HEARTS OF MERCY FILLED WITH PURE LOVE

20241005 HEARTS OF MERCY FILLED WITH PURE LOVE

 

First reading

Job 42:1-3,5-6,12-17

In dust and in ashes I repent

This was the answer Job gave to the Lord:

I know that you are all-powerful:

  what you conceive, you can perform.

I am the man who obscured your designs

  with my empty-headed words.

I have been holding forth on matters I cannot understand,

  on marvels beyond me and my knowledge.

I knew you then only by hearsay;

  but now, having seen you with my own eyes,

I retract all I have said,

  and in dust and ashes I repent.

The Lord blessed Job’s new fortune even more than his first one. He came to own fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she-donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters; his first daughter he called ‘Turtledove’, the second ‘Cassia’ and the third ‘Mascara.’ Throughout the land there were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job. And their father gave them inheritance rights like their brothers.

  After his trials, Job lived on until he was a hundred and forty years old, and saw his children and his children’s children up to the fourth generation. Then Job died, an old man and full of days.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118(119):66,71,75,91,125,130

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

Teach me discernment and knowledge

  for I trust in your commands.

It was good for me to be afflicted,

  to learn your statutes.

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

Lord, I know that your decrees are right,

  that you afflicted me justly.

By your decree it endures to this day;

  for all things serve you.

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

I am your servant, give me knowledge;

  then I shall know your will.

The unfolding of your word gives light

  and teaches the simple.

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

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Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Luke 10:17-24

Rejoice that your names are written in heaven

The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’

  It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said:

  ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

  Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

 

 

05 October 2024, Saturday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time

HEARTS OF MERCY FILLED WITH PURE LOVE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JOB 42:1-3,5-6,12-17; LUKE 10:17-24]

We are in the midst of the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  Most of the time, when we speak of showing mercy, we always think of reaching out to those who are poor, the disadvantaged and the marginalized.  This is of course an expression of mercy and a necessary obligation on our part as an expression of our love for God and for our fellowmen.   Families must be channels of mercy to the world, especially to those who are suffering in poverty or due to illnesses.  We are called to reach out to those who are downtrodden and broken-hearted, those disillusioned with life and with relationships.  Most of all, we are called to show the compassionate face of God to those who have rejected Him as they feel that God does not care for them.

But we must not forget that charity begins at home, even if it does not end there.  The irony is that there are two groups of people who apparently do charity and show mercy but in truth are serving themselves.  In the first instance, we have those who only are kind to those whom they love, especially their loved ones and friends.  Their mercy is only restricted to their friends and family members.  Jesus says that even the pagans do likewise.  There is nothing great about loving those who love us.  Then there is the other extreme group who show love to everyone except their parents, family members and office colleagues, or those that they live with.  At home, they are selfish, self-centred and behave like tyrants, but outside the home or the office they are like angels, involved in all kinds of church and social organizations.   There is a certain dichotomy and lack of integrity in such a lifestyle.  It shows that the love for self is masked in our apparent love for others.  We love others so that we feel loved and appreciated, which we do not receive at home because we are often taken for granted.   At times, we are even used and taken advantage of by our loved ones.

Consequently, couples in relationships and married couples must show mercy to those who are closest to them, besides showing mercy to the world.  Very often, we fall into the same mistake of the so-called friends of Job when he was afflicted with illness and suffered one tragedy after another.  Instead of being sympathetic to his predicament and confusion as to why he had to suffer even though he was innocent, his friends tried to convince him that it was because of his sins that he was being punished.  They were judgmental.  Very often, we too fail to make time to listen to our spouse and our loved ones.  Because our communication is always on a logical level and not on the level of feeling and identification, over time, the couple becomes alienated because there is a lack of empathy.  Showing mercy to our loved ones, especially our spouse, requires that we make time to listen and feel with the struggles of our loved ones.   Infidelity happens only because one spouse feels distant from the other, not understood, not supported and loved.  When there is a lack of encouragement from each other, we turn to others who can provide us the emotional support that is lacking in spousal relationship, among family members and in the office.

In the gospel today, Jesus shows us the example of mercy by making time to journey with His disciples.  They returned from their mission, elated and excited over what they did.   They “came back rejoicing.  ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightening from heaven.  Yes.  I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you.”   It is interesting to take note how Jesus rejoiced with them as well.  He shared their joy.   Most of all, He took the trouble to listen to them and helped them evaluate their mission, their joys and their struggles.  Making time for our loved ones is the most basic form of mercy given.

The second form of mercy is fraternal advice extended to our loved ones, which must be done with gentleness, love and patience.  Jesus could sense the hidden pride in His disciples when they reported what they had done.  So tactfully, whilst celebrating their success with them, He helped them to focus on what is even greater. He advised them “not (to) rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.”  Indeed, Jesus patiently helped His disciples to go beyond earthly success to sharing the joys of the Father in heaven to see His children liberated from the Evil One and from their sins and misery.   In couple relationship and with our children, we too must learn patience, tolerance and offer fraternal correction with tact and gentleness motivated by love of the other and not of self.

Most of all, the greatest form of mercy is forgiveness.  No relationship can grow without learning to let go.  We are all sinners and imperfect.  This was also the lesson that Job learned. Although it is true that he was not punished because of his sins as he was innocent, but in questioning the divine wisdom of God, he fell into the sin of presumption and pride.  Who are we to question the wisdom and plan of God when He is our creator and indeed of the whole universe?  Instead, we should submit to His divine wisdom in humility as Jesus said, “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.”   Pride comes before the downfall of every man.  So, in human relationship, we must learn to accept each other’s weaknesses and forgive each other.  As Jesus says in the gospel, seventy times seven, that is, always!   By withholding mercy and forgiveness from our loved ones, we will only distance ourselves from the person.  Emotional distance will lead to intellectual and physical separation.  When Job was able to let go and confessed his sin of pride and ignorance, God forgave him and restored his fortunes and family.

How can we show such mercy to our loved ones?  The key is always intimacy.  This is what Jesus is teaching us in the gospel.  If Jesus could do the Father’s will so completely even in giving up His life for us, it was because He was totally identified with His Father. “Everything has been entrusted to me be my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”   Jesus knew His Father intimately.  He was filled with the Spirit of His Father.  He shares the same Spirit of His Father. So, when St Luke said that Jesus was “filled with joy by the Holy Spirit”, he was referring to the Spirit as the common love-gift of the Father and the Son.  Only because they are one in Spirit that the Son could obey the Father so perfectly, trusting in His Father’s plan and love for Him.

Likewise, too, as couples in marriage or in relationships, intimacy is always the key to a strong relationship.  It is the sharing of the mind and heart that will strengthen the love between the couple.  Only when there is mutual trust and understanding of each other, can that love be developed.  Couples must invest time in being together to share their lives with each other; and not reduce their relationship to a business enterprise where each does his or her own thing and fulfilling responsibilities.  Marriage and family is about sharing each other’s joys, sorrows, and struggles, and being with and for each other, in good and bad times.  Such a loving and supportive relationship in an atmosphere of trust and love will give us the strength to endure all trials and difficulties in life, sickness, sorrows and death.

Most of all, when couples and family members found their love in their common love for Christ, their love will be purified, deepened and strengthened.  All relationships when founded in the Lord and with the Lord as the centre and bond of that relationship, will grow and remain strong. With the Lord in our lives, we will learn the meaning of pure and selfless love, the way He has loved us unto death.  But more, He will give us the same Spirit of His Father so that we do not rely on our own strength. He will empower us to love with the Spirit given to us.  When we love with Christ’s Spirit, He will work in and through us.

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

PRIDE MAKES US BLIND TO GOD’S LOVE AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER US

20241004 PRIDE MAKES US BLIND TO GOD’S LOVE AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER US

 

First reading

Job 38:1,12-21,40:3-5

The immeasurable greatness of God

From the heart of the tempest the Lord gave Job his answer. He said:

Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning

  or sent the dawn to its post,

telling it to grasp the earth by its edges

  and shake the wicked out of it,

when it changes the earth to sealing clay

  and dyes it as a man dyes clothes;

stealing the light from wicked men

  and breaking the arm raised to strike?

