20240415 REALIZING UNITY IN HIS TIME AND BY HIS STRENGTH
15 April 2024, Monday, 3rd Week of Eastertide
First reading | Acts 6:8-15 © |
They could not get the better of Stephen because the Spirit prompted what he said
Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. So they procured some men to say, ‘We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against God.’ Having in this way turned the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. There they put up false witnesses to say, ‘This man is always making speeches against this Holy Place and the Law. We have heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.’ The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 118(119):23-24,26-27,29-30 © |
They are happy whose life is blameless.
or
Alleluia!
Though princes sit plotting against me
I ponder on your statutes.
Your will is my delight;
your statutes are my counsellors.
They are happy whose life is blameless.
or
Alleluia!
I declared my ways and you answered;
teach me your statutes.
Make me grasp the way of your precepts
and I will muse on your wonders.
They are happy whose life is blameless.
or
Alleluia!
Keep me from the way of error
and teach me your law.
I have chosen the way of truth
with your decrees before me.
They are happy whose life is blameless.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn20:29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
‘You believe, Thomas, because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt4:4 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 6:22-29 © |
Do not work for food that cannot last, but for food that endures to eternal life
After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had set off by themselves. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’
Jesus answered:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs
but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.
Do not work for food that cannot last,
but work for food that endures to eternal life,
the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,
for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’
Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’
REALIZING UNITY IN HIS TIME AND BY HIS STRENGTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 6:8-15; JOHN 6:22-29]
Building unity is crucial not just for our mission, but it is the foundation for peace, happiness and progress in every organization, society, religion and nation. This is what the Lord said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand.” The beginning of the fall of a nation or any organization is disunity. When the country is fragmented, when religious leaders are fighting among themselves, when society is divided, the peoples cannot work together for the growth of the organization.
Preserving and fostering unity is a very daunting task, especially in this modern world. In the olden days, leaders could use their juridical authority and power to unite the people. But today, no one listens to authority unless authority agrees with them. In a world of relativism and individualism, with diverse opinions on every issue, it is very challenging to get everyone on board. There will be strong dissenters who want to have things their way. In the corporate world, they can hire and fire. Not so in the Church, because compassion and patience are very important virtues that leaders must exercise or else they lose credibility in leading their flock. That is why religious leaders often appear weak and inept because they fail to discipline or enforce the rules on dissenting individuals and groups. But if they do, then they are condemned for lacking compassion. Either way, the leader will be penalized. A leader pleases no one.
Indeed, this is the strategy Satan uses to destroy the world. His task is to sow doubt and create confusion. This was what he did when Jesus was accused of casting out devils in the name of Beelzebul. By sowing doubt, people will lose confidence in authority. Today, we see lots of fake news being passed around in social media. The Devil is the father of lies. Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44) He is doing this today by promoting relativism and individualism. He is confusing people on their own sexual identity, the meaning of marriage and family. He is the one who tempts people to pornography, promiscuity, infidelity and causes marriages and beautiful relationships to break up.
This explains why St John Paul II underscored the importance of communion in mission and mission in communion. “Communion with Jesus, which gives rise to the communion of Christians among themselves, is the indispensable condition for bearing fruit; and communion with others, which is the gift of Christ and his Spirit, is the most magnificent fruit that the branches can give. In this sense, communion and mission are inseparably connected. They interpenetrate and mutually imply each other, so that ‘communion represents both the source and fruit of mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion’.” (Ecclesia In Asia, No 24)
How, then, can we cultivate this spirituality of communion? First and foremost, we need to be in communion with the Lord. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:4f) Without communion with the Lord, we will not have the capacity to love our brothers and sisters, and the patience to listen to them and their struggles. Indeed, to fight against the Evil One, we need a strong man to help us. “But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house.” St Paul writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (cf Eph 6:10-12) What does this armour of God consist of? Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, Word of God and prayers. (cf Eph 6:13-18)
The spirituality of communion must include dialogue in the search for truth. Dialogue is an important principle in bringing divergent parties together, even if it is a very trying exercise. Often in dialogue, we might never agree on everything. Still, we need to persevere and never give up hope. Again, St John Paul II wrote, “As the sacrament of the unity of all mankind, the Church cannot but enter into dialogue with all peoples, in every time and place. Her efforts to engage in dialogue are directed in the first place to those who share her belief in Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour. It extends beyond the Christian world to the followers of every other religious tradition, on the basis of the religious yearnings found in every human heart. Ecumenical dialogue and interreligious dialogue constitute a veritable vocation for the Church.” (Ecclesia In Asia, No 29)
King David is a good example of one who ruled his kingdom based on the principles of communion and dialogue. He sought to unite Israel but he did not take things into his own hands. He did not become King of Judah until he was 30 years old. When he was anointed king over all Israel, he was then 37 years old. It was the third time that he was anointed. Earlier on, he was secretly anointed king by Samuel when he was still a young boy. (1 Sm 16:13). Then he was made king of Judah after Saul’s death. (2 Sm 2:4) It took many years before the promise of the Lord was fulfilled in him. All these years, David waited patiently for the Lord to fulfil His promise. He was not in a hurry to take the crown from Saul or from anyone. He took the waiting period as an opportunity to strengthen his character and his army.
Firstly, he knew and trusted in the Lord. He clung on to the promise of God. “Of old you spoke in a vision. To your friends the prophets you said: ‘I have set the crown on a warrior, I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David my servant and with my holy oil anointed him. My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong.” Indeed, “He grew greater and greater, and the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.” He knew that it was the Lord who established him as king; not by his own strength. He was aware that his greatness came from God. That was why throughout his life as king, he kept a close relationship with the Lord. He put God first in his life. He served the people according to the covenant laid down by the Lord. His stronghold was not the army or his strength but in the power of God. Unlike the pagan armies who relied on conquest, power, armies and wealth to be successful, David relied completely on the Lord of Hosts.
Secondly, he won over the hearts of the people, especially of Israel, by his genuine love for them. When Saul died, David lamented for him. He did not take the life of Saul but his enemies did. Even after his death, he did not forcefully take the throne from Saul. He allowed Saul’s son, Ish-Bosheth to take over the throne since he was next in line to succeed Saul. But Ish-Bosheth was too weak a king. He relied on Abner, his military commander. When Abner was murdered by Joab, David’s military commander, he was upset. He made it clear that he had nothing to do with the killing of an innocent life. In fact, he grieved over the loss of an outstanding military warrior. To show that Abner’s killing was not his plot, he walked behind the bier as a symbol of him leading the mourning. He even ordered Joab to mourn with the rest as well. Then Ish-Bosheth was murdered by his own men in the end. Again, to show his innocence, David had the assassins killed. He accorded both Abner and Ish-Bosheth a proper burial. By his devotion to Saul and graciousness towards Saul’s tribes, he showed his sincerity. Through such actions he eventually won their trust. All the tribes, recognizing that they needed a strong leader to fight against the Philistines, pledged their loyalty to David.
We, too, must work at communion, relying on the Lord and not just our strength. There will be times when our plans are wrecked by wicked and divisive people. But, like David, we must remain firm and trust in the Lord. We must abide by God’s time. He knows when to unfold His plans for us. In the meantime, we need to work with all our strength, relying on His grace and wisdom to forge greater unity among ourselves and those under our charge. It will not be easy, but with patience, we will overcome the obstacles to peace and unity. There is no other way except through dialogue and genuine love in order to bring about unity and peace.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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