20210427 THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE PROTAGONIST IN EVANGELIZATION
27 April, 2021, Tuesday, 4th Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 11:19-26 © |
They started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus
Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.
The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.
Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 86(87) © |
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
O praise the Lord, all you nations!
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | 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 | John 10:22-30 © |
The Father and I are one
It was the time when the feast of Dedication was being celebrated in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied:
‘I have told you, but you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness;
but you do not believe,
because you are no sheep of mine.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
they will never be lost
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.’
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE PROTAGONIST IN EVANGELIZATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 11:19-26; Ps 87:1-7; John 10:22-30 ]
We are all called to the work of evangelization. We know that bringing Jesus to people who do not know Him or knew Him but have given up on Him is a very difficult task. We face lots of opposition or indifference. Like Jesus in the gospel, the people too were rather skeptical of Him. We can appreciate the reservations of the Jews about Jesus for He was like any ordinary man. For them to believe that Jesus is God or the personal representative of God would be too much for them to accept. This was because Jesus was claiming to be one with the Father. They kept asking questions instead of believing. “The Jews gathered round him and said, ‘How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus replied: ‘I have told you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name are my witness; but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine.”
What could be the reasons for people not accepting Jesus? There are many reasons, and these do not always spring from intellectual disagreement. Some cannot accept Jesus because they cannot understand. But often, the failure to understand comes from the sin of pride. We want everything to satisfy our mind. In this sense, no one in this world can agree about anything even when facts are given because, we have differing interpretations.
So when it comes to faith in Jesus, we need receptivity and openness. The Jews were asking questions not to clarify their doubts but to find reasons to reject Him. There are those people who right from the start have no intention to believe in Jesus. They are just finding reasons to reject Him, and not to try and understand Him. They do not approach the Lord with an open mind but with a prejudiced and closed mind. For such people, no matter what we say, they are not going to be convinced because they have already decided against Jesus. All discussions are just to find reasons to object whatever grounds that are put forward to justify claims about Jesus. It is like in a debating team, where the opposing or the proposing team members by hook or crook try to justify their positions, rather than to find common ground.
Besides pride, sin is the other major obstacle in coming to faith in Jesus. Whilst the most serious sin is pride, the other capital sins of envy, anger, greed, lust, sloth and gluttony also hinder a person from coming to faith in Jesus. Because of anger and envy, their hurts and wounds prevent them from wanting to come to God because they cannot let go. Their pain and anger hinder them from seeing life from the perspective of God. Often, they are angry with God and blame Him for their woes and misery. Others, because they are tempted by the world – for power, wealth and status. Having made these their gods, they have no place for the Lord in their lives since worldly things and fame are more important. For others, the sin of lust and gluttony, which are the sins of the flesh, make them unable to reconcile with the moral teachings of the Church, or be disposed to the spiritual life. They want to continue with their sinful way of life that is in contradiction with the gospel. Since the teachings of the Lord do not agree with them and cause them guilt, the only way is to leave the faith and allow their ego and selfish needs to determine how they want to live their life.
Because there are so many obstacles in coming to know the Lord, we should not be surprised that some are not able to hear the voice of God. Hence, some are worried whether their loved ones will turn to the Lord or whether our children who have strayed from the Lord in their teens will come back to Him. Like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we seek to bring the lost sheep and those who do not know Him back to the Lord. But at times we feel helpless in reaching out to them. If we are feeling anxious about the outcome of attempts to bring Jesus to others, then the scripture readings remind us that it is the Lord who in charge.
Indeed, in the first reading we read that the work of evangelization was primarily inspired by the Holy Spirit. Right from the onset, the apostles were asked to bring the gospel to the ends of the world. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Jesus also said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19f) Although the command was given, proclamation of the Good News was limited to their own fellow Jews. They were still thinking of limiting the Good News to Jews.
But God had His ways. He would not wait for the Christian Jews to reach out. He forced them to go beyond Jerusalem to the countryside and to the Greek cities as well. He used the enemies of the Christian Faith as instruments to make the Christians think out of the box and go beyond their confines. And so with the persecution of the Christians resulting in the martyrdom of St Stephen, they “travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch.” Yet they still did not understand that the gospel for was meant for all, including the Gentiles. As Luke noted, “they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well.”
Truly, we see the hand of God at work in the spread of the gospel. The Christians were not so much the protagonist but it was the Lord in the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that showed the Christians where to evangelize. It would be the Holy Spirit that led St Paul and Barnabas to embark on missionary trips. We read, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2f) In the second missionary journey we read how the Holy Spirit directed them in their trip. “They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.” (Acts 16:6-10)
Furthermore, we read that their success was not due to their efforts but through divine assistance. “The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.” Indeed, it was the grace of God and not so much their work. They made it clear that the work of evangelization was not about what they did but how they allowed God’s grace to work in and through them. They were like good sheep who listened to the voice of the Shepherd. The words of the Lord could be applied to them, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me. The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father. The Father and I are one.” Indeed, we read that “the church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace.”
As shepherds, we need to inspire people in faith as well. Although it is God who works, yet, without good shepherds, people will have no access to the Good News. The people were certainly inspired by Barnabas. “He urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.” It was Barnabas’ passion and faith that also gave impetus for the people to grow in faith. With Paul’s collaboration, they “were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people” helping them in their faith.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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