Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Thursday, 25 November 2021

GOD WILL TRIUMPH OVER EVIL

20211126 GOD WILL TRIUMPH OVER EVIL

26 November, 2021, Friday, 34th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel 7:2-14 ©

'I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man'

I, Daniel, have been seeing visions in the night. I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea; four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings; and as I looked its wings were torn off, and it was lifted from the ground and set standing on its feet like a man; and it was given a human heart. The second beast I saw was different, like a bear, raised up on one of its sides, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth. “Up!” came the command “Eat quantities of flesh!” After this I looked, and saw another beast, like a leopard, and with four bird’s wings on its flanks; it had four heads, and power was given to it. Next I saw another vision in the visions of the night: I saw a fourth beast, fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.

While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of the original horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that was full of boasts. As I watched:

Thrones were set in place

and one of great age took his seat.

His robe was white as snow,

the hair of his head as pure as wool.

His throne was a blaze of flames,

its wheels were a burning fire.

A stream of fire poured out,

issuing from his presence.

A thousand thousand waited on him,

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

A court was held

and the books were opened.

The great things the horn was saying were still ringing in my ears, and as I watched, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and committed to the flames. The other beasts were deprived of their power, but received a lease of life for a season and a time.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,

one like a son of man.

He came to the one of great age

and was led into his presence.

On him was conferred sovereignty,

glory and kingship,

and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

which shall never pass away,

nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:75-81 ©

Mountains and hills! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Every thing that grows on the earth! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Springs of water! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Seas and rivers! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Sea beasts and everything that lives in water! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Birds of heaven! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Animals wild and tame! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

Lk21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high,

because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:29-33 ©

My words will never pass away

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

GOD WILL TRIUMPH OVER EVIL

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 7:2-14; Dn 3:75-81; Lk 21:29-33]

At every age, we are bewildered at what is happening in the world. In the old world, it was about poverty and slavery and wars, including religious and tribal wars. It was about diseases, hunger, sickness and suffering. Feuds occurred mostly among neighbouring tribes and nations. It was about protecting one’s tribe, family, religion, language and culture. The family and tribe were of great importance. Of course, in every era, there will be injustices, greed, cheating, oppression and killing. In every era, there would be natural disasters such as drought, famine, pandemic and earthquakes. This is why the Lord earlier in the gospel told His disciples, “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.” (Lk 21:9-11)

Today, we are confronted with new challenges. The world of technology and mass communication is a double-edged sword. It has brought great advancements in science, medicine and communications for the world. Yet, today, we are beset with problems that people who lived in the previous centuries before us did not face. Today, we are confronted with new religious, social, moral and ethical issues arising from an affluent society. The society we live in is secularistic, relativistic and individualistic. The structure of the family has been radically changed due to a search for a better life and better prospects for work and business. With people who are educated in Western philosophy, emphasis is given to the freedom of the individual often at the expense of the common good. The world has become more self-centred, individualistic and also egoistic. Family and marriage life are fragmented and the individual is confused with regard to his or her identity and meaning in life. With advancement in bio-technology, science and medicine, artificial intelligence, the sacredness of humanity is gradually being undermined. The world is becoming more unsafe as well because of the abuse of the environment and the threat of nuclear wars due to armament race and the ambition to dominate other countries, to be the most powerful, most advanced in science, technology and in weaponry.

The situation in the world today is no less different from that of the ancient world. In the first reading from the book of Daniel, the prophet had a vision of the rise and fall of the great empires of the world. “I saw that the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea; four great beasts emerged from the sea, each different from the other.” Although scholars do not quite agree as to which empire these four beasts represented, most are of the view that it refers to Babylon, followed by the Medes, Persians, the Greeks and perhaps, even the Roman Empire as some Protestant scholars hold. However, Catholic scholars tend to see the last beast as symbolizing the Greeks. Daniel said, “I saw a fourth beast, fearful, terrifying, very strong; it had great iron teeth, and it ate, crushed and trampled underfoot what remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns. While I was looking at these horns, I saw another horn sprouting among them, a little one; three of the original horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for it; and in this horn I saw eyes like human eyes, and a mouth that was full of boasts.” They suggest that the ten horns of the fourth beast refer to the ten Seleucid kings, and the final horn sprouting among them was Antiochus himself.

