20210813 FIDELITY MEANS GOING BACK TO THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE
13 August, 2021, Friday, 19th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading | Joshua 24:1-13 © |
I gave you a land where you never toiled, vineyards and olive-groves you never planted
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people:
‘The Lord, the God of Israel says this, “In ancient days your ancestors lived beyond the River – such was Terah the father of Abraham and of Nahor – and they served other gods. Then I brought your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan. I increased his descendants and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountain country of Seir as his possession. Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. Then I sent Moses and Aaron and plagued Egypt with the wonders that I worked there. So I brought you out of it. I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, and you came to the Sea; the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen as far as the Sea of Reeds. There they called to the Lord, and he spread a thick fog between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea go back on them and cover them. You saw with your own eyes the things I did in Egypt. Then for a long time you lived in the wilderness, until I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan; they made war on you and I gave them into your hands; you took possession of their country because I destroyed them before you. Next, Balak son of Zippor the king of Moab arose to make war on Israel, and sent for Balaam son of Beor to come and curse you. But I would not listen to Balaam; instead, he had to bless you, and I saved you from his hand.
‘“When you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, those who held Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites and Perizzites, the Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I put them all into your power. I sent out hornets in front of you, which drove the two Amorite kings before you; this was not the work of your sword or your bow. I gave you a land where you never toiled, you live in towns you never built; you eat now from vineyards and olive-groves you never planted.”’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 135(136):1-3,16-18,21-22,24 © |
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
Great is his love, love without end.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
Great is his love, love without end.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
Great is his love, love without end.
Through the desert his people he led.
Great is his love, love without end.
Nations in their greatness he struck.
Great is his love, love without end.
Kings in their splendour he slew.
Great is his love, love without end.
He let Israel inherit their land.
Great is his love, love without end.
On his servant their land he bestowed.
Great is his love, love without end.
And he snatched us away from our foes.
Great is his love, love without end.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps110:7,8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your precepts, O Lord, are all of them sure;
they stand firm for ever and ever.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.1Th2:13 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message for what it really is:
God’s message, and not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 19:3-12 © |
Husband and wife are no longer two, but one body
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and to test him they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’ He answered, ‘Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’
They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ ‘It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’
The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is not advisable to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted. There are eunuchs born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’
FIDELITY MEANS GOING BACK TO THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Jos 24:1-13; Ps 136:1-3,16-18,21-22,24; Mt 19:3-12 ]
History is very important for the future of any community, nation or organization. We go back to history not for nostalgic reasons but to go back to our roots so that we can appreciate the vision of our founding fathers, the spirit that pushed them to persevere, the values that they held and most of all their hopes for the future, those who come after them. Not to know our history would mean that we need to reinvent ourselves totally anew, making the same costly mistakes all over again. But worst of all, we have no sense of direction. This is why it is so necessary for us to return to the foundational roots of our organization or community. It does not mean that we go back and repeat history or that we are curtailed by the past. On the contrary, we must make progress and build on the foundation that has been laid for us already. In this way, we know we are on sure ground.
This was the case of the people during the time of Joshua. Having occupied Canaan, the Promised Land, which God had given to them, “Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.” On this occasion, Joshua reminded them of the history of Israel, beginning with the calling of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob before they took refuge in Egypt. It was there they multiplied and upon leaving Egypt became the Chosen People of God through the Covenant God made with them at Sinai.
What is significant is that God chose them even they were nobody. They were slaves in Egypt. God sent Moses to deliver them from the Egyptians with signs and wonders. “I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, and you came to the Sea; the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen as far as the Sea of Reeds. There they called to the Lord, and he spread a thick fog between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea go back on them and cover them. You saw with your own eyes the things I did in Egypt.” Such was the love of God for the sons of Israel. They saw the works of God.
Secondly, God delivered them from their enemies. In their wanderings in the wilderness, they had to contend with the different tribes who attacked them. “Then for a long time you lived in the wilderness, until I bought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan; they made war on you and I gave them into your hands; you took possession of their country because I destroyed them before you. Next, Balak son of Zippor the king of Moab arose to make war on Israel, and sent for Balaam; instead, he had to bless you, and I saved you from his hand.”
Thirdly, Joshua stressed that it was God who gave them the land; not their military might. “When you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, those who held Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites and Perizzites, the Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I put them all into your power. I sent out hornets in from of you, which drove the two Amorite kings before you; this was not the work of your sword or your bow. The Promised Land was a pure gift from the Lord. So it was not their military might, or hard work. Indeed, it was simply a gift. “I gave you a land where you never toiled, you live in towns you never built; you eat now from vineyards and olive groves you never planted.”
Hence, the conclusion was that having seen all that God had done for them, they had to choose the God they wished to serve. The choice was theirs. There could be no other gods. Clearly, they had to make a stand to worship the God of their Fathers or the gods of their ancestors. As far as Joshua was concerned there was only one God who is the God of gods and Lord of lords. “Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Jos 24:14f) Such was the foundation of Israel then. On this foundation of the Exodus Experience, the Covenant and the conquest of the land would Israel cling to the God of their Patriarchs and serve Him. Every time when they were led astray, they had to be reminded of their foundation, their origin and their beginnings. This was why the Covenant had to be renewed again and again.
Marriage, too, requires us to go back to the foundation. Marriage is also a covenant mirrored after God’s covenant with His people. Jesus underscored the permanence of the covenantal marriage just as God’s covenant was with the people. Even though they were unfaithful, God remained faithful to the Covenant. To Abraham, God said, “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.” (Gn 17:7f; Ps 105:8-11; Jer 31:33)
Hence, Jesus was adamant about the permanency of marriage, tracing it back to the foundation, to creation itself. He answered, “Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.” When the Pharisees asked again, “Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ It was because you were so unteachable’ he said ‘that Moses allowed you to divorce wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: the man who divorces his wife – I am not speaking of fornication – and marries another, is guilty of adultery.”
Indeed, the question of divorce must also go back to the foundation of marriage at creation and what God intended for His people. This is true for all other questions as well, especially the controversial question of same-sex union, transgender and non-binary and now, binary. We should always consider the divine plan of God for humanity and the human family. The book of Genesis makes it clear, “God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Gn 1:27) Then “God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Gn 1:28) If people are rewriting the plan of God, they are going against the laws of nature.
It is rather hypocritical that whilst there are many advocates of ecology, that is, the call to respect the laws of nature, for fear that the world or the planet could be destroyed, yet the laws of nature governing humanity, sexuality, marriage and the sanctity of human life are eroded and redefined because man wants to have things their way. Ecology of the environment without the ecology of the human person and the family will lead to the destruction of humanity. What, then, is the purpose of the planet when humanity is destroyed? This is why Pope Francis calls for an integral ecology which underscores the interconnectedness among God, humanity and creation. As a consequence, political, economic, cultural, social and religious values are interrelated. It does not only have ramifications on the use of the natural resources and the planet but the entire humanity, how we live and the values we hold. Hence, we must go beyond the concept of human ecology or the ecology of man to an integral ecology which presupposes a holistic anthropology. Because of a defective anthropology, we do not recognize our place in creation and the dignity of others where we are all parts of one big family that has led to greed, individualism, selfishness; manifested in exploitation not just of humanity but of the environment. We need to broaden our understanding of ecology to include every aspect of life, protection of human life, the environment, nature, economic, political, social and international relationships.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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