REBUILDING YOUR HOUSE IN THE LORD

20220704 REBUILDING YOUR HOUSE IN THE LORD

 

 

04 July, 2022, Monday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Hosea 2:16,17-18,21-22 ©

I will betroth you to myself and you will come to know the name of the Lord

It is the Lord who speaks:

I am going to lure her

and lead her out into the wilderness

and speak to her heart.

I am going to give her back her vineyards,

and make the Valley of Achor a gateway of hope.

There she will respond to me as she did when she was young,

as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt.

When that day comes – it is the Lord who speaks –

she will call me, ‘My husband’,

no longer will she call me, ‘My Baal.’

I will betroth you to myself for ever,

betroth you with integrity and justice,

with tenderness and love;

I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness,

and you will come to know the Lord.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):2-9 ©

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

I will bless you day after day

  and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

  his greatness cannot be measured.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

  shall declare your mighty deeds,

shall speak of your splendour and glory,

  tell the tale of your wonderful works.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

They will speak of your terrible deeds,

  recount your greatness and might.

They will recall your abundant goodness;

  age to age shall ring out your justice.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

  slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

  compassionate to all his creatures.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion.

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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:	cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel

Matthew 9:18-26 ©

'Your faith has restored you to health'

While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.

  When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.

 

REBUILDING YOUR HOUSE IN THE LORD

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Hosea 2:16,17-18,21-22; Mt 9:18-26]

In the first reading, the prophet Hosea warned the people of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, of their eventual destruction and ruin because they were unfaithful to the covenant.  In the gospel, we read of two persons, one suffering from an incurable illness and another who apparently had already died.   What about us?  What is the state of the house we are in?   Is our personal life in order, or have we messed up our life?   Is our relationship with our spouse and family members strong, affirming, empowering and loving?  What about the house where we work in, what kind of climate and culture do we live by?

If our lives are in a mess and our house is in ruins, what could be the reasons?  Firstly, it is because of the sin of infidelity.  Israel abandoned the Covenant and trusted in themselves instead of God, especially during the days of prosperity and success.  Often, when we are doing well in life and things seem to be fine, we hardly come to God.  We trust more in ourselves and our plans than on God.  This was the situation with Israel; their prosperity led them to be unfaithful to God.  The temptations of this world, power, lust, money, status, are truly seductive and will make us turn away from God and true love.

Secondly, their house came to be destroyed because they mixed their worship of God with the pagan god of fertility, Baal.  They were not true to their beliefs and faith.  We too do not give ourselves entirely to our faith.  We pick and choose what we want to believe.  It is a faith of convenience, that is, so long as it suits me.  It is an adulterated faith.  When we do not focus on God, we are diverted to other false gods in our lives.  This is true of physical adultery as it begins with diverting attention from one object of devotion to another.  This is but the first step to sin and adultery.  We must realize that adultery is a process.  It does happen overnight and often we do not realize what is happening until it is too late.  So, too, in our relationship with God!    We do not lose faith immediately but the moment we worship false gods, we begin the dangerous process of focusing our devotion to the things of the world and ourselves, blinding us from the truth and a hardening of the heart to sin.

How, then, can we restore our house so that there will be peace and happiness?  Firstly, we need to go to the wilderness to find God.  This was what happened to Israel.  “I am going to lure her and lead her out into the wilderness and speak to her heart. There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt.”  Very often, like the Israelites, we forget the good days and the blessings we have received from the Lord until they are taken away.  This is true for everything in life.  We do not treasure our health until we fall sick.  Indeed, it is through suffering, like the Israelites who were exiled, that we begin to come to a deep appreciation of God’s love and kindness for us.  This is true for the younger brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

So today, we must return to our wilderness so that in the silence of our hearts, freed from all forms of inordinate attachment, we can listen to the voice of God speaking to us.  The easiest way is to spend time in prayer daily, contemplating on the Word of God or attend a retreat.  Otherwise, the price of not coming to realization of ourselves would be the consequences of our sins.  The sufferings that come from our sins are not to be misunderstood as punishment from God, but they are meant to awaken us to the truth of ourselves.   Unfortunately, most of us are like the Israelites until we are in exile and in ruins; then we turn to the Lord.  This seems to be the case for the woman with haemorrhage and the official.  Both were desperate, and they came to Jesus only when everything else failed.  For twelve years, she suffered the illness and exhausted all her money to find a cure.  For the official, albeit too late, for his daughter had already died.

