20230127 DRAWING BACK
27 January 2023 Friday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Hebrews 10:32-39 © |
We are the sort who keep faithful
Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days; sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way. For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.
Only a little while now, a very little while,
and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay.
The righteous man will live by faith,
but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.
You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 36(37):3-6,23-24,39-40 © |
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
If you trust in the Lord and do good,
then you will live in the land and be secure.
If you find your delight in the Lord,
he will grant your heart’s desire.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Commit your life to the Lord,
trust in him and he will act,
so that your justice breaks forth like the light,
your cause like the noon-day sun.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The Lord guides the steps of a man
and makes safe the path of one he loves.
Though he stumble he shall never fall
for the Lord holds him by the hand.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord,
their stronghold in time of distress.
The Lord helps them and delivers them
and saves them: for their refuge is in him.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make me grasp the way of your precepts,
and I will muse on your wonders.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 4:26-34 © |
The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’
He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’
Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.
DRAWING BACK
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 10:32-39; PS 37:3-6,23-24,39-40; MARK 4:26-34]
Many of us have big plans for our family, children, career, business and for the Church. It is good to have great visions for our organization and those whom we care for. But many of us are not able to see through our vision. We begin with much enthusiasm but we cannot sustain our passion and zeal. Indeed, the tragedy of many people is that they start well but do not have the stamina to see their plans through. What makes us give up our plans and our dreams so easily?
Firstly, it is due to sufferings that come, especially from opposition. The author in the first reading speaks of the sufferings of the early Christians. “Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days: sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way.” In the early days of Christianity, being a Christian was not something socially advantageous. They were misunderstood, ridiculed, persecuted and outlawed. There were no material or social benefits from being a Christian. On the contrary, if anything, it was to be deprived of their security, dignity and possessions, even their lives.
How many of us are ready to stand up for our faith and the values of the gospel? The reality is that in the face of secularization, many of us are ready to compromise with the values of the world. We might not be ready to admit it, but many of us are actually embarrassed to profess our faith publicly and to let the world know that we are believers of Christ. We remain incognito Catholics in society except when in church. This is because it is not the in-thing today to say that you are a believer because the world frowns at those who subscribe to a religion, especially Catholicism. The fashion today is to declare ourselves as free thinkers, that is to say, we do not need anyone. We can make up our own mind as to what is good or bad. We save ourselves and we do not need any saviour.
The second reason for drawing back, ironically, is complacency. In fact, this is a more insidious challenge to the Church than persecutions. In times of persecution, trials and opposition, martyrs and saints are born. But when things are fine with us, we tend to draw back because we are no longer alert to the enemies and challenges before us. This is the real danger for Singaporeans. We are so secure and comfortable because our government has been so efficient that we are not taking the warnings of the government to be alert to terrorism and the threats facing the economy. When we are doing well, we tend to take things for granted. So too our children because they have never experienced what our forefathers had gone through. They will never appreciate fully what they are enjoying because of the blood, tears and sacrifices of our forefathers and pioneer leaders.
Unfortunately, this sin permeates in our archdiocese as well. Because our church is externally very active, and attendance in all our services is packed every weekend, we are quite contented and complacent. We are not worried that as many as 2/3 of our Catholics are not coming to church or that many have left us for one reason or another. Precisely, if we do not renew and strengthen the faith of our Catholics, we will eventually lose all of them. It is for this reason that the author wrote to the Christians because they were becoming complacent in their Christian life. The author reminded them of the price that their forefathers and some of them had paid for their faith. “For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings.”
The third reason for drawing back is because of discouragement. Many of us have put much time, energy and sacrifices into our vision and projects. But because of the lack of response and support, we draw back as we do not see the fruits of our labour. We are generally an impatient lot. We cannot wait for the harvest to come. In this age of technology and globalization, we want immediate gratification and results. It is like posting something in the Instagram or Facebook, or sending an email, and we expect an immediate response. Today, the world cannot wait. Everything must be in an instant.
Specifically, the gospel warns us against such impatience and unrealistic expectations. In both the parables, Jesus reminds us of how the reign of God takes place. Like the seed on the ground, “Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” Indeed, often when we think that our efforts are in vain, we fail to perceive the working of grace in our lives. Some things are not so obvious and tangible. It is like preaching a retreat. Many times, I do not see the listeners demonstrating obvious signs that they are touched by the Lord. It is only during the time of testimony that I come to hear how the Lord had been moving and stirring their hearts. That is why we must be patient. We must trust that the grace of God is working quietly but surely in the lives of those people that we seek to form and to help. We might not see the results now but it will come. “And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.” How true this analogy is when it comes to forming our children or mentoring someone to become a great leader.
How, then, should we continue and not draw back? Firstly, we must keep the end in view. This is what the author advised the early Christians. He reminded the Christians “that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great.” When we think of the future and what we could do for humanity and the Church, we would then keep our focus. The parable presents to us the future of the Church, and of course of every individual. In the parable of the mustard seed, the Lord envisions that we start small but the implications are unimaginable, like mustard seed “which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.” The Lord dreamed of the Church one day becoming such a big organization that many would come to rest on her branches. It was a vision of a world Church that includes everyone on this earth who would find rest, peace and joy. We too must keep our hopes high not just for this world but for the next world. What the Lord is offering us is beyond what the human mind could conceive. Surely, the early Christians never knew that it was because of their witnessing, suffering and sacrifices that the Catholic Church is the largest Christian Church in the world and the longest as well. We are the ones who reap the harvest of the seed planted by them.
Secondly, we must endure in faith. Again, the author urges us, “You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised. Only a little while now, a very little while, and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay. The righteous man will live by faith, but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him. You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.” We must keep our eyes on the Lord, walking by faith, not by sight. Both parables in the gospel speak of the imperceptible grace at work in our lives. God ultimately is in charge and not us. We can cooperate with His grace but God is the one who makes the seed grow. That is why we must never draw back, whether in our efforts to grow the kingdom or in prayer. We must pray as much as we work for the kingdom because in the final analysis, success is not determined by how much we do. The growth of the kingdom is not brought about merely by the efforts of man but the grace of God. Indeed, both parables underscore the inevitability of the kingdom. God’s plan will not be scuttled by man. He has complete control over His creation and ultimately His kingdom will come and His will be done.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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