Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Saturday, 27 August 2022

GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GIFTS IS EXPRESSED IN CREATIVE FIDELITY

20220827 GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GIFTS IS EXPRESSED IN CREATIVE FIDELITY

27 August, 2022, Saturday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ©

God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, to shame the wise

Take yourselves for instance, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything. The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scripture says: if anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 32(33):12-13,18-21 ©

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

They are happy, whose God is the Lord,

the people he has chosen as his own.

From the heavens the Lord looks forth,

he sees all the children of men.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death,

to keep them alive in famine.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

The Lord is our help and our shield.

In him do our hearts find joy.

We trust in his holy name.

Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Gospel Acclamation

Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars

because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn13:34

Alleluia, alleluia!

I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you,

says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 25:14-30 ©

You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.

‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”

‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GIFTS IS EXPRESSED IN CREATIVE FIDELITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 1:26-31; PS 33; MT 25:14-30]

There is an apparent contradiction between the two readings. The first reading speaks of those not blessed with the gifts valued highly by the world, e.g. wealth, power, status and human knowledge. The gospel however underscores that God gives us gifts according to His divine sovereignty. Although we all do not receive the same number of gifts, some are given one talent and others have more, God does not demand of us what we do not have. The common denominator for both readings underscores that God is the giver of all gifts.

Yet the truth remains that quite often we fail to be conscious of this fact. Many of us think that our success is due to our hard work alone. We tend to boast of our efforts and achievements as if they are purely due to our ingenuity, intelligence and hard work. We credit all success to ourselves. Such an attitude towards our achievements makes us egoistic and arrogant. Many of us forget that at one time we were nobody. We forget that we were once poor and without status. The truth is that if we have managed to earn an academic degree, God must have provided the financial means, health and grey matter; otherwise we would not have been able to study. Now that we are successful, we look down on others and treat those beneath us in social status with disdain or condescension. That is why St Paul, citing from scripture, says, “If anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.” We must remember that all gifts are from Him, without which we can do nothing.

For this reason, St Paul wrote, “to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame the strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.” It is significant that the early Church for the most part grew from the outcasts of society, of which many were slaves. Of course, there were also quite a number coming from the higher strata of society. St Paul purposely underscored this fact because the Corinthians were divided because of the gifts. They were boasting about their gifts to each other, causing envy, comparison and disunity. If we are aware that these gifts are given to us, then we will always remain humble even when we are successful. It is important to remember always where we were before we become where we are now.

Furthermore, St Paul was able to boast of God’s powers, precisely because of this fact that we are totally dependent on Him. One of the factors that account for the spread of the Pentecostal renewal was because of the healing and transformation of the lives of drug addicts and those from the lower classes. The truth is that those of us who are capable, talented, rich and self-sufficient cannot feel the power of God at work through us in a significant way as we think that our accomplishments are due to our merits, unlike those who are poor and lacking in talents. It is like those who are very healthy and strong who take health supplements; they will not derive much benefit from the supplements.

At any rate, not all of us are given the same gifts. As the gospel says, some are given more and some given less, each according to his capacity and for a purpose. All gifts are given for the service of the proclamation of the Good News. We are not equal in talents but we can be equal in giving our best for the greater glory of God. He does not judge or commend us according to what we produce at the end of the day but how much effort we have put in to cooperate with the gifts He has given to us. This explains why the first two servants were commended highly by the master and were given more responsibilities according to their abilities. God will never demand from us what we do not have. We only need to do our best according to the gifts and resources we have been given. As Mother Teresa always says, we are called to be faithful, not successful.

Secondly, by failing to recognize that we are only stewards of God’s gifts, just like the servants who were entrusted with the man’s money, we do not use our gifts responsibly. Like the lazy servant, we do not use our gifts creatively and in fidelity to what God intended of us when He gave us His gifts. All gifts given to us are not for ourselves but for the service of others so that the kingdom of God can be extended to all men. Some of us are like the lazy servant who did nothing with the talent that was entrusted to him. Indeed, many of us take our blessings for granted. We take our food, job and health for granted. That is why we never take care or use them well till they are taken away. We don’t value health till we are sick. We complain about our jobs when many cannot even find a job.

So like the lazy servant, because we fail to appreciate the gifts and use them properly, we destroy ourselves. As a consequence, even the little we have is taken away from us. Jesus remarked, “For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” This is a universal truth of life, that what we do not use, will be lost to us, be it our health, talents, intelligence and skills. The paradox of life is that when we use all that we have, we become better and healthier. Many who retire and do nothing all day end up with ill health and suffer the onset of early dementia and all kinds of illnesses because they fail to exercise their mind and body.

On another level, the parable was a rebuke to the religious leaders in Jesus’ time because of their attitude towards the Torah, the Law of God. Instead of observing the spirit of the Law, they simply kept the Law exactly as it was, like the servant who buried the talent in the earth. As a result, they stifled the truth and destroyed all creativity. Being responsible is not just about using what God has given to us, but we must use the gifts creatively as well. Keeping the status quo is not being faithful to God’s gift. Gifts must be developed and not be hoarded in cold storage. Unfortunately, many of us do not share our gifts with others and find ways and means to enhance them. Being over protective of the past can destroy us. In life we must take risks, especially in the proclamation of the Good News. Those who are afraid to take risks will never be fruitful. Life is always an adventure, so too is faith. If Abraham did not take the risk of trusting God, there would be no Israel. If St Paul did not venture out beyond the boundaries of Palestine, the Gentiles and the whole world would not be Christians. As it is, Judaism remains the religion of a certain race principally. So we must take the initiative, allow mistakes to be made, and see the power of God at work in us if we place our faith in Him rather than on mere human calculation. Perhaps our Church is not growing rapidly because we are too calculative, too logical and human in our approach towards evangelization. We are no better than the servant who buried the talent in the earth for fear of losing it. A maintenance Church will inevitably die, sooner or later. A Church with vision will fire up zeal in the lives of its believers.

Indeed, the way to exercise and make full use of the resources the Lord has given to us is to be appreciative and grateful for what we have been given, like the early Christians who were grateful for God’s choice of them to be the new people of God. Like the psalmist, they prayed, “Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down; he sees all mankind.” On account of the Lord’s mercy and love, they were converted to the Lord. Outsiders who saw their transformation were edified and attracted to the Lord. This is why St Paul said the gospel he preached was proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit and not through human wisdom and sophistry.

In the final analysis, gratitude is expressed in our cooperation with God’s grace, and even if we are successful, we know that it is due to the Lord’s grace and mercy.
Hence, St Paul’s message is clear that only faith in God’s wisdom seen in Christ can bring about a real conversion of heart. Only faith in His love and mercy seen in the passion and resurrection of Christ can make us realize that God can do greater things in and through us, more than we can imagine. Only a contemplation of His passion and resurrection will make us give up our lives for Him in response to His love for us. At the end of the day, being responsible for the gifts we have received is dependent on our relationship with God in Christ.

As we remember Mary this Saturday, let us follow her example of creative fidelity to God’s grace. As a representative of the anawim, the poor of Israel, Mary depended entirely on God and His grace. In the Magnificat, she acknowledged that it was God who had done great things for her and in her. Of course, having received the grace of God, she cooperated with Him by saying ‘Yes’ to Him at the incarnation, right up to the passion of Christ. So as we await for the coming of Christ at the end of our lives, it behoves us all to use all our resources, talents, abilities, money, influence well for the extension of God’s Kingdom, spreading the Good News about Jesus Christ and His love.

Thursday, 25 August 2022

THE ILLOGICAL LOGIC OF CHRISTIANITY

20220826 THE ILLOGICAL LOGIC OF CHRISTIANITY

26 August, 2022, Friday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

1 Corinthians 1:17-25 ©

We preach a crucified Christ, the power and wisdom of God

Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed. The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God’s wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach. And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 32(33):1-2,4-5,10-11 ©

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;

for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,

with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

For the word of the Lord is faithful

and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

and fills the earth with his love.

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

He frustrates the designs of the nations,

he defeats the plans of the peoples.

His own designs shall stand for ever,

the plans of his heart from age to age.

The Lord fills the earth with his love.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps129:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

Alleluia!

Or:

Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake, praying at all times

for the strength to stand with confidence

before the Son of Man.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13 ©

The wise and foolish virgins

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

THE ILLOGICAL LOGIC OF CHRISTIANITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 1:17-25; PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11; MT 25:1-13]

Is there logic in the Christian Faith? The Church has always maintained that faith is reasonable but not reasoned. In other words, the starting point of Christianity is always faith, and then to show that this faith is not unreasonable. In other words, it is a credible faith. The faith claims of Christianity are not explained by logic. That is why the faith claims of Christianity appear to be ridiculous to those who have no faith.

The doctrines of the Christian Faith give rise to many objections. For the humanists, it is difficult to accept the fact of divine revelation. Many religions claim to have some kind of divine revelation. The scriptures are considered sacred and not questionable. Even the founders of religions, although not claimed to be divine, are given a status of demi-gods. The scandal of Christianity is that we go beyond merely claiming that the Christian Faith is a revealed faith like some other religions.

We make the astonishing claim that the Crucified Christ is the Crucified God. This is what St Paul said, “And so, while the Jews demanded miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God.”

For the Jews, it was difficult to reconcile a Messiah that was crucified when he was to be the triumphant Messiah who would liberate Israel from their enemies. All the time, they were looking for signs and miracles to authenticate their claims. When Jesus was performing miracles, they thought He was the One. But with His crucifixion, all His claims were called into question. The book of Deuteronomy teaches that “When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you shall bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” (Dt 21:23) The crucifixion of Christ for the Jews proved that they were right that Jesus was not the Messiah.

For the Greek Gentiles, God was supposed to be immutable. God is pure act because He is all that He can be. He cannot be perfected as He is absolutely perfect. His attributes are identical with His essence. Creatures, however, are in a state of potentiality, seeking to arrive at perfection. So if God can change and suffer in Christ, it would be impossible to claim that the Crucified One is the Son of God. So to claim that God could suffer and even die is totally absurd. The God of the philosophers was a God who cannot feel, cannot change, cannot be incarnated and of course, cannot suffer and die! Otherwise, He would be subject to change and therefore is no longer perfect.

But this is precisely the greatest miracle of Christianity, the claims of a crucified God. “Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed. The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today?” In speaking about the Crucified God in Christ, Christianity is making the wildest claim that no religion dares to make for their founder. We are not only claiming that Christ is the Son of God but that the Crucified One is the Son of God. By so doing, we are also saying that God is not a monad as in other monotheistic religions but a Trinity of persons.

What is the basis of this claim? It is based on the resurrection of the Crucified Christ. Without the resurrection, then all the objections that are raised are valid. St Paul could preach so convincingly about the Crucified Christ only because He has encountered the Risen Lord. It was his personal encounter with the Risen Lord on his way to Damascus that made him change not just his mind but his entire life. Before that, like the rest of the Jews, he could not accept the claims of the early Christians, so much so he took it upon himself to persecute the Christians for destroying the Jewish faith.

But what of the Crucified Christ condemned as a criminal and then risen from the dead? What is the implication? If God had raised a criminal back to life, it clearly demonstrates that the heavenly Father endorses all that Jesus said, did and claimed. It is the divine seal upon the life and teaching of Christ. The resurrection of our Lord is His vindication. So faith in the Crucified God is dependent on faith in the resurrected Christ.

This also means that we have to accept all that Jesus taught and claimed, implicitly and explicitly. In the life of Christ, He had claimed to speak in the name of His Father and to act on His behalf. He identified Himself with the Father and claimed that His sonship was unique and different from ours. Faith in the resurrection is the foundation of the Christian confession of faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Indeed, because of the resurrection of our Lord, we could accept the doctrine of the Incarnation, the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the Bible as the Word of God, the reality and effectiveness of the sacraments, the teaching authority of the Holy Father as the successor of St Peter and the magisterium. Without faith in the resurrection, such claims cannot be justified.

But that is not all, when we contemplate that the One who was crucified is truly the Son of God, then our whole understanding of God has to change. The death and resurrection of Christ debunks all our philosophical concepts of God through human reasoning. The philosophical presupposition of God’s immutability cannot hold anymore and challenges us to rethink our concept of God. This God whom we believe in can become incarnated. He can feel with us and suffer with us. This is a God of compassion and mercy. He is not detached from us and oblivious to our pains. He carries within Himself our suffering and our sins. With His death and resurrection, the heart of God is shown. St Paul wrote, “Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God’s wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach.”

Thus, the key to faith in Christ cannot be mere reason alone. No amount of argument can bring a person to faith. The intellectual arguments at most can supply the logic to our illogical belief in Christ. That is to say, that we have reason to believe that the claims are true to enable us to take the leap of faith in Christ. Faith, at the end of the day, cannot be based on reason but on submission of our reason in obedience to the revelation received. In order to arrive at belief, we must in faith surrender our minds and enter into the experience of the Christians. Only when we surrender in faith can we see what the mind cannot. In daily life, this is true because only in faith and trust, can we understand a person better than when we relate with a person with doubt and scepticism. As we open ourselves to a relationship, then we will see more and the evidence will only further what we believe.

For this reason, the gospel warns us that the Oil of faith cannot be borrowed or shared. In the final analysis, we must bring our own Oil of faith to welcome the bridegroom. There are certain things in life that cannot be borrowed, especially relationship. Unless we open our hearts to the Lord in faith and engage Him in prayer, worship and the meditation on His word, we cannot find our faith strengthened. We need to discover for ourselves the Christ that is proclaimed in the Church if we were to find a deeper faith in Him.

Finally, there is a warning that this must begin now before it is too late. If we do not strengthen our faith in Christ now, when the time comes, it would be too late. If we do not study hard now, it would be too late when our exams arrive. This is particularly true when we are speaking about making our preparations to meet God.

How do we make our preparations? We must realize ourselves according to God’s plan for us. We must become the person we are called to be. Every little thing we do now, every good action we do will strengthen and reinforce our virtues and increase our capacity for love and holiness. Hence, we must actualize ourselves more and more each day to become the son and daughter of God that we are meant to be. To help us to prepare for this long journey, we need to receive Christ often, especially in the Eucharist, the bread of life and reading the Word of God. In this way, by receiving the Viaticum, we will have the strength to journey to our heavenly Father’s home.

Wednesday, 24 August 2022

VIGILANCE

20220825 VIGILANCE

25 August, 2022, Thursday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time

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

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. Then there were others who were living immoral lives and bringing their fellow brothers and sisters to court over some disagreements.

Like them we, too, often take these gifts bestowed by the Lord for granted. We also have some Catholics who would even sue fellow Catholics because of some disagreement in the way an organization is managed, or because of hurtful words. Of course, 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 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. This is the theme of today’s scripture readings. 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 not careful, they are drawn further away from God. Without prayers and reading the Word of God, they become easy prey for Satan to tempt them to further sins and 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; not just with our faith but also with our loved ones and colleagues, and even our jobs. One day when we lose them, whether it is our health, our loved ones, our job, then we regret. The servant in the gospel abused the position the master gave to him. He was supposed to take care of the house and the other servants. Instead of being responsible in managing the household, he was drinking, getting drunk and abusing the other servants. He forgot his position and his privilege.

Indeed, today’s gospel has a warning, especially to those who hold positions in life, whether in society, in organization or in church. The greater the privilege, the greater is the trust and the responsibility demanded. When leaders abuse their positions of trust, they are often severely punished because of the implications of their actions 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, using their positions to enrich themselves, 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 would be 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 draw 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 said, the master will come any time, what He meant was 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 are already in 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, theirs sins will be forgiven. We are not too sure whether if one lives a sinful life, when his heart is hardened by evil, numbed to sin and to what is good, and to God as well, would he even desire to repent and have his sins forgiven. By continuing to live a sinful life, that person would have reinforced all the sinful decisions he makes each day and be hardened in them.

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 is preparing 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 and done his studies. Exam for the student would be a day of liberation and celebration because he will be bringing together all that he has read and researched, and sharing his knowledge with others. Exam is 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 onslaughts 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 says, 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, 23 August 2022

COMING TO FAITH IN CHRIST

20220824 COMING TO FAITH IN CHRIST

24 August, 2022, Wednesday, St Bartholomew, Apostle

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.’

COMING TO FAITH IN CHRIST

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rev 21:9-14; Ps 145:10-13,17-18; Jn 1:45-51]

How does one come to faith in Christ? This is the question being addressed in the first chapter of John, particularly from verse 35 onwards. We have the call of the first disciples. The first two disciples, Andrew and presumably John, asked to follow Jesus. They said, “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.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” (Jn 1:38f) Then they brought Peter to Jesus. (Jn 1:40-42) It is significant that only Philip was explicitly called to follow Him. (Jn 1:43) Others either asked to follow Him or were introduced to Him. Whereas Andrew and John brought Peter to Jesus, Philip brought Nathaniel to our Lord.

From this it flows that coming to faith in Christ takes different routes. Not all of us come to faith in the same way. God calls us differently according to the circumstances in our lives. There is no one way to call a person to faith. Some come to faith through friends, family upbringing, through good teachers. Others come to faith through study and research. Some through crises and prayer. Whichever way we come to faith in Him, there are certain dispositions necessary for anyone to come to faith. These are exemplified in the person of Nathaniel whose feast we celebrate today.

Firstly, we must be aware of our prejudices. When “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?'” Nathaniel was sceptical when he heard that Jesus came from Nazareth. Just like people in his time, no one expected the Messiah to be associated with Nazareth. Furthermore, Nazareth was not known to be an outstanding village. Verification of Jesus’ Messiahship required them to authenticate His origin.

This is consistent even with the opponents of our Lord. Later the opponents also asked the same question, “When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ So there was a division in the crowd because of him.” (Jn 7:41-44) Then “Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.'” (Jn 7:50-52)

However, unlike the opponents of our Lord, especially the religious leaders, Nathaniel was docile and receptive. He did not close his mind to the possibility that Jesus could be the Messiah. He was ready to correct his wrong understanding of Jesus. This was because Nathaniel was sincere in searching for the Messiah. This was brought out by Jesus’ recognition of his sincerity when He remarked to him, “‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.'” The symbol of the fig tree is one who sits in prayer and contemplation waiting for the revelation of God. Nathaniel must have been one who was waiting for the Messiah to be revealed to him. So long as we are not closed but docile and receptive, we can be sure that God will give us the grace to come to know Him deeply and personally. We must be like Nathaniel, docile, humble even when we search for God. But this search must be done in the context of prayer and contemplation. When we contemplate, God will find us instead of we finding Him.

Indeed, Nathaniel was described as someone who was sincere and true to himself. Jesus said, he “deserves the name, incapable of deceit.” This did not mean that he could not be wrong in his opinion or understanding of God. He could have held wrong beliefs but he was a sincere and honest man. He truly sought God and had a clear conscience. He put God above everyone else. So when he found Him in Jesus, he was ready to follow Him. And this is true for anyone of us. If we find ourselves not ready to receive Him or to accept Him, the Lord is patient with us. We do not force people to accept Christ when they are not ready. But what is required of us all is that everyone, whether a believer or not, must be sincerely searching for the truth, the ultimate, like Nathaniel sitting under the fig tree. We must challenge ourselves and not rest till we rest in God. So for those who still have not come to faith in Christ, we must continue to challenge them to find the answers to the ultimate questions of life, such as, our origin, our destiny, our identity and our purpose in life.

Indeed, what distinguishes Nathaniel from his fellow Jews and from us who are non-believers in Christ is that we do not have that docile humility to find out the truth. He was ready to “come and see”. This ‘seeing’ in John’s gospel was not so much a physical seeing but a grasping of the truth, of divine revelation. Of course, this seeing is through the humanity of Jesus but the reality of Jesus is more than His humanity but His divinity. Jesus was able to “see” through Nathaniel and so confirm His true identity. Only God can read the heart of man, and Jesus saw his heart. Nathaniel came to recognize and confess that Jesus was truly the Son of God, the King of Israel because He saw him from afar. This “seeing” of our Lord also authenticates Philip’s assessment of our Lord when he said, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote.” What did Moses write? “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?’ If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.” (Dt 18:18, 21f

“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.” Why did Jesus call him a true Israelite? By confessing in Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel, he was worthy to be called an Israelite. In the Old Testament, the King of Israel was also called a son of God. So in confessing that Jesus is the King of Israel, therefore the son of God, he proved himself to be a member of the Chosen race. Unlike the rest of the Jews who did not believe in Jesus but who considered themselves as such, they were in reality not true Israelites. As the Lord said to them, their origin was not traced to Abraham but to the devil. Jesus said to them, “It is because you cannot accept my word. You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires.” (Jn 8:42-44)

Although, Nathaniel confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, using Messianic titles, he was still far from the full understanding of Christ. His faith had yet to blossom to its fullness, just like the rest of the apostles. It would take time for him and for the rest to grasp more fully what they confessed about Jesus. For now, it was just a glimpse of who Jesus was. He is indeed the Son of God, the King of Israel but far beyond what Moses and the prophets had in mind. The titles were true and accurate but the meaning surpassed their understanding. Jesus was more because He is the bridge between God and man, as in the vision of Jacob which the Lord cited. “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.'” Jesus is the locus of divine glory, the mediator between God and man. He is the glory of God, the house of God, the gate of heaven. (Gn 28:17), the Gate (Jn 10:7), the Way, the Truth and the Life. (Jn 14:6) This promise of seeing the glory of God in Jesus is fulfilled after His resurrection when St Thomas saw Him and confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:29) We too must arrive at this truth finally in our faith in Him!