Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: November 2022

Wednesday 30 November 2022

BUILDING OUR HOPE ON CHRIST AS THE EVERLASTING ROCK

20221201 BUILDING OUR HOPE ON CHRIST AS THE EVERLASTING ROCK

01 December, 2022, Thursday, 1st Week of Advent

First reading

Isaiah 26:1-6 ©

Open the gates; let the upright nation come in

That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;

to guard us he has set

wall and rampart about us.

Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in,

she, the faithful one

whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace,

because she trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord for ever,

for the Lord is the everlasting Rock;

he has brought low those who lived high up

in the steep citadel;

he brings it down, brings it down to the ground,

flings it down in the dust:

the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor

trample on it.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,19-21,25-27 ©

Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.

Alleluia.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

for his love has no end.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in men;

it is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.

Alleluia.

Open to me the gates of holiness:

I will enter and give thanks.

This is the Lord’s own gate

where the just may enter.

I will thank you for you have answered

and you are my saviour.

Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.

Alleluia.

O Lord, grant us salvation;

O Lord, grant success.

Blessed in the name of the Lord

is he who comes.

We bless you from the house of the Lord;

the Lord God is our light.

Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.

Alleluia.

Gospel Acclamation

Is40:9-10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem.

Here is the Lord God coming with power.

Alleluia!

Or:

Is55:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,

call to him while he is still near.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 7:21,24-27 ©

The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

BUILDING OUR HOPE ON CHRIST AS THE EVERLASTING ROCK

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [IS 26:1-6; PS 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27; MT 7:21, 24-27 ]

Israel was always living in fear and under the threat of her enemies. She was certainly militarily less powerful than her neighbouring nations. Yet she managed to conquer her enemies and prevented them from conquering her because the hand of God was with them. We saw this from the time of Moses to Joshua, the period of the Judges, Samson and Gideon, the period of the kings, King Saul and King David. By the time of King Solomon, there was peace and unity. However, Israel as a single nation did not last long after King Solomon. Eventually, because of internal strife, there was a split between the Northern and Southern Kingdom. This made Israel and Judah even more susceptible to the invasion of their enemies.

Recalling their former days of glory, the Israelites once again appealed to God’s mercy and might to restore peace to Israel. Isaiah prophesied, “That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; to guard us he has set wall and rampart about us.” They believed that God would once again protect Israel from foreign nations. He would be the wall that shields them from all alien attacks, and be the rampart that would help Israel to see from afar the coming of their enemies. Hence, the invitation to trust in the Lord; “Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.” Indeed, we must open the gates of faith and hope in the Lord.

In the same way, the Lord asks us to build our faith on rock. “Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock.” What is this rock if not first and foremost the Lord Himself? St Peter wrote, “Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pt 2:4f) Only when we build our faith in Christ, will we be able to remain firm and strong against the temptations and changing values in the world.

Secondly, this rock refers to the faith of St Peter in Christ. When St Peter professed his faith in Christ as the “Messiah, the Son of the Living God”, Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Only faith in Jesus as the Son of the Living God can save us from doubts about the truth of the gospel as proclaimed by Jesus. When we have the same faith as Peter in Jesus, we too will find the keys to the kingdom of heaven because the Word of God which Jesus taught us is what will bind us and guide in the way of truth and life. In another text, when the disciples of Jesus were scandalized by His teaching on the Eucharist, Jesus asked the twelve, “‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'” (Jn 6:67-69) Faith in Jesus is the condition in accepting the gospel as God’s word. St Paul wrote, “when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (1 Th 2:13)

Thirdly, this rock refers also to Peter himself. St Peter is the head of the Apostolic College. As the Vicar of Christ, Peter is given the gift of infallibility in teaching. He commanded Peter to feed His lambs and sheep and look after them. (cf Jn 21:15-17) This authority is given to Peter because Christ promised to be with Peter and the apostles. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19f) It is for this reason that we, as Catholics, are called to take direction from the Magisterium with regard to the authentic teaching of the Church. No theologian or scripture scholar, nor even a single bishop teaches authoritatively unless he teaches in union with the Pope and the Apostolic College. Indeed, our ability to withstand the changing tides and ideologies of humanity lies in our adherence to the Word of God as “inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16) The weakness among our Catholics is that they do not know the Word of God and are ill-instructed and ill-informed of the teachings of the Church. Hence, they are easily swayed by the arguments of the world and buy into their foolish and short-sighted arguments and pragmatic policies.

