Sunday, 30 August 2020

PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL THROUGH A DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT

20200831 PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL THROUGH A DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT

 

 

31 August, 2020, Monday, 22nd Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ©

The only knowledge I claimed was of the crucified Christ

When I came to you, brothers, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed. During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ. Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great ‘fear and trembling’ and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118(119):97-102 ©

Lord, how I love your law!

Lord, how I love your law!

  It is ever in my mind.

Your command makes me wiser than my foes;

  for it is mine for ever.

Lord, how I love your law!

I have more insight than all who teach me

  for I ponder your will.

I have more understanding than the old

  for I keep your precepts.

Lord, how I love your law!

I turn my feet from evil paths

  to obey your word.

I have not turned from your decrees;

  you yourself have taught me.

Lord, how I love your law!

Gospel Acclamation

Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Lk4:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 4:16-30 ©

'This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen'

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,

for he has anointed me.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives

and to the blind new sight,

to set the downtrodden free,

to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’

  But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’

  And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

  ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’

  When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

 

PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL THROUGH A DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 COR 2:1-5; LK 4:16-30 ]

Today’s scripture readings invite us to proclaim the Good News, just as Jesus and St Paul did.  What is the most effective way to bring across the Good News to those who do not know our Lord?  Most people think that conversion is brought about through intellectual discourse and philosophical debate.  Intellectuals think that we can argue people into faith.  If these were so, then all intellectuals and brilliant people in the world would have shared the same faith.  However, all of them subscribe to different beliefs and some only believe in themselves.

To think that a philosophical approach to religions can bring people to faith is an illusion.  Of course, we might get a few conversions but in general when we argue over beliefs, most of us want to prove the other person’s position wrong and to prove ourselves right.  Few would give in to the views of the other person.  In a debate, it is not so much to believe what the other party is saying but we are focused on their weakness so that we can defeat their position.  There is no docility and openness.   Indeed, St Paul learned his lesson when he engaged in a philosophical debate with the Athenians at Areopagus.  (Acts 17:16-34) He used reason to show why Jesus was the appointed one of God.  Only a few joined him and became believers.  At most, reason and argument can only sow the seeds of faith.  St Paul learnt a hard lesson from this failure.  In today’s reading, he wrote, “Brothers, when I came to you, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed.”

What about eloquent preaching and teaching?  Does it necessarily mean that if a preacher speaks eloquently, with the right diction, pronunciation and with great oratory skills, and even with profound insights, he will be able to touch lives and change people?  Again, this is not the case.  Every homily I preach will touch some people radically, some are enlightened, some are moved, some disagree and feel uninspired.   Why?  It is the same homily preached by the same person, but having different results.  This was the case of Jesus in today’s gospel as well.  He went back to His hometown to preach in the synagogue.  “Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’  And he won the approval of them all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.” Jesus impressed them with His words.  He must have spoken eloquently.  But soon later, His own townsfolk rejected Him.  Why?

St Paul in his letter to the Romans also asked, “But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.  But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have; for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’ Again I ask, did Israel not understand?  Of Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.'” (cf Rom 10:16-21) Indeed, it is not what is said that will change the minds and hearts of people.  No matter how good a preacher is, how eloquent and enlightened he might be, if the listener is not receptive or open to the Word of God, nothing is going to happen.  Instead of a humble reception, we will get only criticisms, arguments and disagreements.

Indeed, in today’s gospel, His townsfolk could not accept Him because of pride.   They were prejudiced against Him as He was just one of them.  They said, “This is Joseph’s son surely?”   They were too proud to accept any exhortation from someone whom they knew came from a similar background as them.  The older ones would have thought to themselves that they knew more and certainly they did not need a young man to lecture them.  Intellectual pride is the main reason why today many cannot hear the Word of God when it is preached.  They are not listening to the Word of God when it is read, or the homily when it is preached.  They are like the Pharisees, looking for faults so that they could criticize and put the person down, so that they can feel good about themselves.  They were envious and jealous, like the townsfolk of our Lord.  Indeed, Jesus remarked that like all the prophets of the Old Testament, a prophet is never accepted in his own country.

Secondly, they were not just proud but selfish and exclusive.  Jesus made the point that God not only came to the help of the Israelites but He also extended His mercy to the Gentiles as in the days of Elijah and Elisha.  Elijah was sent to help a widow who was dying of hunger, and to heal Naaman.  “When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged.  They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff.”  They could not accept that the faith of the Gentiles was stronger than their own faith in God.  They were angry that Jesus compared them to the Israelites who lost their faith in Yahweh and worshiped the pagan gods.  They could not accept that God would love the Gentiles more than them, the chosen people of God.

As a result, they lacked faith in Jesus.  They were not receptive to His word.  They wanted to see miracles without faith.  The Lord said, “No doubt you will quote me the saying, ‘Physician, heal yourself’ and tell me, ‘We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your countryside.'”  No miracles could be performed because Jesus did not perform miracles to entertain people or to prove Himself.   Jesus came to heal and to bring the “Good News to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.”

So, what can change the hearts, not so much their minds, of people?  We must touch their hearts before we can touch their minds.  As St Augustine says, “Believe and you will understand.”   When they believe in us, their minds will be receptive to the Word of God. This is what St Paul realized in the work of evangelization.  Proclamation of the gospel must begin with a personal conviction of the person of Christ.  He said, “I simply want to tell you what God had guaranteed.  During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ.”  It was St Paul’s personal encounter with the Risen Lord at Damascus that changed his views about Jesus; not some intellectual discourse.

For this reason, the most effective way of touching hearts is to testify to the Lord’s work in our lives, not by some abstract intellectual discussion.  “Far from relying on any power of my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit.  And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.”  Only when we testify to what God is doing in our lives, can we convince people about the power of God. This was why the Lord went about doing good, healing the sick, casting our devil, freeing the people from oppression and diseases.   Jesus incarnated God’s mercy and power in His life.

However, even testifying to what the Lord has done for us is not sufficient.  The best way to convince people that Christ is the Lord is when our lives are changed.  People will believe that our God is real not by what we say but how our lives have been transformed by our relationship with the Lord.  The best witnessing is not by words but how our life has been changed from one of selfishness to generosity, from hostility to forgiveness, from hatred to love, from fear to trust in God.   Indeed, when we find a person who was suffering from all kinds of addiction healed and liberated, we know that God is at work in Him.  The best testimony is one who is transformed and living the life of Christ in humility and service.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. The contents of this page may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission from the Archbishop’s Office. This includes extracts, quotations, and summaries.

 

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Saturday, 29 August 2020

FEAR OF SUFFERING IS OVERCOME BY LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE FOR MAN

20200830 FEAR OF SUFFERING IS OVERCOME BY LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE FOR MAN

 

 

30 August, 2020, Sunday, 22nd Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

Jeremiah 20:7-9 ©

The word of the Lord has meant insult for me

You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced;

you have overpowered me: you were the stronger.

I am a daily laughing-stock,

everybody’s butt.

Each time I speak the word, I have to howl

and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’

The word of the Lord has meant for me

insult, derision, all day long.

I used to say, ‘I will not think about him,

I will not speak in his name any more.’

Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart,

imprisoned in my bones.

The effort to restrain it wearied me,

I could not bear it.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 62(63):2-6,8-9 ©

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;

  for you my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for you

  like a dry, weary land without water.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary

  to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,

  my lips will speak your praise.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

So I will bless you all my life,

  in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,

  my mouth shall praise you with joy.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

For you have been my help;

  in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.

My soul clings to you;

  your right hand holds me fast.

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.

Second reading

Romans 12:1-2 ©

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice

Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ep1:17,18

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!

Gospel

Matthew 16:21-27 ©

'Get behind me, Satan!'

Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

  Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?

  ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’

 

FEAR OF SUFFERING IS OVERCOME BY LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE FOR MAN

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ JER 20:7-9; ROM 12:1-2; MT 16: 21-27 ]

The world is fearful of suffering.  Who is not afraid of suffering? Even Jesus was afraid of suffering when He was in the garden of Gethsemane.  We are all frightened of suffering, whether it is physical suffering that comes from illness or old age; or from poverty, privation, injustice and oppression.  Those of us who have suffered from prolonged or terminal illnesses will understand the anxiety and pain they carry each day.  For those so used to the material comforts of life, we are also fearful that we will be deprived of the luxuries of life.

But it is not only physical suffering that we fear.  Emotional and psychological suffering that comes from rejection, ridicule, lies, betrayal and estranged relationships are even more painful to bear as it affects us both emotionally and psychologically. Those of us who suffer from emotional turmoil or depression can surely understand how difficult it is to get out of the situation wwe are in.  Unlike physical pain, emotional pain is not located in any part of the body but in the soul.   Indeed, most of our sufferings are due more to failure in relationships than failure in life and in career.

In the face of suffering, it is only natural that we try to rid of all suffering.  But how do we conquer our suffering?  We don’t!  This is the whole problem.  We run away from suffering by seeking escape routes.  Men do it by drinking, women by shopping; and both men and women sometimes by eating or even sex.   But indulging in such activities only cause us more suffering than what we are already going through.  Others overcome their fear of suffering by accumulating wealth and power so that they can feel secure and loved.

This was the way Peter reacted to Jesus’ prophecy of His imminent death on the cross.  He took Jesus aside and started to remonstrate with him.  “Heaven preserve you, Lord.  This must not happen to you.” It is not difficult to understand where Peter’s fear was coming from as the Jews believed that suffering is punishment for the sinner whereas blessings are given to those who are obedient to the Torah.  Such an understanding is perpetuated by some Christians who preach what they call “a prosperity gospel.”  They promise believers that if they surrender themselves to God, He will reward them with blessings, not just spiritual blessings in this world but material blessings as well.  They claim that if we trust God, He will bless us with good health, success in our career, wealth, status, friends and prestige. But such a message is deceptive and an illusion.

Jesus in today’s gospel warns us not to model ourselves after the world.  Jesus’ reprimand to Peter is meant for us all.  Such kind of thinking is from the devil.  Hence, Jesus said, “‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.'”  In a similar vein, St Paul exhorts us saying, “Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind.”  In no uncertain terms, Jesus makes it clear the demands of discipleship.  He said, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

The call to renunciation and the cross must therefore be seen in the context of a greater life.  We do not suffer for the sake of suffering.  That would be sadism.  Suffering is never an end in itself.  Yet, suffering is necessary for our happiness and salvation.  Suffering must be seen in the context of redemption and sanctification.  Jesus immediately enjoined happiness to these demands by saying, “For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?”  Resurrection without the cross is an illusion, but the cross without resurrection would be a tragedy.

Indeed, if we want to save our life, we will lose it.  We can save our life only by losing it.  This means that happiness in life depends on whether we are capable of sacrificial love.  Love requires sacrifice and self-denial.  Only those who are able to give themselves selflessly to the service of others can truly find their identity and security in life.  In the same breath, St Paul urges us to offer our body as a living sacrifice.

Indeed, to overcome our aversion to suffering, we must suffer for a meaning and for a cause.  It is pointless and meaningless suffering that causes us to be miserable and resentful.  We can bear all sufferings in life provided we know that we are not suffering in vain.   But what is it that is truly worth suffering for? The love of God and our fellowmen!  For the sake of love, we can bear all sufferings in life.  For the sake of our loved ones, our spouse, children, siblings and friends, we are willing to suffer.

Jeremiah, St Paul and Jesus too were ready to suffer for their mission because they were motivated by their love for God and for their fellowmen.  Although Jeremiah was misunderstood as lacking patriotism by prophesying against the leaders and the people, he was actually speaking out of love and anxiety for them.  St Paul might appear to be harsh with the Jews, but he too was preaching the Good News out of love for his people so that they would be converted to the Lord.  Jesus too preached the gospel to His contemporaries because He was filled with compassion for them.

Love is a precondition for the capacity to suffer.  For only when we love, are we able to identify ourselves with our beloved.  That is why parents are more than willing to suffer for their children, not only because they love them as their flesh and blood but because they can identify with them.  This is equally true in friendship.  We are able to make sacrifices for our friends and loved ones only because we know them well enough to identify with their sufferings and their lives.  Conversely, if we find ourselves lacking sympathy towards people whom we do not know, it is because we are unable to identify with them in their predicament.  So love and suffering go together, for love brings about identification and identification makes one capable of suffering for the other.

It is within this context that we can better understand the true meaning of vicarious suffering.  We are willing to take on the sufferings of those whom we love, just as Christ took upon himself our sufferings, only because of love.  Such vicarious suffering is redemptive both to the giver and to the recipient.  For the receiver, he is healed by the gracious love of another.  For the giver, he has grown in magnanimity.  Yes, suffering is redemptive when we suffer with Jesus and for our brothers and sisters in love.   In the process of suffering with and for others, we sanctify ourselves and heal them as well.

But this sacrificial love and vicarious suffering presupposes that we have emptied ourselves.  This is why renunciation of self is the first condition of sacrificial love. If we cannot say “no” to ourselves, we cannot say “yes” to others.   If we cannot renounce our will and attachment to our needs and desires, we cannot give ourselves to others, neither to God.   Renunciation is to create space in our hearts for others.  Once we have emptied ourselves we can identify with the love of God and the sufferings of our fellowmen.  Without interior and external freedom, we cannot give ourselves to others.

But what was the secret in the compassionate love of Jesus and the prophets?  It was because they were consumed by the Word of God and His love for us.  Jeremiah said, “You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced; you have overpowered me … there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones.”  What is said of Jeremiah could also be said equally if not more for St Paul and for Jesus.  So consumed by the love of God and His love for humanity were they that they too continued to preach the Good News regardless of rejection, insults, derision and opposition throughout their ministry.  It was His Father’s love for Him and His love for humanity that made Jesus resolute in going to Jerusalem, the place of His passion and glory.  He knew that that was the only way to show the utter love of His Father for humanity.  Indeed, if we want to suffer courageously and meaningfully, we need to pray that we too will be touched by God’s love for us by understanding the depth of Christ’s sacrifice for us.  Yes, like the Psalmist, we must cry out to God saying, “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”  Only God can overwhelm us with His love and seduce us into loving Him totally.

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

 

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Friday, 28 August 2020

SIN IN PEACE AND DIE IN PIECES

20200829 SIN IN PEACE AND DIE IN PIECES

 

 

29 August, 2020, Saturday, The Beheading of John the Baptist

First reading

Jeremiah 1:17-19 ©

Stand up and tell them all I command you; do not be dismayed at their presence

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:

‘Brace yourself for action.

Stand up and tell them

all I command you.

Do not be dismayed at their presence,

or in their presence I will make you dismayed.

‘I, for my part, today will make you

into a fortified city,

a pillar of iron,

and a wall of bronze

to confront all this land:

the kings of Judah, its princes,

its priests and the country people.

They will fight against you

but shall not overcome you,

for I am with you to deliver you –

it is the Lord who speaks.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 70(71):1-6,15,17 ©

My lips will tell of your help.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

  let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me, free me:

  pay heed to me and save me.

My lips will tell of your help.

Be a rock where I can take refuge,

  a mighty stronghold to save me;

  for you are my rock, my stronghold.

Free me from the hand of the wicked.

My lips will tell of your help.

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,

  my trust, O Lord, since my youth.

On you I have leaned from my birth,

  from my mother’s womb you have been my help.

My lips will tell of your help.

My lips will tell of your justice

  and day by day of your help.

O God, you have taught me from my youth

  and I proclaim your wonders still.

My lips will tell of your help.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt5:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy those who are persecuted

in the cause of right,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 6:17-29 ©

The beheading of John the Baptist

Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

  An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

 

SIN IN PEACE AND DIE IN PIECES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JEREMIAH 1:17-19; MARK 6:17-29  ]

We are all sinners.  The truth remains that we are so tempted by the world, the flesh and Satan that we prefer to sin than to live in truth and love.  We want the pleasures of life, the honour and glory of the world, the freedom to give free rein to our passions, whether it is for sex, food, or feelings.  We find it difficult to resist, especially with regard to sexual pleasure, which can consume us.

Regardless, we do not want to be reminded of our sins and our wrong doings.  This is often the case for most sinners.  The last thing we want is to be told of our sins or be reprimanded.  We will fight ferociously for our right to live a sinful life.  We will attack those who oppose our corrupt, selfish and sinful lifestyle.  That is why prophets of truth are always unwelcome.  This was true for all the prophets of Israel, including Jeremiah, John the Baptist, whose feast we are celebrating today, and of course our Lord Himself.  There are people who have told me to stop preaching too much about sins, because “it is discouraging. We know we are sinners.   We do not wish to be reminded of our sins.”  Why?  Because sinners want to sin in peace.

Sinners desire to sin without guilt.  When the truth is preached, it unsettles their heart and their conscience.  They want to hear affirming words, that it is all right to sin because the more we sin, the more God loves us.  God understands that we are sinners, so our sins are acceptable because we are human.   We should just live and let live.  Indeed, the world only wants to hear good news. They want to be affirmed that what they are doing is acceptable.  Is not this what moral relativism is seeking to do, to condition our minds?  There is no moral truth; it is all a matter of preference.  So, unity is achieved by consensus, or with the minority giving in to the preference of the majority.  Better still, let each choose what he or she likes.

Secondly, people react negatively to prophets of truth and love because their teaching and reprimand bring us shame.  In fact, whilst guilt is a burden of conscience that weighs us down, we are more worried about shame than guilt.  We can pretend to be at peace even when we are carrying lots of guilt in our heart.  But we cannot tolerate shame because it hurts our ego.  As we know, pride is the foundation of all sins.  We want to look good in front of others.  We want to be accepted, to be popular and to be worshipped.  So, when we are exposed for our crimes, our sin of infidelity, our sexual offences, we lose our dignity.  This is why we hide our sins because of shame.  Some fall into deep depression because of shame, and commit suicide.

This is precisely what the world seeks to eliminate, guilt and shame from living a sinful life.  To remove guilt, they tell us that we are all immaculately conceived, not just the Blessed Virgin Mary, and we are all innocent like Adam and Eve when they were first created.   So, there is no such thing as sin but simply a question of personal choices.  Secondly, we try to get celebrities, entertainment, political, economic and corporate leaders to be on our side, not just to endorse such a lifestyle but living the lifestyle.  Today, leaders are no longer judged on their moral lifestyles and what they do in their private life.  So long as they ensure that the economy is doing well, people are free to do whatever they want to do, and there is no civil disorder, they will be guaranteed of being re-elected to power.  People vote for a government that can raise their material standards of living, not whether they govern with the right moral values.  Morality is strictly a private matter unless there is corruption with respect to money and power.

We can thus understand the anger and vindictiveness of Herodias.  She was fuming mad at John the Baptist because he was not just putting guilt into her adulterous husband, Herod, but he was putting them to shame before the people.  Indeed, they were not just ordinary people, unknown to the community.  They were leaders and so the shame that John the Baptist brought on them was intolerable and unforgiveable.  When a person loses face, he becomes very vindictive.  As William Congreve said, “hell has no fury like a woman scorned.”  She was consumed by anger and revenge and “wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John.”   This made her even more upset because she failed to get the support of Herod to have him silenced completely so that they could continue to sin in peace and be in public without shame.

This is what the world is doing as well.  If ever the Church or anyone speaks against sin or about morality, they will be confronted, exposed for their hypocrisy and discredited even if what they say is true.  So we can appreciate why the Catholic Church is in the forefront of ridicule by the world.   For every scandal that our priests commit is given wide publicity so that no one would believe what the Church is teaching about moral truths.   Such scandals seem to happen only in the Roman Catholic Church whilst all other institutions, religious, public, or private are hardly mentioned.  This is because the real threat against the world is the Catholic Church, not others, because they do not speak of morality as much as the Church does.   So we are being silenced for fear of retaliation by the world.

However, not all of us are like Herodias. Many of us are more like Herod.  He was a sinner; his conscience was not numbed as that of Herodias because she was consumed by anger and pride.  He wanted to repent but he was a weak man.   Indeed, “Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.”  In truth, if we still like to listen to homilies on sin, it means that most likely, our hearts are still very much with God.  It is just that we do not have the will to do the right thing, like Herod.  Those who do not like to hear the truth spoken are more like Herodias, simply because they do not want to be reminded of the truth and made to feel guilty, and be upset by the wrongdoings in their life.

So, there is hope.  However, we must not act like Herod to the Word of God when it is preached to us.  He was such a morally weak man that he allowed his inclination to the sin of lust, power and glory to blind him in making right decisions.  How true it is that one sin leads to another.  Sin is like cancer.  It grows and grows to such a point that we lose sight of what is true and good.  Like King Herod who, although was feeling guilty over his adultery with Herodias, was still seeking for the truth.  He knew that John the Baptist was speaking the truth, without fear or favour.  He had no personal grudge against John the Baptist.  But then again when confronted with an impulsive oath that he made before his guests that he would give her daughter anything she asked, even half of his kingdom, he did not object to such an evil request to have the head of John the Baptist.  He should have had the moral courage to stand by the truth and not accede to evil.  But then, carried away by his pride that clouded his mind, and most likely with the carousing all night, he would have been half drunk when he made the decision, a decision which he would regret throughout the rest of his life.

We, too, will end up like him if we do not heed the Word of God, the voice of our conscience, the truth that is spoken to us by people who genuinely care and love us.   We must pray for humility, courage and receptivity to the truth.  As for us who are called to speak the truth, St Paul reminds us, “proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.”  (2 Tim 4:2)   Like Jeremiah, let us brace ourselves for action.  “Stand up and tell them all I command you. Do not be dismayed at their presence, or in their presence I will make you dismayed.”   Prophets must also be true to their conscience in speaking up.

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

 

 

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THE WISDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST CRUCIFIED

2020828 THE WISDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST CRUCIFIED

 

 

28 August, 2020, Friday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

These are the readings for the feria

First reading

1 Corinthians 1:17-25 ©

We preach a crucified Christ, the power and wisdom of God

Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed. The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God’s wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach. And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 32(33):1-2,4-5,10-11 ©

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;

  for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,

  with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

For the word of the Lord is faithful

  and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

  and fills the earth with his love.

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

He frustrates the designs of the nations,

  he defeats the plans of the peoples.

His own designs shall stand for ever,

  the plans of his heart from age to age.

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

Or:

Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times

for the strength to stand with confidence

before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13 ©

The wise and foolish virgins

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

 

THE WISDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST CRUCIFIED

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Cor 1:17-25; Ps 33:1-2,4-5,10-11; Mt 25:1-13  ]

St Paul wrote that Christ sent him to “preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed.”  Indeed, Christianity is truly a religion that transcends logic and reason.  This explains why acceptance of Christ is based on faith.  It is not grounded on reason alone.  Understandably, those who have not known Christ or never encountered Him would not be able to accept the claims of Christ about Jesus as the Son of God, or that God is the Holy Trinity and the doctrine of the Incarnation.  Those who try to reason themselves into faith will not be able to do so.  Neither can we reason out with someone that Christ is the Son of God.

The essence of Christianity is the proclamation of the Kerygma, which consists in declaring that Christ suffered, was crucified on the cross for our salvation and rose again.  However, St Paul noted that “the language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save.”  Indeed, mere reasoning alone would contradict the claim that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God.  It goes beyond human logic and philosophical reasoning.  As St Paul said, for the Jews, the proclamation of the Messiah’s suffering and crucifixion is a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. “The Jews demanded miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness.”

Why is it a scandal for the Jews?  Simply because they have always thought that God was all powerful.  God has always shown Himself victorious over His enemies.  In the Old Testament, He was the Lord of Host, the Commander of Israel’s army.  With His power, Israel would win every battle.   So to think of a suffering and, worse still, a crucified Messiah contradicts the faith of the Israelites.  In fact, they understood suffering, poverty and sickness as signs that they were cursed by God or condemned by Him.  This was the question raised in the book of Job.   Most of all, the death of Jesus would be inexplicable since Moses said, “anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” (Dt 21:23) Even Peter and the apostles could not accept Jesus’ passion prophecies.  They found it difficult to understand why the Messiah had to die.  That was why after His death on the cross, the faith and hope of the disciples were shaken.  The disciples at Emmaus were feeling downcast.  (Lk 24:13-27) To say that the Messiah was crucified would be a contradiction.

Why a scandal for the Greeks?  For the Greeks, God is perfect and immutable.   God is pure being, as the Greeks believe in Ancient Greek Philosophy.  Because God is perfect, He is the unchanging.  He is impassible, omniscient, omnipotent, and all good. Not only is the suffering of God untenable, even His incarnation is irreconcilable.  This was why in the early Church, the heresies were centered around the person of Jesus, whether He was one or two persons that is divine, or human, or both assimilated into one person, or whether He had one or two natures, human or divine, or both assimilated.   It was very difficult for the early Christians to preach the crucified Christ to the Greeks because it sounded ludicrous. Firstly, that God could become man, secondly that He suffered and died, and lastly, He was raised from the dead.  Indeed, when St Paul spoke to them at Areopagus about Christ as the appointed one whom God raised from the dead, some scoffed at him.  (Acts 17:31f) Such ideas of the incarnation, passion and resurrection of the body fly in the face of the Greeks.  These were totally unacceptable because for the Greeks, using logic and reason, they came to conclude that we are contingent beings.  Only God is pure being.  He is the efficient cause not caused by any.  Unlike the Being (God) we are all dependent beings.

The Christian proclamation of Christ crucified precisely went contrary to all the religious and philosophical beliefs in the Jewish and the Greek world.  This is the true wisdom of God.  What is an obstacle to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks is God’s power and wisdom!  St Paul wrote that he preached “a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God.  For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”  How is this so?  How is Christ’s crucifixion a wisdom that defeats the wisdom of man?

In the suffering and death of our Lord, how is the obstacle of the Jews removed?  Precisely, in Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, God demonstrated that weakness is power.  By not resisting, by not fighting back, by not retaliating, Jesus showed that love is greater than hatred, life is greater than death.  Only because God loves in this manner, no one can ever doubt the love of God and His mercy.  By raising Jesus from the dead, God showed that not even sin, hatred or death could overcome goodness, love and life.  Indeed, St Peter wrote, “When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”  (1 Pt 2:23-25 cf Is 53:13-15)

Against the Greek concept of an immutable and impassible God, the humanity of Jesus reveals to us that this God whom we worship is with us.  In the suffering and death of our Lord, God is identified with us.  He shares in our joys and sorrows, our pain and struggles against sin.  This God is therefore not distant from our suffering.  The letter of Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  (Heb 4:15f) Indeed, only because we know that this God feels with us, we can pray to Him.

Otherwise, we cannot speak of God’s love and mercy.  If God is immutable and impassible, why do we worship such a God?  We cannot love Him and He cannot love us.  We will just fall into fatalism.  Since this God is the Supreme Being outside of us, so perfect, all we need is to accept His will and suffer.  There is no one to blame, there is no one to help us.  We can only depend on ourselves.  So the conclusion of a Theistic concept of God is that it does not matter whether God exists or not.  We just have to surrender ourselves to the order of nature, do what we can ourselves and solve our problems.  There is no need to worship Him or even know about Him since He is a helpless and often hapless God too.

Once we understand the wisdom of such a concept of God, we can appreciate the Crucified Christ as God’s wisdom.  St Paul cited the scripture saying, “I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned.  Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God’s wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach.”  (cf Is 29:14, 19:1)

This preaching of the Crucified Christ must include the resurrection, which serves to prove that although God is passible, He is never overwhelmed by our suffering and our needs.   He is also beyond us as God.  This is the meaning of the resurrection.  He is not only Almighty God but He is also the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and of us all.  As Father, He can feel with us and suffer with us.  He loves us and hears our prayers.  As almighty God, He is beyond all our sufferings.  He is not a God whom we can control or a hapless puny god we can manipulate.  As God, nothing is impossible for Him.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. The contents of this page may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission from the Archbishop’s Office. This includes extracts, quotations, and summaries.

 

 

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