20150207 FINDING PEACE IN CHRIST

20150207 FINDING PEACE IN CHRIST

Readings at Mass

First reading

Hebrews 13:15-17,20-21 ©

Through Christ, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name. Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are sacrifices that please God.

  Obey your leaders and do as they tell you, because they must give an account of the way they look after your souls; make this a joy for them to do, and not a grief – you yourselves would be the losers. I pray that the God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead to become the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, may make you ready to do his will in any kind of good action; and turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.

Psalm

Psalm 22:1-6 ©

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

  there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

  where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

  to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

  he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

  no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

  with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

  in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

  my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

  all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

  for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 6:30-34 ©

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

FINDING PEACE IN CHRIST

SCRIPTURE READINGS: HEBREWS 13:15-21; MARK 6:30 – 34

http://www.universalis.com/20150207mass.htm

“I pray that the God of peace ….”   This is one prayer that we pray both for ourselves and for others.   We are all seeking for peace.   This is what many of us are lacking at home, in the offices and in society at large.  But most of us lack peace in our hearts, peace with God and with ourselves, not just with our fellowmen.

How can we find peace?  What is peace anyway?  Peace is very much connected with rest.  When a person returns to the Lord, we pray, “Eternal rest, grant to him O Lord.  May he rest in peace!“  So peace seems to be intrinsically related with rest.  But this rest is not a physical rest; it is the rest of the soul.   That is why this rest is very much connected with the Sabbath rest that the author of the letter to the Hebrews referred to earlier. (cf Heb 4:9-11)  Just as God rested on the seventh day, He wants us to share in His rest as well.

But there can be no rest until we rest in Him.  Isn’t this what the scripture reading is speaking about?  God, who is the Good Shepherd comes to give us rest and this is affirmed by the psalmist who prays, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose.”  St Peter called Jesus the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (cf 1 Peter 2:25), since the author of Hebrews declared that “the God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead” made Him “the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant.”  Not surprisingly, Jesus Himself in the gospel said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”  (Mt 11:28)

So Jesus is the Way to find true rest for the soul.  Peace must ultimately come from our relationship with Him.  That is why, Jesus advised us through the apostles of the need to rest with Him and in Him, especially if we are very busy in the ministry or in our vocation, whether in the church, at home or in the world.  “He said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat.”  Indeed, not only do we need time for personal prayer every day, but occasionally in a year, we need to withdraw for a few days of retreat so that we can be recharged and renewed.  Retreats are necessary to give rest to our souls, direction for our minds.

Intimacy with the Lord is the source of our strength.  We can be sure that Jesus is totally available for us if we are available to Him.  Accordingly, we need to make time for Jesus.  After all, don’t we find time with people whom we love and those who are important to us?  So don’t give that silly excuse that “we have no time and we are very busy.”  Even if you were the President or Prime Minister and your children are sick or in trouble, won’t you have time to attend to them?  If you are sick today, won’t you have time to visit the doctor?  Surely, we would rearrange our priorities and schedules for those whom we love and those who are important to us.   Now, what could be more important than spending time with Jesus?

What do we do during such time with Jesus?  We read that “the apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught.”  To find rest, it is necessary that we spend time talking to Jesus about our life, what we are doing, the joys and sorrows, the challenges and the difficulties.   We must seek the Lord’s counsel and encouragement for the journey of life.  That is what Jesus does when we talk to Him and listen to Him.  We read in the gospel that this was what He did.  “So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.”  Yes, Jesus fed them with the Word of God and then the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, through the miracle of the loaves and the miracles of healing and deliverance.   It must be noted that “he set himself to teach them at some length.”  Jesus was not a mere miracle worker, a humanitarian fanatic, but His purpose of healing and teaching was to lead the people to His Father’s love.

