Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: November 2023

Wednesday, 29 November 2023

TAKING STOCK OF OUR LIVES

20231129 TAKING STOCK OF OUR LIVES

29 November 2023, Wednesday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28 ©

The writing on the wall

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his noblemen; a thousand of them attended, and he drank wine in company with this thousand. As he sipped his wine, Belshazzar gave orders for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, so that the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women could drink out of them. The gold and silver vessels looted from the sanctuary of the Temple of God in Jerusalem were brought in, and the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women drank out of them. They drank their wine and praised their gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared, and began to write on the plaster of the palace wall, directly behind the lamp-stand; and the king could see the hand as it wrote. The king turned pale with alarm: his thigh-joints went slack and his knees began to knock.

Daniel was brought into the king’s presence; the king said to Daniel, ‘Are you the Daniel who was one of the Judaean exiles brought by my father the king from Judah? I am told that the spirit of God Most Holy lives in you, and that you are known for your perception, intelligence and marvellous wisdom. As I am told that you are able to give interpretations and to unravel difficult problems, if you can read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be dressed in purple, and have a chain of gold put round your neck, and be third in rank in the kingdom.’

Then Daniel spoke up in the presence of the king. ‘Keep your gifts for yourself,’ he said ‘and give your rewards to others. I will read the writing to the king without them, and tell him what it means. You have defied the Lord of heaven, you have had the vessels from his Temple brought to you, and you, your noblemen, your wives and your singing women have drunk your wine out of them. You have praised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which cannot either see, hear or understand; but you have given no glory to the God who holds your breath and all your fortunes in his hands. That is why he has sent the hand which, by itself, has written these words. The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin. The meaning of the words is this: Mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.’

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:62-67 ©

Sun and moon! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Stars of heaven! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Showers and dews! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Winds! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Fire and heat! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Cold and heat! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times

for the strength to stand with confidence

before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

Or:

Rv2:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,

keep faithful, and I will give you

the crown of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:12-19 ©

Your endurance will win you your lives

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’

TAKING STOCK OF OUR LIVES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Dn 3:62-67; Lk 21:12-19]

As we come towards the end of the year, many stores are taking stock of their goods as they begin afresh for the new year. So, too, the Church invites us to take stock of our life so that we know where we are lacking and found to be wanting. The prophet Jeremiah told his people, “Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” (Jer 6:16) In view of the day of reckoning, the scripture readings focus on the end, whether of our life, or the end of the kingdom or the day of persecution.

The first scripture reading taken from the book of Daniel is an indictment on the last Babylonian King, his noblemen and wives. They were merry-making, indulging in their glory and wealth and power. “King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his noblemen; a thousand of them attended, and he drank wine in company with this thousand.” But as if it was not enough, he abused the sacred vessels taken from the Temple. He had no sense of the sacred. “As he sipped his wine, Belshazzar gave orders for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, so that the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women could drink out of them. The gold and silver vessels looted from the sanctuary of the Temple of God in Jerusalem were brought in, and the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women drank out of them. They drank their wine and praised their gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone.” They showed utter disrespect for the God of Israel.

However, those who failed to respect God and make a mockery of Him will ultimately face judgment. The Persian king thought he was very powerful but little did he realize that his kingdom was coming to an end and so too, the power and luxurious living of the nobles. “Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared, and began to write on the plaster of the palace wall, directly behind the lamp-stand; and the king could see the hand as it wrote. The king turned pale with alarm; his thigh-joints went slack and his knees began to knock.” The writings were on the wall as the saying goes. Indeed, when we fail to live a responsible life, make good use of our resources, talents and time, we will have to bear the consequences of our negligence. What we sow is what we will reap. As St Paul wrote, “If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”

It is true of people in the world today when they think so highly of their achievements. They do not need God and some even make fun of those who believe in God, accusing them of being superstitious and naïve. They act as if they are in control of the world and their lives. They do not realize how weak and puny we are in the face of illness, disasters and misfortunes. No man can determine his own life because God is his author and creator. Therefore, those who are cynical of God will meet their end confused, lost, disillusioned and frightened. More so when they meet tragedies which no one in this world can resolve, then they will come to understand the fragility of life.

