20241203 THE JOY IN PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL
First reading |
1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23 |
I should be punished if I did not preach the Gospel
I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me.
So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. For the weak I made myself weak: I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 116(117):1-2 |
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Mt28:19,20 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of all the nations.
I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 16:15-20 |
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News
Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them:
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’
And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
03 December 2024, Tuesday, St Francis Xavier
THE JOY IN PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Ps 117:1-2; Mk 16:15-20]
In his apostolic encyclical, Pope Francis spoke of the joy of the gospel. Those who encounter Jesus and receive the gospel fill their hearts with joy and they are set free from sin, loneliness and emptiness in their lives. The gospel always gives hope and meaning to those who receive it. This joy must constantly be renewed because our involvement in the world, with all its pleasures and preoccupations can cause us to lose the voice of God so that His love is no longer felt and the desire to spread the Gospel also fades.
However, equally important for Pope Francis is that the proclaimers must first be filled with joy. He is wearied of evangelizers who lack joy and enthusiasm, as if they had just come back from a funeral. If we evangelizers are dejected, discouraged, impatient and anxious, we will become counter witnesses. Hence, today, we need to recover and deepen our enthusiasm by entering into the joy of St Paul, the missionary zeal of St Francis Xavier in the proclamation of the Good News.
St Paul in the first reading asked, “Do you know what my reward is?” Indeed, in a world where the subject is given priority, many ask “what is in it for me if I do this or that?” In other words, what do I get out of this job or work or service? We need to explain why we are doing what we are doing. Why does a person choose the priesthood? Why does a person choose to serve in the ministry? Why does a person enter into public service? What reward do you expect for your sacrifices?
Perhaps, in the first place, as Christians, we should not be speaking about rewards. The word “reward” is too worldly, secular, materialistic and self-serving. Rather, it would be better for us to think in terms of meaning, purpose and fulfilment. Of course, there are some who are worldly, thinking in terms of power, glory, status and even material gains from the ministry. They will only destroy themselves. St Paul wrote, “There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” (1 Tim 6:6-9)
Secondly, St Paul made it clear that he does not even “insist on the rights which the Gospel gives me.” This is a reference to his right to material needs. We know that at one point, he was working as a tent maker to pay for his own ministry. Later on, he depended on the generosity of others but he was always contented with what he had, without insisting on his rights as he rightly wrote to the Philippians, “Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want.” (Phil 4:11f) This is so unlike the world today when we all speak of rights all the time. Whilst we certainly must be just to everyone yet this preoccupation of our rights certainly compromises the proclamation of the gospel as a free gift to be given freely to others without counting the cost.
The principle of finding joy in the proclamation of the gospel is derived from the fact that it is freely received and therefore freely given, without any strings attached, unconditional and pure. This is the starting point of St Paul’s attitude towards his ministry. His reward is that in his preaching he is “able to offer the Good News free.” Jesus instructed the disciples, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay.” (Mt 10:8)
How, then, can such an attitude of selfless joy be attained? What attitudes must we have? Firstly, we must see ourselves as servants and apostles. Our ministry is a calling. St Paul said, “I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it!” It is a responsibility placed on us. As servants of God, we are slaves, like St Paul. We have nothing that is ours because all belong to God. “So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could.”
At the same time, as apostles, we are sent. We do not send ourselves and hence it is a vocation, a calling. We do not take it upon ourselves but we have been entrusted with the message of salvation for all. Just as the Father sent Christ, as apostles Christ sends us. We are always dependent on Him and we act on His behalf and never in our own capacity. Our task is not to proclaim ourselves but Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We are to proclaim the gospel, the Good News of God’s love, mercy and justice.
Secondly, this duty and privilege must be done out of gratitude. St Paul says, “If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands.” Unless we are grateful for the Good News we have received, we will not understand the responsibility that comes with it. Good News is always meant to be shared, not to be kept. Thus, the commission to announce the Good News is addressed to the disciples who have encountered the Risen Lord. “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk 16:15) Are we grateful for our vocation or do we take it up with reluctance?
So we need to get back to the question, ‘what is our reward?’ St Paul said, “I still do this, for the sake of the Gospel, to have a share in its blessings.”
Indeed, the first great reward is sharing in the joy of Christ who came to give Himself freely for humanity and our salvation. The greatest joy in giving is when we give freely and for free. When we are able to free ourselves from our own needs and focus on the needs of others, we experience the joy of freedom and the joy of pure love and pure giving. It is a joy that no one can explain. This is the joy of those who help the poor. This is the joy of St Teresa of Kolkata. This, too, is the joy of the priesthood and religious life; that we are not paid for our services. Indeed, the beauty of Christian ministry is that we are not paid like workers so that we can render our services freely without discriminating people.
Secondly, it is the joy of being one with our fellowmen in their pains, struggles and joys. St Paul wrote, “For the weak I made myself weak. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost.” Feeling with our brothers and sisters and journeying with them help us to remain human, for joy flows from a man who is compassionate and sensitive to the sufferings and joys of his fellowmen. Indeed, as a priest, my great joy is to let people know that I am with them in their journey of life, in their struggles. Many times, I cannot do much for them, but in supporting them morally and in whatever ways I can, I know I bring hope and joy to them. This joy is a liberating and fulfilling.
In a nutshell, the only way to share in the blessings of the gospel is to share the gospel with others. In giving the gospel to others, in giving hope, meaning, love and life to others, we, too, in the process partake of their joy and happiness. As we give ourselves in service to others, we receive the same blessings as well. When I preach the gospel, I preach first and foremost to myself. When I heal others, I heal my own wounds. When I hear confession, I hear my own sins. When I give kindness to others, I grow in kindness and mercy. This is what the gospel says, “These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.” In restoring others to health and life, we receive faith and life ourselves because we see the power of God at work in us, like the early apostles who, “going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by signs that accompanied it.”
Consequently, today, as we celebrate the Feast of St Francis Xavier, I invite all Christians to renew their personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer, in repentance, in conversion, in ministry and in service to the poor. No one should ever think that this invitation is not for him or her as no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. If, like St Francis, we are willing to risk our lives for Him, He will not disappoint us. Let us take the words of our Lord seriously, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?” (Mt 16:25f) This was the text that changed the life of St Ignatius of Loyola. What about us?
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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