20241205 ENTRY INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
First reading | Isaiah 26:1-6 |
Open the gates; let the upright nation come in
That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
to guard us he has set
wall and rampart about us.
Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in,
she, the faithful one
whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace,
because she trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord for ever,
for the Lord is the everlasting Rock;
he has brought low those who lived high up
in the steep citadel;
he brings it down, brings it down to the ground,
flings it down in the dust:
the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor
trample on it.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,19-21,25-27 |
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my saviour.
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
O Lord, grant us salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
the Lord God is our light.
Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
or
Alleluia.
Gospel Acclamation | Is40:9-10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Here is the Lord God coming with power.
Alleluia!
Or: | Is55:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 7:21,24-27 |
The wise man built his house on a rock
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’
05 December 2024, Thursday, 1st Week in Advent
ENTRY INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Is 26:1-6; PS 118:1,8-9,19-21,25-27; MT 7:21,24-27]
The season of Advent focuses on the Coming of Christ. In the first part of Advent, the focus is on the Second Coming of Christ, for that is what we are truly awaiting. Only in the later part of Advent do we speak of His First Coming. But between the First and Second Coming, we need to speak of His Third Coming, which is His existential coming. All these three comings are related because the First Coming gives us the preview and possibility of welcoming the Lord in the Second Coming. Until that happens, we are already living in the eschatological time, which is what the third coming, the existential coming of Christ, is all about.
The reading from the prophet Isaiah anticipates the Day of the Lord. It was the hope of Israel that she would be strong again, after having been ravaged by their enemies, especially the Babylonians. They had learnt their lesson for not trusting in God. The Israelites in their confrontation with their enemies had turned to their pagan neighbours for help, notwithstanding the warnings of the prophets. The kings, however, would not listen but went ahead to make alliance with the pagan kingdoms such as Assyria. This spelt disaster for them in the long run as the influence of their neighbours resulted in the importation of all the pagan practices which corrupted the faith and morality of Israel.
In the light of this tendency to compromise their faith, the Prophet Israel appealed to the King and the people to trust in God instead, for Yahweh is the faithful one. With God, their city would be strong. As the Prophet says, “We have a strong city; to guard us he has set wall and rampart about us.” But the Lord would only defend us if we remain steadfast in our faith in Him. Again Isaiah exhorts us, “Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.”
Without trusting in the Lord, we will destroy ourselves. This is the real situation in the world today. The world does not believe in God. The world does not trust in God today. They believe they can bring peace, prosperity and unity to the world through science, technology and power when it is so obvious that whilst science and technology are useful tools to help us harness the gifts of God in creation, without proper use of them, they destroy humanity and creation. Indeed, with the advance of Artificial Intelligence and all the technological advancements, every nation hungers for power and control over other nations. There is a pursuit not simply for the advancement of science and technology, but to use them to dominate other peoples and nations, to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of humanity. Such hostile and selfish competition will lead to wars and destruction of humanity because powerful nations use technology to make more powerful weapons to destroy their enemies. There is no trust among nations, and even when there is an apparent alliance, it is a marriage of convenience for national interests. We have no real friends in this world.
Yes, remaining steadfast in our faith in God is the only way we can find peace and true freedom. We must put our total confidence in the Lord, not in men. This same theme is echoed by the psalmist. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. The Lord is God, and he has given us light.” Only when nations come to the Lord, and walk in His path, will there be true and lasting peace. Isaiah’s vision is that “In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isa 2:2-4)
But how can we find faith and trust in the Lord today if not in Christ who is the Everlasting Rock? Jesus, precisely, is the fulfilment of how all of us can arrive at the Mountain of the Lord. We must come to Jesus who is the Rock of the Church, the Cornerstone rejected by man.Yes, the Word of God spoken by the prophets has now come in the person of Jesus. He is the Word of God made flesh. This happened at His First Coming in the incarnation when He came in human lowliness. By His life and words and works, He revealed to us the love, mercy and compassion of His Father. He came to show us the way. Most of all, He taught us the way to live the life of the kingdom. This is what the gospel reminds us in the parable of Jesus, which is the conclusion of His Sermon on the Mount. He has given us the blueprint summed up in the Beatitudes and then elaborated it over the three chapters of Matthew’s gospel. He showed us how to live a blessed life, of trust and faith in God; and love and compassion for our brothers and sisters, and most of all, not being judgmental and always forgiving and loving our enemies.
But it is not enough to hear the Word of God; we must carry it out. This is what the gospel is warning us. Jesus said to His disciples, “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Jesus Himself led the way when He told us to pray that His will be done on earth as in heaven. He Himself accepted the Father’s will at the Garden of Gethsemane. So, finding salvation is more than just being identified as a disciple of Christ but truly living one’s discipleship in God. This is what the Lord asks of us. “Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!”
Obedience to the Word of God and His teachings therefore is the key to entry into the Kingdom of God and to live a blessed life. Even when the rain comes down, floods rise, gales blow and hurl against us, we can stand firm so long as we build our house on rock. With Jesus as our rock, we can overcome all our enemies and all the trials of life. This is why it is necessary for us to make time for Jesus and deepen our personal relationship with Him. Jesus has come to us as the Word of God incarnated. We must read the Word of God, listen to His Word, meditate on it and believe in Him. As we mediate on His Word, we will receive encouragement and strength. We will find light in darkness, hope in failure, strength in weakness. What better way for us Catholics to prepare for the season of Advent than to give more time to the Word of God daily in prayer and meditation in watching? After all, Advent is to keep vigil for the coming of the Lord. And to crown it all for us Catholics, we have a real encounter of the Word made flesh when we receive Him in the Eucharist. He is truly hidden but truly present in the Eucharist. It would most appropriate to prepare ourselves for Christmas by trying to attend daily Mass.
Indeed, strengthened by the Word of God, we will be able to judge what is truly good for us and for humanity. Isaiah said of the Day of the Lord, “He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isa 2:4) In Jesus, we will be able to put away our selfishness, anger and fears. In Jesus, we will find the wisdom and conviction to translate His words and teachings into a living faith that manifests itself in love and service. So let our prayer then be that of the psalmist. “Open to me the gates of holiness: I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank you for you have answered and you are my saviour.” We pray in faith, “O Lord, grant us salvation; O Lord, grant success.”
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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