Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: November 2024

Tuesday, 12 November 2024

GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE

20241113 GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE

First reading

Titus 3:1-7

It was purely by his own compassion that God saved us

Remind your people that it is their duty to be obedient to the officials and representatives of the government; to be ready to do good at every opportunity; not to go slandering other people or picking quarrels, but to be courteous and always polite to all kinds of people. Remember, there was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries; we lived then in wickedness and ill-will, hating each other and hateful ourselves.

But when the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.2Th2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us

to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

Or:

1Th5:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

For all things give thanks,

because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 17:11-19

No-one has come back to praise God, only this foreigner

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’

13 November 2024, Wednesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S MERCY AND LOVE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [TITUS 3:1-7; LUKE 17:11-19]

In the gospel, Jesus healed ten lepers who came to Him crying for mercy. As lepers were not allowed to approach the villagers lest they infected them with the deadly communicable disease, “they stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Jesus was respectful of the law in His days – the only way to be re-admitted to the community was to be verified by the priests that they were cured. With that faith and confidence in the promise of Jesus, they went without hesitation. When one is desperate, and Jesus is our only hope left, we will surrender in faith. This was what happened to the lepers. Their faith and confidence in the Lord were not in vain.

Unfortunately for most of us, we turn to God in prayer when we are desperate. And when our petitions are answered, we are elated, but our joy and exuberance is often focused on the outcomes of our prayer – our success, recovery from illness, etc. However, we often forget to thank God, aside from a fleeting acknowledgment of gratitude to God. Our lives are not changed. We remain the same old self interiorly, still allowing the Old Adam to reign in our lives. We continue to harbour anger, revenge, hatred, enslaved to our passions, instead of giving all these up because we have experienced God’s mercy and unconditional love. This was what St Paul wrote to Titus. “Remember, there was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries; we lived then in wickedness and ill-will, hating each other and hateful ourselves.”

Many of us lack gratitude to God for His mercy and love for us. This was not the case of the Samaritan leper. “Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan.” Instead of rushing back home or going to the priest, he immediately turned back to thank the Lord. He could not believe that Jesus had been so merciful to him, considering that he was a Samaritan and an enemy of the Jews. Most of all, he was cured of his leprosy. We cannot imagine the joy and gratitude he had for the Lord. The evangelist noted, “This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.'”

One of the takeaways from the Samaritan is that we tend to be less grateful to people of our own kind. This is because we have an entitlement mentality. We tend to be more grateful to those whom we do not expect any help or assistance from. When they come forward to help us, we are filled with gratitude, more so than all the help we receive from our loved ones. This is so true in family life and in our offices and community. We receive so much from our parents and grandparents, but we often regard these gifts as our entitlement and so show no gratitude to them. We see this as their duty towards us. This is true also of the way we regard our superiors. Whatever they do for us, we see it as their obligation to us and so no thanks are required. Even in our Catholic community, most parishioners make demands on the church, their parish and their parish priests because they are members of that church. Hence, they think they have a right to their services, to the use of the parish, to the privileges of ‘membership’. This entitlement mentality makes people lack gratitude for what they receive from God and from His people. So we should not be surprised that the other nine lepers who were Jews did not come back to thank the Lord. They took Him for granted; as if they deserved to be healed. Ingratitude that comes from an entitlement mentality is destructive to oneself. It makes one self-centred and self-absorbed.

However, true gratitude is more than just saying “thank you, Jesus.” It is a changed life. It is turning to Jesus from then on, and not on ourselves. The Samaritan turned to Jesus not simply to thank Him but to profess his faith. This explains why the Lord said to him that his faith has saved him. He was told to stand up and go on his way. This ‘way’ is no longer his old way of living but a new way in Christ. The man was saved not simply because he was cured of his leprosy, because the others were also cured. He was saved both bodily and spiritually because his heart had changed, unlike the other nine whose hearts remained the same as before. They might be cured but they were not saved.

Salvation is more than a physical and bodily cure. Salvation is the healing of the entire person, body, mind and spirit. This was what St Paul wrote to Titus, “he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life.” We are saved because of the forgiveness of our sins. It is through baptism, which is effected through faith in Christ’s passion, death and resurrection that redeems us from our sins. Following our confession of faith in Him, we are given the waters of rebirth through the Holy Spirit to renew us and restore us as sons and daughters of God in Christ. As a consequence of being adopted sons and daughters of God, we also become heirs to eternal life.

But what does it mean to be heirs with Christ? St Paul, writing to the Romans said, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom 8:14-17) To be heirs with Christ therefore means to put on Christ and His Spirit and bearing witness to our status as children of God, sharing in His suffering so that we can share in His glory.

It is within this context, that Christians are called to do good but always bearing in mind what St Paul wrote, that salvation is a prior gift of God. “When the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us.” We do not earn our salvation, not even through good works. But if we are chosen in Christ and baptized in Him, we must strive with His grace to live like Him. As St Peter wrote to the Christians, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.” (2 Pt 1:10f)

In other words, like the Samaritan leper, we must now stand up and go on our way to transform the lives of others by living the life of faith. It is within this context that we show the utmost gratitude to Christ by living His life. This is our greatest act of thanksgiving, by making ourselves the testament of His love and mercy for us. When people see our lives changed because of Him, they will come to have faith in Him. Otherwise, we can give all kinds of testimonies about how the Lord has healed us of our sickness and answered our petitions, but when there is no change in our lives, we end up as counter-witnesses. If we are so grateful to Christ, we will live a Christ-like life. This was why St Paul told Titus to “Remind your people that it is their duty to be obedient to the officials and representatives of the government; to be ready to do good at every opportunity; not to go slandering other people or picking quarrels, but to be courteous and always polite to all kinds of people.” A changed life, a life of love and forgiveness, is the best form of witnessing and testimony to God’s love and mercy for us. No other form of gratitude or words are enough to thank God but a transformed life. St Paul shared, “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:14)

Monday, 11 November 2024

MENTORSHIP

20241112 MENTORSHIP

First reading

Titus 2:1-8,11-14

You must preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine

It is for you to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine. The older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and constancy. Similarly, the older women should behave as though they were religious, with no scandal-mongering and no habitual wine-drinking – they are to be the teachers of the right behaviour and show the younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, how they are to be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and do as their husbands tell them, so that the message of God is never disgraced. In the same way, you have got to persuade the younger men to be moderate and in everything you do make yourself an example to them of working for good: when you are teaching, be an example to them in your sincerity and earnestness and in keeping all that you say so wholesome that nobody can make objections to it; and then any opponent will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us. You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very ownand would have no ambition except to do good.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 36(37):3-4,18,23,27,29

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

If you trust in the Lord and do good,

then you will live in the land and be secure.

If you find your delight in the Lord,

he will grant your heart’s desire.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

He protects the lives of the upright,

their heritage will last for ever.

The Lord guides the steps of a man

and makes safe the path of one he loves.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Then turn away from evil and do good

and you shall have a home for ever;

The just shall inherit the land;

there they shall live for ever.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

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:

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 17:7-10

You are merely servants

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’

12 November 2024, Tuesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

MENTORSHIP

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Titus 2:1-8, 11-14; Luke 17:7-10]

St Paul wrote to Titus, “It is for you to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine.” It is not enough to teach the right doctrines about the Christian Faith. Just knowledge of the doctrines of the Church will not save us unless we draw out the implications of what and who we believe in concrete living. Jesus made it clear that there are only two commandments for us to observe. “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mk 12:29-31) That is the reason why sharing a common faith is necessary if we want to preserve the unity and peace of the family. Otherwise, the unity among the family members would be superficial. When we come from diverse faith backgrounds, necessarily, the way we look at life and our values would differ. This could lead to disagreement, arguments and eventually hostility, especially in the areas of marriage, sex and raising children. Indeed, this is often the main challenge in mixed marriages when both parties are adherents of different religions.

Yet, knowing the right doctrines or sharing the same values is not sufficient to preserve the strength and unity of the family. We need good mentors to show us how to live out what we believe. Today, people are looking for witnesses, much less teachers. Simply teaching our young what they should do without doing it ourselves will have very little impact on them. They can easily sniff out the hypocrisy and double standards in how we apply the rules. Imposing laws on them can make them resentful of us, or if they had imbibed them without questioning, when they become adults, they will in turn do the same to their children. The other extreme position is to have parents who just allow their children to run their own lives without much guidance. This, too, could be disastrous.

So what is needed is teaching that is accompanied by personal example. St Paul challenged the Jews, saying if they knew “his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? You that boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law?” (Rom 2:18-23)

Thus, St Paul instructed Titus to urge the elderly, the parents, married couples and young people to be mentors of each other by setting good examples in the way they conducted themselves in Christian living. Of course, the circumstances during St Paul’s time and ours are different. Whilst not everything might be applicable to our time, yet the basic principles of a good Christian life remains constant. The underlying principle is that all must show good examples to their juniors, living exemplary lives according to their state, whether they are elderly, grandparents, parents, married or young people.

Indeed, those of us who are elderly, especially grandparents, must show our children how to live their lives graciously. Even as elderly, we can offer them our wisdom and our sense of moderation in responding to situations. St Paul said, “The older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and constancy.” We should act as sage and wise counsellors for the young. This requires us to live in a contemplative spirit, with calmness and patience. On our part, we should not be overly dependent on them and make them feel obligated towards us. We should find our own life. We should learn to let go of them, allow them to live their own lives without interfering in how they live or manage their household, if they are married. Our approach must be non-intrusive, helpful but not interfering. As elderly, we must show to the younger generation that we can age with dignity by being involved in the lives of others, giving ourselves in whatever service we can render to the community and by living our lives as fully as we can each day without complaining and lamenting.

Those who are married must teach their children how to be loving parents. “They are to be the teachers of the right behaviour and show the younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, how they are to be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and do as their husbands tell them, so that the message of God is never disgraced.” Whether men or women, the point is that parents must set the example of love in married life. How they treat each other will be how the children treat each other and later on how they will treat their partners. Children observe what their parents do. If parents are always squabbling, fighting, shouting at each other, belittling each other, criticizing and putting each other down in front of their children, they in turn will do likewise.

So the best way to teach our children and our subordinates is to love and to act with charity. Leaders and parents set the tone and direction for how the community operates. Most children and subordinates take the cue from their leaders. Therefore, if we want to see how the community operates and what their culture is like, we just have to look at the leaders. What they do will affect those under their charge because they imitate their leaders. This is why St Paul said, “In the same way, you have got to persuade the younger men to be moderate and in everything you do make yourself an example to them in your sincerity and earnestness and in keeping all that you say so wholesome that nobody will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us.”

Our greatest example of course is Christ Himself. He is our leader and mentor. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. St Paul based his exhortation on the fact that we exercise proper mentorship because Christ has set for us the example of how we should live and lead others in life. “You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it had made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.” Christ our leader in salvation and perfection, (cf Heb 5:8-10) has taught us to be true servants of God and of our fellowmen in selfless love and service. By walking in truth and love, we lead others to follow us to God. Through our mentorship in life, in love and truth, those under us will imitate our good examples and be inspired by our lives. Truly, if we fail to inspire those under our charge by the way we live, it means that we have failed miserably in leadership.

In the gospel, Jesus reminds us that at the end of the day, we are merely servants of each other and of God. He made it clear that we are here to serve one another, whether as leaders or followers. There is nothing to boast about or claim credit for what we do. This is because the Lord has graced us with His gifts so that we can do what He is asking of us. Like the dutiful servant who always put his master above and before himself, even after coming back from working in the fields, we too must say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.” Indeed, after having done all we could in serving our Lord though those people placed under our care, we should thank God for giving the grace and the opportunity to serve. So let us be servants through exemplary leadership in lifestyle.