Our response to the challenges facing us should not be one of discouragement or despair. Scripture is confident that God will reign at the end of time. The prophet Daniel had a vision of the heavenly court where God reigns. “As I watched: Thrones were set in place and one of great age took his seat. His robe was white as snow the hair of his head as pure as wool. His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A stream of fire poured out, issuing from his presence. A thousand thousand waited on him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.” The beast was killed. And a vision that foreshadowed the reign of Christ, he said, “And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.” Christ incidentally and enigmatically described Himself with the title, “Son of man” in the third person more than the other titles.

Jesus told His disciples the parable of the fig tree. “As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near.” We need to flourish in our spiritual life. We must produce the fruits of the Spirit. We must allow the Kingdom of God to bear fruits in our life. The end of the world might not come through destruction but by transformation. That is why we must continue to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Despite all the negative signs in the world today, we must not ever think that evil has an upper hand. Eventually, God will prove victorious. The outcome of the battle is certain. But the battle is still ongoing.

In the meantime, the parable of the fig tree invites us to be discerning. We must be discerning in what we do, the choices we make and the values we imbibe. Not everything in the world is good, not everything we read is true, not every product the world promotes is necessary for our happiness. We need to seek for things that are eternal and truly lasting and meaningful. Those that are transitory and passing, should not be taken seriously. This is where we need to take time to pray and discern the will of God for us and our those under our care. This is why Jesus asked us to look for the signs of God at work in our lives.

We must cling to the words of our Lord. Only the words and promises of our Lord can provide us real comfort and hope. Everything else, as the Lord said, will pass away. He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Indeed, the promises of our Lord will remain. Truth is the final word, not relativism. We can trust in the promises of our Lord. The earth may pass away, not His words because God is eternal. That was how the Lord stayed strong knowing the sufferings and opposition ahead of Him. He was with the people in the day but at night and early in the morning, He was with His Father, drawing strength to remain faithful to His mission. He took heart from His Father’s assurance, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Reliance on our Lord’s word gives us the greatest security in life.

Until then, we must watch and pray and stay alert. Watching means keeping alert as we await the Second Coming of the Lord. Praying leads to union with Jesus and endurance. Focused on our Lord, we will find focus in the vicissitudes of life. Praying means that we are conscious that we are dependent on Him to give us strength so that we can be faithful to Him in trials and oppositions. We must never think that just because the battle is certain, we need not do anything. This is being presumptuous. We must live in such a way that we will be ready to meet God when He comes.

And when sufferings come, let us not fall not into despair. Remembering the prophecy of Daniel and the reminder of our Lord to read the signs of the times, we take to heart the wisdom of St Teresa of Avila when she said, “Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.” Through the trials of this life, we will be purified for the kingdom that is to come. We must never stop building His kingdom using whatever resources we have. So let us go through the vicissitudes of life and history with faith, knowing that the Son of Man will come to us in the clouds when the time comes. He will bring us to the presence of the one of great age. “He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.” Jesus is our eternal king! His kingdom lasts forever.

Wednesday, 24 November 2021

BEING A GOOD CHRISTIAN CITIZEN

20211125 BEING A GOOD CHRISTIAN CITIZEN

25 November, 2021, Thursday, 34th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel 6:12-28 ©

Daniel in the lions' den

The presidents and satraps came along in a body and found Daniel praying and pleading with God. They then came to the king and said, ‘Have you not just signed an edict forbidding any man for the next thirty days to pray to anyone, god or man, other than to yourself O king, on pain of being thrown into the lions’ den?’ ‘The decision stands,’ the king replied ‘as befits the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.’ Then they said to the king, ‘O king, this man Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, disregards both you and the edict which you have signed: he is at his prayers three times each day.’ When the king heard these words he was deeply distressed, and determined to save Daniel; he racked his brains until sunset to find some way out. But the men came back in a body to the king and said, ‘O king, remember that in conformity with the law of the Medes and the Persians, no edict or decree can be altered when once issued by the king.’

The king then ordered Daniel to be fetched and thrown into the lion pit. The king said to Daniel, ‘Your God himself, whom you have served so faithfully, will have to save you.’ A stone was then brought and laid over the mouth of the pit; and the king sealed it with his own signet and with that of his noblemen, so that there could be no going back on the original decision about Daniel. The king returned to his palace, spent the night in fasting and refused to receive any of his concubines. Sleep eluded him, and at the first sign of dawn he was up, and hurried off to the lion pit. As he approached the pit he shouted in anguished tones, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you serve so faithfully, been able to save you from the lions?’ Daniel replied, ‘O king, live for ever! My God sent his angel who sealed the lions’ jaws, they did me no harm, since in his sight I am blameless, and I have never done you any wrong either, O king.’ The king was overjoyed, and ordered Daniel to be released from the pit. Daniel was released from the pit, and found to be quite unhurt, because he had trusted in his God. The king sent for the men who had accused Daniel and had them thrown into the lion pit, they, their wives and their children: and they had not reached the floor of the pit before the lions had seized them and crushed their bones to pieces.

King Darius then wrote to men of all nations, peoples and languages throughout the world, ‘May peace be always with you! I decree: in every kingdom of my empire let all tremble with fear before the God of Daniel:

‘He is the living God, he endures for ever,

his sovereignty will never be destroyed

and his kingship never end.

He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders

in the heavens and on earth;

he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.’

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:68-74 ©

Dews and sleet! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Frost and cold! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Ice and snow! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Nights and days! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Light and darkness! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Lightning and clouds! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Let the earth bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

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!

Or:

Lk21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high,

because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 21:20-28 ©

There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of vengeance when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come!

‘For great misery will descend on the land and wrath on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every pagan country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the pagans until the age of the pagans is completely over.

‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’

BEING A GOOD CHRISTIAN CITIZEN

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 6:12-28; Dn 3:68-74; Lk 21:20-28]

In the first reading, we read of the fine example of Daniel serving the pagan kings when he was in exile. He was among those selected to serve in the royal courts, first the Babylonian kings, Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, then Darius, the King of Medes and Cyrus, the King of Persia. How could a staunch Jew serve in a pagan government, and hold such a high-ranking position? How is it that the kings held him in such regard and confidence as to entrust him with such powers even though he was a foreigner and a Jew in captivity?

At the beginning of this chapter, Daniel was presented not only as having exceptional skills and talents, wisdom and knowledge, but he was an upright and moral person, so much so that “the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.” And of course, there was jealousy and fear. This kind of politics is everywhere, even in church. Human beings are insecure and always envious of each other. “At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”

Daniel was loyal to whichever king he served. He recognized the legitimate authority of the king as appointed by God. Indeed, Emperor Cyrus, as the Lord spoke through the Prophet Isaiah, was said to be “‘my shepherd, and he shall carry out all my purpose’; and who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.'” (Isa 44:28) This was why St Paul urged the Christians, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” (Rom 13:1-3) St Peter also wrote a similar exhortation, “Conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honourable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. (1 Pt 2:12-14)

Daniel understood that he was living in a pagan land and so he and his fellow Jews must respect the customs and the laws of the land. This explains why he did not blatantly go against the laws of the country even when some laws infringed upon his religious beliefs. He was always tactful and diplomatic. Right at the outset, to avoid possible ritual impurity, without any show of resistance and rebellion, he quietly asked for vegetables for him and his friends instead of taking the food from the King’s tables. In today’s incident, he prayed quietly in his house, worshipping Yahweh. He had no intention of publicly going against the decree of the king. But jealousy among the political stakeholders resulted in his being exposed and brought before the King to be condemned to death. Daniel demonstrates how we can be faithful to the King or to the State and yet remain true to our faith. He did not compromise his beliefs and yet showed respect for the laws of the land.

God was faithful to Daniel for his fidelity to Him. He sent his angels to seal the lions’ jaws and saved him from being savaged by them. The king, too, was very impressed and edified by his faith in his God, as well as his sincere loyalty and humility in wanting to serve the king faithfully. Indeed, the king held him in high regard. He not only prayed for him but fasted for him as well. “The king returned to his palace, spent the night in fasting and refused to receive any of his concubines. Sleep eluded him, and at the first sign of dawn he was up, and hurried off to the lion pit.” He was worried and anxious for the life of Daniel even though he had some trust in the God of Daniel. “As he approached the pit he shouted in anguished tones, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God, whom you serve so faithfully, been able to save you from the lions?”

As a consequence, the King killed Daniel’s enemies for falsely accusing him of deliberately going against the laws of the country. He even extolled his people to respect the religion of the Jews. “King Darius then wrote to men of all nations, peoples and languages throughout the world. ‘May peace be always with you! I decree: in every kingdom of my empire let all tremble with fear before the God of Daniel: ‘He is the living God, he endures forever, his sovereignty will never be destroyed. And his kingship never ends. He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth; he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.'”

This event should urge us all to respect the State, the culture of the people, and to be obedient to the laws of the land, more so when the Christian Faith is a minority among the peoples of the land. We should learn to accommodate where possible and never retaliate. We cannot impose our values on others in a democratic country. Yet, at the same time, we should not compromise our faith and values. Governments should respect the freedom of the practice and worship of religion. If a government acts like King Darius and King Cyrus, there will be peace and harmony. It is through mutual respect and cooperation that we build unity, harmony and progress among our peoples. The Church and religions should play the role of advising and articulating their views on matters relating to morality, ethics and justice. However, it is not the task of religion to ensure justice and order because this is the work of the elected government. A clear distinction, not dichotomy, between religion and state serves the interests of peoples of all faith and cultures.

Hence, we must state there is no real dichotomy between State and one’s religion. Most of the values espoused by religions are universal values. They can help the State to promote values that bring about a greater unity, respect, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and generosity. There will be specific issues that are sensitive to some religions. This is where the State must learn to respect the religious sensitivities of peoples. At the same time, religions cannot impose on the policies of the State. Of course, religions, which promote justice, compassion and love, would have to articulate their views when human rights are violated, as religions have a moral voice in society.

Secular governments and organizations need not be fearful that if a Christian assumes public office, he might be influenced by his religious values and thus unable to act fairly and impartially in governing the people. Indeed, it is true that there will be moral issues where the individual would have to take his or her stand, regardless which religion he or she subscribes to, if any. All of us without exception have been conditioned by our upbringing, culture, religion and background. We cannot separate a man from his political, religious, cultural and educational upbringing. This is unavoidable because no one is a tabula rasa. Our values are shaped by our upbringing and past experiences. However, in a democratic institution, the leader must respect the majority voice of the people even when he or she is personally against it. And when it is not possible to evade, one can always abstain so that there is no conflict of interests.

Let us learn from the Jews during the time of Jesus. Our Lord had warned His countrymen of the disasters ahead of them. There would be destruction and famine. He had prophesied the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70 when the temple would be completely destroyed because the people rebelled against Rome. He said, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For great misery will descend on the land and wrath on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every pagan country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the pagans until the age of the pagans is completely over.”

However, if they had repented of their political ambitions, Rome would have left them alone. All would have lived peacefully, coexisting with each other. Rome was not concerned with the religious beliefs of the Jews as long as they kept out of politics. But when they became political and subversive, this was when Rome responded with destruction. So too, let us practise our faith and yet collaborate with the civil authorities, showing ourselves to be good citizens, helping to contribute to the growth of the country, promoting dialogue among peoples of different religions and cultures, and most of all, fostering unity in the country. Religion and politics must coexist peacefully and support each other, but religion should steer clear of politics and political ambitions and politics should not make use of religion.

Tuesday, 23 November 2021

AN OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS

20211124 AN OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS

24 November, 2021, Wednesday, 34th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28 ©

The writing on the wall

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his noblemen; a thousand of them attended, and he drank wine in company with this thousand. As he sipped his wine, Belshazzar gave orders for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, so that the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women could drink out of them. The gold and silver vessels looted from the sanctuary of the Temple of God in Jerusalem were brought in, and the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women drank out of them. They drank their wine and praised their gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared, and began to write on the plaster of the palace wall, directly behind the lamp-stand; and the king could see the hand as it wrote. The king turned pale with alarm: his thigh-joints went slack and his knees began to knock.

Daniel was brought into the king’s presence; the king said to Daniel, ‘Are you the Daniel who was one of the Judaean exiles brought by my father the king from Judah? I am told that the spirit of God Most Holy lives in you, and that you are known for your perception, intelligence and marvellous wisdom. As I am told that you are able to give interpretations and to unravel difficult problems, if you can read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be dressed in purple, and have a chain of gold put round your neck, and be third in rank in the kingdom.’

Then Daniel spoke up in the presence of the king. ‘Keep your gifts for yourself,’ he said ‘and give your rewards to others. I will read the writing to the king without them, and tell him what it means. You have defied the Lord of heaven, you have had the vessels from his Temple brought to you, and you, your noblemen, your wives and your singing women have drunk your wine out of them. You have praised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which cannot either see, hear or understand; but you have given no glory to the God who holds your breath and all your fortunes in his hands. That is why he has sent the hand which, by itself, has written these words. The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin. The meaning of the words is this: Mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.’

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:62-67 ©

Sun and moon! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Stars of heaven! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Showers and dews! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Winds! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Fire and heat! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Cold and heat! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times

for the strength to stand with confidence

before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

Or:

Rv2:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,

keep faithful, and I will give you

the crown of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Your endurance will win you your lives

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’

AN OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Dn 3:62-67; Lk 21:12-19]

In the work of evangelization, some of us are waiting for the right opportunity to witness. We are waiting for the right time. Some say that they will start getting involved in the Church when they have accumulated enough savings for their retirement years. Some wait for their children to grow up before they give more time to the Church. Some are even waiting for their grandchildren to grow up before they would consider giving some time to the Church and the gospel. We all have our reasons and excuses to delay in giving our life to Christ and to the spread of the gospel.

Yet, the best opportunity to witness is not when the conditions are right, when things are doing well, when we are living in comfort and security. The most impactful time to witness to Christ is when we are going through difficult times, challenging situations and even persecution. This is the real moment of test in determining whether our faith in Christ is mere lip service or a real conviction of the heart. The worth of the person is measured by the way he handles the challenges, sufferings and opposition from his enemies and detractors. Jesus said to His disciples, “Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness.” Indeed, earlier on, as also in today’s gospel, the Lord did not mince His words when He said that the disciples will face great trials and tribulations, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.” (Lk 21:10f)

We would think that such negative happenings work against us and our faith. On the contrary, Jesus made it clear that such natural and historical events would be opportunities for us to vouch for Him and for His Father. We should not be surprised that as Christians, we would have to go through all these trials in life. Jesus had already warned His disciples many times that “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:24f) The way to the resurrection always goes through the cross. We must be wary of those Christians that preach Christianity as the way to acquire comfort, riches, wealth and every form of earthly blessings. No true Christian can be too wealthy because if they are truly wealthy, they will become poorer when they start sharing their blessings with those who are without even the basic needs of life. A Christian is truly rich only when he gives his wealth away to enrich others who are poor.

We must therefore make use of these tragic events in our lives as opportunities to bear witness to Christ. Natural disasters such as pandemic, earthquakes, drought, typhoons and flooding are opportunities for us to stand with those who are suffering even if we are among those who are victims as well. When we reach out to these desperate people who are injured, hungry and without shelter, they will see the compassion and mercy of Christ in us. When we are dealing with human selfishness manifested in civil disorder, wars and terrorist activities, we are called to be peacemakers, and when we are victims, to forgive and to heal others with the wounds we are carrying ourselves. When we are like Jesus and Mary, able to forgive our enemies and pray for them, we transcend evil, selfishness and revenge. We should ourselves to be truly Christ-like, like St Stephen. Our non-retaliatory reaction will one day touch and move the hearts of evil people who have committed all kinds of atrocities against humanity. This is equally true when we are persecuted for our faith. Jesus reminds us to use these opportunities to bear witness to His name, which was what the early Church did when the apostles were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, or Paul before governors and kings.

This is the irony of the Christian Faith. The Church grows through trials, suffering, scandals and opposition. Indeed, in the early Church, as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles from chapter 3 onwards, we read that the apostles and the disciples of Jesus were arrested, put in prison and flogged. St Paul recounted all his trials in his missionary journeys. “Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Cor 11:24-28) Because of his suffering with Christ, the faith was spread to the whole world.

The truth is that complacency due to affluence is what hinders the work of evangelization. When we study the history of the Church, we will come to realize that when she was poor and under persecution, the faith of the people remained strong and there were many conversions. But when the Church became an established Church, especially in the Middle Ages, the Church, clergy and laity fell into moral decadence. When the Church enjoys political and religious power, very soon, we forget our humble beginnings. We take pride in our achievements, in our wealth, in our power to influence the great and mighty. We become too sure of ourselves and instead of relying on God, we rely on our ingenuity. This is also what is happening in our time. Established churches that are wealthy and powerful tend to succumb to the temptations of the world, be identified with worldly powers and achievements. We share in the luxuries of the world and their pleasures. Very soon, we forget about the poor, the suffering and marginalized. Living like Dives the rich man, we become oblivious to the suffering, the privation and injustices that many people are going through. As Pope Francis said many times, even our clergy and religious are not exempted from spiritual worldliness; clinging to power, honour, a life of luxury. We have become proud and arrogant.

This was what happened to King Belshazzar in the first reading. He was living too comfortably a life. He had no respect for the sacred or for God. He “gave orders for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, so that the king, his noblemen, his wives and his singing women could drink out of them.” But the Lord took him to task. Writing on the wall, the judgement was meted out. “God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.” He was oblivious to the fact that the Medes had already captured some of his cities and were closing in on Babylon. “That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.” (Dn 5:30)

We too must be careful, otherwise when the time comes, we too will be found wanting and we too will be destroyed. We must be prepared by staying close to our Lord. Jesus told His disciples, “Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.” Only united with our Lord and relying on the Holy Spirit can we overcome the trials and persecution of this world. On our own we will fail. The way to victory is not just fortitude but finding faith in the Lord. Only knowing Christ, His passion, death and resurrection will give us the strength and the endurance to fight the good fight until the end. Jesus assures us that He will give us the Holy Spirit to overcome the trials of life when the time comes. We should not be too worried whether we can find the courage and strength to do His tasks. But if we have faith in Him, He will supply us the necessary graces to accomplish His work. With St Paul, we must say, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)

Monday, 22 November 2021

FACING THE INEVITABLE END OF EARTHLY GLORY AND POWER

20211123 FACING THE INEVITABLE END OF EARTHLY GLORY AND POWER

23 November, 2021, Tuesday, 34th Week, Ordinary Time

First reading

Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, ‘You have had a vision, O king; this is what you saw: a statue, a great statue of extreme brightness, stood before you, terrible to see. The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part iron, part earthenware. While you were gazing, a stone broke away, untouched by any hand, and struck the statue, struck its feet of iron and earthenware and shattered them. And then, iron and earthenware, bronze, silver, gold all broke into small pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing-floor in summer. The wind blew them away, leaving not a trace behind. And the stone that had struck the statue grew into a great mountain, filling the whole earth. This was the dream; now we will explain to the king what it means.

‘You, O king, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and glory – the sons of men, the beasts of the field, the birds of heaven, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all – you are the golden head. And after you another kingdom will rise, not so great as you, and then a third, of bronze, which will rule the whole world. There will be a fourth kingdom, hard as iron, as iron that shatters and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms. The feet you saw, part earthenware, part iron, are a kingdom which will be split in two, but which will retain something of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together. The feet were part iron, part earthenware: the kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. And just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together, so the two will be mixed together in the seed of man; but they will not hold together any more than iron will blend with earthenware. In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever – just as you saw the stone untouched by hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.’

Responsorial Psalm

All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Angels of the Lord! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Heavens! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Waters above the heavens! bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Powers of the Lord! all bless the Lord.

Give glory and eternal praise to him!

Gospel Acclamation

Lk21:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stand erect, hold your heads high,

because your liberation is near at hand.

Alleluia!

Or:

Rv2:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Even if you have to die, says the Lord,

keep faithful, and I will give you

the crown of life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

The destruction of the Temple foretold

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’

FACING THE INEVITABLE END OF EARTHLY GLORY AND POWER

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Dn 2:31-45; Dn 3:57-61; Lk 21:5-11]

Like the Israelites who were under persecution and oppression of foreign powers, we also wonder whether God is with us in our times when there is so much chaos, disunity among nations, hostile competition, threats of war, violence and terrorism. The situation in the world and even within each country is fragile because it is becoming more and more difficult to unite a polarized and fragmented society with different values. If we are losing hope in life or in the meaning of life, the scripture readings assure us that God is in control of history. He is in charge and His kingdom will never be destroyed. This was how the prophet Daniel comforted His people. “In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever – just as you saw the stone untouched by hand break from the mountain and shatter iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold.”

Conversely, it is a stark reminder to us all that all other kingdoms of this world cannot last forever, no matter how powerful a nation might be. History has seen the rise and fall of empires, and even super-powerful countries of today’s world will no less come to an end. It is a matter of life. This is the inevitable process of history. To think that a superpower can always remain on the top above all others forever is an illusion. To think that we can always be the most powerful nation, most successful CEO of a corporation, a leader in our organization, is an illusion as well. A time will come when success becomes failure, and power gives way to corruption, if not complacency. Unfortunately, most of us are like the Babylonian King. He was pleased to hear from the prophet Daniel that he was the “golden head” of this great statue in his vision. He felt comforted that he was the most powerful of all kings.

Alas, he did not pay attention to the entire meaning of the vision he had. He was living in denial, not facing the truth about himself and the future. The truth was that his kingdom would eventually come to an end. It would be replaced by other kingdoms. After him, the prophet Daniel said, “another kingdom will rise, not so great as you, and then a third, of bronze, which will rule the whole world. There will be a fourth kingdom, hard as iron, as iron that shatters and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms.” Even this iron kingdom, so powerful, would also be destroyed eventually. “While you were gazing, a stone broke away, untouched by any hand, and struck the statue, struck its feet of iron and earthenware and shattered them. And then, iron and earthenware, bronze, silver, gold all broke into small pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing-floor in summer. The wind blew then away, leaving not a trace behind. And the stone that had struck the statue grew into a great mountain, filling the whole earth.”

The four kingdoms that Daniel spoke of could probably refer to the four great empires towards the last 600 years before Christ and another 400 years after Christ. “The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part iron, part earthenware.” There are two different views among scholars as to exactly which empire Daniel was speaking about. Some scholars suggest that the golden head refers to the Babylonians, the silver chest and arms refer to the Medes and Persians, the bronze belly and thighs refer to the Greek empire and the iron legs refer to the Roman Empire. Regardless which empire is assigned to the vision, the point remains that all these empires in their time seemed unconquerable, formidable and would last forever. But history has shown again and again, that no great empire no matter how powerful they are, no powerful man would last forever. A time will come, when the rich and powerful country will suffer complacency and decadence. Consumed by their power, they will be destroyed.

Alas not only will political, military and economic powers eventually collapse, even beautiful temples and churches would also suffer destruction, and some religions would also suffer setback whilst others disappear eventually from the face of the earth. “When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.'” Indeed, let us not fool ourselves that what we have built and the achievements we have made will last forever. Nothing lasts on this earth.

Perhaps, like the disciples, we too are curious as to when all these things would take place. “They put to him the question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?'” Jesus replied, “‘Take care not to be deceived because many will come using my name and saying, ‘I am he’ and, ‘The time is near at hand.’ Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon. Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.” In other words, there is no need to speculate. History will unfold itself. There will always be wars and revolutions. There will always be natural disasters, plagues and famines. All these remind us that our life on earth remains transitory. We should not be surprised by the upheavals in nature and in humanity because we are a sinful human race, deluded by our desire for power, glory, status and security. We are selfish and seek our own pleasures at the expense of others.

Instead of falling into despair, we must hold firm to our faith that God is in charge of the kingdoms of the world. This is what the prophet Daniel said, “You O king, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and glory – the sons of men, the beasts of the field, the birds of heaven, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all – you are the golden head.” The Babylonian king failed to recognize that his kingship and power was given by God. Everything he had came from God and not from his own power and ingenuity. This was why St Paul exhorted the Christians, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Rom 13:1f)

Indeed, when we fail to realize that our authority, power, success, talents, wealth and achievements come from God, this would be the beginning of our downfall. We seek to preserve our wealth and power. We become manipulative and conniving. Leadership is no longer about being good stewards of God’s gift, building the kingdom of God where all peoples are cared for, respected, justly treated and have a right to enjoy the world’s resources. When authority and power is reserved just for the enrichment of ourselves and even of our nation alone, whilst depriving the rest of the world of the earth’s resources and wealth, this is injustice and selfishness. All leaders have a responsibility not just to their people but the whole of humanity. If only we realize the futility of the power and wealth of this earth, we would not hold on to them for life. We will know how and when to let God.

Indeed, God is the revealer of mysteries. Only He can tell us the truth of the matter, the reality of the world. When the king asked Daniel, “Are you able to tell me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered the king, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or diviners can show to the king the mystery that the king is asking, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has disclosed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at the end of days.” (Dn 2:26-28) Jesus who is the Lord of Lords comes to reveal to us the Kingdom of God as well. He will establish it by His death and resurrection. Only Christ can conquer sin and death, ushering us all into the kingdom of God that lasts forever.