20210514 CHOOSING A KEY LEADER
14 May, 2021, Friday, Saint Matthias, Apostle
First reading |
Acts 1:15-17,20-26 © |
'Let someone else take his office'
One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:
Let his camp be reduced to ruin,
Let there be no one to live in it.
And again:
Let someone else take his office.
‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’
Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’ They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 112(113):1-8 © |
The Lord sets him in the company of the princes of his people.
or
Alleluia!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed
both now and for evermore!
The Lord sets him in the company of the princes of his people.
or
Alleluia!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
The Lord sets him in the company of the princes of his people.
or
Alleluia!
Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?
The Lord sets him in the company of the princes of his people.
or
Alleluia!
From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the dungheap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.
The Lord sets him in the company of the princes of his people.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn15:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 15:9-17 © |
You are my friends if you do what I command you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’
CHOOSING A KEY LEADER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 1:15-17, 20-26; JOHN 15:9-17]
In the first reading, we read how the primitive Church under the leadership of Peter saw the need to complete the Apostolic College of the Twelve as appointed by our Lord to be the foundation of the Church as a symbolic continuity with the Twelve tribes Israel, the Chosen People of God in the Old Testament. How did the early Church go about appointing a key leader for the Church? This is an important consideration for us because very often we appoint Church leaders without going through a thorough scrutiny of whether such a person could be ordained to the ministry or appointed as a lay leader or formator. Perhaps, we are so short of applicants or potential leaders, hence we sacrifice quality for quantity. We appoint leaders based on our needs and their ability to perform. So long as they bear fruits, we think that they have been chosen by the Lord. We never ask where the fruits come from. So it is exigent for us to learn from the early Church the process in their appointment of religious leaders, clergy or lay.
Firstly, they consulted the scripture. The warrant for appointing another to replace Judas was based on a personalized text cited by Peter from the books of Psalms taken from Ps 69:25 and Ps 109:8. “Let his camp be reduced to ruin, let there be no one to live in it. And again: Let someone else take his office.” We must bear in mind that in the first part of Luke’s writing at the end of the gospel, he had already mentioned how the Risen Lord opened their minds to read the Old Testament scriptures in such a way that it finds its fulfillment in Christ. (Lk 24:25-27) He said, “‘everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” (Lk 24:44-47) This was the basis for Peter to apply the texts of scripture from the Old Testament in a new way to the Church founded by Christ. These two scripture texts provided Peter and the disciples the necessary basis on the need to replace Judas.
Secondly, they considered the criteria for the candidates so that they could sift out those who were not eligible. The first criterion was that the candidate must be a witness to the resurrection. This is the most important qualification simply because the foundation of the Church is based on the apostolic faith in the resurrection of Christ. The life, work, identity of the Church is vindicated by His death and resurrection. Unless, the apostle chosen to replace Judas had encountered the Risen Lord, he could not be said to have handed on the apostolic faith. If St Paul was later considered to be one of the apostles, it was because he encountered the Risen Lord which changed him radically. (Acts 9:3-9; 1 Cor 15:8ff)
Indeed, this is true even for our leaders today. Although we might not have seen the Risen Lord in the way the early disciples saw Him, nevertheless, those who are radically transformed are those who have encountered His presence deeply, in prayer, through signs such as a vision, a miracle, a healing or through some events, natural or personal. The more radical the encounter with Christ, the deeper the experience, which is more than emotional but a personal encounter that touches the mind, the heart and the body. As Pope Emeritus Benedict wrote in his first encyclical letter, Deus Carita est, “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” (DCE 1) Without such an encounter, our faith will be more of an intellectual assent rather than of a personal assent. When crisis sets in, we will change our mind about Him, as has happened to many of our Catholics. But if it is a personal encounter, that relationship tends to be stable because we have something to turn back to. Personal relationships do not change overnight even when there are frictions, but we change our ideology depending on where the wind blows.
Thirdly, they made it clear that the apostolic appointment comes from the Lord Himself, since He was the one who chose the Twelve originally. Of course, it was the 120 disciples gathered there that chose Matthias over Joseph after sifting through all the potential candidates. They prayed to the Lord, “Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.” By this action, they made it clear that in spite of their discernment, they would never be able to read the hearts of men even though externally, they might not find any impediment. Only God knows a man’s heart. (Jer 17:9f) Even in the rite of Ordination after the candidate is presented by the Rector of the candidate, the Bishop says, “‘Relying on the help of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, we choose these men, our brothers, for the Order of the Priesthood.”
To recapitulate the process of discernment in discovering God’s will begins with the scriptures, looking for direction and confirmation but always reading in the context of the fulfillment in Christ. Secondly, it calls for reflection and the use of common sense that if someone were to take the place of Judas, then that candidate must have the prerequisite which was to have “been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.” After going through the external forum of assessing a candidate, we must find the internal forum, for our discernment cannot be merely on the external qualities alone because as God told Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Sm 16:7f) That was why they prayed and trusting in Jesus, drew lots asking Jesus to make the choice known. This would mean in today’s terms, after all the deliberation and prayer, each one must vote from his or her heart to see which one should be chosen for the office.
Yet, this is still not enough for a person to begin his office. He needs the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Today’s election of Matthias set the stage for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Jesus had told the apostles earlier not to set out on the mission until the promise of the Father is fulfilled when they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This is why in any ordination or commissioning for lay leaders, the bishop or the presider always asks for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those chosen for the office. Without such empowerment, the witnessing would be ineffective because all witnessing must be carried out under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
However, the Holy Spirit is not an asset or “a thing” which we keep because it is a personal relationship. This means that our relationship with Christ must always be renewed in the Holy Spirit if we were to bear much fruit. The Lord in the gospel warned His apostles about how they would be pruned as like the branches on the vine. In other words, there will be trials and challenges, which are not meant to deter them but to help them to grow in their relationship with Him and bear the fruits of this relationship. Jesus said to His disciples: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.”
We are called to remain in the love of Jesus and this is possible only when the Holy Spirit lives in us. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Through prayer, living out His life and aligning our will and desire with His, we will grow in friendship with Jesus and in intimacy. Knowing the mind and heart of Jesus, we will have the strength and wisdom to reveal Jesus to the world. Hence, because we are one in mind and heart, we will bear much fruit “since the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name. What I command you is to love one another.”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment