Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Tuesday, 3 October 2023

ARE YOU ASHAMED TO BE A CATHOLIC?

20231004 ARE YOU ASHAMED TO BE A CATHOLIC?

04 October 2023, Wednesday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Nehemiah 2:1-8 ©

'Give me leave to go to the city of my ancestors and rebuild it'

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, the wine being my concern, I took up the wine and offered it to the king. Now I had never been downcast before. So the king said, ‘Why is your face so sad? You are not sick, surely? This must be a sadness of the heart.’ A great fear came over me and I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! How could my face be other than sad when the city where the tombs of my ancestors are lies in ruins, and its gates have been burnt down?’ ‘What’ the king asked ‘is your request?’ I called on the God of heaven and made this reply to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if you are satisfied with your servant, give me leave to go to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ tombs, and rebuild it.’ The king, with the queen sitting there beside him, said, ‘How long will your journey take, and when will you return?’ So I named a date that seemed acceptable to the king and he gave me leave to go. I spoke to the king once more, ‘If it please the king, could letters be given me for the governors of Transeuphrates to allow me to pass through to Judah? And also a letter for Asaph, keeper of the king’s park, to supply me with timber for the gates of the citadel of the Temple, for the city walls and for the house I am to occupy?’ This the king granted me, for the kindly favour of my God was with me.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 136(137):1-6 ©

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

By the rivers of Babylon

there we sat and wept,

remembering Zion;

on the poplars that grew there

we hung up our harps.

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

For it was there that they asked us,

our captors, for songs,

our oppressors, for joy.

‘Sing to us,’ they said,

‘one of Zion’s songs.’

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

O how could we sing

the song of the Lord

on alien soil?

If I forget you, Jerusalem,

let my right hand wither!

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

O let my tongue

cleave to my mouth

if I remember you not,

if I prize not Jerusalem

above all my joys!

O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:105

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is a lamp for my steps

and a light for my path.

Alleluia!

Or:

Ph3:8-9

Alleluia, alleluia!

I have accepted the loss of everything

and I look on everything as so much rubbish

if only I can have Christ

and be given a place in him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 9:57-62 ©

'I will follow you wherever you go'

As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’

Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’

Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

ARE YOU ASHAMED TO BE A CATHOLIC?

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Neh 2:1-8; Ps 137:1-6; Lk 9:57-62]

Not too long ago, we started a “Proud to be Catholic” movement. What do we mean when we say we are “Proud to be Catholic?” Some Catholics naively criticized this tag line as something that is not in line with Christian values. To be proud in this sense is not to be associated with a superiority complex, arrogance or snobbishness of any sort. On the contrary, to be proud is to be grateful that God has been so kind to accept us as His adopted sons and daughters. We are humbled and overjoyed that through no credit of ours, God has chosen us in Christ to be His sons and daughters. It is for this reason that we are proud to be Catholic because of the great honour that we have received through the mercy of God. Our feeling is exactly the same as that of Mary’s when she was chosen to be the mother of the Saviour.

The manifestation of this great joy and honour to be a Catholic is that of evangelization, the announcement of the Good News. We who have received the Good News freely are now called to do the same. As Jesus instructed the disciples, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay.” (Mt 10:8) Indeed, Mary, the Star of the New Evangelization, upon receiving the Good News, immediately set out to announce it to her cousin, Elizabeth, and to bring the joy to John the Baptist who was still in his mother’s womb. So how do you know that you are proud to be a Catholic? When you cannot resist talking about Jesus and what He has done for you; and how He is the Way, the Light and the Truth in your life. Without this missionary endeavour and passion to evangelize you cannot be proud to be a Catholic, regardless what you profess.

What about those who are ashamed to be a Catholic? Unfortunately, many Catholics are ashamed to own up to their faith. They hide their faith from others as if they have joined some secret society or belong to a taboo organization. Most of these Catholics are ashamed because they do not know their faith and what they believe in. Others are embarrassed because they do not see the Church growing, or as dynamic and evangelistic as other Christian communions. Then there are others who are ashamed because they do not want to suffer possible disadvantages to their positions in society or at work if others come to know that they are Catholic. They serve their career and money before God. Of course, many are ashamed simply because they live lives that are contrary to the faith and are counter-witnesses in society.

