20220927 THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS FOR THE POOR
27 September, 2022, Tuesday, St Vincent De Paul
First reading |
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 © |
God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, to shame the wise
Take yourselves for instance, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything. The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scripture says: if anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 111(112):1-9 © |
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Riches and wealth are in his house;
his justice stands firm for ever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
he is generous, merciful and just.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honour.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
He has no fear of evil news;
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
he will see the downfall of his foes.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn10:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my own sheep and my own know me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 9:35-37 © |
The harvest is rich but the labourers are few
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS FOR THE POOR
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 1:26-31; PS 111:1-9; MT 9:35-37]
“Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” It is significant that the gospel was directed to the poor, the sick, the miserable and those under social oppression. Jesus did not preach to the rich, the powerful, the influential and those in the upper class of society.
This is because in Jesus’ reckoning, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” (Mk 2:17) The truth is that those who are rich and self-sufficient do not need help, or at least they do not think they need help because they are too proud to ask for help. When we are able to depend on ourselves, we do not need God or even others to get things done. And when we give rich people gifts, they will never be appreciative because they have much more than you can give to them. The gifts we give them are quickly discarded.
This is so different when we give to the poor. For them, every small gift we give to them is received with great joy, happiness, and gratitude. For the little things we do for them, they are very appreciative because without our gifts, they would have nothing much to survive on. This explains Blessed Teresa of Calcutta who said that it is more difficult to satisfy the rich than the poor. It is extremely difficult to buy gifts for rich people because whatever you want to give them, they already have and they can well afford better things. This also explains why our children of today are very difficult to please compared to the poor children in the third world countries. Our children take their comfortable life for granted and even expect them as something due to them. They do not appreciate the good life they are enjoying today.
It is for this reason that the mission of the Church right from the start was directed to the poor. Jesus chose Twelve apostles, most of them were uneducated. Some were fishermen. Even the Sanhedrin noticed them as such. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.” At the beginning of the primitive Church, special care was given to the poor, especially the widows and the orphans who were the most vulnerable people in society because they had no breadwinner. So the apostles, overwhelmed by their commitment to both the preaching of the Word and the service of charity, appointed seven deacons to assist them in the daily distribution of food, especially to the widows. (cf Acts 6:1-6)
In today’s first reading, St Paul acknowledged their ordinariness when the Lord called them. He said, “Take yourselves, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.” Indeed, we must remember that once we were also poor like those in the third world countries. Our forefathers were very poor. They suffered much to raise the standard of living for Singapore. They worked hard for the economic growth of the country.
Most of all, the Church was instrumental in providing food for the poor, medical care for the sick through the Catholic Social Services and St Vincent De Paul Society. Those who did not have a roof over their heads, the Church provided land to build their homes. The Church was the leader in providing good Catholic education for our people. Many who had no opportunities for education were given free education. Today, our government serve with integrity and honesty, values that have been passed to our civil leaders because of the good Catholic education they received. As is still the case in many of the third world countries, the way to evangelize the people is not through preaching but through the works of charity, caring for the poor, uplifting their poverty, giving them medical care and food.
Indeed, love for the Eucharist and the poor go together. Pope Emeritus Benedict in his first encyclical wrote, “As the years went by and the Church spread further afield, the exercise of charity became established as one of her essential activities, along with the administration of the sacraments and the proclamation of the word: love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to her as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel. The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word.” (Deus Caritas Est, 22)
Reaching out to the poor is what defines us as Church. This is because the Church is defined as a community that came together in worship, fidelity to the apostles and communion. (cf. Acts 2:42). Communion would imply that “believers hold all things in common and that among them, there is no longer any distinction between rich and poor.” (cf. also Acts 4:32-37). St Luke wrote, “All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-5). Pope Benedict wrote, “As the Church grew, this radical form of material communion could not in fact be preserved. But its essential core remained: within the community of believers there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life.”
This service to the poor is also a spiritual service because it involves the work of charity which was what Jesus did when He healed the sick, raised the dead, gave hope to the forlorn and disheartened and welcomed sinners. The gospel is proclaimed both in words and in deeds. Christian charity is not just carrying out a task or an activity or championing some ideological programs. Rather, it is a response of the heart to the individual who needs help. It is not enough for us to be professionally competent. Over and above this competency and efficient organization is the human heart that feels with the poor and have special concerns for them.
This is possible only if we encounter the Lord’s love and mercy first. Only this encounter will lead us to do likewise so that Christian actions flow from our faith in God’s love. Indeed, reaching out to the poor presupposes that we are conscious of God’s blessings for us, like the apostles in the early Church. Those who have been recipient of God’s mercy and love directly through prayers or through the charitable organizations of the Church will in turn, when they become rich and successful, share their resources with others. Let us never, as St Paul warns us, forget that once we were poor and dependent on the help of God and others. “The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scripture says: If anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.”
Today, we are called to be His instruments of love and mercy. The psalmist speaks of the joy of the good man. “Happy the man who fears the Lord. Riches and wealth are in his house; his justice stands firm for ever. His is a light in the darkness for the upright: he is generous, merciful and just. The good man takes pity and lends, he conducts his affairs with honour. The just man will never waver: he will be remembered for ever. Open-handed, he gives to the poor; his justice stands firm for ever. His head will be raised in glory.”
How can we be instruments of His love and mercy? Jesus said, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” Prayer is the key to be His instruments. When we pray for God to send more labourers, He will first send you. This is because He will give you a heart after His. And what was His heart like? We read, “When he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus reached out to those who were suffering because He felt sorry for them. He was not trying to put up a show or champion some social or political ideological programs. Jesus reached out to them with the heart of God’s love. St Paul wrote, “God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom.” When we acquire Christ’s wisdom, love and generosity of heart, we too will be shepherds after His heart. We begin this process by falling in love with Jesus so that we too will have a heart for others like St Vincent De Paul. We too will not just work and serve the poor with humility and compassion but we will recruit others to help us to show the face of our Lord to them.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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