Friday, 24 November 2023

LIVING IN REGRET

20231125 LIVING IN REGRET

 

 

25 November 2023, Saturday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

1 Maccabees 6:1-13 ©

'I remember the wrong I did in Jerusalem'

King Antiochus was making his way across the upper provinces; he had heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais, renowned for its riches, its silver and gold, and its very wealthy temple containing golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by Alexander son of Philip, the king of Macedon, the first to reign over the Greeks. He therefore went and attempted to take the city and pillage it, but without success, since the citizens learnt of his intention, and offered him a stiff resistance, whereupon he turned about and retreated, disconsolate, in the direction of Babylon. But while he was still in Persia news reached him that the armies that had invaded the land of Judah had been defeated, and that Lysias in particular had advanced in massive strength, only to be forced to turn and flee before the Jews; these had been strengthened by the acquisition of arms, supplies and abundant spoils from the armies they had cut to pieces; they had overthrown the abomination he had erected over the altar in Jerusalem, and had encircled the sanctuary with high walls as in the past, and had fortified Bethzur, one of his cities. When the king heard this news he was amazed and profoundly shaken; he threw himself on his bed and fell into a lethargy from acute disappointment, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned. And there he remained for many days, subject to deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he understood that he was dying. Then summoning all his Friends, he said to them, ‘Sleep evades my eyes, and my heart is cowed by anxiety. I have been asking myself how I could have come to such a pitch of distress, so great a flood as that which now engulfs me – I who was so generous and well-loved in my heyday. But now I remember the wrong I did in Jerusalem when I seized all the vessels of silver and gold there, and ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for no reason at all. This, I am convinced, is why these misfortunes have overtaken me, and why I am dying of melancholy in a foreign land.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 9A(9):2-4,6,16,19 ©

I will rejoice in your saving help, O Lord.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;

  I will recount all your wonders.

I will rejoice in you and be glad,

  and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.

I will rejoice in your saving help, O Lord.

See how my enemies turn back,

  how they stumble and perish before you.

You have checked the nations, destroyed the wicked;

  you have wiped out their name for ever and ever.

I will rejoice in your saving help, O Lord.

The nations have fallen in the pit which they made,

  their feet caught in the snare they laid;

for the needy shall not always be forgotten

  nor the hopes of the poor be in vain.

I will rejoice in your saving help, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are those who, 

with a noble and generous heart,

take the word of God to themselves

and yield a harvest through their perseverance.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 20:27-40 ©

In God all men are alive

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached Jesus and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died. Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’

  Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’

  Some scribes then spoke up. ‘Well put, Master’ they said – because they would not dare to ask him any more questions.

 

LIVING IN REGRET

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 MC 6:1-13; PS 9:2-4,6,16,19; LK 20:27-40]

This evening we will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.  As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to reflect on the meaning of life and death.  This is the theme in both scripture readings.  The reflection on life and death is important so that we will not live a life of regret.  Indeed, the greatest tragedy of life is to realize that we have not truly lived.  It is within this context that we are called to ask ourselves how we are living and what would be the consequences of how we live.

In the gospel today, the theological debate about the after-life between Jesus and the Sadducees brought out one very important point.  This is regarding the continuity and discontinuity between this life and the next.  The next life is certainly quite different from this life on earth because we would be living the resurrected life, which is like that of the life of the angels.  Jesus said “those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world…do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God.”  Yet, there is certainly continuity because we will be able to recognize each other.  After all, Jesus tells us that God is a God of the living not of the dead.

This truth is brought out in a very concrete way in the first reading which tells us of the sad and tragic end of the life of King Antiochus.  He had spent all his time conquering territories for himself, like Alexander the Great.  He was a powerful king.  He had no fear of man nor even of God. He was unscrupulous and godless even to the extent of desecrating the temple of Jerusalem, destroying the sacred religion of the Jews and exterminating them.  He thought he was all mighty and invincible.  However, when he faced unexpected failure and defeat, he fell into depression and discouragement.  The humiliation that he suffered must have broken his inner strength and his will to live.  He realized that he was not so great after all.  “When the king heard this news he was amazed and profoundly shaken; he threw himself on his bed and fell into a lethargy from acute disappointment, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned.  And there he remained for many days, subject to deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he understood that he was dying.”

