20231022 FULFILLING OUR MISSION THROUGH DIALOGUE AND COMMUNION
22 October 2023, Sunday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Isaiah 45:1,4-6 © |
I have taken Cyrus by his right hand to subdue nations before him
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whom he has taken by his right hand
to subdue nations before him
and strip the loins of kings,
to force gateways before him
that their gates be closed no more:
‘It is for the sake of my servant Jacob,
of Israel my chosen one,
that I have called you by your name,
conferring a title though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, unrivalled;
there is no other God besides me.
Though you do not know me, I arm you
that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
that, apart from me, all is nothing.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 95(96):1,3-5,7-10 © |
Give the Lord glory and power.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
Tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
Give the Lord glory and power.
The Lord is great and worthy of praise,
to be feared above all gods;
the gods of the heathens are naught.
It was the Lord who made the heavens,
Give the Lord glory and power.
Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and power;
give the Lord the glory of his name.
Bring an offering and enter his courts.
Give the Lord glory and power.
Worship the Lord in his temple.
O earth, tremble before him.
Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’
He will judge the peoples in fairness.
Give the Lord glory and power.
Second reading |
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 © |
We constantly remember your faith, your love and your hope
From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, and constantly remember before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn17:17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ph2:15-16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 22:15-21 © |
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’
FULFILLING OUR MISSION THROUGH DIALOGUE AND COMMUNION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 45:1,4-6; 1 TH 1:1-5; MATT 22:15-21]
The theme of the Synod is a Synodal Church, which is spelt out in terms of communion, participation and mission. Indeed, the purpose of the Synodal Church is primarily focused on having every baptized Catholic to participate in the mission of the Church more intentionally and actively. This is why the symbol used for this Synod is “enlarging our tents.” As Church, we are called to enlarge our tents so that everyone will have a role in the mission of the Church. This presupposes that we make our Catholics welcome, regardless of the stage of their spiritual journey and on-going conversion. As Church, we are called to share our responsibilities in building the Church together, regardless of the position and office we hold in the Church, whether we are members of the Ministerial priesthood or the Common Priesthood. Everyone is important to the Church and we are all co-responsible for the mission of the Church, each offering his or her charisms for the service of the Church and the world.
However, the call for the Church to enlarge her tent is not just ad intra, that is, addressed to Catholics within the Church. It is also directed to the other Christian communities, other religions and even civil authorities. This is why Christians from other churches were invited to be our fraternal delegates with a right to speak, even if they cannot vote. We cherish their contribution to our discussion and discernment process in reflecting how we can become truly a Church in communion with active participation of all members in the mission. So we are called not only to welcome our fellow Catholics in our churches; we are called to extend our hand of friendship to fellow Christians in other communities so that together in unity, we can fulfil the command of our Lord to spread the gospel to all nations.
Indeed, St Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, reminding them that we are all in “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” As Christians, we share in our common love for God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what unites us, and what unites us is more than what divides us. We must never forget that at the heart of Christian unity is our fundamental confession of faith in God as our Father and Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. But our common faith does not just lie in our confession of Christ as the Son of God but most of all, we show our “faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.” As Christians, our best witness to the gospel is a witness of life, a witness of love and charity towards all. We are called to give our people eternal hope, meaning and purpose of life. Otherwise, we cannot be certain, as St Paul wrote, “We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction.” Of course, we want to make it clear that our power to be effective in deed and not just in words, is because of our faith in Christ which makes it possible for the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. It is our faith in Christ that gives us the confidence of giving hope and an answer to those seeking for purpose and meaning in life, especially in their daily struggles.
However, when we celebrate Mission Sunday, we are also reminded that the Holy Spirit does not only work within the Church to spread the gospel. In today’s first reading, God inspired a pagan, King Cyrus, to restore the exiled Israelites back to their homeland. It was something unthinkable, but King Cyrus understood it was God’s plan for him to grant freedom of religion and worship to those conquered by him. Not only did he give them permission to return to their homeland but he even supported them financially and logistically. Indeed, although King Cyrus did not know the God of Israel, he was receptive to the voice of God speaking to him. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “It is for the sake of my servant Jacob, of Israel my chosen one, that I have called you by your name, conferring a title though you do not know me. I am the Lord, unrivalled; there is no other God besides me. Though you do not know me, I arm you that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that, apart from me, all is nothing.”
It is within this context also, that the mission of the Church requires not just the cooperation with our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters, but we also must remember that the God we worship is also the Father of all, regardless of race, language or religion. Consequently, we must also engage in inter-religious dialogue with people of other faiths. We need to underscore what is common among us rather than what divides us. We must recognize the seeds of the gospel in them, the rays of truth that they radiate to others. They too promote the values of peace, love, respect and charity. Non-Christian religions in their own ways help their believers to be connected with God and find peace and joy. We must never work alone in our mission to build communion among humanity and humanity with God. We must work with believers who too share in our faith vision of building a harmonious, loving, caring and forgiving community. With these religions, we must continue to witness together through a dialogue of life, culture and religion.
Finally, the spread of the gospel also invites us to cooperate with civil authorities. We must not view the State as against us, and hopefully the State does not see us competitors but as partners in the building of a just, compassionate and prosperous society. In the gospel, Jesus gives us the guiding principle. “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.” There is a distinction between the State and the Church. Whilst our goal, which is to serve the common good, is the same, the way we bring about it lies in different domains. For the State, it is through wise policies that ensure the citizens are given opportunities to work, to make a living, to grow the economy. The State ensures that all the citizens are treated fairly and justly, and there is justice, peace, order and harmony in the country.
The Church, however, is a partner to the government because we provide what the State cannot provide. The task of the Church is to enlighten the government when it comes to moral issues and the work of charity. Most of all, the Church does not look at such problems merely from a humanitarian dimension but from the perspective of divine truth about the identity and the vocation of every man. We are called to live our vocation as men and women in society. Only by so doing can we find fulfilment. But our vocation is not just to be on earth to make money, to provide ourselves the luxuries and pleasures of life. We are here to serve our fellowmen so that together we can build a family of God. And most of all, we help our people to see that life extends beyond this life on earth to eternal life with God in heaven. So there is an eternal dimension and a spiritual motive that the State cannot provide.
In the final analysis, God works in our lives and in the entire humanity. God inspires different individuals to carry out His divine plan of salvation for us all. We must realize, like King Cyrus, that everything comes from God, who we are and what we have. We are all stewards of God’s gifts. We must be true to ourselves as Jesus was to Himself, unlike the Pharisees and the Herodians who sought to trick Jesus into falling into their trap. Jesus, as His opponents recognized, was “an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you.” We, too, must live our lives that way, cooperating with the gospel given to us in Christ Jesus. We must be clear of our own faith, what we believe in, what hopes we have and the basis of our hope. Only then can we work with other religions and people of goodwill, even those without faith without any suspicion or threats from them. Only those who lack understanding of their faith and lack confidence in their own encounter with God feel threatened by the faith of others or their good works. For us, we know who Jesus is, our Lord and Saviour. Indeed, with the psalmist, we say, “Tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples. The Lord is great and worthy of praise, to be feared above all gods; the gods of the heathens are naught. It was the Lord who made the heavens. Worship the Lord in his temple. O earth, tremble before him. Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ He will judge the peoples in fairness. Give the Lord glory and power.” Then render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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