YOUR INIQUITY IS THE CAUSE OF YOUR DOWNFALL

20160304 YOUR INIQUITY IS THE CAUSE OF YOUR DOWNFALL

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading

Hosea 14:2-10 ©

The Lord says this:

Israel, come back to the Lord your God;

your iniquity was the cause of your downfall.

Provide yourself with words

and come back to the Lord.

Say to him, ‘Take all iniquity away

so that we may have happiness again

and offer you our words of praise.

Assyria cannot save us,

we will not ride horses any more,

or say, “Our God!” to what our own hands have made,

for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.’

– I will heal their disloyalty,

I will love them with all my heart,

for my anger has turned from them.

I will fall like dew on Israel.

He shall bloom like the lily,

and thrust out roots like the poplar,

his shoots will spread far;

he will have the beauty of the olive

and the fragrance of Lebanon.

They will come back to live in my shade;

they will grow corn that flourishes,

they will cultivate vines

as renowned as the wine of Helbon.

What has Ephraim to do with idols any more

when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?

I am like a cypress ever green,

all your fruitfulness comes from me.

Let the wise man understand these words.

Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning.

For the ways of the Lord are straight,

and virtuous men walk in them,

but sinners stumble.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 80:6,8-11,14,17 ©

I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.

A voice I did not know said to me:

  ‘I freed your shoulder from the burden;

your hands were freed from the load.

  You called in distress and I saved you.

I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.

‘I answered, concealed in the storm cloud;

  at the waters of Meribah I tested you.

Listen, my people, to my warning.

  O Israel, if only you would heed!

I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.

‘Let there be no foreign god among you.

  no worship of an alien god.

I am the Lord your God,

  who brought you from the land of Egypt.

I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.

‘O that my people would heed me,

  that Israel would walk in my ways!

But Israel I would feed with finest wheat

  and fill them with honey from the rock.’

I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.

Gospel Acclamation

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;

whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Or

Mt4:17

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Repent, says the Lord,

for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Gospel

Mark 12:28-34 ©

One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him any more.

YOUR INIQUITY IS THE CAUSE OF YOUR DOWNFALL

SCRIPTURE READINGS: Hos 14:2-10; Mk 12:28-34

We are coming to the end of the first semester of Lent.  When we look back at our life, we should ask, what caused us so much misery and pain?  Often we blame others for the situation we are in.  Yet at the end of the day, it might be more beneficial to reflect on our own actions and attitudes because we play a large part for the sorrows that have been brought upon ourselves.  Indeed, this is what the Lord says, “Israel, come back to the Lord your God; your iniquity was the cause of your downfall.”  It is our sins that have caused us to fall.  What are these iniquities that the Lord is speaking about?

Pride is the primary cause of our downfall.  We think we know everything.  We listen to no one except ourselves.   We always feel that we are right and that we have all the ideas.  Others who disagree with us are wrong.  Not only do we fail to listen to God, we also cannot hear what others are saying to us.   Pride causes us to be presumptuous, judgmental and arrogant.  This was the case with the Israelites.  They did not rely on God or listen to the prophets.  They trusted in their economic, military and political strength.  They thought that they were powerful enough to ward off their enemies.  But the truth was that their trust in their military might and alliance with foreign countries did not help them.  Indeed, eventually they realized, “Assyria cannot save us, we will not ride horses any more, or say, ‘Our god!’ to what our own hands have made, for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.”  Indeed, many of us trust more in ourselves than in God.  We think money, power and status can do everything until one day everything crashes, our business collapses and health fails.

Besides pride, the Israelites worshipped idols.  The idols they worshipped concretely were expressed in their import of pagan practices and the worship of pagan deities.  But what we worship is how we live, since faith and life flows from each other.  As a result of compromises with the beliefs of pagan religions and the influence of pagan values and cultures, their faith in the One God was diluted. In other words, inculturation of pagan practices resulted in the weakening of faith and also destroyed the purity of their culture.  This is true in today’s world.  Because of secularization brought about by globalization and migration, the purity of faith and culture is lost.  Our idols are the counter values of a worldly and self-centered society.  We have lost many of our traditional values and replaced them, more often than not, with the negative or rather the counter cultural values that come from the west, namely, materialism, consumerism, absolute freedom, relativism, same sex union, etc.  These values are gradually eroding the unity and strength of marriage and family life.

Finally, these idols refer to the seven capital sins.  These sins of course are as old as humanity.   Anger is the second most destructive sin.  Because of un-forgiveness in our hearts, we become miserable.  We are always thinking of the past and allow the past wounds that have been inflicted on us to prevent us from moving forward in life.  Anger leads us to depression and hatred, not just of others but of self.  Envy also takes away the peace in our minds and hearts.  We are always comparing and this makes us dissatisfied with what we have.  The next most crippling of sins is lust.  Because of lust, infidelity and adultery, beautiful relationships, the unity of marriage and the peace of the family are destroyed.  Besides lust, greed and gluttony are the other two sins that destroy us.  The greed for money destroys our peace.  It causes us to be unjust towards others.  It leads to cheating, gambling, lying and dishonest living.   We destroy the peace and reputation of the family; we lose our jobs and destroy our families and relationships all because of greed.

Gluttony for food is also the cause of failure in health.  We do not take care of our health and so when we fall sick, not only do we suffer but our loved ones have to pick up the mess after us.   Without discipline in eating, we hurt not only our bodies but also our souls eventually, when we fall sick and become emotionally depressed.   Sloth is also equally destructive because of the lack of discipline in our spiritual life, the lack of commitment to prayer, the study of the scriptures, and the Word of God, as well as in the maintenance of our physical health.   Sloth leads to a degeneration of the mind and body.

Today, the Lord wants to set us free.  We only have to say to Him sincerely from our hearts,   “Take all iniquity away so that we may have happiness again and offer you our words of praise.”  Truly, He wants to remove from us the weight of sins from our shoulders.  The prophet said, “A voice I did not know said to me: ‘I freed your shoulder from the burden; your hands were freed from the load.  You called in distress and I saved you.  ‘I answered, concealed in the storm cloud; at the waters of Meribah I tested you. Listen, my people, to my warning. O Israel, if only you would heed!”

So what must we do to find life again?  The antidote to misery is to love God, ourselves and our fellowmen.  This is what the Lord tells us.  “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.   The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment great than these.”  Only when we love God and put Him above all other things, can we find true peace and security even in times of trials and difficulties.

So we must first love God, and flowing from the love of God, we must love and accept ourselves and stop hurting ourselves.  From the love of God in us, we extend this love to our neighbours.  All the seven capital sins, besides hurting our neighbours, hurt us first and foremost.  We must not destroy our peace of mind, the unity with our loved ones and our physical health by irresponsible living. Indeed, this is what the Lord says, “Let there be no foreign god among you, no worship of an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt. O that my people would heed me that Israel would walk in my ways! But Israel I would feed with finest wheat and fill them with honey from the rock.”   Instead of worshipping ourselves, let us worship God and direct our love towards others.  When we love God in others, we will find great joy and happiness in life.

Hence, we need to draw strength from God to love ourselves and to love others.  That is why from Him we are called to draw love and wisdom.  We need to allow ourselves to be loved by God in the first place. “I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned from them. I will fall like dew on Israel. He shall bloom like the lily, and thrust out roots like the poplar, his shoots will spread far; He will have the beauty of the olive and the fragrance of Lebanon. They will come back to live in my shade; they will grow corn that flourishes, they will cultivate vines as renowned as the wine of Helbon.”

Yes, have we been open and receptive to the love of God coming to our lives through prayer, worship, reflection on the Word of God, and the love of our brothers and sisters?  This is what the Lord said, “What has Ephraim to do with idols any more when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him? I am like a cypress ever green, all your fruitfulness comes from me. Let the wise man understand these words. Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning. For the ways of the Lord are straight, and virtuous men walk in them, but sinners stumble.”   We need to draw water from Him like the trees along the river.  We need to listen to the voice of God in His word and through His messengers so that we could walk the right path.  This is particularly true of our young people who are seeking for direction in life.  Many Catholics turn to the world and the internet for answers when they need direction in life, instead of turning to the Lord and the scriptures as their compass point.   We must train our people to have a deep love for the Word of God so that they can find life from it.

Truly, walking in His truth and love, listening to His Word, obeying His commands, and doing what is right and just, loving our neighours, we will have a life of peace and joy.  When we live a life of wisdom, which is a life of love of God and self and neighbor, we find life.  That is why Jesus remarked to the scribe who gave his assent to Jesus’ teaching that he was “not far from the kingdom of God.”  When we have God’s love in our hearts and His wisdom to guide us, then God reigns in us in His love and truth.  Such a person carries the Kingdom of God within him.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

DUMBNESS DUE TO PRIDE AS THE OBSTACLE TO CONVERSION AND LIFE

20160303 DUMBNESS DUE TO PRIDE AS THE OBSTACLE TO CONVERSION AND LIFE

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading

Jeremiah 7:23-28 ©

These were my orders: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Follow right to the end the way that I mark out for you, and you will prosper. But they did not listen, they did not pay attention; they followed the dictates of their own evil hearts, refused to face me, and turned their backs on me. From the day your ancestors came out of the land of Egypt until today, day after day I have persistently sent you all my servants the prophets.

  But they have not listened to me, have not paid attention; they have grown stubborn and behaved worse than their ancestors. You may say all these words to them: they will not listen to you; you may call them: they will not answer. So tell them this, “Here is the nation that will not listen to the voice of the Lord its God nor take correction. Sincerity is no more, it has vanished from their mouths.”

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 94:1-2,6-9 ©

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;

  hail the rock who saves us.

Let us come before him, giving thanks,

  with songs let us hail the Lord.

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come in; let us bow and bend low;

  let us kneel before the God who made us:

for he is our God and we

  the people who belong to his pasture,

  the flock that is led by his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

O that today you would listen to his voice!

  ‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

  as on that day at Massah in the desert

when your fathers put me to the test;

  when they tried me, though they saw my work.’

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Gospel Acclamation

Ezk18:31

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Shake off all your sins – it is the Lord who speaks –

and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Or	Joel2:12-13

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –

come back to me with all your heart,

for I am all tenderness and compassion.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Gospel

Luke 11:14-23 ©

Jesus was casting out a devil and it was dumb; but when the devil had gone out the dumb man spoke, and the people were amazed. But some of them said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – Since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own palace, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than he is attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.

  ‘He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.’

DUMBNESS DUE TO PRIDE AS THE OBSTACLE TO CONVERSION AND LIFE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: Jer 7:23-28; Ps 94:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Lk 11:14-23

We are in the mid-point of Lent.  Three weeks ago we celebrated Ash Wednesday, and three weeks from now we will be celebrating Holy Thursday.  The theme of Lent is of course conversion and new life.  Hence, at mid-Lent, the Church feels the urgency to invite us all to conversion again, lest we have not taken the message seriously; lest, like the Israelites, we have not paid attention to her call.  The question is, why is it that some of us have not even begun the path of conversion?  The cause, according to today’s liturgy, is because we are dumb!  What do we mean by this?  The gospel story of the healing of the dumb man is a reflection of some of us.  The dumb man symbolizes the early Christians during the time of the evangelist.  Perhaps, it is for this reason that St Luke tells us the story of the exorcism of the dumb man possessed by a dumb spirit.  What are the implications of being dumb?

Firstly, to be dumb implies that one cannot hear.  This explains why a person who is deaf at birth is normally dumb as well.  For if one can hear, then normally the person is not dumb.  The inability to speak is often due to the inability to hear, because impairment of one’s hearing will affect one’s ability to imitate sounds.  So by extension, all those who cannot praise God nor obey His commandments, must be said to be dumb.  Indeed, the Israelites in the first reading were dumb because they did not hear the word of God spoken to them by the prophets and therefore were disobedient.  They only listened to their evil hearts and to themselves.  Hence, they could not praise God and could not obey.  Conversely, obedience is always the result of real hearing.  To hear is to obey because true hearing will always lead to obedience, since real hearing implies understanding and conviction.  So to obey is simply to be faithful to one’s convictions and one’s self.

Secondly, to be dumb in a figurative sense is to be stupid.  It is the inability to understand or see something that is so clear.  Thus, in colloquial terms, we would label someone as “dumb” if he is slow in understanding.  He is regarded as a fool.  In the bible, a fool is not so much an intellectual fool but a moral and religious fool.  “Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’  Their deeds are corrupt, not one does what is right.”  (Ps 14:1)  So, to be dumb, which is to be a fool, is to be deliberately dumb out of pride and self-will.   Well, who could be as dumb as the contemporaries of Jesus!  They saw the miracle of the dumb man, yet they refused to believe, or to see, because of sheer pride and fear of losing their status and privileges.  Instead of perceiving the power of God at work in Jesus, they rationalized and came to the conclusion that Jesus must have performed the exorcism with the help of the prince of the devils, Beelzebub.  Furthermore, they even asked for a sign from heaven, as if the healing of the dumb man was not in itself already a sign.

The words of the prophet surely apply to them when he said, “But they have not listened to me, have not paid attention; they have grown stubborn and behaved worse than their ancestors.  You may say all these words to them: they will not listen to you; you may call them: they will not answer.  So tell them this, ‘Here is the nation that will not listen to the voice of the Lord its God nor take correction.  Sincerity is no more, it has vanished from their mouths.’”

Of course, Jesus showed how dumb they were by demolishing their illogical arguments.  In the first place, by accusing Jesus of exorcising with the help of Satan, they also accused themselves, since the people in those days were also exercising exorcism.  But most of all, Jesus told them that on the logical level, such a refutation cannot hold water since a kingdom at war against itself could only lead to self-destruction.  So there was no reason for the Jews to deny the reality of Jesus’ power to exorcise, both on the personal and intellectual level.  Indeed, they were truly the dumb ones because they could not see the truth or rather, they refused to see the truth and the work of God in Jesus.

Yes, the gospel wants to remind us that Jesus is the strong man, the one who can heal us of our dumbness.  What is needed is that act of faith and humility.  We are called to be open to Jesus so that we can share in His life.  In healing the dumb man, Jesus showed Himself to be the Messiah, the one who has come to establish God’s dominion on earth.  He invites us to have faith in Him.  If we surrender in faith, He will work miracles in our lives.  But what will be our response?

We must be careful not to fall into the situation of those who complain that they cannot see because their eyesight is fading, yet refuse to wear glasses; or those who complain that they are being kept out of conversations because they cannot hear, but yet refuse to wear hearing aids.   Nay, today, we are invited to open our hearts, minds and ears, for God is always speaking to us.  We need to be sincere, as the first reading tells us, if we truly want to hear the voice of God.  If not, by remaining stubborn, we will behave worse than our ancestors and bring about our own destruction.

Consequently, Jesus warned them that by rejecting Him, the Kingdom of God would overtake them.  By rejecting Jesus, by refusing to hear the Word of God or to see the power of God at work in Jesus, they would miss out on the kingdom that God was inviting them to.  What is said of the Israelites and of the Jews is also applicable to us.  The warning extends to us as well.  If we do not surrender ourselves to Jesus or to the Word, but instead choose to remain dumb, then we have only ourselves to blame.  When Easter comes, there will still be no life in us because we cannot praise God nor see His power at work in us.

Hence, the responsorial psalm urges us, “O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts.”   Repent!  Turn back to the Lord!  This is the resounding invitation during the season of Lent.  If we do not harden our hearts, that is, if only we humble ourselves before the Lord, we will find liberation from our sins and ignorance.  Then we will be able to sing praises to the Lord with the Psalmist with all our hearts, “Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him.”

The choice is ours.  But this choice must be decisive, for Jesus would not tolerate neutrality.  Either you make up your mind for Him or you stand on the side of Satan.  To be wavering in our commitment to the Lord means to allow Satan to have access into our lives and allow him to have a foothold in our hearts.  Thus, we must take heed of Jesus’ challenge, “He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.”  Our house cannot stand so long as it is divided.  We cannot live a life of peace and joy so long as we are torn between doing what is right and what is evil.  Choose God and we will choose good.  Otherwise, by compromising our decision for the Lord, we will eventually collapse under the power of sin.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

FREEDOM AND AUTONOMY VERSUS OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS OF GOD

20160302     FREEDOM AND AUTONOMY VERSUS OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS OF GOD

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading

Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9 ©

Moses said to the people:

  ‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you.

  ‘See, as the Lord my God has commanded me, I teach you the laws and customs that you are to observe in the land you are to enter and make your own. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?

  ‘But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 147:12-13,15-16,19-20 ©

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

  Zion, praise your God!

He has strengthened the bars of your gates

  he has blessed the children within you.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He sends out his word to the earth

  and swiftly runs his command.

He showers down snow white as wool,

  he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

He makes his word known to Jacob,

  to Israel his laws and decrees.

He has not dealt thus with other nations;

  he has not taught them his decrees.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

Gospel Acclamation

Jn8:12

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Or	cf.Jn6:63,68

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

Gospel

Matthew 5:17-19 ©

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.’

FREEDOM AND AUTONOMY VERSUS OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: Deut 4:1, 5-9; Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20; Matt 5:17-19

In the world today, the right to freedom of expression has also led to the right of autonomy from all laws.  The modern world seeks a freedom that is based on self, not on truth or on God.  This is the consequence of relativism when this kind of ideology enthrones the individual man as a law unto himself.   This explains why there is no unity in the world today because everyone believes only in himself.   Man has unfortunately supplanted the place of God, who is the absolute law, for himself.  This will lead eventually to chaos and destruction of society because there is no reference point for any objective assessment of moral issues.  In the name of freedom, everything is permissible even when others get hurt in the process.

