20210827 SEXUAL REVOLUTION
27 August, 2021, Friday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 © |
What God wants is for you all to be holy
Brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.
What God wants is for you all to be holy. He wants you to keep away from fornication, and each one of you to know how to use the body that belongs to him in a way that is holy and honourable, not giving way to selfish lust like the pagans who do not know God. He wants nobody at all ever to sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; the Lord always punishes sins of that sort, as we told you before and assured you. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral; in other words, anyone who objects is not objecting to a human authority, but to God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 96(97):1-2,5-6,10-12 © |
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.
The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
let all the coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his raiment;
his throne, justice and right.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.
The mountains melt like wax
before the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.
The Lord loves those who hate evil;
he guards the souls of his saints;
he sets them free from the wicked.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.
Light shines forth for the just
and joy for the upright of heart.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord;
give glory to his holy name.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps129:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
Alleluia!
Or: | Lk21:36 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 25:1-13 © |
The wise and foolish virgins
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
SEXUAL REVOLUTION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Th 4:1-8; Ps 97:1-2,5-6,10-12; Mt 25:1-13]
Marriage is one of the most beautiful gifts of God to humanity. In marriage, it is the union of a man and a woman, both different but complementary to each other. Together they complete each other emotionally, sexually and spiritually. This is why the Christian ideal of marriage is according to the plan of God for humanity. As the Lord said, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mt 19:4-6) It is the indissoluble union of the couple that makes possible unconditional love, mutual giving and forgiveness, union of heart, mind and body.
So sacred is marriage that the bible uses marriage as the way to describe our relationship with God. In today’s gospel, the Parable of the Bridesmaids reminds us of the joy of welcoming the bridegroom into our lives. Of course, the bridegroom is our Lord and the bride is the Church which is all of us. Although all of us are Christians, just like the ten who were bridesmaids, not all of us are ready to welcome the bridegroom. We fail to make the necessary preparations to get our torches ready to welcome Him when He arrives. Only the wise bridesmaids who were prepared for the unexpected arrival of the bridegroom were ready to receive Him. We too do not know when the Lord will be arriving. Regardless when He arrives, we need to be ready to share in His joy and love. This presupposes we live in the light of Christ, with good works to shine before the world, giving glory to the Father and most of all, as St Paul tells us in the first reading, to live a life of holiness, which is to live a life of purity in truth and love. Whilst a life of holiness goes beyond sexual purity, it has to do with right relationships with our brothers and sisters, and ultimately with God. The foundation for right relationship begins with marriage. However, the relationships between man and woman, whether in marriage or outside marriage today are disordered.
Today, we are going through a sexual revolution. By this I do not mean we are changing to a situation that is new, but going back like a revolving door to what was the situation during the Pre-Christian era. This was the context of St Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians in asking them to avoid sexual immorality. It is also good for us to take note that St Paul was writing from Corinth which was also well known for sexual immorality. Yet, we must appreciate that St Paul was going against the culture of those days when sexual immorality was rampant according to our assessment, but for the people it was a way of life. Many marriages were arranged and often to protect the legitimacy of the children and to protect the family line. But many had mistresses and concubines to satisfy their sexual pleasures and affective needs as not all arranged marriages resulted in romance. Extra-marital relationships were accepted as part of the culture. Seneca said, “Women were married to be divorced and divorced to be married.” Furthermore, there was the temple worship of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sex and beauty whom the Romans identified as Venus. There were temple prostitutes associated with the rites.
Our society is not much different today when we compare ourselves to the time of St Paul. Sexual promiscuity today is also rampant. Infidelity outside of marriage is increasing and so is divorce. In fact, the census, not just in Singapore but in many countries as well, shows that the number of divorces among Catholics and Christians are comparable to the national figure. Divorce seems to be a natural and acceptable reality today because many couples are not capable of lasting commitment and permanent relationships. This is of course due to the changing lifestyle of urban living.
Indeed, one of the main factors for the sexual revolution is the changing lifestyle of society. The rise of the power of women is one of the most important factors. Our women today are no longer just homemakers, looking after babies and children, or high-class domestic workers at home, cleaning the house and cooking for the family. Our women are highly educated and many of them hold important and influential positions in government, corporate organizations, NGOs and church bodies. Some are political leaders in many nations. Because of the great demand on their time, and with their husbands equally committed to their work or business, they have hardly any time for each other. Their relationships after marriage tend to be superficial, as each is so involved not just in their work but also in social entertainment and relationships with a wider circle of people, especially of the opposite sex. The temptation is much greater for sexual infidelity, especially when one or both of the couple are not getting sufficient intimacy, quality time and understanding from their partners.
The second factor is the advancement of science and technology. With easy abortion and the many means of contraception, and mobile apps to determine with greater accuracy the possibility of pregnancy, the temptation to sexual promiscuity is greater. Women no longer are afraid that they would get an unwanted pregnancy. On the reverse, today, one can have a child without getting married as well, through surrogate motherhood or invitro-fertilization. Otherwise, we can also conceive babies in laboratory.
The third factor is the influence of social media and the secular culture at large. Because of relativism, it is difficult for someone of this generation to be told what is right and what is wrong. In the past, our sense of morality is determined and influenced by our family and religious traditions. Today, it is no longer the family or our religion that influences us but television, movies, radio, internet, social media, celebrities and leaders in the political and corporate world. They become the mentor of what is good for us. This is why it is very difficult for us to go against the culture of the world that is obsessed with sensuality and pleasures. Sexual immorality is promoted by the mass media and the entertainment world and commercials normalizing what is immoral. People dress provocatively and skimpily as this is a free world. We do not have to be out of our homes to see sexually provocative images because pornography can be accessed on the Internet.
These factors, such as an active career lifestyle, desire for wealth and status, increasing number of divorces, advancement in medical science, social media have also led to an increasing number of singles. Many do not want commitments that would compromise their career or their freedom to go as they like. They desire relationships that are open-ended. So couples change relationships the way they change cars. Many prefer to stay single but they also need love and affection and sex as well. So they go for one-night stands or casual relationships. Others are attracted to same-sex relationships. Today, the novelty is to call oneself a transgender, a non-binary; not just gay or lesbian.
How do we protect ourselves from this permissive culture? It cannot be by rules and teaching moral principles alone because today everyone holds different views. There are all kinds of arguments against and for the Christian moral principles we hold. St Paul gives us the clue. He said, God “wants nobody at all ever to sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; the Lord always punishes sins of that sort, as we told you before and assured you. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral; in other words, anyone who objects is not objecting to a human authority, but to God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.” It is not so much knowing what is right or wrong, which is just the first step. Before we take note of the imperative that comes from Christian Faith, we must underscore the imperative dimension of the gospel, which is the Good News that has been given to us. Holiness and living the gospel life presupposes we know what God has done for us in Jesus, how He has shown us the way to live our life in truth and love. Unless we first encounter Jesus’ love, there is no way to grow in holiness. Most of all, St Paul says we need the power of the Holy Spirit.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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