What does Jesus teach us about finding rest?  What does it mean to come to Jesus?  Once again, we take note that after assuring us that we will find rest in Him, He added, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Mt 11:29f)  In other words, we can find rest not simply by resting in Him but being enlightened by Him and most of all, entering into the Heart of the Good Shepherd.  When we begin to feel like Him as we feel with Him; and when we begin to think like Him as we think with Him, even in our trials and struggles, we will find peace, knowing that we have done what God expects of us and what is right.

Indeed, rest, as the author tells us, implies that we are “ready to do his will in any kind of good action; and turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ.”  True rest can only come from a clear conscience.  When we do the right thing, there will be peace within us, even if others are not happy with what we do, so long we do everything for their sake and for their interests and not ours.  As shepherds of Christ, we must always follow our conscience, making decisions that are good for our subordinates children, family or colleagues and those organizations where we assume leadership.  To do the right thing is to do the just thing.  Justice is the prerequisite of peace.  There can be no peace without justice, seen in the way we relate with our fellowmen.  Justice means to be in right relationship with God, with our brothers and sisters and with ourselves.

Indeed, only because we are true shepherds, can we then command obedience from our subordinates.  The author of Hebrews reminds us that peace comes from obedience to legitimate authority.  ”Obey your leaders and do as they tell you, because they must give an account of the way they look after your souls; make this a joy for them to do, and not a grief – you yourselves would be the losers.”  Peace therefore requires good relationship between us and our leaders, civil, political and religious leaders.   Obedience is given ultimately for the good of the community.   We must see the common good of the community before our individual preference, always putting the greater good of the community before ours.

Without rendering obedience to those shepherds placed over us, the family would be divided, the organization would be fragmented by different opinions and all of us would be losers in the end.  We must remember that in a pluralistic society, we can never agree on anything fully.  Without authority, we would be left to false compromises.  Truth however cannot be compromised.  Those in authority must have the courage to exercise authority in truth and in love.

This also means that before leaders can ever exercise authority, leaders must be under a higher authority, namely, God Himself.  We are reminded of what St Peter told the Sanhedrin when they were forbidden to preach about the Crucified and Risen Lord.  He said, “Obedience to God comes before obedience to man.”  (Acts 4:19)  So it behooves us to obey God and His holy will if we are called to be shepherds in the name of Jesus. The Lord Himself was obedient to the Father even unto death on the cross.  That is why those who cannot obey cannot lead as well.  If appointed into office or when they assume authority, they become tyrants and dictators.  No one is above obedience!  Not even the Bishop! He has to obey the Pope and the Pope is under the obedience of Christ, the Head of the Church.

Of course, leaders must earn obedience from those under their charge by showing themselves as true shepherds, sincerely seeking the interests of those under their care and not their self-interest.  Like a true shepherd, he exercises authority even by sacrificing his popularity, putting the interest of his sheep before himself, his rest, his convenience, to the extent of sharing the suffering of Christ on the cross.  This way of loving requires tremendous sacrifice on our part, whether as shepherds or as sheep.   A leader must be ready to face opposition from his desire to serve truth and love and be ready to sacrifice his personal agenda and selfish interests.

If we follow this path to peace as suggested by the scripture readings, we will certainly find rest, the rest of God, because not only is our conscience clear but we know that God is glorified in all we do and say.  What we worship becomes a reality in relationships.   Union with God brings about reconciliation with others.  At the end of the day, truth and love will prevail over falsehood and selfishness.  The former brings everlasting peace, the latter superficial and illusory peace.

WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH

ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

20150206 SENSITIVITY TO ONE’S CONSCIENCE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR GROWTH IN CHRISTIAN LIFE

20150206 SENSITIVITY TO ONE’S CONSCIENCE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR GROWTH IN CHRISTIAN LIFE

Readings at Mass

First reading

Hebrews 13:1-8 ©

Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the one body. Marriage is to be honoured by all, and marriages are to be kept undefiled, because fornicators and adulterers will come under God’s judgement. Put greed out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: I will not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing: what can man do to me?

  Remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever.

Psalm

Psalm 26:1,3,5,8-9 ©

The Lord is my light and my help.

The Lord is my light and my help;

  whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

  before whom shall I shrink?

The Lord is my light and my help.

Though an army encamp against me

  my heart would not fear.

Though war break out against me

  even then would I trust.

The Lord is my light and my help.

For there he keeps me safe in his tent

  in the day of evil.

He hides me in the shelter of his tent,

  on a rock he sets me safe.

The Lord is my light and my help.

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;

  hide not your face.

Dismiss not your servant in anger;

  you have been my help.

The Lord is my light and my help.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are those who,

with a noble and generous heart,

take the word of God to themselves

and yield a harvest through their perseverance.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 6:14-29 ©

King Herod had heard about Jesus, since by now his name was well-known. Some were saying, ‘John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’ Others said, ‘He is Elijah’; others again, ‘He is a prophet, like the prophets we used to have.’ But when Herod heard this he said, ‘It is John whose head I cut off; he has risen from the dead.’

  Now it was this same Herod who had sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

  An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

SENSITIVITY TO ONE’S CONSCIENCE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR GROWTH IN CHRISTIAN LIFE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: HEB 13:1-8; MK 6:14-29

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Christians are called to imitate Christ the High Priest in perfection and holiness.  To grow in holiness presupposes that we are purified of our sins, which means in the first place that we need to grow in sensitivity to our conscience.  This is particularly important, especially with regard to the question of justice and truth. Hence, the gospel presents to us the different kinds or levels of conscience which one can grow or diminish in our spiritual life.

The conscience that most of us have is that of Herod’s, which is a weak and feeble conscience. When we examine the interior struggles of Herod, we find that actually he was not a bad man.  In fact, he was a generous man who wanted to walk in the truth.  He was not a man without conscience at all.  Indeed, Mark recounts, “Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection.  When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.”  He wanted to live an authentic life.  But he was torn between being true to himself and gaining the respect of others.

Unfortunately, he was a man who chose to please everyone for love of himself, his pride and reputation.  The fact that he could, without thinking, offer the daughter of Herodias anything she asked for, even “half of his kingdom”, shows that he must have been quite a show off.  Of course, he had to pay a high price for such an irresponsible act, since it cost the head of John the Baptist, which was not what he wanted.  This made him “deeply distressed, but thinking of the oaths that he had sworn, and of what his guests would think of him, he was reluctant to break his word to her.”  Here again, we see the tension between his conscience and his desire to please, and also the need to protect his ego.

We can easily identify with Herod.  Like him, we want to please everyone.  We have generally a good heart.  But we tend to compromise because of our weakness in love.  We do not know, or rather, we do not have the heart to say “no” to things that are wrong, or anything that would compromise our vocation. Like Herod, we compromise in our irregular relationships with others; we compromise when it comes to honesty with regard to money or things entrusted to our care; we compromise by being hypocritical, saying nice things to people in front of them but destroying their character behind their backs.

For this reason, we suffer guilt and fear, like Herod, whose conscience continued to haunt him throughout his life, for whenever he heard of John the Baptist he would say, ‘It is John whose head I cut off; he has risen from the dead.’    We too will suffer the same fate with him if we are not careful.

But what is even more dangerous is that a person who has a weak and feeble conscience can end up with a lax, evil and immoral conscience.  Sin increases and snowballs if we do not deal with it head-on.  In living a hypocritical lifestyle, we are actually living in darkness.  Those who live in the dark always fear the light; those who are living in sin fear the truth.  This was certainly the situation of Herodias.  When the truth was exposed, she became defensive and vindictive.  Because her security, ego and interests were threatened, she began to plot the death of John the Baptist: “she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John.”  The only reason she did not carry out her act was because the opportunity was not available, but she had already murdered him in her heart.  So she began to scheme and wait for a chance to take her revenge.

The same thing will also happen to us.  We know that dishonest and immoral living will somehow come to surface in due time.  What is hidden cannot be kept for long. It is understandable that when such wrongs are exposed, whoever is accused would want to defend and justify himself at all cost.  Few would have the courage and humility to admit the truth, because like Herodias, we need to save face.  Even Herod, who made the foolish promise to Herodias’ daughter, came under pressure to give in so as to show himself a man of his word before his nobles and army officers.

Of course, the tragedy is that an unscrupulous conscience does not stop here.  One would think that Herodias must have been the most evil and deceitful woman with the worst kind of conscience one could think of.  Yet, even for Herodias, there is still hope for salvation because she was simply insecure and angry to the point of being revengeful.  Hatred had consumed and blinded her.  The danger for us all is that, like her, hatred and revenge can overwhelm us in such a way that we can no longer differentiate between what is right and wrong anymore.

The daughter of Herodias exemplifies this outcome of a conscience that has turned lax and then dead.  She must have been so influenced by Herodias’ plotting and scheming that she could no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood.  She had an indifferent conscience, oblivious to truth and goodness. With such a conscience, one does not think anymore.  One acts according to one’s whims and fancies.  It is good to take note that she had no part in the condemnation of John the Baptist.  In fact, she was not even an enemy of John the Baptist.  Yet, when her mother told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist, she could obey without even thinking of the consequences.  Such indifference is brought out so poignantly today when Mark narrates how the executioner, after beheading John the Baptist in prison; “brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.”  How can a person be so unfeeling at the sight of a decapitated head and yet show no emotion?  It was all done in a perfunctory and nonchalant manner.  She could even give up half the kingdom that could have been hers, just for the head of John the Baptist!  She must be the epitome of apathy towards the values of life.

We, too, can also become as dead to our conscience after some time.  This is true for those of us who rationalize our sinful actions.  The truth is that one sin always leads to another.  This has been true since the days of Adam and Eve.  The first sin of disobedience led to murder by Cain.  Indeed, it is said that the trauma one feels the first time one kills another person, as in a war, is the most acute.  But after the first killing, the killer is no longer restrained.  He becomes more courageous and numbed as he goes on to kill more and more. This is very true of murderers.

In contrast we have the exemplary Christian life of John the Baptist.  He was a man who was so true to himself and to his conscience.  He bore all the characteristics that the Jewish Christians were exhorted to practice in their lives in the first reading. For Indeed, John the Baptist loved everyone like brothers, even when they were strangers, unrelated to him. This explains why he spoke out against Herod for betraying his brother, Philip. John the Baptist wanted to protect the sanctity of marriage for the good of society.  He recognized that “marriage is to be honoured by all, and marriages are to be kept undefiled, because fornicators and adulterers will come under God’s judgement.”  Finally, John the Baptist understood what it means to care for prisoners, for he himself was in prison for the sake of the truth.  Certainly, the exhortation to “keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the one body” must have been part of his outlook in life.

No wonder, the life of John the Baptist is often seen as parallel to that of Jesus.  He was the forerunner of Jesus in a very real way.  For like Jesus, he was a prophet; condemned to an innocent death although his executor reluctantly consented to his killing; his accusers were members of his own family and race; he was buried by his disciples and allegedly raised from the dead.  Indeed, the tragic ending of John prepares us for the fate of Jesus.

Today, John the Baptist shows himself to be the true and authentic Christian.  Let us take heed of the advice of the author in the first reading to “remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.”  Yes, if we are to be faithful to Jesus and to our Christian conscience, then we must be like the Jewish Christians who affirmed with confidence that God would not fail or desert them.  With them, we must say, “with the Lord to help me, I fear nothing: what can man do to me? …   Jesus Christ is the same as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever.”

WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH

ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

20150205 EVANGELICAL PROCLAMATION VERSUS DIDACTIC PROCLAMATION

20150205 EVANGELICAL PROCLAMATION VERSUS DIDACTIC PROCLAMATION

Readings at Mass

First reading

Hebrews 12:18-19,21-24 ©

What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: not a blazing fire, or a gloom turning to total darkness, or a storm; or trumpeting thunder or the great voice speaking which made everyone that heard it beg that no more should be said to them. The whole scene was so terrible that Moses said: I am afraid, and was trembling with fright. But what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with spirits of the saints who have been made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator who brings a new covenant and a blood for purification which pleads more insistently than Abel’s.

