Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: November 2024

Saturday, 30 November 2024

SEEING THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST IN PERSPECTIVE

20241201 SEEING THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST IN PERSPECTIVE

First reading

Jeremiah 33:14-16

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I am going to fulfil the promise I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah:

‘In those days and at that time,

I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David,

who shall practise honesty and integrity in the land.

In those days Judah shall be saved

and Israel shall dwell in confidence.

And this is the name the city will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 24(25):4-5,8-9,10,14

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my saviour.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

His ways are faithfulness and love

for those who keep his covenant and law.

The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him;

to them he reveals his covenant.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Second reading

1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2

May you be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again

May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.

Finally, brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps84:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy

and give us your saving help.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:25-28,34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.

‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

01 December 2024, Sunday, 1st Week in Advent

SEEING THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST IN PERSPECTIVE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 33:14-16; 1 THESS 3:12-4:2; LK 21:25-28, 34-36]

Today, the Church celebrates the First Sunday of Advent, the first Sunday of the liturgical year. Advent, as we know, means “coming”, more specifically, the coming of Christ at Christmas. Yet, it is strange that the scripture readings of today do not speak about the first Coming of Christ. Instead, the readings are quite similar to the last few Sundays, which focused on his Second Coming. Why, then, does the Church begin the First Sunday of Advent by speaking about the Second Coming of Christ?

The real reason is because there is a serious danger that we might lose the real perspective of celebrating Advent and Christmas. Many of us are so influenced by the secular celebration of this event that Christmas is reduced to a mere sentimental feast or a historical commemoration of the birth of Christ. If the purpose of this celebration were simply to relive some nostalgic feelings of joy, peace, love and hope, then such celebration would do us very little good. It would be another passing event, which cannot give us lasting peace and joy. It is another form of escapism from confronting the harsh realities of the world. So it is necessary that we get our orientation correct with regard to the real meaning of Advent and Christmas.

If Advent, which is the preparation for the First Coming of Christ, is juxtaposed, that is, placed side by side with the Second Coming of Christ, it is because the Church wants us to be always aware that the First Coming of Christ is directed at the Second Coming. The First Coming of Christ at Christmas is only the beginning of the new era of Grace, the beginning of our salvation in Christ. The celebration of Christmas is only the beginning of a long journey towards the end, which is His Second Coming. For it is only at His Second Coming that Christ would restore the Kingdom of God to its fulfilment. In this way, the promise of Jeremiah in the first reading, that God will dwell with His people and be integrated with us in such a way that He lives in us, is fulfilled. Today’s liturgy therefore is meant to give us a preview of what the Incarnation would ultimately lead to. It is envisaged that if we have clarity on what the end holds for us, then we can commit and motivate ourselves towards this objective.

Consequently, if this goal were ever to be realized, it presupposes that we must already allow the reign of God to rule our lives here and now. This means that before we can even speak about the Second Coming of Christ, we must first be receptive to His First Coming, which already began two thousand years ago. And since then, Christ has been always coming into our lives. Indeed, it would be wrong to think that we have to wait for Christmas before Christ comes into our lives. On the contrary, since the First Christmas, Christ has been coming. He is coming every day.

And if we celebrate Christmas every year, it is to remind ourselves that He is coming every day into our lives so that when He comes again the second time, we would be ready to receive Him fully. In view of this all-important event, the liturgy today exhorts us to be prepared, to stay awake so that when the time comes for reckoning, we would have the strength to survive that day and be able to stand erect with confidence. So how should we prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming now and at the end of time?

Simply this: to be docile and open to His grace at work in us. This is all that we have to do. This is why Advent and Christmas is called a season of grace. It is grace because it is a gift from God to us. The truth is that salvation ultimately is the work of God, not the work of man. Just as the Incarnation is the work of God, so is the fulfilment of the Kingdom. This is what God said through the prophet, “See the days are coming – when I am going to fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel.” In a similar vein, St Paul also says, “May the Lord be generous in increasing your love … may he so confirm your hearts in holiness”. Clearly, the emphasis is on what the Lord is doing and can do in our lives and not what we can do for Him. Once again, salvation is the work of God and not the work of man. It is not what we can do in order to be saved but how much we allow God to work in and through us by receiving Him into our lives.

