20210504 STRENGTHENING OUR CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES IN THEIR TRIALS
04 May, 2021, Tuesday, 5th Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 14:19-28 © |
They gave an account of how God had opened the door of faith to the pagans
Some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.
Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.’ In each of these churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
On their arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 144(145):10-13a,21 © |
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God,
to make known to men your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
Let me speak the praise of the Lord,
let all mankind bless his holy name
for ever, for ages unending.
Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk24:46,26 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
It was ordained that the Christ should suffer
and rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 14:27-31 © |
A peace the world cannot give is my gift to you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.
I shall not talk with you any longer,
because the prince of this world is on his way.
He has no power over me,
but the world must be brought to know
that I love the Father
and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.’
STRENGTHENING OUR CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES IN THEIR TRIALS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 14:19-28; PS 145:10-13,21; JOHN 14:27-31 ]
In the first reading, we read of the conclusion of the First Missionary Journey of St Paul. They went to Cyprus and Antioch in Pisidia. After winning some converts, they were expelled by the Jews who influenced the leaders of the city to persecute them. (Acts 13:48-52) They fled to Iconium where the same situation happened. After some became believers, the Jews again incited the people to go against them and they had to flee to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia. Again, we read “some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead.”
In spite of the persecutions, the spirit of the apostles remained high. Paul took the stoning calmly. When the stones were hurled at him, he would have remembered how Stephen bravely and calmly endured the stones thrown at him. But Paul was not discouraged nor vindictive. He won a silent victory over evil because he got up almost immediately to go back to the city. It was almost an instantaneous recovery. Later when he wrote to the Corinthians, he recounted that we might be “persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.” (2 Cor 4:9f) Indeed, Paul could say to the Galatians, “From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.” (Gal 6:17)
Secondly, they remained focused on their mission all the time they were under persecution. They did not complain to God or were cowed by the opposition they faced. They remained defiant and persevering in proclaiming the Good News. Instead of feeling discouraged, they remained positive about the spread of the gospel. Instead of withdrawing because of persecution, “they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. ‘We all have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.'” This is such an irony for we would think that they would be needing consolation from the rest. On the contrary, they continued to strengthen those that were just converted, giving them new inspiration and courage to persevere in their faith especially when facing opposition and hardships.
Thirdly, they used their suffering to strengthen the Christian Communities. The truth is that the disciples were not immune to persecution and physical suffering. Through the persecutions that Paul went through, he had the authority to strengthen the disciples’ faith and endurance in the face of trials. He wanted to teach them not to give in to the pressure of the Judaizers’ attempt to turn them away from salvation by faith in Christ and to turn to the law instead. Just as the Lord had to “suffer these things and then enter into his glory” (Lk 24:26), so too the followers of our Lord “‘have to experience many hardships’ they said ‘before we enter the kingdom of God.'” This remains true today. Entry into the Kingdom of God demands much sacrifices and suffering. There cannot be a resurrection without death or a crown without the cross.
But, it is not enough to know that to be a Christian entails taking up our cross and following after Jesus. We must carry the cross with joy and confidence. This is where we need to turn to the gospel to find strength to carry the cross positively. It is significant that the gospel began with Jesus assuring His disciples of peace. He said to them, “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Jesus came to give His disciples peace. But it must be made clear that it is not the peace of the world that He is giving us.
The peace of Christ does not denote the absence of wars, suffering and persecution. It is not the ceasing of hostilities from our enemy. The world’s idea of peace is just the opposite of Jesus’ peace. The world understands peace as a situation when all enemies are conquered. It is an emotional peace. Indeed, the Pax Romana during the time of the Romans was a peace based on the Roman’s subjugating all the other states. It was an apparent peace. On the contrary, a Christian is called to find peace in the storms of life. The peace of a Christian is being calm and confident in the trials and challenges of life, because he is in union with the will of God. It is a peace that comes from a generous heart and a clear conscience. His peace is grounded in Christ and in the gospel, not on the external situation or the circumstances. It is a peace born of a living personal relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
This precisely was the peace of Christ, knowing that He was doing the Father’s will. It was His union with the Father that gave Him the confidence to face the trials ahead of Him. The Lord said, “I have told you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. I shall not talk with you any longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, but the world must be brought to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.” When we know the Father and when we do everything in union with the Father, we do it with confidence. This is why this peace is not like that of the world. It is still felt within us when there are troubles outside. This is a peace that exists within the storms of life. So long as we know that we are doing God’s will, even in the face of opposition, we are at peace.
Peace is ours when we are certain of our end. Jesus assured them that He was going to the Father and that filled them with joy because they too would follow Him. He said, “You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return. If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” Indeed, Stephen could die peacefully because he could also commend his life into the hands of our Lord, as he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59) When there is fear, it is because we are focused on ourselves and are uncertain of our future. But knowing that our final destiny will be with the Father, will give us peace in our suffering.
Peace, in the final analysis, is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Peace is a word rich in meaning. It sums up the blessings of the messianic age. When the Lord appeared to the apostles after the resurrection, He said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20:23) This peace is the consequence of reconciliation through the forgiveness of our sins. Peace is when we have a clear conscience before God and man.
With such words of encouragement, the disciples continued to strengthen the communities under persecution. They helped them to look beyond their suffering. To ensure that they would always have shepherds to lead them, they appointed a body of elders in each church. They made provisions for them. “In each of these churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.” Every community needs to have strong and faith-filled leaders to show them the way and to remind them to be faithful to Christ. So they appointed the elders to instruct them in their faith so that their knowledge of Christ could grow in maturity.
Finally, they demonstrated that prayer is the only way to secure divine faithfulness. They commended the leaders and their communities to the grace of God. As leaders we cannot be with those communities we started all the time. That is why we need to surrender them to the Lord and leave them to manage their own affairs. Jesus will somehow guide them, and send the Holy Spirit to guide and protect them.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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