Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: November 2021

Tuesday 30 November 2021

CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE HOPE OF HUMANITY

20211201 CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE HOPE OF HUMANITY

01 December, 2021, Wednesday, 1st Week of Advent

First reading

Isaiah 25:6-10 ©

The Lord will prepare a banquet for every nation

On this mountain,

the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples

a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines,

of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.

On this mountain he will remove

the mourning veil covering all peoples,

and the shroud enwrapping all nations,

he will destroy Death for ever.

The Lord will wipe away

the tears from every cheek;

he will take away his people’s shame

everywhere on earth,

for the Lord has said so.

That day, it will be said: See, this is our God

in whom we hoped for salvation;

the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.

We exult and we rejoice

that he has saved us;

for the hand of the Lord

rests on this mountain.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 22(23) ©

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

Gospel Acclamation

Is33:22

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord is our judge, the Lord our lawgiver,

the Lord our king and our saviour.

Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Look, the Lord will come to save his people.

Blessed those who are ready to meet him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 15:29-37 ©

The crowds praised the God of Israel

Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.

But Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said ‘and a few small fish.’ Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.

CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE HOPE OF HUMANITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Is 25:6-10; Ps 23:1-6; Mt 15:29-37]

What do we all need most in life? We need good food. We fear hunger and poverty. So it is natural that the most basic needs of human beings is food, clothing and accommodation. Without which, we cannot speak of surviving, much less living. This is why the prophet Isaiah envisioned a life to come when “the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wine, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.” Beyond food, we need fellowship and communion with our fellowmen. Man are social animals. We need to be connected with our fellowmen. We need love and intimacy with a smaller group of people. What better way to build fellowship and share love than in a meal or a banquet. Every celebration always involves food and drinks. It is in a banquet that we share our joys with one another. In a meal, we spend time sharing ourselves and getting to know our brothers and sisters. Having a meal together is very important to build bonds with our fellowmen.

What do we fear most in life? We fear suffering, especially suffering that comes from sickness, accidents, natural catastrophes and wars. Indeed, we know that today’s medical cost is rising and many cannot afford medical treatment. We all want to be healthy. Few of us can take pain in life. Our people today are not strong enough to tolerate pain, inconvenience, suffering. It is hard to enjoy life when a person cannot walk, cannot read, cannot take care of himself or herself. This is why we desire to be freed from all pain, misery and suffering. As the prophet said, “The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his peoples shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so.”

Most of all, we fear death. With death, it means definitive departure, not just from this world but from our loved ones. That is why we fear death, both the dying and their loved ones. Departure is always painful. For those who do not believe in God, the end of life is the end of everything. Whatever achievements and wealth we have accumulated would have to be left behind. Even the Israelites initially thought that when a person dies, he enters into Sheol, which is a state of half-existence, existing but not living. It was over time that theological reflection made them realize that God would not extinguish us completely or abandon us to Sheol. Rather, He will grant us immortality of life and resurrection of the body. “On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death for ever.”

It is in the light of human needs and fears that the prophet envisioned a time where all these desires would be fulfilled, fear and misery would be removed. The imagery used by the Prophet is that of an eschatological banquet where there is plenty of food, wine and fellowship. There will no longer be death and all tears will be wiped away from every cheek. Of course, it is not realistic to believe that these promises would be possible and completely fulfilled in this life. Such a paradisiac life belongs to the eschatological future. It will come at the end of time. A similar imagery is picked up by John in the final Book of the bible, the book of Revelation, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.'” (Rev 21:1-4) Lasting happiness is found when man is in union with God, just as in a wedding feast, for the Church is the bride of Christ, who Himself is our bridegroom. It is this intimacy and rest in Him, that we find true peace and joy. The responsorial psalm captures this, “in the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.”

But how can we be so certain that such a day would arrive? Is it just a projection of human imagination, or truly a revelation of God? What evidence do we have that such a hope would be fulfilled and not just a dream? Jesus came to anticipate the final hope of humanity. In the gospel, like Moses, Jesus “went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others.” Jesus came to heal the sick, liberate those under the torments of the Evil One, giving sight to the blind and speech to the dumb. The evangelist noted, “These they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the crippled whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.” Indeed, the people immediately recognized Jesus as the visitation of God. He came to give hope to the people of Israel that God loves them and cares for them. The people needed this assurance.

Beyond healing and deliverance, the Lord also came to feed His people, not just spiritual food through His preaching but also physical food. In the gospel, we read of the compassion of our Lord and His keen sensitivity to the needs of His people. Jesus told His disciples “I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.” Jesus felt responsible for their soul and body. He did not pass this responsibility to others. He took it upon Himself. He could have conveniently let the people go back but He could see that they were both spiritually and physically hungry.

Trusting in His Father’s providence instead of worrying like the disciples who said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?”, Jesus made use of the little resources He had, seven loaves and a few small fish. “He took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples who gave them to the crowds.” Ever grateful for what He already had, He gave thanks to the Father and gave what He had to the disciples to distribute to the four thousand. Jesus never asked how could so little food be enough for all, or told His disciples, “wait till we have collected enough, then we start distributing.” No, He had the meagre resources distributed, and as they began distribution, the food was multiplied. “They all ate as much as they wanted and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.” Jesus showed the power of God to give us life abundantly beyond our human limitations. We just have to trust in Him, like our Lord. The promises of God to the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled in time to come because Jesus has already given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet to come.

The Church continues to grant us an expectant hope by mediating the future life to our people today by giving them a foretaste of this life. Already in this world, the Church invites us to live a life of communion and love, a life of charity and compassion. The Church, through her social and humanitarian works, reaches out to all the poor, suffering, and marginalized regardless of race, language or religion. Through our love for each other, we support each other and give hope and courage to those who are suffering because of tragedy, hunger, suffering, wars and illnesses. This is what we must do during the Season of Advent, to give hope to those who are suffering.

But we must also invite people to have an eye focused on the future life to come. True happiness comes only when we are resting in the house of the Lord, when the Lord abides in us. Through the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, Jesus as the Good Shepherd leads us to greener pastures where He gives us repose. “Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.” Truly, the scripture readings remind us that there will be eternal rest and joy when we live in God’s house. But this joy and rest are already ours when we allow Jesus to come into our hearts and allow others to enter our lives. So let us, whilst awaiting the ultimate fulfilment, be an anticipatory hope for others.

Monday 29 November 2021

LEFT OUT

20211130 LEFT OUT

30 November, 2021, Tuesday, St Andrew, Apostle

First reading

Romans 10:9-18 ©

Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5 ©

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

Follow me, says the Lord,

and I will make you into fishers of men.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 4:18-22 ©

'I will make you fishers of men'

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

LEFT OUT

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 10:9-18; Psalm 19:2-5; Mt 4:18-22]

Many of us have gone through the humiliating experience of being left out of something which we started, or at least was one of the pioneers. This can be in business, a charitable organization or church ministry. We were the ones who initiated the program or the organization. We laid the foundation and rallied people to support us. But as soon as the organization took shape, those who came after us ousted us from our leadership position. We were relegated some unimportant tasks, or worse still, ignored. We feel unwanted, hurt and our ego is bruised. We begin to resent the leadership and the members who did not elect us to head the organization. After all, it is we who had given birth to the organization. We demand respect, privilege and recognition. Booted out of leadership, we begin to attack those who are now in position. We slander them and discredit their work and cast spurious doubts on their motives. We seek to rally those who are still on our side to rebel against the current leadership. And when that is not possible, we break away and start a rival organization.

Being left out does not only happen in organizations but also among friends. We rally together a group of friends so that we could share our life together, our faith, our joys, our interests. We build strong ties with the members of the group, until someone comes along and changes the group dynamics. The person is charismatic, eloquent, attractive and have good communication skills. He or she starts sowing rumours and doubts about us to the other members of the group. We start to find ourselves marginalized, even by our friends, who begin to leave us out of gatherings and their chat groups. We feel so wronged and misunderstood. This happens in the family too. Because of gossiping, jealousy, backbiting, we find some members of our family being sarcastic towards us and leaving us out of family affairs and events. This is why sometimes family gatherings can be a source of tension because instead of fellowship and mutual support, the gatherings are hostile and destructive.

