20221031 THE CHALLENGES TO COMMUNION IN MISSION
31 October, 2022, Monday, 31st Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Philippians 2:1-4 © |
Be united in your love
If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 130(131) © |
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
A weaned child on its mother’s breast,
even so is my soul.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and forever.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn8:31-32 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
If you make my word your home
you will indeed be my disciples,
and you will learn the truth, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 14:12-14 © |
Do not invite those who might be able to invite you back
Jesus said to his host, one of the leading Pharisees, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’
THE CHALLENGES TO COMMUNION IN MISSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Philippians 2:1-4; Luke 14:12-14]
One of the biggest challenges in kingdom building is uniting the People of God in one mission. We have division at every level, from the universal church to the diocese and the parish and within church organizations. There will always be elements that will sow seeds of division. At the same time, we know that without unity, there is no mission. Since the mission of the Church is to bring all into communion, the division among ourselves is a contradiction to the message we are bringing to the whole of humanity. In other words, if we cannot put our own house in order, how can we be a catalyst of communion for others?
This was the same appeal of St Paul to the early Christians when he wrote, “If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy.” Indeed, nothing can make the head of any household happier than to have a united family. One of the greatest sadness of any parent is to see the family divided. So, too, for the universal and local church. A divided Church is a cause of sadness and scandal to all. That is why the last prayer of Jesus for the Church is the prayer for unity among His disciples. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (Jn 17:20f)
How, then, can we build communion among ourselves? St Paul urges us to “be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind.” Unity can only come about when we are ready to align ourselves together for a common purpose, which is the spread of the gospel and for the glory of God, and the salvation of humanity. Without this alignment with the entire Church, each of us would be doing our own thing and in our own ways. When we do that, regardless of what we do, even if it is good and praiseworthy but brings about division in the Church, it would be counterproductive. It may serve our purpose but not the greater goal of the Church. It therefore behoves every one of us, laity, priests and religious, to endeavour to seek to be one with the local church and with the bishop in our ministry, just as the bishop seeks to unite the local church with the universal church under the leadership of the Holy Father.
It is for this reason that the structure of the Catholic Church is both a hierarchical and organic model. It is hierarchical in the sense that there are different levels of authority in the Church where all are called to respect for the sake of unity. The Holy Father is the symbol of unity in the Church. Consequently, he has absolute power over the church of Christ so that the Church could be always one in the face of diverse opinions. To preserve the unity of the universal Church, the local bishops pledge obedience and allegiance to the Holy Father, working in unity with him, in close consultation and always deferring to the decisions of the Holy Father. Similarly, the bishop of the local diocese is given full power over his diocese so that he could align his priests and the people with the universal mission of the Church under the leadership of the Holy Father. No bishop can act independently of the college of bishops and of the Holy Father. Similarly, too, no priest or individual in the local church can act independently without being in communion with the local bishop. Whilst respecting the organic dimension of the church, that is, all with different gifts, there is a need to ensure that all gifts are used for the good of the Church and in support of the mission of both the local and universal church.
So what is it that prevents this alignment from taking place? There are two main causes of disunity, pride, and self-centeredness. St Paul was aware of such competition originating from pride and egotism among the Christians. “There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing.” In the community, the sin of pride continues to manifest itself in competition among church organizations, the struggle for power, recognition and honour. Often, organizations and movements within the church compete with each other for membership and popularity. Within organizations, members are envious of each other, especially of those who are talented and can do better than the others. Most of all, arrogance, which is the sin of pride, is the cause of much division. This is especially evident in those who are supposedly talented and accomplished in life. They will not listen to the opinions of others but insist that their views and their ways are the only way. They cannot compromise and see beyond their narrow confines and interests. Their tunnel vision often causes much division in any group they are in. Sometimes they are harsh, sarcastic, and destructive in their words, causing other members of the group to be hurt.
The second factor that causes disunity is self-interest. Although all in the church say that they are working for Christ and the Church, yet many do so with self-interests and hidden agendas. It is about themselves, their desires, and their needs. This prompted St Paul to remind the Christians, “that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.” In our conduct in the community, do the interests of the larger Church come before our own in all that we do? There are many church members and groups that desire to have things their way. They become cliquish and demanding. Most church groups only care for their members and the reputation of their organization, but they are not concerned about the interests of the larger community. They do not work for them or with them.
Consequently, today we are called to exercise humility in our service. St Paul invites us to “always consider the other person to be better than yourself.” None of us must think only of our interests and be too proud to learn from others. A truly wise man is one who is capable of listening and welcoming others who have different views of life. Without humility, we can no longer listen to others. We must be clear that our desire is to bring glory to God and not to ourselves. St Paul urges us to be self-effacing, ever ready to give way and deference to others. Whether in words or in actions, we need to act and speak charitably so that we do not hurt others who listen to us. When we are truly humble without any airs or behave as if we are somebody, then people will find us easy to talk to and are comfortable with us, knowing that we do not judge them.
Secondly, let our service to the Church be without vested interests. This is the meaning of the parable in today’s gospel. Often the rich are invited for meals and functions because we expect favours from them. We do things out of selfish motives so that we can gain something from it. Indeed, many are helping in government, NGOs and the Church with a personal agenda and ulterior motives. Their service is not pure and noble. Some help in the church not as an expression of love but out of guilt and fear that God would punish them for not doing anything good. Others are involved so that they can get contacts for their businesses.
Let our love and service be without vested interests. This is why Jesus told the people to invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.” Real service is when it is done without selfish interests, not for one’s glory or honour, or one’s benefit. When there is nothing to gain and when things are done without any expectation of reward, favour or recognition, then we can afford to be detached in whatever we do. Then we would avoid fighting for position, power and recognition. In this way, our service will bring about true unity among our brothers and sisters.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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