20200826 COMFORTABLE CHRISTIANITY
26 August, 2020, Wednesday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading |
2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18 © |
We worked night and day not to be a burden on you
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you, brothers, to keep away from any of the brothers who refuses to work or to live according to the tradition we passed on to you.
You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you. This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.
We gave you a rule when we were with you: do not let anyone have any food if he refuses to do any work. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace all the time and in every way. The Lord be with you all.
From me, PAUL, these greetings in my own handwriting, which is the mark of genuineness in every letter; this is my own writing. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 127(128):1-2,4-5 © |
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt4:4 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Or: | 1Jn2:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 23:27-32 © |
You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, “We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.” So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.’
COMFORTABLE CHRISTIANITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-10,16-18; MATTHEW 23:27-32 ]
Why do people choose a particular religion or a church? We choose one because that religion or church answers to our needs. This religion must provide us solace, encouragement and hope. We hope that it will provide us peace and some contact with the Sacred. Indeed, one of the reasons people give when asked why they chose a particular religion is because it fulfils their personal or spiritual needs.
So most of us seek a religion that makes us feel comfortable and puts us at ease. We prefer a religion that gives us the freedom to do what we want, endorse our desires and support even our immoral positions. We want a religion that endorses divorce, same-sex union, abortion, IVF, surrogate motherhood, euthanasia and absolute freedom. We want a religion that does not upset us or confront us with our moral choices but always tells us that God understands, He accepts, He forgives always, no matter what we do and He will always bless us. We want a religion that is organized but not so institutional that it interferes with our lifestyle. We are happy to go to church every Sunday for an hour, hear an inspiring homily, give a few dollars to the collection, and then return home to live the same life we are living. We do not want commitments beyond just performing a few rituals. In this way, we feel happy, at ease, having done our little for God and be assured of salvation.
As the German Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer says “Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
However, this is not Christianity! To be a Christian requires commitment, integrity of life and being prophetic in our lifestyle. There is no complacency or idleness in living out our faith, as we read in today’s first reading. St Paul reprimanded those Christians who were waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord with excitement, but abandoned their responsibilities in daily living and to the community. They were loafers and taking advantage of the Christian community, enjoying the benefits, the contributions of others but not contributing anything. Instead, they were idling away. Being busybodies, they interfere in other people’s business, gossip and create misunderstanding and division.
There are Catholics who behave like some of the Christians in Thessalonica. They contribute nothing to the church in kind or in service but they are demanding. They want all kinds of services provided for free and be served like members of the royalty. This is true even for some Catholic workers as well. Just because the Church preaches compassion, tolerance, patience, understanding and forgiveness, some take advantage of the Church’s magnanimity. They are irresponsible in their work, lazy, not accountable for what they do, always idling and gossiping but not getting their work done, or done without due diligence, causing others to do damage control by taking over their work. Such irresponsible, selfish and self-centered attitudes will destroy the Christian community. This is certainly not the way to be a Christian. This is not the gospel of our Lord.
In the gospel, the Lord challenged the religious leaders of His day. He called them “whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption.” During the time of our Lord, the tombs were on the side of the road where pilgrims had to pass by. There was always the possibility of people stepping on the tombstones, causing them to be unclean and unable to offer the sacrifices at the Temple. So, during the festivals especially, the tombs were washed clean and painted white so that they glistened under the hot sun and people could avoid stepping on them. Of course, inside the tomb, there were only bones of the dead and all kinds of corruption. The religious leaders behaved in that manner. On the outside, they appeared to be pious, holy, reverential and faithful in observing the commandments to the letter. However, behind their outward show of piety and holiness, they were greedy, envious, and unjust to their fellowmen, craving for power, popularity and respect. Indeed, as the Lord said, “you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Again, we are also guilty of behaving in the same manner. We are very active in church, involved in all kinds of activities, rendering our services to one organization after another, but we would not lift a hand to keep our own house clean, or contribute to the household chores. Some of us are involved in serving the poor and taking care of migrant workers but with our own workers, we are unjust in paying their salary. We underpay them for the work they do. We are calculative and demanding. Again, some of us can be active in church organizing retreats and talks but at home or in the office, we are tyrants, abusive, intimidating, suspicious, malicious, conniving and political. Then again, some give money to charity but they are stealing from others, conducting dishonest and even immoral businesses and trading. Indeed, some of us look good outside but inside, we host a different life. People who know us and live with us will know whether we are genuine or just putting up a good show for others to think well of us.
The Lord also warns us not to associate ourselves with those who commit evil, crimes and killing. He told the scribes and Pharisees. “You hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, ‘We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.’ So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets!” Indeed, on one hand they condemned all those who killed the prophets that God sent to Israel. However, they were still killing God’s prophets in their time, like John the Baptist, our Lord, the apostles and the early Christians. They were blind to their own sins when they were repeating the sins of their fathers.
This hypocritical, double-standard way of life is still practiced by both religious, political and corporate leaders. On the one hand, we condemn the death penalty, terrorist activities, race and gender discrimination, violence during demonstrations and the lack of freedom of speech in other countries, but in our own land, we are doing exactly the same thing. How can one advocate the elimination of the death penalty, claiming the dignity of human life, when we are blind to the fact that we are killing millions of babies each year? On one hand, the world is frightened of depopulation. They spend much money to have babies through IVF, surrogate motherhood and cloning. On the other hand, they encourage abortion and euthanasia, same-sex union. There is much inconsistency in what we champion, whether it is with respect to the dignity of life or justice.
Today, we must take heed of the advice of St Paul. “You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you.” Let us be consistent in what we believe and what we do. If we are serious about welcoming the Lord at the end of time, we must already be living the life of Christ, in charity and service, in selflessness and integrity.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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