MOTIVATIONS FOR REPENTANCE

20230301 MOTIVATIONS FOR REPENTANCE

 

 

01 March 2023, Wednesday, 1st Week of Lent

First reading

Jonah 3:1-10 ©

The Ninevites repent, and God spares them

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):3-4,12-13,18-19 ©

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

  In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

  and cleanse me from my sin.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

  put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

  nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,

  burnt offering from me you would refuse,

my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.

  A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

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Gospel Acclamation

Ezk33:11

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man

– it is the Lord who speaks –

but in the turning back of a wicked man

who changes his ways to win life.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Or:	Joel2:12-13

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –

come back to me with all your heart,

for I am all tenderness and compassion.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

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Gospel

Luke 11:29-32 ©

As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:

  ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

 

MOTIVATIONS FOR REPENTANCE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JONAH 3:1-10; PS 51:3-4,12-13,18-19; LUKE 11:29-32]

The appeal during the season of Lent is repentance.  Throughout this season, the thrust of the Church is to invite us all to a new life.  But this new life cannot be ours unless we repent of our sins and choose to walk the life of Christ.  Repentance, therefore, is the first step towards conversion of life.   But what is our motive for repentance?  People repent for different reasons.  Today, the scripture readings invite us to deepen our reflection on what motivates us to repentance or not at all.

The first reason for repentance for most people is fear.  We read in the first reading how the Ninevites repented because of their fear of imminent destruction as prophesied by Jonah.  Jonah warned them, “Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.” In contrast to the religious leaders in the gospel, “… the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes.”

The irony of life is that often it is the ordinary people that would respond to the call for conversion because of fear, unlike the religious leaders.  How often have we heard of people rushing for confession and having their candles blessed because they hear that the end of the world is near?  Out of fear and often naivety, they would repent because they are frightened at the prospect of going to hell.  But intelligent people today, and religious leaders appear to be immune to such threats because their knowledge of theology or philosophy deem these so called ‘doom prophecies’ to be mere rumours.

The truth remains that many people repent because of the fear of punishment, whether temporal or eternal.  If evil and dishonest people decide to repent it is because they fear being found out, shamed and disgraced, or being imprisoned for their crimes.  Students often study out of fear of being punished or unable to pass their exams.  Workers work hard out of fear that they might get the sack.  The bottom line for such repentance is fear.

When it is motivated by fear, there is no real conversion of mind and heart.  Such repentance is motivated by love of self, more than anything else.  Such people repent not because they believe that what they do is wrong, or that others are hurt, but because they are afraid to hurt themselves.   That being the case, they will just continue committing sins and doing evil so long as they do not get caught.  Once they know that their game is about to be uncovered, then they will stop their illicit activities.

The second motivation for repentance could be due to anger.  This was the case of Jonah.  He was angry with God when the people repented.  He went to preach to the Ninevites, not in the hope that they would repent, but that they would not.  It would then be an occasion for him to fulfil his prophecy that they would be destroyed by the hand of God.  But to his disenchantment, the pagans repented, from the King right down to every citizen.  As a consequence, he lost the opportunity to prove himself.  His ego was wounded.  So the desire for repentance was more out of anger, revenge and egotism.  It was also tainted by a streak of self-righteousness.   It was not a sincere desire for them to repent.

When we are motivated by this reason, then the cause is again self-love but more than that, it is hatred of others.  Unlike in the first instance, it is purely out of self-love and self-interests.  In this instance, it is vindictive and an attempt to demonstrate one’s power.  Indeed, how often have we cursed others on the pretext that we want them to repent.  Those whom we do not like, we hope that something amiss would befall them.  We desire evil upon them because we want to take revenge.  This happens often when we do not like our in-laws or superiors. We wish them an early death or that they be removed from their positions or that they make some mistakes and be reprimanded. Such people must search their motives, for when we curse others, we will only curse ourselves.  There is a lack of compassion for such people.  To positively will evil on others is a curse.  It is not out of mercy but out of spite.

The third motivation for repentance is sorrow for one’s sins.  This is a nobler form of repentance.  This kind of repentance is expressed in the psalm.  King David who apparently wrote and sang this psalm did it out of sorrow for the sins he had committed.   He said, “Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence.  O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.  For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.”

Such motivation is certainly more in line with what is called a true repentance.  This form of repentance is motivated by love of others and less for self.  True repentance is when we come to realize that what we have done is wrong, not simply because we get hurt in the end but because others are hurt by our selfish actions and words.  When we feel sorry that we have hurt others and make them suffer because of our sins and negligence, then this is true sorrow.  True contrition of heart will make it less likely for us to repeat our sins because it is now prompted by love and consideration for others.  Before we give in to sin, we begin to think of those people we are hurting because of our dishonesty and evil action.  Such consideration of the well-being of others before self would prevent us from doing evil and from hurting them.

The fourth motivation for repentance is love, not just of others but love of truth. This was the case of the Queen of Sheba who was a lady of great wealth, beauty and power.  But such things could not fulfil her as she desired something more, that is, wisdom.   So having heard about Solomon’s fame for wisdom, she came to him.  (cf. 1 Kings 10).  Hence, Jesus remarked, “On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.”

Indeed, foe those who pursue the truth, and the truth ultimately is love, the consequence of repentance is enlightenment.  This is open to all, regardless of faith and beliefs.  If anyone is sincere in finding the truth, he or she will be led to repentance and to true love.  The problem of our times is that the ideology of relativism and agnosticism claim that the truth cannot be found, and that God cannot be known.  However, if anyone sincerely seeks the truth, then when he finds it, he will repent.  Of course, if he cannot find the truth, then he continues to live in ignorance.  As St Thomas would say, we all suffer the double darkness of the ignorance of sin and the intellect because of Original Sin.

This explains why the Constitution of the Church declares, “Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life. Whatever good or truth is found amongst them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the Gospel. She knows that it is given by Him who enlightens all men so that they may finally have life. But often men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator. (LG 16)

More than just discovering the truth or wisdom, the primary and most noble of motives for repentance is to recognize this wisdom as the Wisdom of God.  This wisdom of God for us Christians is now incarnated in our Lord Jesus Christ.   In discovering Christ as the Wisdom of God, we will then repent, not because of fear, love of self or even knowing the truth, but because we have fallen in love with a person.  And this person is none other than the Lord Himself, the truth, wisdom and Word of God in person.

Truly, if the Queen of Sheba would travel all the way to Jerusalem to listen to King Solomon because of his wisdom, how much more should we come to the Lord Jesus.  Interestingly, sources outside the bible suggest that the Queen of Sheba conceived a child in secret with King Solomon.  Some Bible commentators speculate that the nameless woman, the beloved in the Song of Solomon is the Queen of Sheba.  The lover of course was King Solomon himself.  Even if it were merely speculative, the point remains that love of God and love of others must be the primary motive for repentance.  For the love of God and the love of others, we will repent because we love.   Truly, if we repent out of God’s love for us, as in the case of St Peter and St Paul, we would then in turn become missionaries of love as well, living a holy and godly life not for any reason but simply because we have come to realize that truth is love and that love is God.

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

 

THE RIGHT APPROACH TO PRAYER

20230228 THE RIGHT APPROACH TO PRAYER

 

 

28 February 2023, Tuesday, 1st Week of Lent

First reading

Isaiah 55:10-11 ©

The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33(34):4-7,16-19 ©

The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

Glorify the Lord with me.

  Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

  from all my terrors he set me free.

The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

Look towards him and be radiant;

  let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

  and rescued him from all his distress.

The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

  to destroy their remembrance from the earth.

The Lord turns his eyes to the just

  and his ears to their appeal.