Indeed, the Lord through the prophet Daniel made this judgment on them. “You have defied the Lord of heaven, you have had the vessels from his Temple brought to you, and you, your noblemen, your wives and your singing women have drunk your wine out of them. You have praised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which cannot either see, hear or understand; but you have given no glory to the God who holds your breath and all your fortunes in his hands.” Indeed, because they had no respect for God and for the sacred, and for defiling the sacred vessels of the Temple, they would be punished accordingly. When man rejects God and makes himself his own god, he becomes full of himself.

This is what St Paul meant when he spoke about the wrath of God in his letter to the Romans. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.” (Rom 1:18-23)

The consequences of failing to make use of the blessings will result in the loss of our privileges. These have been given to us not for ourselves but for the service of the glory of God and His people. When we use them only for ourselves and our enjoyment, we have not used the gifts rightly. All that we have come from Him alone. And so this was the judgment given to the Babylonians, “That is why he has sent the hand which, by itself, has written these words. The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin: The meaning of the words is this: Mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”

Hence, we are called first and foremost to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. The responsorial psalm invites us to “Give glory and eternal praise to him! Sun and moon! bless the Lord. Stars of heaven! bless the Lord. Showers and dews! all bless the Lord. Winds! all bless the Lord. Fire and heat! bless the Lord. Cold and heat! bless the Lord.” We are not sovereign in this world no matter how powerful we are. We did not create the sun, moon and stars. God’s sovereignty does not come to an end, unlike earthly glory, wealth and power. Hence, no matter how smart, intelligent or successful we are in life, all these things will pass in time because we are but human beings. We will go back to the grave and for those who have faith, they know their life will end in God. We can only take ourselves with us, not anything or position we have in this life.

Realizing this truth, we must therefore give an account for the life that we live. Like the Parable of the Talents, we would be held accountable to God for the way we make use of our time, resources, money and energy in life. If we have used them for His glory and His service, we can be at peace with ourselves because we have given all that we have received back to Him by using them well for His people. In the process, we will find also great joy, meaning and satisfaction knowing that we have been good stewards of God’s grace. This is our greatest joy and knowing that what we do today, the rewards of good works will continue to the next life because we have grown in kindness, generosity, tolerance and forgiveness. Let us not be found wanting when we appear before the judgment seat of the Lord.

In the meantime, the Lord promised to be with us in all our trials in this life. “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost.” He will stand by us as we seek to be true to our calling. We should use all trials and challenges as opportunities to stand firm in our faith and to prove our fidelity to the Lord. Jesus said to His disciples, “Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness.” Yet, let us never forget that we do not give witness to Jesus alone because He promised us the Holy Spirit who will lead us to the truth. Hence, the Lord said, “Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict.” By being faithful to the Lord and His gospel, life will triumph over death, love over hatred. “Your endurance will win you your lives.”

Monday, 27 November 2023

THE PASSING KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD

20231128 THE PASSING KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD

28 November 2023, Tuesday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel 2:31-45 ©

Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, ‘You have had a vision, O king; this is what you saw: a statue, a great statue of extreme brightness, stood before you, terrible to see. The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part iron, part earthenware. While you were gazing, a stone broke away, untouched by any hand, and struck the statue, struck its feet of iron and earthenware and shattered them. And then, iron and earthenware, bronze, silver, gold all broke into small pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing-floor in summer. The wind blew them away, leaving not a trace behind. And the stone that had struck the statue grew into a great mountain, filling the whole earth. This was the dream; now we will explain to the king what it means.

‘You, O king, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and glory – the sons of men, the beasts of the field, the birds of heaven, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all – you are the golden head. And after you another kingdom will rise, not so great as you, and then a third, of bronze, which will rule the whole world. There will be a fourth kingdom, hard as iron, as iron that shatters and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms. The feet you saw, part earthenware, part iron, are a kingdom which will be split in two, but which will retain something of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together. The feet were part iron, part earthenware: the kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. And just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together, so the two will be mixed together in the seed of man; but they will not hold together any more than iron will blend with earthenware. In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever – just as you saw the stone untouched by hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.’

