Tuesday 29 September 2020

LET GOD BE GOD IN OUR LIVES

20200930 LET GOD BE GOD IN OUR LIVES

30 September, 2020, Wednesday, 26th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Job 9:1-13,14-16 ©

How can man be in the right against God?

Job spoke to his friends:

Indeed, I know it is as you say:

how can man be in the right against God?

If any were so rash as to challenge him for reasons,

one in a thousand would be more than they could answer.

His heart is wise, and his strength is great:

who then can successfully defy him?

He moves the mountains, though they do not know it;

he throws them down when he is angry.

He shakes the earth, and moves it from its place,

making all its pillars tremble.

The sun, at his command, forbears to rise,

and on the stars he sets a seal.

He and no other stretched out the skies,

and trampled the Sea’s tall waves.

The Bear, Orion too, are of his making,

the Pleiades and the Mansions of the South.

His works are great, beyond all reckoning,

his marvels, past all counting.

Were he to pass me, I should not see him,

nor detect his stealthy movement.

Were he to snatch a prize, who could prevent him,

or dare to say, ‘What are you doing?’

How dare I plead my cause, then,

or choose arguments against him?

Suppose I am in the right, what use is my defence?

For he whom I must sue is judge as well.

If he deigned to answer my citation,

could I be sure that he would listen to my voice?

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 87(88):10-15 ©

Let my prayer come into your presence, O Lord.

I call to you, Lord, all the day long;

to you I stretch out my hands.

Will you work your wonders for the dead?

Will the shades stand and praise you?

Let my prayer come into your presence, O Lord.

Will your love be told in the grave

or your faithfulness among the dead?

Will your wonders be known in the dark

or your justice in the land of oblivion?

Let my prayer come into your presence, O Lord.

As for me, Lord, I call to you for help:

in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Lord, why do you reject me?

Why do you hide your face?

Let my prayer come into your presence, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:105

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is a lamp for my steps

and a light for my path.

Alleluia!

Or:

Ph3:8-9

Alleluia, alleluia!

I have accepted the loss of everything

and I look on everything as so much rubbish

if only I can have Christ

and be given a place in him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 9:57-62 ©

'I will follow you wherever you go'

As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’

Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’

Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

LET GOD BE GOD IN OUR LIVES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Job 9:1-13,14-16; Luke 9:57-62]

We can surely empathize with Job although we might not be able to claim that we are always just to our fellowmen and faithful to God as he was. Still, we feel unjustified many times in our lives, that God is being unfair to us. We work so hard for our family, our loved ones, and our bosses and the community, but often we feel that we are taken for a ride. They make use of us and are not grateful for what we do. Some even take advantage of us and dump us when we are no longer useful. We wonder why life is so unfair to us. It seems that evil men triumph and have the best of this world; social status, fame, luxury, fine lifestyle, and riches. However, we who are diligent and honest are at a disadvantage. We never have time to enjoy ourselves because it is all work and service to those whom we are responsible for in life. We feel tired and burnt out. What is dangerous is when we start to engage in self-pity; we put ourselves at risk of becoming self-righteous. Instead of asking what we can learn from our suffering and struggles, we ask why these people have a better life than us. We become resentful of the world and of God.

This was the situation of Job. He felt he had done nothing wrong. He was innocent. In his mind, his suffering was not just. He had lived his life justly before God and man. He had nothing to repent of because he had not done anything wrong, even if he not perfect. Yet God inflicted Him with sufferings that reduced him to a worm, his body was full of disgusting sores, he was scorned and despised by man. He could not understand what was happening to him. He wanted an answer from God, just as we demand an answer when we suffer unjustly and innocently. Nevertheless, Job was still respectful even when he articulated his pains before God. He was conscious of the power of God and His sovereignty over all creation because He is the creator of the entire universe. God, who created us as persons, therefore, should be capable of dialogue as well. God, however, did not seem to be engaging him. He was silent. Job concluded that God was incomprehensible and we would never be able to argue with Him anyway. “How dare I plead my cause, then, or choose arguments against him? Suppose I am in the right, what use is my defence? For he whom I must sue is judge as well. If he deigned to answer my citation, could I be sure that he would listen to my voice?”

Truly, this is also the message of our Lord in today’s gospel. We must allow God to be God in our lives. We have no right to question Him. He must be the sovereign Lord of our lives, in all that we do and all that we have. Our lives belong to Him. He has total command over us. This is what the psalmists say, “He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (Ps 95:7) “Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Ps 100:3) Indeed, for in all that we do He is our Lord, our God, and His kingdom must be first in our lives. Jesus told His disciples to “strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt 6:33) Indeed, our love for God, our loyalty to Him and His kingdom must take priority and precedence in everything that we do. God must be first, and the center of our lives. This is how His disciples must behave, as the gospel indicates today.

In the first incident, we have a man who said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” The first condition of discipleship is our readiness to make sacrifices for the kingdom. If we are not ready to commit ourselves and share in the suffering, inconvenience, rejection and privation of riches, wealth and pleasures, we are not ready to be His disciples. The test of a true disciple is the ability to make sacrifices.

For the greater good of the kingdom, a true disciple is willing to forgo his rest, his time, his pleasures, his holidays and his enjoyments. Indeed, even in daily life, a man who loves his wife and children would sacrifice everything he has to look after them, to care for them, and to provide for their needs and comforts. Someone who is committed to an organization would give himself entirely to it even at the expense of his personal comfort and rest. Discipleship, therefore, is not for the faint-hearted. If we are looking for pleasure, power, money, and fame, then we do not understand what Christian discipleship is all about.

In the second incident, Jesus told a man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Let me go and bury my father first.” The response of our Lord was firm and decisive. “Leave the dead to bury the dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” This seems to be a very harsh demand of our Lord for anyone to be His disciples. He was going against the culture of His time when filial piety, taking care of one’s elderly was not just one of the 10 Commandments but a very serious obligation. Again, in this instance, Jesus put God and His kingdom above the demands even of our family. God cannot be second place. However, this does not mean that Jesus is asking us to neglect our commitments to our family, our job, and only do God’s work. On the contrary, unless we give our commitment to God and His kingdom first, we cannot serve our family and our organization with total devotion and in a manner that helps them to find true happiness, meaning, and purpose in life. Only when we give ourselves totally to God and the values of His kingdom, can we see everything in perspective.

At the same time, making God and the Kingdom the centre of our lives cannot wait. It is something so important and urgent. To delay is to lose the opportunity. The man was not saying that his father had died. Many receive the inspiration to respond to God’s call, or to render his services to the Church or community, but do not act on it when the fire is hot. Eventually, when the flame dies down, he forgets about it. Therefore, for Jesus, there cannot be any delay in responding to the Kingdom. We must strike when the iron is hot. This is why those of us who are recruiting would-be disciples must immediately enroll them when they are keen and excited. By the time we wait and wait, Satan would have carried the seed sown away. So, we must be decisive in seizing the opportunity of service.

In the third incident, another potential disciple said to the Lord, “I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.” Jesus said to him, “Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Anyone who wants to be a disciple of our Lord must always be looking forward and not backward to the past. Many of us cannot make progress in our spiritual life because we are always tempted to resurrect the old Adam in us. In times of trial and difficulties, we begin to wonder whether we have made the right decision. We long for the good old days. We begin to imagine what our life would be like if we had chosen otherwise. Such thoughts come from the Evil One. Jesus wants us to be focused on our mission and His Father. Unless we put our heart and soul and mind to what we are doing, and not turn back, we cannot be fruitful in what we do. Indeed, attachment to our loved ones, to our independence and freedom, good life, luxuries, wealth, and position in society, will make us lose focus.

If we think that the demands of discipleship are too much for us, let us remember that Jesus was not just a teacher who taught. He is a model for us all. In those days, a teacher was more than one who taught in a classroom. A disciple stayed with the teacher and observed how he lived his life. All that Jesus taught and asks of us, He Himself had done. We read earlier on “when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Lk 9:51) He was resolute in His mission and focused even though he knew the trials ahead of Him, His passion and death. He had left everything, even His widowed mother, to serve His Father in proclaiming the gospel. He gave everything and lived a life of simplicity with His disciples. We too must follow Him in giving our all to the Kingdom of God.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

20200929 SPIRITUAL WARFARE

29 September, 2020, Tuesday, Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading

Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 ©

His robe was white as snow

As I watched:

Thrones were set in place

and one of great age took his seat.

His robe was white as snow,

the hair of his head as pure as wool.

His throne was a blaze of flames,

its wheels were a burning fire.

A stream of fire poured out,

issuing from his presence.

A thousand thousand waited on him,

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

A court was held

and the books were opened.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,

one like a son of man.

He came to the one of great age

and was led into his presence.

On him was conferred sovereignty,

glory and kingship,

and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

which shall never pass away,

nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 137(138):1-5 ©

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:

you have heard the words of my mouth.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you.

I will adore before your holy temple.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love,

which excel all we ever knew of you.

On the day I called, you answered;

you increased the strength of my soul.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

All earth’s kings shall thank you

when they hear the words of your mouth.

They shall sing of the Lord’s ways:

‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps102:21

Alleluia, alleluia!

Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,

his servants who do his will.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 1:47-51 ©

You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DANIEL 7:9-10,13-14 (OR REV 12:7-12A); JOHN 1:47-51 ]

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. When we speak about angels, we must also speak about devils because they are fallen angels. It is not possible for us to affirm our faith in angels if we do not believe in the existence of angels. If we do not believe in the existence of angels as well, we cannot also believe in the existence of God, since God is pure spirit. Neither can we accept that man has an immortal soul since believing in the existence of the soul means to believe in the spirit. This feast therefore has serious implications for our faith, not just in angels, but in the devils, in God and in our nature as human beings, created with a body, soul and spirit.

Hence, it is important for us to affirm the existence of angels and the devils because they are pure spiritual beings created by God. The reading taken from the Book of Revelation speaks of the battle between the archangel Michael with his angels and the Devil and his fallen angels in heaven. Satan is symbolized by the dragon. “They were defeated and driven out of heaven. The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil of Satan, who had deceived all the world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him.” Consequently, it is the Church’s teaching that God allowed the devil and his spirits on earth to test and tempt man. The angels and the devils are real, as much of Jesus’ ministry was involved battling with the Evil One and his fallen angels. Christ never doubted the existence of evil spirits.

If the world today dismisses the reality of Satan and the Evil One as mythological figures because they cannot be proven empirically, it is surely the greatest deception of the Evil One. The Devil wants us to think that he and his fallen angels do not exist so that we will not be alert or be on the defensive. The evil spirits want to work on us quietly, tempting us, corrupting our minds and thoughts, leading us to do evil, so that we will be their agents to destroy the world, the time immemorial institutions and values. In this way, the Devil hopes to confuse the world through relativism. This is what the Book of Revelation says. They have been hurled down to the earth to deceive the world. Jesus called the Devil the Father of lies. “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44) Indeed, the devil is lurking around as St Peter warns us, “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” (1 Pt 5:8f)

St Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph 6:12f) This is no less true in our days when the work of the Evil One is so subtle. The influence of evil is seen all over in the world today. Governments, world leaders, corporate and even religious leaders are being used by the Evil One to sow division among peoples, hatred and resentment. They are used to promote values that are against the good of humanity, peace, joy and love. Instead of promoting eternal values of the Spirit which St Paul says are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”, they sow the spirit of the flesh, “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing.” (Gal 5:19f)

How, then, can we battle against Satan and his angels? We must employ the help of the Archangels. What better way than to solicit the help of the archangels since we are not strong enough to fight against pure spirits as they are of higher intelligence and power than us? This is why the Church encourages us to pray the Angelus every day in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The Angelus evokes the prayers of the angels and at the same time evokes the Incarnation of our Lord. This means that if we want to win the battle against the fallen angels, we must appeal to the angels’ powerful intercession and example, and of course find strength in the Incarnation of our Lord in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

Indeed, the angels are very closely associated with our Lord Jesus Christ in His incarnation. It was through the Angel Gabriel that the message of salvation was brought to the world. The archangel Gabriel is known as the messenger of the Lord. Gabriel means the “strength of God” or the “the Lord is a great warrior. ” He is the one who brought the news to Mary and accepted her decision on God’s behalf. He is the harbinger of Good News. We too must learn from the angel Gabriel to be messengers of God. We must announce the Good News of our Lord Jesus, welcome or unwelcome to all. This includes of course announcing the truth which not many like to hear, especially the call to conversion. Most want to hear only encouraging and consoling words. Regardless, the gospel must be preached whole and in its entirety, without leaving out anything the Lord wants us to speak.

We must also turn to the archangel Michael. Michael’s name means “Who is like God?” He is known as the Protector. He defended the sovereignty of God’s kingdom and His name and helped to expel the rebellious Lucifer and his angels from heaven. For this reason, the Church asks us to pray to St Michael for protection from the Evil One. Especially in our times today when the human person has become so arrogant as to replace God with himself. The world wants to make God disappear so that they can become great. This is the greatest deception of atheism, that the worship of God makes us less human and makes us slaves. On the contrary, the loss of faith in God makes us lose our dignity and our security and true freedom. For those who are pro-life activists, they need to pray to St Michael to protect the innocent ones who bear the image of God. We must guard against the disunity the devil sows among the disciples of Christ, especially in the Christian communities. We all should pray the Prayer of St Michael daily to ask for his intercession in protecting us from the snares of the Evil One.

We must also pray to the archangel, Raphael whose name means “the Lord heals.” We read in the Old Testament how the angel Raphael helped Tobias’ wife, Sarah, to be freed of the evil spirits and healed the blindness of Tobit. The archangel helped Tobias to achieve a purity of love with Sarah his future wife. We too require all kinds of healing today, from sickness, family wounds and quarrels, marriage disagreements and difficulties in courtship and relationships. Indeed, because we fall into the sin of infidelity, we cause our marriage and family to break apart. We turn to St Raphael to intervene and guide us in our vocation in life, especially in relationships. Most of all, when the world lives in darkness and blindness to the truth and the gospel, we must ask St Raphael to heal the blindness of the world. Our love for the world and ourselves has blinded us to the light of God.

Finally, we must realize that ultimately the work of angels is to bring us not to themselves but to God. In the gospel, Jesus so fitting claimed for Himself the fulfillment of the vision of Jacob in the Old Testament. (cf Gn 28:12-17) Jesus told Nathanael that He Himself will be the ladder between Heaven and Earth. He is now the mediator between God and man. Until the coming of Christ, the angels were the intermediaries between God and human beings. They were the bridge between heaven and earth. For us, we know that the sure way to heaven and victory over Satan and his angels is by claiming victory in Christ who is now the dwelling place of God. Sharing in His death and resurrection, and together with the martyrs, we will win ultimate victory over the Evil One and his fallen angels. His resurrection has conferred on us, our adopted sonship in Christ and eternal life with Him.

Sunday 27 September 2020

SELF-IMPORTANCE

20200928 SELF-IMPORTANCE

28 September, 2020, Monday, 26th Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

Job 1:6-22 ©

The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back: blessed be the name of the Lord

One day the Sons of God came to attend on the Lord, and among them was Satan. So the Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you been?’ ‘Round the earth,’ he answered ‘roaming about.’ So the Lord asked him, ‘Did you notice my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth: a sound and honest man who fears God and shuns evil.’ ‘Yes,’ Satan said ‘but Job is not God-fearing for nothing, is he? Have you not put a wall round him and his house and all his domain? You have blessed all he undertakes, and his flocks throng the countryside. But stretch out your hand and lay a finger on his possessions: I warrant you, he will curse you to your face.’ ‘Very well,’ the Lord said to Satan ‘all he has is in your power. But keep your hands off his person.’ So Satan left the presence of the Lord.

On the day when Job’s sons and daughters were at their meal and drinking wine at their eldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job. ‘Your oxen’ he said ‘were at the plough, with the donkeys grazing at their side, when the Sabaeans swept down on them and carried them off. Your servants they put to the sword: I alone escaped to tell you.’ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. ‘The fire of God’ he said ‘has fallen from the heavens and burnt up all your sheep, and your shepherds too: I alone escaped to tell you.’ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. ‘The Chaldaeans,’ he said ‘three bands of them, have raided your camels and made off with them. Your servants they put to the sword: I alone escaped to tell you.’ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. ‘Your sons and daughters’ he said ‘were at their meal and drinking wine at their eldest brother’s house, when suddenly from the wilderness a gale sprang up, and it battered all four corners of the house which fell in on the young people. They are dead: I alone escaped to tell you.’

Job rose and tore his gown and shaved his head. Then falling to the ground he worshipped and said:

‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

naked I shall return.

The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!’

In all this misfortune Job committed no sin nor offered any insult to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 16(17):1-3,6-7 ©

Turn your ear to me, O Lord; hear my words.

Lord, hear a cause that is just,

pay heed to my cry.

Turn your ear to my prayer:

no deceit is on my lips.

Turn your ear to me, O Lord; hear my words.

From you may my judgement come forth.

