20210503 SEEING GOD THROUGH INCARNATIONAL MEANS
03 May, 2021, Saints Philip and James, Apostles
First reading |
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 © |
The Lord appeared to James, and then to all the apostles
Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.
Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 18(19):2-5 © |
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:6,9 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, says the Lord.
Philip, to have seen me is to have seen the Father.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 14:6-14 © |
To have seen me is to have seen the father
Jesus said to Thomas:
‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you know my Father too.
From this moment you know him and have seen him.’
Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’
‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?
‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father,
so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”?
Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself:
it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.
You must believe me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever believes in me
will perform the same works as I do myself,
he will perform even greater works,
because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask for in my name I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask for anything in my name,
I will do it.’
SEEING GOD THROUGH INCARNATIONAL MEANS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 Cor 15:1-8; Ps 1:2-5; Jn 14: 6-14]
In the gospel, Philip expressed his desire to see the Father. Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.” Like Philip, people are looking for God, especially in the world today because of secularism and materialism. Without God, life has no foundation and no purpose. Without God, the soul remains incomplete because nothing in this world, not even all the pleasures can fulfill the thirst of his spirit. Indeed, we all know that we are more than sensual beings even though many of us strive for money and wealth. We have aesthetic and affective needs as well because the spirit cannot be satisfied by the material things of this world. In truth, those who have plenty of food and pleasures no longer find them a great joy because such pleasures have their saturation point.
So why does the world not believe in God or in the spiritual? Because they want to see before they believe. In this empirical and scientific world, people need to see to believe. They want proofs and tangible evidence. But we cannot see God directly or else we die. Moses asked to see God. But God said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” (Ex 33:20) Indeed, beatific vision is only at the end of this life when we will see God face to face. St John wrote, “What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.” (1Jn 3:2)
Even St Paul did not see the Risen Christ directly. What he saw was a bright light at noon and heard the voice of the Risen Lord. Fourteen years later, he wrote, “whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows – was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.” (2 Cor 12:3f) Whatever was his experience of God in Christ, it was indescribable. He was caught up in the heavens. But this vision was given to him only because God had a mission for him so that he could find the strength to endure the persecution ahead of him. God instructed the reluctant and apprehensive Ananias to restore his sight because, “he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15f) Yet the real measure of seeing a vision is not the experience itself but how that claim is seen in the person’s life, by his courage to suffer selflessly for God and his fellowmen, by his humility and faith. St Paul wrote, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” (2 Cor 4:17f)
Clearly to see God does not mean that we see Him directly but indirectly through the effects of His presence. This was what the Lord told Moses. He can see His shadow, that is His goodness and mercy. “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord’ and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.” (Ex 33:19,21-23)
In other words, for most people, they have all the evidence of God in nature. They can see God through His works of wonder and mercy and in nature. St Paul wrote, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse!” (Rom 1:18-20) Isn’t that what the responsorial psalm declares as well? “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.”
However, in Jesus, we see God in person, not just in His works but in His words. Jesus is the embodiment of God. Jesus said to Thomas: “I am the Way, the truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.” Through Jesus, we not only see but hear the Word of God speaking to us in person. When the Jews said to Jesus, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” (Jn 8:25-26) He reiterated this later when He said, “I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.” (Jn 12:49f)
Most of all, in Jesus, we see the works of God seen in His works of mercy and compassion. Jesus told the Jews, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (Jn 10:32, 37-39) Above all, it is in His passion, death and resurrection that God reveals His unconditional love and mercy. Jesus told Nicodemus, “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:13-16) This is affirmed by Paul when he handed on the tradition, “Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day.” Hence, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Jesus is the sacrament of God. A sacrament is a sign that makes real what it signifies. Today, we are called to be the sacrament of Jesus. The Church is the sacrament of Jesus. This is because the Lord works in and through His Church. Jesus lives in us and we in Him because He is the vine and we are the branches. (Jn 15:1-5). He promised that “whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” He reiterated this again later. “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (Jn 15:5,7) On this basis, we have seven sacraments and sacramentals based on the incarnational approach to God. Through the Word and the liturgy, not in some form of esoteric, transcendental meditation, using the mind and breath but words, actions and sacramental, we are led into the presence of Jesus.
But the litmus test that we have encountered the Lord in the liturgy and in worship is in works of mercy and compassion. St James wrote, “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (Jms 1:26f) Again, he said, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder. (Jms 2:14,17-19) As we celebrate the feasts of Philip and James, both of them lead us to see God through a personal relationship with Him and through the works of mercy and charity we do for our brothers and sisters.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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