20231017 THE UNITY OF FAITH AND PRACTICE
17 October 2023, Tuesday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Philippians 3:17-4:1 © |
Our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes Christ to transfigure us
My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 33(34):2-9 © |
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
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.
From all my terrors the Lord 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.
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
From all my terrors the Lord set me free.
Gospel Acclamation | Jm1:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy the man who stands firm,
for he has proved himself,
and will win the crown of life.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 12:24-26 © |
If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.’
THE UNITY OF FAITH AND PRACTICE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ROM 1:16-25; LK 11:37-41]
The immediate message from today’s scripture readings is clear. In the first place, the gospel is concerned about the works of man as the expression of his love for God. It is a condemnation of the pre-occupation with the external observances of religion. The Pharisee in today’s gospel was scandalized by Jesus who failed to perform the ablutions before eating. But Jesus used the occasion to remind him that what is more important is the reformation of the heart rather than exterior works. The Lord remarked, “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.” So what is needed is not just external observance of ritual purity. More importantly, the external actions must express the interior state of the heart or at least seeks to be reminded of how the heart should be as well and not just the cleanliness of the body. Hence, Jesus told them that we can be certain that our hearts are pure only when we are charitable towards others, especially the poor. Then our hearts are like God who is compassionate.
What Jesus says in today’s gospel finds a parallel also in the first reading. Whereas the gospel focuses on the fact that the works of man do not necessarily express their true love of God, the letter of Paul to the Romans highlights the failure of man to see in creation the works of God and the glory of God. St Paul speaks about the culpability of the pagans for failing to see God who has manifested Himself, His power and divinity in the works of creation. “Ever since God created the world his everlasting power and deity – however invisible – have been there for the mind to see in the things he has made. That is why such people are without excuse: they knew God and yet refused to honour him as God or to thank him; instead, they made nonsense out of logic and their empty minds were darkened.”
Instead of glorifying God who is the source of creation, they ended up worshipping creation instead. In other words, they could not see beyond the external appearances of the world. If they did, then they would have been saved because they would have worshipped Him. Instead, they worshipped creation and themselves. “They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for a worthless imitation, for the image of mortal man, of birds, of quadrupeds and reptiles. That is why God left them to their filthy enjoyments and the practices with which they dishonour their own bodies, since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshipped and served creatures instead of the creator, who is blessed forever.” This worship of creatures leads to all kinds of sin. For the truth is that if material things are all important, then our life is reduced to a sub-human level. We will then begin to think that they are everything in life. No one is absolute except for God alone. But how often do we not only make our ambitions, wealth and power as if they are everything in life! Even if we do not, we make our children, spouse and loved ones the centre of our lives rather than God. Little do we realize that when we displace God from human relationships, we end up destroying them because we try to possess them in place of God.
Consequently, when we put these two readings together, we get a synthesis of the real message of today’s scripture lessons. One must not fall into dualism. Faith and practice must go together. This is because we are made of body and spirit. The body is the window of the Spirit; and the way to the Spirit is through the body. The only way the Spirit, which is invisible, can express itself is through the body. And so we express our love through gestures, if not no one will know that we love them. It is too in our relationship with God. But it is conversely true also that the way to the Spirit is also through the body. It is our bodily contact with the world that our Spirit is also touched.
Hence, external practices of religions and of love are not redundant. Sacramental practices of the Church, such as postures, rituals are important to help us strengthen our piety and our love for God. The Church cannot do without signs and rituals. Through such signs, we encounter God’s love and mercy especially in the sacraments. Through the reception of the Eucharist, we encounter the Lord. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, we hear the words of forgiveness. Indeed, our works of love and compassion are important to reinforce our love for God and commitment to our fellow human beings. Through these works, we can be led closer to God and to our fellow human beings. For when we begin to adopt postures of piety and practise works of love, we become more prayerful and loving. It will be a great loss indeed to abandon the sacramental practices of religion.
This is true not only of religion but even in society and a nation as a whole. In fact, the way to bring society together is to have common rituals and ceremonies. Don’t we realize that the nation is sacred to some extent when we stand up together in attention when the flag is raised or the anthem is sung? It is almost like a prayer! But such symbolic gestures, whether at National Day celebrations, ceremonies or funeral wakes, etc do help us to recognize the need to instil the sense of sacred of what we are doing and by so doing, we express ourselves as a community. In reciting the pledge, we also express our common values and what we hope to achieve as a community.
On the other hand, external practices and works must originate from our hearts. When they are truly the expressions of our being, then such expressions would be the manifestation of ourselves. Such actions or doing will therefore follow being. And when doing follows being, then we find a sense of unity within oneself. If not, we will be merely hypocrites in our actions. This is the danger of external practices. Unfortunately, the temptation of religions, including the Catholic Faith, is that many of us are contented with a mere outward show of faith. We can fast and abstain from meat or attend church services, but we lack charity in words and actions towards our brothers and sisters both within and without the community. We receive the Eucharist, the symbol of communion with Christ and the members of His mystical body, but we are not on talking terms with this and that person.
What is truly worthy before God is a heart of faith and love. It is love and faith, both in God and in man, that liberate us for life. St Paul says in no uncertain terms that unless our good works spring from faith and love, they cannot save us. Hence, he wrote, “I am not ashamed of the Good News: it is the power of God saving all who have faith – Jews first, but Greeks as well – since this is what reveals the justice of God to us: it shows how faith leads to faith, or as scripture says: The upright man finds life through faith.”
In the final analysis, therefore, there is no dichotomy between being and doing. True being or faith will always lead to actions of love. And true actions of love presuppose deep respect for life and for God. That is why St James remarked that “Faith without good works is dead. I will show you my faith by my works.” Nevertheless, there is a primacy between the two and this primacy is given to being. For the truth is that being will always lead to doing. But we cannot always be certain that all doing is an expression of our being.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment