20231027 KNOWING AND WILLING
27 October 2023, Friday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Romans 7:18-25 © |
Every time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand
I know of nothing good living in me – living, that is, in my unspiritual self – for though the will to do what is good is in me, the performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want. When I act against my will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me.
In fact, this seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I dearly love God’s Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates. This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 118(119):66,68,76-77,93-94 © |
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me discernment and knowledge
for I trust in your commands.
You are good and your deeds are good;
teach me your statutes.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your love be ready to console me
by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come and I shall live
for your law is my delight.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
I will never forget your precepts
for with them you give me life.
Save me, for I am yours
since I seek your precepts.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps94:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 12:54-59 © |
Do you not know how to interpret these times?
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘When you see a cloud looming up in the west you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is from the south you say it will be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these times?
‘Why not judge for yourselves what is right? For example: when you go to court with your opponent, try to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the bailiff and the bailiff have you thrown into prison. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny.’
KNOWING AND WILLING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 7:18-25; PS 119:66,68, 76-77, 93-94; LK 12:54-59]
Why do we sin? Why do we do things that are wrong? More so especially when we know there are serious penalties and consequences for our offences. When we look at the crimes committed in the world, they are committed by people of every strata of society. It is not just those who are poor or uneducated that commit crimes but also professionals, rich and powerful people. It cuts across the spectrum of humanity. No one is exempted from sinning or doing wrong things. This is what the doctrine of Original Sin wants us to know, that all of us are sinners and potential sinners because sin lives in us. This is what St Paul came to realize when he wrote, “This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body.” And this was written after his conversion experience.
Indeed, people sin first and foremost because they are ignorant. Our minds are darkened by sin and we cannot judge rightly. We lack prudence and the humility to see the truth, or because of our vested interests, we are blind to the full truth before us. At times, we have limited knowledge of the matter or influenced wrongly by what we read and hear. For such people, the Lord on the cross prayed for them and made excuses for them saying to His Father, “Forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34)
But there are many of us who are fully aware of the truth of the matter. We know what we do is wrong and yet continue to do it. This is the experience of many of us, especially good Catholics who want to walk the way of the gospel. Yet, we find ourselves helpless, so much so that every time we seek to do the right thing, the flesh draws us to do the wrong thing. This again is the struggle of St Paul when he wrote, “I know of nothing good living in me – living, that is, in my unspiritual self – for though the will to do what is good is in me, the performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want.”
How truthful St Paul is in recognizing our spiritual struggles! The fact is that knowing what we should do does not mean that we can do it. If that were so, then all priests, religious, teachers, lawmakers, law enforcers and all parents and superiors would have always done the right thing because we tell people what they cannot do. We impose the observance of the Laws on them. We teach them the law, morality and ethics. But we ourselves do not practice what we preach and teach. It shows therefore that having knowledge of what is true and good does not translate into practice all the time.
Of course, there are different degrees of understanding and levels of conviction. For those of us who are more convinced, we are more likely to find the strength to do what we believe. For those who are less convinced, they will be less likely to carry out what they believe. Consequently, whilst knowing is not everything in conquering sin, still, it is an important element in the process of fighting against sin. By growing in knowledge and understanding of the nature of sin, its seriousness and consequences, we might find some motivation and strength to resist the temptation. That is why those who contract cancer or have too much sugar in their blood, become more aware of the dangers to their health. They are in a better position to control if they want to prolong their life and to enjoy living. Of course, some are too weak to resist even though they know that it is against their well-being. Take the case of those who drink and drive. They all know the consequences of their actions, but they give in to the temptation, hoping that nothing untoward will happen to them. But then we will never know whose lives, and the security of their dependants, we put at risk because of our negligence. So we need to go beyond just reason to overcome sin and evil.
What is the root cause of our tendency to sin? As St Paul said, “When I act against my will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me. In fact, this seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I dearly love God’s Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates.” This sin comes from our nature, or rather a wounded nature. So it is not a question of logic and understanding but of the will.
When we speak about the consequences of original sin, we are referring to the wounded will, a weakened will that makes it very difficult to do what is right even though we might desire it in our mind. This weakened will is often called concupiscence. In itself it is not a sin. This is where we disagree with Martin Luther. There is an innate tendency for us to sin because of a disordered will. But we are not totally defeated. It is not a depraved will or nature, as Martin Luther suggests. Rather, we say that it is a weakened will, and with God’s grace, we can overcome sins although not without a struggle.
Hence, the Church always teaches that salvation is by grace alone, not by our efforts. Our efforts alone will not save us. We cannot overcome all evil just through knowledge and by our will. This is because we are not only weak, but sin lives in us. We belong to the sinful nature and this nature commands us. So to be saved means that we acknowledge our sinfulness and come to realize that it is beyond logic and knowledge alone. This is what St Paul wrote, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
What do we mean when we say we are saved by grace? Firstly, it means that we cling on to the forgiveness of God. We will always sin and fall short of what we should do. We must turn to Jesus who forgives us our sins freely. “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” (Rom 3:23-25) In the same vein, St John also wrote, “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 Jn 1:7b-10)
Secondly, it means that we open ourselves to the mercy and love of God in our lives by contemplating on His passion, death and resurrection. In the responsorial psalm, we pray, “Let your love be ready to console me by your promise to your servant. Let your love come and I shall live for your law is my delight.” It is the love of God for us that can heal us of our brokenness. The capacity to overcome sin comes from the love of God. We sin because we love ourselves. But if we love someone more than we love ourselves, than we are willing to keep ourselves righteous for that person. Indeed, there are many who would fast and make sacrifices for their loved ones who are sick, in the hope that their mortifications could help them. So the only way to overcome sin is by love. But we can love God and our fellowmen as much as we love ourselves only when we are filled with His love. God’s love for us will heal and strengthen us and give us the capacity to love. St Paul wrote, “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:14f) He was moved and touched by the example of Christ’s love, which was the basis for his ministry.
Thirdly, not only is Christ our example of love but He fills us with His love so that we can love like Him. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5) This is the living principle and foundation of our capacity. So we do not depend on our human strength alone but the Holy Spirit which is the living principle of God in us. He gives us the grace to bear the fruits of love. That was how St Paul lived out his life and ministry, by relying on the strength that came from the love of Jesus and the graces that came from the Holy Spirit which empowered Him. “Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:8-10)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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