20211117 INSPIRING FAITH OF A MOTHER TO GOD, THE KING OF KINGS
17 November, 2021, Wednesday, 33rd Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Maccabees 7:1,20-31 © |
The creator of the world will give you back both breath and life
There were seven brothers who were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. But the mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and endured it resolutely because of her hopes in the Lord. Indeed she encouraged each of them in the language of their ancestors; filled with noble conviction, she reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them, ‘I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, I had not the shaping of your every part. It is the creator of the world, ordaining the process of man’s birth and presiding over the origin of all things, who in his mercy will most surely give you back both breath and life, seeing that you now despise your own existence for the sake of his laws.’
Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice; and as the youngest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both rich and happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his Friend and entrust him with public office. The young man took no notice at all, and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her to advise the youth to save his life. After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son. Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in the language of their ancestors, ‘My son, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and reared you to the age you are now (and cherished you). I implore you, my child, observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that God made them out of what did not exist, and that mankind comes into being in the same way. Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers, and make death welcome, so that in the day of mercy I may receive you back in your brothers’ company.’
She had scarcely ended when the young man said, ‘What are you all waiting for? I will not comply with the king’s ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses. As for you, sir, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you will certainly not escape the hands of God.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 16(17):1,5-6,8,15 © |
I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.
Lord, hear a cause that is just,
pay heed to my cry.
Turn your ear to my prayer:
no deceit is on my lips.
I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.
I kept my feet firmly in your paths;
there was no faltering in my steps.
I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.
Turn your ear to me; hear my words.
I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.
Guard me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings
As for me, in my justice I shall see your face
and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.
I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | 1Jn2:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Jn15:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 19:11-28 © |
The parable of the talents
While the people were listening, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly he said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. “Do business with these” he told them “until I get back.” But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king.”
‘Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten.” “Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.” Then came the second and said, “Sir, your one pound has made five.” To this one also he said, “And you shall be in charge of five cities.” Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.” “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.” And he said to those standing by, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds.” And they said to him, “But, sir, he has ten pounds…”. “I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
‘“But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.”’
When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
INSPIRING FAITH OF A MOTHER TO GOD, THE KING OF KINGS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 MC 7:1, 20-31; PS 17:1,5-6,8,15; LK 19:11-28]
The radical faith of the mother in the Book of Maccabees is certainly beyond comparison. Which mother would have the strength to see her children suffer, not one but seven sons? The seven brothers “were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges.” The author honoured the mother, describing her as “especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and endured it resolutely because of her hopes in the Lord.”
But she was not just a passive sufferer, she even encouraged her sons to be faithful to God, their only King. “Indeed she encouraged each of them in the language of their ancestors; filled with noble conviction, she reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage”, reminding them that even though she is the mother, it “is the creator of the world, ordaining the process of man’s birth and presiding over the origin of all things, who in his mercy will most surely give you back both breath and life, seeing that you now despise your own existence for the sake of his laws.” Even to the youngest son, she said, “I implore you, my child, observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that God made them out of what did not exist, and that mankind comes into being in the same way. Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers, and make death welcome, so that in the day of mercy I may receive you back in your brothers’ company.”
She knew her place and her role as a mother. She was conscious that her children did not belong to her. They belonged to God. She was responsible for bringing them up as godly people, but God was the creator and source of life. She told her sons, “I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with the breath of life, I had not the shaping of your every part.” To the youngest, she encouraged him to stay firm in the faith and to give her the joy of seeing him faithful to God. She appealed to his love for her. She said, “My son, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and reared you to the age you are now and cherished you.”
Which mother today would put God above everything else, even her loved ones and children? Between God and human creatures, we often put our love for human creatures before God. Between choosing to serve God and our parents, we put our parents first when the Lord demands of us, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26f) Between choosing our fiancé or our loved ones and Jesus, we choose our fiancé over our faith. Just like the man in the gospel, who said to Jesus, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:61f) Truly, many people would give up their faith and values for the sake of marriage, for political powers, for promotion in the corporate world.
This is because she knew who the Lord was. He is above all others, even much greater than the earthly king, Antiochus Epiphanes. She knew that God is the shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” (Ps 95:3-7) She knew that God is the King of Kings. Loyalty is dependent on whom we acknowledge as Lord and God.
In the gospel, the evangelist carries on this theme of loyalty to Christ our king as well. The people thought that Jesus, who was on the way to Jerusalem, would eventually reclaim the kingship of David. As the evangelist noted, “he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there.” But Jesus put them in perspective, that it was not going to be so soon. This was also a reflection of the early Church when they thought Christ’s Second Coming would happen any time soon in their life. St Luke who travelled with Paul had to remind them that it would not be so soon but as the Lord reminded them before He ascended, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7f)
In the meantime, we are called to continue to establish the kingdom. Hence, the parable began by saying, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. ‘Do business with these’ he told them ‘until I get back.'” The talents remind us of how the Lord, upon ascending to heaven, bestowed on His disciples the gifts of the Spirit so that they could continue to be His witnesses. “Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Eph 4:7,8,11-13)
We would be held accountable for the talents that the Lord has given to us. There will be accountability when the Lord returns to judge us. How we exercise our gifts for the good of everyone and His glory will determine how we can find true fulfilment. The man who made ten pounds from the one pound given to him was given charge of ten cities. The second who made five pounds was given charge of five cities. One wonders why when a person is talented and works hard is given more responsibilities as a reward. The truth is that we find fulfilment when we expend ourselves to the fullest. The more we give ourselves, the more we find life. This is what the Lord said, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.” (Jn 12:24-26)
Whereas the man who made nothing from the one pound, said to the master. “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.” The master said, “You wicked servant! Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.” He did not know the master and he had no loyalty, no love, and hence did not know him well enough to take risks for his master. He cared more for himself.
But this is not the end of the story. Harsher punishment await those who reject our Lord. The parable suggested a real historical event of how the people rejected the rule of King Archelaus when he went to seek Rome’s confirmation. “His compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king.” When he returned, he said, “But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.” This would also happen to us when we reject our Lord totally. He is after all the King of Kings. To be negligent in our responsibilities as His disciples can be forgiven due to a lack of relationship with Him, but the outright rejection of our Lord would bring us eternal ruin. Hence, we must know Him, love and serve Him.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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