Of course, this does not mean that we do nothing at all. We are not dumb sheep. Rather, we are expected at least to co-operate with His grace. This is what St Paul meant when he said that we must make progress in our Christian life. Whilst we cannot work for our salvation, we can at least be open to receive His gift of love. The tragedy of life is that, so often, when the opportunity comes, we are not alert and ready to accept it. How, then, do we allow the grace of God to work in our lives?

We must first and foremost stay awake and be vigilant. We must be alert to the different ways God could be coming into our lives. By virtue of the Incarnation, God could be knocking at our hearts through the poor, the sick and the needy. God comes to us in poverty so that He can open our hearts and eyes to love and compassion. God uses the poor to help us to grow in love, generosity, kindness and love. Every time when someone comes to us for aid or when someone affirms us, then that is the Lord trying to reach out to us in and through our fellow human beings.

But what is preventing us from being alert to those moments when God is knocking at the door of our hearts? Because we do not live lives of integrity! We are so absorbed by our selfishness and self-centeredness that we are unable to see beyond ourselves. So long as we live sinful, selfish and dishonest lives, we will block the life and love of God from reaching out to us. It is not so much because God does not want to dwell with us, rather, because God, being integrity Himself, becomes incompatible with us who are sinners.

That is why Jesus warned us in the gospel that if our hearts are “coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life”, then the Lord will pass us by just as He did when He was born in Bethlehem. Many did not see Him because they were asleep and had no room for Him in their hearts. We, too, will miss the joy and love that Jesus comes to bring us through the poor, the sick and the marginalized if we are too preoccupied with our own needs, ambitions and self-interests.

Consequently, we must be vigilant by living a life of integrity. In the words of St Paul, we are called to “make more and more progress in the kind of life” that we are meant to live. This means that we must be conscious of what we are doing and how we are living our lives. Thus, the responsorial psalm is a prayer that we might walk in the path of the Lord and be faithful to His covenant. By living a life of integrity, we find real freedom in life, free from all fears and anxieties. By living an integral life, a life of righteousness and truth, we will find fulfilment, meaning, joy and real freedom. Indeed, unless we are true to our state in life, we will find no peace within ourselves.

Finally, in order to be vigilant and be able to live an integral life, we must pray so that we can be alert to His presence within and without us. Yes, Jesus reminds us to pray “at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.” Prayer is absolutely necessary to be alert to God’s coming and presence in us. Without prayer, we can never be truly awake and sensitive to His presence within and without us. Prayer is necessary in order that we may gain wisdom and understanding so that we can walk the right path like the psalmist. In this way, God can be felt and experienced deeply in our hearts and being. With His presence and love in us, we can then truly claim that our heart is where “the Lord our integrity” lives.

When we live life in this manner, then God becomes more and more in us so that the Incarnation of God takes full effect in our lives because we would then be truly living out His humanity by following Him in His passion, death and resurrection. Filled with His Spirit at Pentecost, and allowing the Spirit to work in our lives and history, we can await the Final Coming at the end of time with great hope and joyful expectation in the same way we celebrate Christmas.

Friday, 29 November 2024

SHARING OUR CHRIST EXPERIENCE WITH OUR LOVED ONES

20241130 SHARING OUR CHRIST EXPERIENCE WITH OUR LOVED ONES

First reading

Romans 10:9-18

Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

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.

Alleluia!

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.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

Follow me, says the Lord,

and I will make you into fishers of men.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 4:18-22

'I will make you fishers of men'

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

30 November 2024, Saturday, St Andrew, Apostle

SHARING OUR CHRIST EXPERIENCE WITH OUR LOVED ONES

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ROM 10:9-18; MT 4:18-22 ]

We read in the gospel of John that some Greeks came to Philip to request to see Jesus. Philip then went and told Andrew; and together they went to tell Jesus. Indeed, many people are asking the same question, “We wish to see Jesus.” (Jn 12:21) Many are seeking for truth and meaning in life. Only Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life can give the world the ultimate meaning. The responsorial psalm declares, “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye.” St Paul, citing the scripture, also reiterates that, “those who believe in me will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

But St Paul also raised a prior issue, namely, that “they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him.” If many are living ignorant lives in the world, we cannot put the blame squarely on their shoulders alone. As it is said, there is no point bemoaning the darkness in the world when we could have lighted a candle. So too, St Paul argues for the necessity of having a preacher to bring the Good News for “they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound.”

