Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: September 2023

Friday 29 September 2023

DOWNSIDE OF GLORY AND SUCCESS

20230930 DOWNSIDE OF GLORY AND SUCCESS

30 September 2023, Saturday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Zechariah 2:5-9,14-15 ©

'I will be the glory of Jerusalem'

Raising my eyes, I saw a vision. It was this: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked him, ‘Where are you going?’ He said, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to find out her breadth and her length.’ And then, while the angel who was talking to me stood still, another angel came forward to meet him. He said to him, ‘Run, and tell that young man this, “Jerusalem is to remain unwalled, because of the great number of men and cattle there will be in her. But I – it is the Lord who speaks – I will be a wall of fire for her all round her, and I will be her glory in the midst of her.”’

Sing, rejoice,

daughter of Zion;

for I am coming

to dwell in the middle of you

– it is the Lord who speaks.

Many nations will join the Lord,

on that day;

they will become his people.

Responsorial Psalm

Jeremiah 31:10-12,13 ©

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

O nations, hear the word of the Lord,

proclaim it to the far-off coasts.

Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,

and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.’

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,

has saved him from an overpowering hand.

They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion,

they will stream to the blessings of the Lord.

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

Then the young girls will rejoice and will dance,

the men, young and old, will be glad.

I will turn their mourning into joy,

I will console them, give them gladness for grief.

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 9:43-45 ©

They were afraid to ask him what he meant

At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.”’ But they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said.

DOWNSIDE OF GLORY AND SUCCESS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Zc 2:5-9, 14-15; Jer 31:10-12,13; Lk 9:43-45]

We all enjoy having success and glory. When we attain wealth, success and glory, we tend to think that such things would last forever. We think we can cling on to them for a long time. Many of us live in delusion, knowing that such things will not last for long. The joys and thrills that come from success and glory are all short-lived. Before we can properly enjoy the rewards of our achievements, new challenges, trials and difficulties will confront us.

This was the case of the disciples in their joy. The apostles, Peter, James and John had a great religious experience seeing Jesus transfigured at Mount Tabor. (cf Lk 9:28-36) They were so thrilled and elated after such an out-of-the-world experience of the Lord. They wanted to stay there permanently by building three tents and to continue to bathe themselves in that beautiful experience. They were still soaking in the splendour of the religious encounter when they faced the daily challenges of life upon coming down from the mountain. They had to deal with a man whose son was suffering from epilepsy. There was a commotion as the disciples could not cast out the evil spirit from the boy. (cf Lk 9:37-42) Again, Jesus showed forth His glory, by restoring the boy to normalcy. As a result, we read in today’s gospel, “everyone was full of admiration for all he did.’

But Jesus was a realistic person. He did not hang on to such passing joys and successes in life. On the contrary, when they were still amazed at His miraculous powers, He reminded them of the passion ahead of Him. “For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.” Jesus sought to ground the feet of the disciples on this earth and not get carried away by success and glory. He knew that such things of the earth will not last.

The reality is that in this life, success is followed by adversity and adversity by success. “In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” (Eccl 7:14) As one is enjoying success, suffering is already ahead of the person. And when one is suffering, the end is also near. A young man graduates from University. He is proud of his achievements and celebrates. Soon he will start to work and face all the challenges and politics of working life. The joys of the Convocation ceremony would very soon be forgotten. It is the same for a promotion at work. We feel great but once the responsibilities of the office weigh in, we feel the burden of fulfilling them. When we are successful and at the top, we will have many enemies who are jealous of our position and seek to pull us down.

This was the situation of our Lord. He was very successful in reaching out to the poor, marginalized and sinners. He healed the sick and welcomed sinners in His company. He won much admiration, delight and followers. But His success incurred the wrath and envy of the Jewish leaders who saw Him as a deviant, a false prophet, and a dangerous one as well. As for the Romans, some saw Him as a potential troublemaker who perhaps could even incite the people to rebellion. So Jesus, although successful with the people, was a threat to the establishment. This is often the case with charismatic leaders. The real battles they fight are not those from without but from within, people who come from the establishment seek to protect their rights, status and privileges. When their positions and vested interests are being compromised, they will seek to discredit the leader. Indeed, often populist leaders are not welcomed or loved by the institution. For this reason, Jesus knew that success was always under the shadow of the cross. No matter how much good you do and how well intentioned you are, we will face opposition and sufferings. Hence, Jesus plainly reminded the disciples, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.”

This was also true in the case of the Jews who were returning from Babylon to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem, which we read in the first reading. The euphoria of the Jews at King Cyrus and King Darius’ support for their return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and the city did not last long. They did not receive much support from their fellow Jews. Many of them were quite settled in Babylon. They had built houses there, started their businesses, and many were flourishing and were wealthy. They were not keen to uproot themselves to return to their former homeland without sure sight of their future. So many stayed put and refused to move back home. At most, out of guilt and solidarity, they gave some money and resources to those going back to rebuild the Temple.

Again, we know that the Temple took a very long time to be rebuilt. The non-Jewish people living there resisted their efforts and the returned exiles were not motivated to work. Furthermore, the Samaritans from the Northern Kingdom were opposed to the construction. As a result, the construction was halted for 18 years. With the help of King Darius, the temple was completed in 350 B.C. and rededicated. But the Second Temple paled in comparison to the First Temple. Prophecy disappeared and the Ark of the Covenant was missing as well. So in the midst of rejoicing, there was also sadness and disappointment as well.

But this Temple too was eventually destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Indeed, this event fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah. In the first reading, we read that in the prophet’s vision, a man was seen trying to measure Jerusalem to reconstruct the walls, but the angel told him, “Jerusalem is to remain unwalled, because of the great number of men and cattle there will be in her. But I – it is the Lord who speaks – I will be a wall of fire for her all round her, and I will be her glory in the midst of her”. In the New Jerusalem and in the New Temple, no walls are needed because God wants all people to come to Him regardless whether they are Jews or not. Even the Gentiles would have a place in the New Temple and in the New Jerusalem. “Many nations will join the Lord, on that day; they will become his people.”

How is this a reality? When the Lord lives in our midst. “Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion; for I am coming to dwell in the middle of you – it is the Lord who speaks.” God will be the glory of the Temple and He will light up the Temple with His presence. When God lives in us in His Spirit, we are His temple. The physical temple can be destroyed but not the Temple in our hearts. This becomes a reality when the Holy Spirit lives in each one of us. St Paul wrote, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.” (1 Cor 3:16f) When God lives in our hearts, we will always be at peace and be full of joy.

Indeed, we must learn from St Paul who discovered the true joy of life. He said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:19f) St Paul knew clearly that the secret to lasting happiness in life is to be in the Lord. This requires that we be crucified with the Lord, taking the things of this world in stride, making use of them for the service of love and for the poor. We should not cling on to such things in this world as they are passing. We cannot bring them with us to the next world. St Paul wrote, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Phil 3:3) The prayer of St Paul is this, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil 3:10f) We, too, if we want to share in the lasting joy and happiness of Christ, we must accept that suffering in this world is the necessary passage to fullness of life in Christ. Until then, let us not be too tied down to the worldly and passing happiness and joys of this life but use them to help us find the strength to endure the trials ahead of us as we carry the cross with our Lord.

This is the reality of life. So the earlier we come to accept the truth of transient happiness in this world, the more liberated we will be. Otherwise, if we remain attached to the things of this world, we will be sorely disappointed. Alas, we are like the disciples who are not ready to face the truth about the cross. Upon hearing what the Lord said, their response was silence and non-reflective. “They did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said.” They did not understand or do not wish to know, just like those of us who suspect that we are not well or that we might have some illness. We delay and postpone, hoping that the bad news would go away. We avoid asking the ultimate questions of life. Unless we are like Jesus who was ready to confront His death, we cannot live freely and courageously like Him.

Thursday 28 September 2023

INTERMEDIARES OF GOD

20230929 INTERMEDIARES OF GOD

29 September 2023, Friday, Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

First reading

Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 ©

His robe was white as snow

As I watched:

Thrones were set in place

and one of great age took his seat.

His robe was white as snow,

the hair of his head as pure as wool.

His throne was a blaze of flames,

its wheels were a burning fire.

A stream of fire poured out,

issuing from his presence.

A thousand thousand waited on him,

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

A court was held

and the books were opened.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,

one like a son of man.

He came to the one of great age

and was led into his presence.

On him was conferred sovereignty,

glory and kingship,

and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

which shall never pass away,

nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 137(138):1-5 ©

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:

you have heard the words of my mouth.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you.

I will adore before your holy temple.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love,

which excel all we ever knew of you.

On the day I called, you answered;

you increased the strength of my soul.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

All earth’s kings shall thank you

when they hear the words of your mouth.

They shall sing of the Lord’s ways:

‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’

In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps102:21

Alleluia, alleluia!

Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,

his servants who do his will.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 1:47-51 ©

You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’

INTERMEDIARES OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DAN 7:9-10,13-14 (OR REV 12:7-12); JN 1:47-51]

We are living in an empirical world where nothing is real unless it can be seen and touched and felt. This is a world of matter. Human beings are reduced to merely matter like all other creatures and creation. In a world of secularization where the new gods are science and technology, the spiritual world does not exist. Belief in angels and devils and spirits are relegated to primitive superstitions. For this reason, few public officials or celebrities would dare to say that they believe in the spirit world. The denial of the spirits also leads to a denial of our identity as well. Since doing flows from being, man, who considers himself merely as a creature like the rest of the animal kingdom, acts and behaves like animals, since the meaning of life is reduced to enjoyment, eating, drinking and seeking sensual and earthly pleasures.

For this reason, the feast of the Archangels is important for Catholics to be reminded once again of their identity and role in life. It is therefore necessary from the outset to clarify the nature and office of the angels.

The word “angel” is a Greek word “angelos”, meaning messenger. It designates therefore a function or role, rather than nature. Angels are therefore seen in scriptures primarily as the messengers of God. God is transcendent in the Old Testament, so much so that the people feared Him and it was believed that no man could see Him and live. Being the King of the universe, He has His angels to serve Him and to carry out His will. Intermediaries are therefore needed to be a bridge to God. This accounts for the countless apparitions and appearances of angels in the Old Testament and at the beginning of the early Church. This intermediary role of the angels is captured in today’s gospel when Jesus said to Nathanael, “I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.” Conversely, after Christ, we hear less of angels and spirits because Christ already is our mediator between God and us.

With regard to the nature of angels, they are described as spiritual beings created by God with an intellect and will, just like us, except that they are without a body. They have a free will and they have extraordinary knowledge but it is not omniscient. Since they do not have a body, they can do things that human beings, constrained by the body, cannot do. Therefore, angels, being pure spirits, cannot be reducible to a force but they are personal beings like our souls. We can communicate with them. But they remain creatures. They are not gods. Because of this personal nature, they can also think and reject God. As they are pure intellect, their decision for or against God is done with full consent, and therefore irrevocable. Those who did so are called devils.

In the light of what has been said, we must therefore understand our nature before we can speak of our role on this earth. As human beings, we know that we are not merely matter, because we can think, choose, love and exercise our freedom. Although bounded by matter on this earth, our minds can transcend matter and time. We are embodied spirits. Only upon death is our soul released from the constraints of the body. However, we are created in such a way that we have a spirit and also a body. We are privileged to enjoy the pleasures of creation like the rest of the animal kingdom. That is why some of us behave worse than animals when it comes to sensual pleasures. We have no control over our appetites and desires. But because of our rational being, we can be like the spirits who enjoy intimacy with God. This is the greatness of man. He is called to communion with God and with his or her fellowmen. Thus, God is compassionate and forgiving towards us because we are ignorant and weak in so many ways due to our wounded nature, unlike the devils.

Flowing from our nature, we must ask about our roles on earth. The feast of the Archangels reminds us of three specific and major roles we must play like the archangels, namely, our battle against the kingdom of darkness, announcing the Good News and that of healing.

St Michael, whose name means “who is like God” is called to be the Defender. St Michael fought with the dragon, the devil and his angels. Like St Michael, we are called to fight against the snares of the Evil One as we read in the book of Revelation. (Rev 12:7-8) The battle against the kingdom of darkness is as real today as it was during the time of Christ. Only through the power and death of our Lord can we overcome the power of the Evil One. Like St Michael, we must strive for holiness so that we too can be like God. This is our way to fight against the evils of society. Most of all, we are called to defend the Church just as St Michael did by safeguarding the Church of Christ, the People of God. We must not allow Satan, as some do, to manipulate us to become traitors to the Church. Many Catholics by their counter witnessing and their lack of love drive people further away from God instead of bringing them to Him. Instead, we must be alert to the temptations of the Evil One.

St Gabriel means “God is the Mighty One.” He is the messenger of the Good News. He was God’s messenger to Daniel, interpreting his visions. He announced to Zechariah the birth of a child, and to Mary that she was chosen to be the mother of the Saviour. We too are called to be messengers of hope. Like St Gabriel who gave Mary the courage to persevere, we too must assist those who are walking in darkness by giving them hope. We are called to be heralds of the Good News. We too must give strength to others who are weak in their spiritual journey.

Finally, from St Raphael, we are called to be healers. His name means “God Heals.” Just as he accompanied Tobias on his journey as a healer, we too must not just announce the Good News. We need to be healers through our empathy, forgiveness, kindness and generosity. Like St Raphael, we are called to deliver our people from oppression, fear and all illnesses.

But we cannot be like God, or be strong enough to announce the Good News to a hostile world, or be healers when we are so broken ourselves unless we, like the angels, also ascend to God before we descend to earth. In other words, as messengers, we need to be connected with God at all times. As His servants, we must report to God daily to receive His instructions before we go on our battles. Without receiving His orders and empowered by Him, we cannot be effective commanders or great messengers and powerful healers. Like the angels we are reminded to sing praises and bring the prayers of our people to the Lord in His court. With the psalmist we must pray daily, “I thank you, Lord, with all my heart: you have heard the words of my mouth. In the presence of the angels I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple. I thank you for your faithfulness and love, which excel all we ever knew of you. On the day I called, you answered; you increased the strength of my soul.”

In this way, we become the intermediaries of God to the world. Like the priest who is called to be the bridge and the mediator between God and man, so too is the work of every person. May our lives reflect the glory and the goodness of God! This is what the psalmist says, “All earth’s kings shall thank you when they hear the words of your mouth. They shall sing of the Lord’s ways: ‘How great is the glory of the Lord!'”

Wednesday 27 September 2023

REBUILDING THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

20230928 REBUILDING THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

28 September 2023, Thursday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Haggai 1:1-8 ©

'Rebuild the House'

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, high commissioner of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as follows, ‘The Lord of Hosts says this, “This people says: The time has not yet come to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. (And the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows:) Is this a time for you to live in your panelled houses, when this House lies in ruins? So now, the Lord of Hosts says this: Reflect carefully how things have gone for you. You have sown much and harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have your fill, put on clothes but do not feel warm. The wage earner gets his wages only to put them in a purse riddled with holes. So go to the hill country, fetch wood, and rebuild the House: I shall then take pleasure in it, and be glorified there, says the Lord.”’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 149:1-6,9 ©

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Sing a new song to the Lord,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,

let Zion’s sons exult in their king.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Let them praise his name with dancing

and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people.

He crowns the poor with salvation.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,

shout for joy and take their rest.

Let the praise of God be on their lips:

this honour is for all his faithful.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider

the wonders of your law.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

'John? I beheaded him; so who is this?'

Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was being done by Jesus; and he was puzzled, because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had reappeared, still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. But Herod said, ‘John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see Jesus.

REBUILDING THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Hag 1:1-8; Ps 149:1-6, 9; Lk 9:7-9]

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, King Cyrus of Persia granted permission to 50,000 Jews exiled in Babylon to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest, they tried to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. During the second year of their return, they managed to lay the foundation of the temple. The altar was re-established but the work of rebuilding the temple was slow because they faced opposition from the Samaritans. As a result they were unable to finish their work as their enemies hindered the reconstruction. For the next 15 years, no further work was done on the Temple. The people felt disheartened and discouraged. They became spiritually apathetic and gave up on the project.

It was within this context that God dispatched two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people to put more effort, time and resources into the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem. Haggai challenged the people to keep their focus right. He asked them, “Is this a time for you to live in your panelled houses, when this House lies in ruins?” Indeed, how could the people live in luxury whilst the Temple of the Lord was in ruins? Instead of rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, they were only interested in rebuilding their homes. Their own houses were adorned with beautiful cedars while the Temple was lying in ruins. This was inexcusable because the Temple was supposed to be the centre and focal point of their relationship with God.

As a consequence, the Lord warned the people for not putting God as the centre of their lives and their priority. “Reflect carefully how things have gone for you. You have sown much and harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have your fill, put on clothes but do not feel warm. The wage earner gets his wages only to put them in a purse riddled with holes.” Because God was not the centre of their lives, as seen in their priorities in allocating their resources and time, what they did were not successful. Their hard work did not produce the fruits that they expected. No matter how much they ate or earned, they could not have their fill. This was because the foundation of their lives was missing.

This is true for us even today. How many of us put God as the centre of our lives? Is God the most important consideration in all that we do or say? Is He the foundation of our life? Have we taken seriously what the Lord said, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mk 12:29f) If God were the centre of our lives, then we would give Him preference above all other things. But the truth is that other things and people take precedence over the Lord. We give priority and importance to our loved ones, spouse and children. We take care of our own material needs and comfort before thinking of our Lord. We pay lip service to our love for God. We claim that He is the most important person in our lives, but we hardly spend time to worship Him, pray to Him or listen to Him. He seems to be the last person in our lives. We come to Him only when we are in need or in trouble. Otherwise, God is far from our hearts.

Even in giving an external place to God, many of us fail to show that respect and consideration. Many of our churches are in ruins and in a sorry state, but many of our Catholics do not care about the church, the House of God, even though they are living in luxurious houses. They contribute little of their money to build the church but spend millions on their homes. They spend much money decorating their house but they do not give prominence to the altar in their homes.

When we do not put God as the centre of our lives, then this is where all our problems begin. By failing to teach our children to honour God as the foundation of everything, they begin to worship their studies, their achievements, their jobs and careers. They put their enjoyment, pleasures and interests before their spiritual life. When God is out of the picture and worldly values take over, they can never be truly successful in life. They might be doing well materially, have a great career and possess many things of this world, but their lives are empty. There is division in the family, because of the lack of Christian values being promoted by their parents. They do not speak about forgiveness, tolerance, compassion, understanding and generosity. Instead, they speak of their rights and having things their own way.

When God is not the centre of our lives and the gospel has no place in our relationships and family life, the world’s values will take over. For this reason, as the prophet says, we too will be like the Jews who lost the blessings from God because they were living self-centred and worldly lives. They showed little interest in the vision of God for the world. When God has no influence in our lives, at home or at work, then we can expect to lose the blessings of God in all that we do. However hard we work, we will have less because greed and selfishness will destroy whatever we have gained. When God is not the centre of our lives, even with all our material wealth, we will find life rather empty and unfulfilling. Caring for our physical needs whilst neglecting our relationship with God will ruin our happiness in life.

However, if we put God as the centre of our lives, then we can expect to receive His blessings. With God, we learn how to appreciate all things in perspective. We come to value things as means for love and service and not as ends in themselves. We will put relationships above achievements and success. Unless we put God’s work and His Kingdom as the highest priority in our lives, we will not be able to enjoy life properly. That is why the Lord taught us, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” (Mt 6:31-34) What we set as our priority manifests how much we love God, not so much in words but in actions.

We must take a page from Herod. He did not put God as the centre of his life. Instead, he put Herodias as the centre of his life. Caught in his adulterous relationship with Herodias, he lost his focus and ended up doing things against his wishes, like killing John the Baptist. For that, he was haunted by his conscience for killing a holy man of God. Thus, when he heard “about all that was being done by Jesus; and he was puzzled.” Then “some people was saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had reappeared, still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.” The mention of John the Baptist unsettled him. “But Herod said, ‘John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see Jesus.”

If we do not want to live with a guilty conscience and with doubts about Jesus, then we must search for Jesus and come to know Him. We must make Jesus the goal of our life. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Instead of hearing rumours about who Jesus is, we are called to find out for ourselves. How can this be done unless we rebuild the House of God in our hearts? The Lord said, “So go to the hill country, fetch wood, and rebuild the House: I shall then take pleasure in it, and be glorified there, says the Lord.” In other words, let us put Him first in our hearts once again. Let all we have be used for the glory of God, whether it be used to build a physical House of God, or the spiritual house of God or for the extension of His kingdom on earth. All that we have must be returned to the Lord and be used for His glory, His mission and for the salvation of humanity. In this way, we will be blessed in and through Him for we will find true peace, joy and love. He will then provide us our deepest needs, that which will truly make us happy and fulfilled in life.

MARY THE ICON OF DISCIPLESHIP

20230926 MARY THE ICON OF DISCIPLESHIP

First reading

Darius king of Persia pays for the rebuilding of the Temple of God

King Darius wrote to the satrap of Transeuphrates and his colleagues: ‘Leave the high commissioner of Judah and the elders of the Jews to work on this Temple of God; they are to rebuild this Temple of God on its ancient site. This, I decree, is how you must assist the elders of the Jews in the reconstruction of this Temple of God: the expenses of these people are to be paid, promptly and without fail, from the royal revenue – that is, from the tribute of Transeuphrates. May the God who causes his name to live there overthrow any king or people who dares to defy this and destroy the Temple of God in Jerusalem! I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed to the letter!’

The elders of the Jews prospered with their building, inspired by Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished the building in accordance with the order of the God of Israel and the order of Cyrus and of Darius. This Temple was finished on the twenty-third day of the month of Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The Israelites – the priests, the Levites and the remainder of the exiles – joyfully dedicated this Temple of God; for the dedication of this Temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs and, as a sacrifice for sin for the whole of Israel, twelve he-goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. Then they installed the priests according to their orders in the service of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as is written in the Book of Moses.

The exiles celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Levites, as one man, had purified themselves; all were pure, so they sacrificed the passover for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

Responsorial Psalm

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

‘Let us go to God’s house.’

And now our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

For Israel’s law it is,

there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgement

of the house of David.

I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

Or:

Lk11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy are those

who hear the word of God

and keep it.

Alleluia!

Gospel

'My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God'

The mother and the brothers of Jesus came looking for him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’

MARY THE ICON OF DISCIPLESHIP

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20; Ps 122:1-5; Lk 8:19-21]

The gospel text of today must be seen in the context of the earlier episodes in chapter 8 of St Luke’s gospel if we are to draw out its full significance. Right from the outset, we read that some women accompanied Jesus in His ministry and many “provided for them out of their resources.” (Lk 8:3) The women were disciples of Christ. Following this episode, St Luke inserted the teaching of Jesus on the parable of the Sower. It speaks of the different reception of the Word of God. Those seeds that fell “in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.” (Lk 8:15) And then He taught about how putting a lamp under a jar or under a bed defeats its purpose. We must put “it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (Lk 8:16) The concluding words of Jesus were, “Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.” (Lk 8:18)

It is within the context of the disciples of Jesus “who hear the Word of God and put it into practice” that St Luke draws our attention to the mother of Jesus. He wrote, “The mother and the brothers of Jesus came looking for him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.'” In these words, the Lord honoured His mother because she was the perfect disciple of the Lord. She was Jesus’ mother only because she was first and foremost a disciple of His. Mary conceived the Lord in her heart before she conceived Him in the flesh.

She was a hearer of the Word in the fullest sense of the term. In the gospel, St Luke portrayed Mary as one who was always pondering over the Word of God. When the shepherds adored the Infant child, “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19) When Simeon praised the child, “the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.” (Lk 2:33) When she found Jesus in temple and Jesus told her, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk 2:48) And we read that “But they did not understand what he said to them.” (Lk 2:50) Hence, “His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (Lk 2:51b)

This is what discipleship is all about. We begin by hearing the Word, by receiving the Word of God with all humility because it is from God. There are many things in life our finite mind cannot comprehend but because we accept the Word of God as it really is, as God’s words, the Word of God will take effect in our lives. (cf 1 Th 2:13) Faith in the Word of God is critical to its power at work in us. We are invited to accept the Word of God as it really is. Like Mary, even if we do not agree and we do not understand, we must keep the Word of God in our hearts. In the meantime, whether we like it or not, we do whatever the Word of God requires of us in faith and trust. The Lord will reveal to us through the events and encounters of our lives. In hindsight, and allowing time to unfold, we will see the truth of God’s word being unfolded against the foolishness and the impracticability of the world’s so-called pragmatic decisions that are short-sighted, causing untold problems in the future.

But Mary was not just a hearer of the Word, she was a doer. Her immediate response to the Word of God was an act of obedience. She was surely aware of her future; but perhaps not the full implications. She would have thought through how she would have been embarrassed; the disbelief of her people with regard to her pregnancy through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit; how her fidelity to Joseph would be placed in doubt and most of all, her life would be at stake.

We too are called to be like Mary, to respond effectively to the Word of God and to allow the Word to rest in us. Only those who put the Word of God into practice, as Jesus said, are those who build their house on rock. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.” (Mt 7:24-27) Indeed, we see Mary living out the Word of God in a life of charity and compassion towards others, whether it was Elizabeth her cousin, who was pregnant in her old age and needed someone to look after her; or the Wedding couple who ran short of wine for the celebration; or simply standing beneath the cross of Jesus in shame whilst forgiving her Son’s enemies.

In all these instances, Mary hardly spoke and was always never in the limelight. Mary was contented to be a silent helper and supporter of the Lord because she did not want any attention from our Lord to be diverted to her. She knew her task was to let the light of Christ shine among the peoples. All her life she just wanted to draw others to her Son, Jesus. Her words to all who came to the Lord were simply, “Do whatever He tells you!” (Jn 2:5) And when the time came to support the disciples of the Lord after His ascension, Mary gathered with them in prayer, awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit. She was truly the mother of Jesus in spirit, and as a biological mother, but also our spiritual mother.

However, most of all, in doing God’s will, not only do we become God’s adopted children, but we also become members of God’s family. When we obey His word, we share in a new kind of relationship which is even stronger than biological ties. Sharing the same mind and heart brings us closer to each other than just physical or biological ties. Indeed, our ties with the family of God are dependent on how much we all share in common. What should bind us together is our common faith in Christ and obedience to His word. This is what baptism does for us. It makes us children of God and members of the Christian family because we share in the common spirit of God. This is why Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” This was what Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra and Nehemiah did when they worked on the reconstruction of the Temple of the Lord. They faced much opposition and constraints. But in faith, they brought it to completion.

This was certainly the case even of Kings Cyrus and Darius. They obeyed the Word of the Lord. God inspired King Cyrus to decree that the Temple of Jerusalem be rebuilt and that all the captured treasures of the Temple be returned to them; and that the royal revenue given by them should be used for the restoration of the Temple. Although they were pagans, they held reverence for the God of Israel. When King Darius discovered the decree of King Cyrus, he said, “Let it be obeyed to the letter!” Indeed, because of the benevolence of these two pagan kings, the Temple was restored in accordance with the order of the God of Israel and the order of Cyrus and of Darius.” The Word of God through the Word of the kings were obeyed and carried out accordingly. God works wonders for those who trust in His mighty power. They too should be included among His children and family as well because they heard the Word of God and did it.

Only then can we rejoice together as we enter God’s House, as the responsorial psalm says, “I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’ And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name.” Through worshipping together as one family, hearing His word in every Eucharistic celebration, we depart to live the Word of God. In this way, we show forth that we are God’s children. We bring joy to God’s House wherever we are, not just in church but whenever Christians live like brothers and sisters in their families, in the offices and in their communities.