So if you are proud of your faith, we thank God for the gift of gratitude and the joy of being loved by Him. If we are ashamed, then instead of running away from the fact, we must confront it like Nehemiah in today’s first reading. He was saddened to see the state of Jerusalem which was in total ruins. The walls were broken down and the Temple destroyed. The king noticed his sadness and inquired about the cause of his sadness. In truth, Nehemiah was taking a big risk in allowing his sadness to be seen by the king because he could be executed for misconduct and disrespect. He was courageous enough to admit that he was ashamed of the ruins in Jerusalem. He was disheartened that even his own countrymen were not concerned and were indifferent to the state of the Temple and the city.

Once we acknowledge the sadness in our hearts and the lack of peace within, then we must take courage and initiative to look for a way out. Instead of condemning the inactivity or slowness of church leaders in making changes in the church, or the lack of participation of church members in the activities and growth of the church, we should instead be proactive like Nehemiah. He took the occasion to ask the King for leave to go home to rebuild the Temple. He even had the audacity to ask the King for letters to facilitate his journey and to supply the raw materials to rebuild the city. Such was the courage and wisdom of Nehemiah, knowing when to seize the opportunity when it came.

However to rebuild the city, the kingdom of God, Jesus warns us firstly that a price has to be paid. He told the man who wanted to follow Him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Without sacrifice, we cannot go far. Even Jesus had to suffer the inconvenience, the loneliness, poverty and rejection in His ministry. Many people want to be Catholic but they are not ready to make sacrifices to attend RCIA class or faith formation; or come for regular spiritual and faith sharing meetings. They all want to have a share of the resurrection but they want to bypass the cross.

Truly, like Nehemiah, there are many lay workers and volunteers who have made financial sacrifices to work for the Church, full-time or part-time. Many willingly join the church workforce, notwithstanding the limited prospects for promotion. Our salaries and fringe benefits are not comparable to the corporate world. Many of our volunteers even pay for meals and transport from their own pockets. But this is true for priests and religious as well. We are called to make sacrifices by observing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience for the greater good of the mission. Without imbibing in these counsels, the mission of the Church would be rendered ineffective.

Secondly, we must be singular-minded, especially in the face of opposition and temptations. Again, Jesus told the man who said, “I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good-bye to my people at home.” Jesus said to him, “Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” We must be alert to the distractions in our mission. Very often, we get discouraged because we face opposition to our plans for the church. We get disheartened when our priests or leaders do not support or encourage us in our service when we have put in so much effort. Indeed, too many give up easily when faced with obstacles. They lack singular mindedness.

Not infrequently, we can be tempted by money, power and status. We are serving only because we get publicity, popularity or even offered the pleasures of life. This is particularly true for priests and religious because many generous and compassionate people would gladly shower us with gifts, holidays and good food, if we allow them. Such distractions take us away from the mission. From serving God, we eventually serve ourselves, our convenience and self-interests. For this reason, Jesus reminds us that our eyes must always be focused on our mission. We must ensure that in whatever we do, our lifestyle, our choices in life must help us to accomplish our mission of sharing the good news with all of humanity. We must not allow anything to distract us from fulfilling Christ’s mission.

In the light of these challenges, how do we keep ourselves focused and remain strong in our times? We must pray continuously like Nehemiah and the psalmist. At every step in his endeavour to rebuild the Temple, he would turn to God in prayer. He knew that God was with Him and hence he could continue to work hard at rebuilding the Temple even though many were discouraging him, believing that nothing could be done. Without prayers, nothing can be achieved. Only God can change minds and hearts.

Finally, let us be awake to the urgency of the proclamation of the gospel. This was what Jesus told the man who wanted to bury his father first. It is significant that unlike the other two who wanted to follow Jesus voluntarily, Jesus asked the man to follow Him. But his reply was hesitant. He said, “Let me go and bury my father first.'” But the response of Jesus was swift and decisive, “Leave the dead to bury the dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” Truly, when God calls, we do not tarry. Many good things are never done because great inspirations and ideas from the Lord were never taken up. Nice feelings and beautiful ideas alone without action will not bring about any change. There are some things that cannot wait.

Make our decision for the Lord and the restoration of His Church today! Don’t wait any longer. Come and follow Him. Come and give your life to Jesus. Help Him rebuild His Church. With the psalmist, let us be filled with shame and sorrow that the mission of the Church is met with indifference. Indeed, we must pray, “By the rivers of Babylon there we sat and wept, remembering Zion; on the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps. For it was there that they asked us, our captors, for songs, our oppressors, for joy. ‘Sing to us,’ they said, ‘one of Zion’s songs.’ O how could we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right-hand wither! O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not, if I prize not Jerusalem above all my joys.” How can we allow the Church to continue in this state of lethargy? If we do not help to rebuild the Church, then the next generation of humanity will suffer as secularization and secularism will destroy all the values of society. So let us act now. Let us stand up for God, stand up for Christ and stand up for the Catholic Church! Let us stand up for our fellow Catholics and say, we are proud to be Catholic!

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

Monday, 2 October 2023

INTOLERANCE AND NARROW-MINDEDNESS

20231003 INTOLERANCE AND NARROW-MINDEDNESS

03 October 2023, Tuesday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Zechariah 8:20-23 ©

Many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts

The Lord of Hosts says this:

‘There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities. And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” And many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the Lord.’

The Lord of Hosts says this:

‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 86(87) ©

God is with us.

On the holy mountain is his city

cherished by the Lord.

The Lord prefers the gates of Zion

to all Jacob’s dwellings.

Of you are told glorious things,

O city of God!

God is with us.

‘Babylon and Egypt I will count

among those who know me;

Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,

these will be her children

and Zion shall be called “Mother”

for all shall be her children.’

God is with us.

It is he, the Lord Most High,

who gives each his place.

In his register of peoples he writes:

‘These are her children,’

and while they dance they will sing:

‘In you all find their home.’

God is with us.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,

and teach me your law.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mk10:45

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Son of Man came to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 9:51-56 ©

Jesus sets out for Jerusalem

As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.

INTOLERANCE AND NARROW-MINDEDNESS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ZEC 8:20-23; LK 9:51-56]

What is it that the first reading and the gospel have in common? It is none other than the importance of the symbol of Jerusalem. This word is very rich in meaning. Unfortunately, sometimes, it has been understood only literally rather than symbolically. Consequently, we can understand why this word can spark such intense hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. For the Jews, Jerusalem is the place where God lives and dwells with His people because the temple is located there. It is their belief that world unity and the restoration of the covenant can take place only when everyone comes to Jerusalem to worship the Lord as the prophetic vision of Zechariah predicted. “The Lord of Hosts says this: ‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, ‘We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.'” And in Luke’s gospel, he presented Jesus as journeying to Jerusalem, the city of destiny.

However, for the Samaritans, they built a rival sanctuary at Mt Gerizim. The hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans was long-standing. It goes back all the way to the time when Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom established its capital at Shechem in order to discourage the people from going to Jerusalem. After the fall of Israel to Assyria, the enemies brought with them their pagan idols. There were also intermarriages. As a result, the purity of the Jewish race was compromised. Furthermore, when the Jews returned from Babylon, hoping to rebuild the temple, the Samaritans opposed it and sought to undermine the attempt to rebuild the nation. Within this context we can understand why the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus on learning that He was going to Jerusalem. In fact, they would often hinder any pilgrim from travelling that way to Jerusalem although it was the shortest route from Galilee. But the reaction of the disciples was no better than them. They became angry to the extent of wanting to call down fire from heaven to destroy them. They thought it was the right to do.

This situation of intolerance has not changed today. So many religious tensions and wars have been caused because of competition and jealousy. Whilst it might be permitted to claim that one’s religion is right and true, it is another thing to charge that other religions are false and man-made. We have no right to disdain the beliefs of others. To consider other religions as the work of the Devil is going too far. There are many ways to God. As Christians, we claim that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that He is the only mediator between God and man. (cf 1 Tim 2:5) But that is to say that Christ shows us who the Father is in all its fullness. It does not mean that others have no inkling of God as their Father as well. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (Jn 14:6f)

But what is worse is that discrimination against others happens simply because they do not belong to the same faith or the same church. Even in the world today, secularism discriminates all those who have religion. Often, it results in persecution, explicit or implicit. Politically, restrictions are made for people of different faiths to practise their beliefs or build their temples, mosques or churches. Such discrimination happens everywhere, whether it is in the office or in human relationships. Special treatment is given only to those who share the same faith. Those that do not share the faith of the majority are not given positions of authority or get promoted in their jobs. In some places, fundamentalists would even destroy their places of worship and kill them as well.

But such an attitude is contrary to the gospel. That is why in the gospel Jesus, instead of approving what the disciples did, reprimanded them for reacting negatively towards the Samaritans. In other words, Jesus refused to get involved in polemics. His mission was simply to proclaim the Good News and to invite people to be receptive to it. But He did not feel the necessity to impose it on others. In fact, that He took the way of Samaria to go to Jerusalem was an attempt to offer friendship to the Samaritans. Of course, it was not due to His narrow-mindedness that the offer of friendship was rejected. The tolerance of Jesus came from His love and understanding of the Samaritans. He could understand why they were so hostile towards Him and His fellow Jews. Because He loved, He could tolerate them. We too can and should tolerate those who are different from us, or disagree with us, and even hate us, when we choose to love them instead of being angry with them.

It would be good for us to be more aware that their rejection of us is often prejudiced by their past hurts and experiences than due to objective reasons, like the Samaritans who hated all the Jews, and vice versa, because of their historical conflicts. Generation after generation has passed down its hatred of another race to their children even though they might have never met at all. This is so true when it comes to race and religion. We stereotype people of other races so much so that even before any dialogue and friendship could develop, we already hold negative views of each other. We fail to realize that every person is unique and different. We should not label a person because of his race, language or religion. In truth, in every religion and race, there are very good people and bad people as well. Hence, it would be wrong to conclude that just because they belong to a certain race or religion, they are bad. Such bigotry should be avoided.

Indeed, Jesus showed His broad-mindedness even when it came to the question of worshipping at the right place. Jesus transcended the Jews and the Samaritans who fought over the geographical location of worship. For Jesus, Jerusalem should be seen more as a theological symbol than in a literal sense. It should be viewed as the symbol of the dwelling place of God and the focus of the messianic kingdom. That is why in the New Testament, this symbol is transformed into an eschatological symbol. The letter to the Hebrews and the Apocalypse speak of Jerusalem as the heavenly city synonymous with the Kingdom of God. Indeed, in John’s gospel, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” (Jn 4:21-23) So what is important is that we must worship in spirit and in truth. Having the right church and religion will not get us to heaven if we do not possess the right spirit of love, devotion and charity towards our fellowmen. Only those who are in love with God and their fellowmen are truly men of God.

Consequently, we must recognize that in our relationship with people of different faiths, we must seek to build unity rather than uniformity. We must seek what is really essential to the gospel. What is vital is that everyone lives the life of the kingdom, even if they do not externally profess the same faith. We can be certain that those who live the life of the Kingdom are already worshipping in the heavenly Jerusalem. They have, in other words, already worshipped in spirit and in truth. With the grace of God, they too might also come to know the Lord fully through us and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” This applies not just to the area of faith but in our daily life. Very often we disagree over the ways of doing things. The differences are not as important as whether our actions promote true love, unity and justice. Thus, in our disagreement, we must determine whether our differences lie in the essentials or in the secondary matters. In non-essentials, diversity; in essentials, unity; in all things, charity. In this way, we can come to accept the different ways of arriving at the same goal.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

Sunday, 1 October 2023

ANGELS ARE OUR COMPANIONS ALONG THE WAY

20231002 ANGELS ARE OUR COMPANIONS ALONG THE WAY

02 October 2023, Monday, 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 OUR COMPANIONS ALONG THE WAY

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

Today, we celebrate the feast of the guardian angels. On 29^th September, we celebrate the feast of the Archangels, St Michael, St Raphael and St Gabriel. They are called archangels because they played a more critical role in the plan of God’s salvation for humanity. Like all angels, they are messengers at the service of God to reveal His plan to humanity, to protect and to guide. It is within this perspective that we also celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels. As this feast suggests, the angels are assigned to us to protect us from harm and from all dangers. This is what the Lord said, “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.”

Traditionally, the Church invites us to pray to the angels for protection and guidance. The prayer that was taught to us when we were children is still useful for us as adults to pray in faith. “Angel of God, my guardian dear. To whom God’s love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, To light and guard, to rule and guide.” In this prayer, we are given a theological interpretation of the work of guardian angels as guiding us and guarding us in our everyday life. This is what the first reading from the book of Exodus suggests to us. God told the Israelites that He would send “an angel to guide them and guard them. “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. 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.”

Indeed, the psalmist assures us that those who trust and rely on God will be protected by His holy angels. “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!’ 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. You will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plaque that prowls in the darkness nor the scourge that lays waste at noon. Upon you no evil shall fall no plaque approach where you dwell. For you has he commanded his angels, to keep you in all your ways.” With the angels protecting us, we can live our lives without fear because he will be at our side.

Besides praying to the angels, we are called to listen to them because they are the voice of God prompting us to do good and to avoid evil. Again, the Lord said to the Israelites, “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.” We must be alert to his voice in our lives, often coming in ways that we least expect, sometimes through a voice inside or outside of us, sometimes through strange events that are mysterious to us; and sometimes the angels work through us as well, prompting us to reach out and to do good. This is why we must listen to the angels and obey their voices. To listen to the angels is to listen to the voice of God because God chooses to use His intermediaries to communicate with us as He did with Abraham when three angels appeared before him (cf Gn 18); and to Gideon as well, ordering him to go and save his people. (cf Jdg 6:11-23) The angel also forbade the ass of Balaam to move ahead to collude with the pagan king to curse Israel. He was then asked to bless Israel instead. (cf Num 22) Like St Peter, we are called to listen and obey the angel when he told them to leave the prison and proclaim Christ crucified to the people. (Acts 12:1-11) Obedience to the angels is the way we serve God in truth and in love.

For this reason, we should become more aware of the angels in our lives. We must thank God for our Guardian angels. The problem with the world today is the emphasis on sensuality, which has made it difficult for us to be in contact with the spiritual world. Because of science and human pride, we tend to dismiss the angels who we cannot see. This is dangerous because it will lead us to distrust and disbelief in the spiritual world. When we are no longer aware of the spiritual beings, good or bad in our lives, we become indifferent to them. To be ignorant of the presence of the angels is at the same time to be unaware of how the evil spirits work in our world and in our lives. The Church is clear that just as there is an order in the material world, there is also an order in the spiritual world. St Paul speaks of the different hierarchy of spiritual beings. (cf Eph 6:10-12) The spirits are therefore real. We are called to be alert and fight against Satan and his angels who are prowling round to devour us. (cf 1 Pt 5:8) For this reason, we need to intercede with our Guardian Angels to pray for divine assistance in our lives. The letter of Hebrews tells us that angels are ministering spirits to help us. (cf Heb 1:14)

So instead of behaving in an arrogant manner, dismissing the reality of the spiritual world, we must, as the Lord advised us, be humble as a child learning to accept things beyond his understanding. “‘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 child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'” With the psalmist we pray, “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)

At the same time, we are called to imitate the Holy Angels in praising and thanking God in our lives. Angels, although pure spirits, are creatures of God. Their whole life is to give praise and thanksgiving to God. We are told in the book of Revelation that the angels unceasingly praise God in worship, singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord!” But they not only praise God in prayer, they praise God in their lives by offering themselves to do good for others, reaching out to those in need and leading them to God. We too must follow the angels in rendering praise and thanksgiving to God in unceasing prayer, and most of all in our lives. For this is what St Paul urges us, to pray unceasingly throughout our life. We are called to be angels to each other and to give support to each other in this journey of life.

Most of all, we are called to be angels to the little ones, children and those who are most vulnerable in life. In no uncertain terms, the Lord said, “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.” We must be the ones to protect the little ones under our care. The Lord warns us “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!” So let us protect the faith of our little ones whom we have a custodian role, whether we are referring to little ones or those new in their faith. We must seek to protect and guide them, leading them to Christ.

Let us not walk alone in faith. We have the Guardian Angels to accompany us in this difficult journey to God. We only need to turn to them for guidance and for divine protection. He is ever ready to come to our assistance. Indeed, we read that Jesus in His Temptations in the desert, and especially in His last moments in the Agony in the Garden, was consoled by the angels. (cf Mt 4:11; Lk 22:43) Truly, if the Lord needed the assistance of angels in His journey of life, so we too must turn to the angels who can give us the courage to obey His will. Let us pray to our Guardian Angels and ask them to intercede for us.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

BEING CONNECTED AS THE WAY TO BE TRULY ALIVE

20231001 BEING CONNECTED AS THE WAY TO BE TRULY ALIVE

01 October 2023, Sunday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ezekiel 18:25-28 ©

When the sinner renounces sin, he shall certainly live

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘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 24(25):4-9 ©

Remember your mercy, Lord.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my saviour.

Remember your mercy, Lord.

Remember your mercy, Lord,

and the love you have shown from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth.

In your love remember me,

because of your goodness, O Lord.

Remember your mercy, Lord.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

Remember your mercy, Lord.

Second reading

Philippians 2:1-11 ©

Be united in your love

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:

His state was divine,

yet he did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave,

and became as men are;

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings in the heavens,

on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

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!

Gospel

Matthew 21:28-32 ©

Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.’

BEING CONNECTED AS THE WAY TO BE TRULY ALIVE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZ 18:25-28; PHIL 2:1-11; MT 21:28-32]

When tragedy befalls us or when we encounter failures in life, the immediate reaction is to find scapegoats. And if we cannot apportion the blame to our fellowmen, then the next easiest person to hold responsible is God. Yes, we want to make Him responsible for our unhappiness, misery and the situation we are in. We feel that we do not deserve our sufferings.

Yet, the truth is that most of the sufferings that we encounter in life are due to our own decisions, especially in our failure to be true to God and to ourselves. It is due to our own sins and selfishness that we suffer, and eventually die both a physical and a spiritual death. We are only reaping the consequences of our foolish actions. We suffer only because we cannot accept the plan of God in our lives, the roles that God has created for us in this marvellous plan of creation. Instead, we choose to do our own will and to become what we are not meant to be. As a result, we become disorientated due to our infidelity.

This, precisely, was the response of God to the Israelites who complained about their sufferings. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord said, “Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust?” Indeed, “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.” However, God is not vindictive. For in the same breath He said, “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.”

Happiness, to a great extent, is in our hands because God only wishes our happiness. We only need to decide to renounce sin and live an honest life and we will live. Yes, living a life of personal integrity is the way to true life because we live in peace with ourselves. Our suffering is in reality the kindness of God in disguise. Through our sufferings, He hopes to prevent us from an even greater destruction. So suffering is a grace from God, not a punishment. We must take suffering as a wake up call, not a vengeance of God.

What, then, is this wake up call? It is a call to live a life of integrity. It is the call to be connected at every level of human life. We are called to be in connection with ourselves, to be connected with our fellow human beings and most of all, to be connected with God. Being connected is to be in communion and communion brings integration. The failure to be connected is the cause of our misery and division. Thus to live an integral life is the theme of today’s liturgy.

But what does it mean to live an integral life or a life that is connected?

Firstly, to be connected implies that we must be true to ourselves. Like the two sons in today’s gospel, we are called to be true to our sonship and our dignity as children of God. The test of sonship is the test of obedience. To be son implies obedience to the Father, for that is the way a son is connected to the Father. The failure to be obedient to the Father implies also infidelity to oneself. Now there are two ways of denying our sonship and therefore disowning ourselves.

In the first example, the denial of one’s sonship is only momentary, but not deliberate. That is to say, quite often in life we act contrary to who we are. When we act incongruently to who we are, we are renouncing our identity and our calling. Thus, if a man commits adultery, then he is denying that he is married. In the words of Jesus, these are the prostitutes and tax collectors who have forgotten their dignity. Of course, such lapses are temporary for most of us. When we feel this way, we must not condemn ourselves. We must realize that quite often, it is the lack of wisdom and understanding.

This was indeed the case of the first son in today’s parable. He was asked by his father to work in the vineyard. Initially, he refused. However on afterthought, he realized that to be true to his sonship, he should obey his father. There was certainly a struggle within himself to be faithful to his father’s will. Most of us are in this kind of forgetfulness. We struggle with our weaknesses. To such people, God is merciful because He knows that we are human and fallen. Jesus does not condemn such people. If we are forgetful of who we are, then we must pray and discern God’s will so that we will be able to find the strength and courage to live out our identity.

However, there is greater culpability in the case of the second son since he deliberately chose to go against his father’s will. He knew that he should say “yes” to his father’s command and he indeed agreed. But later on, he did not keep his word. He was simply lazy and rebellious. For such people who chose to ignore their sonship deliberately, Jesus said, referring to the scribes and Pharisees who indeed had a greater self knowledge of who they were and their calling, that “tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God” before them. Their greatest sin was not because they refused to believe the message of John the Baptist to repent, but “even after seeing that … “they “refused to think better of it and believe in him.”

Truly, the real problem for us today lies in the fact that we are not living an integral life and yet not recognizing it. This is even more regrettable than being hypocritical. This is because not only do we cheat others but we cheat ourselves as well.

However, even when we live an integral life, it is still not sufficient. Living a personal life of integrity is but only one dimension of happiness in life. Certainly, it is primary. But it presupposes the other dimension, which is our connectedness with others. If we are self integrated, it implies that this self-integration includes, or rather precludes, that we are in communion with others as well. This is because we are all sons of the same Father and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the “Spirit that we have in common.” This is the mind of Christ that we are all called to share. Hence, St Paul urges us to live a life in union with others in the community and be united in our convictions and united in love. To have a “common purpose and a common mind” ensures that there is no competition among ourselves. We are always called to be in communion with each other and complement each other. We do not compete with each other but rather think of others before we think of ourselves. Indeed, the best way to help ourselves is to help others.

However, only a person who knows himself can be connected with others. Only a great person is truly humble and concerned for others, acting in a self-effacing manner as Paul urges us, “so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead”. But to have such altruistic outlook, one must first find oneself and love oneself.

The problem with relationship is that we try to love others when we do not even love ourselves. By so doing, we are cheating ourselves, for we love ourselves under the pretext of loving others. This explains why when others do not do what we ask or expect of them, we become unhappy. So the real problem and cause of our disconnectedness with others is because we are not connected with ourselves, knowing who we truly are. Hence, we need to build our centre first, so that we can integrate ourselves with others.

Yes, happiness is ours if only we learn to live a more integrated life, both within ourselves and with others. Only such a life can lead to real happiness. A life that lacks one or both elements will result in fragmentation. Today, the gospel tells us that it is never too late to reconsider the kind of divided life that we live, the battle that is being fought in our hearts. If we want to find peace, then we must make peace within ourselves so that we can be at peace with others. So long as we fight with ourselves or with others, there can be no real peace within. However, peace comes the moment when we are one with the will of God and true to our identity as sons and daughters of God. Until and unless we live our identity faithfully, we cannot find real peace in our lives. But if we do, then we will find ourselves in complete union with God, others and within ourselves.

What if we are still not ready to put our life in order? Well, the selfless love and mercy of God does not pressurize us to do things that we are not yet ready, just like the father in the parable. He is ready to wait for us. He does not want us to obey Him blindly and reluctantly. He wants the decision to come from within us. This is the way God regards us. Hence, if we find it difficult to tune ourselves to God’s will, let us be patient and pray, knowing that God in His own time will enlighten us and give us the courage to do His will.

Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

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