Secondly, we need to have faith in Jesus.  We need to make an act of faith in coming to Jesus for healing.  We are told that we will not be disappointed.  We are to follow the example of the woman who was considered ‘unclean” because of her menstrual flow and therefore prohibited from mixing with the crowd lest she contaminated others and caused them to be ritually unclean.   She was living in shame and isolation.  Yet, she took the leap of faith in mixing with the crowd and the courage to touch the fringe of Jesus’ cloak to find a cure.  So too the official who came to Jesus to save his daughter’s life.  Both the woman and the official placed their faith in Jesus.

What is this faith that we are called to have?  It is faith in Jesus as our Saviour.    The responsorial psalm assures us that our God is a God of compassion and love.   “The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures.”  God is ever ready to forgive us.  Not only to pardon our sins but to restore us to fullness of life.   Hence, no matter how much we have strayed away from the Lord, He is ever ready to accept us.  God wants to save us, not just to heal us.

Jesus is also our resurrection.  The gospel underscores this truth when the evangelist wrote, “Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him” and “he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up.”  Both are symbols of the resurrection.  Truly, as the psalmist declares, “Age to age shall proclaim your works, shall declare your mighty deeds, shall speak of your splendour and glory, tell the tale of your wonderful works.  They will speak of your terrible deeds, recount your greatness and might.  They will recall your abundant goodness; age to age shall ring out your justice.”

In the final analysis, it is the Lord who can strengthen us and restore us by His love.  Love is the only healing antidote of life.   Hence, the prophet announced, “When that day comes – it is the Lord who speaks – she will call me, “My husband”, no longer will she call me, “My Baal.” I will betroth you to myself for ever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love; I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness, and you will come to know the Lord.”  Indeed, this was the case of the prophet Hosea.  He was asked to marry an adulterous woman by the name of Gomer.  His life with her became the prophetic illustration of the history of Israel’s infidelity to the covenantal relationship with God.  His wife was unfaithful, spurned God’s love and turned to false gods.  Like God, Hosea remained constant and persistent in his love for her.   He never gave up on her.  He eventually brought her back by his love.  God’s love for us is tender, forgiving, faithful and unchanging.  When we know how much God loves us, we will truly be changed and transformed.  On that day, we will call God our only spouse, not Baal, which is one of the many gods.  How great indeed, was Hosea’s love for his adulterous wife.  Let us pray that God’s undying love for us will also heal and transform us.

So let us come to the Lord Jesus.  It is never too late. The woman came to Jesus late.  The official came to Jesus only after his daughter had died.  It was too late in the eyes of the world.  But for Jesus, it is never too late.  Jesus can make a difference in our lives.  He can free us from our sins, our addictions, anger, hatred and wounds.  If we feel hopeless, then turn to Jesus, the source of life and love.  He will raise us from the dead and do the impossible for us.  God can change the impossible, as in the case of the woman who was about to give up, or the mourners who laughed at Jesus as they were sceptical that anything else could be done.  Nay, for God nothing is impossible.

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

 

THE JOY OF EVANGELIZERS

20220703 THE JOY OF EVANGELIZERS

 

 

03 July, 2022, Sunday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Isaiah 66:10-14 ©

Towards Jerusalem I send flowing peace, like a river

Rejoice, Jerusalem,

be glad for her, all you who love her!

Rejoice, rejoice for her,

all you who mourned her!

That you may be suckled, filled,

from her consoling breast,

that you may savour with delight

her glorious breasts.

For thus says the Lord:

Now towards her I send flowing

peace, like a river,

and like a stream in spate

the glory of the nations.

At her breast will her nurslings be carried

and fondled in her lap.

Like a son comforted by his mother

will I comfort you.

And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.

At the sight your heart will rejoice,

and your bones flourish like the grass.

To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20 ©

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Cry out with joy to God all the earth,

  O sing to the glory of his name.

O render him glorious praise.

  Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

‘Before you all the earth shall bow;

  shall sing to you, sing to your name!’

Come and see the works of God,

  tremendous his deeds among men.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

He turned the sea into dry land,

  they passed through the river dry-shod.

Let our joy then be in him;

  he rules for ever by his might.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Come and hear, all who fear God.

  I will tell what he did for my soul:

Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer

  nor withhold his love from me.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

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Second reading

Galatians 6:14-18 ©

The marks on my body are those of Jesus

The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.

  I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen.

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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:	Col3:15,16

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts;

let the message of Christ find a home with you.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Luke 10:1-12,17-20 ©

Your peace will rest on that man

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.

  ‘Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.

  ‘Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’

  The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’

 

 

THE JOY OF EVANGELIZERS

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Isa 66:10-14; Ps 66; Gal 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12,17-20]

In the gospel, “the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.'”  Only in St Luke’s gospel is this episode of the sending of the seventy-two, besides the sending of the Twelve apostles earlier on in chapter 9, recorded.  This underscores that the mission of the Church is not just the obligation of the priests and religious but the laity as well.  All disciples of our Lord have an obligation to announce the Good News to all of humanity.

Why should we announce the Good News to others?  Simply because it is Good News! Good News, if it is truly good news, cannot be kept.  Of course, this presupposes that we have received the Good News ourselves. Without encountering the Lord deeply, there is no good news to share.  Announcing the Good News presupposes that like Paul and the apostles, we have encountered the Lord Jesus, His love and mercy.  Pope Emeritus Benedict in his encyclical, “God is love” wrote, “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” 

This is why all true evangelizers of the gospel are full of joy.  Pope Francis reminds us that “an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral!” Let us recov­er and deepen our enthusiasm, that “delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow…  And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervour, who have first received the joy of Christ.”

What is the basis of our joy?  For many of us, we take joy in evangelizing only when we are successful in our outreach and ministry.  We measure our joy according to how people rate us and welcome us.  So a preacher is filled with joy when he preaches well and receives good reviews.  A teacher is filled with joy when his or her work is recognized by the school and the parents.  A ministry leader or member is full of joy only when the people acclaim them for their service, their leadership, their singing or teaching.  When we focus our joy in the ministry on tangible success, reactions to what we do, our joy will be short-lived.  This joy does not come from our heart, does not come from within but it is more an attempt to impress, to make use of people to feed our ego and our insecurity.  It is inward-looking and self-centred.

This is why the Lord sought to redirect the joy of the disciples not at the results of their ministry or the power given to them over sickness and even the demons, but on their place in heaven.  When “the seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said, ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.'”  Indeed, this is the ultimate joy, to be with God and to be in His kingdom.  There is no greater joy than to be counted as among God’s chosen people.

Indeed, the joy of the gospel is about meeting God who has revealed Himself in Jesus.  He is the answer to all the riddles and meaning of life and the aspiration of every human person to true happiness, joy, love and freedom. Indeed, all those who encounter the Risen Lord always go away with joy and freedom of heart because they are set free from their emptiness in life, loneliness, meaninglessness, fears, anxieties and most of all, the crippling effects of sin.  Many are left unsatisfied because they are consumed by consumerism and their conscience is dead to what is truly good and uplifting because they no longer can hear the voice of God.

St Paul makes it clear that the consequence of welcoming Christ is that we become a new person, a new creature.  This is the joy of being a Christian.  St Paul told the Galatians, “The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature.”   Everything else is secondary.  It is how we live our lives in love, peace, tolerance and forgiveness.  When we lack compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, it shows that we are self-righteous and think that the Church is a military camp rather than a home where people are allowed to make mistakes, be forgiven and be loved.  In the same vein, the Lord told the disciples to practice tolerance.  “But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.”

This is what the last chapter from the prophet Isaiah wants to underscore as well.  “Rejoice, Jerusalem, be glad for her, all you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice for her, all you who mourned her!”  The prophet was prophesying that the Lord would rebuild Jerusalem after their exile.  Once again, Jerusalem would be like a mother to the children of Israel, reborn again.”  Jerusalem is a symbol of the eternal Jerusalem which is God’s dwelling place.  His presence in our midst will bring us peace.  “For thus says the Lord: Now towards her I send flowing peace, like a river.”

How, then, can we become joyful evangelizers?  By allowing the power of God to work in and through us, just like the apostles.  The Lord instructed the disciples He sent out to cultivate a poverty of spirit, that is, total reliance on the grace of God.   He said, “Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals.”  A disciple of the Lord must not be attached to material things, otherwise he will be tempted to power, glory and pleasure.  He will lose his focus on sharing the joy of our Lord who comes to serve and not be served.  Living a life of detachment from the desire for material things, power and glory is a prerequisite to find happiness in our ministry.