Psalm

Psalm 47:2-4,9-11 ©

O God, we ponder your love within your temple.

The Lord is great and worthy to be praised

  in the city of our God.

His holy mountain rises in beauty,

  the joy of all the earth.

O God, we ponder your love within your temple.

Mount Zion, true pole of the earth,

  the Great King’s city!

God, in the midst of its citadels,

  has shown himself its stronghold.

O God, we ponder your love within your temple.

As we have heard, so we have seen

  in the city of our God,

in the city of the Lord of hosts

  which God upholds for ever.

O God, we ponder your love within your temple.

O God, we ponder your love

  within your temple.

Your praise, O God, like your name

  reaches the ends of the earth.

With justice your right hand is filled.

O God, we ponder your love within your temple.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn15:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

I call you friends, says the Lord,

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father.

Alleluia!

Or

Mk1:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The kingdom of God is close at hand:

repent and believe the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 6:7-13 ©

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

EVANGELICAL PROCLAMATION VERSUS DIDACTIC PROCLAMATION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: HEB 12:18-19, 21-24; MK 6:7-13

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“And so they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.”  This seems to be the way the twelve apostles were sent out in pairs to proclaim the Good News.  And we are told specifically too that they were given “authority over the unclean spirits.”

Today, we have many evangelical preachers, Protestants and Catholics alike, following the footsteps of the apostolic church in the work of evangelization.  When we study the conversions that are taking place in the Church, we cannot but recognize that the vast majority of conversions have taken place in healing rallies, particularly the Charismatic rallies.  Indeed, such crusade rallies appeal to the great majority of people because of promised healings that would take place and petitions answered.  In our own Church, we have priests too who are engaged in such evangelical work.  They proclaim the message of repentance and work miracles of healings and exorcisms.  Such kinds of ministry apparently draw large crowds.  Can we therefore conclude that they are in the right direction and that their success is due to their fidelity to the literal message in today’s gospel? 

Some years ago the Magisterium issued a document entitled “Instructions for healings” as an attempt to situate the question of healing services conducted, especially within Mass, in perspective.  The prefect of the Congregation of Faith, then Cardinal Ratzinger, made it clear that it is not appropriate to reduce the Eucharistic celebration into a healing service; and worse still, when the healing service appears to take prominence as the highlight of the whole celebration.  Consequently, the Congregation forbade any healing services to be held within the Eucharistic celebration, unless it is specifically the Mass for the sick.  Furthermore, the Instructions remind pastors not to make any kind of service into a sensational affair that smacks of disorder and hysteria.

The question we therefore need to ask ourselves is whether there is a conflict between the Magisterium’s Instructions and the command of Jesus in today’s gospel.  Should we make healing miracles and exorcisms the focus in the proclamation of the Good News, or should we rather emphasize the Eucharist as the center of our evangelization?  In reality, there is no real opposition between the Magisterium’s Instructions and the evangelical approach of such preachers of the Good News.  How is that so?

We must understand the context of the gospel and the context of the Church.  In the first context, the apostles were sent out to proclaim the fundamental message of repentance, that is conversion; and such a message is testified by signs and wonders, namely, miracles and exorcisms.  In such a context, where the audience is mostly non-believers, such an evangelical approach would be deemed necessary.

Indeed, we all know very well that many people have been converted at Novena Church because their petitions were granted through the intercession of Our Lady.  The answers to their requests strengthen and open their faith in Mary and in Christ.   This of course is the beginning of conversion.

