20220708 DEFENDING THE TRUTH AND VALUES OF THE GOSPEL
08 July, 2022, Friday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Hosea 14:2-10 © |
A call to conversion and promise of safety
The Lord says this:
Israel, come back to the Lord your God;
your iniquity was the cause of your downfall.
Provide yourself with words
and come back to the Lord.
Say to him, ‘Take all iniquity away
so that we may have happiness again
and offer you our words of praise.
Assyria cannot save us,
we will not ride horses any more,
or say, “Our God!” to what our own hands have made,
for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.’
– I will heal their disloyalty,
I will love them with all my heart,
for my anger has turned from them.
I will fall like dew on Israel.
He shall bloom like the lily,
and thrust out roots like the poplar,
his shoots will spread far;
he will have the beauty of the olive
and the fragrance of Lebanon.
They will come back to live in my shade;
they will grow corn that flourishes,
they will cultivate vines
as renowned as the wine of Helbon.
What has Ephraim to do with idols any more
when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?
I am like a cypress ever green,
all your fruitfulness comes from me.
Let the wise man understand these words.
Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning.
For the ways of the Lord are straight,
and virtuous men walk in them,
but sinners stumble.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 50(51):3-4,8-9,12-14,17 © |
My mouth shall declare your praise.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
My mouth shall declare your praise.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
My mouth shall declare your praise.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
My mouth shall declare your praise.
Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
My mouth shall declare your praise.
Gospel Acclamation | 1P1:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of the Lord remains for ever:
What is this word?
It is the Good News that has been brought to you.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn16:13,14:26 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
When the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
and he will remind you of all I have said to you.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 10:16-23 © |
The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.
‘Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.’
DEFENDING THE TRUTH AND VALUES OF THE GOSPEL
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HOS 14:2-10, MT 10:16-23]
“The Lord says this: Israel, come back to the Lord your God; your iniquity was the cause of your downfall. Provide yourself with words and come back to the Lord.” We read of the fall of Israel in the first reading. The kingdom fell to the Assyrians for three reasons. Firstly, they were too full of themselves. They were proud. They overestimated their military might. When people are too presumptuous of their strength, they can fall badly. Secondly, they were pursuing the idols, the false gods of power, money and pleasure. Thirdly, they relied on their strength and power and not on the power of God. Indeed, they learnt a hard lesson. The prophet warns us, “Let the wise man understand these words. Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning. For the ways of the Lord are straight, and virtuous men walk in them, but sinners stumble.”
But it is not easy today because of relativism and individualism. We have enemies from within and without. From without, the world cannot understand us. They are hostile to us. When we address our Catholics, they will also attack us because our statements are no longer confined within the people of our faith. We are called to defend our faith before governors, that is, the secular leaders and society. Jesus said, “Beware of men: they will hand you over to Sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans.” In the early days of Christianity, the government and the secularists perceived the Christians negatively. They were thought to be revolutionaries, against the state and challenging certain customs and beliefs of the day, such as slavery and the worship of images. This cuts into the pockets of the merchants.
Indeed, Christianity is on trial today. The world cannot accept the Christian faith because we are not adopting the relativistic values of the world, values that promote individualism at the expense of the greater good of the community; values that are based on self-indulgence, materialism and consumerism. If the world is against the teachings of the Church, this is understandable because businesses are affected by the moral teachings of the Church. Political leaders want to be elected and therefore promote themselves as defenders of freedom and democracy, not of truth and justice. Their only concern is with votes, not about whether it is right or wrong; or whether policies that they advocate have serious repercussions and implications for society in the future. This is particularly true with respect to the freedom of religions, marriage and family institutions. The confusion of the sexual identity of the person is another source of concern.
From within, this is even more insidious. We are attacked by our own Catholics publicly. We are our own traitors. Some Catholics are publicly running down the Holy Father and his teachings, thinking that they are doing the Church a favour. We let the world know how divided we are within. This helps the world to destroy us because they know that Catholics are not standing as one Church and one body of Christ. Of course, this is because of sins, weaknesses, poor formation and scandals. This is what Jesus is warning us about. He said, “Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.” Like the early Church, those who became Christians were persecuted by their own loved ones. But mostly, Catholics today attack their Church leaders and slander their own Church without understanding the teachings of the Church. They listen to the world and judge and speak like those who are outside of the faith.
How then must we act?
Firstly, we need to hold firm in our faith to the end. “You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Jesus is truly honest with us. He did not promise us a rose garden. He did not preach the prosperity gospel or promise us a life of comfort and luxury. Rather, He told His would-be disciples that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Now, He warned them that they would be persecuted.
Secondly, we need to be crafty in dealing with the world. “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.” Indeed, the temptations of the Evil One are very deceitful. The Evil One will tempt us in many ways. He comes under the guise of good people when they are sent to tempt us to sin and to lose our zeal in our faith and ministry. Often, within the Church, there are Catholics who are using the Church for their own ambitions and self-interests. We must therefore be alert, prudent, wise in handling sensitive and difficult challenges in the Church. But at the same time, we need to be gentle and diplomatic in dealing with our opponents.
Finally, Jesus warns us not to act rashly but patiently. “If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” There is no need to seek martyrdom. This is foolishness and a sin of pride. We must keep ourselves alive to serve the Lord and His people. We do so only when our faith is being challenged outrightly and God’s name is slandered. Otherwise, in small matters, we will not sacrifice our life for them. Some Catholics will fight over petty matters and forget the bigger picture of the Church. We must therefore be prudent and know when we need to stand up for the faith and when we need to flee and come back again at another opportune time to witness to Christ.
How can we act confidently in the face of persecution? Firstly, we must seek the truth and repent of our pride and sinfulness. The prophet says, “Provide yourself with words and come back to the Lord. Say to him, ‘Take all iniquity away so that we may have happiness again and offer you our words of praise. Assyria cannot save us, we will not ride horses any more, or say, “Our God!” to what our own hands have made, for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.'” Indeed, we must turn to the Lord and acknowledge our guilt and our dependence on Him. By walking the way of the Lord, we will find life once again. “For the ways of the Lord are straight, and virtuous men walk in them, but sinners stumble.” When we turn to Him, the Lord will heal us and bless us with His love. “I will heal their disloyalty, I will love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned from them. I will fall like dew on Israel.”
Secondly, we need to root ourselves in the Lord. “He shall bloom like the lily, and thrust out roots like the poplar, his shoots will spread far; he will have the beauty of the olive and the fragrance of Lebanon. They will come back to live in my shade; they will grow corn that flourishes, they will cultivate vines as renowned as the wine of Helbon.” Only those of us who are grounded in the Lord can find strength and wisdom. Without faith in God and most of all in union with Him, we cannot blossom in life and make the faith grow. So being united in Christ who is the Vine, we will find the strength, the capacity and the wisdom to love like Him.
Finally, we are called to speak what the Lord tells us in our hearts. “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking on you.” Today, if we are to prevent ourselves and humanity from destroying itself, then we must defend the truth of the gospel. We should not fight shy of standing up for Jesus and for the Catholic Faith. The tragedy of life is that the few good people are keeping quiet. By saving their skin and their face, the whole country perishes. We who have been given the truth, wisdom and knowledge have a duty to proclaim the Gospel in and out of season. When we are imbued with the love of Christ and the truth of the gospel, we only need to speak from the depths of our hearts. God will use our sincerity of love for the truth to touch the hearts of our listeners. By doing, we also regain our dignity and identity as God’s children.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment