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.
No comments:
Post a Comment