Thus on the feast of the Apostle Andrew, we are all reminded of our call to proclaim the gospel. This call is given to all Christians by virtue of our baptism. The calling of the disciples, Peter and Andrew, James and John in the gospel is a prototype of our own calling. We are called to be fishers of men and to follow Jesus. What is significant in their response is that they obeyed without any delay or question. The command of Jesus to follow Him was received as if it were from God Himself, of which our answer must be immediate, decisive and total. Indeed, that was how the evangelist presented their reaction to Jesus’ command. Although busy doing their own work, fishing or mending their nets when called, “at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.”

Such an immediate response not only indicates the total obedience of the disciples to the Word of God but that they also recognized the urgency of sharing the Good News. We too must respond with the same decisiveness and urgency in our desire to proclaim the Good News to others.

Where, then, do we begin to share the gospel? From St Andrew, we can take a cue that the best place to begin sharing the gospel is with our loved ones. We read in John’s account of the call that Andrew was among the first to be called by the Lord. And after discovering Jesus as the Messiah, he told his brother, Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah”. He was the one who brought him to Jesus. (cf Jn 2:40-42)

How many of us actually share the Good News with our loved ones? More often than not, we do not mind sharing the Good News with friends and strangers but with our loved ones, especially our spouse, children, siblings or relatives, we hardly share what Christ has done for us. If we do not even experience or hear the Good News being proclaimed in our own community, how can we ever hope to proclaim to the world? Shouldn’t we make this a culture in our homes, organizations, communities and among our friends to share our Christ experience with each other so that we can be a source of inspiration and edification to each other’s faith?

Perhaps, we feel diffident that our own might not listen to us or are prejudiced against us. Thus, it is significant to appreciate the way Andrew brought his brother Simon Peter to conversion. He did not “preach” about Jesus. Rather, he simply brought him to Jesus to experience for himself what he had experienced with Jesus when he stayed with Him earlier. This tactful and convincing way of proclaiming Jesus, especially to our loved ones, is something we can learn from Andrew. With our loved ones, we do not “preach” to them about Jesus, for a prophet is not accepted in his own country. But we can share with them what Jesus has done for us and what He is to us. It is through our personal testimony of the difference that Jesus has made in our lives that will convince our loved ones and stoke their desire to meet Jesus as well.

Of course, sharing the good news with our loved ones and our community means more than mere proclamation of the Word or what Jesus has done for us. We need to incarnate the Good News in our lives by our own personal conversion, demonstrating a life that is lived in charity, in words and deeds, in forgiveness and compassion, in selfless service and collaboration, in tolerance and acceptance, in honesty and integrity, in truth and in love. Without a genuine concern and love for those whom we live with, without a change of heart, no amount of testimony is going to convince anyone, especially when our loved ones who know us so well can be quite skeptical about our conversion experience.

In order to be effective messengers of the Good News, as individuals, we need therefore to seek the Good News ourselves before we can become messengers. The call to bring the message to our loved ones, friends and to the whole world must begin with us. Indeed, if we are diffident about sharing our personal relationship with the Lord with others, and are only contented to impart knowledge and doctrines about Jesus, it shows that we do not really know Him or have a real experience of Him at work in our lives. Like St Andrew then, we must be true seekers of the Lord. He himself was the first seeker of the Lord and because of his genuine search for the Lord, Jesus told him to “Come and see.” We find in Andrew one who would seek clarification from Jesus about things that he did not understand; as in the case when Jesus predicted the fall of Jerusalem (cf Mk 13:1-4), and when he told Jesus that with so few barley loaves, it would be impossible to feed so great a multitude. (cf. Jn 6:8-9)

Hence, we are called to appropriate for ourselves the Good News in our hearts, lest our words fall on deaf ears and our listeners are not converted even though they have heard the Good News. As St Paul said, “If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.” We must submit in obedience, like those apostles who responded immediately to the word of command from Jesus to follow Him. Believing the Word requires obedience of the heart. We only need to believe from the heart in order to be saved and be transformed. This is what St Paul wrote, “By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved.” If we want to be true sharers of the gospel, we must first believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and, experiencing His Lordship in our lives, we can then proclaim confidently to others that He indeed is Lord; not simply by the doctrines we have been taught but by the Lord Himself!

What is true of us is true of our listeners as well. If we have truly proclaimed the Word of Christ by our inner conviction and our transformed lives and they are still not converted, then it is simply due to their obduracy of heart. This is what St Paul was implying when he said, “Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? ….’Let me put this question’ is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and the message to the ends of the world.” Nevertheless, on our part, our conscience is clear, for we have followed the example of St Andrew in imparting the Word we have received to others.

Thursday, 28 November 2024

BUILDING A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

20241129 BUILDING A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

First reading

Apocalypse 20:1-4,11-21:2

The book of life was opened, and the dead were judged

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven with the key of the Abyss in his hand and an enormous chain. He overpowered the dragon, that primeval serpent which is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and shut the entrance and sealed it over him, to make sure he would not deceive the nations again until the thousand years had passed. At the end of that time he must be released, but only for a short while.

Then I saw some thrones, and I saw those who are given the power to be judges take their seats on them. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not have the brand-mark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.

The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 83(84):3-6,8

Here God lives among men.

My soul is longing and yearning,

is yearning for the courts of the Lord.

My heart and my soul ring out their joy

to God, the living God.

Here God lives among men.

The sparrow herself finds a home

and the swallow a nest for her brood;

she lays her young by your altars,

Lord of hosts, my king and my God.

Here God lives among men.

They are happy, who dwell in your house,

for ever singing your praise.

They are happy, whose strength is in you:

they walk with ever-growing strength.

Here God lives among men.

Gospel Acclamation

Lk21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high,

because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:29-33

My words will never pass away

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

29 November 2024, Friday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

BUILDING A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ REV 20:1-4,11-21:2; LUKE 21:29-33 ]

What is the ultimate goal of the gospel? It is to bring about a new heaven and a new earth. But what is this new heaven and new earth like? Certainly, it is not a simple continuity with the old heaven and the old earth. It would be something new and radically different even though there is a certain continuity. In fact, creation and humanity will be so transfigured. There will be a great discontinuity than a continuity. This is a recast of the prophecy of Isaiah, “I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.” (Isa 65:17f)

It would be something so beautiful and pure. St John wrote, “I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.” It is a beautiful scene of romance and love as in a wedding ceremony. In other words, in heaven, there will be the purity of love between God who is our bridegroom and we His bride. There will be union of joy and love. This is just the contrast of the city of Babylon that was personified as a woman and a prostitute. But the bride of God is pure and holy.

But before all these take place, evil has to be destroyed and overcome. St John wrote, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.” In the new heaven and new earth, there would not be any sea because in Biblical time, the sea had always been seen as a place of darkness, turmoil and storms, inhabited by evil monsters who sought to destroy humanity. This was why in those days, men always feared the sea because it was unfathomable.

The evil people who had died before the final judgment and whose names were not found in the Book of Life would be cast into the burning lake. St John wrote, “The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.” They will suffer eternal death, which we call hell. In other words, those monsters that devoured many at sea would in the end themselves be destroyed. Even Satan would be thrown down into the Abyss. Those who are not in the Book of Life will be condemned to the lake of fire with the Devil, their master, but for those whose names are in the Book of Life, death is for ever defeated.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church wants us to meditate on this ultimate destiny of humanity. What will give us fulfilment is that at the end of our life, we are with God for eternity. St Paul was motivated by this thought of being with the Lord and that gave him the impetus to work for the spread of the gospel. “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:6-8) This ultimate dream should therefore also drive us to prepare ourselves for the New heaven and the New earth.

In the meantime, we too are called to build a new heaven and a new earth. This new heaven and new earth must already be something of a reality in our lives, beginning in our homes, community, organization and our offices. Are you seeking to make your home and community a place where friendship, fraternity, support and encouragement of each other a reality? If we cannot make our little communities truly a place of fraternity, how are we to build fraternity in society and our place of work? If it is not possible to build a fraternity with just a small group of people, trying to build a community of diverse ages, temperaments, gifts, cultures, education and languages would be even more challenging. This is why it is important to take stock of our vision as we come to the end of the liturgical year. The vision we have of the future must begin where we are already. Otherwise, it would be a mere figment of our imagination.

But more importantly, we are to work together to overcome evil in society. Whilst preparing ourselves and our people for the new heaven and new earth, we need to be aware of the evil forces in the world today. We need to be clear of the gospel values and what the Lord demands of us as His disciples. Our task is to lead the way in overcoming evil in our own lives so that we can show the way to the world who does not know Christ and the gospel. We must seek to grow in holiness, in purity of heart, in humility, in generosity and in compassion and forgiveness. Striving for holiness is a necessary goal in spiritual formation.

For this reason, we must always be on the alert. Jesus told His disciples, “Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near.” We must be alert to what is happening in the world. It is important to be in touch with the lives of our people, hearing stories of their struggles, their confusion, their hopes, their joys and their dreams. Unless we connect with them, we will not be challenged with real life situations and find an appropriate response to these issues.

Indeed, we need to keep watch. We must never think that life is stable as before. The Church has become a more complex reality. Being a Christian is more challenging now than before. In those days, they contended with poverty and hardship. But today, our challenges are different. The Church used to be solid in our doctrines and united in leadership, in morality and in worship. But things have changed because of the influence of secularism, individualism, materialism and an exaggerated notion of freedom of human rights. Sometimes, we are confused even by the Church as to where we stand in the world today. Still, in the midst of these struggles, we must never give up on the Church and on the promise of Christ to be with His Church until the end of time. We live in a permanent state of hope and expectation that this world would be a better place. We must have dreams and be people of hope ourselves. We must believe that the New heaven and New earth is a possible reality. If we ourselves have lost hope, what can we offer to the world and our people, except despair and doom? So let us keep our vision of the New heaven and New earth alive.

Finally, we must hang on to the Word of God as the Lord exhorts us. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” It is to the Word of God that we will find direction, inspiration and courage. This is why, we must never forget to read and contemplate on the Word of God every day. The day we stop reading the Word of God, is the day when we will stop listening to the Lord, and we will be misled by the arguments of the world. A deep faith in the Word of God and reading it as it really is – God’s words and not some human thinking – is necessary; otherwise we will twist and turn His Word to suit our human thinking and preferences, which is what some supposedly intelligent theologians and pastors are doing. We must remember the words of St Paul to Timothy, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16f) To the Thessalonians, he commended them for their faith when he wrote, “We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (1 Th 2:13) Clinging to God’s words, reading with a heart of docility and faith, will help us to find strength in the midst of challenges, and hope in a world that is so polarized, confused, divided and fragmented. May the Lord help us to be united in faith.

COLLAPSE OF WORLD POWERS AND DESTRUCTION OF THE PLANET

20241128 COLLAPSE OF WORLD POWERS AND DESTRUCTION OF THE PLANET

First reading

Apocalypse 18:1-2,21-23,19:1-3,9

Babylon the Great has fallen

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven, with great authority given to him; the earth was lit up with his glory. At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird.’ Then a powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone, and as he hurled it into the sea, he said, ‘That is how the great city of Babylon is going to be hurled down, never to be seen again.

Never again in you, Babylon,

will be heard the song of harpists and minstrels,

the music of flute and trumpet;

never again will craftsmen of every skill be found

or the sound of the mill be heard;

never again will shine the light of the lamp,

never again will be heard

the voices of bridegroom and bride.

Your traders were the princes of the earth,

all the nations were under your spell.

After this I seemed to hear the great sound of a huge crowd in heaven, singing, ‘Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God! He judges fairly, he punishes justly, and he has condemned the famous prostitute who corrupted the earth with her fornication; he has avenged his servants that she killed.’ They sang again, ‘Alleluia! The smoke of her will go up for ever and ever.’ The angel said, ‘Write this: Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb’, and he added, ‘All the things you have written are true messages from God.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 99(100):2-5