20250103 LIVING A RIGHTEOUS LIFE
First reading | 1 John 2:29-3:6 |
Everyone must try to be as pure as Christ
You know that God is righteous –
then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous
has been begotten by him.
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
Surely everyone who entertains this hope
must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.
Anyone who sins at all
breaks the law,
because to sin is to break the law.
Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin,
and that in him there is no sin;
anyone who lives in God does not sin,
and anyone who sins
has never seen him or known him.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 97(98):1,3-6 |
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp
with the sound of music.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
acclaim the King, the Lord.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
A hallowed day has dawned upon us.
Come, you nations, worship the Lord,
for today a great light has shone down upon the earth.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn1:14,12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.
To all who received him he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
Or: | Heb1:1-2 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
At various times in the past
and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
but in our own time, the last days,
he has spoken to us through his Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 1:29-34 |
'Look: there is the Lamb of God'
Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’
03 January 2025, Friday
LIVING A RIGHTEOUS LIFE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 JN 2:29–3:6; PS 98; JOHN 1:29-34]
Why should we seek to be righteous? Because of our status and who we really are! St John reminds us, “You know that God is righteous – then you must recognize that everyone whose life is righteous has been begotten by him.” We are God’s children. This is our great privilege. “Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are.” We are more than just any other creature that God has created. We are created to share in His life and His love. When we fail to be what we are, then we are disowning our identity.
Unfortunately, not everyone acknowledges the existence of God. St John says, “Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.” Although we are all God’s children, many in the world do not acknowledge God as their creator and Father. In a world of secularism, science and technology, man has become so proud of himself that he thinks he can do everything without God. Many have come to conclude that there is no God either. When there is no God, there is also no basis for morality. Ethics is decided by man and moral principles can change in time. This is why humanity also does not know their identity, their calling in life and their destiny. The confusion on fundamental issues like gender, marriage and family is the result of man abandoning faith in God.
For us who know God, we are confident of our identity and goal in life. Our identity and fulfilment in life is to be with God. “My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.” As St Augustine says, “Our hearts are restless until we rest in Him.” Indeed, no matter how successful or rich we are, we find ourselves restless even when we have achieved great things in life. Only when we are in God, can our hearts find rest.
We must therefore seek to live out our identity as the children of God. St John exhorts us, “Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.” In Christ, we see how one should live his or her life. Jesus came to show us the Way, the Truth and the Life. We are called to imitate our Lord. St Paul wrote, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:5-8) To share in His mind is to acquire the Beatitudes that He taught. Through the Sermon on the Mount, we know the attitudes that we should cultivate in order to live a godly life. (cf Mt 5-7)
However, we cannot live this life by our own strength alone. Keeping ourselves pure and holy is not just about using one’s efforts and discipline to accomplish what the Law requires of us. Rather, we need to rely on our Lord. Only in Him can we find the strength to not simply observe the Laws but more importantly, to observe them out of love. Salvation is not so much about passing all the tests in life. God does not judge us as we judge our fellowmen. God judges not just the external actions but the inner motives of what we do. Doing good and living a righteous life must be motivated by love for God and our fellowmen. Otherwise, it becomes a burden and it takes the joy out of our life. We behave like slaves, afraid of God, thinking that He would send us to hell if we break the commandments. We must be careful not to behave like the elder son in the story of the Prodigal Son.
The gospel makes it clear that only Jesus can take away our sins. “The next day, seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.'” John the Baptist, even though he exhorted the people to repent and baptized them with water, knew that it was just an expression of the desire for God’s forgiveness. “I shall not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptizing with water.” His task was to prepare the people to receive Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Man is reconciled with God only with the atoning death of our Lord. St John says, “Anyone who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law. Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”
But Jesus did not only take away our sins. This is but the first step towards restoration. His death has reconciled us with His Father and assured us of the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus had come for all, regardless whether we believe in Him or not. He died for all of us, even sinners, and even when we do not acknowledge Him. However, the saving death of Jesus is also to inspire us to live a righteous life out of love for Him, and for God who sacrificed His only Son. His innocent death on the cross was to bring us all into realization of the gravity of our sins. Isaiah wrote, “Just as there were many who were astonished at him – so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals – so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.” (Isa 52:14f)
Even then, it is not enough for us to overcome sins. Jesus’ death is not only to be understood as a good example for us, but His death was a prelude to the sending of the Holy Spirit upon us. John the Baptist declared, “I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptize with water had said to me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.” Indeed, the capacity to live a life of holiness is through the grace of the Holy Spirit. We are sanctified by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life of righteousness. St Paul delineates the gifts of the Holy Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” (Gal 5:22-25)
This is why holiness requires the cooperation of man, even though ultimately it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It is not just our decision and our will to choose holiness because we are weak and will succumb to temptations. Even with the best intentions, we would fall again into sin. So we need to pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength to resist the temptations of the Evil One. Jesus, upon His death on the cross, poured out the Holy Spirit on the Church when He uttered the words, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (Jn 19:30) But it will be at Pentecost that the Holy Spirit, latent in the disciples, was activated through the Risen Lord. “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'” (Jn 20:22f)
Truly, as the Psalmist says, “Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.” It is God who makes it possible for us to live a life of righteousness. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8f) Through baptism, we are made sons and daughters of God and given the sanctifying grace to grow in holiness.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment