20240805 CALLED TO BE A PROPHET OF GOD’S MERCY
05 August 2024, Monday, 18th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Jeremiah 28:1-17 |
Jeremiah and the lying prophet Hananiah
At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, a Gibeonite, spoke as follows to Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people. ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, says this, “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. In two years’ time I will bring back all the vessels of the Temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried off from this place and took to Babylon. And I will also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, I am going to break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”’
The prophet Jeremiah then replied to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people there in the Temple of the Lord. ‘I hope so’ the prophet Jeremiah said. ‘May the Lord do so. May he fulfil the words that you have prophesied and bring the vessels of the Temple of the Lord and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Listen carefully, however, to this word that I am now going to say for you and all the people to hear: From remote times, the prophets who preceded you and me prophesied war, famine and plague for many countries and for great kingdoms; but the prophet who prophesies peace can only be recognised as one truly sent by the Lord when his word comes true.’
The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it. In front of all the people Hananiah then said, ‘The Lord says this, “This is how, two years hence, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and take it off the necks of all the nations.”’ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went away.
After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke which he had taken off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah the word of the Lord was addressed to Jeremiah, ‘Go to Hananiah and tell him this, “The Lord says this: You can break wooden yokes? Right, I will make them iron yokes instead! For the Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: An iron yoke is what I now lay on the necks of all these nations to subject them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They will be subject to him; I have even given him the wild animals.”’
The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen carefully, Hananiah: the Lord has not sent you; and thanks to you this people are now relying on what is false. Hence – the Lord says this, “I am going to throw you off the face of the earth: you are going to die this year since you have preached apostasy from the Lord.”’
The prophet Hananiah died the same year, in the seventh month.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 118(119):29,43,79-80,95,102 |
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Keep me from the way of error
and teach me your law.
Do not take the word of truth from my mouth
for I trust in your decrees.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your faithful turn to me,
those who know your will.
Let my heart be blameless in your statutes
lest I be ashamed.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Though the wicked lie in wait to destroy me
yet I ponder your will.
I have not turned from your decrees;
you yourself have taught me.
Lord, teach me your statutes.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt4:4 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 14:13-21 |
The feeding of the five thousand
When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining; twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.
CALLED TO BE A PROPHET OF GOD’S MERCY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 28:1-17; MT 14:13-21]
In the first reading, we read of the false prophet, Hananiah who sought popularity and acceptance by giving false hope to his people. He said, the Lord would break the “yoke of the king of Babylon.” And that He would “bring back all the vessels of the Temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried off from this place and took to Babylon. And I will also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon.” A false prophet speaks for himself by misusing the name of God.
There are many self-proclaimed visionaries and prophets in our midst claiming that God is speaking through them for His people. Quite often, such so called prophecies spring from their own fears, anxieties, unresolved issues and hang-ups in life. We must therefore be wary of false prophets who use the name of God for their own benefit and interests. And if we are one of them, let us learn humility, pray for the gift of discernment and discuss with those who are anointed in the Spirit and authorized spiritual directors to guide us.
Otherwise if we speak in the name of God without His authorization, not only will we mislead those under our care, put fear into their hearts or lull them into complacency, but we will also destroy ourselves. This was what happened to the prophet Hananiah. Jeremiah prophesied his death instead. He said, “‘Listen carefully Hananiah: The Lord has not sent you; and thanks to you this people are now relying on what is false. Hence – the Lord says this, ‘I am going to throw you off the face of the earth: you are going to die this year (since you have preached apostasy from the Lord). The prophet Hananiah died the same year, in the seventh month.”
In contrast, we have Jesus who was not just the eschatological prophet but the Word of God in person. He did not prophesy for Himself. The Lord did not perform miracles to satisfy Himself, for His glory or for His benefits. Rather, what moved Him to perform miracles was always a need to help and to extend the compassion of God and His mercy to others, the sinners, the sick, the possessed and the hungry.
As a true prophet, He never thought of Himself nor His security but always the needs of others before His own. One clear instance is in today’s gospel. After the news of the death of His cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus sought solitude not just to grief but to reassess His mission. He was aware that if He continued to go about His preaching and healing ministry, His fate would be no different from that of His forerunner.
Yet, Jesus, a man of compassion and went beyond himself when He saw the needs of the crowd. We read that “when Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.” Although, He had a right to His time for solitude and rest, He gave it up for the sake of the people. Many of us would be annoyed when our rest time or rest days are taken away. Far from considering them a burden and an annoyance, Jesus left aside His needs and attended to the people who were hungry for the Word of God and for His healing touch.
Like a true prophet, Jesus performed the signs needed to vindicate His message. Words and signs must always accompany a true prophet. A false prophet is one who speaks falsehood and produces no signs that could verify his words. A true prophet not only speaks the truth but he authenticates his words by his examples and life. Jesus did not simply preach the gospel of God’s love but He demonstrated through His miracles His concern for the people by feeding them with the bread of life. In this miracle of loaves, Jesus is the New Moses who gave the laws and provided manna from heaven. Jesus was perceived to be the Messiah because He showed Himself to be another Moses in His words and deeds.
We are called to be prophets as well by virtue of our baptism. We are called to be channels of mercy like the apostles and the boy with the loaves. We read how the Lord instructed the apostles thus, “‘there is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they answered, ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.’ ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves he handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds.” This part of the narrative shows us how each one has a part to play in the feeding of the multitude.
All of us, according to our talents and responsibilities, are to care for each other. The apostles too had a part to play in the distribution of food and the collection as well. Indeed, the Lord often works through us. He is the Head but we are His body. Today, the Lord continues to exercise His ministry of compassion through us who are His hands, legs and mouths. We are called to be the agents of our Lord in extending divine mercy to all. We must therefore not shirk our responsibility like the apostles who told the Lord to send them away to buy food for themselves. As Christians, we do not pass the buck to someone else. If the Lord sends them to us, we are then called to handle them and not conveniently send them to someone else unless that is the proper and most efficient agent to help them in their predicament. We must be careful that we do not dismiss those who come to our help because we are lazy or selfish.
How do we act as His channels of mercy? Firstly, by using the gifts bestowed on us for others. This is the lesson of the gospel’s miracle of the loaves. In the first place, we have the boy bringing the little he had to be shared with others. Like this little boy, we are called to share whatever gifts the Lord has given to us for the good of the community. Regardless how insignificant our gifts might be; they are necessary for the building up of the community. It is God who will decide how best we can contribute to the community. No gifts are too insignificant that they cannot be used for a greater good. So, we are called to be like the little boy to come forward to contribute our part to the community and to the Church. We should not be unduly worried whether we are good enough. It is not we who will qualify ourselves but the Lord will qualify us. God will make good of the little we give for a greater cause. This is His work not ours. We are only to surrender our gifts and ourselves to the Lord for Him to make use of us.
Secondly, we must never forget that all gifts come from the Lord. This reminder is highlighted in the offering of prayers and thanksgiving before meals. “He took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing.” Prayers before meals and after meals are always useful to remind ourselves who we are and that all we have come from God and not our hard work or entitlement. A true prophet acknowledges the power of God and where his insights and wisdom come from. A prophet does not boast about himself but speaks about God.
Thirdly, we must never waste the gifts that God has given to us because all gifts are sacred. It is to be noted that at the end of the miracle, the disciples were asked to collect back the scraps left behind. Nothing is to be wasted or thrown away. God has given us so many gifts, not just material things, money and wealth but personal resources, talents, skills and knowledge. Most of all, He has given us good health. But many of us do not use them well either for ourselves or for the service of others and for God. Worse still are the sacred gifts of God, faith, the bible and the sacraments. Many of us who have access to these sacred gifts often take them for granted. We have a bible that we never read; a church nearby that celebrates the Eucharist everyday but we do not participate; and the sacrament of reconciliation for healing that we never make full use of. Such gifts are wasted on us indeed and one day we will be held accountable to God for abusing His gifts and for poor stewardship.
If only we exercise the gifts of God well, we too can perform the same miracle of Jesus in changing lives and enriching people who come to us. It is said that the multiplication of loaves could be seen in two ways, as a natural explanation and a supernatural explanation. Regardless which way we look at it, miracles are simply the channels and means of God’s love for us. They are the signs, the tokens of His mercy and compassion for humanity.
How, then, can we give ourselves generously to be His channels of love and mercy if not by contemplating on His love and mercy in the Eucharist? Only through this contemplation, can we find the strength to love and give like Jesus who emptied Himself for us completely at the cross and in the Eucharist. Let us therefore seek to be true prophets of the Lord by proclaiming His words in action and in humble service. Let our lives of compassion and love be the demonstration of the miracle of the Eucharist taking effects in our lives, otherwise, we show ourselves to be false prophets. We partake of the Eucharist but remained unchanged. No one will believe in our Lord’s presence in the Eucharist if our lives do not commensurate with our reception of the Eucharist. St Paul warns us that we should not drink the cup unto our death and judgement against ourselves by not examining ourselves whether we have the right disposition to receive the body and blood of our Lord. (cf 1 Cor 11:26-29)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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