimed that they knew Him. “Israel cries to me, ‘My God, we – Israel – know you!'” This is also true of us. We claim that we know God but we do not have a personal relationship with Him and the life that we live contradicts the commandments of God. We can be going to Church every Sunday or even study theology, yet we do not know Him. It is all intellectual knowledge but not a personal knowledge of the heart of God. This was the case of the religious leaders during the time of Jesus as well. The scribes and Pharisees claim to know the Law of Moses but they did not interpret the Law of Moses according to the heart of God. However, we must realize that even when Hosea reprimanded and prophesied doom for the future of Israel, it was done out of love for them so that they would repent and not incur the judgment of God. So, too, when the Church calls us to repentance.
Secondly, “they have set up kings, but not with my consent, and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.” The kings appointed by God were from Judah. Israel was a breakaway kingdom. They started their own kingdom and appointed their own kings. Only God could appoint the kings of Israel because there was only one King and that was God Himself. All other earthly kings were called to deputize God in ruling the people of God. They were called to act as His representative and to serve the designs of God for His people. Kings ultimately had a duty to know God well so that they could realize His plan for the people. Unfortunately, Israel had a series of bad kings. Instead of shepherding Israel, they took advantage of the people as was already forewarned by Samuel when the people asked for a king. (cf 1 Sm 8:10-18) Indeed, today, we have many corrupt governments in the world. Instead of serving the people, they acquire power for themselves and for their interests. They make use of their position to acquire power, wealth, fame and influence. We seek leadership for all the wrong reasons. Most of all, we act without submitting to God’s laws.
Thirdly, Hosea reprimanded them for the sin of idolatry. “Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols, which are doomed to destruction. I spurn your calf, Samaria, my anger blazes against it. A workman made the thing, this cannot be God! Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.” Having started their own kingdom apart from Judah, and to prevent the people from going to Jerusalem to worship God, the kings of Israel promoted their own sanctuary of Bethel and erected the golden calf to replace the Temple of Jerusalem. Not only did they worship idols but they also brought in the worship of Baal, a pagan deity, which involved sex rituals, contaminating the purity of the faith of Israel.
However, we also have our idols; the work of human hands. Our idols are technology and science. We think that science and technology can save the world and make the world a better place, bring happiness and prosperity. The world does not need God because they think they have the power to do everything. The responsorial psalm reminds us, “Our God, he is in the heavens; he does whatever he wills. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but they cannot speak; they have eyes but they cannot see; they have ears but they cannot hear; they have nostrils but they cannot smell. With their hands they cannot feel; with their feet they cannot walk. Their makers will come to be like them and so will all who trust in them.” Those who worship idols will be disappointed because idols are illusions. They are empty and powerless to give us life, meaning and purpose. We must never think that technology is the answer to the problems of life. It is love, kindness, charity and goodwill that will make life happier and meaningful.
As a consequence, Israel suffered for their sins. This was the warning of Hosea in 723 B.C, ten years before the kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 B.C. The Lord rejected the sacrifices they offered since they disobeyed His laws and served the foreign gods. By sowing the wind, “they reap the whirlwind.” They would be exiled once again and be slaves of Assyria. “Their wheat will yield no ear, the ear will yield no flour, or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it. He is now going to remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they will have to go back to Egypt.”
In contrast, we have our Lord sowing seeds for a great harvest. Unlike the false shepherds of Israel, Jesus presented Himself as the true shepherd who truly cares for His sheep. “When he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus was the compassion of God in person. He felt with His people in their loneliness, their physical and spiritual hunger, their pain, their sorrows, their sicknesses and their oppression from the Evil One.
How did He show Himself to be a true shepherd? By announcing the Good News, giving hope and encouragement to a downtrodden people. “Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.” He announced the kingdom principally by teaching and acting out what He taught in deeds of mercy and compassion. As the herald of the Good News, the Lord was clear about His mission. Right from the outset of His ministry, He spelt it out in line with the prophetic tradition, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” (Lk 4:18f)
His ministry began with teaching about the Good News. This took up three chapters of Matthew, 5-7 known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” His teaching was new and it made a deep impression on the hearts of His listeners. Chapter 7 of Matthew concluded, “Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” (Mt 7:28f) Chapters 8 and 9, recount the healing ministry of Jesus. He healed the leper, the Centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law. He healed a paralytic and a woman suffering from hemorrhage, restored a young girl back to life, cast out many spirits and cured all who were sick to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Mt 8:16f) Today’s gospel is the conclusion of the healing ministry of our Lord.
He said to His disciples, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” Today, we are called to be like the Lord in sowing the seeds of love, mercy and compassion as His disciples in the world. We are to enlighten humanity on the truth of God’s Word so that we can live a meaningful and happy life. We either sow good seeds of truth, love and compassion in the world as shepherds after the heart of Christ, or seeds of slavery and falsehood, like the leaders of Israel during Hosea’s time and even during the time of our Lord. After Jesus exorcised the dumb demoniac, “the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.'” They were fixed in their mindset and too proud to recognize the goodness and truth in Jesus.
The Lord is asking us to recruit more shepherds who have a heart after Him. If we do not want our nation and the world to be destroyed by the individualistic, self-centered, materialistic trends of this world, we must be ready to sow the good seeds of the gospel so that we can harvest the fruits of love, justice and peace. Shepherds are not just priests, but all of us are called to be shepherds to each other, disciples making disciples. If we mentor those under our charge, make them disciples, they in turn will make other disciples. In this way, the world will be converted to the Lord. The question is: are we disciples making disciples, and more still, missionary disciples to serve the spiritually and materially poor of humanity? That is why we need to pray so that we fall in love with Jesus and His Church.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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