However, it is not enough just to know the Word of God but as the Lord cautions us, we must act on the Word. Indeed, “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!” For those of us who are better instructed in the faith, we cannot rely simply on our intellectual knowledge of the Word of God or our doctrines. In themselves, they cannot save us unless we act on what we believe in. Indeed, St James reminds us often, “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.” (Jas 1:22-24) Furthermore, he reminded us that “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” (Jas 2:17f)

Hence, the season of Advent invites us to strengthen our faith as we hold on to the hope of salvation given to us in Christ. It is because Christ is our Hope for fullness of life, both here in this world and hereafter that we put our faith in Him. With the psalmist, we pray, “O Lord, grant us salvation; O Lord, grant success. Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes. We bless you from the house of the Lord; the Lord God is our light.” Instead of relying on ourselves, on our human wisdom which is God’s foolishness, we must seek the wisdom of God. The psalmist declares, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in men; it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” We must not rely on human strength and human wisdom or power because they cannot be trusted. Rather, we must trust in God alone. St James exhorts us, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (Jas 1:5-8)

By living a righteous and holy life, we enter the Gate of Heaven. This is what the scripture assures us. “Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you.” The psalmist prayed, “Open to me the gates of holiness: I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank you for you have answered and you are my saviour.” This is how we can realize the hope that God has offered to us in Christ. He is our rock, our fortress and our Saviour. Let us come to Him, that living Stone rejected by men. “‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.” (2 Pt 2:7f) Let Christ be our foundation stone and our rock!

SHARING OUR CHRIST EXPERIENCE WITH OUR LOVED ONES

20221130 SHARING OUR CHRIST EXPERIENCE WITH OUR LOVED ONES

30 November, 2022, Wednesday, St Andrew, Apostle

First reading

Romans 10:9-18 ©

Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5 ©

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

Follow me, says the Lord,

and I will make you into fishers of men.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 4:18-22 ©

'I will make you fishers of men'

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

SHARING OUR CHRIST EXPERIENCE WITH OUR LOVED ONES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ROM 10:9-18; MT 4:18-22]

We read in the gospel of John that some Greeks came to Philip to request to see Jesus. Philip then went and told Andrew; and together they went to tell Jesus. Indeed, many people are asking the same question, “We wish to see Jesus.” (Jn 12:21) Many are seeking for truth and meaning in life. Only Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life can give the world the ultimate meaning. The responsorial psalm declares, “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye.” St Paul, citing the scripture also reiterates that, “those who believe in me will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

But St Paul also raised a prior issue namely that “they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him.” If many are living ignorant lives in the world, we cannot put the blame squarely on their shoulders alone. As it is said, there is no point bemoaning the darkness in the world when we could have lighted a candle. So too, St Paul argues the necessity of having a preacher to bring the Good News for “they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound.”

Thus, on the feast of the Apostle Andrew, we are all reminded of our call to proclaim the gospel. This call is given to all Christians by virtue of our baptism. The calling of the disciples, Peter and Andrew, James and John in the gospel is a prototype of our own calling. We are called to be fishers of men and to follow Jesus. What is significant in their response was that they obeyed without any delay or question. The command of Jesus to follow Him was received as if it were from God Himself, of which our answer must be immediate, decisive and total. Indeed, that was how the evangelist presented their reaction to Jesus’ command. Although busy doing their own work, fishing or mending their nets, when called, “at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.”

Such an immediate response not only indicates the total obedience of the disciples to the Word of God but that they also recognized the urgency of sharing the Good News. We too must respond with the same decisiveness and urgency in our desire to proclaim the Good News to others.

Where, then, do we begin to share the gospel? From St Andrew, we can take a cue that the best place to begin sharing the gospel is with our loved ones. We read in John’s account of the call that Andrew was among the first to be called by the Lord. And after discovering Jesus as the Messiah, he told his brother, Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah”. He was the one who brought him to Jesus. (cf Jn 2:40-42)

How many of us actually share the Good News with our loved ones? More often than not, we do not mind sharing the Good News with friends and strangers but with our loved ones, especially our spouse, children, siblings or relatives, we hardly share what Christ has done for us. If we do not even experience or hear the Good News being proclaimed in our own community, how can we ever hope to proclaim to the world? Shouldn’t we make this a culture in our homes, organizations, communities and among our friends to share our Christ’s experience with each other so that we can be a source of inspiration and edification to each other’s faith?

Perhaps, we feel diffident that our own might not listen to us or are prejudiced against us. Thus, it is significant to appreciate the way Andrew brought his brother Simon Peter to conversion. He did not “preach” about Jesus. Rather he simply brought him to Jesus to experience for himself what he had experienced with Jesus when he stayed with Him earlier. This tactful and convincing way of proclaiming Jesus especially to our loved ones is something we can learn from Andrew. With our loved ones, we do not “preach” to them about Jesus, for a prophet is not accepted in his own country. But we can share with them what Jesus has done for us and what He is to us. It is through our personal testimony of the difference that Jesus has made in our lives that will convince our loved ones and stoke their desire to meet Jesus as well.

Of course, sharing the good news with our loved ones and our community means more than mere proclamation of the Word or what Jesus has done for us. We need to incarnate the Good News in our lives by our own personal conversion, in demonstrating a life that is lived in charity, in words and deeds, in forgiveness and compassion, in selfless service and collaboration, in tolerance and acceptance, in honesty and integrity, in truth and in love. Without a genuine concern and love for those whom we live with, without a change of heart, no amount of testimony is going to convince anyone, especially when our loved ones who know us so well can be quite sceptical about our conversion experience.

In order to be effective messengers of the Good News, we need, therefore, as individuals to seek the Good News ourselves before we can become messengers. The call to bring the message to our loved ones, friends and to the whole world must begin with us. Indeed, if we are diffident about sharing our personal relationship with the Lord with others, and are only contented to impart knowledge and doctrines about Jesus, it shows that we do not really know Him or have a real experience of Him at work in our lives. Like St Andrew then, we must be true seekers of the Lord. He himself was the first seeker of the Lord and because of his genuine search for the Lord, Jesus told him to “Come and see.” Then later on in the gospel, we find in Andrew, one who would seek clarification from Jesus about things that he did not understand; as in the case when Jesus predicted the fall of Jerusalem (cf Mk 13:1-4), and when he told Jesus that with so few barley loaves, it would be impossible to feed so great a multitude. (cf. Jn 6:8-9)

Hence, we are called to appropriate for ourselves the Good News in our hearts lest our words fall on deaf ears and our listeners are not converted even though they have heard the Good News. As St Paul said, “If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.” We must submit in obedience, like those apostles who responded immediately to the word of command from Jesus to follow Him. Believing the Word requires obedience of the heart. We only need to believe from the heart in order to be saved and be transformed. This is what St Paul wrote, “By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved.” If we want to be true sharers of the gospel, we must first believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and, experiencing His Lordship in our lives, we can then proclaim confidently to others that He indeed is Lord not simply by the doctrines we have been taught but by the Lord Himself!

What is true of us is true of our listeners as well. If we have truly proclaimed the Word of Christ by our inner conviction and our transformed lives and they are still not converted, then it is simply due to their obduracy of heart. This is what St Paul was implying when he said, “Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? ….’Let me put this question’ is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed, they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and the message to the ends of the world.” Nevertheless, on our part, our conscience is clear, for we have followed the example of St Andrew in imparting the Word we have received to others.

Tuesday 29 November 2022

BUILDING A NEW WORLD

20221129 BUILDING A NEW WORLD

29 November, 2022, Tuesday, 1st Week of Advent

First reading

Isaiah 11:1-10 ©

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,

a scion thrusts from his roots:

on him the spirit of the Lord rests,

a spirit of wisdom and insight,

a spirit of counsel and power,

a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)

He does not judge by appearances,

he gives no verdict on hearsay,

but judges the wretched with integrity,

and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.

His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,

his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,

faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb,

the panther lies down with the kid,

calf and lion feed together,

with a little boy to lead them.

The cow and the bear make friends,

their young lie down together.

The lion eats straw like the ox.

The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;

into the viper’s lair

the young child puts his hand.

They do no hurt, no harm,

on all my holy mountain,

for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters swell the sea.

That day, the root of Jesse

shall stand as a signal to the peoples.

It will be sought out by the nations

and its home will be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 71(72):1-2,7-8,12-13,17 ©