Wednesday, 26 August 2020

VIGILANCE

20200827 VIGILANCE

27 August, 2020, Thursday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

These are the readings for the feria

First reading

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 ©

You have been enriched in many ways in Christ

I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.

I never stop thanking God for all the graces you have received through Jesus Christ. I thank him that you have been enriched in so many ways, especially in your teachers and preachers; the witness to Christ has indeed been strong among you so that you will not be without any of the gifts of the Spirit while you are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed; and he will keep you steady and without blame until the last day, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, because God by calling you has joined you to his Son, Jesus Christ; and God is faithful.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):2-7 ©

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds,

shall speak of your splendour and glory,

tell the tale of your wonderful works.

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

They will speak of your terrible deeds,

recount your greatness and might.

They will recall your abundant goodness;

age to age shall ring out your justice.

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn15:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

I call you friends, says the Lord,

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt24:42,44

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake and stand ready,

because you do not know the hour

when the Son of Man is coming.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 24:42-51 ©

He is coming at an hour you do not expect

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

‘What sort of servant, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you solemnly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the dishonest servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time,” and sets about beating his fellow servants and eating and drinking with drunkards, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’

VIGILANCE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 1:1-9; MT 24:42-51 ]

Like the Christians in Corinth, we have all been blessed with many gifts from the Lord. They received the gifts of the Spirit, such as speaking, praying and prophesying in tongues, healing and miracles. Instead of being grateful and humbled that they received them, they were comparing and competing among themselves. There were divisions among them, and factions were building up around some leaders. There were others who were living immoral lives and bringing their fellow brothers and sisters to court over some disagreements.

Like them, we also take these gifts bestowed by the Lord for granted. We also have Catholics suing fellow Catholics because of some disagreements in the way an organization is managed or because of hurtful words. Sometimes the clergy is the cause of scandals, forgetting their great privilege of being chosen to be the ministers and shepherds of His sheep. We bring shame to the Church. Like them too, there is so much competition for honour, glory and recognition in the Church, among members and sometimes among organizations. We abuse the blessings we have received, like the servant in today’s gospel. Just because his master was late in returning, he “sets about beating his fellow servants and eating and drinking with drunkards.”

Today, St Paul and our Lord urge us to be watchful over our communities and over ourselves lest the Evil One, the burglar, enters into our house and our community. Otherwise, disasters await us. This explains why many Catholics lose their faith. They do not strengthen their faith in good times. When crisis strikes, they are not able to take it. They blame God, they blame others, they blame themselves. They lose faith and become bitter and resentful. If they are not careful, they will be drawn further away from God. Without prayer and reading the Word of God, they become easy prey for Satan to tempt them to further sins and to eventually destroy themselves.

Hence, we must not take things for granted. There is always a grave danger of complacency. This always happens when we take our spiritual life and gifts as a matter of course. This is always the case, not just with our faith but also with our loved ones and colleagues, even our jobs. Then one day when we lose them, whether it is with our health, our loved ones, or our job, we will regret. The servant in the gospel abused the position the master gave him. He was supposed to take care of the house and the other servants. Instead of being responsible in managing the household, he got drunk and abused the other servants. He forgot his position and his privilege.

Indeed, today’s gospel has a warning, especially for those who hold positions in life, whether in society, in organization or in Church. The greater the privilege, the greater is the trust and responsibility demanded. When leaders abuse their positions of trust, they are often severely punished because of the implications of their action on the larger community. Indeed, the Lord warns, “his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” Often, leaders forget the need for accountability. When they are dishonest, use their position to enrich themselves and further their interests, they will eventually be exposed and be condemned. Unfortunately, this is a lesson leaders do not seem to learn. They forget that they would be held to accountability. The writing is on the wall. It is a matter of time before they are deposed.

Indeed, we must be prepared at all times by being watchful. We should not even be thinking of just being prepared for the final judgment. The real judgment is not when Christ comes at the end of time. Judgment is taking place every moment and every day. On the last day, God does not judge as if an accountant is taking stock of the company’s financial balance. Every decision we make here and now will make us closer to the Lord or take us away from Him. No one decision will change us but the accumulation of choices. So when the Lord says, the master will come any time, what He means is that He is watching us all the time. We cannot hide from God. We must live in the moment.

So the best way to prepare ourselves is really to make the right choice at every moment in our lives. We must live in such a way that we will be already on the last day. The last day is not a day when we can change our character and our life suddenly. This is why some Catholics think that they can continue committing sins and hopefully just before they die, they can repent and theirs sins will be forgiven. We are not too sure if someone who has lived a sinful life all through life would even desire to repent and have his sins forgiven in his last days. The truth is that his heart will be so hardened by evil, numbed to sin and to what is good, and to God as well. By continuing to live a sinful life, that person would have reinforced all the sinful decisions he made each day and these would have hardened him.

When we are prepared for the last day, every day becomes a day of true joy and freedom. In fact, the last day is already anticipated today. Like a student sitting for an exam. If the student has prepared himself every day, studying regularly, when the exam comes, it will just be another day. There is no need for him to feel tensed because over the months, he has accumulated all the knowledge he needs to know. Exams would only be a day of liberation and celebration for him; an opportunity for him to bring together all that he has read and researched. Exams are only stressful for those who are unprepared.

So, too, in our spiritual life. If we have been praying every day, meditating on the scripture texts, participating in the Eucharist, reading up our faith, when the trials set in, we will be ready to withstand the onslaught of the storms. We would have armed ourselves with our faith in the Lord and remembered all that He has taught us or assured us. We will never lose hope so easily and be misled by the world. We remember the words of our Lord when He said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.” (Mt 7:24f) Let us, as St Paul said, continue to be inspired by our teachers and preachers.

Hence, we should not delay further in preparing ourselves to welcome the Lord into our lives. He is coming to us every day, here and now, in our friends, in our colleagues, in our family members. He comes to us in a special way at worship, especially in the celebration of the sacraments. He comes to us when we reach out to the poor, the sick and the abandoned. He comes to us when our friends approach us for a listening ear and for encouragement. So we must be attentive and alert to the different ways the Lord is entering into our lives. Every opportunity lost means we are further away from the Kingdom.

Let us be like the faithful servant. Don’t waste time on futile and useless activities like getting drunk, watching pornography, gambling, taking drugs and gossiping. Rather, we must use our time well. Life is short. We use our time to build God’s kingdom of love and mercy and avoid harmful and destructive activities. We should use our time and resources to give glory to God so that what we do today will have eternal value in the next life. Loving, caring, sharing are eternal values that we can bring to the next life. Following St Paul, let us be responsible, thanking God for the blessings we have received and grow in perfection of life, in holiness. This is a lifelong process. No one becomes holy overnight. We must wholeheartedly work on it day and night. Indeed, St Paul urges us to be “steady and without blame until the last day, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Tuesday, 25 August 2020

COMFORTABLE CHRISTIANITY

20200826 COMFORTABLE CHRISTIANITY

26 August, 2020, Wednesday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18 ©

We worked night and day not to be a burden on you

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you, brothers, to keep away from any of the brothers who refuses to work or to live according to the tradition we passed on to you.

You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you. This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.

We gave you a rule when we were with you: do not let anyone have any food if he refuses to do any work. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace all the time and in every way. The Lord be with you all.

From me, PAUL, these greetings in my own handwriting, which is the mark of genuineness in every letter; this is my own writing. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 127(128):1-2,4-5 ©

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord

and walk in his ways!

By the labour of your hands you shall eat.

You will be happy and prosper.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Indeed thus shall be blessed

the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion

all the days of your life!

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

Or:

1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 23:27-32 ©

You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, “We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.” So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.’

COMFORTABLE CHRISTIANITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-10,16-18; MATTHEW 23:27-32 ]

Why do people choose a particular religion or a church? We choose one because that religion or church answers to our needs. This religion must provide us solace, encouragement and hope. We hope that it will provide us peace and some contact with the Sacred. Indeed, one of the reasons people give when asked why they chose a particular religion is because it fulfils their personal or spiritual needs.

So most of us seek a religion that makes us feel comfortable and puts us at ease. We prefer a religion that gives us the freedom to do what we want, endorse our desires and support even our immoral positions. We want a religion that endorses divorce, same-sex union, abortion, IVF, surrogate motherhood, euthanasia and absolute freedom. We want a religion that does not upset us or confront us with our moral choices but always tells us that God understands, He accepts, He forgives always, no matter what we do and He will always bless us. We want a religion that is organized but not so institutional that it interferes with our lifestyle. We are happy to go to church every Sunday for an hour, hear an inspiring homily, give a few dollars to the collection, and then return home to live the same life we are living. We do not want commitments beyond just performing a few rituals. In this way, we feel happy, at ease, having done our little for God and be assured of salvation.

As the German Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer says “Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

However, this is not Christianity! To be a Christian requires commitment, integrity of life and being prophetic in our lifestyle. There is no complacency or idleness in living out our faith, as we read in today’s first reading. St Paul reprimanded those Christians who were waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord with excitement, but abandoned their responsibilities in daily living and to the community. They were loafers and taking advantage of the Christian community, enjoying the benefits, the contributions of others but not contributing anything. Instead, they were idling away. Being busybodies, they interfere in other people’s business, gossip and create misunderstanding and division.

There are Catholics who behave like some of the Christians in Thessalonica. They contribute nothing to the church in kind or in service but they are demanding. They want all kinds of services provided for free and be served like members of the royalty. This is true even for some Catholic workers as well. Just because the Church preaches compassion, tolerance, patience, understanding and forgiveness, some take advantage of the Church’s magnanimity. They are irresponsible in their work, lazy, not accountable for what they do, always idling and gossiping but not getting their work done, or done without due diligence, causing others to do damage control by taking over their work. Such irresponsible, selfish and self-centered attitudes will destroy the Christian community. This is certainly not the way to be a Christian. This is not the gospel of our Lord.

In the gospel, the Lord challenged the religious leaders of His day. He called them “whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption.” During the time of our Lord, the tombs were on the side of the road where pilgrims had to pass by. There was always the possibility of people stepping on the tombstones, causing them to be unclean and unable to offer the sacrifices at the Temple. So, during the festivals especially, the tombs were washed clean and painted white so that they glistened under the hot sun and people could avoid stepping on them. Of course, inside the tomb, there were only bones of the dead and all kinds of corruption. The religious leaders behaved in that manner. On the outside, they appeared to be pious, holy, reverential and faithful in observing the commandments to the letter. However, behind their outward show of piety and holiness, they were greedy, envious, and unjust to their fellowmen, craving for power, popularity and respect. Indeed, as the Lord said, “you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Again, we are also guilty of behaving in the same manner. We are very active in church, involved in all kinds of activities, rendering our services to one organization after another, but we would not lift a hand to keep our own house clean, or contribute to the household chores. Some of us are involved in serving the poor and taking care of migrant workers but with our own workers, we are unjust in paying their salary. We underpay them for the work they do. We are calculative and demanding. Again, some of us can be active in church organizing retreats and talks but at home or in the office, we are tyrants, abusive, intimidating, suspicious, malicious, conniving and political. Then again, some give money to charity but they are stealing from others, conducting dishonest and even immoral businesses and trading. Indeed, some of us look good outside but inside, we host a different life. People who know us and live with us will know whether we are genuine or just putting up a good show for others to think well of us.

The Lord also warns us not to associate ourselves with those who commit evil, crimes and killing. He told the scribes and Pharisees. “You hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, ‘We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.’ So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets!” Indeed, on one hand they condemned all those who killed the prophets that God sent to Israel. However, they were still killing God’s prophets in their time, like John the Baptist, our Lord, the apostles and the early Christians. They were blind to their own sins when they were repeating the sins of their fathers.

This hypocritical, double-standard way of life is still practiced by both religious, political and corporate leaders. On the one hand, we condemn the death penalty, terrorist activities, race and gender discrimination, violence during demonstrations and the lack of freedom of speech in other countries, but in our own land, we are doing exactly the same thing. How can one advocate the elimination of the death penalty, claiming the dignity of human life, when we are blind to the fact that we are killing millions of babies each year? On one hand, the world is frightened of depopulation. They spend much money to have babies through IVF, surrogate motherhood and cloning. On the other hand, they encourage abortion and euthanasia, same-sex union. There is much inconsistency in what we champion, whether it is with respect to the dignity of life or justice.

