Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: September 2024

Thursday 19 September 2024

TEMPTATION OF CHRISTOLOGICAL REDUCTIONISM

20240920 TEMPTATION OF CHRISTOLOGICAL REDUCTIONISM

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

If Christ has not been raised, your belief is useless

Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, because we swore in evidence before God that he had raised Christ to life. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.

But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 16(17):1,6-8,15

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Lord, hear a cause that is just,

pay heed to my cry.

Turn your ear to my prayer:

no deceit is on my lips.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.

Turn your ear to me; hear my words.

Display your great love, you whose right hand saves

your friends from those who rebel against them.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings

As for me, in my justice I shall see your face

and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 8:1-3

The women who accompanied Jesus

Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

20 September 2024, Friday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time

TEMPTATION OF CHRISTOLOGICAL REDUCTIONISM

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 15:12-20; LUKE 8:1-3]

There are two fundamental trends in the world today that are influencing Christians to abandon the gospel they have received, namely, “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” (1 Cor 15:3f) When we forget the centrality of this kerygma, we will also lose our faith in Christ as the Messiah, the Saviour, the Son of the Living God. Why are Christians abandoning, or at least weakening in their faith in Christ as the Son of God and the One who redeems us from our sins?

Firstly, the pressure comes from the secular and atheistic world. In the eyes of the world, there is no question of us submitting to a higher being other than ourselves. Humanity believes that they are the only specie on this earth that can decide for itself. We have the power to conquer the universe and there is no such thing as God or life after death because we are all made of matter. Upon death, we will return to the earth and new life will be formed from our dissipated molecules. So there is only one life to live, which is this earthly life. Happiness is to live this life fully, which means different approaches for different people. For some it is through work, fame, power, wealth and pleasure. For others it is through service of our brothers and sisters. Regardless, living life to the fullest is what life on this earth is all about.

When we see life only for this world and in this world, then faith in Christ or in any religious founder is to make them models of authentic living. So Christ is seen as one among the other great religious founders, such as Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu or Prophet Mohammad. They show us the way to live a life of peace, joy, contentment and happiness by living harmoniously with God and with others. But the world would not subscribe to their teachings on life after this world, or life after death. Insofar as religious leaders are concerned, humanists see them at most as people who have chosen a lifestyle that could bring peace and happiness.

This is how many people today, outside of the Christian Faith, and sadly even among Christians, see Jesus – only as a model and teacher of how one should live his or her life. They see the gospel and the Bible as words of wisdom and inspiration that could guide their life. But they are not infallible; not even the Word of God. They read them as we read any inspirational book. They hope that by following Jesus’ lifestyle and teaching, they can attain peace and joy in this life, learning how to detach from the worldly pursuits of life, and living a life of love and sharing. But St Paul made it clear – if we reduce our faith in Christ to merely the Jesus of Nazareth, then he quipped, “If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.”

Secondly, Christians face the pressure of confessing their faith in Christ as the Son of God, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the one mediator between God and man, in the face of inter-religious dialogue. To make this claim today would make us look triumphalist and lacking sincere respect for people of other faith. So we are now forced to say that Jesus is one among the rest of the religious founders, and our faith is one among many faiths. All faith will lead to God and all religions are true and good. To make the claim of supremacy of Christ would be considered arrogant and divisive. So when faced with such social and religious pressures, today, politics seek to be secular and neutral in their beliefs. Politicians fight shy of making known to others their faith, and surely not to express their faith in public, even if they want to thank God for the blessings they, or the nation, have received. We are to be secular in our language and there should be nothing said of God lest we are frowned upon.

However, when we do that, we become counter-witnesses of our faith. Being secular in public service does not mean that we have to be a-religious. We are a religious person just as a person cannot be dissociated with his or her race and gender. We are what we are today because of upbringing in faith, education and culture. Indeed, we might be in the government and belong to a political party, but we cannot disown our faith, race and gender. What is important is that we are impartial to all, regardless of race and religion, when it comes to the implementation of public policy. But subscribing to a faith does not make a government minister, member of parliament, a congressman, a president, or a civil servant less good. In fact, it should make us better, and a higher standard of service is required of us because we must be both exemplary as Christians and as civil servants. After all, as St Paul reminds us, “Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your master.” (Col 3:23) So being religious does not make us less a true civil servant, politician, or corporate leader. This is because our goal is not just an earthly ambition.

