Monday, 4 October 2021

TUNNEL VISION

20211005 TUNNEL VISION

 

 

05 October, 2021, Tuesday, 27th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Jonah 3:1-10 ©

The Ninevites repent, and God spares them

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 129(130):1-4,7-8 ©

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt: Lord, who would survive?

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,

  Lord, hear my voice!

O let your ears be attentive

  to the voice of my pleading.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt: Lord, who would survive?

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,

  Lord, who would survive?

But with you is found forgiveness:

  for this we revere you.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt: Lord, who would survive?

Because with the Lord there is mercy

  and fullness of redemption,

Israel indeed he will redeem

  from all its iniquity.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt: Lord, who would survive?

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:

Lk11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy are those 

who hear the word of God

and keep it.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 10:38-42 ©

Martha works; Mary listens

Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

 

TUNNEL VISION

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Jonah 3:1-10; Ps 130:1-4,7-8; Lk 10:38-42 ]

The scripture readings today are addressed to those who have a tunnel vision in ministry, in our relationships and in the way we see life and God.  It has particular relevance to those who are active in church ministry.  Of course, it can be applied to all situations in life.  A tunnel vision means having a very narrow perspective of the situation and life itself.  It is having a one-track mind, so focused that we lose perspective of the whole.  What is even more destructive is that those who are so focused on their task and vision, seek to impose on others, leaving no room for diversity and alternative perspectives.

This was the case of Jonah in today’s first reading.  His perspective of the Ninevites was that they did not deserve mercy from God.  They should be punished severely and be destroyed.  God should not save them even if they repented, as the Hebrews were the only chosen people of God.  This was why he did not want to go to Nineveh to preach repentance the first time the Lord called him.  After fleeing from God and escaping a near death, he was given a second chance.  This time he went reluctantly, hoping that the call to repentance would not be taken seriously.  But he was wrong.  And God did not punish them as threatened.  Jonah was of course angry and resentful.

Unlike Jonah, the people of Nineveh and even the King did not have tunnel vision.   Even though Jonah was not their prophet, when they heard what he said, their hearts quickened, their conscience was struck and they recognized the truth of what he was saying about them.  They were not prejudiced against Jonah but took it in the right spirit.  “The people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least.  The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in the ashes.” All were called to fast and do penance.  All were “to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done.”  Indeed, even though the God of Jonah was not the god they worshipped, they put their faith in Jonah’s God and said, “‘Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour. And God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.”  Indeed, the people and their king were receptive and opened to correction and change.

So too was the case of Martha in today’s gospel.  She had a narrow view of hospitality.  She thought that to make Jesus welcome was to fuss over Him, make Him feel comfortable and provide Him a good meal.  So she went about doing all the chores and when she saw Mary sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to him speaking, she said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.”  Not only was she annoyed that Mary was oblivious to what she was doing, but she became resentful of her.  She felt that she was irresponsible by not helping her and instead wasting time with Jesus.  In her judgment, Mary was not helpful and selfish.  As far as she was concerned, she was the only one who cared for our Lord, and truly made Him at ease and served.  So much so, she wanted the Lord to support her position by asking Him to tell Mary to get back and help her with the preparations and serving.

Little was Martha conscious that hospitality to her guests need not always necessarily be to prepare a sumptuous meal for them.  At times, what the guest wants might just be to spend some quiet time with the host, to share his joys, anxieties and sorrows.  He might just want some intimacy or solitude to refocus on his life and direction.  Her kindness might not be what the guest needs.  She lacked sensitivity to what was going on in His mind and heart.  She came from her own perspective of the need to be appreciated, to be recognized for what she was doing for Him.  She needed to feel needed and relevant by doing things.  As a consequence, she missed out on not just truly serving the Lord but being attentive to what the Lord wanted to share with her.   She was not there to listen to Him.

Isn’t this what is happening in ministry as well?  There are some people who are so involved in a particular church ministry that it consumes all their energy and mind.  They expect others to be as committed and passionate as them.  And if they are not, they get angry with them for failing to see the importance of the ministry or the spirituality they are promoting.  This is especially so for those who are involved in humanitarian works of mercy and social work for the poor.  Because they are intimately involved in the lives of their beneficiaries, they feel with them in their suffering, struggles, injustices and oppression.  When they see that others are not as concerned with the suffering of the marginalized and their needs, they become resentful that others are not as kind and compassionate as them.

Like Martha, they start comparing what they do and what others do not do.  They think that everyone must share their concerns and passion for the ministry.   The truth is that we are not all called to the same ministry in life because we have different charisms, different calling, often very much dictated by our past experiences.  There is no one way of doing things even for the same cause.  In life, there are many kinds of services to be rendered and many ways to get it done.  If only we are less concerned about what others are not doing and be more concerned about what we must do, then our energy will not be dissipated and directed at people that do not help us to do more.  If we feel called to a particular service or brand of spirituality, we should develop it and promote it without imposing our preference on others.

But Jesus refused to take sides.  It is not that active ministry is wrong or that our entire life must be spent on contemplation.   Fruitfulness in active ministry depends on prayer.  Those active in contemplative prayer, even those in monastic life, will manifest their love for God by actively serving the community and those who come to them for help.  So there is no dichotomy between contemplation and action, reflection and ministry.  These two must go together.  The real danger is that more often than not, those who are active in ministry often have no time to pray, to be still and listen to the Word of God or bask themselves in the love and intimacy of God.  They have many things to do, many demands to be met, many meetings to attend, planning to do and talks to prepare.  So they are living a harried life.  Time is always a constraint.  And so between prayer and ministry, we often choose ministry over prayer.  We say that prayer can wait.  But the truth is that we never seem to be able to find time to pray.

Hence, the Lord is wise.  He said to Martha in a most loving and tender manner.  “‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one.  It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.'”  He was telling her that what she was doing was not wrong.  It was good.  But Mary had chosen the better part at this point of time.  She had her priorities right.  She knew the importance of giving space and time to the Lord, listening to Him, hearing Him out, understanding His aspirations, His struggles, His fears and anxieties.  She felt the need to learn from Him about His love for His Father, the conviction of His mission and the message He wanted the world to hear.  So it is the better part not because prayer is more important than works of charity but it is the foundation.  Otherwise, charity would become an ambition and another ideological struggle.

Let us therefore open our minds and hearts to the Lord in quiet contemplation, in prayer and being attentive to His word, basking in His love and intimacy.  We must seek Him for direction, and openness to the way He wants to work in and through us.  We must be humble to welcome different initiatives to build the one mission of the Church, which is to proclaim the gospel of love, mercy and forgiveness to all.  Let us go beyond a tunnel vision to God’s vision.

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

 

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Sunday, 3 October 2021

FAITH OF NON-BELIEVERS

20211004 FAITH OF NON-BELIEVERS

 

 

04 October, 2021, Monday, 27th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Jonah 1:1-2:1,11 ©

Jonah flees from his call

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah son of Amittai: 

  ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and inform them that their wickedness has become known to me.’ Jonah decided to run away from the Lord, and to go to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish; he paid his fare and went aboard, to go with them to Tarshish, to get away from the Lord. But the Lord unleashed a violent wind on the sea, and there was such a great storm at sea that the ship threatened to break up. The sailors took fright, and each of them called on his own god, and to lighten the ship they threw the cargo overboard. Jonah, however, had gone below and lain down in the hold and fallen fast asleep. The boatswain came upon him and said, ‘What do you mean by sleeping? Get up! Call on your god! Perhaps he will spare us a thought, and not leave us to die.’ Then they said to each other, ‘Come on, let us draw lots to find out who is responsible for bringing this evil on us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot fell to Jonah. Then they said to him, ‘Tell us, what is your business? Where do you come from? What is your country? What is your nationality?’ He replied, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.’ The sailors were seized with terror at this and said, ‘What have you done?’ They knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had told them so. They then said, ‘What are we to do with you, to make the sea grow calm for us?’ For the sea was growing rougher and rougher. He replied, ‘Take me and throw me into the sea, and then it will grow calm for you. For I can see it is my fault this violent storm has happened to you.’ The sailors rowed hard in an effort to reach the shore, but in vain, since the sea grew still rougher for them. They then called on the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not hold us guilty of innocent blood; for you, the Lord, have acted as you have thought right.’ And taking hold of Jonah they threw him into the sea; and the sea grew calm again. At this the men were seized with dread of the Lord; they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

  The Lord had arranged that a great fish should be there to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. The Lord spoke to the fish, which then vomited Jonah on to the shore.

Responsorial Psalm

Jonah 2:3-5,8 ©

You lifted my life from the pit, O Lord.

Out of my distress I cried to the Lord

  and he answered me;

from the belly of Sheol I cried,

  and you have heard my voice.

You lifted my life from the pit, O Lord.

You cast me into the abyss, into the heart of the sea,

  and the flood surrounded me.

All your waves, your billows,

  washed over me.

You lifted my life from the pit, O Lord.

And I said: I am cast out

  from your sight.

How shall I ever look again

  on your holy Temple?

You lifted my life from the pit, O Lord.

While my soul was fainting within me,

  I remembered the Lord,

and my prayer came before you

  into your holy Temple.

You lifted my life from the pit, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn13:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you, 

says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 10:25-37 ©

The good Samaritan

There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’

  But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

 

FAITH OF NON-BELIEVERS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ JONAH 1:1 – 2:1.11; JONAH 2:3-5,8; LK 10:25-37]

To speak about the faith of non-believers seems to be a contradiction in terms because we presume that they have no faith.  So too to speak about the Good Samaritan is a contradiction in terms because for the Jews, all Samaritans were bad people, irreligious, could not be trusted and were condemned to hell.  Yet, ironically, both scripture readings present to us the Gentiles, those who were non-Jews, as the truly good, upright and God-fearing people, contrary to what the Jews thought.  And this is true for us who are Catholics or Christians as well.  There are some of us who look at others who do not share our faith, and worse still if they have no faith at all in God or the supernatural world, and assign them to the category of the unsaved.   We imagine ourselves to be holy, righteous and acceptable by God.

The truth is that even those who claim to have faith in God, subscribe to a religion, or could even be Christians, and yet act contrary to what their faith teaches them, conducting themselves in a manner worse than those of other faiths or without faith.  Indeed, just having a religion alone does not guarantee that we are good people, or people with compassion, love and mercy.  In fact, some of the most divisive people in the world are those who claim to have faith in God, attend church services regularly, serve in church ministries and committees, and the most arrogant, dictatorial, insensitive and self-righteous people.  Even if they have love, it is only for people of their own kind, those who belong to their ministry, but their love and charity does not extend beyond the confines of their group.  To such people, Jesus says, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” (Mt 5:46f) The scripture readings present to us this contrast between the so-called holy and righteous Jews, the People of God versus those who were considered pagans at worst, or sinners.  

We have the story of Jonah in the first reading.   Being an Israelite, and often living under the threat of foreign armies such as the Assyrians, we can appreciate why Jonah was not ready to go to the pagan city of Nineveh to urge them to repentance so that they could save themselves from the wrath of God.  In fact, if anything, their destruction would bring him glee and satisfaction.  And so when the Lord called him to go, instead of going East to Nineveh, he took the ship for Tarshish in the far west, just to flee from God.  Furthermore, to denounce Nineveh in Israel would have appealed to his own people and made Jonah popular as he would have won favour from his people.  But to preach repentance to them would be doing the unthinkable, especially right in the heart of the city of Nineveh.  He would not only earn the wrath of his people but he would be venturing into uncharted territory.  Who knows what the inhabitants would do to a Hebrew for denouncing their lifestyle.   It would be suicidal for him.  Hence, we can understand why Jonah could not accept the command of God to preach repentance in Nineveh as it was absurd, dangerous and contradictory to how the Hebrews view their enemies.  So he fled from service to the Lord. 

Yes, when we contrast his attitude with regard to the pagans and that of Abraham, it shows how self-righteous and vindictive Jonah was.  He lacked compassion and courage to do the right thing.  His love was not inclusive but judgmental.  In the case of Abraham, he welcomed anyone, including strangers, and when he heard the angels were going to destroy the city of Sodom, he shamelessly bargained with them to withhold the wrath of God if ten good people could be found. (Gn 18:22-33) And this was in spite of the fact that the Lord gave him a second chance to redeem himself.  When the people were converted after his preaching, and the tragedy was averted, he was angry with God and sulked under the shade of the bush.  He did not manage to get his revenge on the people of Nineveh.

This contrast is again starkly brought out when we compare the self-righteous attitude of Jonah and the god-fearing hearts of the sailors in today’s first reading.   Although they were not the chosen people of God, they were people with charity and conscience.  They were god-fearing even though they did not worship the God of Israel.  When they were in danger, they prayed to their gods while Jonah slept.  The irony was that Jonah could declare that he worshipped “the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”  When they were told about Jonah’s God and how he sought to run away, “The sailors were seized with terror at this and said, ‘What have you done?’ They knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had told them so.”  Knowing that Jonah had offended God, they still sought to save him because they had a good conscience, knowing what was right and what was wrong. 

Only when it was near impossible and they had no choice but to save their lives, that they threw him overboard as suggested by Jonah.  And when they did, they asked the Lord for forgiveness.  “O Lord, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not hold us guilty of innocent blood; for you, Lord, have acted as you thought right.”  When “the sea grew calm again, the men were seized with the dread of the Lord; they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.”  They offered sacrifice to Jonah’s God!  They were Jonah’s first converts.  How strange that God would make use of the sins of Jonah and his rebellion against him to bring about conversion in the lives of non-believers.  We will see this comparison again later when Jonah’s preaching, the inhabitants of Nineveh, from the lowest subject to the king repented.  When they heard of the call to repentance, they were sincerely contrite, fasted and did penance.  They took the call of God seriously even when the message was from Jonah and from a God different from theirs.  This was true even for those who were in the same ship as him when he was escaping from God to Tarshish.

In the gospel, we have similar contrast between the so-called Chosen People of God, the religious leaders even, and the pagans.  When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, this term is in itself a contradiction.  For the Jews, the Samaritans were seen negatively.  He was definitely not perceived as a good person but a bad guy, a traitor and a heretic, never keeping the law of Moses.  He would be the last person to be elevated as an exemplary neighbour.  He was seen as an honest person by the innkeeper who was prepared to trust him at his word.  He might not be seen as a religious person but he was an upright man.  Unlike the priest and the Levite, he was the only one who was prepared to help the wounded man.  He was prepared to take risks; the wounded man could have been a decoy used by the bandits to rob him of his money.  The priest was more concerned that he did not lose his turn to serve at the Temple worship.  He did not want to be made unclean.  He put worship and rituals before charity.  The Levite would not take risks to help the injured.

Indeed, the question of the scribe was telling when he asked Jesus, “who is my neighbour”, hoping to receive the answer that did not require him to extend his love beyond his own kind.  Luke so beautifully had Jesus turn the question around at him and prompted him for an answer after telling him the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  But notice his reply, “The one who took pity on him.”  He could not bring himself to say that it was the Samaritan.  Jesus said to him, “Go, and do the same yourself.”

What a surprising ending!  The Samaritan who was seen as an outcast became the hero of the story.  He was truly the righteous servant of God, putting charity above himself and his convenience.  He had a heart of mercy and compassion for the suffering, regardless who they were.  Some non-Catholics or even lapsed Catholics might not be church goers or believers, but they can actually be more Catholic in their way of life, and in the way they serve the poor and attend to the needy.  Although, they are ostracized or looked down upon by so-called holy and righteous people, they are loved by God.  Surely, such people with goodwill cannot be condemned to hell just because they do not go to church on Sundays, or even know the God of Jesus.  At the end of the day, we are judged by our charity for our neighbours.  To love God means serving Him in caring for others.  True worship leads to active charity.

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

 

 

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Saturday, 2 October 2021

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE: A FAITH CRISIS

20211003 MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE:  A FAITH CRISIS

 

 

03 October, 2021, Sunday, 27th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Genesis 2:18-24 ©

A man and his wife become one body

The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.’ So from the soil the Lord God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts. But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, he took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. The Lord God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed:

‘This at last is bone from my bones,

and flesh from my flesh!

This is to be called woman,

for this was taken from man.’

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 127(128) ©

May the Lord bless us all the days of our life.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord

  and walk in his ways!

By the labour of your hands you shall eat.

  You will be happy and prosper.

May the Lord bless us all the days of our life.

Your wife like a fruitful vine

  in the heart of your house;

your children like shoots of the olive,

  around your table.

May the Lord bless us all the days of our life.

Indeed thus shall be blessed

  the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion

  in a happy Jerusalem

  all the days of your life!

May you see your children’s children.

  On Israel, peace!

May the Lord bless us all the days of our life.

Second reading

Hebrews 2:9-11 ©

The one who sanctifies is the brother of those who are sanctified

We see in Jesus one who was for a short while made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and splendour because he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for all mankind.

  As it was his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:

consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Or:

1Jn4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

As long as we love one another

God will live in us

and his love will be complete in us.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 10:2-16 ©

What God has united, man must not divide

Some Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, ‘Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ ‘Moses allowed us’ they said ‘to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’

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

 

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE:  A FAITH CRISIS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Gn 2:18-24; Ps 127:1-5; Heb 2:9-11; Mk 10:2-16 (or Mk 10:2-12)]

It is universally known and accepted that a strong marriage and family is the bedrock of society.  Unstable marriages will lead to constant bickering, quarrels and hostility between the husband and wife.  If they have children, they will be adversely affected as well, not just financially but emotionally and psychologically.  Unless they are healed, when the children grow up and get married, the emotional scars will continue to surface in their married life and relationships, not just with their partner but in the way they raise their children.  Dysfunctional families and children will have serious social consequences for society and the nation.   Everyone is aware of the necessity of protecting our marriages and families not just for the good of the individual but for the cohesiveness of society and the future of humanity.

Yet, today, the trends are working against marriage and family.  There is a growing number of divorces, which is expected as the tendency for children coming from divorced parents are much higher than those not divorced.  Otherwise, some are disillusioned and fearful of marriage, seeing what their parents or their peers had gone through, and choose to remain single.  If necessary, they choose cohabitation to overcome their loneliness.  Others choose those of the same sex because they feel safer and better able to relate with them.  Of course, closely connected with marriage and divorce is the loss of sexual identity as young people today see sex purely as a means to express love and intimacy, regardless of sex.  It is a “cool” thing today for young people to claim that they are transgender or non-binary and so they call themselves, “they, we and theirs.”

What is the root cause of crises in marriage and family life?  In the gospel, the religious leaders presented Jesus with a very controversial theological, legal and existential issue with regard to marriage.  “Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?”  The evangelist noted, “They were testing him.”  For whichever answer Jesus gave, He would incur the wrath of the people since Moses permitted divorce on some grounds.   If He said divorce was permitted, He would be going against John the Baptist who condemned Herod for divorcing his wife to marry Herodias.  If Jesus forbade divorce, then He would incur the wrath of King Herod who had John the Baptist executed because of his stand against divorce.   This question also remains a thorny issue among faith believers today, and whichever way religious leaders were to answer, we would be condemned.  Those who support divorce when the marriage is irreconcilable or abusive are seen to be going against the teaching of scriptures. Those who do not support are perceived as lacking compassion, understanding and acceptance.  This controversy is also extended to the question of same-sex union as well.  

However, Jesus did not answer this question directly.  He enlarged the question beyond the legal context to that of the intention of creation.   He brought them to the intent of God in creating the world and human beings.  It is significant that Jesus did not use the entire text from today’s first reading but took the foundational principle from the creation story in Genesis Chapter 1.  “God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  (Gn 1:27) Then He joined it with today’s text, “This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.”  This is in order to protect the equality of men and women, for in today’s text, it is often used as a basis to subjugate women under male authority because they were taken from man.  Hence, in the Law of Moses, only the man could divorce the wife under any pretext just by giving a written note whereas the woman was left defenceless for she could not initiate any divorce.  This explains why the Lord underscored the equal culpability and guilt of man and woman when He said, “The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.”  

The real crisis in marriage and divorce and the family as well, is not just a social, psychological or moral crisis but fundamentally a crisis of faith.  This is the crux of all problems facing Christians in defending the unity of marriage, between a man and a woman, one that is permanent, indissoluble and fruitful, open to procreation, for the Lord after creating man and woman, “blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.'” (Gn 1:28) This has been the intention of God reflected in natural laws.  Men and women are made for each other; and sexual intercourse is more than just a form of physical love and intimacy but is open to procreation so that the love between the husband and wife is fruitful, as seen in bringing new life to the world.

So once we lose our faith in God and in the teaching of Christ, we find all human construct to explain away the laws of nature, using sociological and psychological considerations for why divorce and same-sex union should be permitted and accepted because that is what we like and how we are inclined today.  We appeal to moral relativism that it is a matter of personal preference and option, so long as we claim that we are loving, we are doing the will of God who is love and that the bible is not against it.  We try to fit the Word of God, twist and turn it to suit our preferences or if we want to make it more orthodox to accommodate our weaknesses.  Indeed, this is what the Lord said with regard to Moses giving them the permission to divorce. “It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you.”

