20240528 CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ROOTED IN HOPE: A PROMISE AND YET REALIZED
28 May 2024, Tuesday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | 1 Peter 1:10-16 © |
Put your trust in the grace that is coming to you
It was this salvation that the prophets were looking and searching so hard for; their prophecies were about the grace which was to come to you. The Spirit of Christ which was in them foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would come after them, and they tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances all this was to be expected. It was revealed to them that the news they brought of all the things which have now been announced to you, by those who preached to you the Good News through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, was for you and not for themselves. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.
Free your minds, then, of encumbrances; control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 97(98):1-4 © |
The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation.
The Lord has made known his salvation.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love
for the house of Israel.
The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy.
The Lord has made known his salvation.
Gospel Acclamation | Ph2:15-16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.
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 | Mark 10:28-31 © |
Whoever has left everything for the sake of the gospel will be repaid
At that time Peter began to tell Jesus, ‘What about us? We have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.
‘Many who are first will be last, and the last first.’
CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ROOTED IN HOPE: A PROMISE AND YET REALIZED
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 PT 1:10-16; PS 98:1-4; MK 10:28-31]
The first reading from St Peter speaks of the persecution of the Christians under the Roman Emperor and from Judaism. This was already anticipated by our Lord when He warned His disciples of the persecutions ahead of them. As Christians, we can expect persecution, because our values are different from that of the world’s. As the Lord said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” The gospel values are a reversal of the values of the world. The world seeks honour, glory, power and wealth. We seek humble service and simplicity in life.
How do we accept the sufferings of a Christian? We seem to be at a disadvantage in the world. This is what many Christians feel. We are expected to be forgiving all the time. At times, we cannot defend ourselves even when we are wrongly accused. When we are slandered, we are expected to respond with charity. We suffer in silence and are often misunderstood. It is tough because to respond as the world would to its enemies would mean that we are no better than them.
St Peter reminds us of our call to be holy and to be different, and to love like Christ, forgiving our enemies. “Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy.” The holiness of God is expressed in mercy, forgiveness and charity. Because God is always merciful and forgiving, we too must act like Him if we call ourselves His children.
Not only must we be merciful to those who have hurt us, we must be generous in giving ourselves in humble service to the poor. Earlier on, Jesus challenged His disciples to leave everything and give to the poor and to follow Him to Jerusalem. He told the rich man, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mk 10:21) He warned His disciples, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” And the disciples “were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.'” (Mk 10:26f) Indeed, Christian life is demanding and truly radical. It is not for the faint-hearted and the weak.
What, then, is the basis for us to live the life of Christ? It is based on Christian hope. What is this Hope that can sustain us? It is a hope that is promised. Christian Hope means that it is not yet realized but it does not mean that it is an unsubstantiated hope. Otherwise, we will be proclaiming a pie in the sky. But it is difficult to tell someone to hope for something that he does not see. It is not viable to tell the modern man to go through the valley of tears so that he will have eternal life in the future. Only suicide terrorists will do it out of disillusionment in this life. The modern man is only interested in immediate gratification. So to ask them to postpone their fulfilment for an uncertain future is not tenable. The modern man is quite unlike the man from the previous generations who always saved for the future and for their children. They will keep things and hoard them for their children. The modern man wants it now, to enjoy now. They don’t know what poverty is. Everything must be in their hands in an instant. He cannot wait. With digital media, mass communications and technology, we are used to getting what we want almost instantly. This expectation of immediate gratification is transferred even to the religious world.
Even the disciples demanded it. Peter asked Jesus, “What about us? We have left everything and followed you.” The response of our Lord is clear when He said, “I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions – now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.” God does not expect us to hope for something that is not yet experienced as a foretaste.
Christian hope is not based on an illusory promise of a utopia. The truth lies in-between. It is rooted in the present, in partial fulfilment. The promise of Jesus to the disciples about repayment now in this present life is a partial realization. Following Him in those days might mean being rejected by their loved ones, especially those who subscribed to strict Judaism. But in the process of losing their loved ones, as many converts now have also experienced being ostracised by family members for accepting Christ, they in turn find a new family of God, the larger family of Christ that welcomes them. Perhaps being a Christian does not make us materially rich, but we will be rich in love and fellowship. At the end of the day, wealth and power are meant to bring us friends and love through service and sharing. If our material wealth brings division because of greed and quarrels in our family, then it defeats the purpose.
This was how St Peter encouraged the Christians in terms of seeing the full revelation of Christ. He reminded them of their great privilege compared to the Old Testament prophets. He wrote, “It was this salvation that the prophets were looking and searching so hard for; their prophecies were about the grace which was to come to you.” They did not have the opportunity to see Christ but in faith they believed that the Christ would come. Christ fulfilled the prophecies. “The Spirit of Christ which was in them foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would come after them, and they tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances all this was to be expected.” For the Christians, they had the benefit of witnessing the life, passion, death and resurrection of our Lord. “It was revealed to them that the news they brought of all the things which have now been announced to you, by those who preached to you the Good News through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, was for you and not for themselves. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.”
So, too, for the Israelites during the time of Moses. The responsorial psalm expressed their experience of the salvific grace of God. “Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation. The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.” The Israelites witnessed the power of God at work when He delivered them out of Egypt. They saw God’s mercy and might.
So Christian hope is based on a proleptic experience of the salvation given to us in Christ. It is a future that is already realized in Christ’s passion and resurrection. The motivation for Christian holiness is driven by the imminent return of Christ. We must be mentally alert, disciplined and focused as we prepare ourselves to meet the Lord. This is what St Peter exhorts us, “Free your minds, then, of encumbrances; control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Our understanding of heaven and the future life is an extrapolation of what is already achieved in Christ. Based on this partial fulfilment, we strive to prepare for the fullest revelation of God’s grace. Yet, there is a warning that if we want to enjoy the fullness of life, it will not be without persecution. It is a necessary stage of self-emptying, purification in love and faith. So we need to continue to strive in holiness, in mercy and in charity. We must imitate the Lord who is the standard of Christian morality. We must not go back to the old way of life. “Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do.” By committing our lives to Christ, we are set apart to be holy. Our focus, our priorities and values must reflect God’s ways in all that we do and say.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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