20200713 THE SACRIFICES OF A MISSIONARY DISCIPLE
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading
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Isaiah 1:10-17 ©
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Take your wrongdoing out of my sight
Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the command of our God,
you people of Gomorrah.
‘What are your endless sacrifices to me?
says the Lord.
I am sick of holocausts of rams
and the fat of calves.
The blood of bulls and of goats revolts me.
When you come to present yourselves before me,
who asked you to trample over my courts?
Bring me your worthless offerings no more,
the smoke of them fills me with disgust.
New Moons, sabbaths, assemblies –
I cannot endure festival and solemnity.
Your New Moons and your pilgrimages
I hate with all my soul.
They lie heavy on me,
I am tired of bearing them.
When you stretch out your hands
I turn my eyes away.
You may multiply your prayers,
I shall not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood,
wash, make yourselves clean.
‘Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the orphan,
plead for the widow.’
Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 49(50):8-9,16-17,21,23 ©
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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.
‘But 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.
‘You do this, and should I keep silence?
Do you think that I am like you?
A sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me
and I will show God’s salvation to the upright.’
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Ac16:14
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Or:
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Mt5:10
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel
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Matthew 10:34-11:1 ©
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It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.
‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.
‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.
‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.
‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’
When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
THE SACRIFICES OF A MISSIONARY DISCIPLE
13 July, 2020, Monday, 15th Week, Ordinary Time
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 1:10-17; MT 10:34-11:1]
Chapter 10 of St Matthew’s gospel focuses on the call and mission of the twelve apostles. Jesus did not simply call them or give them a mission but He also prepared the apostles for what to expect and what it entails to share in His mission. He warned them of the sacrifices this mission would entail and the persecutions that they would have to endure. It would be a difficult mission, not one for the faint- hearted.
Many of us unfortunately are not ready to be His missionary disciples. Many Catholics think being a Christian is just about having a nice religion. Like the Israelites during the time of Isaiah, religion was simply about offering worship and sacrifices to God but it was dissociated with life. They worshipped idols, oppressed the poor and the vulnerable, cheated and stole, and practiced social justices in their relationships with their fellowmen. When faith is dichotomized from a life of charity towards our neighbors, all the sacrifices we offer to God are offered in vain. This was the indictment of God against Israel. “Bring me your worthless offerings no more. I cannot endure festival and solemnity. They lie heavy on me. I am tired of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not listen. Your hands are covered with blood, wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.”
Some become Catholics to seek a guarantee of God’s blessings and divine protection from all harm and evil. It is more an insurance plan that they undertake. They hope that if they worship the Lord, their house will be blessed, their children will do well in their studies and career, their jobs would be secured and business would be successful, and all would be in good health. There will be peace and love in the family. However, it is all about themselves. It is an individualistic and self-seeking faith. If our faith and happiness just stay within oneself and our loved ones, we have not understood what it means to be Christ’s disciples. The Lord said, “Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.”
Rather, being a Christian is being a missionary disciple of the Lord. We are all called to be disciples and missionaries at the same time. A good disciple is always a missionary; and a zealous missionary must first be a good disciple. Like the apostles, we are sent out to proclaim the nearness of God’s kingdom by healing the sick, giving life to those who have lost hope, reconciling those who have been marginalized, those dead in sin and enmeshed in evil. We do all these things freely, unconditionally and generously. (cf Mt 10:7f) But this mission calls for tremendous sacrifices and the capacity to suffer for the Lord and His people. Those who undertake the mission of spreading the Good News must never think it is an easy task, full of appreciation and always a joy.
On the contrary, Jesus made it clear to His missionary disciples, “Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.” This is the first demand made on missionary disciples of our Lord. We must be ready to take up our cross, which comes from daily challenges, trials and inconveniences of life. We have to contend with misunderstandings, the imperfections and sins of our fellowmen, the tension of keeping everyone united in love and in peace, sicknesses and accidents, the demands of our work and career, financial stability, caring and raising our children and looking after our elderly, bonding with our spouse and children. Indeed, there are many demands made on us in family life. Beyond the family, we have our commitments to our friends and our community.
Yet, if we think that we are doing well because we have taken care of our family, then we are wrong. Our first commitment is not to our family but to God. Jesus said, “Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me.” Jesus is not saying we do not have to love our family or take care of them. Rather it is a question of priority or of preference. Do we put our loved ones before our loyalty to God? The truth is that for most of us, we love our loved ones first, career (wealth and power) second, then perhaps God. In the scale of priorities, our loved ones and work come before God, even though for some it comes after pleasure.
Indeed, many would put at least their loved ones before God, if not their career or business as well. They are afraid to upset their parents or their spouse who do not like them to go to church or read the bible. Many couples from mixed marriages end up not going to church at all, much less to practice the faith because the non-Catholic does not allow or support their partner and children to attend church services and programs. Of course, many Catholics leave their faith to join the religion of his or her fiancé or spouse. They are afraid to lose the one they love. They put human beings before God. Some young people are called by the Lord to serve Him full-time but because of objection from their parents, they forgo their calling in life. Hence, the Lord said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.”
In truth, there is no real tension between loving God and our loved ones, or even being committed to our work, career or business; or for that matter, enjoying the pleasures of life. If God is not the first in our lives, we will lose our perspective of life and all our priorities. Only with God, can we look at people and work from the perspective of sacrificial love for the good of others. In fact, loving God more provides us the capacity to love our loved ones and fellowmen more authentically and selflessly. Some think that God would take away our loved ones from us if they love Him more. This is short-sightedness. In fact, He will give them back to us even more by making them love us as much as He loves us.
The next demand on the missionary disciple is the choice of others before self. “Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.” If we are seeking life, we must be ready to sacrifice our own life for others. Like Jesus, we are called to be a servant to others and give our life as a ransom for their happiness. A missionary of Christ is always seeking to put the needs and interests of others before his or her own. It means sacrificing one’s time, resources, pleasures, convenience and even sleep to help others. One is always reaching out and giving hope, encouragement, consolation and strength to others. By so doing, we forget about ourselves as we find ourselves in others when they experience joy, comfort and happiness through us. This is the greatest happiness in life, knowing that others are happy because of our love.
Finally, lest some of us think that we are not eligible for missionary work, the Lord also tells us that helping missionaries to be missionaries is already doing missionary work. “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man because he is a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.” We might not all be able to preach eloquently, to teach or to minister in prayer or counselling people. However, those doing ancillary work, such as helping missionaries, providing for their needs, preparing their food, helping them to do the mundane chores, giving them hospitality, etc, are also taking part in missionary activity. Indeed, without the help of those working in the background, many of us who are leaders in community would not be able to do what we are doing. These are the unsung heroes and missionaries. Their work is not less significant than the teachers and preachers. This is what the Lord said, “If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.” In the eyes of God, it does not matter which role we play but that each one of us in our own ways is contributing to the spread of the gospel.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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