The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

They call and the Lord hears

  and rescues them in all their distress.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;

  those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

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Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

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Gospel

Matthew 6:7-15 ©

How to pray

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test,

but save us from the evil one.

‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’

 

THE RIGHT APPROACH TO PRAYER

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 55:10-11; MT 6:7-15]

During the season of Lent, one of the most important spiritual exercises is prayer.  But we must pray effectively and rightly or else prayer becomes another mere performance or just a thoughtless rambling as Jesus says, “In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.  Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

How, then, should we pray?  In the first place, let us be clear that God desires to answer our prayers.  He is a God who wants our happiness above all things.  The responsorial psalm testifies that God wants to hear our prayers.  “I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free. Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress. The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth. The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save.”

However, if our prayers are to be answered, we need to pray according to the mind of God and not ours.   Effective prayer is always made through Christ in the Spirit.   This means that our prayers must be made always in union with the mind and heart of Jesus in the same Spirit.  Consequently, if we were to pray rightly, what better prayer could we pray if not always the prayer that Jesus has taught us.  The Lord’s Prayer is more than just a formula prayer, but it is the prayer of Jesus Himself; His attitude and the key elements of an authentic prayer are found in this perfect prayer.  This accounts for why the Lord’s Prayer is called the pattern of all prayers.

In the first place, the disposition of anyone who prays must be that God is His heavenly Father.  For this reason, there is no need to harass God as if he were an angry deity or someone calculative or indifferent to our needs.  God is addressed as ‘Father’ to remind us that He cares more for our needs than we could ever imagine.  That is why Jesus said, “Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”  Every father cares for his children and provides the needs of his children even before they could ask him. So, too, is our heavenly Father.

Secondly, we pray that His name be kept holy.  This is a prayer that will reflect the holiness of God.  The child is the expression of the father.  So when we pray that His name be kept holy, we are asking that the way we live our lives may reflect the Father’s love and compassion for all.  Otherwise, if we live a life of sin and selfishness, we will discredit the image of our heavenly Father.  Indeed, the real enemies of our faith are not non-Catholics but our nominal and lapsed Catholics because they live contradictory lives and are counter-witnesses to our faith in Christ.  But when we live holy lives, then God is known and loved through us.   In living a life of holiness, we free ourselves from sin and misery.

Thirdly, every prayer, in the final analysis, must always be aligned with the mind of God.  Asking that His will be done is to recognize the wisdom and providence of God.  Whether it is Jesus or Mary, their secret is always to do the will of our heavenly Father.   Both Mary and Jesus in their lives sought to do the will of God and not theirs.   So too, if we truly believe that God is our Father and that He loves us, we should desire only what He wills for us.  Like children, we need to trust and surrender our lives into the hands of our heavenly Father who knows what is best for each one of us.  Mary tells us to do whatever He tells us!

Fourthly, in prayer, we should ask what is basic for us in life.  We must not be greedy because no one, not even God, can satisfy our greed.  Thus the Lord’s Prayer simply invites us to ask for our daily bread, what we need and for today.  Again, God wants us to know that as our Father, He will look after us.  If we ask for what we need, the Lord will supply.  The problem is that we are asking more than what we need; and we want to have more so that our security is found in ourselves and the world’s goods, not in God our heavenly Father.   Asking for our daily needs will help us to live a life of contentment and detachment in freedom.

Fifthly, the most important petition that can give us true peace and happiness is the gift of forgiveness of our sins and the sins of others.  This seems to be the most important petition because among all the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer, He elaborated on this petition. “And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.”   He added, “Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.”   What we need most in life is forgiveness of ourselves and of others who have offended us.   This is necessary if we were to find true healing of mind and soul.  Many people want to seek God’s forgiveness, but they are unwilling to forgive themselves for their past mistakes; or they cannot forgive those who have hurt them.  They carry with them the history of their past, their hurts and pain which do them no good except to burden them down.   What they must do, as Jesus exhorts us, is to forgive others and ourselves.

Finally, we need to avoid the occasion of sin.  We must always pray, “And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one.”   The only way to overcome sin is to run away from sin.  The truth is not that the Evil One tempts us to sin, but we tempt the Evil One to tempt us to sin by giving Him the occasions.   Knowing how weak we are, we should not allow ourselves to be in those situations when we know we will fall into sin, whether it is smoking, drinking, gambling, pornography or the sin of lust.   Asking God to deliver us from sin implies that we must cooperate with His grace by avoiding the opportunities for the Devil to tempt us.

Indeed, if only we pray in this way, according to the mind of God and the Spirit of Christ, we can be certain that our prayers would be heard, and His Kingdom will indeed come to our lives.  Praying that His kingdom come means that if we find happiness it is because God rules our lives and we live by His Spirit.   Putting on the heart and mind of Christ, we will find peace and joy like Jesus, even when we suffer for doing what is right and good.   This is the same promise made by the prophet when the Lord says, “As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.”   Since the Lord’s Prayer itself is the Word of God par excellence, as it is spoken by Jesus and not simply by any prophet, then all the more, how efficacious and powerful this prayer could be for us who pray it with conviction.

Finally, the Lord’s Prayer is not just the prayer of our Lord but in truth, all the fundamental attitudes and principles of this prayer are found all over the bible.  All these petitions contained in the Lord’s Prayer are found in the psalms particularly, especially when the psalmist prays for God’s deliverance and assistance for the grace to walk in the right path, for forgiveness and for their daily needs.   Indeed, the Lord’s Prayer for the Church is the pattern of all prayers and the basic model for all Christian prayers.  In whatever spontaneous prayer we formulate; it must somehow contain some, if not all the petitions contained therein and express the attitudes of surrender, trust and obedience to His will and His divine providence.   Any person who cultivates the same attitudes in prayer follows the way Jesus prays, and will find peace and security in His life.  “May His will be done and His kingdom come.”

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

HOLINESS IS EXPRESSED IN LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR

20230227 HOLINESS IS EXPRESSED IN LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR

 

 

27 February 2023, Monday, 1st Week of Lent

First reading

Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18 ©

Only pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice

The Lord spoke to Moses; he said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:

  ‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

  ‘“You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour. You must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour. You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning. You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way, but you must fear your God. I am the Lord.

  ‘“You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):8-10,15 ©

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

  it revives the soul.

The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,

  it gives wisdom to the simple.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

  they gladden the heart.

The command of the Lord is clear,

  it gives light to the eyes.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The fear of the Lord is holy,

  abiding for ever.

The decrees of the Lord are truth

  and all of them just.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

May the spoken words of my mouth,

  the thoughts of my heart,

win favour in your sight, O Lord,

  my rescuer, my rock!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

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Gospel Acclamation

Ezk18:31

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Shake off all your sins – it is the Lord who speaks –

and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Or:

2Co6:2

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Now is the favourable time:

this is the day of salvation.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

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Gospel

Matthew 25:31-46 ©

I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

  ‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

  ‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”

  ‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

 

HOLINESS IS EXPRESSED IN LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [LEV 19:1-2,11-18; PS 19:8-10,15; MATT 25:31-46]

The call to holiness is one of the most important themes in the season of Lent.  In the first reading, the Lord commanded us, “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  This command seems clear to all, yet many do not really understand what holiness is all about.

In the first place, the etymology of the word, “holiness” is “to be separated.”   The root meaning of the term, “Pharisee” precisely means “to be separated”.  They sought holiness by separating themselves from the priestly caste as they interpreted the Laws differently from them.  They also avoided the Gentiles who were considered unclean.  They despised those Jews who had embraced the Hellenistic or pagan cultures and practices.  Hence, they were called the Separated Ones as they sought to preserve purity as taught in the Levitical laws, or rather, their strict and narrow interpretation of these laws.  From this root word of holiness then, a distinction is made between the Sacred and the mundane.  What is sacred becomes separated from the world.

Within this context, we read that during the time of Jesus, holiness for the scribes and Pharisees was the observance of laws, rituals and customs.  They were more concerned with ritual purity and external performance of such practices.  Unfortunately, their heart was far from God and from their neighbours.  This has always been the snare for the Jews and their forefathers since the time of the prophets.  To be fair, we must not think that all the Pharisees in those days were “hypocrites.”   The gospel that was written was colored by a certain polemic against the Pharisees because they were one of the groups that were opposed to the Jesus movement.  In fact, the Jewish historian, Josephus, described them positively as being respectful to elders, lived a life of simplicity and maintained good relations with others.

For us, we too fall into the same trap as well.  Many Catholics confuse holiness with piety, especially external expressions of piety.  Some Catholics too, like the Pharisees, take care to be different from the rest of the world.  They observe the rules and traditions of the Church meticulously.  They attend mass on Sundays and even weekdays, fast on the required days; abstain from meat on Fridays, pray the rosary, say their night prayers, attend devotions, etc.  By performing these spiritual exercises, they are considered to be “good, pious and holy” Catholics.  But by so doing, we are no better than those Pharisees who were hypocritical in their spiritual life.

In no uncertain terms, the holiness that the Lord commanded of the people was not concerned with ritual purity or even spiritual exercises, but it had to do with a life of justice and charity.  The call to be holy like God cannot be that of ethical or ritual purity but to live a life of love.  Indeed, the nature of God is love.  This is what St John tells us, “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”  (1 Jn 4:7-9)   This is how God revealed to Moses His nature when He said, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”  (Ex 34:6) Hence, in both the readings of today’s mass, holiness is spelt out in terms of rendering justice to our fellowmen and charity towards those who are poor and neglected.   At the end of the day, a holy man is to be measured not by how much he prayed or what spiritual exercises he performed, but whether he lives a life of justice and charity.  Holiness is not simply to be separated from the world insofar as the world does not love like God.  Holiness is to live a life of truth and love like God.

In the first place, holiness is to live a life of integrity and justice towards our neighbours.  This is what the Prophet is instructing us.  This means that we do not steal or take what is not ours.  “You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbor. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour.”  Depriving others of what is theirs constitutes a failure in justice.  Taking what is not ours cannot make us happy in life.  What is the use of a nice bed when we cannot sleep because of guilt?  Ill-gotten gains cannot make us happy.   Those who commit fraud have no peace in their hearts even if they are not caught.  They also worry that one day they would be exposed.  There are some people who would exploit the naive, uneducated and elderly of their money by asking them for loans, invest in risky shares or some fast money schemes.  Even children cheat their parents of their money or property and then later drive them out of their house.   How could such people live in peace knowing that they have taken money from the weak and vulnerable and especially their hard earned lifelong savings?

Secondly, justice demands that we treat our workers fairly.  “You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning.”   Employers must be just and fair to their employees.  They must be given a just salary.  They should not be treated like slaves as if they have no dignity or feelings.  A good employer, besides paying a just salary on time, must go beyond to look after the physical and spiritual welfare of their workers.  There are some Catholic employers who do not allow their domestic helpers to go to Church even on Sundays.  Some do not give them a rest day.  They are expected to look after the elderly at home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  This is a grave injustice because human beings need to rest well in order to work well.  This is the reason why the Lord commands the Sabbath Day to be observed; not just that we worship Him on Sunday but that we rest ourselves physically as well.

Thirdly, justice requires impartiality in our dealings with our brothers and sisters, regardless of who they are.  We must be careful that we do not practise favoritism because it will only breed resentment, jealousy and division.  “You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts.  You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice.”  We need to be impartial when dealing with abuses or complaints.  Judgment must be based on facts presented and carried out objectively.  When we show that we are fair and just, people will trust us and work with us.