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:57-61 ©

All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Angels of the Lord! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Heavens! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Waters above the heavens! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Powers of the Lord! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

Lk21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high,

because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

Or:

Rv2:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,

keep faithful, and I will give you

the crown of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:5-11 ©

The destruction of the Temple foretold

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’

THE PASSING KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 2:31-45; Dn 3:57-61; Lk 21:5-11]

We all endeavor to build our kingdom in this world. This has always been the temptation of man since the days of old. Even Jesus, the Son of God, was tempted by the Devil in the desert to build His own kingdom when He began His ministry. (cf Mt 4:1-11) He was tempted to use His power to seek the pleasures of the world when the devil asked Him to change the stones into bread. He was tempted to show forth His power by throwing Himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple so that people would fear and respect Him. Finally, He was tempted to glory and riches when the devil “took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.'” (Mt 4:8f)

We too are tempted constantly like Jesus. Firstly, we desire more power to control people. We like positions and offices so that the people will respect us and think well of us. We think powerful people are loved when they are often feared! Of course, those of us who suffer from low self-esteem need to feel great and powerful. That is why there are some who desire the power of authority. Alas, the most powerful people on this earth are the ones that need the most number of security guards. They lose their freedom to go anywhere they like for fear of being recognized and be swamped by their fans and paparazzi or attacked by their enemies.

Secondly, we seek the glory, prestige and splendor of wealth and the things of this life. We desire money, gold and the best things in life. We like to wear beautiful clothes so that people will admire us. We think that with money there is security. We think that with money, all will be well with us and we will not have any more sufferings in life. Alas, the more money we have, the more insecure we become. We have to worry about how to handle and make our money grow. We will worry about being cheated, killed and robbed. We will no longer have true friends because most of our friends will be fair weather friends.

Thirdly, we seek to live a life of pleasure. People think that eating, drinking and merrymaking is what happiness is all about. We think that if we can eat and drink all day, we will be satisfied and be happy. Alas, we fail to realize that there is only so much we can eat, otherwise we will die of high cholesterol and ill health. Furthermore, anything that is excessive becomes a routine and loses its taste and colour. Then we need to start looking for better food and better facilities for enjoyment because there is a saturation point when the things of this world cannot satisfy us.

The first reading warns us that all these do not last. As soon as we attain power, glory and pleasure, we will lose them. Prophet Daniel’s interpretation of the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar shows that no matter how powerful and rich you are, the power and glory you have cannot last. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was the golden head of the statue (606-539 B.C.) His empire began to disintegrate after his death. After him came the Medo-Persian empire, which conquered Babylon in 539 B.C, symbolized by the silver chest and two arms. The third kingdom, symbolized by the belly and thighs of bronze, represented Greece and Macedonia, established by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. Finally, the last kingdom, symbolized by the iron legs, represented Rome, which conquered the Greeks in 63 B.C. This was the most powerful kingdom that subdued the world beyond what other empires ever did. Yet, in spite of its power, the Roman Empire was eventually broken up because the territory that Rome ruled was a mixture of weak and strong nations, symbolized by the feet of clay and iron mixed together. The stronger nationalist states resisted the Roman rule and managed to last a longer time but the weaker ones fell.

Such is the reality of history, the vicissitudes of joy and sorrow, failure and success, triumph and disgrace of life and death. Regardless how powerful we are, kingdoms will rise and fall. No earthly kingdom can last forever. We have seen this at work in history. Yet, we never learn. We deceive ourselves into thinking that our achievements, power, glory and wealth will last forever. This is utterly not true. Our wealth does not stay with the family for more than three generations. All the hard work and accumulated wealth will be spent by ingrates who care nothing for the pains and sufferings we went through to make the money. Our health will not last either. We will not always be strong and alert. We too have to give up power and our offices, and if we live long enough, we will suffer from dementia or some other illnesses and be cared for like a child.