Today, we must take heed of the advice of St Paul. “You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you.” Let us be consistent in what we believe and what we do. If we are serious about welcoming the Lord at the end of time, we must already be living the life of Christ, in charity and service, in selflessness and integrity.

Monday, 24 August 2020

FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS AND THE BIG PICTURE

20200825 FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS AND THE BIG PICTURE

25 August, 2020, Tuesday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,14-17 ©

Stand firm and keep the traditions we have taught you

To turn, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way.

Through the Good News that we brought God called you to this so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 95(96):10-13 ©

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’

The world he made firm in its place;

he will judge the peoples in fairness.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,

let the sea and all within it thunder praise,

let the land and all it bears rejoice,

all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,

he comes to rule the earth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

With justice he will rule the world,

he will judge the peoples with his truth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:

Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Clean the inside of the cup first, so that the outside may become clean

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels!

‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.’

FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS AND THE BIG PICTURE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-3,14-17; MATTHEW 23:23-26 ]

When we read today’s scripture readings, we cannot but laugh at the ridiculous way the Jews and the early Christians practiced their faith. In the gospel, Jesus brought up an example of how inconsistent the religious leaders were in their understanding of the Law of Moses. Jesus said, ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides!” According to the law of Moses, the Jews paid 10% tithes from the crops they harvest to support those who were “landless”, namely the priests, the Levites and the poor. They even applied this principle to the garden herbs as well when such contribution from the little garden was grossly insignificant. In the first reading, St Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians reminded them of the Second Coming of Christ. Consequently, they reacted by not working and simply idling their time away, since Christ was coming at any moment. (cf 2 Th 3:6-13)

Before we ridicule them, we should also examine ourselves as well when we lose the sense of proportion in living up to the requirements of our religion. What they did is precisely how some of us, especially those who are supposedly to be closer to God and to the Church, behave. Devout Catholics and those in church ministry are always squabbling over the laws of the Church, whether it be liturgical laws or some observances such as fasting and abstinence. We are so worried about breaking these laws than the laws concerning justice and charity. Indeed, we would fight over how one should receive communion, which hand to be placed over the other. Some argue whether it is right to receive communion on the tongue or by the hand, whether they can raise their hands during the praying of the Our Father; whether they must observe an hour of fast before Holy Communion, about eating meat on Friday; how we dress in church, kneel, genuflect, etc.

This is not to say that such liturgical rules and customary practices of the Church are unimportant and be dispensed without serious consideration. On the contrary, St Paul in his letter wrote to the Christians, “Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth of by letter.” Oral or written traditions passed down to us play an important part in preserving our faith, our values and our unity. Every Church, religion, society, community and nation have their own customs and traditions. Such traditions help us to relive our vision and common values that hold us together. They help us to reinforce certain values we hold dear in life, whether it is with respect to worship of God or relationship with others.

However, we must be careful that these traditions and practices are not observed externally, without the right spirit. This is what the Lord condemned. He said, “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisees! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.” The Jewish leaders were more concerned about the external behavior and conduct rather than the interior spirit of what we do. They were always putting up the required comportment, observing ritual cleanliness, meticulous obedience to the laws and neglected the weightier matters of the Law. In the same way, we spend so much time arguing over our differences, resulting in slander and accusations, and sometimes even threatening to bring each other to Court, which goes against the exhortation of St Paul. (1 Cor 6:1-8) St Paul had harsh words for such people, “In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud – and believers at that.” (1 Cor 6:7f)

Indeed, Jesus helps us to see things in perspective. He said, “These you should have practised, without neglecting the others.” What are these things that precede all the other customs and traditions, if not the principles, the essentials of the gospel message? Jesus said, these are “the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith!” The gospel is not about observing rules and traditions. They are means to help us to live out the Spirit of the gospel, not to impede or make life difficult or burdensome for believers. The gospel seeks to set us free, not bind us. St Paul told the Galatians “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1) This yoke of slavery refers to both our passion and observance of the Jewish laws.

What we must be checking ourselves is not whether the rituals are properly observed but whether we are living a life of justice. We can be practicing all the rituals correctly, singing the right hymns, using the right gestures at liturgical celebrations but at work, we lack justice and charity. We are abusive, use harsh words on our workers, discriminate those whom we do not like, favour our cronies; cheat in business, offer bribes to our customers and clients; ill-treat our domestic helpers and migrant workers and oppress the vulnerable and the weak; in so doing we show ourselves to be inconsistent. Indeed, we are very good at finding fault in our neighbours but we are blind to our own. We are good, as the Lord said, at “straining out gnats and swallowing camels!”

Secondly, religion is not about rituals but about living a life of mercy. Many of us who are supposedly devout, cannot forgive. We bear grudges and are very judgmental of others, especially those who are sinners, divorced, those with same- sex orientation and ex-offenders. We lack mercy and compassion for them because we do not know the full circumstances that led them to sin, or to commit offences. We are very quick to condemn and judge. But Jesus came to show us the mercy of God, His unconditional forgiveness. He had no qualms eating and drinking with tax collectors and mixing with sinners and prostitutes. He came to show mercy to the sick, the widow, the possessed and those under bondage. Unless we place charity above everything else, we can engage in right worship but such external practices will not bring us closer to God. St John said, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” (1 Jn 4:20) St Peter wrote, “maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pt 4:8)

Thirdly, we must do everything in good faith, as the Lord said. In other words, we must do everything with the right motive. Purity of motive in serving the Lord, in worshiping Him, in observing the commandments is critical in knowing whether our hearts are like God’s. We must be careful that we do not behave like the Jewish leaders who did everything to attract attention. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.” (Mt 23:5-7)

In the final analysis, we need to search ourselves, whether our religious observances have led us to love God and our fellowmen more and more. If we have grown in compassion, mercy and in integrity, then we know that we are on the right track. Otherwise, we can observe all the customs and traditions but they can cause us more harm than good. Like the Thessalonians, we must see the big picture, the ultimate goal which is to prepare for the Lord’s coming. In the meantime, we must not be complacent, lazy, or idling around and gossiping, but we must live out our election as God’s children. This is what St Paul wrote, “Through the Good News that we brought God called you so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who had given us his love and hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.” St Peter also exhorts us, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble.” (2 Pt 1:10)

KERYGMA BEFORE CATECHESIS

20200824 KERYGMA BEFORE CATECHESIS

24 August, 2020, Monday, St Bartholomew, Apostle

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Red.

First reading

He showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven

The angel came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the bride that the Lamb has married.’ In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm

Your friends, O Lord, make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God.

Your friends, O Lord, make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

They make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendour of your reign.

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule lasts from age to age.

Your friends, O Lord, make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts.

Your friends, O Lord, make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn1:49

Alleluia, alleluia!

Rabbi, you are the Son of God,

you are the King of Israel.

Alleluia!

Gospel

You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ ‘From Nazareth?’ said Nathanael ‘Can anything good come from that place?’ ‘Come and see’ replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’

KERYGMA BEFORE CATECHESIS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ REV 21:9-14; PS 145:10-13, 17-18; JN 1:45-51 ]

The Church sees herself as the moral spokesperson for the good of humanity. This is why the Church is in the forefront of confronting the world on moral and ethical issues. She is very vocal on the need to safeguard the dignity of every human person from conception to death, protect the natural institution of marriage and family, promotion of ethical living, especially in the use of science and technology; safeguarding the freedom of religion, worship, conscience, morality and human rights in general.

In the process, many see the Church as a moral police officer, deeply enmeshed in social and political life, but less a religion that leads people to God. This explains why some governments are suspicious of the Catholic Church because they perceive the Church as another political institution trying to influence the people against the government of the day. We are accused of mixing religion with politics. Some people even feel that the Church should not be commenting on social issues that affect the people, as the Church would be interfering in the democratic process.

Understandably, the moral values of the Church are seen as religious impositions on the rest of humanity. This is because many do not accept the basis of morality departing from the Christian viewpoint, which is rooted in natural laws, faith in the Bible as the inspired Word of God and least of all, the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. This rejection of the Church’s moral teaching comes not just from those outside of the Church but also within the Church. Our catechesis to our young people and Catholics on morality falls on deaf ears and hardened hearts because they tend to listen more to the relativistic position of the world.

Today’s feast of St Bartholomew invites us to reflect on the primacy of kerygma over catechesis. The weakness of our catechetical pedagogy is that we presume that young people and even older ones registered in our catechism classes or even RCIA are disposed and keen to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church. In actual fact, most of them find catechism boring, irrelevant and more of an indoctrination rather than helping them to know more about Jesus, not just intellectually but personally. This is why most young people are not paying attention to what their catechists are teaching them in class because they feel the teaching and the teachers of faith themselves are not connecting with them. What they teach goes over their head.

Indeed, the first apostles including Nathanael, another name for Bartholomew, came to faith in Jesus not because of His preaching and miracles but because they came to know Jesus personally. John the Baptist pointed out to his disciples, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36) “The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” (cf Jn 1:37-41)

In today’s gospel, we have Philip who brought Nathanael to our Lord. He said to him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” His reply was one of caution and skepticism, “From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place?” He was a candid person, honest and frank. He did not hide his feelings and sentiments because those who came from Bethsaida did not think much of those who came from the town of Nazareth. In his view, Jesus’ origin gave doubt to whether He could be the one Moses wrote about in the Law and what the prophets taught. Indeed, no one expected the Messiah to come from Nazareth. This was the same question, Jesus’ opponents would raise later on in the gospel. (cf Jn 7:41f, 52) His question therefore was genuine, and to some extent prejudicial. Unlike the opponents of our Lord, he was open and receptive. He was aware of his prejudices but he was sincere enough to put them aside by going to meet Jesus.

This too should be our approach as well in coming to know Jesus. Some will never come to know Him because they hold prejudicial views. They are not willing to change. It is not that they do not know but they do not want to know. This is what Paul, citing from Isaiah, said, “But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have; for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’ Again, I ask, did Israel not understand?'” (cf Rom 10:18, 19-21) The strength of Nathanael is his sincerity in searching for the Messiah. He was ready to learn and to discover.

What won Nathanael over was not the teaching of Christ; Jesus had not even started to preach, but His personal connection with him. When Jesus saw him, He said, “There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.” In these words, Jesus was firstly affirming the authenticity of Nathanael. He called him a true “Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.” This is a contrast to Jacob, also called Israel, who cheated Esau his brother of his birthright! (Gn 27:18-29) But most of all, Jesus was able to read the heart and the desire of Nathanael to find God and the Messiah. When the Lord said, “I saw you under the fig tree” what He meant was the He knew the hunger and the deep thirst of Nathanael to find God. To sit under the fig tree was a symbol of someone in deep contemplation of God under the umbrella of the fig tree.

Nathanael immediately sensed that Jesus knew his heart and his mind. Hence, he knew that Jesus must be the Messiah. So he made the confession of faith in Jesus right at the start of His ministry. He said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.” To confess Jesus as the Son of God is to recognize His divinity and to confess Jesus is the King of Israel. It is to recognize Him as the Son of David, one who is a man among us. Nathanael came to faith in Jesus because he encountered the understanding, love and recognition of Jesus. As a consequence, the Lord said to him, “You will see greater things than that. You will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.” Indeed, Jesus is greater than Jacob. He is not just the Son of man in sharing our humanity, but He is also the glorified Son of Man in the book of Daniel. Most of all, Jesus is the mediator between heaven and earth, the God-man, greater than the mediatory role of the angels that Jacob saw in his dream.

Accordingly, before we can even begin catechesis, instructing someone in doctrines and morals, we must connect with them. We need to know their struggles, their pains, their aspirations and their desires in life. Jesus reminds us not to “give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.” (Mt 7:6) Until we know them, the proclamation of truth cannot yet begin. We need to answer to their doubts and overcome their skepticisms before we can even begin to teach them about Jesus and morality. Personal relationship with our potential believers is critical. We must create an ambience of trust and genuine concern and love for the person.

Secondly, we must bring them to meet Jesus. A personal encounter with Jesus is critical before any real catechesis can begin. Pope Benedict made it clear, “we have come to believe in God’s love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” (Deus Caritas Est, 1) The proclamation of the Kerygma consists of the declaration that Jesus is our redeemer, savior, healer, mediator, who was God and became man to share in our humanity, to reveal to us who God is, to lead us to fullness of life, to heal our wounds, and sicknesses and to deliver us from the bondage of evil and sin. Until this encounter takes place, any premature catechesis will fail because it is not built on rock.