20230925 WHAT MARVELS THE LORD WORKS FOR US
25 September 2023, Monday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Ezra 1:1-6 © |
Cyrus king of Persia frees the Jews to return to Jerusalem
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfil the word of the Lord that was spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: ‘Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, wherever he lives, be helped by the people of that place with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, as well as voluntary offerings for the Temple of God which is in Jerusalem.”’
Then the heads of families of Judah and of Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, in fact all whose spirit had been roused by God, prepared to go and rebuild the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem; and all their neighbours gave them every assistance with silver, gold, goods, cattle, quantities of costly gifts and with voluntary offerings of every kind.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 125(126) © |
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels
the Lord worked for them!’
What marvels the Lord worked for us!
Indeed we were glad.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
They go out, they go out, full of tears,
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song,
carrying their sheaves.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
Gospel Acclamation | James1:18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
By his own choice the Father made us his children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of all that he created.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt5:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your light must shine in the sight of men,
so that, seeing your good works,
they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 8:16-18 © |
Anyone who has will be given more
Jesus said to the crowds:
‘No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under a bed. No, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light. So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.’
WHAT MARVELS THE LORD WORKS FOR US
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ezra 1:1-16; Ps 126; Lk 8:16-18]
In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist says, “When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’ What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed, we were glad.” We can imagine the sentiments of the Israelites when Cyrus, the King of Persia liberated them from Babylon by allowing them to return to Jerusalem, and even more, to help them to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord. He decreed, “Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, wherever he lives, be helped by the people of that place with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, as well as voluntary offerings for the Temple of God which is in Jerusalem.”
But the great marvel was not simply that they were allowed to return to their homeland to rebuild their lives and their Temple, but that God did the most unimaginable thing. We read that “the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: ‘Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah.”‘ God inspired Cyrus to understand the wisdom of allowing the Israelites to return to their homeland. Rather than holding them prisoners in exile, Cyrus’ magnanimous policy of showing them goodwill would earn their trust and loyalty to his administration. God showed him the light. As a consequence, he took that prompting from the Spirit to help the Israelites to rebuild their lives, their Temple and their houses.
This is such a wonderful example of what God can do what we cannot even think of. Indeed, St Paul in his amazement of God’s graciousness, wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph 3:20f) Truly, our God is great. Faithful to the promise He made to Jeremiah, when the time came, He fulfilled that promise in a way that no Israelite would expect to happen in that manner.
This is also a lesson for us. God can work in many ways for the good of His people. God does not always work through Christians. He can work through people of other faiths as well. As St Paul wrote concerning the gifts of the Spirit, “There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” (1 Cor 12:4-7, 11) Indeed, we must recognize that God in His power and wisdom is able to do things beyond our narrow understanding. St Paul remarked, “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” And paraphrasing from the Prophet Isaiah, he said, “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him to receive a gift in return?” (Rom 11:33-35)
What is critical for us is that if God has blessed us with resources and with wisdom, we must use them for the good of others. This was the way King Cyrus saw his power and influence. He said, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah.” He was humble and responsible. In truth, he might not know the true God in Israel but he acknowledged a more powerful being than himself. He made it clear that it was God who gave him the kingdoms of the world. He was not carried away by his military might and the gains that he had made from wars and military expeditions. He saw everything he had as given to him by God. And because it was given by God, he had to use whatever that was given to him for the good of his people.
King Cyrus, although a pagan, was a great king. He sought to govern his people with magnanimity and with love, including all those peoples in the land he conquered. His utmost concern was the wellbeing of his people. Even though he did not know the God of Israel, he respected that people of other faiths must not be prevented from practicing their faith. He could be seen as the father of interreligious dialogue. He did not impose his own religion on the peoples that he had conquered. He not only respected those from other faiths but even supported them. Such was the greatness and goodness of King Cyrus. Indeed, he is a good example of one who received the light but did not “cover it with a bowl or to put it under the bed. No, he puts it on a lamp stand so that people may see the light when they come in.”
This, too, is our challenge today. The Lord is reminding us that we who are supposed to have received that light should also do the same. The Lord warns us, “So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.” It is important that we be as attentive as King Cyrus to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The real reason why many are not doing anything with what the Lord has blessed them with is because they are not receptive to His Word and to His voice. Many Catholics do not pay attention to the Word of God or take the Word of God seriously into prayer and contemplation. Even at Mass, they are not attentive to the Word of God proclaimed and preached.
Truly, the words of the Lord are clear. “For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and bought to light.” In other words, our failure to listen attentively to the Word of God will be shown in our life. If we hear the Word of God, and believe it as St Paul said to the Thessalonians, “We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (1 Th 2:13) Otherwise, as the Lord cited the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn – and I would heal them.” (Mt 13:15)
Consequently, let us be grateful for our Lord and for the Word of God given to His Church. Let us with docile and attentive heart listen to His Word, not just with our intellect and pure reasoning alone, but with a heart of humility and love. We must grow in intimacy with the Lord so that His words can make sense to us in our minds and heart. The author of Hebrew speaks of the power of the Word of God, “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.” (Heb 4:12f) With the psalmist we must say with conviction, “I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps 119:15,16, 105) Let us not forget the words of our Lord, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” (Mt 7:24,26)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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