Have you journeyed all the way to the sources of the sea,

  or walked where the Abyss is deepest?

Have you been shown the gates of Death

  or met the janitors of Shadowland?

Have you an inkling of the extent of the earth?

  Tell me all about it if you have!

Which is the way to the home of the light,

  and where does darkness live?

You could then show them the way to their proper places,

  or put them on the path to where they live!

If you know all this, you must have been born with them,

  you must be very old by now!

Job replied to the Lord:

My words have been frivolous: what can I reply?

  I had better lay my finger on my lips.

I have spoken once... I will not speak again;

  more than once... I will add nothing.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 138(139):1-3,7-10,13-14

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

O Lord, you search me and you know me,

  you know my resting and my rising,

  you discern my purpose from afar.

You mark when I walk or lie down,

  all my ways lie open to you.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

O where can I go from your spirit,

  or where can I flee from your face?

If I climb the heavens, you are there.

  If I lie in the grave, you are there.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

If I take the wings of the dawn

  and dwell at the sea’s furthest end,

even there your hand would lead me,

  your right hand would hold me fast.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

For it was you who created my being,

  knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I thank you for the wonder of my being,

  for the wonders of all your creation.

Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.

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Gospel Acclamation

Ps144:13

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and loving in all his deeds.

Alleluia!

Or:

Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Luke 10:13-16

Anyone who rejects me rejects the one who sent me

Jesus said to his disciples:

  ‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.

  ‘Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.’

 

 

04 October 2024, Friday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time

PRIDE MAKES US BLIND TO GOD’S LOVE AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER US

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JOB 38:1,12-21; 40:3-5; LK 10:13-16]

We all have many questions about life.  Indeed, this world is filled with mysteries and riddles.  There are many things we do not understand, especially suffering and the mystery of life and death.  But among all these, we cannot understand why innocent people have to suffer, especially through the consequences of the sins committed by other people, or simply because of the imperfections of human nature and creation.  We demand answers for all that we are going through in life because we need to make sense of our suffering.  Indeed, most of the time, people want an answer for the sufferings, tragedy, or illness they carry in their life.  Unless they are able to make sense of their suffering and pain, they will be filled with anger and bitterness.

This was the case of Job.  He was not so much angry with God for the unjust sufferings he was bearing, and the insistence of his friends that he must have broken the law, as he was anxious to understand the meaning of his sufferings.  His friends tried to help him to make sense of his suffering, first by asking him to search for his sins; and when he said he did not break any law, one of them suggested that maybe it could be his hidden sin that caused him to make God angry with them.  But he could not find any known sin that would have justified this punishment from God.  He wanted to prove that the just man had to suffer too, and it was not true that reward and happiness always await the just man, whilst punishment awaited the wicked.

In his insistence to find an answer from God, believing that he was innocent, the Lord replied not with an answer but with questions.  God challenged Job to consider the creation of the world.  “He said, “Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning or sent the dawn to its post, telling it to grasp the earth by its edges and shake the wicked out of it? Have you journeyed all the way to the sources of the sea? Have you been shown the gates of Death? Have you an inkling of the extent of the earth?”  The truth, in the final analysis, is that God is the creator.  He is in charge of creation.

We will never be able to comprehend the depth of creation, nor of God.  “Tell me all about it if you have! Which is the way to the home of light, and where does the darkness live? You could then show them the way to their proper places, or put them on the path to where they live! If you know all this, you must have been born with them, you must be very old by now!” Everything is under the authority of God.  Our minds will never be able to contemplate His creation.  God’s questions show that none of us, including Job, would be able to understand the mysteries of God’s creation.  At the same time, we can be assured that God is in charge and He has a tender love and care for the entire creation.   This is why we must let God be God; and not question His works and His plan.

Instead of lamenting and complaining about our misfortunes and the things that make us sad, we should recognize the miracles God has worked in our lives, in small and big ways.  Indeed, the fact that we are still alive and have reached and attained many of our goals itself is a testimony of the grace of God at work in us.  Indeed, looking at the events of our past, we should be amazed at how the Lord had helped us to overcome each one as it came along, and how He had sent us friends and opportunities to deal with our trials and struggles in life.  Alas we are blind, like the inhabitants in Chorazin and Bethsaida.  The Lord said, “For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  And still, it would not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon, at the judgement as with you.”  They were blind to the miracles.

Then again, some of us might ask, why are others more blessed than me?  Why do they seem to have better things and opportunities than me?  The same question could also have been asked by the people in Tyre and Sidon, the pagan towns.  If the Lord had performed more miracles there, more people would have been converted. Instead, the Lord wasted His time performing miracles and teaching in Capernaum where the people took Him for granted and did not repent.  The answer is the same, it is not for us to question the wisdom and divine plan of God.  He has reasons that we cannot understand.  What is considered blessed for us might be a source of temptation and destruction for others.  Indeed, riches and power can be a blessing or a curse.  It is how we use them.  For those who allow riches to make them feel self-sufficient or become attached to them, wanting to have more and more and use their wealth only for themselves, and unable to let go, they would not be able to enjoy the freedom of the Kingdom of God, which is one of loving, caring and sharing. 

We should be grateful for our being and the wonders of God’s creation.  We are all objects of God’s mercy and divine providence.  God knows us more than we know ourselves.  The psalmist says, “O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you.  O where can I go from your spirit, or where can I flee from your face? If I climb the heavens, you are there.  If I lie in the grave, you are there.  If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the sea’s furthest end, even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast. For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation.”  Indeed, there are more things to thank God for in our lives, and more reasons for us to be happy and grateful than to always feel that others are better off than us and that we do not have what they have.

This is why we must trust Him and surrender our lives to Him as Job did after the long ordeal.  When God challenged him, he came to realize his finiteness and limitations.  His reply to the Lord was one of humility and a deep recognition of his self-righteousness. “My words have been frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my finger on my lips. I have spoken once…I will not speak again; more than once…I will add nothing.”  Indeed, we must remain humble when it comes to answering the questions of life.  We do not know everything and so we should put our trust in Him, believing that His divine plan for us is always the best, instead of challenging God.  We must not fall into the pride of the people in Capernaum.  The Lord said, “And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.”  We must never become arrogant or think so highly of ourselves.

We should allow ourselves to be instruments of God’s mercy and grace.  The Lord said, “Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.”  We must listen to the voice of the Lord that comes through His Church and our pastors.  God wants us to listen to Him through the scriptures so that we will be able to surrender our lives to Him in faith and trust.  The Lord is inviting us to repent and to surrender our lives in humility, cooperating with His grace and living a contented life, believing that whatever is given to us, is all we need for our happiness and salvation.  Anything more comes from the evil one.  We should be contented with our lot in life.  Happiness is where we find it and it is not determined by how much possessions we have or positions we hold.  

Let us be inspired by Job who was a man of faith in God, rendering Him unwavering devotion even when he was stricken with misfortune, disease and rejection.  He lost everything in his life and he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  (Job 1:21)  Let us also learn from him that life is a mystery and only God knows best.  It is not always true that the good will always be rewarded and the bad are punished.  The cross of our Lord is the best answer to the mystery of suffering, life and death.  We must surrender our plans to God and He will show us that He is always faithful and reliable.

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

MISSION AND MINISTRY

20241003 MISSION AND MINISTRY

 

First reading

Job 19:21-27

My Avenger lives and will set me close to him when I awake

Job said:

Pity me, pity me, you, my friends,

  for the hand of God has struck me.

Why do you hound me down like God,

  will you never have enough of my flesh?

Ah, would that these words of mine were written down,

  inscribed on some monument

with iron chisel and engraving tool,

  cut into the rock for ever.

This I know: that my Avenger lives,

  and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.

After my awaking, he will set me close to him,

  and from my flesh I shall look on God.

He whom I shall see will take my part:

  these eyes will gaze on him and find him not aloof.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 26(27):7-9,13-14

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

O Lord, hear my voice when I call;

  have mercy and answer.

Of you my heart has spoken:

  ‘Seek his face.’

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;

  hide not your face.

Dismiss not your servant in anger;

  you have been my help.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness

  in the land of the living.

Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.

  Hope in the Lord!

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

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Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mk1:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The kingdom of God is close at hand:

repent and believe the Good News.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Luke 10:1-12

Your peace will rest on that man

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’

 

 

03 October 2024, Thursday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time

MISSION AND MINISTRY

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JOB 19:21-27; LUKE 10:1-12]

In the gospel today, we are told that we all have received the same mandate to collaborate in the mission of Christ and the Church.  Mission is for both the ordained and non-ordained, but the way this mission is carried out will differ in degree and essence.  Over and above the sending out of the Twelve apostles for the mission (cf Lk 9:1-6), the Lord also appointed “seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit.”  The number 70 or 72 refers to the nations of the world.  In other words, the disciples were also sent out on mission to proclaim the gospel to all the nations.  By virtue of our baptism, we are called and given the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, this mission involves proclamation and service.  “Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you.  Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”   This mission of proclaiming the gospel, therefore, is carried out in different ways by different people.   It could be teaching and education or in works of charity.  Indeed, we read in the New Testament of the different gifts of the Holy Spirit given to the Christian community. “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”  (Eph 4:11-13) These gifts are innumerable and not confined to those mentioned in the bible.  “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”  (cf Rom 12:6-8)

However, today there is a certain confusion between Ordained ministry, Instituted ministries and the lay ministries.  The confusion lies in the fact that the loose term of the word “ministry” could give the impression that one is a minister because of the tasks he or she performs.  But in the understanding of the Church, one is a minister not simply by virtue of his performing a task but through sacramental ordination.  Hence, during the Pontificate of St John Paul II, he promulgated the document “On certain questions on collaboration” (1997) of the non-ordained faithful in the sacred ministry of the priest.  This instruction sought to deal with the ambiguity between the ordained Ministry and the non-ordained ministry in the mission of the Church.  In order to distinguish the functions of the ordained Ministry and the collaboration of the laity in the pastoral ministry of the clergy, it was necessary to clarify the loose use of the term “ministry”, which is now used widely as those who are at the service of the Church.   This is partly also because of the influence of Protestant theology as they do not distinguish clearly between the Ordained Ministry and the Lay Ministry, as they believe there is only one priesthood by which all share by virtue of their baptism.  However, for Catholics, the foundation of the Ordained Ministry rests on apostolic succession, unlike the ministry of the common priesthood which is derived from the sacrament of baptism.

However, Pope Francis also underscored the ministries of the lay faithful, warning us not to reduce the word “ministry” merely to the instituted ministries of the Church, for example, lector, acolyte and catechist.  These instituted ministries are connected with the Ordained Ministry because they involve some form of participation in the functions of the ministerial priesthood which has its dignity from the Sacrament of Ordination.  Yet, Pope Francis reminds us that the instituted ministries do not represent the full extent of the ministeriality of the Church.  cf. Apostolic Letter issued Motu proprio Antiquum ministerium 2.  They can perform temporary services by being given supplementary functions to assist the priests without the need to be instituted in situations where there are pastoral needs. The ministry of the lay faithful is rooted in their baptism and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Of course, we must also not clericalize the laity and make them into some kind of pseudo-priests, even if they are called to participate in the supplementary services that are given to the instituted ministries. In this sense, when we use the word “ministry” for the laity, we are using it in terms of participation in the prophetic and kingly office of Christ within the Church, and most of all in the world where their presence is felt, especially in the areas of charity, social, economic and political life.  These are real ministries in the one mission of Christ – proclamation of the gospel in words and in deeds.  It is their witnessing in the world, in politics, humanitarian works and social commitment to the community, that brings Christ to the world.  Those who are involved in marriage and family life ministries, providing pastoral care to those in matrimonial crisis, the divorced or separated, those struggling with gender identity, same-sex attraction, including those who are single and feel left out, are truly involved in the work of evangelization.  Regardless of whether we are Ordained Ministers or Laity entrusted with “instituted ministries” or simply the wider ministries of service in their families, community and society, we all partake in the one mission of Christ according to the charisms and vocation the Lord has chosen us.   

What is important to remember is that these services must be offered in selflessness and humility.  When we use the word “ministry” we must never forget the etymology of the world, which is a call to service, to be a servant.  The term “ministry” is derived from the world “mini” or “minor.” This is why we must make ourselves small when we serve.  Jesus reminded His apostles, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.  It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”  (Mt 20:25-28)  To His apostles whom He sent out, He reminded them, “You received without payment; give without payment.”  (Mt 10:8)

Secondly, we must remember that we are sent.  We do not send ourselves.  We are sent by the Lord.  We are called to represent Him in our proclamation and service.  We are His ministers, His servants.  We must not act as if we have the authority to teach what we want to say or do what we like.  We are accountable to the Lord and therefore we may only teach what He commands us and according to what He has instructed.  No servant takes it upon himself to change the message and commands of his master.  Fidelity to the Lord and those who send us is essential, otherwise, we betray ourselves when we call ourselves “ministers.”

We are not only sent to teach what He wants us to teach but also to manifest His life and love in us by our actions.  We are called to bring peace to whichever house we enter and share their fellowship and company.   The Lord said, “Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you.  Stay in the house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.  Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you.”

Finally, because we are sent, we must be totally dependent on the Lord.  We must rely on Him alone and not on our strength and resources.  Hence, He reminds us, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.  Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals.”  Indeed, the most important aspect of mission is prayer and intimacy with the Lord.  As the Lord said, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:4f)  Indeed, we must pray not just for more labourers to help us in the vineyard of the Lord but also pray for His divine assistance. With Job, we must entrust our lives and ministry to Him, knowing that He is faithful and He will see us through.   We should remain focus on Him and He will set us close to Him and we shall see the face of the Lord, and His “goodness in the land of the living.”

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

GUARDIAN ANGELS TO THE WEAK AND VULNERABLE

20241002 GUARDIAN ANGELS TO THE WEAK AND VULNERABLE

 

First reading

Exodus 23:20-23

I myself will send an angel before you

The Lord says this: ‘I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him. If you listen carefully to his voice and do all that I say, I shall be enemy to your enemies, foe to your foes. My angel will go before you.’

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 90(91):1-6,10-11

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

  and abides in the shade of the Almighty

says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,

  my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

It is he who will free you from the snare

  of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;

he will conceal you with his pinions

  and under his wings you will find refuge.

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

You will not fear the terror of the night

  nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the plague that prowls in the darkness

  nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

Upon you no evil shall fall,

  no plague approach where you dwell.

For you has he commanded his angels,

  to keep you in all your ways.

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

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Gospel Acclamation

Ps102:21

Alleluia, alleluia!

Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,

his servants who do his will.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Matthew 18:1-5,10

Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

  ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

 

 

02 October 2024, Wednesday, The Holy Guardian Angels

GUARDIAN ANGELS TO THE WEAK AND VULNERABLE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EXODUS 23:20-23; MATTHEW 18:1-5,10]

How do we celebrate this feast of the Guardian Angels meaningfully?  The truth is that very few of us have seen an angel in our lives with our own eyes.  The identity of the angel is not clear in the scriptures.  In faith, the Church professed our belief in the existence of pure spirits, which would include the angels and the devils who are the fallen angels.  In the creed, we profess that God created all things visible and invisible.  Theologians have speculated on the numbers and kinds of angels in the history of angelology.  Some have even speculated on the hierarchy of the angels and spirits.  They are pure spiritual beings but often manifested in bodily form so that we can see them.  They have intelligence and will.  They have a character of their own.  They are intelligent beings.

What is the role of angels in the history of salvation? They are intermediaries of God in His relationship with men.  Since the bible says that no man can see God and live (cf Ex 3:20) because of His majesty and splendour, it was necessary for God to communicate with men through the angels.  They were signs of His presence among His people, guarding and protecting them. “The Lord says this: “I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.”  We read how the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3:2) The angel also guided the Hebrew people through the desert acting as a personal guide both by day in the form of a cloud and by night in the form of a pillar of fire.  (cf Ex 14:19)  God also instructed Moses to make two cherubim and place them over the mercy seat. “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant, I will deliver to you all my commands for the Israelites.”  (Ex 25:19-22)  So the angels are instruments of His presence and assurance of His protection.

Often, they act as messengers, bringing the message of God to the people.  Hence, the Lord orders us to “give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him.”  In the gospel, the Angel announced the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner to the Messiah.  (Lk 1:8-20)  The angel Gabriel announced to Mary her election to divine motherhood of the Saviour.  (Lk 1:26-38)  A choir of angels announced the birth of our Lord to the shepherds.  (Lk 2:8-14)  Then when Jesus “was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”  (Mk 1:13)

On this feast of the Guardian angels, we are called to be angels to each other, especially the weak and the vulnerable.  In the gospel, the Lord said, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.”  A child is not simply one who is young in age but also weak, vulnerable and dependent on others.  So, when the Lord invites us to welcome little children in His name, we are called to pay special attention to this particular group of people because they need our guidance, protection and assistance.  After all, this is what an angel does, to light, guide and guard.  There is this beautiful prayer to the Guardian Angel which tradition has given to us.  “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here.  Ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, rule and guide. Amen.”

Consequently, our first duty as guardian angels to the children of God entrusted to us is to be their light.  Teaching and instructing our children, including spiritual children who are growing in faith is the first task of a guardian angel.  We must teach them the right values in life, values that are taught in the scriptures and by the Church.  Instructing them in the faith is an important task of a guardian angel.  We must announce to the Word of God and His message for us like the angels who guided the Hebrew people and in the New Testament.  For children and those who are spiritually immature, we must guide them so that they can come to the Lord.  Parents and teachers have a grave responsibility to ensure that they are instructed in the Word of God and be led by good teachers.  Being children, they are receptive to what we teach them.  This means that before we can be their teachers, we must ourselves be connected with God, like the angels.  The scriptures tell us that the angels sing praises and glory to God and they receive His word to communicate to us.

Secondly, we must guide them by our good examples in life.   Often, we forget that how we conduct ourselves have serious implications on those under our charge.  If as elders and superiors we abuse our authority or live a selfish and self-centred life, we will influence our children to imitate our bad examples.  Indeed, children imitate us and learn from us how to cheat, steal and shout at each other, lose their temper, use vulgar words and fight with others.  Sometimes they follow our example of laziness, especially when we do not help out in the house or involve ourselves in the service of the community.  It is important that our children learn good examples of Christian life and conduct from us.  Of course, this is not just for children but for all those under our care, especially those of us who are subordinates in our workplace.   How we treat our colleagues will be the way they will learn to treat each other.

Thirdly, as guardian angels, we must protect them.   We must protect them from harm and from the evil influence of the world.  We must help them to protect themselves from bad company teaching them wrong values and cultivating bad habits, such as smoking, excessive drinking and gambling.  Teaching them the truth and showing them the way is the best way we can help them to protect themselves from the deceptions of the Evil One who comes in the form of social media, internet giving them distorted information and contaminating their minds, tempting them to cheat, steal and even kill.  Today, our young people are exposed early to pornography and sex.  Most of all, we need to protect them from molesters and rapists and gangsters.

Indeed, we are called to light, guide and guard these little ones, either in age, in faith, or in intelligence.  The Lord reminds us that “their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.”  In other words, they are called to be in the presence of God.  Everyone is important to God.  Consequently, when we work against them, or lead them in the wrong direction in life, we will be held accountable to God.  The Lord has a very severe warning for those who abuse their position as the guardian angels of those entrusted to their care.  Indeed, He described such irresponsibility and abuses in no uncertain terms.

It would be good for us, therefore, to read the text on leading others to sin that was omitted between the two pericopes selected for the gospel reading today.  It concerns those who cause the little ones to sin.  The Lord said, “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!”  (Mt 18:6f)  At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord warned us, “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”  (Mt 5:19)

If we want to be great in the Kingdom of heaven, let us at all cost protect the lives of innocent, vulnerable and susceptible people.  To cheat or abuse the young or the elderly is a grave sin because they are “children” of God whom the Father loves.   Alas, this is happening too often in today’s world where children are being abused sexually, forced into child labour, even killed innocently in wars, and the elderly being abandoned and scammed of their life savings.   The Lord said, if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must remove these temptations to hurt others.  (cf Mt 18:8f)

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.