20210426 REACHING OUT TO GOD-SEEKERS
26 April, 2021, Monday, 4th Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 11:1-18 © |
God can grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life
The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’ Peter in reply gave them the details point by point: ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began ‘I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!” But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.” This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.
‘Just at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me, and the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as well, and we entered the man’s house. He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household.”
‘I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning, and I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’
This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God’ they said ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 41(42):2-3,42:3-4 © |
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
Like the deer that yearns
for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
My soul is thirsting for God,
the God of my life;
when can I enter and see
the face of God?
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
O send forth your light and your truth;
let these be my guide.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
And I will come to the altar of God,
the God of my joy.
My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,
O God, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn10:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 10:1-10 © |
I am the gate of the sheepfold
Jesus said:
‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’
Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.
So Jesus spoke to them again:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life and have it to the full.’
REACHING OUT TO GOD-SEEKERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 11:1-18; PS 42:2-3,42:3-4; JOHN 10:1-10]
Just like the Conversion of St Paul, which was narrated three times in the Acts of the Apostles, (Acts 9:1-19; Acts 22:6-21; Acts 26:12-18) so too is the story of Peter and Cornelius. (Acts 10:1.48; 11:1-17; 15:7-11) By so doing, Luke, who was writing for the Gentiles and the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles, considers these two events as critical in opening the Church beyond Judaism to the whole of humanity. Indeed, the gospel is not just directed at the Jews, nor even to Christians, but to all. In the gospel further down, the Lord said, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (Jn 10:16)
Where are the sheep that do not belong to Him yet? They are the God-seekers. Who are the God-seekers? They are the agnostics, the religious unaffiliated, those already in religions including nominal Catholics. In world’s statistics, atheists, humanists and agnostics are somewhere between 18% to 22%. But within this group itself, there are various degrees of faith. Some are staunchly atheists who disavow all religions. But this is a minority. Most of them, even if they do not believe in God, believe in some kind of sacred or supernatural reality which they cannot identify with. They know that something is missing in their life and that life is more than just enjoying oneself or going for adventures. Although they do not believe in eternal life, they sense that there is something that lives on beyond death.
Of course, we have many who do not belong to any particular religion, but they have a general sense of faith in some ultimate principle. They believe in “God” in general and the need to live a moral life according to their conscience. They are represented in the person of Cornelius who was a God-fearing man. “He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.” (Acts 10:2) Indeed, there are many people such as Cornelius who, deep in their hearts, acknowledge God but do not know Him. For such God-seekers, Vatican II in Lumen Gentium teaches, “Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life.” (LG 16) Indeed, St Peter concluded, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34f)
But this does not mean that we leave the God-seekers alone. On the contrary, Lumen Gentium says, “whatever good or truth is found amongst them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the Gospel. She knows that it is given by Him who enlightens all men so that they may finally have life. But often men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator. Or some there are who, living and dying in this world without God, are exposed to final despair. Wherefore to promote the glory of God and procure the salvation of all of these, and mindful of the command of the Lord, ‘Preach the Gospel to every creature’, the Church fosters the missions with care and attention.” (Ibid) The first reading reminds us that we should not keep the gospel to ourselves but to reach out to those outside our confines. It was indeed tempting for the early Church to keep Christ just for the Jews alone and with some concessions to the Gentiles. However, it was because of Peter who prepared the way for Paul, that the gospel could be preached to all Gentiles and be baptized and accepted as Christians without the necessity of adopting Jewish customs and practices.
The gospel makes it clear that Jesus is the Gate to the sheepfold. “I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” Jesus, we believe, is the One that holds the key to the meaning of the riddles and mystery of life. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (Jn 14:6) Jesus said, “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (Jn 14:7)
The Father stands for the Ultimate Principle of Life, the Creator and Originator. In Him, we find ultimate fulfillment. In Christ, we see the Father because He reveals to us the Father. (Jn 14:9-12) In the Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, the Council affirms, “The Church firmly believes that Christ, who died and was raised up for all, can through His Spirit offer man the light and the strength to measure up to his supreme destiny. Nor has any other name under the heaven been given to man by which it is fitting for him to be saved. She likewise holds that in her most benign Lord and Master can be found the key, the focal point and the goal of man, as well as of all human history. The Church also maintains that beneath all changes there are many realities which do not change and which have their ultimate foundation in Christ, Who is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” (GS 10)
This is why, we must enter the sheepfold by the gate that brings us to fullness of life. We need to be weary of “thieves and brigands” who claim to lead us to life to the fullest, when their path only brings selfishness and death. We must ask honestly whether the values of the world are leading us to live life to the fullest on earth and after this life, when we are fulfilled not just physically or materially but affectively and spiritually. We must be watchful and alert to such false philosophy of life that give us half-truths and mislead us. Indeed, the gospel is a warning against listening to false shepherds. In His days, Jesus made reference to the Israelite leaders as denounced by the Prophet Ezekiel in chapter 34 and the hypocritical religious leaders in His days. These false leaders sought their own interests and personal gains, not the well-being of the people. They used all kinds of methods and tactics, social pressure, publicity, media, entertainment industry and even bought over government and corporate leaders to propagate their ideology. This is why the Lord urges us, if we are good sheep, then we should take no notice of them, better still, flee from them.
But this calls for discernment to be able to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. Jesus is more than just the Gate. He is our Good Shepherd as well. In other words, He is not just the Way and the Truth, He is our Life. He is one whom we are called to have a relationship with. Jesus did not come just to impart to us some esoteric knowledge of eternal life or to gain spiritual power like some New Age Spirituality. Jesus came to offer us a personal relationship with Him. He looks after us and leads us in the right path as our responsorial psalm says.
What is needed therefore is the docility to be receptive to His voice calling us to eternal life. Jesus the Good Shepherd is calling us to follow after Him. Jesus said, “The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.”
But listening is not sufficient, we must follow Him. This is the crux of the matter. Discipleship is to follow after Jesus in the way we live our life and in our relationship with God and our brothers and sisters. This demands that we are always attentive to Him in prayer, devoting ourselves to praying and studying the Word of God and modelling our life after Him in the way we see time, money, people, pleasures and the priorities of life. When we see everything from the perspective of Christ, then life makes sense and we can live joyfully.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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