We serve the nation and our people, or in any position in society, not for ourselves but for God who is the Father of all and our Lord and master. Indeed, no longer do we work for men but for God. This is because we know that we have been blessed by God. We have been saved by His mercy and love. This was true in the case of the women who looked after Jesus. The gospel shows how people who have been touched by the Lord surrender their lives and resources to assist Him. “Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.” We no longer live for ourselves, as St Paul said. “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:14f)

We can do this only because we believe in the resurrection of Christ, for in Him we have overcome the fear of death, and by so doing overcome sin. St Paul wrote, “We will not all die, but we will all be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.” (cf 1 Cor 15:51-58) It is ultimately faith in the resurrection of Christ that can sustain us in our commitment to Him. When we believe in our heart that Christ is risen, then we would no longer live simply for this life.

So central is our belief in the resurrection that St Paul wrote, “Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God.” So in the final analysis, whether we are able to commit ourselves to Christ and live out the gospel in confidence depends on whether we truly believe in the Risen Lord and have encountered Him in our lives. If St Paul and the early Christians could commit themselves to the Lord, it was because they saw the Risen Lord. (1 Cor 15:1-3)

With the confession of faith in the Risen Christ, we know for certain that death has been overcome and that we do not just live for this world but for the life that is to come. We know for certain that this is just a pilgrimage on earth, as St Paul said, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.” (Phil 3:20f)

Wednesday 18 September 2024

ESTABLISH YOURSELF FIRMLY IN THE GOSPEL

20240919 ESTABLISH YOURSELF FIRMLY IN THE GOSPEL

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

I preached what the others preach, and you all believed

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God that is with me, have worked harder than any of the others; but what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 117(118):1-2,15-17,28

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

for his love has no end.

Let the sons of Israel say:

‘His love has no end.’

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;

his right hand raised me up.

I shall not die, I shall live

and recount his deeds.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

You are my God, I thank you.

My God, I praise you.

I will thank you for you have given answer

and you are my saviour.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

2Co5:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,

and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 7:36-50

Her many sins have been forgiven, or she would not have shown such great love

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house and took his place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses and anointed them with the ointment.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is that is touching him and what a bad name she has.’ Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Speak, Master’ was the reply. ‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?’ ‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon. Jesus said, ‘You are right.’

Then he turned to the woman. ‘Simon,’ he said ‘you see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?’ But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

19 September 2024, Thursday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time

ESTABLISH YOURSELF FIRMLY IN THE GOSPEL

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 15:1-11; LUKE 7:36-50]

What makes us Christians? What distinguishes Christians from peoples of other faiths, or without faith? Of course, what is considered as the “common good” is debatable, depending on one’s religious, moral and cultural positions. But at least in general, all would agree that we respect the universal values of justice, integrity, truth, compassion, charity, harmony and inclusivity. Again, whilst these values are on the lips of everyone, we might not agree exactly on what it means. At least, by assenting to these values, we can consider ourselves as belonging to the race we call “Humanity.”

With respect to other religions, whilst all teach the universal values for the common good of all, and although all religions in some ways recognize the presence of the Sacred, which is called by different names and manifested in different forms, there is a common belief that Ultimate Reality stands for existence, which includes human beings and all of creation. Regardless, all believers in religion have some experience of the Sacred in their lives and this has led them to worship the Ultimate Mystery revealed to us according to the cultural and religious contexts we are in. From the Catholic viewpoint, Vatican II says, “The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.” (Nostra Aetate 2)

So, what is essential for us as Christians when it comes to the truth and charity? It is founded on the gospel that St Paul spoke about. How strong our faith in Christianity depends on whether we are firmly founded on the gospel passed on to us. St Paul wrote, “Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.” Indeed, among Christians we can disagree on many things, such as doctrines, spiritual leadership and even sacraments and the interpretation of the scriptures. That is why, we have many Christian denominations, all claiming to be the true Church established by Christ.

Whilst we wish that Christians are united in mind and heart, in doctrines, in worship and in leadership, as the Lord prayed at the end of His life, that His disciples might be one, we are aware that human ignorance, pride, fear and parochial-mindedness will lead to misunderstanding, protectionism, suspicion and division. That is why whilst working for Christian unity in doctrines, worship and leadership, we must accept that the historical conditioning of each Church would make it almost impossible to agree on everything, especially those matters are that deemed lower on the hierarchy of truths.

Unity should therefore be focused first on the highest level in the hierarchy of truths by at least affirming the basic gospel that St Paul wrote in today’s first reading. St Paul made it clear that the gospel that he was handing on was the same gospel that he himself had received from the apostles. Indeed, he reiterated that he was not teaching anything new or adding anything to the gospel. Rather, he said, “what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed.” What is this gospel that all Christians must hold on to if we are to consider ourselves Christians? It is the Kergyma, the proclamation of the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord.

Firstly, that “Christ died for our sins.” Why is it so important for us to begin our faith in Christ’s death? This is because for anyone to accept salvation, he or she must affirm that we are sinners and need redemption. As St John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 Jn 1:8-10) Indeed, in today’s gospel, Jesus made it clear that unless we realize we need forgiveness, no salvation is possible. We cannot come to encounter God’s love and mercy if we are self-sufficient. He said to Simon, “Her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man that is forgiven little who shows little love.” This explains why Christ makes no sense to people in a world that are no longer able to distinguish truth from falsehood, and to admit that they are sinners. The world cannot accept Christ so long as they think they have no sin and hence have no need of a saviour.

Secondly, His death was “in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried.” Jesus did not die an “accidental death” or merely taken away and then resuscitated. He really died and was buried, and all within the divine salvific plan of God. He had been destined to be our Messiah and Saviour of all. At the end of His life, the Lord instructed the disciples, “‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.” (Lk 24:25-27) Death is the ultimate expression of a person’s love. As the Lord said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15:13) Christ’s death therefore is the ultimate giving of God’s love for us and an expression of His mercy and forgiveness. At the same time, His innocent death reveals the injustices and cruelty of man’s sins. And the irony is that man sins because he fears death. He is inward-looking, self-centred, self-preservative because he fears pain, abandonment and death. He would even kill and destroy others to stay alive.

Thirdly, “he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time.” The resurrection of our Lord is what gives us ultimate hope in life, our destiny and our calling. That Jesus was raised from the dead by the Father means that we will be raised in Him. Death is the final word but just a passage to the new life in Christ, a life that is lived with God, a life that is everlasting and eternal because we share not just in the immortality of God but His divine life. His resurrection confirms that He was truly what He claimed to be, the Son of God, the way to the Father. The testimony of the apostles and the early Christians, including Paul, on their encounter with the Risen Lord is the basis of our faith. We know that faith in the Risen Lord is well-grounded in the transformed life of the apostles and Paul and the Christians and the many martyrs who died for Him. We know in our own life, how faith in the Risen Lord has given us hope and we have witnessed in many ways, how He has continued to work in our life, through miracles, healings and liberation, as was the case in the early Church.

Truly, it is this faith in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ that should unite us all as Christians. We are saved only because we believe that He is Lord, as St Paul also wrote, “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.” (Rom 10:9f) This would be the barest minimum that all Christians must confess in. If we believe that He is Lord, then we will believe in all that He has taught us in the scriptures. We will take His words seriously as St Paul said to the Thessalonians, “We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (1 Th 2:19) Indeed, our final confession of faith is that Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity.

Tuesday 17 September 2024

IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE IS OVERCOME BY PERFECT LOVE

20240918 IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE IS OVERCOME BY PERFECT LOVE

First reading

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

The supremacy of charity

Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.

If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.

Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

Love does not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue for ever; and knowledge – for this, too, the time will come when it must fail. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect; but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will disappear. When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man, all childish ways are put behind me. Now we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known.

In short, there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 32(33):2-5,12,22

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,

with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.

O sing him a song that is new,

play loudly, with all your skill.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

For the word of the Lord is faithful

and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

and fills the earth with his love.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

They are happy, whose God is the Lord,

the people he has chosen as his own.

May your love be upon us, O Lord,

as we place all our hope in you.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.1Th2:13

Alleluia, alleluia!

Accept God’s message for what it really is:

God’s message, and not some human thinking.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 7:31-35

'We played the pipes, and you wouldn't dance'

Jesus said to the people:

‘What description can I find for the men of this generation? What are they like? They are like children shouting to one another while they sit in the market-place:

‘“We played the pipes for you,

and you wouldn’t dance;

we sang dirges,

and you wouldn’t cry.”

‘For John the Baptist comes, not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man comes, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet Wisdom has been proved right by all her children.’

18 September 2024, Wednesday, 24th Week in Ordinary Time

IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE IS OVERCOME BY PERFECT LOVE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 12:31-13:13; LUKE 7:31-35]

In the gospel, when the Lord lamented at the fickle-mindedness of the people in responding to God’s invitation, we can identify with them. Many of us are so confused by the world today. The diarrhoea of information we receive from the Internet and social media makes it extremely difficult for us to know truth from falsehoods. Our world view is coloured in many ways by our culture, by the historical and religious context, by our education and friends. That is why the world has become so polarized that people cannot agree on what is right or true or what is good. This is even more real in the world of politics today, where democracy is put to the test. Sometimes one begins to wonder whether democracy unites or divides the people, especially in the name of free speech. No one knows for sure what is true or false; and when people are diametrically opposed in ideology and values. How do we hold the people together when our values are so different?

So, we can appreciate the confusion during the time of our Lord as to who is the true prophet. He said, “‘For John the Baptist comes, not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man comes, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” It is difficult in truth to make a judgment and when we do, it is often reflective of our perspective of things and situations. So too, the Church is also divided on many issues, whether it is being true to the perennial teachings of the scriptures or whether we should reinterpret the biblical texts in such a way as to accommodate the current thinking of the modern world and their lifestyles. Those who insist on being “John the Baptist”, that is, the way of discipline, austerity, penance and strict obedience to the Word of God, are condemned as being conservative and outdated. On the other hand, those who desire to make the Faith more acceptable by the modern man and woman would want to make it less strict and rigid. They want the Church to be more inclusive and therefore make apparent compromises on doctrines and morals.

So much so for those of us who are moderate, we do not know what would be the right thing to do. We are neither here nor there. We do not belong to either camp. For such people, the danger is that we do not know where to stand as well. Our foundation is shaky because it is not built on rock but on sand. The irony of those who hold extremist positions is that they are building their ideology on rock, in the sense that there is no way to convert them once they hold on to a certain position. It can also be dangerous because one can be radicalized and become very hostile and violent. So where do we stand for those who are moderate? Are we changing our goal posts so often that we cannot give ourselves wholeheartedly to what we know for certain is true and right?

As a consequence, like the children in the market place, we have become indifferent or sceptical to the Word of God. Many today are not only sceptical of politicians but also of religious leaders. Some have lost faith in institutions and they view those in institutions with great mistrust and suspicion. This is understandable because those in charge of institutions have failed them, be they in politics or in religion. We read of many scandals where politicians and religious leaders use their trusted position to enrich themselves or to manipulate the lives of others. This is why, even when religious leaders announce the message of salvation, some are sceptical. Whether it is a message of good news or a call to repentance, it falls on deaf ears. “We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t cry.”

Today, when we read the first reading, we are consoled by St Paul’s words of wisdom that everything on earth is imperfect, including knowledge and prophecy. “But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue forever; and knowledge – for this too, the time will come when it must fail. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect; but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will disappear.” How true are these words because nothing is perfect on this earth. Prophecy, languages and knowledge is incomplete. This is why we need to keep on clarifying our position. What is perceived clearly in one epoch is unclear in another because the context has changed and the presuppositions as well. Indeed, as St Paul wrote, “When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man, all childish ways are put behind me. Now we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known.”

Even the Church recognizes the development of doctrines and a deepening of the scriptures after saying that with the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord. “The Christian dispensation, therefore, as the new and definitive covenant, will never pass away and we now await no further new public revelation before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Tim. 6:14 and Tit. 2:13).” (Dei Verbum 4) In Dei Verbum No 8, she said, “This tradition which comes from the Apostles develops in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit. For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. For as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfilment in her.” Then again, we must hold in tension both statements; on one hand, the truth has been revealed definitively and on the other hand, we need to deepen our understanding of the gospel. On one hand, we say the deposits of faith cannot change, but on the other hand, we need to reformulate the doctrines, applying them to our time, but in continuity with the Tradition handed down. This tension will continue to exist in our Church insofar as there are differences in how much we can modify the doctrines which we held to be irreformable except in expression and the progress we can make in deepening our understanding of them.

So, what can we do to resolve the conundrum? It can only be resolved in love. St Paul urges us. “Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them. If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.” Without love, we will fight each other to death. Without love, in our sincere desire to keep the gospel and be true to the gospel, we will destroy each other.

So, in our disagreement about doctrinal issues and pastoral practices, we must remember the words of St Paul on what love entails. “Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.” We can disagree but we need to be charitable in our words and actions. Very often in meetings even in church meetings, members can use very harsh words to put down those who disagree with them; or superiors use their authority to silence those who have alternative voices. Humility and sensitivity are necessary virtues to keep the peace, and most of all to ensure that in all things we do, we act with love and in love.

Indeed, let us never forget that “Love does not come to an end. There are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.” Even if we have faith and hope, without love we are nothing. Only love triumphs. So, in our confusion, disagreement, differences, let us allow love to triumph over hatred and divisions. Let us suffer patiently and wait patiently for God to enlighten us in truth. Let our love be supported by our common faith in Him and our love for Him. Like the apostles, because we love Christ, then we want to stay united in love for His sake because He prayed that we all may be one.

Monday 16 September 2024

SPIRITUALITY OF COMMUNION

20240917 SPIRITUALITY OF COMMUNION

First reading

1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27-31

You together are Christ's body: each of you a different part

Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.

Nor is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. Now you together are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it. In the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third to teachers; after them, miracles, and after them the gift of healing; helpers, good leaders, those with many languages. Are all of them apostles, or all of them prophets, or all of them teachers? Do they all have the gift of miracles, or all have the gift of healing? Do all speak strange languages, and all interpret them? Be ambitious for the higher gifts.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 99(100)