20240923 WALKING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
First reading |
Proverbs 3:27-34 |
The Lord blesses the home of the virtuous
My son, do not refuse a kindness to anyone who begs it,
if it is in your power to perform it.
Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go away! Come another time!
I will give it you tomorrow’, if you can do it now.
Do not plot harm against your neighbour
as he lives unsuspecting next door.
Do not pick a groundless quarrel with a man
who has done you no harm.
Do not emulate the man of violence,
never model your conduct on his;
for the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to the Lord,
who confides only in honest men.
The Lord’s curse lies on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the virtuous.
He mocks those who mock,
but accords his favour to the humble.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 14(15):2-5 |
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue.
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honours those who fear the Lord.
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
He who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm for ever.
The just will live in the presence of the Lord.
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: | Mt5:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your light must shine in the sight of men,
so that, seeing your good works,
they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 8:16-18 |
Anyone who has will be given more
Jesus said to the crowds:
‘No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under a bed. No, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light. So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.’
23 September 2024, Monday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
WALKING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [PROVERBS 3:27-34; LUKE 8:16-18]
“The just will live in the presence of the Lord.” If we want to live a life of happiness, peace and joy, we simply have to live in the presence of the Lord. This is what we said in the responsorial psalm. To live in the presence of the Lord does not mean that we are free from the trials and sufferings of life, but it means that we can go through all these with joy and peace of mind.
How does one live in the presence of the Lord? Firstly, we must allow the light of Christ to shine in us before He can shine through us. Jesus said to His disciples, “No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under the bed. No, he puts it on a lamp stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light.” It is important therefore that we must be recipients of the light. This saying comes immediately after the parable of the Sower when Jesus spoke on the different levels of reception of the Word of God. (cf Lk 8:4-15)
Following this parable, the Lord warned us, “So take care how you hear.” How we hear the Word of God will affect the way we live our lives. This was what the earlier parable of the Sower sought to explain. The degree of reception and understanding will impact the way we will be able to live out the messages. The truth is that many are not able to hear the Word of God because of so much distractions and competing messages that are more attractively presented, especially through the social and mass media. There is a diarrhoea of information, so much so that the Word of God is not heard. It seems that non-religious views are more appealing because it promises happiness, wealth, power and prestige.
Secondly, there is the corresponding responsibility of spreading the light of Christ and sharing the Word of God. What we receive as a gift must be shared generously. The failure to share the Word of God or of Christ to others means that we do not regard the Word of God as truly inspiring and liberating. Otherwise, like the apostles, we will be ever ready to witness to the Word of God. St Paul said, “If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:16-18)
However, the call to proclaim Christ to the world is not just a matter of doing a service to God and humanity but for one’s faith as well. It certainly does not exclude the objective of witnessing so that those who receive the light and the Word of God would be enlightened and be saved. But witnessing has a double purpose. It enlightens those who are ignorant and lacking faith but it also strengthens the faith of the one who makes himself the light. When we evangelize others, we evangelize ourselves. The best way to remember something is to talk constantly about it. The most effective way to learn is by teaching others. We learn doubly and gain more when we share with others. That is why the Lord said, “anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.” So by sharing what we have, we retain the knowledge and most of all, grow in knowledge and conviction of what we share. That is why at the end of the gospel, the Lord commissioned the disciples to go out to the whole world to proclaim the gospel. “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mk 16:15)
Thirdly, the concrete way of walking in the presence of God is to walk in truth and in charity. The Old Testament prescribes it this way. Godly living is synonymous with righteous living. In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist quipped, “Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain? He who walks without fault; he who acts with justice and speaks the truth from his heart; he who does not slander with his tongue. He who does no wrong to his brother; who casts no slur on his neighbour; who holds the godless in disdain, but honours those who fear the Lord. He who keeps his pledge, come what may; who takes no interest on a loan and accepts no bribes against the innocent. Such a man will stand firm forever.”
It is significant that the Bible underscores the importance of justice and compassion in the life of a believer and a Christian. A life of justice is basic to walking in the presence of God. The Lord hears the cries of the poor and the oppressed. “He strikes them for their wickedness while others look on, because they turned aside from following him, and had no regard for any of his ways, so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted.” (Job 34:26-28) The psalmist reiterates this truth when he prayed, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Ps 34:15-18)
Consequently, in the Mosaic law, carrying out justice is paramount in the observation of the commandments, more than the observance of rituals and sacrifices. The prophet Hosea said, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hos 6:6) True worship is to offer justice to our fellowmen. The Lord said through Isaiah, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?” (Isa 58:6f) This, in the eyes of God, is how we let His light shine out in the world. For Isaiah remarked, “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.” (Isa 58:8f)
This is precisely what the Book of Proverbs teaches as well. We must avoid doing evil to others. The sin against others is a sin against God. “Do not plot harm against your neighbour as he lives unsuspecting next door. Do not pick a groundless quarrel with a man who has done you no harm. Do not emulate the man of violence, never model your conduct on his; for the willful wrong-doer is abhorrent to the Lord, who confides only in honest men.” Those who hurt their brothers and sisters especially the poor and the vulnerable offend the dignity and hide the glory of God.
Indeed, going beyond justice and truth, we must live a life of charity. “My son, do not refuse a kindness to anyone who begs it, if it is in your power to perform it. Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go away! Come another time! I will give it to you tomorrow,’ if you can do it now.” A true love of God is expressed in our love for our fellowmen and compassion for the poor. St James reminds us, “Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'” (Jas 2:5-7) If we act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly before God and man, we will truly walk in the presence of God, so that others may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven. (cf Mic 6:8; Mt 5:16) Such a person will find deep peace, joy and happiness, regardless of his wealth and suffering in life because He knows that God is with Him and will bless Him accordingly.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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