20220622 THE WORD OF GOD AS A GUIDE TO LIFE
22 June, 2022, Wednesday, 12th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Kings 22:8-13,23:1-3 © |
The Book of the Law is found in the Temple of the Lord
The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.’’’ And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him as follows, ‘Your servants’ he said ‘have melted down the silver which was in the Temple and have handed it over to the masters of works attached to the Temple of the Lord.’ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book’; and Shaphan read it aloud in the king’s presence.
On hearing the contents of the Book of the Law, the king tore his garments, and gave the following order to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s minister: ‘Go and consult the Lord, on behalf of me and the people, about the contents of this book that has been found. Great indeed must be the anger of the Lord blazing out against us because our ancestors did not obey what this book says by practising everything written in it.’
The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned to him, and the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, prophets and all the people, of high or low degree. In their hearing he read out everything that was said in the book of the covenant found in the Temple of the Lord. The king stood beside the pillar, and in the presence of the Lord he made a covenant to follow the Lord and keep his commandments and decrees and laws with all his heart and soul, in order to enforce the terms of the covenant as written in that book. All the people gave their allegiance to the covenant.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 118(119):33-37,40 © |
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me the demands of your statutes
and I will keep them to the end.
Train me to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Guide me in the path of your commands;
for there is my delight.
Bend my heart to your will
and not to love of gain.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Keep my eyes from what is false;
by your word, give me life.
See, I long for your precepts;
then in your justice, give me life.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn15:4,5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you,
says the Lord;
whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 7:15-20 © |
You will be able to tell them by their fruits
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.’
THE WORD OF GOD AS A GUIDE TO LIFE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Kgs 22:8-13, 23:1-3; Mt 7:15-20]
Where do we find inspiration and direction in life? Many of us would scour the newspaper or the internet for direction. Others look for inspirational and self-help books. For us, the sure guide to life, to truth and love is the Word of God. Our basis for truth is not the pure reasoning of the world but on faith in the inspired Word of God. Only faith in the Word of God can change our lives.
Indeed, this was what happened in the first reading. We read of the great reverence the King and his people had for the Word of God. When the lost draft of the book of Deuteronomy was discovered at the Temple of Jerusalem after years of neglect by the previous kings and priests, King Josiah quickly ordered all his countrymen to listen to the Word of God. “On hearing the contents of the Book of the Law, the king tore his garments, and gave the following order to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shapham, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shapan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s minister: ‘Go and consult the Lord, on behalf of me and the people, about the contents of this book that has been found.'”
He realized that the sufferings of the kingdom were due to the mistake of neglecting and disobeying the Word of God. He said, “Great indeed must be the anger of the Lord blazing out against us because our ancestors did not obey what this book says by practising everything written in it.” Hence the King repented immediately upon hearing the Word of God. He took upon himself the responsibility of ensuring that his people and his officials from then on would obey the Word of God.
King Josiah was a great king because he was humble and obeyed the Lord. He did not trust in himself or his talents. Rather, as a king, he turned to God for help and direction. He knew that unless he was focused on God, his kingdom would be a failure. With humility, he and his people stood with reverence when the Word of God was read. “The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned to him, and the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, prophets and all the people, of high or low degree. In their hearing he read out everything that was said in the book of the covenant found in the Temple of the Lord. The king stood beside the pillar.”
King Josiah was a great leader not just politically but also spiritually. A king in those days acted on behalf of Yahweh, and therefore ensured that the people not only lived in harmony and justice but also in the ways of God. Hence, after the Word of God was read, “in the presence of the Lord he made a covenant to follow the Lord and keep his commandments and decrees and laws with all his heart and soul, in order to enforce the terms of the covenant as written in that book. All the people gave their allegiance to the covenant.” St Paul too urged the young Bishop, Timothy, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.” (2 Tim 4:1-2)
If only we have the same reverence and faith in the Bible, which is the inspired Word of God, our lives would have been changed. The responsorial psalm says, “Teach me the demands of your statutes and I will keep them to the end. Train me to observe your law, to keep it with my heart. Guide me in the path of your commands; for there is my delight. Bend my heart to your will and not to love of gain. Keep my eyes from what is false; by your word, give me life. See, I long for your precepts; then in your justice, give me life.” The Laws of God were considered the guide to life, love and truth. St Paul writing to Timothy says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)
How do we know that the Word of God in truly inspired and efficacious in changing our lives? Jesus in the gospel tells us that the fruits will indicate the truth of the Word of God. He said, “A sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.” The truth of the Word of God will be verified in the course of living it out. Indeed, when John the Baptist asked Jesus whether He was the Messiah, Jesus told his disciples to see the messianic signs of healing and miracles as proofs of His messiahship. (Cf Lk 7:22) So the fruits would be the sure test of the truth of the Word of God.
In the same vein, we must be weary of the deceptive reasoning of the world that will lead us to perdition and self-destruction. We must be discerning of the values that are being promoted by the world that are based on individualism, hedonism and materialism. St Paul tells us that the gospel is not based on the wisdom of the world but in Christ. Jesus warns us about the dangers of being misled by the world when He said, “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?” There are many voices in the world; we can tune our ears not to the world but to the Word of God, to Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Knowing the truth is not sufficient. We must strive to live the Word of God. We are to back up our words with our examples and in daily life. It is not enough to proclaim the Word of God as the truth unless we ourselves are living it. As St Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” So the only way to prove the world wrong is not by argument, by reasoning alone, but we need to live out the life of faith in our daily life.
Of course, we know it is difficult. But this is where we should not be discouraged so easily. We know that our lives are far from the way the Lord asks of us. We try and we fail. For this reason, we must come to Jesus who is the vine, and we are His branches. (Jn 15:5). It is a living relationship with the Lord through prayer and contemplation of the Word of God. It is in basking in His love that we find the wisdom and strength to live the Word of God in our lives. Only by His grace and our cooperation with His grace can we bear the fruits of the Spirit. We cannot grow in holiness without His grace and divine assistance. Intimacy with the Lord in prayer, knowing His mind and heart will give us the grace to bear much fruits for without Him, we are nothing. And when we fail, we do not condemn ourselves but turn to Him for mercy and forgiveness, for we know that He is all merciful. “He does not treat us according to our sin nor repay us according to our faults. For as the heavens are high above the earth so strong is his love for those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our sins. As a father has compassion on his sons, the Lord has pity on those who fear him; for he knows of what we are made, he remembers that we are dust.” (Ps 103:10-14)
So let us make a resolution each day to pray the Word of God, to spend time in contemplation of His word and allow Him to love us as we surrender our minds and hearts to Him. He will transform us, enlighten us, guide us and empower us. St Paul in Timothy Thessalonians says the Word of God is good for correction.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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