20220820 SPIRITUAL WORLDLINESS
20 August, 2022, Saturday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Ezekiel 43:1-7 © |
The vision of the coming of the glory of the Lord to the Temple
The angel took me to the gate, the one facing east. I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A sound came with it, like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his glory. This vision was like the one I had seen when I had come for the destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen on the bank of the river Chebar. Then I prostrated myself.
The glory of the Lord arrived at the Temple by the east gate. The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; I saw the glory of the Lord fill the Temple. And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me. The voice said, ‘Son of man, this is the dais of my throne, the step on which I rest my feet. I shall live here among the sons of Israel for ever.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 84(85):9-14 © |
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:36,29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt23:9,10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You have only one Father,
and he is in heaven;
you have only one Teacher,
the Christ.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 23:1-12 © |
They do not practise what they preach
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
SPIRITUAL WORLDLINESS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZK 43:1-7; MATTHEW 23:1-12]
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel was writing to the Israelites in exile to give them hope that they would be restored to their homeland and their former glory. In their exile, they felt the abandonment of God. But God was with them, preparing them to return to Jerusalem. This was the vision of Ezekiel. “I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A sound came with it, like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his glory. The glory of the Lord arrived at the Temple by the east gate. The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; I saw the glory of God fill the Temple.” This was his vision of the glory of God returning to Israel. He continued, “And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me. The voice said, ‘Son of man, this is the dais of my throne, the step on which I rest my feet. I shall live here among the sons of Israel forever.'” The Temple remained the dwelling place of God where He lived in their midst.
However, for God to return, the people had to first repent of their sins of idolatry and show the will to restore the Temple to its former glory. “Now let them put away their idolatry and the corpses of their kings far from me, and I will reside among them forever. As for you, mortal, describe the temple to the house of Israel, and let them measure the pattern; and let them be ashamed of their iniquities.” (Ezk 43:9f) The period of exile was meant to be a time for them to reflect on their sins and purify themselves so that they would live a life of holiness. Only such a life can reflect the glory of God. So too for us. If we feel the absence of God in our lives, it is because of our sins. By not living a life of holiness, we deprive the glory of God from shining through us. St Paul wrote, “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)
Yet, the return of the Jews from exile led to another form of worldliness. It was the temptation to spiritual worldliness, which Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical “Evangelii Gaudium.” [Spiritual worldliness, which hides behind the appearance of piety and even love for the Church, consists in seeking not the Lord’s glory but human glory and personal well-being. It is what the Lord reprimanded the Pharisees for: “How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (Jn 5:44). It is a subtle way of seeking one’s “own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Phil 2:21). It takes on many forms, depending on the kinds of persons and groups into which it seeps. Since it is based on carefully cultivated appearances, it is not always linked to outward sin; from without, everything appears as it should be. But if it were to seep into the Church, “it would be infinitely more disastrous than any other worldliness which is simply moral”.] (EG 93)
This was what the Lord is warning us in today’s gospel. There is a temptation for us to use religiosity and piety to hide the real intention of our hearts, which is to glorify ourselves and for our personal interests. When we are not sincere in serving the Lord and living a life of holiness, we use religious practices to cover up the wickedness and selfishness in our heart. This is seen when we seek our glory instead of the glory of God. The religious leaders of the day were more concerned about seeking their glory than the glory of God. Jesus remarked, “Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.” Indeed, all of us, priests, religious and lay leaders included, often seek positions of glory and honour. We put on a good show that we are holy, but are not living a life of holiness. We participate in religious activities and rituals but our lives are far from what we claim to belief and worship.
Pope Francis gave us concrete examples of how spiritual worldliness is manifested in the Church today. [“This insidious worldliness is evident in a number of attitudes which appear opposed, yet all have the same pretence of “taking over the space of the Church”. In some people we see an ostentatious preoccupation for the liturgy, for doctrine and for the Church’s prestige, but without any concern that the Gospel have a real impact on God’s faithful people and the concrete needs of the present time. In this way, the life of the Church turns into a museum piece or something which is the property of a select few. In others, this spiritual worldliness lurks behind a fascination with social and political gain, or pride in their ability to manage practical affairs, or an obsession with programmes of self-help and self-realization. It can also translate into a concern to be seen, into a social life full of appearances, meetings, dinners and receptions. It can also lead to a business mentality, caught up with management, statistics, plans and evaluations whose principal beneficiary is not God’s people but the Church as an institution. The mark of Christ, incarnate, crucified and risen, is not present; closed and elite groups are formed, and no effort is made to go forth and seek out those who are distant or the immense multitudes who thirst for Christ. Evangelical fervour is replaced by the empty pleasure of complacency and self-indulgence.] (EG 95)
The Lord reminds us that in whatever we do, we are to refer people to God, not to us. We must not be the centre of focus, taking away the glory of God. Unless, our lives lead people to see God and not us, we would have failed in our responsibilities. Those in positions of authority and influence must not allow their ego to consume them and think that they are the focus for others. This explains why the Lord said, “You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.” Our task is to help people to be the glory of God by living a life of holiness. When titles are given to us, we must never forget that we are acting on behalf of God for He is the only Master, Father and Teacher. We all derive our authority from Him for the service of His people. We are only ambassadors and servants of the Father.
The Lord said, “The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” At the end of the day, it is not about us but about God and His people. A leader does not focus on himself, his interests and his glory but that of God and the people that he serves. Therefore, as servants of God, we must be careful that we are not serving our interests. This can happen when theologians and priests redefine faith and morals according to the standards of the world in order to gain popularity and acceptance. Catholics who would only accept those Catholic teachings they like and reject those that they do not are also self-serving. Catholics who are afraid to live out their faith because of fear of rejection from society fall into the same category of spiritual worldliness and hypocrisy. Most of all, we too suffer from spiritual worldliness when we use devotions and church involvement to cover up our need for power and recognition.
Yet, the fact remains that we are weak and sinful. In truth, we all lack the courage to stand up for what we believe. In different ways, we live hypocritical lives even when we appear to be good Catholics. Even religious leaders fail us, not just those in authority. The Lord has this to advise us when we face hypocritical leaders or those who fail to live up to what they preach. “The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they preach.” So it remains our constant challenge as leaders to seek authenticity and integrity lest we be accused of being those who “tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them?” Instead of condemning others for seeking spiritual worldliness, we must look into ourselves and honestly examine those areas in our life where we have failed to live sincerely, with the right motives for what we believe and what we teach. Let the glory of God shine through us by our lives of humble service.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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