Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Sunday, 5 March 2023

PERFECTION IN CHRISTIAN LIFE IS EXPRESSED IN MERCY

20230304 PERFECTION IN CHRISTIAN LIFE IS EXPRESSED IN MERCY

04 March 2023, Saturday, 1st Week of Lent

First reading

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 ©

You will be a people consecrated to the Lord

Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.

‘You have today made this declaration about the Lord: that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and listen to his voice. And the Lord has today made this declaration about you: that you will be his very own people as he promised you, but only if you keep all his commandments; then for praise and renown and honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to the Lord, as he promised.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118(119):1-2,4-5,7-8 ©

They are happy who follow God’s law!

They are happy whose life is blameless,

who follow God’s law!

They are happy who do his will,

seeking him with all their hearts.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

You have laid down your precepts

to be obeyed with care.

May my footsteps be firm

to obey your statutes.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

I will thank you with an upright heart

as I learn your decrees.

I will obey your statutes;

do not forsake me.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk8:15

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Blessed are those who,

with a noble and generous heart,

take the word of God to themselves

and yield a harvest through their perseverance.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Or:

2Co6:2

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Now is the favourable time:

this is the day of salvation.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Gospel

Matthew 5:43-48 ©

Pray for those who persecute you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’

PERFECTION IN CHRISTIAN LIFE IS EXPRESSED IN MERCY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DT 26, 16-19; PS 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8; MT 5:43-48]

In the first reading, Moses told the people: “The Lord your God today commands you to observe these law and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.” To belong to the People of God, all that they needed to do was to observe all the commandments and customs with all their heart, soul and might. (cf Dt 6:5)

Why should we obey the commandments? Firstly, they demonstrate the wisdom of God. These commandments were meant to guide the people to live a righteous life so that there would be harmony among the peoples. By so doing, Moses said, “this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’ For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?” (Dt 4:6-8) Those who do not obey the Word of God or use the Bible for guidance in their moral and daily life are those who pay lip service to the Word of God. St Paul makes it clear “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) The fact that many of us pick and choose those parts of the scripture that we agree with and ignore the rest that we do not agree with shows that we believe in ourselves and not the Word of God.

Secondly, obedience is the concrete manifestation of acknowledging God as our Lord. “You have today made this declaration about the Lord; that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and listen to his voice.” Obedience is always the expression of love and trust. When we obey, it should never be out of fear or obligation. Rather, it should be an act of love for one who loves us. This is what Jesus Himself said, “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.” (Jn 14:31) Indeed, God does not command obedience from us before He first shows us His love. If the Lord could command the Israelites to obey the commandments, it was because He had shown and demonstrated His love and power in delivering them from the hands of the Egyptians. “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:4-6)

Thirdly, obedience to the laws make us His people. “The Lord has today made this declaration about you; that you will be his very own people as he promised you, but only if you keep all his commandments.” When we live a life of integrity and honour, when we live a harmonious and peaceful life, we show ourselves to be the People of God and “then for praise and renown and honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to the Lord, as he had promised.” Israel was chosen to be a model nation, a people that lived under the laws of God so that they could “live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.” It is to our benefit that we observe the laws of God.

Yet in spite of the beauty of the laws of God, it is practically impossible to keep them perfectly. The law is good but it does not mean we will be able to keep them perfectly just because we know that it is good. The truth remains that we are weak and we have a wounded nature because of the sin of our ancestors, which is perpetuated in us. We know that the law is good and yet because of human selfishness, weakness and fear, we break the commandments.

That is why the laws cannot save us. They are written on tablets, not on our hearts. They can only point us to what is right and wrong but they cannot give us the capacity to do them. We find ourselves incapable of resisting temptations. Even when we try to observe them, we fall into the sin of pride and ego. Either we become self-righteous, thinking that we are better than others, or we live double lives, appearing to be good and holy before others. Indeed, many of us are hypocritical in the way we live because we are so concerned about what people think of us rather than what God thinks of us.

What is needed is therefore the mercy and grace of God rather than perfection in observing the laws. It was on account of knowing the love and mercy of God in Christ’s passion and resurrection that St Paul got the strength to do good and to die to self rather than seeking to find perfection through the laws. He wrote, “More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil 3:8-11)

This is what the gospel wants to underscore as well. When the Lord said, “You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect”, He is not expecting us to live a life without sin and imperfection. This would be an impossible demand on us. But Jesus expects us at least to practise compassion and forgiveness to those who are weak and have sinned against us. He said, “You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This is what perfection consists of, loving our neighbours including our enemies by caring for them and by praying for them. We are called to forgive them the way our Lord did when He was on the cross, by excusing and praying for us. “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34) In this way, we show ourselves to be truly sons and daughters of God because we reflect the goodness of God, because “He causes the sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike.” God’s love is for all, regardless of whether we are bad or good.

Indeed, if we do not show our love to all regardless of who they are, then we cannot claim ourselves to be God’s children since we do not acknowledge others as such because we do not treat them accordingly. Jesus said, “For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not?” So being a Christian is not about caring for fellow Christians only. This is exclusivity and elitism. Most Catholic celebrations are within and among their own members. Do we take the trouble to invite those who are non-Christians to our functions so that they could come to know the Lord’s love through us? A Christian must be outgoing and reaching out to others. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case in many of our churches and church organizations. We are in danger of isolating ourselves from the larger community. This is not the kind of evangelical and missionary spirit that a Catholic should have.

Of course, this does not mean to say the laws are irrelevant. They remain our guide in living a life of wisdom and discernment. The psalmist is right to say, “They are happy whose life is blameless, who follow God’s law! They are happy who do his will, seeking him with all their hearts. You have laid down your precepts to be obeyed with care. May my footsteps be firm to obey your statutes.” But we observe them not in a slavish manner. We must observe them with wisdom and understanding, with love and compassion, without falling into legalism and self-righteousness on one hand; or be laxed and lawless on the other hand. Christian perfection ultimately is to live the law of love and compassion. “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

CHOSEN AND SAVED BY GRACE TO GRACE THE WORLD

20230305 CHOSEN AND SAVED BY GRACE TO GRACE THE WORLD

05 March 2023, Sunday, 2nd Week of Lent

First reading

Genesis 12:1-4 ©

All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you:

I will curse those who slight you.

All the tribes of the earth

shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 32(33):4-5,18-20,22 ©

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

The word of the Lord is faithful

and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

and fills the earth with his love.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death,

to keep them alive in famine.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

The Lord is our help and our shield.

May your love be upon us, O Lord,

as we place all our hope in you.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

Second reading

2 Timothy 1:8-10 ©

God calls and enlightens us

With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt17:5

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

From the bright cloud the Father’s voice was heard:

‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’

Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Gospel

Matthew 17:1-9 ©

His face shone like the sun

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.

As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’

CHOSEN AND SAVED BY GRACE TO GRACE THE WORLD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GN 12:1-4; PS 33:4-5,18-20,22; 2 TIM 1:8-10; MT 17:1-9]

The gospel is good news. Among the Good News, the greatest news is that God has saved us “not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus.” Indeed, we have been chosen for His purpose not because of our merits but purely because of His favour. This is true also of Abraham. He was chosen to be the Father of Israel and many nations not because of his merits but because of God’s mercy. Indeed, we all share in Christ’s sonship because of God’s favour and generosity.

Baptism is a call to share in Christ’s sonship. Our catechumens will be celebrating their entry into Christ’s Church in just a few weeks at Easter. We too will be renewing our sonship. This gift of sonship is given to us all as St John wrote, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3:1). But although we are all God’s children, the world does not know Him. St Paul says, “This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus.”

It is Christ who reveals to us our true calling in life. Jesus as the Son of the Father, as the gospel tells us, invites us all to be sons and daughters of God in and through Him. However, as St John wrote, “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn 1:10-13) Indeed, “He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.”

