Friday 21 June 2024

THE TREASURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

20240621 THE TREASURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

 

 

21 June 2024, Friday, 11th Week In Ordinary Time

First reading

2 Kings 11:1-4,9-18,20

Saved from the massacre, the true king is anointed by the high priest

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah learned that her son was dead, she promptly did away with all those of royal stock. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, secretly took away Jehoash, her brother’s son, from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and put him with his nurse in the sleeping quarters; in this way she hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. He stayed with her for six years, hidden in the Temple of the Lord, while Athaliah governed the country.

  In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds of the Carians and of the guards, and had them brought to him in the Temple of the Lord. He made a pact with them and, putting them under oath, showed them the king’s son.

  The commanders of hundreds did everything as Jehoiada the priest had ordered. They brought their men, those coming off duty on the sabbath together with those mounting guard on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. The priest equipped the commanders of hundreds with King David’s spears and shields which were in the Temple of the Lord. The guards formed up, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the south corner to the north corner of the Temple, surrounding the altar and the Temple. Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown and armlets on him, and he anointed him king. They clapped their hands and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’

  Athaliah, on hearing the shouts of the people made for the Temple of the Lord where the people were. When she saw the king standing there beside the pillar, as the custom was, with the captains and trumpeters at the king’s side, and all the country people rejoicing and sounding trumpets, Athaliah tore her garments and shouted, ‘Treason, treason!’ Then Jehoiada the priest gave the order to the army officers: ‘Take her outside the precincts and put to death anyone who follows her.’ ‘For,’ the priest had reasoned, ‘she must not be put to death in the Temple of the Lord.’ They seized her, and when she had reached the palace through the Entry of the Horses, she was put to death there.

  Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and king and people, by which the latter undertook to be the people of the Lord; and also between king and people. All the country people then went to the temple of Baal and demolished it; they smashed his altars and his images and killed Mattan, priest of Baal, in front of the altars.

  The priest posted sentries to guard the Temple of the Lord. All the country people were delighted, and the city made no move. And they put Athaliah to death in the royal palace.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 131(132):11-14,17-18

The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.

The Lord swore an oath to David;

  he will not go back on this word:

‘A son, the fruit of your body,

  will I set upon your throne.

The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.

If they keep my covenant in truth

  and my laws that I have taught them,

their sons also shall rule

  on your throne from age to age.’

The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.

For the Lord has chosen Zion;

  he has desired it for his dwelling:

‘This is my resting-place for ever;

  here have I chosen to live.

The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.

There David’s stock will flower;

  I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.

I will cover his enemies with shame

  but on him my crown shall shine.’

The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt5:3

Alleluia, alleluia!

How happy are the poor in spirit:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 6:19-23

Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

  ‘The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!’

 

 

THE TREASURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 KgS 11:1-4, 9-18, 20; Mt 6:19-23]

What is your treasure in life?  This, perhaps, is the most important question everyone must honestly ask ourselves.  The reason is clear, for as the Lord says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart also.”  Whatever is our treasure in life, we will give our heart and soul to it.  We will invest all that we have, our time, our energy, our resources and our life in it.  For most people, their treasure is making more money, becoming rich and wealthy.  For others, it is about power to control the lives of others, making decisions so that others fear and serve them like kings and queens.  Being successful is important, whether in studies, business or politics, or even in religion, so that we can be honoured and glorified.  Of course, for those who have no goals in life, their only treasure is pleasure and fun.  They are just interested in having fun, indulging in the pleasures of the world.

This was the case of Queen Athalia.  After the death of her son, King Ahaziah, she seized the throne by massacring all her rivals, killing all the descendants of the king.  She was obsessed with power and glory.  When it comes to the pursuit of earthly kingdoms, ambition knows no restraint.  This is why they say that politics is dirty because foes can be friends overnight if they serve each other’s interests, and friends can be foes overnight as well, when there is disagreement.  There are no real friends in politics.  In the case of Athalia, she did not know that there were forces working against her.  Jehosheba, a courageous woman, took away Joash, Ahaziah’s son and a true heir to the kingdom, and hid him in the Temple for six years.

Yet, as the gospel warns us, such pursuits will only bring fleeting victory with no lasting satisfaction.   Those who have power become even more insecure than ever because there will be people waiting to eliminate them and take over their position.  Powerful people have no freedom to do what they want, go where they want, because they need the security guard to be around them all the time.  There is no peace, no real honour or respect.  More often than not, people respect us only because of the office and power we hold.  Once we lose the office, we are of no more use to them.  We will be discarded and treated like everyone else.   Like Queen Athalia, her reign was short-lived.  She was killed by her adversaries in the end.  Evil breeds evil.  Killing breeds killing.

Pursuits of pleasure and success also do not last.  Pleasures do not last long.  Once it is finished, we feel saturated and tired.  They come and go.  Such entertainment can be tiring too.  It can be an escapism from entering deeper into oneself or cultivating good friendships.  Even the feeling of being great when successful, does not last.  Once we receive the honour and the rewards, life carries on.  The feeling of success and achievement is all forgotten.  What matters is not what we had done but what we are doing today.  We are rewarded not for yesterday’s work but for today’s performance.  We can do very well in our studies and get all distinctions, but we will not be paid for our academic achievements but rather how much profits we can bring to the company.

Indeed, like Athalia, we lack understanding.  She was blinded by her ambition and bitterness against her perceived enemies.  Through treachery, she placed herself on the throne, only to be dethroned later and killed.  What was ironical was that upon discovering that Joash was put on the throne and acclaimed by the people, she accused them of treason, not realizing that she was the real traitor and had committed treason to gain the throne. She had abandoned the Lord and His ways and so became blind to her own sins, greed, ambition and revenge.  When evil consumes us, we cannot distinguish between right and wrong.

We too are blinded by our short-term needs and are deceived by short-term gains.  Our selfishness and greed allow others to deceive us, even as we think that we are deceiving them!  We buy into empty promises of success, get rich schemes, easy victory, only to discover that we have been cheated.  Indeed, we lack perception because we trust the world too much and are easily impressed by external signs.   If we do not know what the real treasure is, we will end up chasing after illusions that can never be realized.  Indeed, most of us are short-sighted.  We tend to see things superficially. This is why we are vulnerable to modern advertisements and are easily persuaded into buying their products or services.  Advertisers are good at making everything look so attractive and desirable.

But there is also another group of people who do not even have any treasures in life.  They have no interest in anything.  They just go through life drudgingly.  They have no passion for their family, for their community or sincere love for their friends except when they need them.  Life has no purpose, no meaning, no goal, no excitement.  They go through life without direction.  Such people also do not live.  They are really blind.  They are merely keeping themselves alive.

This is why the Lord warns us, “The lamp of the body is the eye.  It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light.  But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness.  If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!”  The human eye is the window to the heart, soul and mind of a person.  How we view life and see reality will affect our vision of life, reality, and how we see the world, suffering, pain and joy.  The way we see and judge situations will show our true character and our moral being.  If we see life, work, relationships, suffering and joy in its proper perspective as God sees it, then we will find happiness, otherwise, we will distort the beauty of God’s creation.

The Lord today shows us where our treasure should be.  He warns us that earthly treasures will disintegrate and be destroyed.  This is not to say that we should not have any earthly ambitions or be passionate about our work or business.  Rather, we are called to subordinate all earthly treasures to the greatest of all treasures, which is the kingdom of God.  We can be materially successful but personally, we might be impoverished because we lack time for quality relationships with our loved ones and with God.  Because of work, we can treat our staff and subordinates as tools for our success rather than as persons working together with us to help us realize our potentials and contribute to the good of humanity.  If we direct all that we do for the building of God’s kingdom, a kingdom where there is justice, compassion, love, progress and prosperity, we would have kept our eyes in the right place.

Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that evil can triumph over goodness.  Today’s tragic story of Queen Athalia reminds us that goodness ultimately triumphs and evil will be destroyed.  This is why we must direct all our energy and resources, indeed our whole life, to do good and to give glory to God.  To place God as the centre of our life, is where our true treasure should lie.  There is no greater life than a life lived with God and in Him.  This is the only treasure that gives us peace, joy and happiness in this life and hereafter.  In Jesus, as St Peter tells us, we receive “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  (1 Pt 1:4f) St Paul describes this kingdom in terms of peace, joy and righteousness in the Holy Spirit.  (Rom 14:17)

So let us put our heart in this kingdom.  If Jehosheba could risk her life to save her nephew, Joash, and Jehoida, the priest, in leading a coup d’état, and the captains by supporting Jehoida (2 Kgs 11:2-4), we too must be ready to risk our lives for not just the earthly kingdom but for the eternal kingdom.  We must be ready to give ourselves completely to the service of this kingdom so that we can find eternal life.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

 

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Wednesday 19 June 2024

THE BADGE OF A TRUE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

20240620 THE BADGE OF A TRUE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

 

 

20 June 2024, Thursday, 11th Week In Ordinary Time

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 48:1-15

The spirit of Elijah fills Elisha

The prophet Elijah arose like a fire,

  his word flaring like a torch.

It was he who brought famine on the people,

  and who decimated them in his zeal.

By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens,

  he also, three times, brought down fire.

How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah!

  Has anyone reason to boast as you have? –

rousing a corpse from death,

  from Sheol by the word of the Most High;

dragging kings down to destruction,

  and high dignitaries from their beds;

hearing reproof on Sinai,

  and decrees of punishment on Horeb;

anointing kings as avengers,

  and prophets to succeed you;

taken up in the whirlwind of fire,

  in a chariot with fiery horses;

designated in the prophecies of doom

  to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks,

to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children,

  and to restore the tribes of Jacob,

Happy shall they be who see you,

  and those who have fallen asleep in love;

for we too will have life.

Elijah was shrouded in the whirlwind,

  and Elisha was filled with his spirit;

throughout his life no ruler could shake him,

  and no one could subdue him.

No task was too hard for him,

  and even in death his body prophesied.

In his lifetime he performed wonders,

  and in death his works were marvellous.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 96(97):1-7

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.

The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,

  let all the coastlands be glad.

Cloud and darkness are his raiment;

  his throne, justice and right.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.

A fire prepares his path;

  it burns up his foes on every side.

His lightnings light up the world,

  the earth trembles at the sight.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.

The mountains melt like wax

  before the Lord of all the earth.

The skies proclaim his justice;

  all peoples see his glory.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.

Let those who serve idols be ashamed,

  those who boast of their worthless gods.

  All you spirits, worship him.

Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

1S3:9,Jn6:68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Rm8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The spirit you received is the spirit of sons,

and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 6:7-15

How to pray

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test,

but save us from the evil one.

‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’

 

THE BADGE OF A TRUE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ecclesiasticus 48:1-15; Matthew 6:7-15]

The rule of prayer is the rule of faith.  This is the fundamental axiom with respect to the liturgy.  What we pray for is how we live out our faith.  Hence, we can appreciate the importance of Jesus teaching His disciples to pray.  The Lord’s Prayer in St Matthew is located in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, which is basically the summary of Christ’s teaching on Christian discipleship.  St Luke however situates the Lord’s Prayer in the context of His disciples asking Him to teach them to pray as John’s disciples did. (cf Lk 11:1) The point remains that the disciples needed a badge to identify themselves as Christ’s disciples.