Even what we build will be undone by future generations regardless how beautiful it is. A case in point is the Temple of Jerusalem. “When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.'” Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple which historically happened in 70 A.D. by the Romans. It is significant that this Second Temple that was built by Ezra after the return from exile in the sixth century B.C. was further expanded by King Herod over a 46 year period. Even such a majestic monument of great beauty could not survive the ravages of war and history. So let us not think too highly of our achievements. As Qoheleth remarked, “all is vanity and a chasing after wind.” (Eccl 1:14) Indeed, after death, we would just be a name in history, if ever history remembers us. History will continue to move relentlessly forward to the goal that God has set for the world.

The greatest tragedy is that we never learn from history. “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been, in the ages before us. The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.” (Eccl 1:9-11) We are so blinded by our daily pursuits and problems, fears and anxieties that we do not see the truth of life. We continue to chase after the wind.

What will last is the Kingdom of God. This was what God revealed to Daniel. “In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever – just as you saw the stone untouched by hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold.” God’s kingdom will withstand the end of time. God’s kingdom will come at a time when we least expect. This is what the Lord is teaching us. The Kingdom could come upon us suddenly when we die or it will come at the end of world history. It will come but it is beyond the control of man. No one can prevent its coming because no man can escape death.

So let us not be too worried when we hear of evils and sufferings or the success and prosperity of evil men. They will eventually be destroyed. Those who do evil will be overcome by evil at the end. Neither should we be worried too much about the happenings of this world, the tragedies and the wars. They are part of the whole process of purification of humanity in love. So let us remember that all things are passing. All evils will be conquered by Christ and death included. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor 15:26)

So what will last? The Constitution of the Church in the Modern World says, “Enduring with charity and its fruits, all that creation which God made on man’s account will be unchained from the bondage of vanity. Therefore, while we are warned that it profits a man nothing if he gain the whole world and lose himself, the expectation of a new earth must not weaken but rather stimulate our concern for cultivating this one. For here grows the body of a new human family, a body which even now is able to give some kind of foreshadowing of the new age. For after we have obeyed the Lord, and in His Spirit nurtured on earth the values of human dignity, brotherhood and freedom, and indeed all the good fruits of our nature and enterprise, we will find them again, but freed of stain, burnished and transfigured, when Christ hands over to the Father: ‘a kingdom eternal and universal, a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace.’ On this earth that Kingdom is already present in mystery. When the Lord returns it will be brought into full flower.” (GS 39) Indeed, God is in charge of this world because He is our creator of heaven and earth. “All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord. Give glory and eternal praise to him!”

Sunday, 26 November 2023

INCULTURATION

20231127 INCULTURATION

27 November 2023, Monday, 34th Week in Ordinary time

First reading

Daniel 1:1-6,8-20 ©

Daniel and his companions are trained to be the king's servants in Babylon

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched on Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hands, with some of the furnishings of the Temple of God. He took them away to the land of Shinar, and stored the sacred vessels in the treasury of his own gods.

The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to select from the Israelites a certain number of boys of either royal or noble descent; they had to be without any physical defect, of good appearance, trained in every kind of wisdom, well-informed, quick at learning, suitable for service in the palace of the king. Ashpenaz himself was to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldaeans. The king assigned them a daily allowance of food and wine from his own royal table. They were to receive an education lasting for three years, after which they were expected to be fit for the king’s society. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, who were Judaeans. Daniel, who was most anxious not to defile himself with the food and wine from the royal table, begged the chief eunuch to spare him this defilement; and by the grace of God Daniel met goodwill and sympathy on the part of the chief eunuch. But he warned Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king: he has assigned you food and drink, and if he sees you looking thinner in the face than the other boys of your age, my head will be in danger with the king because of you.’ At this Daniel turned to the guard whom the chief eunuch had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He said, ‘Please allow your servants a ten days’ trial, during which we are given only vegetables to eat and water to drink. You can then compare our looks with those of the boys who eat the king’s food; go by what you see, and treat your servants accordingly.’ The man agreed to do what they asked and put them on ten days’ trial. When the ten days were over they looked and were in better health than any of the boys who had eaten their allowance from the royal table; so the guard withdrew their allowance of food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. And God favoured these four boys with knowledge and intelligence in everything connected with literature, and in wisdom; while Daniel had the gift of interpreting every kind of vision and dream. When the period stipulated by the king for the boys’ training was over, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king conversed with them, and among all the boys found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So they became members of the king’s court, and on whatever point of wisdom or information he might question them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:52-56 ©

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

Blest your glorious holy name.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the temple of your glory.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest who gaze into the depths.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

You are blest in the firmament of heaven.

To you glory and praise for evermore.

Gospel Acclamation

Rv2:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,

keep faithful, and I will give you

the crown of life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt24:42,44

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake and stand ready,

because you do not know the hour

when the Son of Man is coming.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:1-4 ©

The widow's mite

As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’

INCULTURATION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 1:1-6,8-20; Dn 3:52-56; Lk 21:1-4]

How can a Christian retain his or her identity in a country that does not accept Christian culture? This is the question for our reflection today. Today, societies are becoming more and more cosmopolitan because of mass migration and globalization, especially in the cities. Although in many countries especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America, there is still a strong dominance of one culture over the rest, there is an increasing presence of people from other countries, races, languages and religions.

Understandably, one of the most important tasks of every government is to ensure that the people are united in love and work together for the good of everyone. Without harmony and unity, there will be no peace but division. When there is division, the whole country will be put at risk, as there is no security. No business will invest in a country where there is social disorder. In more cosmopolitan cities and countries, the way to unite people is to impose secularism on all peoples in public life. In other countries where there is a dominant religion or culture, they seek to impose its religion and culture on the minority groups. But this causes tension and resentment.

Unfortunately, the simplistic way of building unity has always been through the imposition of a common language, culture and religion for everyone. Unity is achieved through uniformity. This was what the kings in ancient times all tried to do. This was the case of the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar. After conquering Jerusalem and making it into a vassal state, he carried all the treasures from the Temple back to Babylon. He also brought all the talented people from Jerusalem to work for him as well. He knew that the country could not progress unless he had wise, intelligent and knowledgeable men to help him. Among the many Jews that he brought back to Babylon were four outstanding young men, namely, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

But it was not enough to have talented people to serve under him. He also sought to transform them into Babylonians as well. He did this by making them study “the language and literature of the Chaldaeans.” They were also assigned “a daily allowance of food and wine from his own royal table.” Besides, they were given an education which included history, mathematics and astronomy. He even gave them Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In other words, it was hoped that by dressing them up like Babylonians, making them share the same history, literature, language and culture, they would be more accepted by the rest of the people.

All these means of inculturation can be accommodated. Indeed, when a migrant enters a new country, it is necessary for him to know the language of the people so that he could communicate with the rest of the people. Studying their history and literature is also a necessary part of inculturation so that he can feel with the people, understand their culture, their thinking and their values. This will help him to be more sensitive so that he would not say or doing anything that could offend the locals. For the sake of unity, new migrants cannot be living in their own enclaves, isolated from the larger community. It is necessary that new migrants adopt the language and the culture of the society they now belong. In this way, there will be greater assimilation although it might not be the best way to promote unity. But it has always been the tendency of those societies with a strong homogenous race or religion to impose their culture and religion on others.

A better approach is to promote unity in diversity. This is particularly so if the society is less homogenous and more cosmopolitan. In such a situation, uniformity will not work. In fact, it will cause resentment and hostility. When we apply the principle of unity in diversity, it necessarily requires all cultures to be open to each other. We adopt and accept what each culture can contribute to society, thereby enriching everyone. It is the way of integration rather than assimilation. In integration, all cultures retain their own unique identity but are integrated in such a way that the different communities are able to enjoy and even embrace each other’s culture.

The biggest mistake that most leaders fail in promoting unity is to confuse culture with religion. Culture is a way of life. It expresses implicitly the values of the people. Culture is expressed through signs such as dressing, gesture, actions and celebrations. Culture celebrates what is common among the peoples and the values that they have in common. Many of the cultural expressions are in the form of human values and aspirations.

Religion is connected to culture, but it is not identical with culture. Religion entails the worship of the Sacred. It is concerned with the worship of God or of a deity. The way we revere God and express our common faith is through the means that are available to us, the signs that all can understand. So, religion is also inculturated because the values of religion are expressed in the culture which the people are familiar with. So, in Asian countries, kneeling, bowing or clasping the palms of both hands together are symbols of reverence, respect and honour. These gestures and signs could be rendered to man or to God, depending on who is being honoured, the values that are being expressed.

Once we understand the connection between religion and culture and the distinction between the two, we would not be fighting over the gestures and signs used by people sharing the same religion but expressing it according to their cultures and customs. Only certain critical signs of a religion cannot be inculturaized e.g. the bread and wine for the use of the Eucharistic celebration. But the non-essential signs could be adapted accordingly. What one practises in his country may not be the same way it is expressed in another country, although the meaning and intention is the same.

But this is just how far we can go when we seek unity through uniformity. When it comes to religion, we must respect people of other faiths. Their beliefs are rooted in their God experience or in the way they were raised as God-fearing people. Religion is a matter of the heart, of faith and not always logical or rather, beyond reason. When we seek to impose our faith on others, then this is where the tension comes in.

This was the mistake that the Babylonian kings made, but they fortunately learnt their lesson. In the first instance, King Nebuchadnezzar had to put the three young men to death because his officials complained that they refused to worship the golden image. They were put into the fiery furnace, but the angel saved them from death. Hence, the king exclaimed, “Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” (Dn 3:29)

Later, King Darius signed a decree that “whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.” (Dn 6:7) This resulted in Daniel being arrested and thrown into the lions’ den. When saved by God, King Darius made another decree, “that in all my royal dominion men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring for ever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.” (Dn 6:26) It was because the king saw the power of God protecting Daniel from being eaten up by the lions. Faith requires a personal encounter with the living and mighty God. Once there is such an encounter, our perception of the faith would change accordingly.

In matters of faith, no compromise is possible. Hence, whilst Daniel and his friends were willing to assume the culture and the language of the Babylonians, they were adamant in remaining faithful to their religious values and beliefs. They were not ready to betray their conscience and their faith just to enjoy the benefits of power, glory and success. They were ready to give up everything for their faith. And this was what they did. They rejected the food from the king’s table because of the fear of being defiled, especially if the food was offered to idols or because they served pork. They refused to bow down to worship any image including the king. On such religious matters, they stood firm. God was with them and rescued them from their enemies.

Today, we are called to imitate Daniel and his three friends in being firm in our faith, even when we accept inculturation. We should indeed immerse ourselves in the cultures of the people we live with for better understanding and integration. Unity and harmony are values that the gospel promotes, and they are essential to the mission of the Church. We are called to work hard for the good of all in whichever community we belong to, regardless of race, language or religion. We must strive to serve the country, as Daniel and the three young men did, to the best of our ability. But let us be firm in our faith like the poor widow who gave everything to God without reservation. She did not reserve anything for herself. She did not put her convenience and life before God. We too must surrender our lives to God for the service of humanity and for His greater glory.

Saturday, 25 November 2023

LET THERE BE PEACE

20231126 LET THERE BE PEACE

26 November 2023, Sunday, Christ the King

First reading

The Lord will judge between sheep and sheep

The Lord says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest – it is the Lord who speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.

As for you, my sheep, the Lord says this: I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats.

Responsorial Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Second reading

Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father; so that God may be all in all

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feetand the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.

Gospel Acclamation

Mk11:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David!

Alleluia!

Gospel

I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”

‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

LET THERE BE PEACE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZK 34:11-12,15-17; 1 COR 15:20-26,28; MT 25:31-46]

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. The theme of our celebration is “Let there be peace.” How can peace reign on earth? The world is so divided and fragmented today in spite of the tremendous improvements in social and mass communication. Instead of bringing about greater unity through communication, there is even greater misunderstanding than ever before because of how individuals and organizations make use of mass communication to spread distorted views and fake news. But the world is divided not only because of social communication but fierce competition for power, fame and wealth.

What is the cause of division? The first division comes from man himself. Divided within himself, he finds no peace within, hence he brings nothing but division and trouble to society; and then to the world. Jesus in the gospel tells us that it is “from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come.” (Mk 7:21f). Indeed, there is a lack of peace in the world because the individual is not at peace with himself or herself. This is why in the beautiful hymn, we sing, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me!”

Today, when we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, we are affirming in faith that Christ is the only one that can bring peace to humanity. What is the significance of proclaiming Christ as our King? A king is one whose primary duty is not so much to rule and control his subjects but to bring peace to his people. In every nation, there is always a monarch or a President whose primary task is to unite the people in love and in unity, with everyone working together, caring for each other, prospering together, and so live in peace. This is true for all of us, whether we are leaders in church, society, organizations or within our own homes. The power given to us as leaders is never for ourselves, to make us egoistic, to make use of people for our interests, to make them serve us, or for us to control them. But authority and power is given to us to unite everyone so that all are protected and given the opportunity to grow and contribute to society; so that together we prosper and enjoy the gifts of this creation in love, unity and peace.

God had entrusted the duty of uniting the people to earthly kings, but instead of representing God and acting on His behalf to serve the people they were motivated by fear, greed, power and envy. By their policies they divided the people and the nations. Hence, He said, “I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.”

This is what Jesus our king sought to do. He came to unite humanity and so bring peace to the individuals and the nations. How does He do it if not by His mercy and compassion especially for the poor. Jesus not only teaches us He but shows the way. At the beginning of His ministry, He made it clear by citing from the prophet Isaiah, thus spelling out His vision and mission for society. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” (Lk 4:18f). Hence, we read in the Acts of the Apostles, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

The way to peace can only come when we destroy sin that causes division within man and society. St Paul wrote, “For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.” Peace can come about only when we are subject to the teachings of Christ and live by the gospel values enunciated by our Lord. We need to go beyond ourselves and think of others. The only way to protect our peace and happiness is to care for the interests of others as well.

Hence, our Lord in today’s gospel reminds us that on the day of judgment, we will not be judged by our achievements in life. We will not be judged by whatever penances or mortifications we have done; or how many rosaries we have prayed, or how many masses we have attended. We are judged by our compassion and charity. This is what the Lord said, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”

It is in the works of charity that we are assessed on the depth of our love for our fellowmen and for God. This is because God is identified with us. Indeed, Christ is in our fellowmen, especially when they are our fellow Christians. Jesus identifies Himself with the weak, the poor and the suffering. In the context of mission, Jesus is identified with His priests, ministers, religious and all those who are engaged in the mission of the Church. Giving support and hospitality to Christ’s messengers is an obligation.

In the final analysis, this is what true love is all about; a love that goes beyond simply our loved ones. For in loving our loved ones, we are still loving ourselves to a great extent because we are identified with them more intimately. But for us to show compassion and charity towards strangers, we show that we see Christ in them and so extend our love for them simply because they are made in the image and likeness of God as we are. Hence, they too are identified with us. We are all one humanity, one family of God, regardless of our status, religion and race. We bear the image of God and we are all brothers and sisters of our Lord. We must be an inclusive, welcoming and hospitable Church.

Indeed, the only way to conquer sin, which is rooted in fear and selfishness, is by love. We must die to ourselves as Christ did, showing us the way of love by overcoming hatred, non-violence over revenge, forgiveness over bearing grudges, loving our enemies over hatred. As a consequence, if we share in the death of Christ, we will share in His love as well. St Paul assures us that “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.”

Hence, let us follow Jesus the King of peace. He came in all humility, and He entered Jerusalem as King not on a horse like a warrior but on a donkey, signaling that He has come for peace and reconciliation. He has come to show us the way to true and lasting peace. But He not only shows us the way; by His death and resurrection, Jesus has come to unite us all in Him and give us His Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, releasing us from the bondage of the Evil One, and empowering us to love like Him. He comes to heal our souls and our fallen nature. He comes to strengthen our will and remove our fear of death which is the last enemy of humanity. This King of peace comes to bring us the gifts of the Holy Spirit by blessing us with His charisms to do what He has done, so that we too can heal the sick, cast out devils and evil from society. In this way, Jesus will help us to find peace within ourselves first so that we can bring peace to the rest of humanity. Jesus is our peace!