However, like Jesus, to be chosen to be God’s sons and daughters is not simply for ourselves. We are chosen for others. St Paul told Timothy that we have been saved “for his own purpose and by his own grace.” We are all bestowed with the gifts of God so that we can bless others with the gifts we have received. This was also the reason why God chose Abraham as well. The Lord told Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing. I will bless those who bless you. I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.” So Abraham was called by God to go to Canaan to fulfil His divine plan for humanity.

So too for our Lord, beginning from His baptism. At His baptism, He heard the voice of His Father affirming His identity. “This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour.” The identity of Christ as the Son of the Father implies obedience to His Father’s will to save humanity through His unconditional love and mercy. At the Transfiguration in today’s gospel, this mission of Jesus which He started three years earlier was about to be brought to a close. But before Jesus could give Himself to His enemies at Jerusalem, He needed to be affirmed that this was what the Father wanted Him to do, to go to Jerusalem to suffer the passion, death and resurrection and so enter into His glory. Only by His death, could the Father accomplish His divine plan for humanity by raising Him from the dead, conquering sin and death.

To be chosen for others requires us to share in His passion and resurrection. We are chosen to suffer with Jesus. This explains why Jesus told His disciples after giving them a preview of the destination ahead of them, “Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”

At this juncture, the full significance of what they saw still did not sink in. It was certainly an out of the world experience, but they were still too ignorant to make sense of it until after the death and resurrection of our Lord. It was only then, that they realized why Jesus was the fulfilment of the two figures, Moses and Elijah who stood next to Jesus in the vision. Jesus is ultimately the Law Giver, and the Eschatological prophet as symbolized in Elijah. With His death and resurrection, salvation of humanity is completed in Christ.

So too for us, who are called to bless others with what the Lord has blessed us with, especially the gift of sonship, which means to be a servant and a blessing to others. But like the apostles and our Lord, we too need to be strengthened in our faith before we can give ourselves in complete confidence in His love. This explains why Peter wanted to keep this experience with him. Peter spoke to Jesus. “Lord, it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Later, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he could write with full understanding of this vision he and the rest of the apostles had. “”For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.” (2 Pt 1:16-18)

But the way to keep this experience is not so much by clinging to our religious experiences and visions. Emotions come and go, so such visions and emotional encounters with God cannot last. What is even more important, as the voice from heaven said to the apostles, “Listen to him.'” We must listen to Jesus through the scriptures. Until we listen, we will not be able to find direction and inspiration to live out His mission. Thus, St Peter concluded, “So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all, you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Pt 1:19-21)

Truly, as the Lord assures His disciples and all of us, “Stand up, do not be afraid.” God has called us for His purpose. He who chose us freely without any merits of our own will also qualify us to accomplish His will. We only need to surrender our lives to Him. With the psalmist, we too must pray, “The word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted. The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love. The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine. Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.”

This is what St Paul is exhorting us as well. “With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace.” We do not rely on ourselves but in God’s power and strength to grow in holiness and, most of all, to carry out His divine purpose for each one of us. So let us receive this gift of sonship and daughtership in baptism with thankfulness and gratitude. And let us express this joy of receiving this great privilege to be God’s children by bringing others to know Christ so that they too will understand the true meaning of what it means to be a son or a daughter of our heavenly Father. Unless, every one of us understands our identity as God’s children in Christ, we will not regard each other with love and live together in harmony as God’s children. Unless we know Jesus, we cannot understand what sonship entails, which is to be the image and likeness of God, which we have lost through sin. But having our sins forgiven in Christ, putting on Christ, and sharing in His Spirit, we must follow Jesus in showing God’s face, His mercy and love to everyone even to the extent of emptying our lives for others as Jesus did.

Thursday, 2 March 2023

ENTERING INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

20230303 ENTERING INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

03 March 2023, Friday, 1st Week of Lent

First reading

Ezekiel 18:21-28 ©

I prefer to see the wicked man renounce his wickedness and live

Thus says the Lord:

‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?

