20230117 JESUS THE ANCHOR OF LOVE AND CHARITY
17 January 2023 Tuesday, Week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading | Hebrews 6:10-20 © |
In this hope we have an anchor for our soul
God would not be so unjust as to forget all you have done, the love that you have for his name or the services you have done, and are still doing, for the saints. Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes, never growing careless, but imitating those who have the faith and the perseverance to inherit the promises.
When God made the promise to Abraham, he swore by his own self, since it was impossible for him to swear by anyone greater: I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants. Because of that, Abraham persevered and saw the promise fulfilled. Men, of course, swear an oath by something greater than themselves, and between men, confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God wanted to make the heirs to the promise thoroughly realise that his purpose was unalterable, he conveyed this by an oath; so that there would be two unalterable things in which it was impossible for God to be lying, and so that we, now we have found safety, should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us. Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm, and reaching right through beyond the veil where Jesus has entered before us and on our behalf, to become a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 110(111):1-2,4-5,9,10 © |
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of the just and their assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love them.
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
He makes us remember his wonders.
The Lord is compassion and love.
He gives food to those who fear him;
keeps his covenant ever in mind.
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
He has sent deliverance to his people
and established his covenant for ever.
Holy his name, to be feared.
His praise shall last for ever!
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 2:23-28 © |
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath
One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?’ And he replied, ‘Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?’
And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.’
JESUS THE ANCHOR OF LOVE AND CHARITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 6:10-20; PS 111:1-2,4-5,9,10, MK 2:23-28]
What is Christian life? What does it mean to be a Christian? Many of us often reduce religion to the practices and the observance of the laws. The laws of course are good. They are meant to assist us in living a righteous life so that we do not allow ourselves to be deceived by the delusion the world offers us. Laws tell us what we cannot do. So it is understandable why the Pharisees in the gospel were very protective of the laws of Moses. They were considered sacred because they were given by God Himself who is the law-giver. So we should not be surprised that they were scandalized when Jesus apparently did not discipline His disciples when they did “something on the sabbath day that is forbidden”.
Whilst laws remain good and important for righteous living, what is of paramount importance is love and charity. The height of religion is not in obeying the laws and keeping ourselves from doing wrong, but rather, it is a proactive approach to doing good to all. The mark of a true religion is not the laws or the institutions because they are the means to the end. It is about love, forgiveness of our enemies and charity, especially towards the poor and the suffering. This is clearly brought out in Matthew 25 in the parable of the Last Judgement when the King will say, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.” (Mt 25:)
In the gospel, we have the example of King David whom Jesus quoted, “Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went in the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?” In the understanding of Jesus, He relegated all laws under the great law of charity. In times of need and for a greater good to save life, such laws must be broken. The principle enunciated by the Lord is clear, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.” The Sabbath is for the sake of men, not for God. The worship of God is not an end itself, but so that we can enter into the life of God and live out His love towards our brothers and sisters. We can spend hours in prayer and right rituals, but if we lack love and sacrifice and generosity, even the best liturgical practices and most popular devotions will not do us any good.
For this reason, the author of Hebrews exhorts us to persevere in good works even if faith is lacking. “God would not be so unjust as to forget all you have done, the love that you have for his name or the services you have done, and are still doing, for the saints.” So good works are important even when faith is lacking. Often, by doing good and reaching out to the poor, those who have no deep love for God might come to meet Christ in them. There are many who, through works of charity, have come to appreciate the meaning of love and the dignity of the human person. Even if they do not know God personally, the capacity to make sacrifices for their fellowmen is already a participation in the love of God. In this sense, as the Constitution of the Church would say, through no known fault of theirs, they would have participated in the paschal mystery of Christ and find salvation. “But, linked with the paschal mystery and patterned on the dying Christ, he will hasten forward to resurrection in the strength which comes from hope. All this holds true not only for Christians, but for all people of good will in whose hearts grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, (cf. Rom. 8:32) and since the ultimate vocation of the human person is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every person the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery.” (Gaudium et Spes No. 22) We can therefore approach the question of salvation with confidence, even if we cannot understand how the Holy Spirit works.
Let us take heed of the encouragement of the author of Hebrews. “Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes, never growing careless.” We must persevere in our good works. St Paul in his letter to the Galatians also told them to continue sowing the good seeds even when we are not appreciated. God is faithful and He will see to it that we will reap the harvest. “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” (Gal 6:9f)
He is true to His word and promise. “When God made the promise to Abraham, he swore by his own self, since it was impossible for him to swear by anyone greater: I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants.” The psalmist says, “The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind. He makes us remember his wonders. The Lord is compassion and love. He gives food to those who fear him; keeps his covenant ever in mind. He has sent deliverance to his people and established his covenant for ever. Holy his name, to be feared. His praise shall last for ever!” What is more, the author assures us that not only is God’s Word reliable, but He even made an oath. “When God wanted to make the heirs to the promise thoroughly realise that his purpose would be unalterable, he conveyed this by an oath; so that there would be two unalterable things in which it was impossible for God to be lying, and so that we, now we have found safety, should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us.”
Jesus is our anchor and the centre of our lives. “Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm, and reaching right through beyond the veil where Jesus has entered before us and on our behalf, to become a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.” With Jesus, we can find stability and strength. With Jesus, we can be strong. He has shown us the way. He is our leader, our pioneer our advance party leading us to the Kingdom of God. He has already entered beyond the veil and showed us the face of the Father. We are not without an exemplar and without hope. We just have to follow the leader. The question is whether we will be like Abraham who responded in faith to God’s promise. He was already 75 years old when the Lord called him to leave for the Promised Land. Yet, he was ready to take risks simply on the Word of God and His promise. We too must take inspiration from all the saints who have gone before us. Let them too be our witnesses and models of faith and trust in God.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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