What was the cause of his imminent death?  Looking back at his life, he realized how wrong he was and how arrogant he had become.   With that, he came to realize that perhaps his misfortunes were the outcome of his evil actions.  His past began to catch up with him.  He was depressed unto death.  He said, “Sleep evades my eyes, and my heart is cowed by anxiety.  I have been asking myself how I could have come to such a pitch of distress, so great a flood as that which now engulfs me – I who was so generous and well-loved in my heyday.  But now I remember the wrong I did in Jerusalem when I seized all the vessels of silver and gold there, and ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for no reason at all.  This, I am convinced, is why these misfortunes have overtaken me, and why I am dying of melancholy in a foreign land.”   He could not forgive himself for thinking that he was greater than God.  Now at his deathbed, sick and forlorn, he came to realize his nothingness.

What lessons can we learn from King Antiochus?  Firstly, the discontinuity is seen in the fact that this life is temporary and everything is transient.  We are pilgrims passing through.  We carry nothing from this earth to the next life.  For this reason we must not be too attached to our achievements and wealth.  What we have will one day be taken from us.  Yes, today, we may be holding high office.  We may be a doctor, lawyer, even President of a country.  We may be very dynamic and popular with people.  We may be able to preach eloquently, teach well and be seen as a great and inspiring teacher and leader, but tomorrow we will be just like everyone else, old and sickly.  When we can no longer perform anymore, then very few people would recognize us.  We would be placed in the Aged Home and die an insignificant death.  This is life.  This is the harsh truth that King Antiochus had to face.  That is why we must not cling on to all these transient things.  All these will pass.  When we are at our deathbed or when we are struggling to keep ourselves alive, all these do not really matter.  How true!  At death, we are all equal.  God restores all things and all of us to equality at death.  It is the antidote to the injustice and inequality of this world.  Indeed, in the next life, Jesus said, there is no distinction among us but all will be one. 

Secondly, we can learn from Antiochus, for what we did yesterday will continue to have its effects on us today.  This is the issue of continuity.   What we did in our past life, we can pretend that they did not happen.  We can repress our past, especially our unpleasant memories.  But later on in life, all the evil that we have done in the past will come back to haunt us.  Indeed, in my ministry I have seen many old people who are unable to confess sins which they committed years ago because of fear and shame.  But their sins continue to haunt and frighten them so long as they keep them in their hearts.  They are not at peace with themselves because they are not at peace with God and their fellowmen.  I have seen so many sad and tragic deaths because even in their dying moments, they still could not let go of those people who have hurt them.  They continue to nurse grudges in their hearts instead of allowing the past to be past.  This was certainly the case of Antiochus.  In his case, he could not forgive himself.  He died a painful death.  We cannot escape the fact that our present is the result of our past.  Some of us in our quiet moments or at death bed will recall our past evil deeds.  How often have we looked back and regretted that we have not done more or lived rightly.   We wish we had lived our lives differently.

For this reason, we must re-examine the way we live.  We can be so busy with our lives, so caught up in our pursuits.   We work hard to achieve more and more.  We seek to accumulate our wealth, money, property and assets.  We spend so much time fighting and quarreling with people, taking revenge, plotting and manipulating to win every argument and case.  We suffer stress and high blood pressure and hypertension in vain.  At the end of the day, we wonder how well we have lived.  Some of us never get to enjoy our wealth.  What we have are given to unworthy beneficiaries.  They will inherit our property and most of the time, squander away our hard earned money.  At the end of the day, we wonder whether we have done the right thing and lived the best way.

