20201117 REVIVING A ROUTINE AND LUKEWARM FAITH
17 November, 2020, Tuesday, 33rd Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
Apocalypse 3:1-6,14-22 © |
If one of you hears me calling, I will come in to share his meal
I, John, heard the Lord saying to me: ‘Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect, and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me. There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white. Those who prove victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my Father and his angels. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
‘Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea and say, “Here is the message of the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the ultimate source of God’s creation: I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. You say to yourself, ‘I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want’, never realising that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too. I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see. I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves: so repent in real earnest. Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 14(15):2-5 © |
Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.
Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue.
Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.
He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honours those who fear the Lord.
Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.
He who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm for ever.
Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps129:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
Alleluia!
Or: | 1Jn4:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
God so loved us that he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 19:1-10 © |
Salvation comes to the house of Zacchaeus
Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’
REVIVING A ROUTINE AND LUKEWARM FAITH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ REV 3:1-6,14-22; LUKE 19:1-10]
The strength of the Catholic Church is also her weakness. The Catholic Church as a single Christian Church is the largest, beyond comparison with the rest of the Christian churches in the world. It has the longest history tracing her origins and foundation to the apostles. Traditions are rich and elaborate. Structures have been in place for centuries keeping the Church strong and united. Yet in truth, whilst we might have the largest number of members as a Christian Church, we must assess the commitment and spiritual maturity of our Catholics. If we were to take statistics, most of them would be nominal Catholics. We might have between 10 to 25% of Catholics that are really committed to their faith. The other 50% would be nominal or lukewarm Catholics. The last 25% would have stopped going to church or attend only on special occasions.
It is to these 75% nominal and routine Catholics that today’s scripture readings address. They are like the Christians at Sardis and Laodicea reprimanded by our Lord in today’s first reading. The Christians at Sardis were wealthy but their faith was compromised by their involvement with the world. As St John said, only a few “have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white.” The rest of them had allow the world to contaminate their faith as they had adopted the social and cultural practices of their society. How true it is for those Catholics who have a nominal and routine faith. Although they appear, as St John said, “to be alive and yet are dead”, they come to Church on Sundays, observe certain holy days of the year, give some donations to the church and the poor and perhaps say a few prayers for divine protection and blessings. But that is all to their faith. In terms of moral values, they live like the rest of the world. They subscribe to materialism, consumerism, a promiscuous lifestyle and a culture of death.
This was why the Lord warned the Christians at Sardis, “Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect, and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me.” Indeed, a routine faith will end up a dead faith, not just in terms of charity but in terms of belief as well. When we live a life of sin, we eventually become numb to what is right or wrong. After some time, we get used to our sins and no longer feel unsettled by what we do. Sin indeed brings death to the soul. Those who live a life of sin gradually lose their sensitivity, not just to sin but the presence of God as well. Sin blocks them from communion and intimacy with the Lord. Eventually, they will drop out of the faith completely or worse still, become hostile to the Faith.
There is another category of Christians that the Lord targeted. These are the lukewarm Catholics. The Lord said to the Christians in Laodicea, “I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Perhaps the most difficult Catholics to convert are the lukewarm Catholics. They are neither active Catholics nor could they be considered to be bad Catholics. They do not mind serving in Church ministries, choir and hospitality ministry. But they lack zeal, devotion and passion. They are just there to support and be with the crowd. They go along with the rest, perhaps more for socializing and fellowship. They are not prayerful or filled with zeal to spread the gospel. Even though some might be in church ministries they are actually lukewarm in their faith. Some even live a double life whilst active in church. There is a lack of integrity between what they claim to believe, how they behave in church and what they do in their personal and public life.
What is the reason for being lukewarm? Complacency due to self-sufficiency. The Christians in Laodicea said to themselves, “I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want.” When we are well-off and not in need, we lack the poverty of spirit to desire God and to depend on Him. We do not need His help. Rather, it seems that He needs our help to spread the Good News and to build His Church. But the Lord said “you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too.” Our richness is not of this world because such things cannot make us truly rich.
Indeed, this was the case of Zacchaeus in today’s gospel. He was a wealthy man because “he was one of the senior tax collectors.” Through exorbitant taxes and colluding with the Romans, he would have made much money for himself. But his life was empty. He knew that something was missing from his life. Truly, how many wealthy people are really happy? When one has more than enough to live on, all the extra wealth and money they own are just numbers because one cannot make use of all the money one has for enjoyment. There is a limit to what one can eat and how lavishly one can dine and live on. At any rate, rich people must eat more simple food for the sake of their health. Otherwise, they will fall sick and die early. As the Lord said about the Rich Fool, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Lk 12:20)
Today, we are called to become aware, like Zacchaeus, of our poverty and emptiness in life. As the Lord said to the church in Sardis “Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast.” And to the church in Laodicea, “I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see. I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves: so repent in real earnest.” Like him, we are called to seek for the Lord desperately. Even though we might be unworthy like him, we must at least open our hearts and our house to welcome the Lord. And this was what Zacchaeus did. He put into action what his heart desired. The gospel says, “He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.”
But it is the Lord who takes the initiative of entering our lives and our hearts. Even though there was a crowd around Him and Zacchaeus was short and perching on a tree, Jesus noticed him. “He looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.” What great joy Zacchaeus must have felt to know that the Lord not only noticed him but even asked to stay in his house. We can feel his excitement and his exuberant joy. “He hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.” We, too, if we want the Lord to come into our house. We must welcome Him with open hearts. This is what the Lord says, “Look, I am standing at the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him.” Happiness is sharing fellowship with the Lord and His people.
However, Zacchaeus also reminds us that welcoming the Lord into our house requires a corresponding transformation in the way we look at life, money and purpose. Life is no more about making money but about making ourselves rich in the sight of God. When others grumbled about how the Lord stayed in his house, Zacchaeus demonstrated that the Lord, by accepting him and embracing him even though he was a great sinner, had changed him. He said to the Lord, “Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.” Indeed, as the responsorial psalm says, “Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent? He who walks without fault; he who acts with justice and speaks the truth from his heart; he who does not slander with his tongue.” These are the victorious ones who are invited to share in Christ’s throne.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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