Monday, 28 February 2022

PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY

20220301 PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY

 

 

01 March, 2022, Tuesday, Week 8 in Ordinary Time

First reading

1 Peter 1:10-16 ©

Put your trust in the grace that is coming to you

It was this salvation that the prophets were looking and searching so hard for; their prophecies were about the grace which was to come to you. The Spirit of Christ which was in them foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would come after them, and they tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances all this was to be expected. It was revealed to them that the news they brought of all the things which have now been announced to you, by those who preached to you the Good News through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, was for you and not for themselves. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

  Free your minds, then, of encumbrances; control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 97(98):1-4 ©

The Lord has made known his salvation.

Sing a new song to the Lord

  for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

  have brought salvation.

The Lord has made known his salvation.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

  has shown his justice to the nations.

He has remembered his truth and love

  for the house of Israel.

The Lord has made known his salvation.

All the ends of the earth have seen

  the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

  ring out your joy.

The Lord has made known his salvation.

Gospel Acclamation

Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 10:28-31 ©

Whoever has left everything for the sake of the gospel will be repaid

At that time Peter began to tell Jesus, ‘What about us? We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.

  ‘Many who are first will be last, and the last first.’

 

PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 PETER 1:10-16; PS 98:1-4; MK 10:28-31]

In the first reading, we read of the great privilege of the prophets.  We read that “the Spirit of Christ which was in them foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would come after them.”  How wonderful it is to know that Christ existed before His coming into the world and that He had been inspiring prophets to announce His coming!  God never abandoned the world even when humanity is mired in sin.  Today, He continues to inspire humanity everywhere to come to the knowledge of the truth.  Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”  (Jn 16:12)

St Peter says that as Christians we even more privileged than the prophets and the angels.  Although they were given the revelation of the coming of the Messiah, they only had a glimpse of Him.  They did not see the fulfilment of the promise.  He said, “It was revealed to them that the news they brought of all the things which have now been announced to you, by those who preached to you the Good News through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, was for you and not for themselves.  Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.”   How wonderful and privileged we are to have received the fullness of the revelation of Christ and what is to come in our times!  In Jesus’ life, passion, death and resurrection, we have witnessed the love and mercy of God; and given a foretaste and a preview of our inheritance that is to come.

For us Christians, are we conscious of this great privilege given to us, freely and unconditionally? We are living, so to speak, in eschatological time, that is, the end-time when we are already enjoying the promise of eternal life as a pledge in the life to come.  Unfortunately, many of us do not treasure this gift.  We take our faith for granted.  We never consider the price that God has paid to ransom us, the blood of His only begotten Son.   We are insensitive to the suffering that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit went through, especially at the passion of Jesus.  We fail to realize that unlike the prophets and the early Christians, this gift of faith was paid at a price no less than the cost of their lives.  Many were persecuted and martyred for their faith.   So most of us have received this gift of faith in a manner not much different from those that Jesus condemned in the bible when He warned us “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swines, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you.” (Mt 7:6)

This was the case of the rich man in the gospel.  God blessed him with great riches and, most of all, the privilege of encountering Christ.  He was offered the gift of eternal life.  But unfortunately, like most of us, he only wanted to receive the blessings but he was not ready to follow Jesus.  He was not ready to surrender his blessings and gifts for the service of love, especially to the poor.  He chose earthly riches over the Lord and the gift of eternal life.   Hence, he went away sad.  Indeed, many of us only desire to receive the blessings of God.  We ask the Lord for good health, for wealth, for talents, for a car, for a job, but we have not used our health well. We have not taken care of our health, or use it for the service of others.  We do not share our wealth of this world for the good of others, especially those in need.  Instead of using our talents, our beauty and intelligence for the good of others, we use them only for our selfish interests, vanity and egotism.   We are not even grateful for the job we have.  We only know how to complain or worse still, we are irresponsible in our job.  We are lazy, careless and negligent.  We want to enjoy the blessings but not the burden of sharing that comes with them.

There cannot be blessings without the corresponding responsibility and burden that comes with them.  Again, St Peter wrote, “It was this salvation that the prophets were looking and searching so hard for; their prophecies were about the grace which was to come to you”, “and they tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances all this was to be expected.”  Clearly, the gift of inspiration and revelation requires our human cooperation.  Whilst it is true that revelation is a gift from God, it requires that we do our part in searching and inquiring, like the prophets.  Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  (Mt 7:7)

This principle of nature cooperating with grace is true in all aspects of human life. God can help us to do well in our studies, but we must also study and not just pray and hope that God will inspire us.   To be a good preacher or teacher, we need inspiration from God but we have to do our part by doing research and preparing ourselves to teach.  So we cannot expect God’s divine assistance without cooperating with Him.  In a similar vein, if we want to receive God’s full blessings, we must share with others what we have; using our wealth, office, position for the service of God and humanity and not for the promotion of one’s self.

For this reason, we should not focus only on the sufferings but more on the blessings.  Instead of grumbling about the price of looking after our children, we should focus on the joy of loving them and seeing them grow and mature in life.  Instead of lamenting at the burden of the office we hold, we should be looking at the blessings given to us and others through the exercise of our office.  Instead of feeling lonely in being single, we should treasure our freedom and the joy of including everyone in our lives.  Indeed, we must always enjoy the blessings and embrace the suffering because this is part and parcel of life.

Jesus is the exemplar for us of what it means to be responsible with our blessings and gifts.  Jesus used His messianic gifts of the Spirit for the work of liberation and healing.  All the blessings He received were not for His own benefit.  He lived a life of simplicity and He shared all His talents and resources with the people.  He recognized that with the blessings come the carrying of the cross, even unto death.  There is no resurrection without the passion.  There are no blessings without the implication of the burden of responsibility.

The disciples were no better than the rich man.  St Peter, the impetuous man that he was, revealed his true ambition when he arrogantly said to Jesus, “‘What about us?’  Peter asked Jesus.  ‘We have left everything and followed you.'”  Proudly, he felt that unlike the rich man, he and his fellow disciples had left everything to follow Jesus.  He thought therefore that it was a noble thing for them to do.  Yet, the underlying reason for following Jesus was not because they were seeking eternal life, they too wanted to acquire riches like the rich man.   They were making use of Jesus for their selfish ambitions.  The difference between the rich man and the disciples was that for the former, he had already attained what he wanted, but he still felt restless; whereas for the disciples, they already had Jesus but failed to recognize that He was all that they needed.  Instead they were looking for riches that they did not have.

Hence, once again, Jesus took the occasion to remind the disciples that the riches and blessings they sought should not be of this world but of the life that was to come.  What is eternal life?  It is a life of love and relationship.  This was what Jesus told them.  “I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.”

In choosing Christ and the Church, Christians belong to a bigger family of God beyond their own.  Those who are rejected by their loved ones because of Christ now find in the Church, the true family of unconditional acceptance and love.  This was the case of St Paul.  When he was converted to Christianity, his fellow Jews cut him off from their race.  But he was welcomed by the bigger family of Christians wherever he went.

In seeking Christ, besides the earthly blessings, they have the blessings of love, unity and relationship with God and with their fellowmen.  They find peace, joy and love.  Such blessings are more than what the world can give.  In other words, the judgement of this world is different from the judgment of God.  What man judges as good will turn out to be vanity!  But if we seek the judgement of God on what are truly our blessings beyond this world, we will find great happiness that the world cannot give.   This was what the rich man was seeking.  This was what the prophets sought as well and found it in Christ, the Messiah.

However, once again, Jesus reminds us that such blessings are not ours without persecution.  Receiving the blessings means the responsibility to share and in the process of sharing, we might be persecuted, opposed and used.  As recipients of God’s grace, we must obey the Word of God which we have received from Him.  We are called to be holy, that is, to be different from the world by witnessing to the life that is to come in the way we live our lives in generosity, compassion, forgiveness, unconditional love and service.  Like the Israelites, we are called to “Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.  The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.”

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

 

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Sunday, 27 February 2022

THE ULTIMATE GOAL IN LIFE

20220228 THE ULTIMATE GOAL IN LIFE

 

 

28 February, 2022, Monday, Week 8 in Ordinary Time

First reading

1 Peter 1:3-9 ©

You did not see Christ, yet you love him

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens. Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time. This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 110(111):1-2,5-6,9-10 ©

The Lord keeps his covenant in mind.

or

Alleluia!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart

  in the meeting of the just and their assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord,

  to be pondered by all who love them.

The Lord keeps his covenant in mind.

or

Alleluia!

He gives food to those who fear him;

  keeps his covenant ever in mind.

He has shown his might to his people

  by giving them the lands of the nations.

The Lord keeps his covenant in mind.

or

Alleluia!

He has sent deliverance to his people

  and established his covenant for ever.

  Holy his name, to be feared.

The Lord keeps his covenant in mind.

or

Alleluia!

To fear the Lord is the first stage of wisdom;

  all who do so prove themselves wise.

His praise shall last for ever!

The Lord keeps his covenant in mind.

or

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

cf.1Th2:13

Alleluia, alleluia!

Accept God’s message for what it really is:

God’s message, and not some human thinking.

Alleluia!

Or:

2Co8:9

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ was rich,

but he became poor for your sake,

to make you rich out of his poverty.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 10:17-27 ©

Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

  Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’

 

THE ULTIMATE GOAL IN LIFE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 PETER 1:3-9; MARK 10:17-27 ]

What is your goal in life?  It is important that we set our sights on the higher goals in life.  What would this goal be?  The same as that of the rich young man when he asked Jesus, “Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Or in the words of the first letter of Peter, we must look forward to “the promise of an inheritance that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away, because it is being kept for you in the heavens”.  Hence, we must be concerned with the ultimate goal, which is our salvation or better still, to share in the life of Christ.

But how can we attain salvation?  St Peter says, “Through your faith, God’s power will guard you until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the end of time.”  We cannot attain salvation except through faith in Christ.  Salvation is not our doing but the work of God in us.  This is the fundamental mistake of the rich young man for he asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Indeed, Jesus wanted him to reflect further as to whether ‘doing’ can bring true happiness.  That is why He asked the young man whether he kept the commandments. Of course, his reply was “Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.”  Indeed, even if we keep all the commandments of the Lord, we might still find a sense of emptiness.  How sad it is to realize that we have done so much and worked so hard and yet we are still so far from God and eternal life!

Hence, it is clear that salvation can only be found in Christ.  This explains why Jesus “looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.'”  Yes, eternal life is not so much about doing things, but being with Jesus.  It is our union with Jesus that gives us real happiness.  Doing flows from our being with Jesus, but it is not the priority.  Of course, if we follow Jesus, then we will do all that Jesus did, including observing the commandments.  But these are kept not as some means of achievements in life but rather as an expression of our love for God and for our fellowmen.  Eternal life for us is to be identified with Christ the Good Shepherd.

Truly, this is what eternal life is all about.  Eternal life is to share in the life of God.  Salvation is not even the ultimate goal in life.  It is to live in such a way that the glory of God is manifested in our lives.  For that to be a reality, we must live a sanctified life, which is the life of Christ.  By so doing, we give glory to God since we share in the life of God.  Consequently, we must in the same breath say that happiness is to live for the glory of God.

But like the rich man, it is so difficult to let go and let God take over. We want to be in control.  We do not want salvation to be the work of God in us.  We want to work for our salvation so that we can feel that we have earned it.  This is the real reason why we crave for riches like the rich man.  He could not let go of his riches for these were his security.  Money in itself is useless unless money gives power and control over our destiny and the lives of others.  If we want to have more money in life, it is because we do not want to live in insecurity.  We do not want to live from the hand of God.  Of course, wealth is only a material symbol.  It could be our talents, our skills, our looks and status, etc.  We feel secure by focusing on all these and we spend much time acquiring more and more of these.

Is this wrong?  Is acquiring wealth and other things of this sort against the gospel?  Certainly not!  But we must purify our motives that in all that we do, it is truly for the love of Christ, the glory of God and for the service of man.  If we are just interested in accumulating more and more of these external qualities, we will rely more on ourselves than on the power of God at work in us.  We can justify what we do only by one criterion which is, “Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor.”  In other words, if we accumulate all these worldly honours, we must ask ourselves sincerely whether what we are trying to achieve is really for the service of the poor, materially or otherwise, and not for ourselves.  And if necessary, are we ready to give up all these for the sake of the poor?

