20201227 MENTORS OF FAITH AND LOVE
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
First reading |
Genesis 15:1-6,21:1-3 © |
Your heir shall be your own flesh and blood
The word of the Lord was spoken to Abram in a vision, ‘Have no fear, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will be very great.’
‘My Lord,’ Abram replied ‘what do you intend to give me? I go childless…’. Then Abram said, ‘See, you have given me no descendants; some man of my household will be my heir.’ And then this word of the Lord was spoken to him, ‘He shall not be your heir; your heir shall be of your own flesh and blood.’ Then taking him outside he said, ‘Look up to heaven and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants’ he told him. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified.
The Lord dealt kindly with Sarah as he had said, and did what he had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the time God had promised. Abraham named the son born to him Isaac, the son to whom Sarah had given birth.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 104(105):1-6,8-9 © |
He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
O sing to him, sing his praise;
tell all his wonderful works!
He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.
Be proud of his holy name,
let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
Consider the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.
He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, the judgements he spoke.
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers his covenant for ever,
his promise for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.
Second reading |
Hebrews 11:8,11-12,17-19 © |
The faith of Abraham and of Sarah
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going. It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise would be faithful to it. Because of this, there came from one man, and one who was already as good as dead himself, more descendants than could be counted, as many as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the seashore.
It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his only son even though the promises had been made to him and he had been told: It is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead.
Gospel Acclamation | Heb1:1-2 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
At various times in the past
and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
but in our own time, the last days,
he has spoken to us through his Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 2:22-40 © |
My eyes have seen your salvation
When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.
27 December, 2020, Sunday, The Holy Family
MENTORS OF FAITH AND LOVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ GEN 15:1-6,21:1-3; HEB 11:8,11-12,17-19; LUKE 2:22-40]
In the gospel, St Luke gave an account of Mary and Joseph performing ceremonies required of every faithful Jew as laid down by the Law on the fortieth day after childbirth. They were at the Temple to perform the Rite of the Redemption of the First-Born. (Ex 13:2, 12, 16; 34:19; Num 18:15-16). At the same time, Mary had to perform the Rite of Purification after childbirth before she could return to the Temple to take part in religious ceremonies. (Lev 5:11; 12:8). What is significant about the rites is that they remind us that life belongs to God and that every child is consecrated to Him for His service.
Indeed, it is a good reminder to all parents that their children do not belong to them. They are not their property so that they may not do as they like with them. Parents are God’s custodians and guardians to look after the child who belongs to God. The future and destiny of the child, while predetermined by God, requires human cooperation to mold the child rightly and bring them up according to God’s plan for them. Every child is sacred and is called to holiness of life by serving God and humanity. Parents therefore must regard their role as a privilege and a grave responsibility to raise up their children to be God-fearing individuals, selfless in serving their fellowmen, living a righteous life and giving glory to God.
In the case of our Lord, His future was spelt out by the Prophet Simeon when he spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that this child “is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.” Jesus would be Israel’s salvation, “a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.” As the Light, He would be the cause of many who would fall because they reject the light. Before God, those who live evil and selfish lives would hide from the light. But for those who accept Him, He would also be the cause of the rise of many. Jesus would raise them up to live a life of justice and compassion. They would be set free from bondage to sin and evil. Being a man of contradiction meant that no neutrality towards Jesus was possible. He would be met with opposition or acceptance.
Today’s feast of the Holy Family shows how the parents of Jesus, Mary and Joseph fulfilled their role as mentors of faith, love and life to Jesus. At the end of today’s gospel, the evangelist wrote, “When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.” Jesus grew under the tutelage of Mary and Joseph. Furthermore, after Jesus was found in the Temple, “he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” (Lk 2:51f)
Indeed, the primary role of parents is to be good mentors of faith, life and love to their children, so that they can help them to discover their vocation in the plan of God. Parents are the primary educators of the faith of their children. The task of parents is not to decide what their children should become, what career they should undertake, but how God wants them to be molded, to grow and to serve Him accordingly when the time comes. This is why mentoring is of great importance if their children were to follow after them in serving God and be brought up as God-fearing people walking in righteousness.
How, then, did Mary and Joseph mentor our Lord? Firstly, they conducted themselves as law-abiding Jews. Even though it was not necessary for Mary to undergo purification, she went through the ceremony. They observed all that the Laws required of them, whether it was circumcision, Redemption of the Firstborn or the purification after childbirth. Faithfully, three times a year, they would go to the Temple as laid down by the Law. (Dt 16:16) Mary and Joseph faithfully brought Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem on the Feast of the Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. On one of these occasions, He was left behind in the Temple without the parents’ knowledge. (Lk 2:41-51) When He grew up, Jesus observed the laws. He allowed Himself to be baptized by John the Baptist. (Mt 3:13-15) He paid the Temple Tax even though He was exempted since He was the Son of God. (Mt 17:24-27) “I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Mt 5:17f)
Secondly, they lived a life of simplicity and poverty. Being a carpenter did not earn Joseph big bucks but just enough to sustain the family. We can appreciate that the Holy Family understood what was poverty, financial constraints and inconveniences. They were refugees in Egypt. Yet, they were able to live a happy life together, without quarrelling, fighting for more things, but they were simply contented to live according to their means and what the Lord had given to them. There was no greed to have more or be better than others. They lived a life of contentment and simplicity, with Joseph conscientiously performing his work as a carpenter. Jesus too would have learnt from them what it meant to be contented and being faithful in one’s work and occupation. He understood the challenges of family life.
Thirdly, Mary and Joseph were mentors of married love. Both of them were always giving in to each other. When Mary was pregnant before their marriage, Joseph thought the best of her and for her by wanting to put her away quietly to protect her and save face for everyone. Mary and Joseph quietly cared for each other and for Jesus. We do not see them fighting over how Jesus was to be raised. When He was lost at the Temple, they did not accuse each other of negligence but they went back together to look for Him. They were not just supportive companions but great helpmates to each other. They saw the task of raising Jesus as a collaborative responsibility, not one parent leaving the responsibility to the other.
Fourthly, Mary and Joseph were mentors of prayer life. Both of them were contemplatives in action. We never heard Joseph speak in the gospel. The instances where Mary was recorded to have spoken were few as well. But those few mentions of Joseph and Mary indicate to us that they were people who were not rash, emotional, reactive or presumptuous. They were receptive to God and the Holy Spirit. They took time to pray and contemplate. God spoke to Joseph in a dream in his discernment process. Twice, we read that Mary kept all the words of Jesus in her heart, when she heard what the shepherds recounted (Lk 2:19) and what Jesus said at the Temple when He was found. (Lk 2:51) They were prayerful parents; not just law-abiding.
Fifthly, Mary and Joseph were supportive of Jesus in His vocation. When He was thirty years old, and it was time to leave home for active ministry, Mary, by then most probably a widow, did not hold Him back. As a widow and with Jesus as the only child, who would continue to support her financially? She continued to trust in divine providence by supporting her Son in His mission. Even when the Son was misunderstood by her relatives who thought that He was out of His mind, Mary continued to stand by Him. (Mk 3:31-35) In fact, our Lord twice praised His mother as one who heard the Word of God and did it. (cf Lk 8:19-21; 11:27f) We can imagine how hurt Mary was when she heard people calling her Son a drunkard and a glutton. (cf Mt 11:19) Mary stood by our Lord at the cross even when everyone else including the apostles, except for John, abandoned our Lord. (Jn 19:25-27)
Today, if we want to protect the family and have our children raised to be righteous, God-fearing people contributing to society and Church, we need parents who are strong in faith, and exemplary in love and compassion. Abraham in the first reading is given to us as an exemplar of faith. It was by faith alone that Abraham was made righteous. It was his faith in God that he became the Father of many nations, even though he was old and childless. Although Sarah was old and barren, by her faith, she was able to give birth to Isaac. And when Abram was put to the test to sacrifice Isaac, God saved his son. Down the ages, holy men and women showed that with faith, nothing is impossible for those who believe in Him and are willing to surrender their lives to Him.
Let us therefore learn to grow in faith through the good examples of others. Parents need support from other parents. We need examples of faith-filled people, like Simeon the prophet who “was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him.” We need women like Anna the prophetess who “had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.” Today, we need to build strong Catholic families by rendering them support so that they can raise up beautiful children deep in their faith, and modeled after exemplary leaders in society, like Jesus who could cause the fall and the rise of many. May our children be modelled after us as we modelled ourselves after our Lord.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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