20210922 AUTHORITY OF AN APOSTLE
22 September, 2021, Wednesday, 25th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading | Ezra 9:5-9 © |
'God has not forgotten us in our slavery'
At the evening sacrifice I, Ezra, came out of my stupor and falling on my knees, with my garment and cloak torn, I stretched out my hands to the Lord my God, and said:
‘My God, I am ashamed, I blush to lift my face to you, my God. For our crimes have increased, until they are higher than our heads, and our sin has piled up to heaven. From the days of our ancestors until now our guilt has been great; on account of our crimes we, our kings and our priests, were given into the power of the kings of other countries, given to the sword, to captivity, to pillage and to shame, as is the case today. But now, suddenly, the Lord our God by his favour has left us a remnant and granted us a refuge in his holy place; this is how our God has cheered our eyes and given us a little respite in our slavery. For we are slaves; but God has not forgotten us in our slavery; he has shown us kindness in the eyes of the kings of Persia, obtaining permission for us to rebuild the Temple of our God and restore its ruins, and he has found us safety and shelter in Judah and in Jerusalem.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Tobit 13:2,4,6-8 © |
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
God punishes, he also has mercy,
he leads men to the depths of the grave,
he restores men from the great destruction.
No man can escape his hand.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
It is he who scattered us among the nations.
Among them must we show forth our greatness
and exalt him in the presence of all living;
for he is our Lord and our God,
our Father and our God for ever.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Now think what he has done for you,
give thanks to him with all your voice.
Give praise to the Lord for his justice
and exalt the king of all ages.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In this land of exile I will thank him,
and show forth his greatness and might
to the race of sinful men.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Sinners, come back to him,
do what is right before him.
Who knows but he will receive you with pity?
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Col3:16a,17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you;
through him give thanks to God the Father.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mk1:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The kingdom of God is close at hand:
repent and believe the Good News.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 9:1-6 © |
'Take nothing for the journey'
Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.
AUTHORITY OF AN APOSTLE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ EZRA 9:5-9; LK 9:1-6 ]
The first foundation of authority is always a delegated authority. In the gospel, “Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” In this one sentence, it spells out the authority of the Twelve. They were given a share in Jesus’ power and authority. Clearly, therefore, this is a delegated authority. The authority of the apostles is dependent on the authority invested on them by our Lord. On their own, they had no power or authority to do what Jesus did unless they were appointed and sent in His name. Accordingly, the Lord said, “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (Lk 10:16)
This emphasis on a delegated authority implies that authority is therefore dependent on those who appoint us. This is underscored by our Lord when He instructed the apostles to “take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic.” Unlike Mark who allowed a staff, or Matthew who said that the labourer deserves his hire, Luke emphasized total dependence on God in doing the Lord’s work. Indeed, unless the disciple is totally dependent on the Lord, he would not be able to carry out the same mission that Jesus delegated to them. This is because Jesus Himself was conscious that He was sent by the Father. He did not appoint Himself. Hence after His resurrection, He told the disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had 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 20:21-23)
This is true in every area of life, not just in church but also in government and in the corporate world. We are appointed for an office or a role by someone of authority or by the community. The government of the day is given the mandate from the people and the legitimate institutions appoint them accordingly. So too in the church, the people submit to the authority of their pastor, the pastor in turn submits to the bishop who appoints them; and the bishop submits to the Holy Father who speaks as Head of the Apostolic College. The Holy Father himself, through the discernment of the Cardinals, is elected as the Head of the Church.
Very often, we forget that our authority is not absolute and it is a delegated authority. We act as if we have absolute authority in what we do and what we say. We forget that we have been appointed to carry out what has been entrusted to us. This is why it is important that those who are vested with authority must be humble and respectful of the authority given to him or her, and not overstep his or her boundary. No one can take upon himself to act without authority. It is not just with regard to decisions, but also with respect to what we say. We can only teach what is permitted by the institution. A priest and even a bishop cannot teach what is contrary to what the Church believes. He violates the power of his authority when he expounds his own doctrines and beliefs that differ from the Church.
Knowing the limits of our authority help us to check ourselves and to refer matters to higher authority when such matters are beyond the powers invested to us. If we do not agree with the decisions of the higher authority, we should still abide by it whilst seeking to understand, appreciate and align ourselves with the views and understanding of those in authority. Otherwise, we can no longer in conscience carry on the office vested in us as we would not be able to do what we are appointed to do. This is important, otherwise we create disunity and confusion within the community when we insist on saying or doing the things we believe in, even though they are in direct opposition to those who appointed us, thereby rejecting their authority.
But juridical authority alone is not enough to make us an effective minister of the Lord. Those who lack personal authority tend to rely on juridical authority to get things done. They order their subordinates to carry out their instructions and threaten to dismiss or penalize them if they do not. When we have to use force and threats to get things done, it is a sign that we have lost our moral authority to persuade and motivate people to share our authority to do what have been entrusted to us. This is why more than ever; juridical authority must be reinforced by personal and moral authority of the leader. Only by his example can he truly command those under him. Unless he walks the talk and carries out what he teaches, those under him will not be rightly motivated to cooperate with him.
This explains why Jesus instructed His apostles to live simply by taking what is needed. They must not be choosy but be grateful for what they receive. “Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there.” The messenger of the Lord must live modestly without being attached to the things of this world. Otherwise, the gospel would be rendered ineffective when the minister is more concerned with making money and having a good life rather than in proclaiming the gospel. Of course, the instructions were directed more to itinerant preachers and missionaries of the gospel to travel lightly. But by extension to those who are stationed in a particular place, nonetheless, the ministry must not be tainted by greed for money and luxury.
Indeed, we must proclaim the gospel without conditions, for as the Lord told the disciples, “You received without payment; give without payment.” (Mt 10:8) The gospel must always be given free without charge. This was why St Paul was very careful not to over-tax the people financially when he refused to be paid for his work. Even though it is the duty of those who are ministered to to provide for the needs of the ministers, yet St Paul said, “Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:12-18)
But this authority must also be established by a pastoral authority as well. This means that a minister of the gospel must make full use of his “power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” Preaching and teaching is the first duty of a minister of the gospel. We are called to instruct others in the faith and in the truth. The gospel must be preached so that people can come to know Jesus and the teaching of Christ. But ministry cannot be confined to evangelical preaching or even catechesis. This is the starting point of the proclamation of the Good News.
The reality of the Good News is when it is lived and encountered personally. This is why a minister after preaching and teaching, like Jesus, must go out to personally minister to the people through the work of healing and deliverance. The works that a minister does need not always be spectacular or miraculous, focused on a few healing events to impress people and gain their support. In most instances, such impressive feats do not last long unless they are on-going and seen in the support we give to our people, through the work of compassion, mercy, encouragement and journeying with them in their pains and struggles in life. We must avoid the temptation to put up a great show as in a rally, but without personal follow up of those who had an initial attraction to the Good News. This is often the mistake of many Church leaders. They like to conduct big rallies and concerts, but the real work of conversion is not altar calls, but whether we follow up with those who are keen to know the Lord. This is what matters at the end. We are making disciples, not converts! So, today, let us be messengers of mercy and compassion to all by being credible witnesses of the Lord and not just teachers of faith. “So they set out and went from village proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.” We too must find all opportunities to spread the gospel, using our personal authority, living a life of faith, love and trust in God.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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