20250131 PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH
31 January 2025, Friday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Hebrews 10:32-39 |
We are the sort who keep faithful
Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days; sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way. For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.
Only a little while now, a very little while,
and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay.
The righteous man will live by faith,
but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.
You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 36(37):3-6,23-24,39-40 |
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.
Commit your life to the Lord,
trust in him and he will act,
so that your justice breaks forth like the light,
your cause like the noon-day sun.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The Lord guides the steps of a man
and makes safe the path of one he loves.
Though he stumble he shall never fall
for the Lord holds him by the hand.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord,
their stronghold in time of distress.
The Lord helps them and delivers them
and saves them: for their refuge is in him.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Make me grasp the way of your precepts,
and I will muse on your wonders.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 4:26-34 |
The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’
He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’
Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.
PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 10:32-39; PS 37:3-6,23-24,39-40; MARK 4:26-34]
In the first reading, the author of Hebrews recounted the trials that the early Christians had to go through. “Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days: sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way.” One can imagine how much the early Christians had to suffer for their faith in Christ. For them to do so, they must have had strong faith in Him. They must have had a deep encounter with the Lord to be able to make the sacrifices they did in following Him. Otherwise, how do we explain their willingness to undergo insults and violence on His account? No one would want to sacrifice or suffer in vain!
Today, not many Catholics are willing to suffer for their faith in Christ. We might be willing to make some sacrifices for being Catholic, like observing some of the commandments, fulfilling the days of obligations, the days of fasting and penance, praying regularly, helping in some church ministries, giving some donation to the church and to charity, and do good. In our days, being a member of the Catholic Church is not always a dishonourable thing. We have our enemies and detractors but in general, the Catholic Church, being so established as an institution, is well respected and regarded by many, especially for her works of charity and justice, particularly expressed by the Holy Father, the head of the Catholic Church. So, for most, it is seen as a good religion to belong to.
But the danger is that when we become too comfortable with our place in the world, we lose our resilience to persecution, opposition and marginalization. The real danger of the Church today is that she is trying to be popular in the world by making herself acceptable to society. We are afraid to stand up for the gospel truth because we fear repercussion, rejection and losing our place in the world. We want to be part of the mainstream. Indeed, the Church is trying too hard to please the individualistic and materialistic trends of the world. We want to dilute our moral doctrines to accommodate those who are advocating lifestyles contrary to the bible, whether it is same-sex union, transgenderism, or the radical views of activists for human rights and equality. So, we make compromises in our doctrines, so much so we have lost credibility in the world. Christianity has been subsumed by the world and we are not much different from the world. We are no longer a witnessing faith, being the light of the world and the salt of the earth. When Christianity adopts the worldly values and individualistic trends, we lose our status as a force in the world. We no longer offer anything that is different from what the world espouses.
Indeed, to stand up for the truth of what the scripture has always taught us today requires courage and honesty. It means that we are ready to sacrifice our position of honour in the world. In order to speak honestly, it requires the courage to be different. And most of all, to be ridiculed, marginalized and to lose our popularity. But how many of us are willing to sacrifice our position in the political, corporate and even religious world? We want to be respected, to be honoured, to enjoy the privileges that come with it. So, what is required for us to remain faithful to the faith and what the scriptures have taught us?
Firstly, the author of Hebrews asks us to consider everything in view of our hope. “For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.” Having a clear hope of what has been promised to us was what motivated the Christians to offer themselves as witnesses to the faith and suffer disadvantages in society or even being martyred. This is because they had a certain hope in the promises of Christ. At that time of course, they thought the second coming was near. This gave them greater impetus to sacrifice their present for the future. “Only a little while now, a very little while, and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay.”
Truly, we are reminded that a courageous faith and confident hope is what is required to help us to continue to persevere. “The righteous man will live by faith, but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him. You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.” We need to cling to our faith and not allow fear or the things of the world to hold us back. This is what the psalmist also assures us. “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. Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him.”
Of course, we must not expect that by standing up for our beliefs and values, we will see the results of our faith immediately. The establishment of the kingdom of God takes time. The Lord teaches us to allow the grace of God to work in the world. We might appear helpless. We might stand out as a minority. But by standing up for our beliefs, God will ensure that His kingdom grows in spite of man’s attempts to hinder it. “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land.” Indeed, with faith and hope, we will see the kingdom growing even when it is imperceptible, just like the man who “Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.” But the kingdom is gradually taking shape. No one can stop the plan of God for humanity. God’s work continues and a time will come when it is ready for harvesting.
This is why we must be patient at the work of God in the world. As the psalmist says, “For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.” (Ps 90:4-6) Consequently, we must not look at the growth of the Kingdom from our narrow and human perspective. We are all laying the stones for the future of the kingdom. Instead of looking at what is happening in the world with despair, we must look with confidence and hope. So long as we believe in God, there is no room for despair and hopelessness.
Indeed, the other parable of the mustard seed should encourage us and not be worried at the small steps and achievements we have made. We never know how from a mustard seed, we can become a tree where birds could come to find shelter and rest. So, we can be confident that the seeds we sow now will bring about a harvest. We have already witnessed it. When we see how Christianity started in the early Church, facing all sorts of persecutions and marginalization, and how it eventually became the dominant faith all over Europe and then spreading to the entire world, we know that it is the work of God and the work of grace. Many priests and religious sacrificed their lives for the sake of the gospel and travelled to distant countries to bring the gospel to the peoples.
Today, we must not let our forefathers down and let all their sacrifices be made in vain. We must continue to be true to the faith that has been handed down to us. We must stand up against all those who seek to dilute the faith and make false compromises with the world so that they could retain their popularity and their privileges. And we can be faithful if only we remain within the circle of Jesus as the disciples did. “He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.”
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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