20240624 THE GIFT OF GOD
24 June 2024, Monday, The Nativity of John the Baptist
First reading | Isaiah 49:1-6 |
I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth
Islands, listen to me,
pay attention, remotest peoples.
The Lord called me before I was born,
from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.
He made my mouth a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow,
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)
in whom I shall be glorified’;
while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,
I have exhausted myself for nothing’;
and all the while my cause was with the Lord,
my reward with my God.
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.
And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:
‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 138(139):1-3,13-15 |
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
Already you knew my soul,
my body held no secret from you
when I was being fashioned in secret
and moulded in the depths of the earth.
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
Second reading | Acts 13:22-26 |
Jesus, whose coming was heralded by John
Paul said: ‘God deposed Saul and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”
‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you.’
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk1:76 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
As for you, little child, you shall be called
a prophet of God, the Most High.
You shall go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his ways before him.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 1:57-66,80 |
'His name is John'
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.
Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.
THE GIFT OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Is 49:1-6; Ps 139:1-3,13-15; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66,80]
We are always happy at the birth of a new baby. The sight of a baby gives us so much joy and delight. More so for the proud parents. This was certainly the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth who gave birth at an old age. The people were also delighted. “When her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.” And they wondered, “What will this child turn out to be?”
But what is the reason for our joy when a child is born? Do we see the child as an investment for our old age? In Singapore, we have our Central Provident Fund and savings. In many cases, parents do not need the financial support of their children. In fact, many parents in their old age are still supporting their grown-up children! Then what is the cause of their joy? Is it because the child will take away their loneliness? That might be so, but parents will come to realize that their children cannot take away their loneliness. If we depend on our children for emotional and affective support, we might be greatly disappointed. Many children these days are first and foremost, self-centred. They are more worried about their own security than that of their parents! Secondly, they are too busy with their friends, studies and career to make time for their parents. Thirdly, many take their parents’ love for granted. They believe they have a right to receive everything from their parents; love, understanding, support, money, etc. It is the duty of their parents to love them and ensure that they are well. So they do not feel obligated to give back to their parents.
A more noble reason for the joy of bringing a child into the world would be to realize that the child is a product of your love for your spouse. To know that the child is the fruit of the love between the husband and wife unites the couple even more intensely. The child is not a thing to use or a toy to play with, but for us to celebrate the couple’s love for each other. Since the child is the fruit of the love between the husband and wife, they are called to pour their love to the child from the love they receive from each other.
The right reason for wanting to have a child is not just to share your love, or that it is a product of your love, but that the love you have between husband and wife could be extended to the whole world. In other words, the noble motive for bringing a child into this world must be because we want to make a difference in the world through the child. A baby or a child is not for the parents to possess and hoard. The child is a gift from God to the parents; given so that they may offer him or her for the greater good of the Church, for society and humanity. The child is called to be a joy and life-giver. He or she has a mission and vocation in the world. He or she is given for the service of God and humanity. In other words, the child is a gift of God, first and foremost to the parents, but always for the greater good of humanity. Through the child’s service, the world would be a better place.
That a child is a gift of God is underscored in today’s scripture readings. In the gospel, Zechariah made it clear that his son would be called John, which means literally, the gift of God. Truly, he was a gift of God to the parents in their old age. Zechariah did not name the child after his family because the child belonged to God, not to him or Elizabeth. In the mind of Zechariah, the child must be consecrated to God for His service. John the Baptist was not just a gift to the parents, but for God and His people as well. John the Baptist was a gift for Jesus to be His precursor and forerunner. This was to enable Jesus the Messiah to complete His work. This was what St Paul wrote, “To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel.” This was the understanding of Zechariah, for in the Benedictus, he prayed, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Lk 1:76-79)
Today, parents must learn to let go of their children when they grow up. This was what Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth did. They were ready to allow their children to be given to God for the service of humanity. Our task as parents is to help our children to discover their calling in life. All have a common calling. They must answer to their one calling in life. Some of us might be called to be priests and religious as precursors of our Lord, like John the Baptist. Others could be called to be like Paul, a great missionary and apostle of Christ. The Lord said, “he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him: It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Others are just called to be prophets wherever they are, at home, in school, in office or at Church. We are all called differently, but for the same purpose, to bring life, hope, love to humanity. As the psalmist says, “O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you.” Isaiah says, “The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.”
For that reason, we should not compare ourselves or our children with others. They are just different. They have different calling and interests. Accordingly, they are blessed with different gifts. Our calling as parents is to help them develop their special gifts given to them by the Lord so that in excelling in what they do best, they will become the person they are meant to be. In their uniqueness and in their inimitable ways, they will make a difference in the lives of others. By so doing, they find themselves. St Luke wrote, “Before John ended his career he said, ‘I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.'” We are all gifted differently. It is not by our choice but determined by the Lord. When God chooses us, He will qualify us. Isaiah said, “He made my mouth a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver.”
Whatever our work is, we are all called to be suffering servants for the Lord. Christ Himself is the fulfilment of the suffering servant of Isaiah, which we read in the first reading. We are to give our lives completely for the service of our people. This would entail suffering and sacrifices like the Suffering Servant. But let us not get discouraged because God will be glorified through our sufferings. He will be with us for He told the Suffering Servant, “You are my servant (Israel) in whom I shall be glorified; while I was thinking, I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing; and all the while my cause was with the Lord, my reward with my God. I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God was my strength.”
So let us thank God for the wonder of our being. Instead of comparing and competing with each other, we are called to complete each other so that we can accomplish our common mission to bring God’s love, joy and hope to the world. Like the psalmist, we pray, “For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation. Already you knew my soul, my body held no secret from you when I was being fashioned in secret and moulded in the depths of the earth.”
Those who live for themselves cannot find real happiness and fulfilment in life. They live without purpose. They live the life of an animal, and only for a limited time on earth. But those who live for others, live for joy and love, and they live into eternity. But if we desire to become a gift of God to Him and His people we must first receive the gift of God Himself. To live for God, like John the Baptist, we must receive Him in contemplation and prayer so that we can be effective instruments of God. This was what we read, “And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.”
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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