However, we must realize that this kind of evangelical message might not be so suitable for an audience that comprises largely baptized Catholics.  In such an audience, what is needed is not simply a kergymatic preaching but a didactic form of preaching where the focus is on growth and formation. This is because in this context, the baptized are those who have already been converted and accepted Christ as their Saviour.  They are therefore not to cling on to miracles, visions and healings; rather they are called to die to themselves through their insertion into the paschal mystery, which is what the Eucharist is all about.  This explains why Catechumens are asked to leave the assembly after the homily because they are considered still not ready to participate fully in the paschal mystery celebrated in the Eucharist.

Hence, we can now understand why the Magisterium felt the need to correct a wrong emphasis.  Otherwise, our faith will always remain infantile.  There is a danger that we might miss out the true message of the gospel, which is a participation in the paschal mystery of Christ. It cannot be reduced to a manipulation of Christ for our own personal interests.  This obsession with healing and miracles is certainly not the kind of spirituality the gospel is promoting.  It is only meant to serve as a sign of God’s love in Jesus.  At this level of spiritual life, instead of seeking for temporal petitions, our hearts should be more focused on living the life of the Kingdom to its fullest by living the life of Christ.  We have to go beyond this infantile level of faith.   Baptized Catholics cannot continue to act like infants in faith, still wanting to drink the milk of sensations but they must take the solid food of spirituality in self-denial and obedience to God’s will even unto death.

Consequently, we must in our ministry distinguish our audience.   There is certainly a place for the kind of evangelical work which we have mentioned, the proclamation of the message of repentance and healing miracles.  But the real growth in faith comes after the conversion.  This is where the Church must continue to sustain the faith of those new converts by nurturing them with the true spirit of the gospel.  After their conversion and baptism or reconciliation, they must be led to a deeper understanding of their faith so that they can model themselves in the paschal mystery of Christ by dying to themselves even more each day.

In this way, the evangelical mission of the Church to the unbelievers, or the baptized pagans, and the ongoing ministry of the Church to the baptized are to be seen as complementary.  One cannot do without the other.  Still,  in our work of evangelization, we must be on guard, whether we are involved in the first level of ministry or the second level.

For on the first level, because we are dealing with miracles and healings, this kind of ministry tends to border on the sensational and spectacular.  Such ministry often draws people easily and can reap for ourselves great popularity and even material wealth.  There is a danger that some of us who are involved in this ministry might forget about the command of Jesus to His apostles about the need to live simply and be detached from material needs and even personal popularity.  We might eventually lose our focus and thus instead of bringing people to Christ and to live the gospel, we might bring people to ourselves and become more focused on material needs.  Consequently, it behooves us that if we are engaged in the evangelical ministry, we must make provisions for ongoing growth and serious formation for those who are converted to the faith.

On the other hand, for those of us who are engaged in didactic teaching and ongoing formation in the work of building up the Christian community, there is a real danger that we can fall into routine and indifference.  We can celebrate the Eucharist in a ritualistic manner, teach our people in the faith or lead the Church in such a way that there is a lack of zeal, enthusiasm and joy.  When that happens, then the Spirit of Christ does not seem to be alive.  The Good News is no longer perceived as Good News because it lacks power and dynamism.  As a result there is a danger that our faithful can lose their faith because of lukewarmness.  A sterile liturgy and faith will eventually lead to a loss of faith; and with it the lack of trust in the power of God to give us life.  For this reason, if we find our supposedly baptized Catholics still seeking for a sensational, emotional and spectacular faith then perhaps we have failed to challenge them to grow further and beyond this level of infantile faith.  The onus is on us to give them solid spiritual food.

Hence, let us come to Mount Zion, as the first reading exhorts us, the heavenly Jerusalem where the whole Christian community assembled.  But we can go to the heavenly Jerusalem only when we have been made perfect like the saints in heaven.  Christianity is, in the final analysis, a call to be purified by the blood of Jesus so that, inserting ourselves into His body the Church, we become one with Him in spirit and in love.   Yes, the Christian’s ultimate concern is not seeking out miracles but to live the Eucharist in his life, for only by so doing, can he find true life in Jesus.

WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV WILLIAM GOH

ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE

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