20240710 THE SCOURGE OF PROSPERITY
10 July 2024, Wednesday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Hosea 10:1-3,7-8,12 |
Seek integrity and reap a harvest of kindness
Israel was a luxuriant vine
yielding plenty of fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built;
the richer his land became,
the richer he made the sacred stones.
Their heart is a divided heart;
very well, they must pay for it:
the Lord is going to break their altars down
and destroy their sacred stones.
Then they will say,
‘We have no king
because we have not feared the Lord.’
But what can a king do for us?
Samaria has had her day.
Her king is like a straw drifting on the water.
The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed –
that sin of Israel;
thorn and thistle will grow on their altars.
Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’
and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’
Sow integrity for yourselves,
reap a harvest of kindness,
break up your fallow ground:
it is time to go seeking the Lord
until he comes to rain salvation on you.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 104(105):2-7 |
Constantly seek the face of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
O sing to the Lord, sing his praise;
tell all his wonderful works!
Be proud of his holy name,
let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
Constantly seek the face of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Consider the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, the judgements he spoke.
Constantly seek the face of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God:
his judgements prevail in all the earth.
Constantly seek the face of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | James1:18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
By his own choice the Father made us his children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of all that he created.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mk1:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The kingdom of God is close at hand:
repent and believe the Good News.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 10:1-7 |
'Go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel'
Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:
‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
THE SCOURGE OF PROSPERITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HOS 10:1-3. 7-8. 12; MT 10:1-7]
In the first reading, Israel, the Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam II was prospering. This was most likely in 733 B.C., ten years before the fall of Israel to Assyria. But who would believe a prophet of doom when they were apparently doing very well, successful and prosperous. Indeed, we can imagine the reaction if someone were to predict disaster for our nation whilst our economy is good and healthy, there is peace and prosperity. We will surely label the person a wet blanket, pessimist and doomsayer. That is why, in good times, no one would risk unpopularity by prophesying bad news. So we can imagine the kind of reception Hosea received when he warned his people of the imminent destruction due to their complacency, because the people had grown rich, self-sufficient and blind to the moral and spiritual degeneration of the people.
Hosea described Israel as “a luxuriant vine yielding plenty of fruit.” This was what God intended for Israel when He gave them the Promised Land. Israel had always been called the vine of the Lord or the vineyard. Vine is a symbol of blessing and the fruits, the choicest fruit of the earth. So the Lord had intended Israel to be prosperous and successful. This is true for us all as well. The Lord wants to bless us so that we can enjoy the fruits of life. God wants us to flourish, be prosperous and happy with everyone enjoying the fruits of the earth.
Unfortunately, as Hosea lamented, “The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the richer his land became, the richer he made the sacred stones.” This has always the temptation of man. When we become rich, we become complacent as we feel self-sufficient. Like the rich fool in the gospel who said, “I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ (Lk 12:19) Those who are rich and powerful are easily tempted by the Evil One to commit sins of sensuality, corruption and oppression of the poor. Because they have money and power, they are tempted to sex, pleasures and luxurious living. This was the case of Dives who was oblivious to the suffering of Lazarus. “The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented.” (Lk 16:23) Indeed, riches make us blind to the sufferings of others and also less conscious of who we are before God. We think we are invincible and have control over our life. But in truth, only God is in control.
A divided heart is the consequence. The Lord said to the Israelites, “Their divided heart; very well, they must pay for it; the Lord is going to break their altars down and destroy their sacred stones. Then they will say, ‘We have no king because we have not feared the Lord.’ But what can a king do for us?” By straying from the Lord, and giving lip service to Him, and by going after the false gods of the pagans, power, money and pleasures, their country became divided. They were complacent and indifferent to the commandments of God. Just when they were over-confident of their wealth and military power, the Lord used Assyria to bring them, their altars to the false gods and their military might down. Even the king was not able to save them. Indeed, Hosea prophesied, “Samaria has had her day. Her king is like a straw drifting on the water. The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed – that sin of Israel; thorn and thistle will grow on their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!'” In 722 B.C. when the Assyrian army attacked Israel, the nation was destroyed completely. The inhabitants were taken to Assyria in exile. St James wrote, “Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.” (Jms 1:9-11)
“Constantly seek the face of the Lord.” This is where the psalmist reminds us. “Sow integrity for yourselves.” Seeking the Lord means seeking to live a life of integrity. We must ask where our riches come from. Sometimes, like the Israelites, those who are rich amass their wealth by cheating the poor, being dishonest in their dealings with others, using their influence and power to get what they want, manipulating people for their personal interests. When we are not earning an honest living and growing rich because the Lord wants to bless us, we will only destroy ourselves. Some who are rich through ill-gotten gains donate some money to charitable causes to quell their guilt. It is better that we live a life of honesty and integrity than to cheat others and give a portion back to society.
Secondly, we are called to acknowledge His divine providence, power and blessings. “O sing to the Lord, sing his praise; tell all his wonderful works! Be proud of his holy name, let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice. Consider the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, the judgements he spoke.” Only when we seek His face can we remember that the Lord is the one who gives us all our needs. We are called to contemplate on His wonderful works, His miracles, His wonders and His strength. Indeed, when we see the works of creation and the finiteness of man, we will be humbler and acknowledge Him as the Lord of creation.
When we consider the blessings we have received from Him, we will be grateful and more generous with what He has blessed us with. Isaiah said, “Reap a harvest of kindness, break up your fallow ground: it is time to go seeking the Lord until he comes to rain salvation on you.” Instead of being self-sufficient, we remain beneficiaries of God’s blessings. It is a call to share our blessings with others. St Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.” (2 Cor 9:10-12)
This is why we are called to participate in the work of Jesus to reach out to those who are suffering. “Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.” This is the message of the whole chapter of Matthew 10. Jesus wants to prepare us to join Him in His mission of proclaiming the Good News to all the nations. When the Lord gave the apostles the power to heal and exorcise, it was never for themselves. The Lord reminded them, “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.” (Mt 10:7f) Indeed, this is the basis for mission. Because all blessings come from God, we cannot just use them for ourselves but pass them on to others, especially those who are more in need.
Whilst we are called to proclaim the Good News to all, we must also discern how we should reach out to those whom we are called to serve. We need to know our priorities. Otherwise, we will be ineffective in bringing the good news to all. We need to have a strategy for the mission. This explains why Jesus sent out the twelve told them, “Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” It is not because the Lord was not interested in bringing the Gentiles to God. The time was not yet ripe. Whilst it is true that the Lord came for all, but we must be realistic that we cannot save all by ourselves. So the Lord sought first to convert His own people before reaching out to the Gentiles. Only when the Jews are converted could they then convert the Gentiles and bring all into the kingdom. This also explains why the beginning of the mission began with the Twelve. Jesus took pains to form them carefully so that they would be ready in future to form apostles after them. So too, we must strategize.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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