Indeed, today, every Christian is taught to pray the Lord’s Prayer.  This has become the hallmark of a Christian.  There is no prayer that is prayed so universally and daily than the Lord’s Prayer. It is even prayed by non-Christians.  Yet, it is important to take note that in the early Church as it is today in the Catechumenate, the Lord’s Prayer is given only to those who are already disciples of the Lord.  Only Christians are taught the Lord’s Prayer simply because the Lord’s Prayer sums up the basic attitudes of a Christian towards God, himself and his relationship with others.  It is the most succinct and concise summary of the life of a Christian.  That is why it is considered the trademark of a disciple of Christ.

So what does it mean to pray the Lord’s Prayer in such a way that it reflects our understanding of what it takes to be a disciple of our Lord?  In the first place, a disciple is called to focus everything on God so that everything is seen in perspective.  Who we are is defined by our relationship with God because we are His creatures.

But in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us to say, “Our Father in heaven.”   If we are truly Christians, our relationship with God cannot be an abstract relationship.  We do not simply address God as a generic term, and when God is referred to in the liturgy He is always the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.   So it is pertinent that as Christians we pray not just to God but to this God who is our Father.  He is not just our creator but He is God, the Father Almighty, as we say in the creed.  The implication of calling God our Father means that we can have a personal relationship with Him.  God is not a mere force, a power, a feeling or some abstract quality but He is a person.  We are called to relate with the Father in an intimate manner like the way we relate with our parents.

Calling God our Father has deeper ramifications.  The corollary of calling God our Father is the responsibility of living up to our identity as children of the Father.  In the first place, we do not say God is “my Father”.  Only Jesus calls God “my Father” but as Christians we address God as “Our Father” because we are all His children.  If we are the children of God the Father, it devolves to us the responsibility of looking after each other because we are all brothers and sisters of the same Father.  Therefore, there is no question of discrimination and cruelty towards our brothers and sisters.

Secondly, to be known as God’s children, we have a responsibility to show ourselves as such.  This we do by living a life that is befitting of the name of the Father.  Hence, the second line of the Lord’s Prayer amplifies the first phrase which is the petition that His “name be held holy.”   To keep the name of God holy is to live our lives in such a way that we reflect the face of God the Father.  Otherwise people will not recognize the holiness of God because of our counter-witnessing in the way we think, act and speak. To sanctify the name of God is not so much just in prayer but to live a life of sanctification so that the holiness of God is displayed in His children.  Otherwise we bring shame to Him.

After addressing God as our Father, the Christian is asked to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.”  What is the ultimate goal of a Christian if not to live with the Father and to reign with Him on earth and in heaven?  The whole life and message of Jesus was to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  To usher the Kingdom of God, Jesus invites us to do His Will.  The Kingdom of God is not so much a place but the reign of God in our lives.  So when we pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, what we are praying is that His reign be in us; and that we will submit to His rule which is identical with His will.  Doing the will of God is what will give us peace and joy.  Our life on earth is but a time to make the kingdom of God more and more present in our lives as we seek to do God’s will in all things.

But it is difficult to do the will of God if we do not see Him as our Heavenly Father who loves us and as the Almighty Father who takes care of us.  The rule of God and His will is identical with His wisdom.  Many people fight against the will of God and if they do obey, they submit merely out of resignation and often in resentment.  But we are called to embrace the will of God because His kingdom and His will are one.  To enter into the kingdom means to embrace the will of God in our lives as we submit our will, mind and heart to Him.   But we do this because we trust in His divine wisdom and His love for us.

Again in the context of our Heavenly Father’s wisdom and love, we can now approach Him with confidence as we pray for our human needs in life.  The God who loves us is One who cares personally for our well-being.  We pray first for our current and present needs in life.  So we should not fear asking God our Father to “Give us today our daily bread.”   God has come to restore us both in body and soul.  The bread we ask is the bread of today.   Jesus did not ask us to pray for the bread of tomorrow because He wants us to trust in Him and not to depend on ourselves.  Otherwise, when we are self-sufficient, we become proud and arrogant and deceive ourselves into thinking we can do without God, as what is happening in the world today.  Man has become so proud of himself and his achievements and decreed himself to be god!  The problem in the world today is not because there is insufficient food but because the world’s resources are consumed by 20% of the people on this earth.  If we pray that our Father gives us our daily bread, then we must cooperate with Him by offering bread to others that the Father has given us in excess of our needs.  What is beyond our daily needs are to be shared with others who have nothing to eat even for the day!

