20240504 THE HEART OF THE MATTER
04 June 2024, Tuesday, 9th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18 © |
We are waiting for the new heaven and the new earth
You should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 89(90):2-4,10,14,16 © |
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born
or the earth or the world brought forth,
you are God, without beginning or end.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
You turn men back to dust
and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Our span is seventy years,
or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain.
They pass swiftly and we are gone.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Gospel Acclamation | Heb4:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 12:13-17 © |
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Pt 3:11-15, 17-18; Ps 90:2-4,10,14,16; Mk 12:13-17]
What is the ultimate destiny of every person and of this creation? This is the all-important question we must consider if we are to live a purposeful and meaningful life. Otherwise all the hard work we put in will come to nothing. What we do will be undone. If that is so, why waste our energy, sweat and labour in vain? If everything in life comes to naught, then why bother to live our lives responsibly? If what we do now have no continuity, we might as well just live for this life, and have no care for tomorrow; after all, we will not be here. Why do we even bother about ecology and protecting this earth, since, as St Peter said, a day will come “when the sky will dissolve in flames and the element melt in the heat” – most likely due to climate warming and wars fought through the use of technology. Indeed, we wonder whether there is a future for this earth, and more importantly, a future for us who work and labour so hard to preserve this creation for the future of humanity, sacrificing ourselves, our comfort, our time and our sweat and tears. Indeed, the psalmist says, “You turn men back to dust and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’ To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night. Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong. And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone.”
For us, Christians, we know for certain our destiny. St Peter tells us, “What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home.” Indeed, this is Christian Hope. We know that this world is passing. What we are waiting for is a new heaven and a new earth. The entire creation would be transformed and transfigured. St Paul wrote, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Rom 8:18-21)
Knowing our destiny, we must therefore work towards it. This is what St Peter exhorts us. Whilst this earth will pass away, what we do here and now does matter for the next life. Vatican II in the Constitution of the Church for the Modern World teaches us that although “We do not know the time for the consummation of the earth and of humanity, nor do we know how all things will be transformed. As deformed by sin, the shape of this world will pass away; but we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth where justice will abide, and whose blessedness will answer and surpass all the longings for peace which spring up in the human heart. Then, with death overcome, the sons of God will be raised up in Christ, and what was sown in weakness and corruption will be invested with incorruptibility. Enduring with charity and its fruits, all that creation which God made on man’s account will be unchained from the bondage of vanity.” (GS 39)
Consequently, “while we are warned that it profits a man nothing if he gain the whole world and lose himself, the expectation of a new earth must not weaken but rather stimulate our concern for cultivating this one. For here grows the body of a new human family, a body which even now is able to give some kind of foreshadowing of the new age. For after we have obeyed the Lord, and in His Spirit nurtured on earth the values of human dignity, brotherhood and freedom, and indeed all the good fruits of our nature and enterprise, we will find them again, but freed of stain, burnished and transfigured, when Christ hands over to the Father: ‘a kingdom eternal and universal, a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace.’ On this earth that Kingdom is already present in mystery. When the Lord returns it will be brought into full flower.” (GS 39)
It is within this context that we “should be living holy and saintly lives” while we “wait and long for the Day of God to come.” Similarly, St Peter exhorts us, “while you are waiting do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.” If we want to find eternal rest after our sojourn on earth, we must already be at rest in our hearts today. This means that we must live with a clear conscience, free from all faults – at least the known ones -, living a life of integrity and charity. In this way, we will be at peace with ourselves. St John assures us, “let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.” (1Jn 3:18-22)
Whilst there is still time, then St Peter said, “Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved.” Indeed, God is patient with us. So long as we are in this world, we need to use the occasions and opportunities in life to do good on one hand, and to use those occasions when we make mistakes or fall into sin, as lessons that we can learn, and purify our motives and our actions in life. We must therefore be alert always, as St Peter says, “You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on.” We need to be alert to the illusions and temptations offered by the world, and the clever arguments they propose so as to convince us to live a worldly life, which would only bring destruction to our souls.
How, then, do we grow in holiness and in grace? St Peter gives us the direction, “Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.” Knowing Christ and the gospel is the key to salvation in life. Only Jesus can show us the way to the truth and to life. We need to read the Word of God daily, and pray unceasingly to Him. We need to celebrate the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and reconciliation, so that we will always be in union with Him and His Church, the Body of Christ. With Christ and His Church, we will remain strong in our faith because, as St Paul says, “the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.” (1 Tim 3:15)
Secondly, St Peter says we must do all things for His glory and for eternity. “To him be glory, in time and in eternity.” How do we do this? The answer is given in today’s gospel. The religious leaders were insincere in wanting to believe in Jesus and they sought to flatter Him in order to put Him off guard so that they could discredit Him. But Jesus knew their hypocrisy when they posed this question to Him, “Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?” The answer of Jesus is clear. He asked them for a coin and said, “‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.'”
So what is it that belongs to Caesar and what is it that belongs to God? On earth, we are called to serve and be responsible citizens, workers, community leaders and church members. We are called to serve those who have charge over us because we are all called to serve humanity. So, obedience to earthly authorities, and using whatever resources we have been given, is to give back what belongs to Caesar. However, let us never forget, whatever we have, who we are – all belong to God. This is the heart of the matter. So it is crucial that we do everything for His greater glory. Everything we have in this life is meant to prepare us for eternity. By using them for His greater glory, we grow in kindness, in charity, in humility, in thanksgiving, in compassion. In this way, our hearts will become more and more like God, able to embrace everyone into our circle of friendship. What is this new heaven and earth, if not the family of God, living in love and unity, in communion with each other and with God.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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