Today, we celebrate the feast of St Andrew. In the Byzantine Church, he is given the nickname, Protoklitos, the first called. Andrew was the first disciple to be called by the Lord. St John’s gospel recounted how Andrew and another disciple, probably, John, were disciples of John the Baptist. When they heard their master pointing out to them that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29,35), they started to follow Jesus. Andrew was a sincere man, one of faith and hope. He was seeking the Messiah. He wanted to know the Lord better and to listen to Him. Since his former master, John the Baptist, disclaimed that he was the Messiah or the prophet, and directed him to our Lord, he took the courage to follow Jesus.

After meeting Jesus, spending a significant day with Him, for John recounted the time, “It was about four o’clock in the afternoon” (Jn 1:39), Andrew, who was Simon Peter’s brother, shared the good news about Jesus with Peter. Instead of keeping the good news or Jesus for himself, he went to find his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed.) He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). (Jn 1:41f) Indeed, Andrew was the foundational link to Peter who was the rock of the apostolic Church. Without Andrew, Peter would not have come to know Jesus or gained faith in Him. Andrew therefore had a very important role to play in the foundation of the Church. He was the first apostle who received the call to follow Jesus. This is why the Roman Catholic Church of Rome and the Orthodox Catholic Church of Constantinople regard each other as sister churches. There is this close relationship between these two churches on account of the fraternal relationship between Peter and Andrew who were blood brothers.

But what we often fail to realize is that although Andrew was the first to be called by our Lord, yet he was not included among the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples. Although he was the one who led Peter to our Lord, it was not he that the Lord chose to be in His inner circle. The gospel of Matthew which we read today made it clear that Andrew and Peter, James and John, were among the first to be called by our Lord. Andrew and Peter, just like James and John, were brothers and they were all fishermen. But eventually, Andrew was left out from the foursome. As Jesus gathered the apostles together, only three were chosen to be in His inner circle, and these were Peter, James and John. It was only Peter, James and John that were privileged witnesses at the Transfiguration of our Lord, the raising of the daughter of Jairus, and in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was in agony.

How did Andrew feel? He could have felt slighted and struggled with the pain of being excluded. He could have said to himself, “but I was the one who met Jesus first and I was the one who introduced Jesus to my brother.” Rightly, he should be among the inner circle of our Lord. But the truth was that he was not. Was he upset, angry and wounded? Did he get angry with Jesus and accuse Him of favouritism? Did he try to influence the rest of the apostles to think our Lord was unfair in not choosing him to be in the inner circle of disciples? Did he give up following Jesus, just as some of us do when we are disillusioned because we have not been elected or reappointed to a position of leadership? Did he try to fight for his rights? Nay, Andrew was not concerned about position.

Firstly, Andrew was simply in love with our Lord. It did not matter how the Lord wanted him to serve and which position he should hold. It was good enough that he could be with our Lord, accompanying Him in His ministry and serving Him. It was more important for Andrew to be with Him than to have position and honour. Indeed, he would never have forgotten that day when the Lord told him, “Come and see”. Intimacy with Jesus is greater than anything else in this world. To be in the company of our Lord is greater than any other ministry or position. We remember what our Lord said to Martha, “you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:41f)

Secondly, Andrew trusted in the wisdom of our Lord and God’s plan for him. He understood that we are all called differently for different things. The Lord knew his talents and his ability. He believed that the Lord knew best how he should be used for the service of the master. So when the Lord called, he dropped everything to follow Him. He was completely obedient to the Lord. We too must put our faith in the Lord. We should be contented with whatever position the Lord chooses for us. Andrew was not jealous of Peter, his brother. However, James and John, although in the inner circle, were still not happy and secure; they wanted to be seated on the left and right hand of our Lord when He came to power. (Mt 20:20-23) We, too, must be contented with whatever role the Lord gives to us.

St Paul himself saw his ministry and mission the same way. “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Cor 3:5-9) What is of utmost importance is that we play our part in leading people to Jesus as Andrew did when he became the interpreter for the Greeks who came to hear Jesus. (Jn 12:20-24) In telling Andrew that the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified had come, He was anticipating how the gospel would be spread to the Gentiles after His death and resurrection. It is good enough that we bring people to Jesus, and introduce them to our Lord as Andrew did. When the people were hungry, he was the one who told our Lord that there was a boy with five loaves and two fish. (Jn 6:9) Andrew was never discouraged but would make himself useful in whatever ways to lead people to our Lord. So must we, as St Paul said, “they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher. The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound.” Let us be evangelizers, even if we are not apostles, according to the humble position we are in.

Saturday 27 November 2021

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

20211128 GREAT EXPECTATIONS

28 November, 2021, Sunday, 1st Week of Advent

First reading

Jeremiah 33:14-16 ©

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I am going to fulfil the promise I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah:

‘In those days and at that time,

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David,

who shall practise honesty and integrity in the land.

In those days Judah shall be saved

and Israel shall dwell in confidence.

And this is the name the city will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 24(25):4-5,8-9,10,14 ©

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my saviour.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

His ways are faithfulness and love

for those who keep his covenant and law.

The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him;

to them he reveals his covenant.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Second reading

1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 ©

May you be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again

May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.

Finally, 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.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps84:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy

and give us your saving help.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:25-28,34-36 ©

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.

‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Jer 33:14-16; Ps 25; 1 Th 3:12 – 4:2; Lk 21:25-28,34-36]

What are your expectations in life? Most of us have very basic expectations from life. We all desire comfort, security, health and pleasure because we are embodied spirits. We work for security in terms of pleasure, glory, wealth, power and career. But if our life is just about pleasure, fun, excitement, food and drink, we will live a futile life. Seeking for the things of this world in themselves would be incomplete.

We must be driven beyond the physical and material aspects of life. As embodied Spirits, we must seek the higher spiritual things of life. Indeed, we are called to dream of a world where there is peace, harmony, mutual love and support, trust and mutual respect of all regardless of race, language, religion and culture. We dream of a world where wealth is more equally distributed and humanity can live in peace and fellowship. We dream of a compassionate world, a gracious world that cares for the marginalized, the sick, the elderly, and those with special needs. We dream of a world when every country is prosperous and advanced, collaborating with each other to make greater progress through trade and sharing of technology. We dream of a world when humanity can live in peace with each other, and when they do not see each other as a threat but as partners in growth and development. We dream of a world where there is no need for armament and the billions of dollars spent on destructive weapons used for the poor and development of people instead.

How can this be fulfilled? We need a great king who can bring about all these. But no earthly king or superpower in the world can do that. Powerful nations use other countries, especially the weaker ones to serve their agenda. Countries live in fear and suspicion of others that are manipulative and self-serving. Often, national interests are seen in very narrow terms. It is about their peoples, not about the promotion of unity, progress, advancement, prosperity of all nations and the well-being of all humanity. Whilst it is understandable that each nation must put their nation’s interests before all others, it can exclude peoples of other nations as well. There is a lack of integrity and sincerity among world leaders in promoting the good of all. We have lots of empty promises and nice words but we lack concrete actions.

This is why we need a prince of peace who can rule the world with integrity and utter selflessness. The prophet said, “In those days and at that time, I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David, who shall practise honesty and integrity in the land. In those days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell in confidence. And this is the name the city will be called: The Lord-our-integrity.” Indeed, this is our hope when we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, when we proclaim Him as king of all, regardless of race, language and religion. He has come to reign in our lives, not by enslaving us or enriching Himself but by giving His life for our salvation and happiness. He has come to establish an eternal and universal kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. The kingdom of our Lord, as He said, is not of this world but God’s reign in our hearts so that love, peace and justice would prevail. Jesus is not a threat to anyone. He comes to make us all kings by empowering us to be servants of each other. This is our great expectation. This is the hope of humanity. Until the Lord reigns in our hearts, Satan will seek to influence us to do evil, to be selfish, inward-looking, to see others as our enemies, seeking to destroy and to eliminate those whom we perceive to be serious competitors. We want to grab everything in the world for ourselves and our country. We cooperate with the world only when it serves our interests, not others.

Today, we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. After giving a preview of the end of time, when Christ our King reigns over the whole of creation, the season of Advent gives us hope that this would be a reality. Advent means the arrival of a great person, of a king. Jesus, the King of Kings, has come to visit us and bring us the presence of God and His peace. The first part of Advent continues the theme of Christ’s coming at the end of time. The second part focuses on the first coming of Christ at Christmas. Both the first coming and second coming of Christ are intimately connected. Christmas celebrates the beginning of the realization of this hope of eternal peace and joy; whereas the Feast of Christ the King celebrates the culmination of the work of Jesus, the Prince of peace, where sin and death would be destroyed and there will be no more suffering, pain, division. “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.”

Hence, it was with great expectation and hope that the early Christians waited for the Parousia, not with fear but with great joy. With Christ’s coming, He would bring justice, peace and restoration. It would be a time when all sufferings come to an end and those who are faithful will be rewarded with eternal life in Christ. This, too, should be our attitude, whether it is with regard to the first coming of Christ at Christmas or at the end of time. When Christ is with us, when Christ lives in our hearts, there will always be joy, thanksgiving, peace, love and lasting security. This is why Christmas is celebrated with great joy. It is a season of peace and goodwill because Jesus the King of the world remains an infant king, harmless, innocent and loving towards humanity.

Fear of Christ’s coming, whether now or in the last day, is only for those who do evil and are selfish. They cannot let go of their wealth, power, and positions which they worked for all their life. They cannot let go of their attachments to pleasure and to being served, and being the centre of attention. They cannot let go of their fears, anger, resentment and vindictiveness. The fear is created by themselves. They are not open to love, forgiveness and compassion. They deprive themselves of sharing in the joy, love and life of Christ. (Gal 5:19-21)

Ironically, the poorer people are often more generous than the well-to-do. Someone shared with me how generous the poor are in her rural province back home. They share whatever they have with their neighbours. Whenever there is a funeral or a wedding, it is always a community affair, where all would pitch in to help prepare the food for the guests and join in for prayers. Those who cannot afford to contribute food would help to cook and to serve. They share groceries and spices for cooking. This reminded me of my childhood days, growing up in a kampong, when our houses were never locked in the day. We all shared whatever we had with our neighbours and cared for each other. When we do that, we would have welcomed Christ in our hearts existentially.

Hence, the Lord warns us that we can miss out on the kingdom life if we are not alert to the Lord’s coming every day in our lives because we are absorbed by our pursuit of the things of the world. “Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap.” So to overcome our fears and to wait for His coming, we must already live the kind of life that we are called to live. St Paul prayed, “May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.”

In this sense, Advent celebrates His first coming in view of the second coming. We are to find hope in His presence in His first coming 2000 years ago, and His existential coming in the Eucharist, sacraments, community and the poor today. Great joy comes to us today if we reach out in love and generosity. Jesus is coming to our hearts. Are we ready to welcome Him in others? Will you raise your expectations beyond what the world is seeking?

DEFEATING THE EVILS OF THE WORLD

20211127 DEFEATING THE EVILS OF THE WORLD

27 November, 2021, Saturday, 34th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

His sovereignty will be an eternal sovereignty

I, Daniel, was deeply disturbed and the visions that passed through my head alarmed me. So I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him to tell me the truth about all this. And in reply he revealed to me what these things meant. “These four great beasts are four kings who will rise from the earth. Those who are granted sovereignty are the saints of the Most High, and the kingdom will be theirs for ever, for ever and ever.” Then I asked to know the truth about the fourth beast, different from all the rest, very terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, eating, crushing and trampling underfoot what remained; and the truth about the ten horns on its head – and why the other horn sprouted and the three original horns fell, and why this horn had eyes and a mouth that was full of boasts, and why it made a greater show than the other horns. This was the horn I had watched making war on the saints and proving the stronger, until the coming of the one of great age who gave judgement in favour of the saints of the Most High, when the time came for the saints to take over the kingdom. This is what he said:

‘The fourth beast

is to be a fourth kingdom on earth,

different from all other kingdoms.

It will devour the whole earth,

trample it underfoot and crush it.

As for the ten horns: from this kingdom

will rise ten kings, and another after them;

this one will be different from the previous ones

and will bring down three kings;

he is going to speak words against the Most High,

and harass the saints of the Most High.

He will consider changing seasons and the Law,

and the saints will be put into his power

for a time, two times, and half a time.

But a court will be held and his power will be stripped from him,

consumed, and utterly destroyed.

And sovereignty and kingship,

and the splendours of all the kingdoms under heaven

will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

and every empire will serve and obey him.’

Responsorial Psalm

Sons of men! bless the Lord.