Of course, this bread also refers to the Bread of Tomorrow, not the material bread but the spiritual food.  Hence, the double emphasis of today and daily is used.  When we say, give us today our daily bread, we are actually asking that the bread of tomorrow, that is the bread of life, the Eucharist which is an anticipation of the heavenly banquet, be given to us also.  We need the Word of God and the Eucharist to sustain us in this life so that we can arrive at the kingdom.  Only this bread can help us to fight the battles of the past and of tomorrow.

Thus, in the next petition, we ask the Lord to heal our past because the past makes us prisoners.  Many of us cannot let go of our hurts.  We cannot forgive ourselves and we cannot forgive others.  We live in our prison of hatred, anger and fear.  We need to let go of the past if we want to live in the present fully.  That is why the Lord asks us to pray for forgiveness.  “And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.”  To pray this petition of course implies that we are aware of our own sinfulness.   Forgiveness can be given only to those who acknowledge their sins.  This is why many today are not conscious of their sins because they are enslaved by them and blinded by their selfishness.

However, to be healed of our past, we need to receive forgiveness from God and then pass on to others.  We cannot expect to receive God’s forgiveness if we do not forgive others.  This is what Jesus is reminding us. “Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.”   The reason is simple, by not forgiving others, we do not forgive ourselves, and the anger, hatred and resentment continue to remain with us.  So if we want to receive forgiveness, we must pass on the forgiveness already given to us.  If we cannot forgive others, then we cannot forgive ourselves.  There can be no peace till we are ready to forgive.

Finally, the last petition is to pray for the future.  We can never be too presumptuous about our future although we are invited to trust and rely on God.  This is what the last petition is asking for.  “And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one.”  Temptations abound all day.  Even Jesus was not spared from the Temptation of the Evil One.  That is why we must always be on the alert because temptations can come from all sides.  It can come from outside when we are tempted by greed and lust and vanity.  It can come from within when we are filled with pride, anger and envy.  It can come from our enemies but most of the time they come from our friends who will tempt us to sin.  We are most vulnerable when the temptation comes from our loved ones because we are too weak to say no.

So the only antidote to sin is to remind ourselves of our dignity as God’s children so that we will behave like one.  We give in to temptation and sin because we are not conscious of our position as God’s children.  Every time we sin, we disgrace our Heavenly Father and we hurt Him because He loves us and suffers to see us hurting ourselves. If only we know how much He loves us, then as a true beloved we will not do anything to hurt our lover.  So the crux of today’s lesson is, do you believe that God is our Father?  If we do, then we will act like His children, live like His children and bring glory to His name.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

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SEEK THE RIGHT MOTIVATION FOR THE THINGS WE DO

20240619 SEEK THE RIGHT MOTIVATION FOR THE THINGS WE DO

 

 

19 June 2024, Wednesday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

2 Kings 2:1,6-14

Elijah is taken up to heaven

This is what happened when the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, Elijah said, ‘Elisha, please stay here, the Lord is only sending me to the Jordan.’ But he replied, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!’ And they went on together.

  Fifty of the brotherhood of prophets followed them, halting some distance away as the two of them stood beside the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water; and the water divided to left and right, and the two of them crossed over dry-shod. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Make your request. What can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ Elisha answered, ‘Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ ‘Your request is a difficult one’ Elijah said. ‘If you see me while I am being taken from you, it shall be as you ask; if not, it will not be so.’ Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and shouted, ‘My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!’ Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his clothes he tore them in half. He picked up the cloak of Elijah which had fallen, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

  He took the cloak of Elijah and struck the water. ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he cried. He struck the water, and it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 30(31):20,21,24

Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.

How great is the goodness, Lord,

  that you keep for those who fear you,

that you show to those who trust you

  in the sight of men.

Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence

  from the plotting of men;

you keep them safe within your tent

  from disputing tongues.

Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.

Love the Lord, all you saints.

  He guards his faithful

but the Lord will repay to the full

  those who act with pride.

Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Col3:16a,17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,

find a home with you;

through him give thanks to God the Father.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him, 

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

  ‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

  ‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

 

SEEK THE RIGHT MOTIVATION FOR THE THINGS WE DO

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Kgs 2:1,6-14; Mt 6:1-6,16-18]

If we want to live a fuller life, we must always ask ourselves why we do what we do. We will not do anything if we were not motivated.  So what is it that motivates us for all that we do?  If our motives are shallow then we will live a shallow life; but if our motives are more transcendent, then we live a transcendent life.  In other words, as Jesus asks us in the gospel, do we seek the rewards of this world, or the reward that comes from a good life of love and faith, a reward that comes only from God?  It is important, therefore, that we are rightly motivated in whatever we do in life, whether it is with respect to our marriage, family, faith, work or even in service, voluntary or otherwise.

Elijah and Elisha were motivated prophets because of their conviction.  Elijah was zealous for the House of the Lord and in preserving the faith of the Israelites from pagan influence. He was singular-minded in removing the idolatrous influence of the Baal deity of the Canaanites.  Elisha, inspired by Elijah, followed in his footsteps.   He had a good mentor in the person of Elijah and therefore asked for a double portion of his spirit to continue the work he had been doing.  It is within this context that the scripture readings invite us to examine our motivations in what we do.

This is particularly revealing when we reflect on the three critical dimensions of any human person’s life, namely, charity, prayer and discipline.   They are also considered the three pillars of spiritual life.  If anyone possesses these three virtues, he or she would live a happy and blessed life. Unfortunately, although everyone knows how important it is to practice charity, especially almsgiving to the poor and the disadvantaged; or the importance of prayer in one’s spiritual life; or the importance of fostering fasting and discipline; yet many of us perform these spiritual exercises with the wrong motives.  As Jesus remarked, they have had their reward –  having already been paid in full with the rewards of this world.  However, the point is that the rewards of this world cannot give us meaning and joy.   At best they make us feel great about ourselves, but the spirit remains hungry and empty because we do not go beyond the rewards of this world.

Consider the first essential act of man, which is charity and almsgiving.  Many of us give not because we want to but because we have to.   Even the rich can give out of obligation, not because they want to give.  Often, we feel guilty that we have so much compared to others, especially when we visit poorer countries.  Hence, some of us give because our conscience is pricked.  We cannot continue to enjoy our steak and lobsters when others do not even have a plate of rice!   Of course, some give from more egoistic motives.  They want the world to know how generous they are.  So they give for the honour and public recognition of their generosity.   And certainly, they get what they ask for.  Worse still, there are some who give with strings attached.  They hope to get something greater out of it.  So corporate companies give in order to get publicity and also more business, or they have a political or ideological agenda.

Real giving comes from the heart of love and compassion.  Only when we give because we love, do we get closer to God.  When we give without counting the cost, without worrying whether we are recognized or not; without any expected returns; we share the joys of the Father who gives unconditionally and freely.  When giving springs from our identification with our fellowmen, their sufferings and their needs, and when love urges us to reach out, we know that love comes from God Himself living in us in His Spirit.  Such giving is actually a sharing of God’s love already in this life because it means that we are not attached to the worldly things but use them for love, compassion and friendship.  Making someone happy; giving someone hope; providing a future for those whose future is bleak; alleviating the pains and suffering of others fill us with a joy that the word cannot give.  This is the basis for humanitarian and charitable acts.  This reward, which is kept for us in heaven, is now ours as a foretaste, since heaven is love and there is endless giving and receiving, like the Holy Trinity.