‘But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 129(130) ©

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?

My soul is waiting for the Lord.

I count on his word.

My soul is longing for the Lord

more than watchman for daybreak.

(Let the watchman count on daybreak

and Israel on the Lord.)

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

cf.Amos5:14

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

Seek good and not evil so that you may live,

and that the Lord God of hosts may really be with you.

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

Or:

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!

Gospel

Matthew 5:20-26 ©

Anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’

ENTERING INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZEKIEL 18:21-28; PS 130:1-8; MT 5:20-26]

What does it mean to enter into the kingdom of God? It means to allow God to enter our lives. It is to allow God to reign in our hearts and minds. When God rules our lives, there will be peace, joy and love in the Holy Spirit. St Paul says, “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17) Indeed, what is heaven if not living a blissful life of love, joy and peace, having right relationships with God, others and ourselves? Heaven is when we live a harmonious life with everyone, not just human beings but the entire creation.

Conversely, hell is when we are not at peace with ourselves, with God and with others. “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers – none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9f) To the Galatians, St Paul wrote, “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21) Indeed, anyone who lives in sin cannot find peace and joy.

Living in God’s kingdom means that we are subject to God’s rule and so it means sharing the mind and heart of God. It is more than just keeping the laws of God but the spirit of the law as well. This is what the Lord said at the outset of today’s gospel. “If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” We need to go beyond the mere observance of the laws and enter into the spirit and mind of God.

Take for instance the case of killing and anger. Jesus said, “You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill, and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother ‘Fool’ he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin, and if a man calls him ‘Renegade’, he will answer for it in hell fire.” The truth is, anger will eventually lead to revenge and even killing. Even if one does not kill physically, the anger in his heart will take away all joy, peace and love in him. Whoever is angry cannot be at peace with himself. So not only killing, but anger, using harsh words of condemnation and insults will destroy others and rob us of our peace and right relationship with our fellowmen.

To restore peace and joy in our hearts, we must be reconciled with our fellowmen. “Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and judge to the officer.” Until we are at peace with those whom we have hurt or those who have hurt us, we continue to punish ourselves by harbouring ill feelings, hurts, resentment, anger because we cannot forgive. As long as we are not ready to let go, the Lord said, “you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.” We will suffer misery and our minds and hearts will find no rest or peace. Hence, our Lord advises us that happiness can be ours only when we are reconciled with God and our fellowmen. “So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering.” Unless we are reconciled with our fellowmen, even our offerings to God would not give us the peace and joy. We must first offer the gift of forgiveness.

Within this context, we can appreciate the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel when God declared forgiveness for anyone who repents. God said through the prophet Ezekiel, “If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practiced.” Life is ours the moment we surrender our sins to God. He does not keep a record of wrongs. (1 Cor 13:5) The Lord wants the best for us. He wants to give us life. If He punishes, it is in order to bring us to realization what our sins are doing to us. Indeed, He said, “What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live?” The Lord is not one who holds grudges. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency.” (Mic 7:18) So to be saved and enter into the kingdom, we only need to stop sinning.

On the other hand, no matter what good we have done in the past, when we enter into sin, we make ourselves unworthy to live in God’s kingdom. This explains why the Lord also said, “But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practices every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practiced shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die.” Like the Israelites, we might feel that the Lord is not just because all our good things are forgotten. The Lord explains, “But you object, ‘What the Lord does is unjust.’ Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.” The point is that regardless of the good we have done in the past, our sins remove us from the reign of God, and destroy our peace, joy and integrity. So all we need to do is to repent to be restored into the joy of God’s kingdom. Does it mean all good works are gone and the Lord does not take into account of our past good deeds? He does, because if a person is generally of good character and virtues, even when he sins, he does it unwillingly. He falls out of weakness and therefore, it will be easier for him to repent than for a hard-core sinner because he is inclined to goodness and truth.

But there is a catch in this principle. Can one who is a sinner suddenly become a saint? Technically it is possible with the grace of God. That is why, if a person dies after baptism or suffers martyrdom, he goes straight to heaven. But in most cases, it is unlikely because grace works with human nature. So a hard core converted sinner will have greater difficulty keeping himself from returning back to sin because of his past. Even St Paul struggled against sin after his conversion to the Lord. He said, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” (Rom 7:21-23)

So we need to constantly purify ourselves and keep ourselves pure. “And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 Jn 3:3) So long as we commit sin we are out of the kingdom. Hence, Jesus said, “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him.” However, they must continue after conversion to persevere in the truth, lest they fall into sin. But the truth also is that sinners might not even respond to the call to repentance in the first place because of pride and selfishness. That is why, purgatory is needed for purification of our hearts and to enable us to gradually let go of our sins, especially of pride, our unwillingness to let go of the past and forgive ourselves for the foolish mistakes we have made and those who have hurt us. In this way, we grow deeper in our virtues and not just remain on external observances only.

In the final analysis, we are called to trust in God’s forgiveness as in the responsorial psalm. “If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you. Because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity.” So let us trust in God’s mercy and forgiveness. Every time we sin, we turn to him for forgiveness.

Wednesday, 1 March 2023

THE GOLDEN RULE

20230302 THE GOLDEN RULE

02 March 2023, Thursday, 1st Week of Lent

First reading

I am alone, Lord, and have no-one but you

Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words:

‘My Lord, our King, the only one,

come to my help, for I am alone

and have no helper but you

and am about to take my life in my hands.

‘I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family,

that you, Lord, chose

Israel out of all the nations

and our ancestors out of all the people of old times

to be your heritage for ever;

and that you have treated them as you promised.

‘Remember, Lord; reveal yourself

in the time of our distress.

‘As for me, give me courage,

King of gods and master of all power.

Put persuasive words into my mouth

when I face the lion;

change his feeling into hatred for our enemy,

that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end.

‘As for ourselves, save us by your hand,

and come to my help, for I am alone

and have no one but you, Lord.’

Responsorial Psalm

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:

you have heard the words of my mouth.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you.

I will adore before your holy temple.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love,

which excel all we ever knew of you.

On the day I called, you answered;

you increased the strength of my soul.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

You stretch out your hand and save me,

your hand will do all things for me.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal,

discard not the work of your hands.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Joel2:12-13

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

Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –

come back to me with all your heart,

for I am all tenderness and compassion.

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

Or:

Ps50:12,14

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

A pure heart create for me, O God,

and give me again the joy of your help.

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

Gospel

Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’

THE GOLDEN RULE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EST 4:17; PS 138:1-3, 7-8; MT 7:7-12 ]

“Do not do unto others what you would not like done unto you.” This golden rule of Confucius is an ancient rule that is advocated in almost every community, though phrased in different ways. It is a basic principle of ethical living and for the preservation of harmony. It is pure humanism because it begins with the self. All of us have experienced those times we were unjustly treated, humiliated, cheated, betrayed, slandered or falsely accused. So, based on human experience of suffering and pain, we should thus be more sensitive to the sufferings and pain of our fellowmen. Logically therefore, if we know how the failures or selfish actions of others can cause pain, then we should not do the same to others. Indeed, if everyone observes this golden rule, there will be peace and harmony. No one will hurt each other. All will live a responsible life and do their part so that others would not have to suffer in their place or because of them.

All sins are committed only because this rule is not observed. When we sin against God and our fellowmen, it shows that we lack sensitivity to God who suffers for us and our fellowmen who suffer because of us. All sins are due to selfishness, putting ourselves and our interests before others without any regard for others’ rights and happiness. It is pure egotism. So this ancient rule is still valid and truly, as it is called, a golden rule. If we keep this rule in mind, we will never hurt people. This is what the psalmist says, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation.” (Ps 24:3-5)

This is what the Lord is also teaching us today as well in the gospel. He provided us two examples in daily life with respect to requests that we make. He said, “Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish?” Which father will mock and humiliate his son when he asks for bread by giving him a stone. It must be noted that stones in those days indeed had the appearance of bread. It would be so cruel to play such a trick on one who is hungry by giving him a stone. Similarly, would a father be so insensitive as to give his son a serpent when he asked for a fish? This serpent actually is an eel which looks like a serpent. But Jews, as mentioned in the book of Leviticus, are not permitted to eat fish without scales or fins. (Lev 11:12)

The point that Jesus wants to underscore therefore is that with respect to God our Father, He would not act in this manner even if the earthly father did, which is unthinkable in the first place. “If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” So if, as human fathers, we are generous, caring and sensitive to the needs of our children and would willingly accede to their requests, how much more would the Heavenly Father do! Jesus in the gospel reminds us, “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Mt 6:7f) Following this exhortation, Jesus taught us to pray the “Our Father.” God is our Heavenly Father, and He will surely hear our prayers because His love and compassion for us is greater than any of our human fathers. So we need not doubt the mercy of God or pester Him in prayer. He knows what we need and all we need is to trust Him and express our needs to Him. He knows how to help us resolve our needs and problems.

Conversely, if we do not observe the Golden Rule, then it can also work against us. In the first reading, Esther prayed, “As for me, give me courage, King of Gods and master of all power. Put persuasive words into my mouth when I face the lion; change his feeling into hatred for our enemy that the letter and all like him may be brought to their end.” Esther was simply praying that God will let her enemies suffer the consequences of whatever evil they were doing to her and her countrymen. In this way, they would come to know the evil that they were causing others. “For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (Jms 2:13) Jesus promised us, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” (Mt 5:7) Esther was not cursing her enemies but merely praying that they might come to awareness of their sinfulness.

But even the practice of this Golden Rule is not good enough. The Golden Rule in its negative formulation has been rephrased by the Lord. Instead of repeating this rule negatively as not doing to others what we do not like them to do unto us, Jesus was more proactive. He said, “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” Not doing anything harmful does not equate with doing good. The Old Testament Laws, like many ancient laws, tended to be protective of the individual. They were more for defending oneself against one’s enemies. But it can be self-centred too. Even the Ten Commandments tell us what we cannot do but not what we must do. Jesus in the gospel adopts a more positive and proactive approach to life. Not doing harm is not so difficult, but to go out of the way to do good is much more challenging. This is what Jesus expects of us; that we actively go out to do good and help others. Protecting one’s turf is not Christian. It meets a certain level of justice but there is a lack of charity and compassion. Thus, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Mt 5:17)

So, during this season of Lent, we are called to imitate our Heavenly Father who is proactive and generous in love. This is the basis of all Christian prayers. When we pray to the Father, we must pray with confidence, just the way Esther prayed when she said, ‘My Lord, our King, the only one, come to my help, for I am alone and have no helper but you and am about to take my life in my hands. I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family, that you, Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors out of all the people of old times to be your heritage for ever; and that you have treated them as you promised. Remember, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our distress.” Based on the history of salvation, God had always shown His mercy and love. This is expressed in the responsorial psalm, “I thank you for your faithfulness and love, which excel all we ever knew of you. On the day I called, you answered; you increased the strength of my soul. You stretch out your hand and save me, your hand will do all things for me. Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands.”

But it is not enough to pray this way, we must also do the same for others what the Lord has done for us. As we pray, we too are called to show mercy and compassion to our brothers and sisters. We are called to feel with and for them, the way God our Father feels for and with us. The same mercy we have received, we must impart to others. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.” (2 Cor 1:3f) The season of Lent invites us to ask, search and knock so that we can find not just our prayers answered but that we will find Him so that we can know Him enough to trust Him with our lives and our anxieties. So our prayers are more than merely making requests and demands on our Lord but we want to know Him, His heart and His love for us. In this way, we too can also imitate Him in the way we love and care for others; not just not harming our neighbours but proactively taking steps and going the extra mile to care for them, serve them and show the face of our heavenly Father to them.