20241019 PRESSURE TO CONFORM
First reading |
Ephesians 1:15-23 |
Paul’s prayer for the enlightenment of the faithful
I, having once heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love that you show towards all the saints, have never failed to remember you in my prayers and to thank God for you. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 8:2-7 |
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
How great is your name, O Lord our God,
through all the earth!
Your majesty is praised above the heavens;
on the lips of children and of babes
you have found praise to foil your enemy,
to silence the foe and the rebel.
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
put all things under his feet.
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
Gospel Acclamation | 1S3:9,Jn6:68 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn15:26,27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 12:8-12 |
If you declare yourselves for me, I will declare myself for you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.
‘Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
‘When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.’
19 October 2024, Saturday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
PRESSURE TO CONFORM
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 1:15-23; LUKE 12:8-12]
Although the world speaks of freedom of speech, we are under pressure not to speak the truth to those who do not wish to hear, unlike those who in the name of freedom of speech say anything they like, even when the words used are provocative and incendiary. This is the context of today’s gospel reading when Jesus warned the disciples of the force of peer pressure against them. Persecution can come in many forms, not just threats of imprisonment but also verbal abuse and social alienation. Indeed, in order not to lose their children, parents often have had to learn to accept their children who have taken a different path in life, different lifestyles, different religions, for fear of being isolated by them.
Jesus was fully aware of this situation because He Himself was experiencing growing opposition from the religious and political authorities against Him. The more popular He was, the more opposition He had to contend with because He became a threat to the institutions and their status quo. We read at the beginning of this chapter that “the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another.” (Lk 12:1) But the truth in life is that the more popular you are, the more enemies you create. There will be people who will be envious of you. That was why Jesus was not elated that He was becoming more popular with the people, for He knew the mounting opposition He would be getting from the authorities.
But at the same time, there is not much choice. We can either be silent or be pressured into submission or simply live a double life, as many of us do. In public, we hold one position on moral issues that please the public and our fans. In secret, we hold the Church’s position because our conscience knows that it is the right thing. This was the kind of hypocrisy that the Lord warned His disciples to avoid. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy.” (Lk 12:1) This is because sooner or later, we will be exposed anyway. “Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.” (Lk 12:2f) We cannot remain silent or hide for long. Even if we can hide from the world, we cannot hide from God. And this is what the Lord warns us as well. “Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.” (Lk 12:4f)
What is the reward for standing up for Jesus? Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of God’s angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.” Jesus will acknowledge us when we come before Him. We will be at peace within ourselves and we can hold our heads high even if the world chops off our heads. This was the case of St Stephen when he underwent martyrdom. “But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ (Acts 7:55f)
Indeed, this was the same hope that gave impetus to the Christian community at Ephesus to continue in their faith. St Paul wrote, “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers.” Our faith is based on what God has revealed to us, the eternal truths of life which only the wisdom of God can help us to understand. Only God can enlighten our minds to see the deeper meaning of life. Unless we see life in perspective, we will continue to hanker after this life. But in Christ, we know that our ultimate calling is to be with our Lord and to share in His life, love and glory.
What is even more consoling is that we have already had a foretaste of the future in the victory of Christ over sin and death and His power over all of creation. St Paul wrote, “This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.” In Christ Jesus, we know that Christ now rules the world invisibly as Lord over creation and visibly as Lord over His Church, His body.
Already in Christ, we see that men and women have become one family. The unity of the Church is our sign of God’s presence in our midst. This is why Christ always prayed for the unity of the Church. Jesus said, “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (Jn 17:23) Christ fills His Church with His presence in the members of His body. Thus, in the Constitution of the Church, Vatican II defines her as a sacrament or as a sign and instrument of union with God and of the unity of the whole human race. (Lumen Gentium, 1) The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the mission of the Church as being “the instrument for the salvation of all, the universal sacrament of salvation. The Church “is the visible plan of God’s love for humanity,” because God desires “that the whole human race may become one People of God, form one Body of Christ, and be built up into one temple of the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 776)
If we love Christ, then we must also love the Church. To stand up for the Church is to stand up for Christ because Christ is identified with His Church. Thus, the Lord said, “Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” It is not merely enough, however, to attend church regularly. We must choose our Lord and stand up for the gospel. If we do not Christianize the world, the world will secularize us as it is being done gradually and systematically by institutions seeking to remove Christianity and all the symbols from public life.
But let us take comfort that the Lord will be with us in our fidelity to Him. He said, “When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.” He will give us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and fortitude to defend the gospel. Earlier on, He has assured us of His Father’s care for us. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Lk 12:6f) Even in the most dire situation and persecution, God will give us the strength to overcome them.
In the meantime, we must just be like the Christians in Ephesus. St Paul praised them saying, “I, having once heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love that you show towards all the saints, have never failed to remember you in my prayers and to thank God for you.” We must just keep our faith in the Lord and live out this faith in love for our brothers and sisters. But this faith is kept alive because of the hope and rich glories He promised us.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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