Your eyes discern the truth.

You search my heart, you visit me by night.

You test me and you find in me no wrong.

Turn your ear to me, O Lord; hear my words.

I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.

Turn your ear to me; hear my words.

Display your great love, you whose right hand saves

your friends from those who rebel against them.

Turn your ear to me, O Lord; hear my words.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mk10:45

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Son of Man came to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 9:46-50 ©

The least among you all is the greatest

An argument started between the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their minds, and he took a little child and set him by his side and then said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.’

John spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘we saw a man casting out devils in your name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you.’

SELF-IMPORTANCE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JOB 1:6-22; PS 17:1-3,6-7; LUKE 9:46-50 ]

In the gospel, we read about the embarrassing incident when the disciples were arguing among themselves as to who was the greatest. This could have been brought about by earlier incidents that could have sparked off jealousy among themselves. Before this event, Jesus brought Peter, James and John up the mountain to pray. And He was transfigured before them. Immediately upon coming down from the mountain, some of the disciples were called upon to deliver a boy from a demon but they could not do it. It was in this context that they started to compare among themselves as to who was the greatest among them.

Indeed, this is the case for us too, when our peers or our friends are doing better than us in life. This happens not just at the workplace and in schools but even in service in the Christian community. We all want to feel more important than others. We want attention and recognition. We are conscious of the office we hold, with its accompanying titles and status. We want to feel great and powerful. Even in the world today, staff are given inflated titles such as managers and directors. Otherwise, they might not be taken seriously by the public or those they deal with. We think that just because they hold the title, they are empowered to make decisions and are thus influential people in their company. So we can appreciate why the disciples were concerned about their ranking.

Not only are we conscious of titles and positions, we also like to show off our rank and power. John said to our Lord, “Master, we saw a man casting out devils in your name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.” Jesus replied, “You must not stop him, anyone who is not against you is for you.” John, one of the three belonging to the inner circle, had an air of self-importance. He was not happy that someone was casting out devils and using the authority given to the Twelve. In truth, as we saw earlier, they could not even cast out the devil from the boy, yet they envied someone else who was not one of them doing a good job. So he felt the need to stop him to reaffirm his own importance.

Again, sometimes we try to stop others from doing what we are doing even in the church. We seek to protect our turf. We are weary of others intruding into our area of responsibility. No one should be doing what we are doing except us! We do not want competition and we do not allow others to share our limelight. We must be the only ones who can do the Christmas crib every year, carry the statues for processions, lead the devotional prayers, serve or assist at Mass, especially important liturgical services. How often have we had ministry members fight for honour, positions and recognition when it comes to service? At times, it is not that we are doing such a good job, but because others do better than us, we feel threatened that they might make us redundant.

Indeed, it is not about serving God and the community. It is about our prestige, position and power. When these become our motives, then we are no longer serving God or serving our fellowmen but ourselves. Jesus made it clear that it does not matter who is doing the work so long as the person is doing something good and noble. He does not have to officially be a member of the group. Why should we stop someone who likes to offer his services to God and his fellowmen? Why should we be jealous that others are doing what we are doing? The harvest is plentiful and the labourers are few. We will never have enough good people serving our community, society and the world. So instead of begrudging them for coming on board, even if they do not belong to our group, we should be happy that others are also contributing to our effort. Indeed, if we see people from other religions doing good or even without faith affiliation serving the poor, we should be happy and give glory to God for them since all gifts come from the same Holy Spirit.

Today, the gospel underscores the truth that the values of God are not that of the world. The way God values us is different from how the world values us. To illustrate the point, Jesus “took a little child and set him by his side and then said to them, “Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.” A child was considered insignificant in the eyes of the world in those days. They were to be seen but not heard. Quite often at church meetings, no one takes a child’s opinion seriously. We only listen to adults. That is why the number of youths involved in church activities is so few compared to the adults. This is simply because they feel that their opinions are not taken seriously by the adults running the church and the ministries. They feel stifled by the older community. Their initiatives are often given a negative reception.

But Jesus thinks differently. His view is that we are all important in our own ways. The dignity of a child is no less than that of an adult. Every one of us is equal before the eyes of God. He sees our importance, not because of the position we hold or what we can do for others. We are important because we are created in the image of God. We must be careful that we do not fall into the mindset of the world which measures a person by his usefulness to the community. Some are calling for euthanasia for those who are elderly or those mentally and physically challenged because they are unproductive. The world only values us if we are of value to them.

God does not measure us in terms of how productive we are but how we live out our status as the sons and daughters of God. Each of us when serving must always remember that it is God we are serve, not man. This is what St Paul wrote, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.” (Col 3:22-24) We should not be seeking to please men. So long as God is pleased with us, we should be contented. We must remember what the Lord reminded us, “when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Mt 6:3) When we try to please men, we will always be insecure because there will be as many people who are happy with our services and as many who have a barrage of criticisms for whatever we do. If we pay heed to them we will be more insecure than ever, and we will even feel angry and resentful of those who do not appreciate our services.

This attitude of receiving our reward from God should keep us from seeking rewards and honour from man. We are not inferior to anyone. In God’s eyes, we are as important to Him as anyone else. God has no favourites. If He has given us a position, it is for our good and the good of others. If we are appointed for office, it is not about ourselves, about our self-importance or power. It is primarily for service. When the day comes when someone can do the work better than us, we should quickly step aside so that we do not hinder the building of God’s kingdom. So if we are feeling insecure and inferior and start comparing ourselves with others, let us remember that we are God’s children. Jesus does not look at a man’s rank or status.

Today, we are called to learn from Job. He was faithful to God in good times and in bad. When he was blessed with riches, wealth, health and children, he used them well for the good of his family and the community. This was why the Lord said, “There is no one like him on the earth: a sound and honest man who fears God and shuns evil.” But Satan argued that if not for the blessings he received, he would not fear God or do good. So when God allowed Satan to test him by stripping him of all the material blessings, Job did not resent God. He took everything in stride and falling to the ground he worshipped God saying “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” We read, “In all this misfortune Job committed no sin nor offered any insult to God.” So too, we must trust in His wisdom alone.

Saturday 26 September 2020

EMBRACING MIGRANTS

20200927 EMBRACING MIGRANTS

27 September, 2020, Sunday, 26th Week, Ordinary Time (World Day of Migrants and Refugees)

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

When the sinner renounces sin, he shall certainly live

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘You object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

Responsorial Psalm

Remember your mercy, Lord.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my saviour.

Remember your mercy, Lord.

Remember your mercy, Lord,

and the love you have shown from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth.

In your love remember me,

because of your goodness, O Lord.

Remember your mercy, Lord.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

Remember your mercy, Lord.

Second reading

Be united in your love

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:

His state was divine,

yet he did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave,

and became as men are;

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings in the heavens,

on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.’

EMBRACING MIGRANTS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ EZEKIEL 18:25-28; PHIL 2:1-11 (OR >< 2:1-5); MT 21:28-32]

Today, the universal Church celebrates Migrant Sunday, and the theme for this year’s celebration is “Like Jesus Christ, forced to flee. Welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating internally displaced persons.” Migrants are particularly of great concern for the Church. The Holy Father voiced his concerns that due to conflicts, humanitarian needs caused by climate change and the Covid-19 have displaced many peoples in the world. Many are also experiencing “situations of precariousness, abandonment, marginalization and rejection as a result of COVID-19.” (Pope Francis 2020 Message on World Day of Migrants and Refugees)

The Church cannot dissociate herself from the plight of migrants all over the world. She seeks to promote unity among all peoples and the dignity of all. When migrants suffer or are marginalized, the Church is identified with them. We must not forget that most of us were once migrants. Jesus Himself was a migrant with His parents, taking refuge in Egypt when King Herod persecuted them. Israel, the chosen People of God were all migrants. They were in Egypt for 400 years and in the desert for 40 years. Migrants suffer much in their own native countries, which forced them to look for a better place outside their homeland. They seek for better opportunities elsewhere to look after their families and loved ones. However, when they arrive at a new land, because they are migrants, they are often discriminated. Being vulnerable, unscrupulous people often taken advantage of them by making use of them for their interests.

Indeed, as Christians, we believe that we are all God’s children. The human family is one, regardless of race, language, religion and nationality. God has no favourites. Jesus came for the Jews, sinners and Gentiles alike. He has blessed us with wealth and riches so that we can share with others. There will be no poverty in this world if the world becomes less selfish and the rich share their abundance with the poor. Indeed, we have a collective responsibility for each other. This is the context of today’s first reading. The second generation of Israelites who were in exile in Babylon began to question God as to why they had to suffer because of the sins of their ancestors. They felt that it was unfair. This was what the prophet sought to address, the question of individual retribution.

Whilst it is true that everyone is responsible for his or her actions, good or bad, yet we cannot deny that we also have a collective and social responsibility to each other. What parents do, have an impact on their children. The Old Testament speaks of “inter-generational sin” when the sins of our parents will have a bearing on future generations. This is not to say that the future generations share the sins of their parents simply because of biological connections. What is meant is the bad examples of their parents, their disturbed psychological conditions and moral weakness will be picked up by their children. If the world is in such a mess, it is because leaders in society are not setting the right example and making policies that are truly good for the people. We lack good mentors in our society.

This is particularly true in the way we teach our people how they should regard migrants. If we are sending out the wrong messages to our children and peoples about migrants, then we will contaminate the minds of our people. They become inward-looking and see migrants as a threat to our happiness. This is why the constant message of the Church is to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants into our community, especially those who are forced to displace themselves due to hardships, poverty, wars, and persecutions because of race and religion. We must continue to educate our people to cultivate the right attitudes towards migrants.

Today’s second reading from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians underscores the importance of living in unity amid diversity. We must take note that Philippi was a cosmopolitan city. The Christians were all from different classes. Lydia, who was converted to the faith, was a wealthy business merchant. (Acts 16:11-15) There was a slave that was possessed and was delivered by St Paul. (Acts 16:16-18) Then we have the jailer, most probably a Roman, who was converted as well when the chains of the prisoners were unfastened and the doors were opened because of the powerful prayers of St Paul. (Acts 16:25-34) Hence, we can appreciate the great challenge not just in the Christian community in Philippi but even in our churches today where we have very diverse members, rich and poor, intellectuals and simple-minded, young and old, different professions, race language and culture, political inclinations, locals and migrants. How do we bring them together?

What are the causes of disunity? Firstly, selfish ambition. We all want to be better than others, to have more than others. We know that in many places, division happens because of competition. This was why St Paul wrote, “There must be no competition among you, no conceit.” It should never be about myself but for all. The only ambition we can have is to make this world a better place, to help everyone to have a better standard of living so that we can enjoy this world’s resources together. Indeed, it is selfishness that prevents us from sharing with others who are deprived, sometimes even of the basic necessities of life. We only think of ourselves and forget that humanity is one. We cannot be happy unless we are happy together. St Paul urges us, “nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.” We want to protect our interests at all costs.

The second cause of disunity is pride. We want to be better than others, more popular, more powerful and famous. St Paul tells us, “everybody is to be self-effacing.” Truly, in every community, we have people who think that they are the best and better than anyone else. They are the only people who can lead the organization and have all the best ideas. But St Paul is telling us, “Always consider the other person to be better than yourself.” So let us not think that migrants are second class people. That they have no brains or that we can treat them condescendingly. This is what the Lord warns His fellow Jews in the gospel. The chief priests and the elders thought that they were the privileged ones of God compared to the tax-collectors and prostitutes. But the truth was that none of them were better than the others. The Jews were the chosen people but they abused the privileges given to them. The tax-collectors and prostitutes were sinners but ironically, they were the ones who responded to God’s grace at the end. Indeed, if migrants are a threat to the locals, sometimes, it could be because they are more hardworking than us. They do not take their privileges for granted. They work for them. Some of us natives on the other hand demand privileges. Some have an entitlement mentality. This explains why some countries do not want migrants not because they do not contribute to the economy but because they do so well and their own people fear that they might be displaced by them as they show themselves to be more diligent, resourceful, grateful and hardworking.

Today, we are invited to put on the mind of Christ as St Paul urges us to build unity in our communities and the world. “If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind.” What is this mind of Christ, if not the fact that He emptied Himself completely of His divinity to share our humanity, and more than that, to assume the position of a slave to serve us all and even be put to death for our salvation? Only this humility and selflessness of Jesus can empower us to break out of our narrowmindedness in the way we regard migrants. Jesus became man to identify with us in our weakness and suffering. We, too, as the Holy Father reminds us, “to know in order to understand; be close in order to serve; listen in order to be reconciled; share in order to grow; be involved in order to promote; cooperate in order to build.” Indeed, this is not a time for self-centeredness because we are all facing the same challenges today, especially facing Covid-19 together.