Such also is the attitude of many Catholics as well.  They call themselves “Catholic” but have no respect for the Word of God, much less faith in the inerrancy of the Bible.  Although Catholic, they do not believe in the authority of the College of Apostles to teach the truth as founded in scripture and tradition.  Such “baptized pagans” who live by the values of the world and subscribe to their own opinions and judgement of what is right based on their own evaluation cannot be said to be Catholic.  A true Christian is one who takes the Word of God for his direction in life.  This is what the psalmist says, “He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.”  This is what Moses said to his people as well, “And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?”

Consequently, if we do not want to be misled by the world or be deceived by our own ignorance, we must listen to Moses by following the laws of God so that we can walk in the way of truth and love.  He told his people, “And now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you.”  In the gospel, Jesus made it clear that He did not come to abrogate the laws.  On the contrary, He said, “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved.”  So let us not entertain any false ideas that we do not need the laws of God anymore.  Let us not fall into arrogance and pride thinking that humanity has the answers to everything, or worse, for the individual to be his own judge of what is good and true in life.

But observance of the laws cannot be done externally.   The laws must be interiorized.  We must be able to make the laws of God given to us our own.  Moses told the people, “See, as the Lord my God has commanded me, I teach you the laws and customs that you are to observe in the land you are to enter and make your own.”  The laws cannot change us if we are not convinced and have not made them our own.  They will only make us resentful and become a burden for us.  And even if we obey the laws, we become self-righteous, judgmental and intolerant of others who fail because of weakness.  Hence, we identify with Moses when he saw the laws as the wisdom of God to guide the people to live a life of harmony and love.  This is the reason for the laws.  They are means, not an end unto themselves.  That is why he instructed the people, “Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, ‘No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.’”

How can we then observe the laws of God wisely and faithfully?  Before we can accept the laws, the pre-requisite is that we must first encounter the power and majesty of God.  This explains why Moses, in commanding them to observe the laws, also told reminded them, “But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and your children’s children.”   In other words, unless we have known His love and care for us, we will not be able to accept the laws of God.  Obedience to the laws of God is more than a mere intellectual assent to the truths as taught in scripture and tradition but it presupposes a docile and loving heart that comes from the conviction of His love for us.  The Israelites saw what God did for them in delivering them from the slavery of the Egyptians and the wonders that the Lord performed and how He carried them on eagles’ wings to the Promised Land.

But for us, we have not seen the wonders of God and so can we be exempted?  Precisely, the coming of Jesus is necessary because as He said, “I have come not to abolish but to complete them.”  How does He complete the laws?  He does this by having us make the laws our own, to interiorize them for ourselves and, most of all, by love.  Obedience to God’s laws without love will not empower the person.  Jesus came to fulfill the laws by going beyond the letter of the laws to the spirit.  In all laws, the spirit is always that of the love of God.  All laws that are truly from God give life; preserve us in truth and love.  So when we observe the commandments of God, we must ask for understanding of the laws so that we can embrace them in our hearts with conviction.  If many of our Catholics reject the teaching of the bible and the magisterium, it is because they are ignorant, whether due to arrogance or simply a lack of understanding.

Secondly, Jesus fulfills the law by giving us the capacity to fulfill these laws in bestowing upon us the Holy Spirit.  St Paul says, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”  (Rom 5:5)  Without the reception of the Holy Spirit, we remain powerless in carrying out the laws because as fallen creatures, we are weak due to a disordered and weakened will.  With the Holy Spirit, we can then walk in the way of the Spirit as Jesus did.  St Paul said, “Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.”  (Rom 5:16-18)

Thus, during the season of Lent, let us reflect on our life by meditating on the Word of God.  We must say with St Peter, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”  (Jn 6:68f)  Indeed, with the psalmist, we say, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  (Ps 119:105)   St Paul reminds us, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”  (2 Tim 3:16f)   So let us not just observe the laws for ourselves but so that others who see that our lives are lived in true freedom, joy and love, too will want to come to Jesus and follow Him.  Conversely, Jesus warns us, “Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.”   Indeed, keeping the laws of God both in letter and in spirit is the guarantee of life as the psalmist says, “O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates he has blessed the children within you.”  Let the Word of God be the gates that keep us in the House of God.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved