20221207 HOPE AND TRUST IN GOD
07 December, 2022, Wednesday, 2nd Week of Advent
First reading | Isaiah 40:25-31 © |
The Lord strengthens the powerless
‘To whom could you liken me
and who could be my equal?’ says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look.
Who made these stars
if not he who drills them like an army,
calling each one by name?
So mighty is his power, so great his strength,
that not one fails to answer.
How can you say, Jacob,
how can you insist, Israel,
‘My destiny is hidden from the Lord,
my rights are ignored by my God’?
Did you not know?
Had you not heard?
The Lord is an everlasting God,
he created the boundaries of the earth.
He does not grow tired or weary,
his understanding is beyond fathoming.
He gives strength to the wearied,
he strengthens the powerless.
Young men may grow tired and weary,
youths may stumble,
but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength,
they put out wings like eagles.
They run and do not grow weary,
walk and never tire.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 102(103):1-4,8,10 © |
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our faults.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Behold, our Lord will come with power
and will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
Alleluia!
Or: |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Look, the Lord will come to save his people.
Blessed those who are ready to meet him.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 11:28-30 © |
My yoke is easy and my burden light
Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
HOPE AND TRUST IN GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [IS 40:25-31; PS 103:1-4,8,10; MT 11:28-30]
We are in the season of Advent, the season of hope. Many of us today are living without hope. We see the bewildering trends in society today, the loss of faith and confusion over the definition of gender, marriage and family. We see the hypocrisy of the world today that speaks of the dignity of the human person and the sacredness of life, but on the other hand, promote abortion and euthanasia. Economically, the world is in great turmoil because of trade wars. Then we have so many innocent killings because of terrorist activities and radicals who want to make a point to the world. This world is so unsafe. So our future is uncertain.
It is within this context that we can appreciate the scripture readings of today. Firstly, the scripture tells us that God is our strength. The people of Israel were frightened and felt abandoned. They were in exile and wondered whether the Lord was still their Lord and whether He was as mighty as their enemies. The Lord answered, “To whom could you liken me and who could be my equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look. Who made these stars if not he who drills them like an army, calling each one by name? So mighty is his power, so great his strength that not one fails to answer.” The Lord is our God indeed. He is the Lord of Army.
Secondly, in the midst of our struggles and doubts about His love for us, Isaiah assures us that everything is in God’s hands and He is in control. “How can you say, Jacob, how can you insist, Israel, ‘My destiny is hidden from the Lord, my rights are ignored by my God’? Did you not know? Had you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God; he created the boundaries of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming. He gives strength to the wearied, he strengthens the powerless.” Indeed, God is always there for us in our weakness, in our helplessness and when we are weary.
Hence, in the gospel, Jesus told the people, “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” It is only when we come to Jesus, carry the yoke of life, not alone but with Jesus, that we will be able to see our sufferings and burdens in a new light. It is how we see our sufferings that make us bitter or better. Jesus was able to carry His sufferings because He carried in love with His Father for us. The Lord said, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Mt 11:27) Jesus knew the heart of His Father and so was willing to carry the yoke of love for Him by loving and dying for us all.
Today, those of us who have been blessed by the Lord are called to be like the psalmist and say, “My soul, give thanks to the Lord all my being, bless his holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings.” Very often, we get discouraged because we have forgotten the blessings of God. We only think of our difficulties and sufferings we are going through today. In times of challenges and trials, we fail to remember how the Lord has blessed us in so many different ways. We forget what the book of Qoheleth tells us, “On the day of prosperity be joyful, and on the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other.” (Eccl 7:14) If only we remember how good the Lord has been to us all this while, we will not come to a situation as the Israelites did, thinking that the Lord abandoned them in their exile. God had blessed them with riches, wealth and power. But they squandered them because they abused the blessings they received, turned to false gods, and engaged in all kinds of immoral activities.
Hence, in such times, we must remember the Lord’s blessings. We must consider what the Lord has blessed us with all the years of our life. Have we taken for granted our health, our loved ones, our spouse, the roof over our head, a decent job and good friends? We might not be rich with money and wealth, but what matters most is that we have a decent life, food and a house we could call a home. It is love that matters at the end of the day. Whether we are sick or healthy, have a job or be without, we can find happiness if we are positive, making use of our time, doing what we can to find employment, whilst in the meantime helping around instead of whining away that we do not have a job or that we are not rich enough. We can always eat simply and yet be happy so long as we have good friends with us.
Indeed, it is the lack of appreciation for what we have that makes us lose zeal and passion in life. Many of us, after just a few years in our workplace want to switch jobs because we are bored. Not only our job, but also our relationships. Couples get bored with their partner or spouse after some time. The relationship becomes stale and colourless. Every day is lived with each other without passion, romance or joy. It is about doing our part in taking care of the house, the needs of the children and the family. It is not about being in love. If life has become meaningless, it is because we are always thinking about ourselves.
To stay happy and hopeful, we must give hope and life to others. This was what the Lord did. He was a life-giver and He brought hope to those around Him. We are called to give hope and encouragement to those who are struggling in life, those who are weary with problems, family, work, finances, health and personal issues, those who have lost faith in God. We could visit the sick and the elderly and abandoned. They have much to teach us about life and the simple joys of life. It is only when we begin to reach out to others, that we forget our own imagined and exaggerated woes and pains. Listening to others, journeying with them, help us to understand our own struggles as well.
But where can we get this passion from? What is the secret? We need to hope in the Lord. The prophet Isaiah said, “Young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble, but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.” So long as there is hope, there is faith. Hope is the engine of faith. It is our hope for a better future, that our loved ones will change for the better, that the world will become a better place, that we continue to invest and labour for them and our country. Once we give up hope, faith is also abandoned. The reason why many are giving up faith in God is because they have given up hope in themselves, in the future and in their life. They feel that there is no hope. If there is no hope, it means also there is no God and if one believes in Him, he is naïve.
Hence, if we want to be passionate in life, we need to hope in the Lord to draw strength from Him. That was how St Paul found courage in his difficulties. He said, “I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:12f) It was his faith in God who would deliver him from all his enemies that enabled him to persevere in his mission. He shared, “At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever.” (2 Tim 4:16-18)
So let us respond to the Lord’s invitation. “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Yes, we must rest in the arms of Jesus, carry our Yoke with Him, and not alone, with love in our hearts, and we will find peace.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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