20210926 INCLUSIVE HUMANITY
26 September, 2021, Sunday, 26th Week, Ordinary Time (World Day of Migrants and Refugees)
First reading |
Numbers 11:25-29 © |
If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets!
The Lord came down in the Cloud. He spoke with Moses, but took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the spirit came on them they prophesied, but not again.
Two men had stayed back in the camp; one was called Eldad and the other Medad. The spirit came down on them; though they had not gone to the Tent, their names were enrolled among the rest. These began to prophesy in the camp. The young man ran to tell this to Moses, ‘Look,’ he said ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ Then said Joshua the son of Nun, who had served Moses from his youth, ‘My Lord Moses, stop them!’ Moses answered him, ‘Are you jealous on my account? If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets, and the Lord gave his Spirit to them all!’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 18(19):8,10,12-14 © |
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
So in them your servant finds instruction;
great reward is in their keeping.
But who can detect all his errors?
From hidden faults acquit me.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.
Then shall I be blameless,
clean from grave sin.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
Second reading | James 5:1-6 © |
The Lord hears the cries of those you have cheated
An answer for the rich. Start crying, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. Your wealth is all rotting, your clothes are all eaten up by moths. All your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion will be your own sentence, and eat into your body. It was a burning fire that you stored up as your treasure for the last days. Labourers mowed your fields, and you cheated them – listen to the wages that you kept back, calling out; realise that the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart’s content. It was you who condemned the innocent and killed them; they offered you no resistance.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn17:17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48 © |
Do not stop anyone from working a miracle in my name
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.
‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out.’
INCLUSIVE HUMANITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [NUM 11:25-29; PS 19:8,10,12-14; JAMES 5:1-6; MK 9:38-48]
Today, we celebrate Migrant Sunday. In his message for this year, the Holy Father, Pope Francis urges the world to work “Towards an ever wider we.” Indeed, with the lessons from the Pandemic, we are reminded that we are all interdependent on each other for security, prosperity, peace and progress. We are all one in this common journey and we cannot leave anyone behind. The success and security of one nation is dependent on the success and security of other nations. The ecology of the environment affects all of us as well. Climate warming has caused the weather and climate to change unpredictability, with typhoons, flooding, heat-waves and forest fires. Plants, wild-life and marine life have all been destroyed.
In an age of globalization, migration, and mass communication, all the more, we must seek opportunities to break down the walls of separation, distrust, radical individualism, a narrow perspective of nationalism that is inward-looking, aggressive and exclusive, racial and religious discrimination, marginalization of the poor, itinerants and migrants. Pope Francis says, “The truth however is that we are all in the same boat and called to work together so that there will be no more walls that separate us, no longer others, but only a single “we”, encompassing all of humanity.”
This is the theme of this Sunday’s reading. The scripture readings warn us of the temptation to exclusivity, especially in holding on to our power and resources. In the first reading, 70 elders were appointed to assist Moses and God “took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the spirit came on them they prophesied.” However, there were two men who stayed back in the camp, “the spirit came down on them; though they had not gone to the Tent, their names were enrolled among the rest. These began to prophesy in the camp.” This brought confusion and also insecurity to those who were officially appointed to be among the 70 elders. They wanted to restrict the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit only to those appointed. Even “Joshua the son of Nun, who had served Moses from his youth”, said, “My Lord Moses, stop them!’ Moses answered him, ‘Are you jealous on my account? If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets, and the Lord gave his Spirit to them all!'”
We must respect the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. He gives His gifts freely to those whom He wills. We must not be narrow-minded to think that only we have the gifts of the Holy Spirit and those outside our Church do not have. Worst of all is to say that the good works that others do are from the Evil One! Indeed, there are some of us who think that only Christians or only Catholics can be saved, or that we have the monopoly of the truth. The truth is that “there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” (1 Cor 12:4-11) We must therefore not be exclusive in thinking that only we deserve to have the gifts of the Spirit; and even if we have them, it is for the common good and not to glorify ourselves or for our self-indulgence only.
This was the same temptation of the apostles in today’s gospel reading as well. John complained to the Lord, “Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.” As far as John was concerned, they were the only ones appointed by the Lord to proclaim the gospel, to heal and exorcise in His name. He and the others were obsessed by the authority given to them. They thought that the power given to them was restricted only to them alone. Clearly, we can see how insecure the apostles were, even in serving the Lord. They sought power and position. Earlier on, they were already disputing among themselves who was the greatest.
This is the same temptation not just for those in the political and corporate world but also in the religious world. Some of us seek power and control over others. We want to dictate to others how they should live, behave and work. We are protective of our authority and power. When we see a competitor, we are ever ready to suppress or get rid of the person no matter how good or how well he could do the job. We want to hold on to our position and exclude others because of insecurity, fear and prejudice. But the Lord told John, “You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.”
This boils down to the fact that we do not recognize our true identity as brothers and sisters of our Lord. In response to the question who is the greatest, Jesus “took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'” (Mk 9:35-37) When we welcome someone, he or she is our brother and our sister. We all share the same humanity. This is why the Lord in the Parable of the Final Judgment said, “I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Mt 25:40) Jesus has identified Himself with all of us, especially the poor, the marginalized, the migrants and those under oppression and discrimination.
In the letter of St James, he warns the rich and the powerful of the judgment ahead of them. He condemned the rich for getting rich at the expense of the poor, through cheating and injustices. “Labourers mowed your fields, and you cheated them – listen to the wages that you kept back.” St James warned that all their wealth will rot, their beautiful clothing would be eaten by moths and even gold and silver would corrode! The rich were also condemned because they hoarded their wealth and lived for themselves only. “On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart’s content.”
Today, as we celebrate Migrant Sunday, let us be conscious that our power, our gifts, talents, wealth and blessings are not just meant for us, whether as individuals or even as a nation. We have an obligation to welcome everyone, especially those who are poor, refugees, those seeking for a better life, those fleeing from war torn countries and those being oppressed in their own countries. There can be no world peace or progress unless we seek greater cooperation with one another, empowering and enriching each other. The dangerous trend today is for some of us, and some countries, to be narrow-minded, thinking of our own security, failing to realize that the best way to protect our homes is to protect the interests of our neighbours. There is only one planet and one humanity. We all have a share in it and the resources are meant for all, not just a few people. It is the greatest scandal to know that 10% of the rich owns 90% of the world’s resources. We need to do more to make this world and humanity more inclusive through globalization, dialogue and exchange.
This calls for a Church, as Pope Francis says, that is more “Catholic”, that is, universal and inclusive of all humanity, cultures, races and languages; a Church that welcomes diversity; a Church that gives special consideration to “those dwelling in those existential peripheries, we find many migrants and refugees, displaced persons and victims of trafficking, to whom the Lord wants his love to be manifested and his salvation preached.” However, ad extra, the Church must appeal to all humanity to make this world a more inclusive world for all, that even though we come from different cultural, social and religious background, we embrace everyone through dialogue, encounter and sharing. We are called to share our gifts with each other, enriching each other and together when we join forces, we build a better world, home and nation for the good of everyone.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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