Secondly, there must be a sense of urgency.  “Salute no one on the road.”  We must be passionate and waste no time reaching out to those who need Jesus.  The Lord said at the beginning of the gospel, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.”  Indeed, there is no time to waste on gossiping, political infighting over petty matters, over rules, over rubrics.   Sometimes, too much of our energy in church ministry is spent dealing with complaints, unhappiness, disgruntled people, so much so we have no more energy to do proactive ministry, changing lives, preaching the gospel and doing good.  We spend our time on the defensive instead of being proactive.   We must see the bigger picture and not just be too narrowly focused.  This is what St Paul told the Jewish Christians who were upset over the failure of the Gentile Christians to observe the circumcision law.  Sometimes, some of our Catholics are very intolerant of mistakes.

Finally, we are called to be people of peace, of joy, of healing.  Jesus said, “Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”  Indeed, the joy of the evangelizer is to be a Christ to whoever we meet each day, bringing them hope, words of peace, reconciliation with God and with their fellowmen, spiritual and emotional healing.  This is what a joyful evangelizer of the Good News must do.

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

 

 

THE COURAGE TO CHANGE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

20220702 THE COURAGE TO CHANGE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

 

 

02 July, 2022, Saturday, 13th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Amos 9:11-15 ©

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel

It is the Lord who speaks:

‘That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David,

make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins

and rebuild it as it was in the days of old,

so that they can conquer the remnant of Edom

and all the nations that belonged to me.’

It is the Lord who speaks, and he will carry this out.

‘The days are coming now – it is the Lord who speaks –

when harvest will follow directly after ploughing,

the treading of grapes soon after sowing,

when the mountains will run with new wine

and the hills all flow with it.

I mean to restore the fortunes of my people Israel;

they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them,

plant vineyards and drink their wine,

dig gardens and eat their produce.

I will plant them in their own country,

never to be rooted up again

out of the land I have given them,

says the Lord, your God.’

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 84(85): 9,11-14 ©

The Lord speaks peace to his people.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,

  a voice that speaks of peace,

peace for his people and his friends

  and those who turn to him in their hearts.

The Lord speaks peace to his people.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;

  justice and peace have embraced.

Faithfulness shall spring from the earth

  and justice look down from heaven.

The Lord speaks peace to his people.

The Lord will make us prosper

  and our earth shall yield its fruit.

Justice shall march before him

  and peace shall follow his steps.

The Lord speaks peace to his people.

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Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:135

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let your face shine on your servant,

and teach me your decrees.

Alleluia!

Or:

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!

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Gospel

Matthew 9:14-17 ©

When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast

John’s disciples came to him and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.’

 

THE COURAGE TO CHANGE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [AMOS 9:11-15, MT 9:14-17]

In the gospel, the Kingdom of God is likened to a marriage.  God is the bridegroom and we are the bride. In the New Testament, Jesus is our bridegroom.  Marriage is an apt symbol of what heaven is all about because it is about intimacy, love and relationship. There is nothing more fulfilling and necessary in life than love and intimacy.  Indeed, Jesus is offering us an intimate relationship with His Father, just as He shares this intimacy with His Father.  The whole purpose of Jesus’ coming was to restore the broken relationship between God and man and among men.  He came to reconcile us with the Father and with one another.  For this reason, Jesus told the disciples of John, “Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”  In other words, it is sin that leads to separation and death, biological or spiritual death that causes us to be estranged from God. When that happens, it will inevitably affect human relationships as well because without God’s love and peace in our hearts, we will act out our inner dissatisfaction when dealing with others.

How, then, can we overcome this barrier between God and us?  Jesus wants to fill us with the new wine of His Spirit.  Indeed, the desire of Jesus is to give us His Holy Spirit so that we will be filled with the joy and love of His Father.  The Holy Spirit is none other than the love of God that is poured into our hearts.  (cf Rom 5:5) The Holy Spirit enables us put on the mind and heart of our Lord.  This explains why the Holy Spirit is very much associated with the gifts as well, especially the habitual graces of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and reverence for the Lord.  When God’s love dwells in us, we begin to look at life the way God sees it.  With the Holy Spirit, we will be filled with joy.  Hence, wine is always associated with celebration, rejoicing and joy.

But what are the conditions to receive the Holy Spirit?  We need to purify the receptacle, otherwise the New Wine of the Holy Spirit will spill if we are still wearing the old wineskin.  New wine is still fermenting, and it is therefore very strong.  It expands.  So if the strong wine is put into old goatskins that are hardened and no longer stretchable, it will surely burst the skin.  That is why Jesus said, “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No, they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.”

This old wineskin refers to the hardness of a heart of sin and the stubborn and prideful mind. Many of us, having fallen into sin over the years, have become so hurt and wounded that we have become numb to our sins.  We continue sinning because our consciences have become desensitized over the years that we no longer feel any more, even when doing wrong.  It has become part of us.  When our hearts are hardened by sin, selfishness, self-centeredness, anger and hatred, we can no longer feel with others or be receptive to goodness and love.  Indeed, sinners hate to hear the truth spoken and do not like to be told that they are wrong.  If criticized, they are not only defensive, but they can be hostile and vindictive.  They will retaliate and seek to destroy those who put obstacles in their path because they want to continue their sinful way of life.

At the same time, many are too proud to be receptive to the truth.  They think they know everything and unless one agrees with their opinions, he or she is wrong.  When man makes himself the absolute in judgment and the absolute reference point, then he has unwittingly established himself as god and ironically denying the principle of relativism held by them.

As a consequence, they become misfits in society.   Thus, Jesus said, “No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.”   The truth is that the old and the new cannot match.  We cannot continue to live a life of sin and yet seek to live in holiness.   When we try to match both together, the danger is that we destroy not just our own faith but the faith of others.  This is truly the potential danger of adulterating the faith.  Many of our Catholics are weak in their faith.  They do not know Jesus personally and they do not have a sound knowledge of Catholic doctrines and the Word of God.  They import all kinds of foreign elements from other sources, whether of ancient religions or some esoteric practices and seek to inject them into our Catholic faith.  As a consequence, the purity of faith is compromised.  What is worse is that they mislead other Catholics who are ignorant of the origin of such practices.  Unknowingly, they begin to think that such practices and values are in line with the gospel.

Jesus makes it clear that to choose Him is to break from the world of sin and selfishness.  It is to break away from all forms of idolatry and to worship the Lord our God alone.  The shema of the Israelites is still valid for us when Moses commanded, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”  (Dt 6:4f) Our obedience and allegiance is to the Lord Jesus alone and all that is revealed in the scriptures, the Word of God.  There cannot be any compromise unless such values are in line with the gospel.  We must be careful not to import any practices and values that are foreign to the gospel that we have received from the Lord and the Apostolic College.

Within this context, we can then appreciate why the Lord permitted the Israelites to go into exile. The Northern Kingdom was steeped in corruption and social injustice because of affluence and wealth.  They were cheating each other, especially the poor and the weak.  Their hearts were far from God and the Covenant was not observed.  So the Lord allowed the Assyrians to bring His people to task, to break them down not as a punishment but in order to raise them up. Unless we are ready to be broken down, to face the truth about ourselves, we cannot be raised or restored to fullness of life.  So long as we are proud of our achievements, arrogant of our knowledge and harbour a sense of self-sufficiency, as if we are in complete control of our lives, then we will act as if we are all powerful like God.  But like the Israelites, it is always when things have gone wrong and we are reduced to nothingness that we come to realize our place in this world.  No matter how rich, powerful and influential we are, a time will come when we will be stripped of all that we have.  No one can conquer sickness and death.

But if we are ready to let go of our fears, insecurity of change, our habitual ways of doing things, then the new wine of the Spirit will be given to us.  So long as we want to be in charge of our lives and do what we want without asking God for guidance, we will destroy ourselves.  But in the destruction, God will raise us up as He did with the Israelites.  The prophet Amos prophesied of the day to come when Israel would be restored.  “That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David, make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins and rebuild it as it was in the days of old … when harvest will follow directly after ploughing, the treading of grapes soon after sowing, when the mountains will run with new wine and the hills all flow with it.  I mean to restore the fortunes of my people Israel; they will rebuild cities and live in them, plant vineyards and drink their produce. I will plant them in their own country, never to be rooted up again out of the land I have given them, says the Lord, your God.”

If we seek peace today, the psalmist invites us to hear the voice of the Lord.  “I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace, peace for his people and his friends and those who turn to him in their hearts.  The Lord speaks peace to his people.”  After hearing His Word, let us be ready and courageous to put the Word of God into practice, placing our entire trust in His Word so that we can live a life of joy, peace and love.

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