Sunday, 10 November 2024

LACK OF A REVERENTIAL FAITH IN GOD AS THE CAUSE OF SCANDAL

20241111 LACK OF A REVERENTIAL FAITH IN GOD AS THE CAUSE OF SCANDAL

First reading

Titus 1:1-9

Appoint elders of irreproachable character

From Paul, servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God. He does not lie and so, at the appointed time, he revealed his decision, and, by the command of God our saviour, I have been commissioned to proclaim it. To Titus, true child of mine in the faith that we share, wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our saviour.

The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organised there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you: that is, each of them must be a man of irreproachable character; he must not have been married more than once, and his children must be believers and not uncontrollable or liable to be charged with disorderly conduct. Since, as president, he will be God’s representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 23(24):1-6

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world and all its peoples.

It is he who set it on the seas;

on the waters he made it firm.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

who desires not worthless things.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 17:1-6

If your brother does wrong, reprove him

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!

If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’

The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’

11 November 2024, Monday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

LACK OF A REVERENTIAL FAITH IN GOD AS THE CAUSE OF SCANDAL

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [TIT 1:1-9; LK 17:1-6]

As the responsorial psalm says, many are yearning to see the face of the Lord. To seek His face is to encounter eternal truth as an event. Indeed, like St Paul, we too have been chosen and commissioned to bring “the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God.” This call is given to all Christians, but in a special way, to those of us who are Church leaders and ministry members. As Church leaders and ministry members, we are called to make Christ known through our words and deeds.

What, then, is the greatest obstacle or scandal that prevents us from manifesting Christ in our lives and ministry? Very often, we think that it is the scandals caused by our inappropriate conduct and behaviour that make us less of a sign of the presence of God’s love and life. Indeed, this seems to be the case because we know that many Catholics have been scandalized by the un-Christian behaviour, especially the lack of charity, of Church leaders and ministry members. As a result, they lose the little faith they have in Christ and His Church, whose face we are supposed to reflect. Once their confidence in us is shaken, they lose faith completely.

But to locate the scandals in our lives would not be pinpointing the situation. In the final analysis, there is only one scandal, that is, the scandal of all scandals, namely, the lack of a reverential faith in God. There is a lack of religious piety in our lives. This is the real scandal that we must pay attention to. All other scandals, whether it is competition, dishonesty, misuse of Church funds, division, backbiting, envy and unforgiveness, can be traced to the lack of faith we have in Christ.

Why is this so? The truth is that all other scandals arise only because we are not right in our relationship with God. This in turn is due to our lack of faith in Christ as our Saviour. Indeed, in today’s gospel, when Jesus condemned those who put obstacles in the way of faith, He was referring to the religious leaders of His time because they refused to listen to Him, or to recognize Him as the Messiah. For such people, Jesus reserved the harshest words, saying, “It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones.”

Indeed, the warning of Jesus to His disciples is also for all of us when He said, “Watch yourselves!” We too might be the cause of obstacles to faith for many of our Catholics and those who are searching for Christ because of the lack of integrity in our lives. Consequently, we must take the exhortation of St Paul to Titus and the pastors seriously. Although not all the criteria mentioned are applicable to us, the point is that we must recognize our high calling to be the witnesses of Christ and our lives must be exemplary.

What are some of these criteria? As Church leaders, lay or clerical, we must seek to be “a man of irreproachable character; he must not have been married more than once, never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.” Besides these criteria, we must also include the psalmist words, that those who wish to climb the mountain of the Lord and stand in His holy place, must have hands that are sinless, a heart that is clean and who desires not what is vain. By living out our lives in holiness, we show forth that our faith in Christ has an effect in our lives. These criteria in themselves are not the cause of our efficacy, rather, they are manifestations of a living faith in Christ.

This does not mean that we must be perfect as Christian leaders. We are all sinners. We are not yet canonized. We are on the way to sainthood. We recognize that we have our human frailties. What is necessary is the humility of leaders to ask for forgiveness when we have sinned against the Lord and His people. For those who have been hurt by Church leaders and ministry members, we are called to forgive. Yes, Jesus urges us to seek for forgiveness and impart forgiveness. He said, “If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry”, you must forgive him.'” Indeed, the Church is always compassionate with those who have failed in their responsibility and conduct. The Church never condemns anyone as incorrigible. So long as there is grace, there is hope for repentance.

However, forgiveness is not the same as condoning the wrong doings or unbecoming behaviour of the person. Forgiveness is given but it must also be received. The reception of forgiveness is manifested in the conversion of life, the readiness to submit in obedience to God’s laws and the Church. Faith in Christ’s forgiveness must be demonstrated in a good life and the willingness to change. Without any manifested conversion, it cannot be said that a person has received forgiveness. In such a situation, that person may not continue in the ministry, for he still lacks faith. To allow him to do so would cause further damage both to himself and to the people of God.

Hence, we can understand why the disciples, after Jesus’ exhortation, immediately said, “Increase our faith!“ Yes, we need to ask the Lord to give us confidence in His grace to change us and never to give up hope on our fellow brothers and sisters, just as He does not give up hope in us. To this request, Jesus responded, “‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you”. In this response, He is saying that if we surrender in faith to Him and His saving love, we will be able to uproot all sins from our lives. Truly, if we have faith in Christ, then we will, not by our power but by His grace, weed out all our sins from our lives. If we are sincere and humble in growing in faith, then God will give us the grace to transform our lives and live a life of holiness.

AUTHENTICITY IN FAITH WHEN SYMBOL BECOMES THE REALITY

20241110 AUTHENTICITY IN FAITH WHEN SYMBOL BECOMES THE REALITY

First reading

1 Kings 17:10-16

'Jar of meal shall not be spent, jug of oil shall not be emptied'

Elijah the Prophet went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’ ‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel:

“Jar of meal shall not be spent,

jug of oil shall not be emptied,

before the day when the Lord sends

rain on the face of the earth.”’

The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 145(146):7-10

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

Alleluia!

It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,

who is just to those who are oppressed.

It is he who gives bread to the hungry,

the Lord, who sets prisoners free.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

Alleluia!

It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

who raises up those who are bowed down.

It is the Lord who loves the just,

the Lord, who protects the stranger.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

Alleluia!

The Lord upholds the widow and orphan

but thwarts the path of the wicked.

The Lord will reign for ever,

Zion’s God, from age to age.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

Alleluia!

Second reading

Hebrews 9:24-28

Christ, our high priest, has done away with sin by sacrificing himself

It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modelled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. Instead of that, he has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since men only die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him.

Gospel Acclamation

Rv2:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,

keep faithful, and I will give you

the crown of life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt5:3

Alleluia, alleluia!

How happy are the poor in spirit:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 12:38-44

This poor widow has put in more than all

In his teaching Jesus said, ‘Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.’

He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.’

10 November 2024, Sunday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

AUTHENTICITY IN FAITH WHEN SYMBOL BECOMES THE REALITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 KGS 17:10-16; PS 146:7-10; HEB 9:24-28; MK 12:38-44]

Are we what we say and do? Does our life reflect our teaching? Do we live out what our faith expresses? This is particularly true when it comes to the celebration of rituals and observances of the customs in our Catholic life, whether it is the celebration of the sacraments, the Mass particularly, the external signs of faith, like genuflecting, making the sign of the cross, abstaining meat on Fridays, etc. All these are external signs, but are they truly expressive of our interior faith? Is there a dichotomy between what we say and perform in our rituals and customs as Catholics and how we relate to God and our fellowmen in love and devotion? Are we authentic in our life of faith?

In the gospel, Jesus was critical of the religious leaders of the day who lacked authenticity in their faith. The problem was that what the religious leaders said and did were not a true reflection of who they were. He warned them saying, “Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets.” These words are also directed at the religious leaders of our day. Pope Francis always warns us against falling into the temptation of spiritual worldliness, where religious leaders are more concerned about securing power, influence, ambition, popularity, recognition, living a luxurious life and having more wealth. They are not primarily concerned with leading people to God and leading a life of charity and forgiveness. Instead, as the Lord would say, these are the men who swallow the property of widows.

The Lord warns religious leaders who live such a hypocritical life. “The more severe will be the sentence they receive.” When their lifestyle is exposed or seen by others as hypocritical, the scandal caused to the community is enormous. Many Catholics have left the faith because of the examples of religious leaders. They themselves will also be conflicted in their own lives as their conscience will not let them be at peace. At the end of the day, it is not what we preach but how we live our life in simplicity, in faith, charity and forgiveness that counts.

This lack of authenticity in a life of faith is not confined to religious leaders. In fact, none of us is exempted. Many of us who are apparently active in church, attend mass regularly, take part in Catholic activities, and assume positions in church organizations also live a double life. We look good for others to see but in our hidden life, we are tyrants, dictators, nasty, ambitious, power crazy and live a sinful life of addictions, greed and lust. If it were true that scandalous Catholic leaders put off others who want to join the faith, it is true of every Catholic as well. Living an inauthentic Catholic life will not bring us the peace and joy the Lord wants to give us.

What does it mean to live an authentic Christian life? It means that what is symbolized becomes a reality as well in our lives, even if it is not the fullness of this manifestation. The second reading today compares the temporary and imperfect sacrifice offered by the priests of the Old Covenant and Christ our High Priest who offered Himself as a living sacrifice to convict us of our sins and the mercy of God the Father. Indeed, the author reminds us, “it is not as though Christ has entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modelled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began.”

Clearly then, what we have now on this earth is an imperfect representation of the kingdom life. In addition, what is even more encouraging is that Christ is the one who has carried our sins in Him and gained for us direct access to God. “Instead of that, he has made his appearance only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him.” In Jesus, we do not simply see a symbol but the reality symbolized. In Jesus, we see the face and mercy of God in person. Jesus told Philip, “to see me is to see the Father” and the works He did were from the Father. Whatever the Father does, He would do because as He said, “the Father and I are one.” Our celebration of His death on the cross in the Sacrifice of the Mass is not just merely an empty symbol but a real participation in the death and resurrection of our Lord as we enter into His Spirit at His passion.

This was the case of the woman in today’s gospel. Without any fanfare or attempt to bring attention to herself, she acted out her faith in God through the giving of a penny into the collection box of the Temple. On two counts, she showed us what faith is all about. Firstly, the widows in those days were deprived of financial support, especially if they had no children. They were one of the most vulnerable people. Secondly, as the Lord observed, “from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.” She gave her life completely into the hands of God. She trusted that God somehow would provide for her the next day. Our poverty makes us humble and not to rely too much on our efforts alone.

This made Jesus remark, “I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over.” Her act of giving the mite was but an expression of her entire being and her love, devotion and trust in God. Indeed, for most of us, we contribute what we do not need, not what we need for ourselves. So even if you give a large sum of money compared to someone else, it is not the amount you give eventually but the extent of your generosity of heart. The greater we are willing to deprive ourselves for the greater good of others and for the glory of God, the more we are identified with God in His generosity. In fact, Jesus gave all, His entire life for the service of God and of His fellowmen. St Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9)

This was the same for the poor widow and her son in the first reading. She was suffering from hunger because of the famine. But when Elijah asked her for water and bread, she willingly acceded to his request. Like the poor widow in the gospel, she gave all she had. She replied, “I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.”

Indeed, what is significant about today’s scripture readings is that God will reward those who are authentic in their faith. God will not disappoint us. We need not fear the future because it is in God’s hands. For being so generous to Elijah, the prophet provided her food by asking the Lord to multiply the food for her each day. He too would raise her son who fell ill and died back to life. As the psalmist says, “It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free. It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.” God who we worship is an amazing, surprising and loving God.

Our identity as Catholics must be seen not simply through our worship in signs and symbols. We must go beyond symbols celebrated in our rituals, but we must make concrete the symbols we use for our faith. Our greatest symbol and sign of course is the Eucharist, because the Lord is completely identical to the bread and wine consecrated during Mass as He offered Himself perfectly to the Father, bringing us to Him. We too must therefore live out the Mass and the Eucharist we receive by being a sacrificial love and victim to save others, to glorify God and to restore life to wholeness.