The truth is that our happiness in life has to do with how we live our lives.  If we have lived our lives generously and honestly, then we have nothing to fear at the end of our journey.  We will be able to die in peace, knowing that we have done all that we possibly could.  We will die without regrets.  Whether we have been successful or not does not really matter in the end.  In fact, all earthly success, power and wealth become meaningless at the point of death.  What is important is whether we have been true to our conscience and our responsibility to God and our fellow human beings.  Only if we have a clear conscience, knowing that we have given ourselves totally to God and to our fellow human beings, can we depart from this world freely and happily.  But it is still not too late.  We still can repent whilst we are still alive.  Instead of living a life of regrets, it is never too late to change the course of our direction in life.  We should ask for forgiveness both for ourselves and for others.

We live the life of tomorrow today. In fact such a life is already a foretaste of the resurrected life.  This is because such a life is already a transformed life.  It is a life that is radically different from our earthly life since, as Jesus tells us, we will live forever and become like angels.  For the resurrected life to be truly ours, we must of course live a life that is truly pleasing to God, a life that our forefathers in faith lived. Indeed, unless we truly live, God cannot be our Lord of Life since He is the Lord of the living not of the dead.  Those who fail to live their lives to the fullest will only resurrect unto death, not unto life.

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

 

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Thursday, 23 November 2023

FULFILLING THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO BE

20231124 FULFILLING THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO BE

 

 

24 November 2023, Friday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

1 Maccabees 4:36-37,52-59 ©

Judas and his brothers purify the sanctuary and dedicate it

Judas and his brothers said, ‘Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and dedicate it.’ So they marshalled the whole army, and went up to Mount Zion.

  On the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight, they rose at dawn and offered a lawful sacrifice on the new altar of holocausts which they had made. The altar was dedicated, to the sound of zithers, harps and cymbals, at the same time of year and on the same day on which the pagans had originally profaned it. The whole people fell prostrate in adoration, praising to the skies him who had made them so successful. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar, joyfully offering holocausts, communion sacrifices and thanksgivings. They ornamented the front of the Temple with crowns and bosses of gold, repaired the gates and the storerooms and fitted them with doors. There was no end to the rejoicing among the people, and the reproach of the pagans was lifted from them. Judas, with his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel, made it a law that the days of the dedication of the altar should be celebrated yearly at the proper season, for eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month Chislev, with rejoicing and gladness.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Chronicles 29:10-12 ©

We praise your glorious name, O Lord.

Blessed are you, O Lord,

  the God of Israel our father,

  for ever, for ages unending.

We praise your glorious name, O Lord.

Yours, Lord, are greatness and power,

  and splendour and triumph and glory.

  All is yours, in heaven and on earth.

We praise your glorious name, O Lord.

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom,

  you are supreme over all.

  Both honour and riches come from you.

We praise your glorious name, O Lord.

You are the ruler of all,

  from your hand come strength and power,

  from your hand come greatness and might.

We praise your glorious name, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, 

says the Lord, 

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 19:45-48 ©

You have turned God's house into a robbers' den

Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. ‘According to scripture,’ he said ‘my house will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robbers’ den.’

  He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.

 

FULFILLING THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO BE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 MC 4:36-37, 52-59; LK 19:45-48]

The first reading from the book of Maccabees celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple which was desecrated by the Antiochians Kings.  After defeating them and driving them out of Jerusalem, their first significant act was to purify and restore the Temple.   It was done with great pomp, ceremony and rejoicing.  This day is still commemorated in Judaism as Hanukkah or “dedication.”  It is celebrated as the festival of lights around the same time when Christians celebrate Christmas.  One should not be surprised that perhaps Christmas, which is the celebration of Christ coming to bring light to a world in darkness, might have taken some symbols from this festival.

But having the physical Temple is one thing. It is more important to preserve the interior of the Temple.  Although the Jews were able to worship in the Temple during the time of Jesus and was given some autonomy by the Romans, there was much corruption by the Temple priests.  They enriched themselves through their monopoly of the Temple, the sacrifices, selling of the animals for the offerings, currency exchange from Roman coins to the Temple money.  Exorbitant fees were charged.  The poor were manipulated.  There was a lack of sincerity in worship.  It is within this context that “Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. ‘According to scripture.’ he said ‘my house will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robbers’ den.'”

How did Jesus cleanse the Temple?  In St Mark’s gospel, the emphasis was on the “overturning the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sell pigeons and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.” (Mk 11:17-17)  By this action, Jesus was regarded as the fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah, “And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.”  (Zech 14:21)   But in the case of Luke, Jesus only drove out the sellers.

What truly cleansed the Temple was not so much the physical cleansing that Jesus did, but rather His prophetic cleansing.  St Luke wrote, “He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.”  It was His prophetic teaching that cleansed the Temple.  Jesus, as the prophet, rightly preached and taught in the Temple.   In truth, selling the animals for worship and exchanging money were not wrong.  They were considered essential services for the people to offer a pure worship.  But the problem was that they were using such privileges to make money from the people and robbing them as well by their exorbitant charges.  So the prophetic teaching of our Lord was to bring the people to mind, the need for honesty and integrity.

Indeed, the authorities were not so much reacting to the action of Him driving out the sellers but to His teaching since they were searching for something to use against Him.  It was because of His prophetic teaching and His popularity with the people that the authorities sought to get rid of Him as He was a threat to the institution and their priestly status.

Indeed, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi as well by being the messenger of the Lord in purifying His Temple. “Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?  For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.” (Mal 3:1-4)

But what was the ultimate goal of this cleansing if not for the people to offer a pure worship to God?  “For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.”  (Mal 1:11)  Jesus came to purify the House of Israel and the Temple worship so that they could truly offer a pure offering of praise to God.  God does not want our offering tainted by sin, injustice, cheating and selfishness.  The Lord says, “You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the nations.”  (Mal 1:13f)

The prophetic teaching of Christ is summed up in the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes and His way of life, of unconditional service, compassion for the poor and for sinners, forgiveness of sins, healing of those who were sick, deliverance of those under the bondage of the Evil One.  In humility and generosity, we are called to serve our brothers and sisters, to give hope to those who are forlorn, those without hope in their pain and misery, those under oppression, these are the people we are called to uplift.  Only when we give our lives for these people, can we offer true worship to God.  Pure worship means that we seek to live out the teaching of Christ in our lives by drawing strength from God through worship, an intimate prayer life and expressed our love for Him by our love for our fellowmen.  This is what Christ meant when He said to the Samaritan Woman, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn 4:21-24)

Today we too must live prophetic lives as well.  As the People of God, it is certainly necessary to maintain our church so that we will have a dignified place reserved for worship.  God must be given the utmost honour even whilst we observe simplicity.  But the truth is that when we love God, there is nothing too much for Him.  We want to give of our best. Indeed, what is in our heart, we express externally whether in buildings, in the solemnity of the religious celebrations, and in our worship, songs and praise.  We too must rejoice with the Maccabean when they felt so happy to reclaim back the Temple for worship.  Many of us unfortunately take our churches for granted.  We do not realize that the church is what it is today because of the many generous contributions of our parishioners to maintain and finance the different church activities and programs.

To be prophetic, the Church must of course be involved in the life of our community.  Part of this prophetic work is to announce the truth, to lead by example an exemplary life of a Christian, and to offer our lives in humble service, being responsible in our workplace.  We must witness to the world how we build strong families and marriages.  We must reach out to the poor and the suffering, the marginalized and the vulnerable.  Rendering our service to the larger community, such as NGOs, and being involved in the work of inter-religious dialogue including building inter-racial circles, is part of this prophetic work. 

But underlying these programs and activities, we must be guided by clear teachings of the Church, empowered by our spiritual relationship with the Lord.   Like the people, we must therefore hang on His words so that we can defend ourselves from those who are hostile to the gospel.  This was the case of the Jewish leaders who wanted to do away with Him as “they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.”  We must be fed by the Word of God, through ongoing formation in different ways when the opportunities arise.  We must be ready to be formed after the heart of Christ so that as missionary disciples, we can truly be people who are prophetic in the world.  Indeed, we need first to cleanse and purify ourselves from within so that we can then cleanse and purify the world with the Word of God.

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

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Wednesday, 22 November 2023

HONOURABLE AND COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP

20231123 HONOURABLE AND COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP

 

 

23 November 2023, Thursday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

1 Maccabees 2:15-29 ©

'Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its ordinances'

The commissioners of King Antiochus who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them sacrifice. Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart. The king’s commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, ‘You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you. Be the first to step forward and conform to the king’s decree, as all the nations have done, and the leaders of Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned among the Friends of the King, you and your sons shall be honoured with gold and silver and many presents.’ Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, ‘Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors. Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances. As for the king’s orders, we will not follow them: we will not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.’ As he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required. When Mattathias saw this, he was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar. At the same time he killed the king’s commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar. In his zeal for the Law he acted as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu. Then Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘Let everyone who has a fervour for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.’ Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.

  At this, many who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 49(50):1-2,5-6,14-15 ©

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

The God of gods, the Lord,

  has spoken and summoned the earth,

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

  Out of Zion’s perfect beauty he shines.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘Summon before me my people

  who made covenant with me by sacrifice.’

The heavens proclaim his justice,

  for he, God, is the judge.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God

  and render him your votive offerings.

Call on me in the day of distress.

  I will free you and you shall honour me.’

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:135

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let your face shine on your servant,

and teach me your decrees.

Alleluia!

Or:

Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia!

Harden not your hearts today,

but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 19:41-44 ©

Jesus sheds tears over the coming fate of Jerusalem

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

 

HONOURABLE AND COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 MC 2:15-29; PS 50:1-2,5-6,14-15; LK 19:41-44]

What does it take for anyone to be a true leader?  On one hand, he needs courage and integrity.  On the other hand, he needs compassion and forgiveness.  This is the gist of today’s scripture lessons on Christian leadership.  Mattathias showed us the first aspect of leadership, fortitude and integrity.   Jesus in the gospel completes this aspect by demonstrating His love and compassion for His enemies.

Mattathias showed himself to be a man of principles.  Indeed, even his enemies recognized him, saying, “You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you.”  Unfortunately, they failed to go further to ask why he was highly respected and considered to be a great leader.  It is said that office is given but respect has to be earned.  In the case of Mattathias, when he offered gold, silver and other presents, and be numbered among “the Friends of the King” if he were to apostasy, he flatly rejected the offer. He would not allow status, security and material rewards to cause him to be unfaithful.

For Mattathias, it was important that he remained faithful to the Law of God. He retorted, “Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors.  Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances.  As for the king’s orders, we will not follow them; we will not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.”  He was focused and inflexible when it came to the fundamentals of faith.  For Mattathias, the commands of God took precedence over human authority.

He was so zealous for his faith that he would do anything to protect the name of God.  Hence, when he saw one of his fellow Jews who “came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required”, he was “was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar.  At the same time he killed the king’s commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar.”  Although we would not go to that extreme today as he did, yet, such actions on his part reflect the zeal, courage and passion for the faith.  He would give up everything for the love of God and the sake of truth.  Indeed, after killing his enemies, “Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘Let everyone who has a fervour for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.’  Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.”  Because of his inspiring example, “many who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there.”

Indeed, we have much to learn from him.  How many of us succumb to temptations of glory, honour and wealth!  We are all insecure people and we want to find security in popularity.  For the sake of acceptance by the world, we formulate populist policies for the immediate gratification of those under our charge but we do not consider the long term implications of what we do.  Isn’t this the situation today, when many governments in the name of pragmatism and expediency make policies that have serious impact on the future of society?  They think that they would no longer be around by then, so why bother anyway?  It is better that they get to enjoy the popularity of the people now, and be secure in their position.  For the benefit of wealth and power, many of us would sell our faith, compromise our values so that we can get promoted, be popular, be accepted by influential people and be honoured in the eyes of the world.  Indeed, many Catholics in public life would not hesitate to speak against the teachings of the gospel, betraying our faith, set a bad example to fellow Catholics and in so doing, become counter-witness to the gospel.

In the gospel, Jesus shows us another side of true leadership.  He took the path of non-violence.  He, too, was equally zealous for the gospel and for His Father’s House, but instead of reacting to his enemies with violence and holy anger, He was long-suffering and forgiving.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Mt 5:38f)  Again, He reiterated, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”  (Mt 5:43-45)

Indeed, this was how the Lord reacted to the rejection of His people to the Good News He was offering them.  He did not get angry but only felt sorrow for them.  “As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace!  But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you.”  In fact, Jesus felt for them more than he was angry with their stubborn refusal of God’s message.    He saw the dangers ahead of them and the sufferings that they would have to carry because of their infidelity and the lack of repentance from their sins and wickedness.

But the Good News is offered in freedom.  He would not force them to accept the Gospel.  He would not use force or a show of power and might, unlike the Roman authorities.  He never used miracles to bolster His position as the Messiah.  Most of the miracles were performed out of compassion and love, not for display and glory.  For that reason, most of the time, Jesus would tell those whom He had healed not to broadcast His miraculous powers.  Jesus came to save His people seated on a donkey, a symbol of meekness and lowliness, when He entered Jerusalem and was proclaimed the King of the Jews.

He knew that the people in the final analysis were ignorant.  He lamented and cried, “all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!”  Isn’t this what most parents and leaders feel when their children or those under their care continue to insist on having their way when we see the disasters ahead of them?   From our experience and wisdom we know that they would repeat the same mistakes that we probably made before.  But alas, we are not given foresight like Jesus; only hindsight.  We do not see the deadly consequences ahead of us because of our foolish decisions.  So like all parents and leaders, we will have to bear the greater pain of seeing them punished by their own unwise decisions.  But that is the reality of life.

We are helpless.  We can only pray for them.   We cannot do much other than bear our sufferings patiently and hopefully, one day, they will wake up from their slumber.  We must listen to St Peter’s exhortation to imitate our Lord when going through persecution.  He said, “But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.'”  (1 Pt 2:20-24)

Indeed, by our wounds, we will heal and enlighten people.  By our love, patience and forgiveness, we will heal the wounds of such people who are close to the truth.  By our righteous living, we will enlighten people to walk in the way of truth.  So we must be like Mattathias and our Lord who led by example, walking the path of truth and love, staying firm to their faith and mission the Lord had given to them so that our children will follow after us.

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

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Tuesday, 21 November 2023

THE MIND OF A MARTYR

20231122 THE MIND OF A MARTYR

 

 

22 November 2023, Wednesday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

2 Maccabees 7:1,20-31 ©

The creator of the world will give you back both breath and life

There were seven brothers who were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. But the mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and endured it resolutely because of her hopes in the Lord. Indeed she encouraged each of them in the language of their ancestors; filled with noble conviction, she reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them, ‘I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, I had not the shaping of your every part. It is the creator of the world, ordaining the process of man’s birth and presiding over the origin of all things, who in his mercy will most surely give you back both breath and life, seeing that you now despise your own existence for the sake of his laws.’

  Antiochus thought he was being ridiculed, suspecting insult in the tone of her voice; and as the youngest was still alive he appealed to him not with mere words but with promises on oath to make him both rich and happy if he would abandon the traditions of his ancestors; he would make him his Friend and entrust him with public office. The young man took no notice at all, and so the king then appealed to the mother, urging her to advise the youth to save his life. After a great deal of urging on his part she agreed to try persuasion on her son. Bending over him, she fooled the cruel tyrant with these words, uttered in the language of their ancestors, ‘My son, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and reared you to the age you are now (and cherished you). I implore you, my child, observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that God made them out of what did not exist, and that mankind comes into being in the same way. Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers, and make death welcome, so that in the day of mercy I may receive you back in your brothers’ company.’

  She had scarcely ended when the young man said, ‘What are you all waiting for? I will not comply with the king’s ordinance; I obey the ordinance of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses. As for you, sir, who have contrived every kind of evil against the Hebrews, you will certainly not escape the hands of God.’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 16(17):1,5-6,8,15 ©

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Lord, hear a cause that is just,

  pay heed to my cry.

Turn your ear to my prayer:

  no deceit is on my lips.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

  I kept my feet firmly in your paths;

  there was no faltering in my steps.

I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.

  Turn your ear to me; hear my words.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

  Hide me in the shadow of your wings

As for me, in my justice I shall see your face

  and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.

I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf.Jn15:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

I chose you from the world

to go out and bear fruit,

fruit that will last,

says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 19:11-28 ©

The parable of the talents

While the people were listening, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly he said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. “Do business with these” he told them “until I get back.” But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king.”

  ‘Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten.” “Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.” Then came the second and said, “Sir, your one pound has made five.” To this one also he said, “And you shall be in charge of five cities.” Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.” “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.” And he said to those standing by, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds.” And they said to him, “But, sir, he has ten pounds…”. “I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

  ‘“But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.”’

  When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

 

THE MIND OF A MARTYR

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 MC 7:1, 20-31; PS 17:1,5-6,8,15; LK 19:11-28]

We have read stories of martyrs of faith.  In the past, there were many more martyrs of faith who died cruelly in the persecution of political and religious leaders, just like the story of the mother whose seven sons were tortured and killed for their faith.  Today, there are still instances of such cruelty in some countries.  But generally, because of growing civilization, better education and information, such practices are condemned by the global community. Yet, even though believers might not be put to death, they suffer discrimination in the practice and worship of their faith.  There are still countries where there is a dominant religion continuing to discriminate those of other faiths, such as depriving them of benefits, rights of promotion and service, and imposing restrictions to curtail the practice and expansion of other religions.

Perhaps the only so-called martyrs that we hear of today are misguided martyrs who confuse religion with politics; and heavenly reward with earthly rewards.  This is present among the terrorists that seek to impose their religion and political power on peoples of other faiths.  They think that killing those from other religions or unbelievers whom they consider infidels is the will of God.  This is because those in power use God for political and selfish motives.  It is the poor, the marginalized and those who suffer failures and injustices who are being indoctrinated in the cause of those who are interested to gain political and religious powers; believing that a better life awaits them in heaven if they sacrificed their lives for the cause. It is frightening how religion can easily be used to fuel hatred and violence instead of peace and love.

It is therefore important for us to understand the mind of a martyr, whether an authentic one who sincerely dies for his or her faith, or someone who is misguided.  How else do we explain the courage and generosity of the mother who not just allowed her seven sons to be killed in a single day but even encouraged them to die for their faith!  Similarly, it is also the case of terrorists as well.  How is it that many are willing to give up their lives to fight for the establishment of a religious-political kingdom on earth?  What motivates them and gives them the courage to do what they do?

Three motives propel one to be a martyr for his or her faith.  The first motive is faith in God.  This is foundational.  Without faith in God, one would not be willing to give up one’s life for Him.  This was the case of the mother and her seven sons.  They knew in faith that God was the author of life and their future.  This was what she said to encourage her sons to die for God:  “I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with the breath of life, I had not the shaping of your every part, ‘It is the creator of the world, ordaining the process of man’s birth and presiding over the origin of all things, who in his mercy will most surely give you back both breath and life, seeing that you now despise your own existence for the sake of his laws.”  If we are convicted that God is the author of life and death, then we would be able to surrender our lives to Him.

If there are few people who are willing to die for God today, it is because of secularism, agnosticism and relativism.   Even among believers, how many of us could truly say from the depth of our hearts that we truly believe in God?  Many of us have doubts whether He exists, especially in the face of our own suffering and the suffering of the innocent.  Living in a secular society where the Sacred is often hidden from public eyes, we can no longer feel His presence in daily life.  With an increasing knowledge gained from study and the sciences, some have become agnostics and question their faith.

Secondly, martyrs are willing to die for their faith because of their love for God.  For the love of someone, we are willing to die and sacrifice our lives.  So when a person is brought up to love God and more importantly to experience His divine love, that person would be willing to sacrifice his or her life for God.  As St Paul himself wrote, “For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.  And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor 5:13-15)  Love makes us go crazy indeed.  When we are in love, we are willing to die for our beloved.  Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”  (Jn 15:13f) Indeed, many martyrs and saints for the love of Jesus have died for Him either in death or in life.

However, this could be a double-edged sword.  It could lead to fanaticism.  Many think they are dying for the love of God but in truth they are dying for an ideology.  How do we know?  If we die for the love of God, it should also be for the love of humanity.  If we love God, we will also love our fellowmen.  Only those whose love is expressed in non-violence, like the seven sons and their mother, truly die for the love of God.  In the case of the terrorists, although they claim to be doing it for God, it is hard to believe that a God of love and justice would endorse such cruel and insane violence committed in His name towards innocent people.  So a confused love for God could lead to destruction rather than giving life to others.

Thirdly, martyrs die for their faith in view of a better future in store for them.  Like St Paul, they know that they belong to God.  “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”  (Rom 14:7-9)  The seven sons and the mother lived and died for this conviction.  This was what the mother told the youngest son who was about to be executed.  “I implore you, my child, observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that God made them out of what did not exist, and that mankind comes into being in the same way.  Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers, and make death welcome, so that in the day of mercy I may receive you back in your brothers’ company.”

Even the worldly seductions of the king could not appeal to their conviction that a greater life is ahead of them.  Of course, many of us, unlike the seven sons, are not willing to give our lives to God because we are not too convinced of a life hereafter.  Many are living in a world filled with despair for the future.  This explains why this hopelessness of the future has led many to live only for this life and grab all that they can before they vanish into thin air and life is no more.

Again, this principle of hope for the future can be used for good or for evil.  It is true that this earthly life is passing but it is not evil as well.  Creation and its gifts are good and are meant to be appreciated and used well.  Yet, we must also realize that these are passing things in life.  We cannot cling on to them.  It is equally true of sufferings as well.  These too will also pass.  But the danger is that misguided martyrs are given a pie in the sky.  They are told that if they die for God and kill the infidels, they will be rewarded with all the things in heaven that they could not enjoy in this earthly life.  Such earthly conception of heaven is but a postponed or delayed gratification.  Rather, what we have been promised in heaven is a life of joy, love, peace and communion.  This is what brings us true joy and is not to be measured simply in terms of material rewards.  When there is love, we need few things to be happy.  When there is a lack of love, we need things to fill up the vacuum in our hearts.

Today, in the parable of the talents, we are all called to account for the gifts that the Lord has given to us.   How we use our gifts of faith and the resources God has given to us will determine our happiness in this life and hereafter.  Our happiness is not just in the next life but it must already begin here and now.  We must be careful of a theology of hope in the next world rooted in a negative outlook of this world.  Rather, we must learn to enjoy life and make the best of it in whatever we do.  Eternal joy comes at the end of death but it is already here as a foretaste.  We must be careful that we do not fall into the mistake of the servant who kept the talent for fear of taking risks.  By not living his life to the fullest by taking risks and being creative and proactive in loving God and his fellowmen, he was stripped of everything that he had.  But if we are like the other two servants, ever ready to invest whatever the Lord has given to them, we will be given great responsibilities and opportunities to develop ourselves.  Work is not a punishment from God but a privilege for us to develop our minds and keep our bodies fit for life, love and service.  In this way, even as we work, we also enjoy God’s love and life.  This is what it means to serve God our King.  We are called to establish His kingdom of love, compassion and life on this earth as a foretaste of the future life that is to come.

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

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