20211207 COMFORT MY PEOPLE
07 December, 2021, Tuesday, 2nd Week of Advent
First reading | Isaiah 40:1-11 © |
Consolations from the heart of Jerusalem
‘Console my people, console them’
says your God.
‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem
and call to her
that her time of service is ended,
that her sin is atoned for,
that she has received from the hand of the Lord
double punishment for all her crimes.’
A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness
a way for the Lord.
Make a straight highway for our God
across the desert.
Let every valley be filled in,
every mountain and hill be laid low.
Let every cliff become a plain,
and the ridges a valley;
then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed
and all mankind shall see it;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
A voice commands, ‘Cry!’
and I answered, ‘What shall I cry?’”
– ‘All flesh is grass
and its beauty like the wild flower’s.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
(The grass is without doubt the people.)
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God remains for ever.’
Go up on a high mountain,
joyful messenger to Zion.
Shout with a loud voice,
joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Shout without fear,
say to the towns of Judah,
‘Here is your God.’
Here is the Lord coming with power,
his arm subduing all things to him.
The prize of his victory is with him,
his trophies all go before him.
He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,
gathering lambs in his arms,
holding them against his breast
and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 95(96):1-3,10-13 © |
Here is our God coming with power.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day.
Here is our God coming with power.
Tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’
He will judge the peoples in fairness.
Here is our God coming with power.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
Here is our God coming with power.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Here is our God coming with power.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, Lord! Do not delay.
Forgive the sins of your people.
Alleluia!
Or: |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The day of the Lord is near;
Look, he comes to save us.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 18:12-14 © |
The one lost sheep gives him more joy than the ninety-nine that did not stray
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’
COMFORT MY PEOPLE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 40:1-11; PS 96:1-3,10-13; MATTHEW 18:12-14 ]
When we look at ourselves, we often lament the mistakes we have made, the pains we have caused to our loved ones, and the injuries we have inflicted on so many people; and when we think of the many disappointments in our life as well, the disillusionments at work and in our community, the failures in relationship, the betrayals we have suffered, we can either fall into a deep depression or come to realize that we cannot overcome them by ourselves. We need the grace of God! This was the sentiment of the Israelites when they went into exile in Babylon. Jerusalem was overwhelmed by the Babylonian army and those who survived the onslaught were led in captivity to Babylon. All hope of being a great nation and a blessing to the whole world as the Lord promised Abraham were lost. (cf Gn 18:18) Now in exile, they were feeling downtrodden, resentful and disillusioned. They blamed God for their misfortune instead of blaming themselves. They felt that God had abandoned them, or that this God they worshipped was not all that powerful as He could not even prevail over the gods of Babylon.
Yet, it is through our sins and hopelessness that God reaches out to us. God responded by assuring His people that He had not abandoned them. He instructed the prophet, “Console my people, console them. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended.” Instead of rejoicing in our misery and suffering, God desires to comfort us. In our failures and disappointments, God comes to comfort us as He did the demoralized Israelites with a promise and a hope that He would bring salvation for Israel and display His glory before the whole world. How did God console and comfort His people in exile?
Firstly, God underscored that their suffering was a necessary part of the purification process. God does not desire to punish us. Indeed, through the Prophet Hosea, God said, “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim.” (Hos 11:8f) Hence, through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord said, “her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.” In other words, they had learnt their lessons and it was time to return to rebuild their kingdom. God does not focus on our sins but on what we can become. God “disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb 12:10f)
Secondly, God assured the Israelites that they continued to be His people in spite of their infidelity. Their special election as God’s people had never been abrogated. Regardless of their infidelity, God would never give up on them. The covenant God made with their forefathers remained. So long as they repented like the prodigal son, the Father was ever ready to receive them back. As the Lord said, their sins had been forgiven. God had granted them His pardon by allowing them to return to Israel to rebuild their homeland. Such was the hope that the prophet gave to the people, a promise that seemed unimaginable. Indeed, the concrete proof of God’s forgiveness and fidelity to the people of Israel is seen in their miraculous return from exile, paralleled to the Exodus.
Thirdly, the Israelites were assured that God’s promise would be fulfilled. His word, unlike the grass of the field, could be relied on. “All flesh is grass and its beauty like the wild flowers. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on them. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains forever.” Hence, the people of Israel could rely on God because His word stands firm forever. Reliance on His Word is to trust in the Lord for God is unchanging and true to Himself. His word would be fulfilled.
Fourthly, God was coming to restore them and reveal His glory. “Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’ Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.” This promise was in truth fulfilled only in Christ. Jesus came as the Good Shepherd seeking out the lost sheep. He illustrated this concern and compassion for the lost in the parable, “Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” He came to gather us together as God’s people. He would win victory over sin and subdue His enemy, the Devil, and death as the last enemy by His death and resurrection.
Indeed, the individual love of the Good Shepherd for each of us, a love that is forgiving, nurturing, protective and healing, is very comforting. Jesus as the Good Shepherd goes out in search of us who are lost. He does not wait for us to return. Even though the ninety-nine that were safe were important to the Lord, the missing one was equally important to Him. God cares for each one of us in a personal way and not as one among the crowd. Today, we are called to welcome the Lord into our lives. “Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low, let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” We must not remain stubborn and unresponsive.
But it is not merely a question of responding to the initiative of the Good Shepherd reaching out to us. We are called to do the same, to reach out and help others to meet the Good Shepherd in us. Whilst leaders want to help everyone, we are not exactly in the same position as the shepherd of a flock of sheep. In the parable, it might be possible for one shepherd to look after 100 sheep. But today a leader in the community looks after thousands of sheep. Depending how high the echelon one rises, the leader is given a greater responsibility for a larger group of people. A chaplain is only responsible for his organization. A parish priest is responsible for his parish and some can be as large as 10 to 15 thousand. A bishop is responsible for his flock, which can range 200 to 400 thousand. How can a bishop or a priest attend to every single member of his flock? It is impossible. Sociologists remind us that a leader can relate effectively with at most 150 people. The rest he can only provide a public presence, or just a superficial presence. Few are given personal care.
Indeed, it is difficult to see a leader, especially when he is in charge of a large number of people. How many of us get to see the Pope, or the Prime Minister personally? We should consider ourselves fortunate if we ever get to shake their hands or take a photo with them. Only those who work with them will get to see the leader regularly. So how can those sheep that have strayed, are wounded or weak get to have the personal attention of the leader? For this reason, it is important that we form cell groups where leaders are in charge of a smaller group and they themselves form another circle where they are in turn led by a senior leader for formation and be ministered to. The danger is that leaders, whilst ministering to everyone, are themselves not being ministered to. Soon they find themselves burnt-out.
Forming faith community groups, fellowship groups and faith-sharing groups will enable everyone to be supported by their fellow members and their leader. They will be able to know each other, feel loved and supported. Their talents and contributions would be acknowledged and together they can feel a sense of belonging and personal support. When they are no longer alone but are cared for personally and known by name, they no longer feel hurt. Indeed, we all need to be loved and noticed. When we learn from each other and grow together, we find a sense of belonging. Together, we are connected with other leaders.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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