Such is the temptation and distraction of wealth and power in all its forms that Jesus “looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!'”  As if the point is not made, He elaborated further and insisted, “‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'”   Not surprisingly, the disciples were not only astounded by these words but “were more astonished than ever”.

This explains the reaction of the rich man at the words of Jesus. “His face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.”  Indeed, like the disciples, we simply cannot let go.  So where is the need for God in our lives?

Since we are so well provided for, does it mean therefore that we cannot grow in holiness and be more identified with Christ?  No, the first reading reminds us of the trials that all of us would have to contend with.  Perhaps our sufferings are not of the material kind; we are however not exempted from sufferings.  Yes, we will be plagued with all sorts of trials.  Most of them come from our desire to be faithful to the gospel life.  We will be tested in patience, humility, generosity and compassion.  When we try to be obedient to the truth, we will face misunderstanding, ridicule and even ostracism.

In the face of trials then, our faith is tested.  We will know whether we love God or ourselves more.  As St Peter said, “This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear with being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold.”  How we respond to trials in our lives will determine how much you love Christ and have given up all to follow Him.  If we truly love the Lord, then we will stay firm in our course, never giving up, never becoming bitter, and never becoming disillusioned or sceptical.

Instead, we must be able to respond like what St Peter said, “This is a cause of great joy.”  Yes, in our trials, it will prove how much we love Him.  We can overcome our trials and come out stronger only if we truly love Him.  When that happens, we can understand the sentiments of Peter, “You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.”   Truly, we do not mind carrying the cross with Jesus for it is the only way for our faith to be “tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour.”

In His great mercy, the Father has already “given us a new birth as his sons, by raising Jesus Christ from the dead.”  This confirms the words of Jesus when the disciples said, “‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.'”  With God, nothing is impossible.  He has raised His Son from death.  With Jesus, nothing is impossible too.  Let us pray to Him and intensify our union with Him so that by following Him and being with Him, we can be like the camel, bending down his head in humility to enter the eye of the needle.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

 

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RADICAL TRANSFORMATION OR RADICAL ANNIHILATION

20220227 RADICAL TRANSFORMATION OR RADICAL ANNIHILATION

 

 

27 February, 2022, Sunday, Week 8 in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 27:5-8 ©

The test of a man is in his conversation

In a shaken sieve the rubbish is left behind,

  so too the defects of a man appear in his talk.

The kiln tests the work of the potter,

  the test of a man is in his conversation.

The orchard where a tree grows is judged on the quality of its fruit,

  similarly a man’s words betray what he feels.

Do not praise a man before he has spoken,

  since this is the test of men.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 91(92):2-3,13-16 ©

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

  to make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning

  and your truth in the watches of the night.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

The just will flourish like the palm tree

  and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

Planted in the house of the Lord

  they will flourish in the courts of our God,

still bearing fruit when they are old,

  still full of sap, still green,

to proclaim that the Lord is just.

  In him, my rock, there is no wrong.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

Second reading

1 Corinthians 15:54-58 ©

Death is swallowed up in victory

When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

  Never give in then, my dear brothers, never admit defeat; keep on working at the Lord’s work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:

Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 6:39-45 ©

Can the blind lead the blind?

Jesus told a parable to his disciples: ‘Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.

  ‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.’

 

RADICAL TRANSFORMATION OR RADICAL ANNIHILATION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Sir 27:4-7; Ps 92:2-3,13-16; 1 Cor 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45]

Since the beginning of the Ordinary Sundays, the scripture readings have been speaking about the different levels of transformation.  On the first Sunday, we have the transformation of Jesus from a carpenter to a prophet on mission after His baptism and the Father’s affirmation of His Sonship.  On the Second Sunday, we read of the transformation of water into wine.  On the Third and Fourth Sundays, the townsfolk of Jesus were amazed at how their little boy, now grown up, had been transformed into an eloquent preacher and healer.  On the Fifth Sunday, Isaiah, Paul and Peter were transformed by their encounter with God. On the Sixth Sunday, the Beatitudes speak of the radical change of values in contrast to that of the world’s.  Last Sunday, we read that the hallmark of a Christian is to love our enemies.  Today, we end with the radical transformation of St Paul’s teaching on the resurrection.

What we can gather over these eight Sundays is that Christianity is about transformation of life.  This transformation begins here and now in our daily life.  Transformation of one’s life is made possible only by the grace of God as we have seen in the transformation of our Lord, the prophets, Paul and Peter.   Their lives were transformed radically only because they encountered God deeply.  Jesus is the Transformer who can bring us the New Wine and bring about a radical transformation of the values and structures of society.  The gospel of Jesus transforms the way we look at life and the way we look at people, especially the poor and our enemies.  But Jesus not only transforms us by His teaching.  Most of all, He transforms us by giving us His Holy Spirit, the agent and power of change.

Of course, for most of us, transformation is an ongoing process.  Not all of us have a radical encounter with the Lord to empower us to make radical changes in life.  For most people, the depth of transformation would vary according to how deep their encounter with the Risen had been and how much they continue to work on the grace given to them.  The truth is that grace is given to all, even if they lack a deep encounter with the Lord.  God will give us His grace accordingly, as we have read in St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.  One can have a deep encounter with the Lord but if we do not continue to grow in the grace given to us, even that deep encounter with the Lord will eventually be forgotten and its transformative power is lost.  Hence, St Paul wrote, “So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Never give in then, never admit defeat; keep on working at the Lord’s work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain.”

Hence, the first reading from Sirach and the gospel text invites us to examine how much transformation has occurred in our lives.   The best way to examine whether we have been transformed from within is in the way we demonstrate the fruits of transformation in our lives.  Both scripture readings speak of the essential continuity between the inner self and the outer self.  Jesus in the gospel makes it clear when He said, “There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles.”  Indeed, we know who we are by the way we conduct ourselves in words and deeds.  What is in our heart will be seen in the way we relate to others.  As the Lord reiterated, “A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.”

Sirach teaches that we judge a man by how and what he says.  His words reveal his mind and his heart, especially his tone of speaking as well.   “In a shaken sieve the rubbish is left behind, so too the defects of a man appear in his talk. The kiln tests the work of the potter, the test of a man is in his conversation. The orchard where the tree grows is judged on the quality of its fruit, similarly a man’s words betray what he feels.”  Of course, there will be some who can twist and turn their words, say nice things to flatter us but in fact are insincere.  But we will find out sooner than later.  For if we examine a person’s entire life and his speech, not just on one or two occasions but the way he conducts himself with everyone, it will reveal whether his heart and mind is full of love and compassion like our Lord, or one of condemnation and vindictiveness like those selfish and ambitious people in the world.

However, we must also be aware that often our judgment of people and situations also reflect our heart as well.  In speaking about judgment, the Lord rhetorically asked, “Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher.”  Most of us are blind to our own sins, our fears and insecurities.  We tend to project our fears on those whom we see as a threat to our security, or because they are mirrors of our defects which we do not admit.    This is why the Lord exhorts us to put our vision in order first so that we can judge justly and with compassion and charity, the way God looks at us.  The Lord said, “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.”

Through a gradual dying to self, with the grace of God, we will share the final victory with Christ over death.  Through the fruits we bear in our lives, the compassion with which we look at people and situations, the detachment with which we look at possessions, glory and power, our lives will be transformed and purified until we attain perfection in Christ.  For us as Christians we know our final victory is eternal life.  St Paul wrote, “When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?”  Indeed, Christians do not fear death because we know that the end is not annihilation but total transformation of life including our bodies in the resurrection.  This transformation of course must begin already, here and now with the transformation of the inner person, his heart and mind to be one with God.  In this way, sin has no power over him.

In contrast, the way of the world leads to radical annihilation.  St Paul makes it clear, “Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law.”  The world thinks that it is through human efforts alone that they can find life.  They do not believe in God, they do not believe that truths can be found, they live a life of amorality because of moral relativism.  As a consequence, a worldly life leads to self-destruction, destruction of the family, then of society and the planet.  We can see the trends of society today underscoring individualism, consumerism, pleasures without regard for the common good of others and society.  It is about an individual seeking to find fullness of life on earth.  But those who live in that manner know that life is empty, relationships are fragile, possessions are not secure, health cannot be guaranteed, society is fragmented without common values, and peace in the world is always under threat because nations seek to control the rest of the world.  We are ultimately fulfilled when we are in communion and in unity with our fellowmen.  Love gives us life.

Truly, what people fear most is death because death is the only certain and inevitable reality.  But those who have no faith in Christ, can only live for this life.  Life has no meaning beyond this world.   With death, they believe that we are totally annihilated and disappear into thin air.  For those without faith and can only rely on themselves, they cannot win the battle over death.  Ultimately, for them life is a failure, all their good works and success do not live on after them.  They are conquered by death.  Life is meaningless for wealth, power and glory are vanities as they vanish into thin air.  For them, it is a life leading towards total annihilation. What, then, is love when it cannot last as well?  What, then, is the value of our good works?

Indeed, today, we are given the choice whether we want to seek radical transformation of life in Christ through a living faith and relationship with Him, or whether we want to subscribe to a nihilistic outlook of life that is gloomy and fatalistic.  

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

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Saturday, 26 February 2022

TREASURY OF THE CHURCH

20220226 TREASURY OF THE CHURCH

 

 

26 February, 2022, Saturday, Week 7 in Ordinary Time

First reading

James 5:13-20 ©

A good man's heartfelt prayer has great power

If any one of you is in trouble, he should pray; if anyone is feeling happy, he should sing a psalm. If one of you is ill, he should send for the elders of the church, and they must anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, and this will cure you; the heartfelt prayer of a good man works very powerfully. Elijah was a human being like ourselves – he prayed hard for it not to rain, and no rain fell for three-and-a-half years; then he prayed again and the sky gave rain and the earth gave crops.

  My brothers, if one of you strays away from the truth, and another brings him back to it, he may be sure that anyone who can bring back a sinner from the wrong way that he has taken will be saving a soul from death and covering up a great number of sins.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 140(141):1-3,8 ©

Let my prayer come before you like incense, O Lord.

I have called to you, Lord; hasten to help me!

  Hear my voice when I cry to you.

Let my prayer arise before you like incense,

  the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.

Let my prayer come before you like incense, O Lord.

Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth;

  keep watch, O Lord, at the door of my lips!

To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned:

  in you I take refuge; spare my soul!

Let my prayer come before you like incense, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 10:13-16 ©

It is to such as these little children that the kingdom of God belongs

People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.

 

TREASURY OF THE CHURCH

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JAMES 5:13-20; PS 141:1-3,8; MK 10:13-16]

The treasury of the Church has often been grossly misunderstood by many Christians.  This is because it is associated with the treasury of merits.  As we all know, non-Catholic Christians are always suspicious of the word “merits” because for them everything is grace, hence the doctrine of justification by faith through grace alone.  This doctrinal position is also held by Catholics as well, although we would like to specify, as explicitly taught in the letter of St James, that faith alone without good works is dead.  (Jas 2:17) It is within this context that we can better appreciate the term, “treasury of the Church”.

In the gospel, Jesus’ welcoming the children illustrates that access to the Kingdom of God requires us to be child-like.  Jesus told His apostles, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  His apostles, like the rest of society at that time, did not take children seriously as they were considered unimportant.  Hence the disciples turned away those who brought the children to our Lord but the Lord was indignant.  Indeed, to welcome the Kingdom of God like a child means that we must receive it like children, as a gift.  Children had no rights in those days.  Everything they had was given by their parents and elders.  They received everything freely as a gift, not because they deserved it.  So too the Lord wanted to underscore that unless we receive everything from God as a gift and not on account of our merits, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God.   In other words, salvation is by grace alone.

Catholics have no difficulties accepting this fact.  Official Church teaching makes it clear that the treasury of the Church consists of the superabundant merits won by our Lord’s passion and death on the cross for the salvation of man.  However, the Church as the Body of Christ, the communion of saints, also continues to distribute or share the merits of our Lord’s saving death by her good works and sacrifices.  Hence, the treasury of the Church, whilst referring primarily to the infinite value of Christ’s saving death on the cross, also includes the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints who have united themselves with the Lord by living holy lives. This is affirmed by St Paul when he wrote, “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”  So the treasury of the Church must be seen as our participation in Christ’s saving death.

Within this context, we can appreciate the importance of the Christian community in the faith of the individual Christian.  This is what St James wants to exhort us in his letter, that we must be united in faith, in hope and in charity so that we can remain firm in our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  St James, if we recall, was writing to those Christians who were suffering persecution, injustices, poverty and sickness.  They were getting disheartened in their faith.  They even blamed God for the predicament they were in because God tempted them. (Jas 1:13) As a result, in their desperation, some took to swearing before God, hoping to strike a bargain with Him.  (Jas 5:12)

For St James, the key to overcoming our trials is faith in God.  Right at the outset of his letter, he wrote, “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”  (Jas 1:2-4) Not only faith, but we must ask for God’s wisdom so that we can understand the trials of life and accept them positively.   However, we must ask in faith. “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting.”  (Jas 1:5-8)

At the close of his letter, St James came back to the theme of faith and prayers.  Yet this closing theme is not unconnected with the intervening chapters when he spoke on the relationship between faith and charity, faith and community.  In other words, one’s individual faith must be supported by the faith of the community if that faith were to withstand the temptations and trials of life.  In today’s reading, he gave us some examples of how one’s personal faith is very much supported by the faith of the community.  It is from this perspective that we too must understand the treasury of the faith.  When the Church speaks of the treasury of merits, the Church wants to underscore the power and authority of the Church to empower the individual so that the person will have the faith to bear all trials in life, whether poverty, hardship, persecutions, oppressions or illness.

So he exhorts us to develop our personal prayer life.  He said, “If any one of you is in trouble, he should pray; if anyone is feeling happy, he should sing a psalm.”  If we want to be strong in time of adversity, we must also remember those times of prosperity.  In other words, we must be praying at all times as St Paul wrote, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  (1 Th 5:16-18) We must seek the Lord, not just only in times of trouble but also give thanks to God for those times when we are happy.  In this way, we will remember that God is in control and in charge of our lives.  We can trust Him and His wisdom and His plan for us.

But sometimes, it is not enough to pray alone, we need the support of the prayers of the Church.  In this instance, St James said, “If one of you is ill, he should send for the elders of the church, and they must anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raise him up again.”  Clearly, at times, we need tangible signs to mediate the mercy of God to us and His healing grace through the use of oil and the presence of the elders of the Christian community.  Hence, St James, following the tradition he learnt from Judaism, asked that the sick person should invite the elders of the church, who represent the Christian community to pray over him.  The elders do not represent themselves but the Church and our Lord Jesus Christ.  As the head of the community, they are rightly the authorized persons to release the treasury of the Church to the sick person.  The elders pray the “prayer of faith” not just in their own capacity but in their capacity as the head of the community of faith.  So it is the prayer of the elders and the community, together with the sick person, that we can be confident that our prayers would be answered.  This is the basis for the Sacrament of the Sick when a priest is required to anoint the sick, or give the sick the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

The prayer of healing includes not just physical but spiritual and emotional healing.  This is what the Sacrament of Anointing does.  When a person is sick, he is more than just physically sick.  It could be the result of a disturbed conscience, or guilt, which can also lead to anger and resentment.  Accordingly, “if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, and this will cure you; the heartfelt prayer of a good man works very powerfully.”  St James, in speaking of the need to confess our sins not only to God but to our fellow human beings in the community, provides us the basis for the Sacrament of Reconciliation where the priest on behalf of the community prays for his forgiveness and healing.   Jesus as head of the Church forgives us through His body.

Finally, St James reiterates the necessity of being in fellowship with the Christian community so that we might not stray from the truth.  We must protect each other.  We have a duty to guard each other in our faith.  St James exhorts us, “My brothers, if one of you strays away from the truth, and another brings him back to it, he may be sure that anyone who can bring back a sinner from the wrong way that he has taken will be saving a soul from death and covering up a great number of sins.”  To remain strong in faith, we must find faith in the community.  Hence, it is important that we must always be in Christian fellowship.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

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