20201001 HOLINESS IS LIVING OUT THE VOCATION OF LOVE
01 October, 2020, Thursday, St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
First reading | Isaiah 66:10-14 © |
Towards Jerusalem I send flowing peace, like a river
Rejoice, Jerusalem,
be glad for her, all you who love her!
Rejoice, rejoice for her,
all you who mourned her!
That you may be suckled, filled,
from her consoling breast,
that you may savour with delight
her glorious breasts.
For thus says the Lord:
Now towards her I send flowing
peace, like a river,
and like a stream in spate
the glory of the nations.
At her breast will her nurslings be carried
and fondled in her lap.
Like a son comforted by his mother
will I comfort you.
And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.
At the sight your heart will rejoice,
and your bones flourish like the grass.
To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 130(131) © |
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
A weaned child on its mother’s breast,
even so is my soul.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and forever.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 18:1-5 © |
Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.’
HOLINESS IS LIVING OUT THE VOCATION OF LOVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Is 66:10-14; Ps 131; 1 Cor 13:4-13; Mt 18:1-5]
Today, we celebrate the Feast of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus. The one vocation that St Thérèse found was the vocation of love. She wrote in her autobiography, “At last I have found my vocation. In the heart of the Church, I will be Love!” However, this was not just her vocation. It is the vocation of everyone. Indeed, what meaning do we have in life if not the call to love? It is in giving ourselves completely in love to our fellowmen that we find life worthwhile and meaningful. We all find our fulfillment in love. Of course, the call to love would not be the same as that of St Thérèse in the convent where she lived a life of contemplation and living in community life.
In celebrating her feast, we must ask ourselves how God is calling us to love according to our vocation in life. Indeed, it does not matter what we do in life or in what vocation. All vocations end in love. St Thérèse made it clear that upon reading 1 Corinthians, chapter 11 and 12, she came to realize that not all could be apostles, prophets, or doctors. The Church as the mystical body of Christ is composed of different members. The eye cannot also be at the same time the hand. All different members with different charisms work together for the good of all. No one can claim to be of greater importance than the others. The leader without his men would be powerless to act. Even the least of the workers have their part to play in the success of any event. Not just the actors or artistes but even the stage hands and cleaners. Indeed, each person has his own unique gifts and we should not compare ourselves with others.
There is no need to envy others who have apparently higher positions in life than us. In the eyes of the world, they are recognized and even admired and appreciated. However, every humble leader knows that his or her success is due to the many unsung heroes that work with him or her for the good of all. No one can attribute success to himself, as if he solely brought about the results. Every successful event is the work of many hands and many heads who come together to contribute to the success. No one is complete in himself. We all need each other to complete us. Once we realize this, there is no basis for inferiority complex or envy of other people’s vocation in life. We are all working for God and for His people as a vocation of love. St Thérèse wrote, “I understood that the Church has a heart, and that this heart burns with Love. I understood that Love alone makes its members act, that if this Love were to be extinguished, the Apostles would no longer preach the Gospel, the Martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. I understood that Love embraces all vocations, that Love is all things, that it embraces all times and all places. In a word, that it is eternal!”
When there is true charity, there also exists true humility. This is why the gospel of today describes beautifully the disposition of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus. It was her humility that enabled God to reveal to her the real vocation of everyone, which is the vocation to love. She was simple in her thoughts and sincere in her search. If we adopt this attitude of childlikeness, then we would not compete with each other but be happy to accept whatever task is allotted to us. St Thérèse wrote, “It is not riches or glory (not even the glory of Heaven) that this child asks for… No, she asks for Love.” Every child wants to be loved. Every child finds security in love. Humility always makes love possible.
It was her charity that enabled her to feel with those who were suffering. This is what St Paul wrote, “Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.” St Thérèse used to have difficulties with her sisters who were inconsiderate and splashed water at her in the kitchen. She was irritated and annoyed. But she eventually offered the inconvenience to God. She too was criticized by other sisters who picked on her when she performed a task that was not up to expectations. She had to wait on an old sister who would find fault with everything she did. But for every irritation and rebuff she suffered, she would endure with patience and respond with kindness, offering to God as if it were a flower. She knew that she was not suffering alone but suffered in union with Christ. Indeed, the words of St Paul would have inspired her to offer her sufferings for the redemption of the world. “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” (Col 1:24)
St Thérèse sought to please God in all she did out of love for Him. Whilst for most of us, we seek to do God’s will out of fear of Him, or the loss of heaven and the pains of Hell, St Thérèse did it solely for the love of God. This is a worthier motive for doing God’s will than for ourselves. We too must love God and serve Him and His people in this manner. When we love God, we will do all things for His greater glory. When there is love, nothing is too difficult. This was what motivated St Paul as well. He wrote, “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:14f)
Indeed, holiness is nothing else but living a life of love. Being holy is not just about saying some prayers and doing pious actions. Holiness is loving God, our neighbor and ourselves. Jesus told the scribe, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Mk 12:30f) This is what St Thérèse taught us. She loved her sisters, the Church of Christ because she loved Jesus. She offered all that she did each day, doing ordinary tasks extraordinarily well, whether it was sweeping the stairs, the leaves, washing the toilets, working in the sacristy or giving lectures to the novices. Everything she did, she did well and took care of the details as if she was working for God, not for men. “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 3:23f)
Such is the simplicity that St Thérèse displayed in her spirituality. This is why the gospel is taken from the incident when the Lord took a little child and set him before His disciples, saying, “I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” Simplicity of course does not mean being simplistic. Rather it means going to the basics, the foundation of life and love, instead of the peripherals. We all seek power, fame and glory to find happiness. So long as we seek power, prestige and ambition and self-importance, we will never find happiness. This is clearly the opposite of the Kingdom of God.
Whereas for St Thérèse, living a life of simplicity, loving according to our situation, doing the little we can, making people happy, doing our best in whatever is assigned to us, is the best way to love God and find our true happiness in life. We do not need the glory of the world because God loves each of us uniquely and totally. This is the way to true holiness of life wherever we are, whether we are in public service, business, education or in family and in the community. Being in the Kingdom of God requires utter selflessness and using our life for humble service of God and humanity; not for power and self-interests. Indeed, St Thérèse took the words of St Paul seriously, making love the supreme goal of her life. Only love, as St Paul says, will last. “There are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.” Only love makes us all complete because in love, we see God face to face. Love is the ultimate goal of faith and hope.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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