TELL THE PEOPLE ALL ABOUT THIS NEW LIFE

20250430 TELL THE PEOPLE ALL ABOUT THIS NEW LIFE

 

 

30 April 2025, Wednesday, 2nd Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 5:17-26

The men you imprisoned are in the Temple, preaching to the people

The high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.

  But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.’ They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.

  When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin – this was the full Senate of Israel – and sent to the gaol for them to be brought. But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, ‘We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside.’ When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could mean. Then a man arrived with fresh news. ‘At this very moment’ he said, ‘the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.’ The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.

How to listen

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 33(34):2-9

This poor man called and the Lord heard him.

or

Alleluia!

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

This poor man called and the Lord heard him.

or

Alleluia!

Glorify the Lord with me.

  Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

  from all my terrors he set me free.

This poor man called and the Lord heard him.

or

Alleluia!

Look towards him and be radiant;

  let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

  and rescued him from all his distress.

This poor man called and the Lord heard him.

or

Alleluia!

The angel of the Lord is encamped

  around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

  He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

This poor man called and the Lord heard him.

or

Alleluia!

---

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Christ has risen and shone upon us

whom he redeemed with his blood.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn3:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:

everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

John 3:16-21

God sent his Son into the world so that through him the world might be saved

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.

For God sent his Son into the world

not to condemn the world,

but so that through him the world might be saved.

No one who believes in him will be condemned;

but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,

because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.

On these grounds is sentence pronounced:

that though the light has come into the world

men have shown they prefer darkness to the light

because their deeds were evil.

And indeed, everybody who does wrong

hates the light and avoids it,

for fear his actions should be exposed;

but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light,

so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’

 

TELL THE PEOPLE ALL ABOUT THIS NEW LIFE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 5:17-26; PS 34:2-9; JOHN 3:16-21]

“The angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.'”  Indeed, this is the obligation of every Christian – to share with all peoples about our new life in Christ.  But before we can share this new life with others, it presupposes that we have come to know and experience this new life in Christ ourselves.  This new life can only come from Christ, as the gospel tells us.  Jesus said to Nicodemus: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.”

What, then, is this new life that we are called to proclaim?  St Paul says, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”   (2 Cor 5:17) This means that with Christ, we have a fundamental change in identity and nature for those who believe in Him.  We are sons and daughters of God in Christ.  The old life that is characterized by sin and the desires of the flesh with the resultant harvest of evil in us, namely, fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing is left behind and instead we put on Christ.   United with Him through His death and resurrection, we live a new life that is empowered by the Holy Spirit.   Living in the Spirit, we live a life of true freedom from sin and from all forms of slavery.  We produce the fruits of the Spirit in a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  (cf Gal 5:19-22f)

In a word, the New Life brings us true freedom in the Spirit of Christ, unlike the world under the bondage of evil and the sins of the flesh.  The entire purpose of Christ’s coming is to set us free.  This is the theme of today’s scripture reading.  Indeed, we are called to freedom in life.  This is what it means to share in the life of God, being made in His image and likeness, sharing in His truth and love.  This is why St Paul urged the Christians, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.  For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Gal 5:13f)

Hence, we see clearly the difference between those who accept Christ and those who do not.  Jesus in the gospel says, “No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son. On these grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.”  We see how the priestly aristocracy sought to stem out the light of Christ that was announced by the apostles.  “The high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.”  It was fear and jealousy that drove the high priest attempt to hide the light.  This is what the Lord also warned us about when He said, “And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.”

Those who reject Christ and His message, do so because they do not want to live in truth and love.  They want to live a life of selfishness.  When we live evil lives, as the Lord said, we want to hide from people.  All sins are committed in the dark.  This is why St Paul exhorted the Romans, “you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”  (Rom 13:11-14)

Yet the truth remains, the light cannot be extinguished no matter how much evil people try to do.  If we feel that the current trends in the world and in the Church today is moving in the wrong direction, Jesus wants us to take heart.  Indeed, many Catholics are nervous that even within the Church we are compromising the gospel and the moral values of the gospel to suit the individualistic, self-centred and materialistic needs of the world.  We are bewildered that even Prelates and Cardinals are advocating liberal values that compromise the truth of the gospel in order that the gospel could be accepted by everyone.  Will the Church be divided and destroyed by extremists who are abandoning the perennial truths of the gospel and what the Magisterium have been teaching for the last 2000 years?  What about Jesus’ promise to be with the Church?  He said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  (Mt 28:20)

The release of the apostles from prison by the angel is the way in which the scriptures want to assure us that nothing can prevent this New Life from being proclaimed to the world. The gospel cannot be chained by anyone, not even political and religious authorities.  The truth will prevail.  In the Acts, we see St Peter being released from prison by an angel before he could be executed.  (Acts 12:1019) And then St Paul was delivered from prison at Thessalonica by an earthquake.  (Acts 16:25-34) These incidents show how God’s power set them free to proclaim the gospel without fear even at the prospect of punishment.  The apostles who had encountered the Risen Lord were no longer afraid of the authorities, of imprisonment, scourging and even death.  Immediately after their release, they were back at the Temple to proclaim the name of Jesus.  Such was the power of the Holy Spirit given to them when they received the new life from Christ at Pentecost.  Truly, no human intervention, whether earthly or spiritual powers, can prevent the gospel from being proclaimed.  And we are told, they earned the respect of the people so much so when “the captain went with his men and fetched them, they were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.” It is God who will give us the power and strength and courage to continue to proclaim the gospel to all without fear or favour.

As the responsorial psalm says, the Lord will protect His chosen ones.  “I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. I sought the Lord and he answered me from all my terrors he set me free. Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them.”

---

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

BEING BORN AGAIN

20250429 BEING BORN AGAIN

 

 

29 April 2025, Tuesday, 2nd Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 4:32-37

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.

  The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.

  None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.

  There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.

How to listen

---

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 92(93):1-2,5

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;

  the Lord has robed himself with might,

  he has girded himself with power.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

The world you made firm, not to be moved;

  your throne has stood firm from of old.

  From all eternity, O Lord, you are.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.

  Holiness is fitting to your house,

  O Lord, until the end of time.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

or

Alleluia!

---

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Rv1:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

You, O Christ, are the faithful witness,

the First-born from the dead,

you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn3:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Son of Man must be lifted up

so that everyone who believes in him

may have eternal life.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

John 3:7-15

No-one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man who has come down from heaven

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘Do not be surprised when I say:

You must be born from above.

The wind blows wherever it pleases;

you hear its sound,

but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’

‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus.

‘I tell you most solemnly,

we speak only about what we know

and witness only to what we have seen

and yet you people reject our evidence.

If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world,

how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?

No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who came down from heaven,

the Son of Man who is in heaven;

and the Son of Man must be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’

 

BEING BORN AGAIN

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 4:32-37; PS 93:1-2, 5; JOHN 3:7-15]

“Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above.”   Indeed, many of us are not living the fullness of life because we simply live an earthly life.  This is how people in the world live.  Their focus is only on this world.  They say, “you only live once” so we should enjoy all that we can and experience every fun and thrill on this earth because when we die, we will just disappear.  This explains why the modern man is self-centred, individualistic, materialistic and selfish.  He is afraid to miss out on the pleasures this world affords because his life is short.  Death is the greatest enemy of man.  He tries to camouflage it by not talking about it, mask it through cosmetic makeovers, and prolong his life through all kinds of supplements and health foods.

But what is even worse than an earthly life, is a worldly life.  There is a difference between an earthly life and worldly life.  An earthly life is one that is lived like an animal, eating, sleeping, working and playing.  But a worldly life is a life enslaved by sin, addiction to what is evil – pornography, alcoholism, gambling, drugs, sex, violence, killing and anger.  St Paul wrote, “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  (Gal 5:19-21)

That is why we need to be born again through baptism in the Holy Spirit.  This is what the Lord said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’ ‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus.”  Being born in the Spirit is to put on the Spirit of Christ.  This Spirit is given to us when we are baptized in Christ.  Baptism is the gateway to the reception of the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit lives in us, there is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  (Gal 5:22f)

Indeed, the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us, Christians, to be united in heart and soul like the early Church.   We read in the Acts that “the whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.”  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we are no longer individualistic, always thinking about ourselves, but we are always thinking about others instead.  Rather than focusing on our own needs, we look to attend to the needs of others.  The Holy Spirit gives us the spirit of empathy and generosity.  Indeed, a sign that we are a born-again Christian is not simply evidenced by whether we have received the gift of tongues or rested in the Spirit but whether we are generous and have lost our attachment to money and the things of this world.  St Paul wrote, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  (Gal 5:24)

We become conscious that we are brothers and sisters in Christ and that we are one Body in Him.  Indeed, we read that “None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need. There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’).  He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.”  Charity and inclusiveness are signs of being born again!

Indeed, when we are born again, the way we regard money and wealth is seen through a different pair of lenses.  We no longer see them simply for our use on pleasures and happiness alone.  Instead, we see them as something to be shared with others because we know that all we have come from God.  This was how the early Christians felt.  “No one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.”  Whatever we have are for us to hold in trust for those who do not have.  We are called to use our money, wealth, talents, time and resources wisely for the service of God’s kingdom, especially for those who have not.  Money is no longer our god but our servant.  Those who are still attached to money are serving false gods.  It is, as St Paul says, a form of idolatry.  (cf Col 3:5) They have a hold over us, making us always think of money.  Instead of being motivated by love and passion, we are motivated by what we can get from a service that we do.  Detachment from money and wealth is a clear proof that we are truly born again in the Lord.

But like Nicodemus, we also ask, “How can that be possible?” Indeed, we wonder why there are some people who can live such carefree lives.  Why are they able to be so generous with their money and resources, giving without counting the cost?  We envy such people who could just let go of their resources and trust in the providence of God.  Yet, we know that such people are really free because they are not slaves to anything in this world.  As St Paul wrote, they “have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  (Col 3:1-3)

We have testimony from our Lord Himself as to how He lived His life.  Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You are a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!”  Indeed, we might be doctors of science, philosophy and theology, and yet we do not know how to live our lives meaningfully and joyfully.  This is the irony of the world.  Even professionals are living a life of slavery to their work and fears and desires to be rich, famous and powerful. Hence, Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly, we speak only about what we know and witness only to what we have seen and yet you people reject our evidence.  If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world, how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?”  Looking at His life will teach us how to live ours!

We have the testimony of the early Christians and the apostles of our Lord.  We read that “the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.”  It was not simply by their preaching alone that inspired faith in the early Church and in the Christian community but it was by their faith in the Lord, reliance on His power, love for the Church and especially the poor, the orphans and the widows.  Instead of grabbing power, wealth and honour as they did before the resurrection, they were now ready to share the humiliation of being Christ’s apostles.  Instead of trying to save their lives, they were ready to die for the Lord and their faith in Him.   This was possible only because of their faith in the Risen Lord and their reception of the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, today, we must strengthen our faith in the Risen Lord if we are to be able to stay firm in our faith, and not just being born again but living a transformed life of grace.  Jesus in no uncertain words made it clear, “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”  Our faith in Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection is what will help us to live the life of the Spirit.  In Christ, we can truly proclaim that God is our king, as the psalmist declared, “The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might! He has girded himself with power. From all eternity, O Lord, you are. Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the end of time.”

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A PHILOSOPHY BUT THE POWER OF GOD

20250428 CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A PHILOSOPHY BUT THE POWER OF GOD

 

 

28 April 2025, Monday, 2nd Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 4:23-31

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly

As soon as Peter and John were released they went to the community and told them everything the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard it they lifted up their voice to God all together. ‘Master,’ they prayed ‘it is you who made heaven and earth and sea, and everything in them; you it is who said through the Holy Spirit and speaking through our ancestor David, your servant:

Why this arrogance among the nations,

these futile plots among the peoples?

Kings on earth setting out to war,

princes making an alliance,

against the Lord and against his Anointed.

‘This is what has come true: in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilate made an alliance with the pagan nations and the peoples of Israel, against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, but only to bring about the very thing that you in your strength and your wisdom had predetermined should happen. And now, Lord, take note of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all boldness, by stretching out your hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ As they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly.

How to listen

---

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 2:1-9

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

or

Alleluia!

Why this tumult among nations,

  among peoples this useless murmuring?

They arise, the kings of the earth,

  princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.

‘Come, let us break their fetters,

  come, let us cast off their yoke.’

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

or

Alleluia!

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

  the Lord is laughing them to scorn.

Then he will speak in his anger,

  his rage will strike them with terror.

‘It is I who have set up my king

  on Zion, my holy mountain.’

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

or

Alleluia!

I will announce the decree of the Lord:

The Lord said to me: ‘You are my Son.

  It is I who have begotten you this day.

Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations,

  put the ends of the earth in your possession.

With a rod of iron you will break them,

  shatter them like a potter’s jar.’

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

or

Alleluia!

---

Gospel Acclamation

Col3:1

Alleluia, alleluia!

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ,

you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is,

sitting at God’s right hand.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

John 3:1-8

Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God

There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leading Jew, who came to Jesus by night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.’ Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

unless a man is born from above,

he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

Nicodemus said, ‘How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’ Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

unless a man is born through water and the Spirit,

he cannot enter the kingdom of God:

what is born of the flesh is flesh;

what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Do not be surprised when I say:

You must be born from above.

