20231229 PERFECTION OF LOVE IS EXPRESSED IN OBEDIENCE TO THE TRUTH
29 December 2023, Friday, 5th Day within the Octave of Christmas
First reading | 1 John 2:3-11 © |
Anyone who loves his brother is living in the light
We can be sure that we know God
only by keeping his commandments.
Anyone who says, ‘I know him’,
and does not keep his commandments,
is a liar,
refusing to admit the truth.
But when anyone does obey what he has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.
We can be sure that we are in God
only when the one who claims to be living in him
is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.
My dear people,
this is not a new commandment that I am writing to tell you,
but an old commandment
that you were given from the beginning,
the original commandment which was the message brought to you.
Yet in another way, what I am writing to you,
and what is being carried out in your lives as it was in his,
is a new commandment;
because the night is over
and the real light is already shining.
Anyone who claims to be in the light
but hates his brother
is still in the dark.
But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light
and need not be afraid of stumbling;
unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness,
not knowing where he is going,
because it is too dark to see.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 95(96):1-3,5-6 © |
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Proclaim his help day by day,
tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
It was the Lord who made the heavens,
his are majesty and state and power
and splendour in his holy place.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn1:14,12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.
To all who received him he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
Or: |
Alleluia, alleluia!
A light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 2:22-35 © |
'You have prepared a light to enlighten the pagans'
When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
PERFECTION OF LOVE IS EXPRESSED IN OBEDIENCE TO THE TRUTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 JOHN 2:3-11; LUKE 2:22-35]
We all need love. Love is the reason for living. There is nothing greater than love. We all want to love and be loved. But love is an ambiguous word. Everyone says he or she is doing it out of love. Those who engage in casual sex, do so out of love. Those who go for abortion do so out of love for the baby since they cannot take care of the baby. Euthanasia is promoted in the name of mercy and love for those who are suffering and lonely. Divorce, too, is exercised in the name of love. Same sex union is encouraged in the name of love.
However, it is not enough to love. Our love often is focused on self rather on the other person. It is a selfish and inward-looking kind of love. If we search deep within ourselves and reflect on what we do and why we do, perhaps we will come to realize that our motive of love is not so sincere and true after all. Thus, it is necessary that we grow in perfection in love. This is what St John is urging us.
How can “God’s love comes to perfection” in us? Love must be founded on truth. To love authentically means to walk in the light and in truth. In the first place, to love in truth means to love our brothers and sisters even our enemies. St John wrote, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling; unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness, not knowing where he is going, because it is too dark to see.” Secondly, to love in truth is to obey the commandments of God. “We can be sure that we know God only by keeping his commandments. Anyone who says, ‘I know him’, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, refusing to admit the truth.” His commandments are commandments to help us to love authentically.
Where do we find truth? Christ is the light of the world. He is the divine truth in person. This is what St John wrote, “Yet in another way, what I am writing to you, and what is being carried out in your lives as it was in his, is a new commandment; because the night is over and the real light is already shining.” He also said, “We can be sure that we are in God only when the one who claims to be living in him is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.” As a consequence, He brings tensions to those who do not wish to live in the truth. “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.'”
Indeed, only in Christ can we grow in perfect love which is founded on divine wisdom and truth. This is what St Paul wrote to the Colossians. “That will explain why, ever since the day he told us, we have never failed to pray for you, and what we ask God is that through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding you should reach the fullest knowledge of his will. So you will be able to lead the kind of life which the Lord expects of you, a life acceptable to him in all its aspects; showing the results in all the good actions you do and increasing your knowledge of God.” (Col 1:9-10)
But knowing what is truth is only the first step. Living out the commandments of God demands God’s grace. On our own strength although we may know the truth, it does not mean we can live the truth. This explains why we break the commandments of God even though we know they are good. St John says to know God means to obey the commandments. In other words, to know God is to share His mind and His heart. When we are utterly convinced, we will be able to do what Jesus did. What is necessary is to strengthen our relationship with the Lord. It means doing the Father’s will like Jesus.
Only in God’s strength can we do His will and find the capacity to love authentically and selflessly. This happens when we are conscious of His love for us as St Paul wrote, “Because that is what he has done: he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.” (Col 1:11-13) Indeed, St Paul once again said, “You will have in you the strength, based on his own glorious power, never to give in, but to bear anything joyfully, thanking the Father who has made it possible for you to join the saints and with them to inherit the light.”
Indeed, the Christmas octave is a time to contemplate like Mary on the incarnation. It is a time to wonder at the incarnation. God, in becoming man, shows His mercy and love for humanity. By taking upon our humanity, we see the mercy and love of God in person. Before that, we know His mercy through the prophets and through the goodness of people, but with the Incarnation God shows His love for us. In assuming our humanity, God shows that He can feel with us, and is identified with us.
This is what St Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, “Let man infer from this how much God cares for him. Let him know from this what God thinks of him, what he feels about him. Man, do not ask about your own sufferings; but about what God suffered. Learn from what he was made for you, how much he makes of you, so that his kindness may show itself to you from his humanity. The lesser he has made himself in his humanity, the greater has he shown himself in kindness. The more he humbles himself on my account, the more powerfully he engages my love. The kindness and humanity of God our Saviour appeared says St Paul. The humanity of God shows the greatness of his kindness, and he who added humanity to the name of God gave great proof of this kindness.”
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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