Most of all, we are called to exercise justice and charity in words and forgiveness.  “You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life.  I am the Lord.  You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.  You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself.  You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people.” Instead of cursing or scolding or shouting at people, we need simply to speak the truth with firmness and charity.  If there is something we are not happy about, we should have it out privately with the person, seeking to find out the truth in humility. Bearing grudges, resentment and seeking revenge will do us greater harm, not just to our enemies.   More often than not, it is because we are presumptuous in judging people before we come to a conclusion.

However, Christian charity does not stop here.  In today’s gospel, we are called to love, especially the poor and the marginalized.  To those who care for the poor, who are after all the children of our heavenly Father, He is pleased with us for loving them.  Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.  I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”  Because Jesus is identified with the poor as their brothers, it means that they are God’s children.  In loving them, we love our Father because His joy is to bless all His children with security, food, clothing and peace.

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

THE JOY OF REPENTANCE

20230225 THE JOY OF REPENTANCE

 

 

25 February 2023, Saturday after Ash Wednesday

First reading

Isaiah 58:9-14 ©

You will be like a spring whose waters never run dry

The Lord says this:

If you do away with the yoke,

the clenched fist, the wicked word,

if you give your bread to the hungry,

and relief to the oppressed,

your light will rise in the darkness,

and your shadows become like noon.

The Lord will always guide you,

giving you relief in desert places.

He will give strength to your bones

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water

whose waters never run dry.

You will rebuild the ancient ruins,

build up on the old foundations.

You will be called ‘Breach-mender’,

‘Restorer of ruined houses.’

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,

and doing business on the holy day,

if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’,

and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’,

if you honour it by abstaining from travel,

from doing business and from gossip,

then shall you find your happiness in the Lord

and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land.

I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 85(86):1-6 ©

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer

  for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am faithful;

  save the servant who trusts in you.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,

  for I cry to you all the day long.

Give joy to your servant, O Lord,

  for to you I lift up my soul.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,

  full of love to all who call.

Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer

  and attend to the sound of my voice.

Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.

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Gospel Acclamation

cfPs94:8

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Or:

Ezk33:11

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man

– it is the Lord who speaks –

but in the turning back of a wicked man

who changes his ways to win life.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

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Gospel

Luke 5:27-32 ©

Jesus comes not to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.

  In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’

 

THE JOY OF REPENTANCE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 58:9-14; PS 86:1-6; LUKE 5:27-32]

At the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, the priest puts ash on your forehead and he said, “Repent and believe in the Good News!”   The beginning of repentance begins with the acceptance of the Good News.  Unless the Good News is heard and experienced, there can be no real repentance.  This explains why the scribes and the Pharisees had no real repentance because they did not understand the Good News. For them, the only way to be acceptable to God and men is to appear as if they are holy, particularly by observing the laws religiously.   As a consequence, they became proud and self-righteous.  They were judgmental and fault finding as they were in today’s gospel when they saw Jesus eating and drinking with sinners.

Jesus knew that condemning sinners and excluding them or marginalizing them would only drive them further away.  Excommunication, introduced in the early Church with all good intentions, does not always produce the expected results, namely, awareness of the seriousness of one’s sins and then turning to the Lord and the community for forgiveness.   I think more often than not, it only leads them to be resentful, bitter and angry with the Church.  Because of pride, many have left the Church and refused to come back or to admit that they were wrong.

The way of Jesus is one of acceptance and respect.  We can imagine the happiness and joy of Levi, who was also called Matthew, when the Lord called him to be His disciple.  It was unimaginable that whilst his fellowmen would not even want to mix with him, a great rabbi would invite him to be His follower.  For once, Levi must have felt loved and accepted.  For once, he did not have the feeling that he was a hopeless case.  So we can feel with Levi the joy of being loved and welcomed by the Lord.  This was something he could never imagine at all.  His conversion was akin to that of St Paul who was also a great sinner.  So great was his joy that he got up immediately, “left everything and followed him.”

Hence, in his joy, he called all his friends for a meal with Jesus.  Of course, the only friends he had were fellow tax-collectors because they were all shunned by their fellowmen who saw them as traitors and dishonest people.  To a great extent, it is true that they were very dishonest and often profited themselves at the expense of the people when they collected taxes for the Roman governor.   But Levi wanted to share the great news that they had hope and God had not totally abandoned them in spite of their sinfulness.  In Jesus, Levi saw the unconditional love and mercy of God.  That was why he invited the rest of his kind to come for the meal to experience what he himself experienced.

It is also significant that Jesus made Himself available for the meal as well.  He did not reject that invitation, knowing that His presence would create gossip.  But that did not deter Jesus from accepting the invite.  Not unexpectedly, the scribes and Pharisees were scandalized and complained, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” The response of Jesus was clear, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”   Indeed, the purpose of His coming was not to save healthy and righteous men but sinners.  He came to restore life and hope to those who are walking in the shadow of death and have lost hope in life.  To such people the Good News of God’s love and mercy is offered.  This approach to sinners is the way Pope Francis is asking of the Church as well.   Like Jesus, he wants us to be compassionate and accept sinners into our community.  We are called to love them and embrace them rather than treat them as if they are lepers or untouchables.  Only by giving them the love of Jesus can we bring them back to the fold.

By so doing, we are not denying the reality and gravity of sins.  We are not saying that sins are all right and that it does not matter whether we live a holy and righteous life or not. Repentance is the consequence of being loved and accepted.  Repentance must be the result, not the cause, of living a holy life.   If we are already living a righteous life, then no repentance is necessary.  But it is God’s unconditional love and mercy for us that moves us to repent, because of the joy of being loved and most of all, because we love Him in return.

Indeed, in the first reading, the prophet warns us that if we continue to live in our sins, we will only hurt ourselves even more.  When we oppress people, accuse them, are always angry and filled with malice against them, we cannot expect to find happiness.  An angry person cannot find happiness.  A person who cannot forgive cannot find peace.  Those who oppress others, those who make others suffer at their expense because of their irresponsibility, injustice and selfishness, cannot expect to have a peaceful conscience.  Their guilt will weigh down their soul.   Rather, the prophet says, “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”   So living a life of love and compassion and honesty will bring us happiness and joy.

Similarly, those who do not keep the Sabbath, that is, put God as the first place in their lives, will only hurt themselves.  The prophet reminds us, “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord.”  Just look around us and we see the consequences of those who do not put the Lord at the centre of their lives, their relationships and their family.  Once God is second or third place in our lives, we get all our priorities wrong.  Money, power, status and career become our God.  Sometimes, even our human relationships take precedence over God and because that relationship is not centered in God, it becomes lustful, selfish, inward-looking and demanding.   By placing God at the centre of our lives, and by keeping the Sabbath which is made for man, then we will know the importance of rest, spending time with God and with our family instead of busying ourselves with making money, socializing and ending up with all kinds of vices.   For this reason, the most important commandment in the bible is to love God.  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”  (Dt 6:4f)

But they will not know the truth about themselves and the beauty of the laws of God until they come to Christ.  So instead of rejecting them, we must welcome them and be their friends first.  Let them know that there are people who genuinely care for them and love them.  We are inviting them to repent, not to make their lives miserable or take away their joy and freedom but to give them true joy, true love and real freedom.  To such people, we need to be like Jesus who reached out to them in the market place and in their own territories, even going into the house of sinners to stay with them and fellowship with them.  We too must be courageous and be magnanimous to love sinners genuinely, not out of condescension.  When the time is opportune they, too, like the tax collectors would want to hear us out.  When that happens, they too will say, “Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth. You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Give joy to your servant, O Lord, for to you I lift up my soul. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of love to all who call.”

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.