With respect to the second essential need of man, which is prayer, we need to ask ourselves why we pray.  Again, some people pray for fear that God would be angry with them if they do not pray.  But for most people, prayer is simply a matter of asking God for things and blessings.  Such attitudes are tolerable because such people do not have a real relationship with God.  They perceive God as a distant disciplinarian and an abstract reality.  Their relationship is based on infantile fear of authority and a relationship of need.  Since they have no personal relationship with God, their prayer life is basically done out of duty, fear and need.   But there are others who pray simply because they want others to see them as pious. They pray to get attention from others, not from God.  They are more concerned about what people think of them than what God thinks of them.

But such prayers will not get us very far.   What will change us and fulfil us is when we have a personal relationship with God.  It is intimacy, basking in His love and peace that give us a joy that the world cannot give.  Only those who have no love will always seek for things to fill the vacuum in their lives.  But for those who have experienced the joy of love and intimacy with someone, no amount of things in this world can replace that joy.  Prayer is meant to help us engage God in an intimate conversation, basking in His glory and mercy, singing beautiful praises of thanksgiving and love to Him as we do with our loved ones; and also be enlightened by His words of life and wisdom.  Only a real relationship with God can enlighten the mind and fill the emptiness of our heart.

Finally, another important consideration in spiritual life is fasting.  This is a form of self-discipline.  We cannot expect to control our minds, our thoughts and our tongue if we cannot control our body.  As Jesus tells us, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  So discipline, especially self-discipline, is the mark of a successful man because he is in charge of himself.  He has conquered himself and therefore he can now command the world.  Food, of course, is one thing that is most difficult to control, besides our sexual needs.  That is why, most of us fall when it comes to the sin of lust and gluttony because our body and the sensual needs of the flesh overpower our minds.   So unless we can control our food intake, we cannot expect much discipline in other areas of our lives, especially in prayer and in physical intimacy.

But then again, often fasting and other forms of discipline, such as mortification and penance, become means by which we seek to earn the praises of man.  Most of the people in affluent nations fast because they are too fat and they need to slim down.  Slimming down at best could be for health reasons, at worst, for vanity, especially for women.   Then some fast because they want to save money at the expense of their health.  Of course, there are those who fast because they want to prove to others that they have self-control.  There is a certain ego trip in this form of fasting.  Now, if we fast for all these reasons, then Jesus said, this is all we get from fasting, namely, vanity!

But blessed is the man who fasts because he wants to strengthen his spiritual life so that he could be more prayerful and available to God in prayer.  Blessed is the man who fasts so that he could identify himself with the sufferings and hunger of others, both physical and spiritual hunger so that he could grow in compassion.  When we fast so that we can be more available to God and to others, this kind of fasting will help us to be humble and grateful for what we have.  Often, we take too many things for granted and forget to praise and thank God for what we have.  Instead, we are always envying others, complaining and lamenting that we do not have what others have.  But a grateful person is always contented.

Today, let us remember that we are called to be motivators for our children and colleagues and those under our charge.  If we want our children and workers to be passionate and zealous in their work, we must first and foremost be good mentors for them.  We ourselves must be motivated rightly in what we do so that we can show others the more noble goals of our mundane work.  Many of our young people take life for granted because they have all that they want.  They need to be motivated beyond material gains if we want them to work hard and find passion in what they do.  We need to give them higher ideals to work for in life, so that they can find meaning, purpose and fulfilment.

In the final analysis, we must be wise like Elisha who asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit.   What we need is the Spirit of Jesus in the way we live our lives, for God and for our fellowmen.  The joy of Elisha and Elijah was to be the prophet of God for their people.  They were given the powers of God to perform miracles, not for their selfish needs or glory but for the service of the people.  In this way, our thoughts will be like that of Elijah who was brought up into the heavens by the chariot and horses of fire.   We remember the words of St Paul when he wrote to the Colossians, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  (Col 3:1-3) Indeed, to acquire the Spirit of Christ is what ultimately matters at the end.  In all that we do, let us be motivated by this desire to be more and more like Christ in mind and in heart.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

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