This, then, is the real truth!  We are unteachable!  In saying this, Jesus recognized our human weakness as well.  After all, in the letter to the Hebrews, Jesus became man to “experience death for all mankind.  It was appropriate that (He) should make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers.”  Jesus understands that we are fallen creatures and so struggle to be faithful to the ideals that God has established for humankind, the gift of marriage and family too because Jesus in the gospel also spoke highly of the gift of children to the married couple and the kingdom of God.

Consequently, rather than spending and exhausting our futile energy on debating whether divorce is permitted, or same-sex marriage is acceptable, we must go back to the beginning of creation.  Faith in God’s Word as recorded in the scriptures is important.  Interpreting the Word of God rightly presupposes that as a community of faith, we must be consistent with what has been handed down to us over the last 2000 years.  If we think otherwise, we must have very strong and solid grounds to reinterpret the text that breaks away from tradition.  If today even our Catholics are shaken with regard to these fundamental questions of marriage and family, it is simply because their faith is weak.

This is why, it is very important for Catholic marriages to be really Catholic.  The couple must centre their life in Christ.  All singles must also centre their life in Christ.  Our point of departure is our faith in Christ and in His Word.  When we are in union with Christ, we will find the strength to live up to the divine plan that He has shown to us.  Many of our marriages are in difficulty because the faith of the couple is weak. They failed to build their marriage or family with Christ as the centre.  They do not pray together.  They do not share the Word of God together.  The reason why we get married in Church is not to have a grand and social ceremony but because we want God to be at the centre of our relationship.  We can ask God to bless our relationship only if that is what God intends for us.  We cannot ask God to bless a relationship that is counter to His divine plan.  Yet, we must recognize that divorce is often inevitable, relationships are fragile. All the more, we must journey with these couples, embrace them, strengthen their faith and allow God to lead them to grow and be perfected in love.

Indeed, we must do more not just for those preparing for marriage, but those whose marriages are on the rocks, or they are divorced or separated already.  Instead of condemning them, or worse still, marginalizing them, we must welcome them and embrace them.  They need our encouragement and acceptance to grant them healing from their grief.  We need to provide counselling to those who are going through marriage difficulties, and those who are just divorced.   We are heartened to know that even the government sees the importance of providing more support for our families, those preparing for marriage and those who are going through difficulties in marriage, including pre and post-divorce counselling.  Indeed, as Catholics, we must even be more compassionate and non-judgmental with respect to those who are divorced, even those who are in same-sex relationship.  We must welcome everyone as a child of God.  Accompanying them, welcoming them and accepting them would be the way to help them recover their faith in God.

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

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Friday, 1 October 2021

ANGELS ARE MINISTERING SPIRITS

20211002 ANGELS ARE MINISTERING SPIRITS

 

 

02 October, 2021, Saturday, The Holy Guardian Angels

First reading

Exodus 23:20-23 ©

I myself will send an angel before you

The Lord says this: ‘I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him. If you listen carefully to his voice and do all that I say, I shall be enemy to your enemies, foe to your foes. My angel will go before you.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 90(91):1-6,10-11 ©

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

  and abides in the shade of the Almighty

says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,

  my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

It is he who will free you from the snare

  of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;

he will conceal you with his pinions

  and under his wings you will find refuge.

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

You will not fear the terror of the night

  nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the plague that prowls in the darkness

  nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

Upon you no evil shall fall,

  no plague approach where you dwell.

For you has he commanded his angels,

  to keep you in all your ways.

The Lord has commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps102:21

Alleluia, alleluia!

Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,

his servants who do his will.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 18:1-5,10 ©

Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

  ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

 

 

ANGELS ARE MINISTERING SPIRITS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EXODUS 23:20-23; MATTHEW 18:1-5,10 ]

In the letter to the Hebrews, the author wrote, “Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:14) Today the Church commemorates the place of Guardian angels in their role to help us to attain salvation in Christ. Angels are ministering spirits and they lead us to God and assist Christ in the work of redemption of humanity.  The letter of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus as the Son of God is superior to the angels.  (Heb 1:5-13)

Indeed, as Pope St Gregory the Great said, “You should be aware that the word ‘angel’ denotes a function rather than a nature.Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message.” St Augustine also says: “‘Angel’ is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are, ‘spirit’, from what they do, ‘angel.'”  Angels therefore define their office, the role they play in the history of salvation.  But their nature is spirit.  They are purely spiritual beings created by God who possess intelligence and will.  They are personal and immortal creates of God.

What, then, do angels do?  They are ministering spirits whom God sent to help humanity on earth to attain salvation.  Angels are defined as servants and messengers of God.  But they do more than just being postman.  They often come with a message which might be verbal, a warning, an exhortation, providing directions.  God also reminded Moses in the first reading, “I myself will send an angel before you to guard you as you go and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Give him reverence and listen to all that he says. Offer him no defiance; he would not pardon such a fault, for my name is in him.”  That was what happened to Balaam when he refused to listen to God.  So God sent an angel to block his path to warn him not to curse Israel contrary to what Balak wanted him to do.  Instead, he blessed Israel.  (Num 23) The three angels also brought the news to Abram and Sarah that they would have a son.  (Gn 18:9-15) In the New Testament, the Angel Gabriel brought the great news of salvation to Mary and that she would be the mother of the Messiah.  (Lk 1:26-38) They were the ones who announced the Good News to the shepherds when the Lord was born.

But angels are also protectors and guides.  In the first reading from the Book of Exodus, the Lord told Moses, “If you listen carefully to his voice and do all that I say, I shall be enemy to your enemies, foe to your foes. My angel will go before you and lead you to where the Amorites are and the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Jebusites; I shall exterminate these.”  In the book of Psalms, it says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.  On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”  (Ps 91:11f) When Daniel’s enemies conspired with each other to coerce the king to have Daniel thrown into a den of lions, an angel protected him from harm.   (Dn 6:22) Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” (Dn 6:21f) In the book of Revelation, we read of how St Michael defeated the Dragon and cast them out of heaven.  (Rev 12:7-9) Indeed, St Michael is known as the Protector.  The Church often invokes St Michael for protection against the snares of the evil spirits, especially when exorcism is performed.  Most of all, the Lord assured us, that even the little ones have “their angels in heaven” who “are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.”

Angels, in the final analysis, are called to manifest to us the presence of God and His support for us especially when we are going through great trials in life.  When Jesus was in the desert facing the Temptations of the Evil One, “he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”  (Mk 1:13) This was so in the case of Jesus when He was in the garden of Gethsemane going through His agony as He struggled to do the Father’s will. “Then An angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.”  (Lk 22:43) God also sent an angel to strengthen Peter and to rescue him from prison.  He released him from his chains and led him out of the prison whilst the soldiers were asleep.  Initially, Peter thought he was dreaming, then when Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”  (Acts 12:11)

Consequently, on this feast of the Guardian Angels, the Lord is inviting us to submit in faith to the reality of the angels in our lives,particularly so when modern man, living in this scientific, technological world, seeks empirical evidence to believe.  To believe in the existence of angels requires a childlike faith.  This is what Jesus is asking of us in the gospel.  “I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” We need to have the simplicity of a child to recognize our limitations and knowledge of life and the universe.  Like a child, we are called to be humble and submit in faith to things beyond our minds.  A beautiful psalm comes to my mind and this should be our prayer too.  “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”  (Ps 131:1f)

Faith in the angels is critical not just because we need the help of the angels in living the gospel life but it is an affirmation of the spiritual and material realities of the world.  In the creed, we profess, “I believe in one God…, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all that is visible and invisible.”  Without faith in the spiritual beings, we will lose our identity as creatures created in God’s image and likeness.  We are not just bodily beings but we also have a soul as well.  The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition teaches is a truth of faith. Otherwise, we cannot speak of salvation of the body and the soul, the incarnation of our Lord and our resurrection.  Once we eliminate the spiritual nature of the human being, we lose our identity and our calling.

Furthermore, without affirming the reality of angels who are pure spirits, we cannot also affirm the reality of the Devil and his angels because they are fallen angels.  Whilst we do not worship or pray to the devil and the demons, we must be watchful that they do not tempt us to sin.  They are so real today in our modern world, as we see the evil trends that are developing, when evil is deemed to be good.  This is because Satan is our adversary, as this is the definition of the word, “Satan”.  Jesus taught, “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  (Jn 8:43f) St Peter exhorts us, “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”  (1 Pt 5:8f)

As we celebrate the memorial of the Guardian Angels, let us therefore be conscious of their presence, turn to them for help, for prayers and guidance.  Just like the saints, they too are creatures of God and so whilst we do not worship them, they can intercede for us as they are intermediaries between God and humanity, reflecting the presence of God.  We too must also be guardian angels to each other by being messengers of Good News, of hope and of love by what we say and what we do, always reflecting God’s presence in our lives.

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

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