Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: October 2024

Wednesday, 30 October 2024

ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR

20241030 ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR

First reading

Ephesians 6:1-9

Duties in domestic life

Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord – that is your duty. The commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother, and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land. And parents, never drive your children to resentment but in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does.

Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ: not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but because you are slaves of Christ and wholeheartedly do the will of God. Work hard and willingly, but do it for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of men. You can be sure that everyone, whether a slave or a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well. And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that they and you have the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by one person more than by another.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):10-14

The Lord is faithful in all his words.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God,

to make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendour of your reign.

The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule lasts from age to age.

The Lord is faithful in all his words.

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

and raises all who are bowed down.

The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf.2Th2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us

to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 13:22-30

The last shall be first and the first last

Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.

‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”

‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’

30 October 2024, Wednesday, 30th Week in Ordinary Time

ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 6:1-9; LUKE 13:22-30]

All of us seek happiness in life. In this age of ours we want everything in an instant. We cannot wait. Many of us want to find the easy way to happiness. We want to take short-cuts. But if we are seeking true and lasting happiness, there are no short cuts. This was why the Lord said to someone who asked Him, “‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.'” Anything that is truly meaningful and life-giving requires much sacrifices and perseverance in arriving at it.

What is this narrow door? It is the door of our Lord. The Lord called Himself, the door. “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jn 10:7-10) Indeed, the Lord said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (Jn 14:6f)

The narrow door that the Lord took was always in obedience to the Father’s will. Whatever the Lord said or did, it was always done consciously in union with the Father. In fact, Jesus did nothing on His own. He said, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.” (Jn 5:19-21) It is for this reason that He could tell Philip, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” (Jn 14:9f)

It is within this context therefore that we need to ask ourselves, what kind of relationship do we have with the Lord? The Lord made it clear that just being identified with Him in name is not sufficient to enter the Kingdom of God. He said, “Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us’ but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, ‘We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets’ but he will reply, ‘I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!'” Clearly, many of us profess to be Christians. We might even attend church services, talks and formation, and we do “Catholic” things. But faith is more than just putting an outward appearance that we are Christians.

Rather, it is putting on the mind and the heart of Christ. It is to do everything in union with Christ. In fact, salvation is not dependent on how long we have been baptized but whether we take the gospel of our Lord seriously in our lives. Just being a member of the Church will not save us. Nominal Catholics cannot expect to enter the Kingdom of God. Indeed, this was the temptation of the Jews. They thought that just because they were circumcised and belonged to the Chosen People, they are saved. But the Lord warned them, “Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.'” It would be the Gentiles who were the last to come into Chosen People of God through faith in Him would be saved.

Concretely, how do we put our faith into practice in family life and at work? The first reading from the letter to the Ephesians instructs us on what it means to put on Christ. In the first place, St Paul wrote, “Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord – that is your duty. The first commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother; and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land.” Not only children but by extension, we all need to show respect to our superiors, elders, and those who have charge over us. The key to doing this is to do it “in the Lord.” In other words, we must recognize that those who have authority over us do so in the name of the Lord. They have been entrusted with the task of guiding us and helping us to walk the way of truth and love. By listening to their counsel and guidance, we will grow in maturity and in grace as Jesus did when, after being found in the Temple, He went back with His parents. “Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” (Lk 2:51f) Even though Jesus was the Son of God and He recognized God as His real Father, He was not arrogant or disobedient to His earthly parents. He was willing to submit to them instead of doing things His own way even if He was conscious that His place was to be in the Father’s house. “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk 2:49)

On the other hand, those in authority, parents, guardians and superiors must never forget to guide their subordinates in the Lord. St Paul said, “parents, never drive your children to resentment but in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does.” This means that the authority given to them is not to be exercised in a dictatorial manner, that is unreasonable, unfeeling, rigid and legalistic. On the contrary, we must guide them in the way the Lord guides us, with compassion, with gentleness, with love and mercy. Any correction must be done in a way that could truly help them to repent or be motivated to change, through enlightenment and encouragement; and most of all, inspiration. The motive is never to control, to shame, to restrict, but to help them to attain their full potentials in life.

Again, when it comes to work and authority, St Paul reminds us to render obedience to the Lord. “Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ: not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but because you are slaves of Christ and wholeheartedly do the will of God.” Indeed, we must never think that we are obeying men but the Lord who appoints them to be in charge over us. They would have to be accountable to the Lord as His shepherds in charge of His flock. In the case of the flock you are accountable insofar as you obey Him through His appointed shepherds. In the final analysis, we all, regardless whether we are superiors or servants, serve Christ and seek to do His holy will. This is why we must show respect, loyalty and obedience to those who are placed over us even when we disagree with them as they are God’s appointed shepherds.

Similarly, it is the same for those who are shepherds and have authority over others. They must also do so in Christ. “And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that they and you have the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by one person more than by another.” We must always be conscious that we are not our own authority and master. We are all servants of the Lord. Therefore, whatever we do, we represent Him to others. We must not discourage those who seek to serve Him or despise their worth or their talents and the work they do. We must treat them with the same respect in Christ. In the eyes of God, we are all equal but different responsibilities in life. Truly, as St Paul wrote, “Work hard and willingly, but do it for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of men. You can be sure that everyone, whether a slave of a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well.”

CHRISTIAN WARFARE MUST BE FOUGHT WITH THE ARMOUR OF GOD

20241031 CHRISTIAN WARFARE MUST BE FOUGHT WITH THE ARMOUR OF GOD

First reading

Ephesians 6:10-20

Put on God's armour and resist the devil

Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens. That is why you must rely on God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.

So stand your ground, with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peaceand always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then you must accept salvation from God to be your helmetand receive the word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.

Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints; and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 143(144):1-2,9-10

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,

who trains my arms for battle,

who prepares my hands for war.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

He is my love, my fortress;

he is my stronghold, my saviour

my shield, my place of refuge.

He brings peoples under my rule.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

To you, O God, will I sing a new song;

I will play on the ten-stringed lute

to you who give kings their victory,

who set David your servant free.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps147:12,15

Alleluia, alleluia!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He sends out his word to the earth.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf.Lk19:38,2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on the King who comes,

in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven

and glory in the highest heavens!

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 13:31-35

It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem

Some Pharisees came up to Jesus. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.

‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:

‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!’

31 October 2024, Thursday, 30th Week in Ordinary Time

CHRISTIAN WARFARE MUST BE FOUGHT WITH THE ARMOUR OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPH 6:10-20; LK 13:31-35]

Every Christian by virtue of their baptism is called to spread the Good News by extending the reign of Christ’s love in the hearts of all men and women. Yet this mission is fraught with challenges.

The gospel recounts the growing hostility against Jesus in His ministry. He had to contend with both religious and political foes, the religious leaders on the one hand, Herod, and the Romans on the other. When the Pharisees came to warn Jesus about Herod’s intention to kill him, it was not done out of concern for His safety but as a pretext to discourage Jesus from going up to Jerusalem to fulfil His mission.

However, if our mission is simply to deal with earthly powers and challenges, then the works of charity, social services, technological progress, advancement in science and domination in politics can solve all problems. But as St Paul reiterates “for it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness of this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens.” Indeed, Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God was also set against the kingdom of darkness whose leader is Satan. Truly, the mission of the Church primarily is a spiritual mission. Our enemies are not human beings but the forces of evil manifested in the current trends of society that are atheistic, secularist, materialistic and even anti-Christian.

We have witnessed for ourselves how daunting this battle is for us all. The work of Satan in seeking to destroy the credibility of Church leaders, clerical, or laity and the unity of marriage and family is obvious. How many of us have fallen under the temptations of the Evil One when it comes to living a life of holiness, integrity, faithfulness and justice in our vocation! In various degrees we have fallen into the snares of the Evil One, wittingly by unwittingly embracing the sensual, materialistic and individualistic values of the world.

Hence, it is important to ask ourselves, how prepared are we in combating unseen forces that seek to wreak havoc in society and in our Church? Are we able to hold our ground, as St Paul exhorted us to, “stand your ground”? We need to be alert and intuitive like Jesus. We also need to be courageous like Jesus who continued in His mission in spite of the threats against Him, resolute in His mission without turning back. How do we prepare ourselves for the ministry and engage in the mission of the Church without losing our ground to the Devil?

The Good News is that this battle is not fought by us alone. On the contrary, this battle is fought by Christ Himself. He is our Chief Commander of the Army. Just as Yahweh fought the battles for Israel in days of old, Jesus will fight for us. The responsorial psalm affirms the mighty power of God when it says, “Blessed be the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. My mercy and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust, who subdues my people under me.”

Secondly, the outcome of the battle is a foregone conclusion. Jesus will win. God’s plan cannot be destroyed. Jesus knows that the Father will see Him through for “He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.” There is no question about God’s final victory. He has already won it in principal when He died to sin in His death and raised to a new life in the Resurrection, and now, seated at the right hand of the Father, continues to exert His influence on humanity through us.

If the outcome is a decisive win, why then bother to fight at all? The truth is that God who created us without us will not save us without us. He ascended on high to give gifts to us all so that He could fight the battle in and through us. Although the outcome of the battle is clear, the form and shape it will take is not yet pre-determined. The Kingdom that is to come, although brought about by God, does not exclude the distinctive flavour that we contribute to the eventual realization of this Kingdom.

This leaves us with the most important question for today’s reflection. How should we conduct this spiritual warfare? St Paul, aware of the incapacity of men to fight against Satan, advises us to “put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics.” Without vesting the right armour, we will surely be wounded on the battlefield if not killed. Without divine protection, we will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold our ground.

So what kind of Divine Armour is St Paul speaking about? Firstly, we must strengthen our spiritual life. Let us not over-estimate ourselves. If we are not spiritually strong, we will be defeated easily by the Evil One. To strengthen our spiritual life, we must first grow in faith, in personal and doctrinal faith, in trust and in understanding. St Paul says, “Carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one.” This faith is ours if we “accept salvation from God to be your helmet.” That is to say, we must surrender our lives to Him and our whole being to Him so that He can take control over us. For faith to grow and nurture, one cannot be naïve to think that it happens without our active cooperation. A strong faith requires that we “receive the Word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.” We must be like Jeremiah who wrote, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight.” (Jer 15:16) Finally, we must, as St Paul says, “Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion.” Without a persistent, persevering, faithful, devout and fervent prayer life, how we can ever expect to defend ourselves against every trial and challenge that comes our way when we seek to be faithful to Christ and His gospel values?

Secondly, to put on the Divine Armour necessarily demands that we live out what we believe in our Christian life. St Paul urges us to live a life of holiness “with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate.” This is a great challenge for us all, for we all know how difficult it is be faithful to the values we hold so dearly. Because of human weakness, we succumb so easily to the temptation of the flesh and our pride. Yet we must be realistic that integrity is not something to be achieved in one day but a life long struggle.

Finally, to put on the Divine Armour is to put on the heart of Jesus our Good Shepherd. We cannot but be inspired by Jesus’ compassion for His people and His enemies when He prayed for Jerusalem crying out, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say: Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!” It was with regret and sorrow that He said this, knowing what was going to befall His people because of their pride and unrepentant heart. Don’t we feel the same for our loved ones when they remain unrepentant and continue with their sinful and unenlightened lifestyle? But let our hearts not only feel for those we love but for everyone who is destroying his life and those who are related to him.

That is why we must engage in the work of evangelization in spreading the Good News of the Kingdom. St Paul exhorts us to “speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.” Only by changing the world, can evil be thwarted. As it is said, instead of cursing the darkness, we can offer to light the candle. By destroying evil with goodness, hatred with love, cruelty with kindness, revenge with forgiveness, falsehood with truth, then the kingdom of God will prevail over the kingdom of darkness.

In order to have such an evangelical zeal, a passion like Jesus for the world, a visionary mind and courage from start to end, St Paul’s word of wisdom is simply to pray. Prayer is the only way to sustain our zeal, inspire us in our discouragement, hope in failure and fortitude in the face of persecution. Most of all, praying takes us from the influence of the Evil One and puts us under the divine protection of God.

Sunday, 27 October 2024

JESUS AS THE BOND OF UNITY

20241028 JESUS AS THE BOND OF UNITY

First reading

Ephesians 2:19-22

In Christ you are no longer aliens, but citizens like us

You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Te Deum

Alleluia, alleluia!

We praise you, O God,

we acknowledge you to be the Lord.

The glorious company of the apostles praise you, O Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 6:12-19

Jesus chooses his twelve apostles

Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.

He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.

28 October 2024, Monday, Ss Simon and Jude, Apostles

JESUS AS THE BOND OF UNITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 2:19-22; LUKE 6:12-19]

St Paul tells us that we “are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household.” Indeed, the spiritual reality of the Christian community is that we are all members of the family of God. We are all citizens of heaven and are called saints of God. In truth, we all should work and collaborate as One Body of Christ, One Church and One Community. Yet the reality is that getting people to work together is the greatest challenge in the Church because everyone has his own ideas, philosophy, horizon, background, approaches and concerns. So many do not see eye-to-eye. If forced to toe the line, they would resist or simply just do not cooperate and do their own things. So we have a Church divided in her mission, in her strategy and in her outreach.

So what can we do about this? How can we strengthen our mission in communion? We can take a page from our Lord’s leadership when He summoned the Twelve to collaborate with Him in His mission. What is significant is that He was not afraid of diversity, whether of ideology or status or intellectual capacity. He chose those who had the heart or passion for the gospel. He chose those who were His friends, those who believed in Him. He was not concerned about whether their ideologies differed from His or whether they were rich or poor. All that mattered for Jesus was that they were willing disciples who wanted to grow closer to Him. It did not matter what their motives were. So long as they were teachable and docile to learn, Jesus was ready to accept them as His apostles.

Indeed, leaders need not know everything. In fact, no leader knows everything today because knowledge is so specialized. A leader depends on his team members to carry out the vision and mission. That was why Jesus chose His team of varied talents, backgrounds, temperament, trades and experiences. He needed the tax-collector Matthew to reach out to other tax-collectors. He needed the fishermen to connect with the ordinary people. He needed revolutionaries like Simon, whose feast we celebrate today, also called the Zealot. He was known to be an ardent and zealous revolutionary. Jesus needed people with zeal and fervour for His mission. Jesus needed James and John who were ambitious for power and glory. He would teach them humility in service and to use their gifts for the gospel and eventually to suffer martyrdom in the case of James, the first apostle to drink the cup of our Lord.

But the leader must be clear of His mission and vision. He must know what He wants for His organization. His task is to excite people to buy into his vision and mission. His role is to help the team members to embrace the vision set forth. This calls for clarification, explanation, persuasion, dialogue, with the leader leading the way. This was the way of our Lord. Jesus called His apostles to be with Him, day and night, watching Him in prayer and instructing them in the gospel way of life, purifying their motives, and enlightening them. Jesus walked the talk and demonstrated His vision and mission by His actions and words. Eventually, they would come to subscribe to Jesus’ vision and mission. It took more than three years and it happened only after His death and resurrection.

That is why the apostles were ready to go out and preach the gospel only after receiving the Spirit of Jesus. “While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This,’ he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'” (Acts 1:4f) Only after this reception, could they be His apostles.

Our people must first and foremost be built on Christ because He is our cornerstone. In other words, our first task as leaders is to build up our people in faith. This is the most challenging and most basic tasks of a leader. This is what St Paul urges us. He said, “You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.” We need to form our people in faith and in love. I said this is the most difficult task because most of our Catholics and ministry members only want to serve. They like activities. They want to convert the whole world, reach out to the poor, do great things for God and for the Church but they spend very little time in prayer and reflection on the Word of God, and least of all, in formation.

But it is not enough to say that Christ is the Cornerstone. We are part of that Temple as well. We need to find Christ through the help of the Church, especially the Magisterium. This is because the Church of Christ is built on the faith of the apostles, expressed by St Peter, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” (Mt 16:15) And Jesus answered, “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:18f) Our faith in Christ is not our own dreamt-up vision of Christ but in continuity with the faith of the apostles. Otherwise, the Christ that we worship would not be in continuity with the Jesus of Nazareth but a Christ created out of our imagination and fancies.

Unity also demands that the community must work with the bishop in the diocese because he is the head of the Christian community. If each leader were to go in his or her own direction, we would end up with a divided Church, which would not do anyone any good. We will become weak in the face of opposition in the world. The organization that we are supporting will not grow much because of parochial-mindedness and competition. Unless each leader is willing to let go of his or her own ideas and plans; and willing to work for the greater good of all by aligning their mission with that of the diocese, we would only have ourselves to blame when we find ourselves inept and helpless in the face of challenges. With unity, there is greater strength, collaboration and effective use of resources. But when we have tribal warlords setting themselves up in the Church and in organizations, caring not for the good of the entire Church but for their own security, ego and recognition, the growth of the mission of the Church will be compromised.

But that is not all. It means that we need to do our part in helping to build the Church of Christ. Later on, St Paul would speak of the different gifts at the service of the 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) Members of the community must be taught, reminded and exhorted to bring their talents and resources to the community for the service of all.

Again, the sad reality is that most of our Catholics know how to receive but do not know how to give. Only 10 to 15% truly give back to the community. The rest, that is another 20% who come to church regularly on Sundays, give token support. But their demands on the Church are high. They want air-conditioning, a nice ambience, world class facilities, best choir, great music, eloquent preaching, articulate readers, efficient wardens, well-formed catechists, dynamic youth leaders, etc. But where do we get all these from? They do not drop from heaven. We depend on the generosity of the community to provide manpower, resources and funds. The Church cannot grow unless all are united in service.

In the final analysis, Jesus must be the bond of our unity. If we love Jesus enough, we will do anything for His Church. If we love Jesus, we will obey the leaders He appointed to lead us. If we love Jesus, we will read the Word of God daily. If we love Jesus, we will spend time with Him in intimacy in prayer daily. If we love Jesus, we will use all our resources to serve Him, glorify Him and make His name known. If we love Jesus, we will love His Body the Church. If we love Jesus, then we want to be one with each other so that the world will know that we are His disciples.

REGAINING OUR VISION OF LIFE

20241027 REGAINING OUR VISION OF LIFE

First reading

Jeremiah 31:7-9

I will guide them by a smooth path where they will not stumble

The Lord says this:

Shout with joy for Jacob!

Hail the chief of nations!

Proclaim! Praise! Shout:

‘The Lord has saved his people,

the remnant of Israel!’

See, I will bring them back

from the land of the North

and gather them from the far ends of earth;

all of them: the blind and the lame,

women with child, women in labour:

a great company returning here.

They had left in tears,

I will comfort them as I lead them back;

I will guide them to streams of water,

by a smooth path where they will not stumble.

For I am a father to Israel,

and Ephraim is my first-born son.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 125(126)