Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: March 2025

Monday, 3 March 2025

THE PLAN OF GOD

20250301 THE PLAN OF GOD

01 March 2025, Saturday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 17:1-13

Their ways cannot be hidden from his sight

The Lord fashioned man from the earth,

to consign him back to it.

He gave them so many days’ determined time,

he gave them authority over everything on earth.

He clothed them with strength like his own,

and made them in his own image.

He filled all living things with dread of man,

making him master over beasts and birds.

He shaped for them a mouth and tongue, eyes and ears,

and gave them a heart to think with.

He filled them with knowledge and understanding,

and revealed to them good and evil.

He put his own light in their hearts

to show them the magnificence of his works.

They will praise his holy name,

as they tell of his magnificent works.

He set knowledge before them,

he endowed them with the law of life.

Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,

and their ears heard the glory of his voice.

He said to them, ‘Beware of all wrong-doing’;

he gave each a commandment concerning his neighbour.

Their ways are always under his eye,

they cannot be hidden from his sight.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 102(103):13-18

The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

the Lord has pity on those who fear him;

for he knows of what we are made,

he remembers that we are dust.

The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flowers like the flower of the field;

the wind blows and he is gone

and his place never sees him again.

The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.

But the love of the Lord is everlasting

upon those who hold him in fear;

his justice reaches out to children’s children

when they keep his covenant in truth.

The love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear.

Gospel Acclamation

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 10:13-16

It is to such as these little children that the kingdom of God belongs

People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.

THE PLAN OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ecclesiasticus 17:1-15; Ps 103:13-18; Mk 10:13-16]

It is said that health is wealth. Indeed, more than anything in life, we need good health. Nothing can replace health for without health, money is useless. Money is only a means to provide us with a comfortable and luxurious life. But if we are sick, we are not able to enjoy the pleasures and blessings of creation. We cannot eat even when we have plenty of good food; we cannot sleep even we have a comfortable bed; we cannot watch TV or listen to nice music, if we cannot see or hear. When we are in pain, we do not feel like doing anything except to rest in bed. Good health therefore is the most basic wish of every human person.

So why do we fall sick? Right from the outset it must be made clear that sickness is not part of the plan of God. It is God’s desire for us to be well and to enjoy the gifts of His creation. The first reading reminds us of the origin of creation. God created us and gave us “authority over everything on earth. He filled all the living things with dread of man, making him master over beasts and birds.” The created things of this earth are meant to serve us and for us to enjoy and make use of them for our good.

Furthermore, God created us to be like Him. “He clothed them with strength like his own, and made them in his own image. He shaped for them a mouth and tongue, eyes and ears, and gave them a heart to think with. He filled them with knowledge and understanding, and revealed to them good and evil. He put his own light in their hearts to show them the magnificence of his works.”

Not only that, the Lord established a covenant with us so that we can walk in the way of truth and life and find true happiness. “He set knowledge before them; he endowed them with the law of life. He established an eternal covenant with them, and revealed his judgements to them. Their eyes saw his glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of his voice.” Such is the goodness of God.

Therefore, we must maintain that God created us to share in His life, love and goodness. We are called to praise God for His wonderful works.

So where does sickness come from? It originates from sin. With the entry of sin into the world, human nature has become corrupt, wounded and fails to be what the Lord intends for us. Because of our fallen nature, we have lost the light of truth. Instead, our minds our dulled and darkened. We cannot distinguish clearly what is truly good or apparently good. We do not even perceive the evils in life and society. When the heart is devious and selfish, the mind cannot discern truth from falsehood. That explains why many of us are foolish and short-sighted. We do not know whether there is God or what the truth is. The only ideology of life is pragmatism, doing what we think is expedient, not considering the truth of the matter, or the long term consequences of today’s actions and decision. Indeed, many of us live unenlightened lives. We chase after money, power and status, often at the expense of our health, marriage and family. We cheat and steal, thinking that we will be happy if we have more wealth and money, failing to realize that ill-gotten gains cannot give us peace and rest.

As a result of sin, we have also lost control over our will. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit and our body has been ransomed by the Lord for a price but we are not appreciative that this body belongs to the Lord. (cf 1 Cor 6:19) Instead of glorifying the Lord with our body, we destroy this body by overeating, getting addicted to drink and drugs. We do not get sufficient rest because of our ambition for money, position and power. Without proper rest, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, naturally we fall ill. So we should not blame God for our illnesses.

But sickness is not caused only by our own sins and folly; it could also come from the sins of others. Quite often, we fall sick emotionally because of the sins of our loved ones. They lead us to sin because of their broken lives. We suffer the consequences of their sins when they suffer a stroke because they never took care of their health; they drove recklessly, get involved in an accident and become paralyzed; or they get drunk and abuse and threaten us. Many of us fall sick managing stress at home because of our parents, in-laws, spouse, children or siblings.

Of course some illnesses are simply due to an imperfect nature. They are hereditary. Many illnesses are passed on to the next generation, such as heart diseases, diabetes, cancer, mental disorder. We are all aware that there is much truth in the genome theory. What we do will affect the health of our children later. Sometimes, we fall sick simply because of contact with viruses or untimely accidents. So whilst we cannot prevent all illnesses, we can at least preempt those illnesses that could be avoided.

Even then, the gospel today tells us that God loves us as His children. Which parent would not be anxious if their child falls sick? Which parent would remain unmoved when their child is suffering pain and discomfort? Surely you would spare no pain to find ways and means to restore them to health. So, too, is our Heavenly Father. In the gospel, Jesus demonstrated that no one is unimportant to Him, even little children. The disciples in their consideration for Jesus who was tired sought to get rid of the children from bothering our Lord. But Jesus had a heart for all, including the little ones. With this awareness, we should seek the Lord like a little child, for this is what He asks of us when He said, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Jesus felt the need and desire of the children to come to Him for a blessing. So, “he put his arms around them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.” In our illness, we too must come to Him like little children. How?

Firstly, we must come to the Lord in humility. We must admit our need and dependence on Him. God will only help the lowly and the humble. Mary said, “His mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.” (Lk 1:50-53) We must also confess our sins and acknowledge humbly our mistakes. Unless, we come to awareness that much of our illnesses come from stress, desires and ill-disciplined lifestyles, then even if the Lord were to heal us, we would fall sick again. For this reason, if we want healing of body, we must first seek spiritual healing, the forgiveness of sins which will then lead to emotional healing of the heart and the memories. Only then can the body be truly healed.

Secondly, we must come to the Lord with confidence like a child. All children have confidence in their parents. Children are innocent. They do not have malicious designs and therefore are trusting. They do not believe that anyone would harm them. They never doubt that their parents would protect them and take care of them. They seek refuge, security and comfort in their parents. So in our sickness, we must come to the Heavenly Father and to our Lord with confidence that He will take pity on us and heal us. Faith is necessary for healing to take place. This is what the Lord always asks of us and those who come to Him for healing. Only with faith can we remove all the obstacles of grace and allow God’s power to be at work in us. So with confidence, let us entrust our lives to Him and surrender ourselves to Him for healing. With the psalmist, we pray, “As a father has compassion on his sons, the Lord has pity on those who fear him; for he knows of what we are made, he remembers that we are dust.” God knows our weaknesses and our limitations. He will show us His compassion and mercy.

Thirdly, to be healed, we need to be like a child, obedient to God. A child has no problems accepting the authority of their elders. He knows that he must obey and that his parents know what is good for him. At times, he may become disobedient, but even in his disobedience, he knows he is wrong. So too, if we want the Lord to heal us, we must be obedient to Him. We must trust that He knows best and that His will, which is His wisdom, is truly good for us. Obedience to God ensures that we will walk the right path, seek the right things in life, give up envy and gluttony, greed and lust. With the commandments to guide us, walking in them, we find light and truth.

In the final analysis, we must also not fear pain and death because the Lord has shown us the way. He has overcome death by His death and resurrection. He has overcome pain by conquering pain. Let us recognize the shortness of life on earth. We are pilgrims. So let us not imagine that we will live here forever because our eternal home is in heaven. So when it is time for us to go, let us let go and let God take over for He wants us to share the fullness of life with Him, when all tears will be wiped away. “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:3f)

ATTACHMENT IS THE CAUSE OF SADNESS

20250303 ATTACHMENT IS THE CAUSE OF SADNESS

03 March 2025, Monday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 17:20-28

Return to the Lord and leave sin behind

To those who repent, God permits return,

and he encourages those who were losing hope.

Return to the Lord and leave sin behind,

plead before his face and lessen your offence.

Come back to the Most High and turn away from iniquity,

and hold in abhorrence all that is foul.

Who will praise the Most High in Sheol,

if the living do not do so by giving glory to him?

To the dead, as to those who do not exist, praise is unknown,

only those with life and health can praise the Lord.

How great is the mercy of the Lord,

his pardon on all those who turn towards him!

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 31(32):1-2,5-7

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,

whose sin is remitted.

O happy the man to whom the Lord

imputes no guilt,

in whose spirit is no guile.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

But now I have acknowledged my sins;

my guilt I did not hide.

I said: ‘I will confess

my offence to the Lord.’

And you, Lord, have forgiven

the guilt of my sin.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

So let every good man pray to you

in the time of need.

The floods of water may reach high

but him they shall not reach.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

You are my hiding place, O Lord;

you save me from distress.

You surround me with cries of deliverance.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just!

Gospel Acclamation

cf.1Th2:13

Alleluia, alleluia!

Accept God’s message for what it really is:

God’s message, and not some human thinking.

Alleluia!

Or:

2Co8:9

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ was rich,

but he became poor for your sake,

to make you rich out of his poverty.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 10:17-27

Give everything you own to the poor, and follow me

Jesus was setting out on a journey when a man ran up, knelt before him and put this question to him, ‘Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; You must not commit adultery; You must not steal; You must not bring false witness; You must not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.’ Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, ‘My children,’ he said to them ‘how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were more astonished than ever. ‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’

ATTACHMENT IS THE CAUSE OF SADNESS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ecclesiasticus 17:20-28; 31:1-2,5-7; Mk 10:17-27]

What is the cause of sadness in our hearts? Many are sad in spite of the fact that they have everything they want in life. Rich, successful and powerful people are also sad. Many are not happy even when they reach the top of their career. In fact, they find their lives more miserable. They lose their privacy as they can no longer move about freely. They are worried about protecting their wealth. Because they neglected their families, they feel cut from their loved ones and many experience failures in relationships.

Today, the scripture tells us that the cause of sadness is attachment in all its forms. The obvious attachment is to wealth. We read that when Jesus told the rich man, “Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.” Indeed, many of us are attached to our wealth, money, property and things. Some are attached to their car, or some material things, more than their loved ones. Others are attached to their comforts. They cannot do without certain creaturely comforts in life. They cannot give up living a luxurious life. They are addicted to some food and drinks.

Most are attached to money, like the rich young man. That is why rich people are afraid to die because when they die, they cannot bring a cent of their wealth with them. Instead, they have to leave it to others, and often undeserving people too, who would one day squander away all their money. Some people are always thinking and counting their money. They are afraid to spend them. Instead of using money for their happiness and the happiness of their loved ones and those in need, they hoard them only to realize that the more they hoard, the more they are enslaved by money. Ironically, they live in insecurity for fear of losing their hard earned money.

The second kind of attachment is to sin. This is what the book of Sirach is asking of us. “Who will praise the Most High in Sheol, if the living does not do so by giving glory to him? To the dead, as to those who do not exist, praise is unknown, only those with life and health can praise the Lord.” When we live in sin, our life does not give glory to God. To live in sin is to live in the land of the dead. Those who are attached to their vices in life cannot be liberated for love. Those who live immoral lives, such as cheating, slandering, lying, stealing, fighting, manipulating, gambling excessively, smoking and drinking to the detriment of their health, cannot find happiness. Others are lazy, envious of others and lustful. When we are controlled by our sins, we cannot expect happiness. St Paul makes it clear, “Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21) Let us be reminded of the advice of St John of the Cross who said that a bird tied to a chain or a string cannot fly. So long as sins have a hold over us, we cannot be free either.

The third kind of attachment is to our guilt and the lack of forgiveness for those who have hurt us. Many of us cannot forgive ourselves for the wrongs we have done. We keep going back to our past hurts and wounds. We think of the people who have hurt us. We cannot forgive them. We nurture grudges against them. Most of our sadness comes from this inability to let go. Indeed, there are many people who are always living in the past, lamenting, recollecting all the wrongs and negligence in their lives and those who have hurt them deeply.

The fourth kind of attachment is to the law. “Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You must not kill; you must not commit adultery; you must not steal; you must not bring false witness; you must not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Master, I have kept all these from my earliest days.'” There are some who are slaves to the laws, partly because of upbringing and partly because of self-righteousness. Like the Jewish leaders, we see salvation in terms of mere obedience to the laws. We live in fear of God’s punishment; always thinking that we are not good enough for Him. So like the rich man, we can never find real happiness. If we fulfil the laws, our lives can be quite empty because it is without love. If we break the law, we think that God will send us to hell.

If attachment is the cause of unhappiness, then the way to happiness is of course detachment, learning to let go. We need to learn how to let go.

Firstly, we must let go of our wealth in all its forms. Money is a means, not the end itself. Keeping money in the bank cannot make you happy but only cause you to be more worried. But if we use our money for the good of others, we will find happiness and fulfilment. This was the advice of Jesus to the rich man when He said, “There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” In serving the poor, we live with a purpose. When we live a meaningful life, a life that is connected with people, we find joy. The joy of giving joy to others is already a participation in the joy of God.

Secondly, we must seek true repentance of heart. Sirach says, “To those who repent God permits return, and he encourages those who were losing hope. Return to the Lord and leave sin behind, plead before his face and lessen your offence. Come back to the Most High and turn away from iniquity, and hold in abhorrence all that is foul.” If we repent of our sins, we will experience true joy and liberation. We are at peace again. So long as we do not give up our sins, we cannot expect our conscience to leave us in peace. The choice is really ours. Peace, joy and freedom or slavery to our attachments and sins. Attachment to sin is the cause of sadness in our hearts. Until we set ourselves free, we cannot be happy.

Thirdly, we must hold on to the forgiveness of God. The psalmist says, “Happy the man whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted. O happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile. But now I have acknowledged my sins; my guilt I did not hide. I said: ‘I will confess my offence to the Lord.’ And you, Lord, have forgiven the guilt of my sin.” If we confess our sins, we can be sure that God will be ever ready to forgive us. It is not for God to bear grievances against us like we do towards our fellowmen. Sirach assures us, “How great is the mercy of the Lord, his pardon on all those who turn towards him!” Only when we believe that God has forgiven us, can we in turn grant forgiveness to ourselves and to those who have hurt us. If we cannot forgive ourselves or others, it is because deep in our hearts, we do not truly believe that God has forgiven us in spite of our sinfulness.

Finally, we must once again assert the importance of the doctrine of justification by faith through grace. In the gospel, the disciples were scandalized when they heard that the rich man would have great difficulty entering the kingdom of God. “‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’ Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God.'” Salvation is not by our good works. We cannot merit the love of God. Good works are the expressions of being loved by God and sometimes the means by which we open our hearts to the love and mercy of God. Penance and mortification do not earn God’s grace but they are tools to unlock the selfishness of our hardened hearts so that we can be more receptive to the grace of God. The rich man can enter heaven only because of God’s grace – when he is rich in love, not attached to his wealth but uses all that he has for the good of others. This comes about only when he encounters the love of God, the joy of his life. In finding this joy of being so loved by God, he will be able to live in freedom and in love.

How can we find happiness in the final analysis? We need to be attached to Jesus, to follow Him. This is the only attachment permitted. Jesus told the rich man. “Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Jesus is not simply saying that we must reach out to the poor and give everything to them but more importantly, we must follow Him. Otherwise, service to the poor can also cause us to be resentful, frustrated and disillusioned. Some are also too attached to the poor that they become angry with God! Giving up for the poor is to make room for Jesus to fill our hearts with His joy. Giving up our sins is only to permit Jesus to be master of our lives. Giving up faith in justification through the laws is to allow the grace of God to work in and through us. Following Jesus is much easier when we surrender all our attachments to Him.

THE FRUITS OF RIGHT DISCERNMENT IN A SYNODAL CHURCH

20250302 THE FRUITS OF RIGHT DISCERNMENT IN A SYNODAL CHURCH

02 March 2025, Sunday, 8th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 27:5-8

The test of a man is in his conversation

In a shaken sieve the rubbish is left behind,

so too the defects of a man appear in his talk.

The kiln tests the work of the potter,

the test of a man is in his conversation.

The orchard where a tree grows is judged on the quality of its fruit,

similarly a man’s words betray what he feels.

Do not praise a man before he has spoken,

since this is the test of men.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 91(92):2-3,13-16

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning

and your truth in the watches of the night.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

The just will flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

Planted in the house of the Lord

they will flourish in the courts of our God,

still bearing fruit when they are old,

still full of sap, still green,

to proclaim that the Lord is just.

In him, my rock, there is no wrong.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

Second reading

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

Death is swallowed up in victory

When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Never give in then, my dear brothers, never admit defeat; keep on working at the Lord’s work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:

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 6:39-45

Can the blind lead the blind?

Jesus told a parable to his disciples: ‘Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.

‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.’

THE FRUITS OF RIGHT DISCERNMENT IN A SYNODAL CHURCH

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ecclesiasticus 27:4-7; Ps 92:2-3,13-16; 1 Cor 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45]

The scripture readings today provide us the criteria for discerning the will of God in our lives. This is particularly important if we are to be true to the gospel. Unless we are ready to put away sin, as St Paul tells us in the second reading, we cannot share in the life of our Risen Lord. Discernment of God’s will must also extend to the larger community of our organization, parish and the archdiocese. This is particularly true today if we want to be a Synodal Church, of which the Church is seeking to be under the Pontificate of Pope Francis. What does it entail to be a Synodal Church?

To rediscover the realities of the faith and life of our Catholics, we followed the Synod on the Synodal Church, the conversation of the Spirit. This requires us to suspend judgment when listening to each other. This is the first stage of the Synodal journey. In the gospel, the Lord cautions us about making too quick a judgment. He said, “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,’ when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.”

Truly, we need to listen attentively with our entire being, try to feel and see from others’ perspectives rather than allowing our own past experiences to prejudice us from reaching out to people who feel or think differently from us. So having objectivity in listening remains something that we need to continue to practise until it becomes a way of life for us. St James reminds us, “Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.” (Jms 2:19-21)

But this does not mean that we cannot make a judgment. At the end of the process, in all discernment journeys, we need to come to some kind of conclusion. So someone has to make a decision after hearing all the struggles and aspirations of those who participated in the Synodal process. How, then, do we judge and discern rightly? This is the theme of today’s liturgy on the question of a discerning heart.

Firstly, we must be careful that when we are dealing with matters of faith and morals, this requires the work of theologians and the decision of the magisterium. It cannot be decided based on the consensus of a group articulating their experiences and their aspirations. A case in point is the Church’s doctrine on marriage, gender and matters pertaining to the Sacraments, especially of the Eucharist and Holy Orders. Whilst it is important that the Church, as part of the process for discerning the Sensus Fidei, hears from the People of God the challenges and difficulties they are going through in living out the gospel in the situation they are in, yet it will not be right to compromise the Word of God so as to satisfy the popular desires and wishes of our people. Consequently, hearing out the experiences of the People of God is but the first and necessary step of the discernment process, but the judgment cannot be based on what people like today. It must be founded on the Word of God.

This is why the Lord also underscores the importance of following the true teacher. Jesus asked His disciples, “Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher.” We are all disciples of the Lord and we are called to be formed in His likeness. Our task is to become another Christ and be identified with Him in heart and mind. This is why a trained teacher must become like his master. To insist that the gospel bend to fit the popular trends in current lifestyle, especially when it comes to genderism, sexuality, marriage and the Sacrament of Holy Orders is to destroy the very foundation of the Church. Indeed, the Church would lose its foundation when marriage and the sacrament of Holy Orders are compromised.

Consequently, the final judgement on matters dealing with faith and morals cannot be the work of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly but to those whom the Lord has entrusted His authority to, namely, the Pope and his bishops. Again and again, the Pope reminded us that the Synodal Process is not a parliamentary proceeding. It is not a matter of how the people vote, or even what the theologians say. Of course the sharing of the People of God, the work of the theologians are important contributions to the Bishops in their work of discernment as to whether such proposals are faithful to the constant teaching of the Church found in Scripture and Tradition. We must make a distinction between decision-making and decision-taking. This explains why Bishops share in the fullness of the priesthood and priests partake of the priesthood of the bishops. By so doing, the ordained ministers are to act in persona Christi capitis, that is, in the person of Christ as head. The Church is not above the shepherd, the true teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ. She is under the Word of God and Tradition that has been passed on to us. Ultimately, it is Christ who is the teacher that must be obeyed.

Secondly, when it comes to mere administrative matters, especially in areas of finance, information technology, operations not concerned with faith and morals, the professional advice of the laity must be taken seriously. There are of course other areas which are strictly pastoral decisions, which require both the inputs of the laity and the clergy. Even though these are of a pastoral nature, it is important that both laity and clergy must work together to provide the best pastoral approaches in dealing with concrete situations. On one hand, such pastoral decisions must be faithful to the teachings of the Church. On the other hand, we need to find practical solutions to help our laity cope with the demands of the gospel.

Thirdly, the Church must also consider those who are unable to live up to the standards of the gospel. Jesus reminds us of the intrinsic relationship between forgiveness and judgment. Pastoral decisions must consider the realities of our people in seeking to be true to the faith. We are reminded that the measure we use to judge others is the measure that will be applied to us. However, being merciful does not mean that we condone the sins of our people. Being an inclusive and welcoming Jesus does not mean that we welcome everyone and they can remain as they are without cooperating with the grace of God to order their lives according to the gospel. If that is the case, there is no reason for them to become Catholics. We cannot reduce the Church to a club house. Even when Jesus forgave sins and accepted sinners, He always warned them not to sin again.

So being welcoming and merciful means that although we condemn sin, we are also quick to encourage sinners toward restoration when they fall. Consequently, mercy is not being self-righteousness or being judgmental. Mercy does not take pleasure in pointing out the weaknesses or the sins of others, but it seeks to find a way to restore the situation. It does not seek to find fault with certain individuals but to find a better solution for the greater good of the Church. We should not be overly concerned with who is responsible for the current problems of the Church but rather, we must be quick to set up opportunities for sinners to repent and for the Church to reform herself. Being judgmental is to rejoice in pointing out the sins and failures of people but not helping in their restoration. Rather than leaving the sinner to live in sin, we must encourage the sinner to find the right path. So too in seeking for solutions to improve the pastoral program for the Church.

In the final analysis, what is of utmost importance is to ask whether our proposals are truly the will of God and faithful to the Word of God. Whether the pastoral initiatives will bear fruit or not depends on the sincerity of what we say and propose. Often in such discussions, people propose many things but when it comes to action or participation, they are not there. This is why we must take heed of today’s first reading from the Book of Proverbs where the sage reminds us to judge the fruit of what one says or claim to be. Just as “the defects of a man appear in his talk, the test of a man is in his conversation, similarly a man’s words betray what he feels.” Jesus also reminds us that “There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.” We need to be sincere in asking what we want the Church to do because we can give many grand proposals on paper but when it comes to involvement and participation, we are not ready to commit ourselves. Indeed, let us never forget that fine words will never take the place of fine deeds. Just talking and writing books alone cannot change the world unless we show by our lives and commitment to what we propose.

May we then continue to journey together as we seek to find the will of God for our archdiocese. The journey has not ended but the process continues to clarify what needs to be done in our archdiocese so that we can grow to be a vibrant, evangelizing and missionary Church that seeks to build the kingdom of God. Please pray for me, your shepherd to discern with honesty and to have the courage to do the right thing. It is our common hope and dream to make the Church in Singapore alive in the Spirit and truly a beacon in our society. May we truly become the salt and light of the world by our lives, words and deeds.