The wind blows wherever it pleases;

you hear its sound,

but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’

 

CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A PHILOSOPHY BUT THE POWER OF GOD

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 4:23-31; JOHN 3:1-8]

Some people, including Christians, want to reduce Christianity into a philosophy and a way of life.  They become Christians because they embrace the values of the gospel.  They are edified by the high moral standards of charity in truth, compassion and forgiveness of the Christian gospel.  Whilst Christianity certainly provides a guide to living – the early Church was called the Way and baptism was called the Sacrament of Illumination – yet Christianity is not basically just a philosophy of life.   Pope Benedict XVI in his first encyclical wrote, “We have come to believe in God’s love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John’s Gospel describes that event in these words: ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should … have eternal life.'(3:16)”

Indeed, if we reduce Christianity to a philosophy of life, then it is comparable to other religions. All religions teach us to do good, to love, forgive and to care for the poor.  Their scriptures also teach their followers about the Sacred, continuity between life on earth and life after death, detachment from this world and how to live an enlightened life.  Indeed, “Religions, however, that are bound up with an advanced culture have struggled to answer the same questions by means of more refined concepts and a more developed language. Thus Hinduism … seeks freedom from the anguish of our human condition either through ascetical practices or profound meditation or a flight to God with love and trust. Again, Buddhism … realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination. Likewise, other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing ‘ways,’ comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.” (Nostra Aetate, 2)

Nevertheless, the Church believes that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  While the Church “regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ as ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.”  (Ibid)

Of course, we cannot expect others to believe what we believe because as Jesus in the gospel says, “I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Just by reasoning alone, even if we could accept the teachings of Christ and the Church, will not lead us to faith unless we are born again in the Spirit of Jesus.  Even Nicodemus, the wise rabbi could not understand what the Lord was saying.  When he inquired, “‘How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’ Jesus replied: ‘I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God: what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit.”  In other words, we cannot understand the things of God unless the Spirit of Jesus lives in us.  St Paul wrote, “Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”  (1 Cor 2:14)

Precisely, faith in Jesus as the Son of God is possible only in faith through baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples.  Whilst the Holy Spirit cannot be seen, it can be felt.  The Lord said, “Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above.  The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.”   We know that Christ is the Son of God only in the power of the Holy Spirit.  St Paul wrote, “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.”  (1 Cor 12:3)

The sign that Christianity is more than just a human philosophy of life is the divine element in our faith.  Nicodemus said to the Lord, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.”  The truth about our claims with regard to Christ is not through mere reasoning alone.  This was what St Paul wrote, “My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.”  (1 Cor 2:4f)  We know that Jesus is the Son of God because of the signs that He showed when He was on earth, through the working of miracles, exorcism, His way of life and most of all, by His resurrection.

The vindication of Jesus’ death at His resurrection is confirmed not just by the sightings of His disciples of the Risen Lord but by the extension of Jesus’ healing ministry in the life of the disciples and of the Church.  Indeed, that was what the Christians prayed when they found themselves at loggerheads with the religious authorities.  “And now, Lord, take note of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all boldness, by stretching out your hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  Through the preaching accompanied by the miraculous signs of healing and exorcism, including the works of charity, they opened the hearts of non-believers to accept Christ.  This was how the Lord instructed His disciples in the proclamation of the Good News.  He said, “these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  (Mk 16:17f)

Consequently, building the Church of God cannot be merely the work of man’s ingenuity, intelligence and convincing philosophical arguments with the world.  Otherwise, we might as well employ some intelligent and great leaders to increase the membership of the Church.  Rather, the building of God’s kingdom is the work of grace and the work of the Holy Spirit.  Only Christ can establish His kingdom in our hearts when we are receptive to His grace, which is the Holy Spirit.   And this can happen only in and through prayer.  We read that “as they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly.”  Unless and until we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot proclaim the Word of God with conviction and with power, not just in preaching and teaching but also in the ministry of healing and deliverance.

Indeed, no human power can fight against God.  This is our conviction.  That was what gave the disciples strength and perseverance in the face of persecutions.  Citing from the psalm, they prayed, “‘Why this arrogance among the nations, these futile plots among the peoples? Kings on earth setting out to war, princes making an alliance, against the Lord and against his Anointed.’ This is what has come true: in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilate made an alliance with the pagan nations and the peoples of Israel, against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, but only to bring about the very thing that you in your strength and your wisdom had predetermined should happen.”  Indeed, as St Paul remarked, “Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish.  But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” (1 Cor 2:6f)  So let us proclaim the gospel by praying to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and fortitude and perseverance.

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.