20220615 SINCERITY IN FAITH AND DEVOTION
15 June, 2022, Wednesday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Kings 2:1,6-14 © |
Elijah is taken up to heaven
This is what happened when the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, Elijah said, ‘Elisha, please stay here, the Lord is only sending me to the Jordan.’ But he replied, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!’ And they went on together.
Fifty of the brotherhood of prophets followed them, halting some distance away as the two of them stood beside the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water; and the water divided to left and right, and the two of them crossed over dry-shod. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Make your request. What can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ Elisha answered, ‘Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ ‘Your request is a difficult one’ Elijah said. ‘If you see me while I am being taken from you, it shall be as you ask; if not, it will not be so.’ Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and shouted, ‘My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!’ Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his clothes he tore them in half. He picked up the cloak of Elijah which had fallen, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
He took the cloak of Elijah and struck the water. ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he cried. He struck the water, and it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 30(31):20,21,24 © |
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, Lord,
that you keep for those who fear you,
that you show to those who trust you
in the sight of men.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men;
you keep them safe within your tent
from disputing tongues.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the Lord, all you saints.
He guards his faithful
but the Lord will repay to the full
those who act with pride.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Col3:16a,17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you;
through him give thanks to God the Father.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn14:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 © |
Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’
SINCERITY IN FAITH AND DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Kgs 2:1,6-14; Mt 6:1-6,16-18 ]
What Jesus teaches in the gospel is surely not just directed at the Jewish religious leaders and the Jews, but it is universal to all religions. Jesus is not against the practices of Judaism, such as prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Indeed, what Jesus mentioned is only illustrative of many other practices as well in Judaism. He did not attack the practices per se, whether they come directly from the Law of Moses or extrapolations from the Law. In fact, in all religions, most practices are instituted to help their believers to be strengthened in faith and in virtues. They are meant to help believers to love God and to love their fellowmen. So they are good and commendable. So too in the Catholic Faith, we also have many practices, some from the Bible and some from traditions such as Lenten Fasting, Sign of the Cross, Genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament before we take our seats in church, Pilgrimages, Devotions, House blessings and blessings of religious objects, etc. They are kept because they help us in our faith.
Unfortunately, many of these devotions and practices are done perfunctorily and often for the wrong reasons. Many of us obey the rules and adopt practices of the Church often out of obligation or out of routine and custom. But we have forgotten why we are observing such practices, and even if we do, we are not conscious of why we do it when we do it. We perform them more like a routine and because all others are doing it. In other words, we can perform all these customs and rituals, but the heart is not there. There is no sincerity or commitment. Worst of all, we perform them for vanity reasons.
Consequently, we must examine ourselves and purify our motives in what we do, even if such actions are externally worthy and commendable. As the Lord in the gospel warns us, some of us pray not because we are focused on giving glory to God but because we want to be seen to be pious and holy. “They love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.”
Jesus is certainly not saying that it is wrong to pray in public either, as a community or even alone. We need good mentors and examples. But we must be clear that our focus is on giving glory to God. When people observe us praying in public, they can be inspired to do the same. We do need people to show us good examples so that we can be inspired to follow. We are all inspired when we see our priests or parents or teachers praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Indeed, I am often very inspired by Muslims who faithfully lay out their mats to pray at the prescribed hours even in public places, without shame or embarrassment. Some of us are too embarrassed even to make the sign of the cross when we take our meals in public, much less to lay out the mat and prostrate before God.
Or in the case of almsgiving. This is certainly a noble act of charity. But as the Lord said, “when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; that is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.” Again, it is not a question whether we should give our money quietly or publicly. It is a question of motives, whether it is to help the poor and/or also to inspire others to give as well. When we give for selfish motives, to draw attention to ourselves, then such giving, although in principle it helps the poor and the needy, does no good for the giver. We give but do not receive the grace of God or become a more generous person.
It is true in fasting and doing penance as well. In itself, these can be good for the discipline of the soul, to help a person to exercise self-control, learn detachment, to feel with those who are hungry and suffering, and to help a person thirst and hunger for God. But again, most of us fast and do penance for the wrong reasons, to feel that we are better than others when it comes to self-discipline, that we can arm-twist the will of God to answer our prayers. We see this clearly because although in many Bishops’ conferences, following the US Bishops Conference which grant the option of substituting abstinence from meat on Fridays with another form of penance, many have forgotten it is a day of penance, and eventually no abstinence is observed, nor good works done. On the other hand, many continue to observe it as a day of abstinence, but they dine lavishly on seafood and commit other sins. Abstinence is not just from food but from sins, from harsh words, gossiping, judgmentalism and from selfishness.
In the first reading, Elisha demonstrates to us what sincerity in devotion and faith entails. He was attentive to the fact that his master would leave him soon. It was not a question of “if” but “when”. So inspired was he by his master, the great prophet Elijah, that Elisha followed him closely as his mentor. He would not separate himself from his master even when Elijah said, “Elisha, please stay here, the Lord is only sending me to the Jordan.'” But he replied, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!’ And they went on together.” Elisha knew that devotion requires us to be always focused on the master. He knew that he must learn the ropes from him as much as he could before his master is eventually taken away from him. This too must be our attitude towards life, faith and mentors. We must cling to our mentors who continue to inspire us in life and faith. In a more specific way, we must keep our eyes on the Lord always, and on His word so that we will never walk without Him being present in our lives and in our hearts. With the Lord at home with us in our hearts, we will act and think like Him.
Secondly, when asked what farewell gift he desired from Elijah, Elisha did not ask for power. Instead, Elisha answered, “Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He wanted to be like Elijah, his master, one who was devoted to God, to the truth and to the Law. He wanted to have a share of the master’s devotion to God as His servant. For this reason, Elijah said, “Your request is a difficult one.” The truth is that holiness of life is as much the grace of God as it is our collaboration with His grace. We must never imagine holiness of life as something attainable by will-power and self-effort alone. Hence, when we are holy, living a virtuous life, able to observe the commandments, we should not become haughty and despise those who cannot because without the grace of God, we will not be able to grow in holiness and grace. This is equally true as well when it comes to position and offices in life. We must never think too highly of ourselves, as if it is by our good work and talents alone that we have reached the top.
Everything is a grace of God. This explains why Elijah said to Elisha, “If you see me while I am being taken from you, it shall be as you ask; if not, it will not be so.” In other words, it is God’s grace, not his power to grant. “Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw it and shouted, ‘My Father! My Father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!'” Indeed, by God’s grace and power alone, Elijah was taken up into the heavens just as Christ ascended into the heavens. But just as Jesus’ departure did not leave the apostles orphaned but with the gifts of the Spirit, so too, the departure of Elijah bestowed on Elisha the double portion of his spirit as requested. Elisha “picked up the cloak of Elijah which had fallen and went back and stood on the banks of the Jordan. He took the cloak of Elijah and struck the water. ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he cried. He struck the water, and it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.” Indeed, at the end of day, everything is God’s grace. We should use what the Lord has given to us for His greater glory in gratitude to what He has bestowed on us. We have nothing to boast but everything to be grateful for. This should spur us to have a greater devotion to Him, putting Him as the centre of our lives, and serving Him in our fellowmen with humility and gratitude.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment