Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Saturday, 27 January 2024

THE AUTHORITY OF TEACHING

20240128 THE AUTHORITY OF TEACHING

28 January 2024, Sunday, 4th Week of Ordinary Time

First reading

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 ©

I will raise up a prophet and put my words into his mouth

Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself, from among yourselves, from your own brothers; to him you must listen. This is what you yourselves asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the Assembly. “Do not let me hear again” you said “the voice of the Lord my God, nor look any longer on this great fire, or I shall die”; and the Lord said to me, “All they have spoken is well said. I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him. The man who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, shall be held answerable to me for it. But the prophet who presumes to say in my name a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”’

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 94(95):1-2,6-9 ©

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;

hail the rock who saves us.

Let us come before him, giving thanks,

with songs let us hail the Lord.

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come in; let us bow and bend low;

let us kneel before the God who made us:

for he is our God and we

the people who belong to his pasture,

the flock that is led by his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

O that today you would listen to his voice!

‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

as on that day at Massah in the desert

when your fathers put me to the test;

when they tried me, though they saw my work.’

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Second reading

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 ©

Give your undivided attention to the Lord

I would like to see you free from all worry. An unmarried man can devote himself to the Lord’s affairs, all he need worry about is pleasing the Lord; but a married man has to bother about the world’s affairs and devote himself to pleasing his wife: he is torn two ways. In the same way an unmarried woman, like a young girl, can devote herself to the Lord’s affairs; all she need worry about is being holy in body and spirit. The married woman, on the other hand, has to worry about the world’s affairs and devote herself to pleasing her husband. I say this only to help you, not to put a halter round your necks, but simply to make sure that everything is as it should be, and that you give your undivided attention to the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt4:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

The people that lived in darkness

has seen a great light;

on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death

a light has dawned.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 1:21-28 ©

Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority

Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.

In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

THE AUTHORITY OF TEACHING

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DT 18:15-20; PS 95:1-2,6-9; 1 COR 7:32-35; MARK 1:21-28]

The theme of today’s scripture reading is simply this: that teachers must teach with authority. To teach with authority, we must be appointed by God. In the first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was recognized as the authorized prophet of God. But it took time for him to win the confidence of his people. Initially, he took it upon himself to be God’s prophet by delivering one of his fellow Israelites from being beaten by an Egyptian. He defended him and killed the Egyptian instead. Next day, he tried to settle a quarrel between two Hebrews fighting. He said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?” He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” (Ex 2:14f) As a consequence, he had to flee to Midian. He had to spend time reflecting, praying and listening to God before he could return with confidence to lead the people. Indeed, when God called him to deliver His people, this time, he learnt his lesson and was not too impulsive to go without being given the credentials. He said to the Lord, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Ex 3:11-13)

We, too, must remember that when we assume a position of authority, especially when we did not vie for it but was appointed to it, it is an appointment from God. Regardless, when we are in a position of authority, we do not represent ourselves. We always represent someone else, an organization or our superior. People in authority are always under authority themselves. We are not supreme monarchs. Even then, monarchs, presidents, prime ministers, even the Pope, govern according to the conditions placed on them. They cannot act according to their whims or fancies. That is why those in authority must be humble and remember that we are acting on behalf of someone. Ultimately, all authority must serve the plan of God for humanity.

Secondly, a teacher must teach with authority by his or her very life. Moses was a selfless leader and teacher, judge and prophet. He was the messenger of God who gave the Law to Israel on Mount Sinai. He journeyed with them through difficult times in the desert for forty years. Through his prayers, God provided the pilgrims with manna in the desert, water from the rock and protection from their enemies. He was a mediator between God and His people. He was their intercessor when the people sinned against God. He was willing even to be punished on their behalf. Indeed, he was the greatest teacher and law-giver. He was regarded as the greatest teacher of the law for all time. He led the people into the Promised Land but was forfeited from entering it himself. Even then, he was contented just to see it from afar.

But as the scriptures foreshadowed, someone greater than Moses would come after him. Moses said to the people: “the Lord said to me, ‘I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell all I command him.” The Second Moses would restore the kingdom of Israel. He would be the perfect teacher and God’s eschatological prophet. For this reason, the evangelists portrayed Jesus as the New Moses, teacher of the Law. Like Moses, He would teach on the mountain, just as Moses was given the Law on the Mountain. Like Moses, He would give the people the bread of life. At the synagogue, He would teach with authority, as we read in today’s gospel. St Matthew even paralleled the life of Jesus to that of Moses who was persecuted by Pharaoh, just He was persecuted by King Herod. Like Moses, Jesus too had to flee for safety and went into exile. Like Moses, He had to die first before entering the Kingdom.

Indeed, in the gospel, we read about the growing authority of Jesus. When He called those destined to be His apostles, they followed Him immediately. He had such a commanding authority that in spite of the fact that He was a total stranger, there was something in Him that commanded obedience. Even the evil spirits sensed in Jesus a divine authority that made the unclean spirit remark, “what do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.” The evangelist also noted that Jesus not only exuded authority in His personality, but “his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught with authority.” Unlike the teachers of His day, who would quote from authorities to substantiate what they taught, Jesus was a master of the Law and what He taught was God’s law. In other words, He spoke with a personal authority.

To confirm His personal authority, He proved it by His deeds. He confirmed His authoritative teaching by not allowing the Unclean Spirit to control Him, and the way He understood how He should exercise the ministry. He silenced the unclean spirit who revealed Jesus’ identity in order to jeopardize His ministry in human lowliness, appealing to faith and love, not through the use of force and might. For Jesus, authority implies the way of the cross. It is the way of self-sacrificing love. It is the way of humility in service. As teachers too, we do not simply impart knowledge but we impart our conviction, our values and our passion. If it is merely knowledge alone, one can read from books and from the internet. But if we want to know how our teacher integrates that knowledge into his or her life, and how that person lives with conviction and passion, we need to hear and see the person in action. Our way of life, our passion, our conviction will inspire those around us; less by what we teach.

To teach with authority, we need to be focused. St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is not a matter of whether marriage or celibacy is a better life. What is important is that in whatever we do, we remember to give ourselves wholeheartedly to what is most important. If St Paul considered marriage as second to a celibate life, it was because he was writing at a time when Christians thought the Second Coming of Christ was near. In view of the shortness of life on earth and His imminent coming, it would only be wise to put their focus entirely on preparing for His coming because that was the ultimate goal of life, to be with the Lord. In this sense, celibacy was valued not for itself or for one to live an independent life but because it helped a person to be focused on giving himself or herself entirely to the work of the Kingdom of God and witness to others the eternal values of the gospel compared to the passing value of material things and achievements on earth.

However, marriage life is no less sanctifying. In fact, it could be more difficult to keep our eyes focused on God and the eternal values of the gospel because husband and wife have to fulfil their earthly responsibilities in providing for the family, giving security and fulfilling the needs of the family so that they can live in peace and contribute to the Church and society. At the same time, they must do all these without neglecting each other or taking each other for granted. They have to learn how to be patient, forgiving, giving and loving. However, if they also subsume all these apparently mundane and worldly matters into what is eternal, to God, they too will be sanctified. A home is where God must be truly present and felt, since the home is the domestic Church of God. Marriage is indeed also a means to be purified in love.

Thus, regardless what we do in life, if we all do it for the greater glory of God, for the love and service of our fellowmen, we will find true happiness and sanctification. So, as teachers, we too must learn to sanctify ourselves in the process of serving others and teaching those under our care. A teacher must also be a good student by learning from those under his or her care. By journeying with them, walking by their side, mentoring them, the teacher will not just be an inspiration to his or her students but will also mould himself or herself to be a better person, and in that sense find his or her true vocation, which is to lead everyone to God and to live a life not for oneself but for others and for the glory of God. As teachers too, we must remain focused by hearing the Word of God daily, inspired by Christ as our teacher, so that we will never give up hope in times of struggle and challenges, but ready to carry the cross of humble and selfless service with Christ. By so doing, we find ourselves!

ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

20240127 ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

27 January 2024, Saturday, 3rd Week of Ordinary Time

First reading

2 Samuel 12:1-7,10-17 ©

David's penitence over Uriah

The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David. He came to him and said:

‘In the same town were two men,

one rich, the other poor.

The rich man had flocks and herds

in great abundance;

the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb,

one only, a small one he had bought.

This he fed, and it grew up with him and his children,

eating his bread, drinking from his cup,

sleeping on his breast; it was like a daughter to him.

When there came a traveller to stay, the rich man

refused to take one of his own flock or herd

to provide for the wayfarer who had come to him.

Instead he took the poor man’s lamb

and prepared it for his guest.’

David’s anger flared up against the man. ‘As the Lord lives,’ he said to Nathan ‘the man who did this deserves to die! He must make fourfold restitution for the lamb, for doing such a thing and showing no compassion.’

Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”

‘Thus the Lord speaks, “I will stir up evil for you out of your own House. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You worked in secret, I will work this in the face of all Israel and in the face of the sun.”’

David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die. Yet because you have outraged the Lord by doing this, the child that is born to you is to die.’ Then Nathan went home.

The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David and it fell gravely ill. David pleaded with the Lord for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the night on the bare ground, covered with sacking. The officials of his household came and stood round him to get him to rise from the ground, but he refused, nor would he take food with them.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):12-17 ©

A pure heart create for me, O God.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

Give me again the joy of your help;

with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

that I may teach transgressors your ways

and sinners may return to you.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

O rescue me, God, my helper,

and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.

O Lord, open my lips

and my mouth shall declare your praise.

A pure heart create for me, O God.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps26:11

Alleluia, alleluia!

Instruct me, Lord, in your way;

on an even path lead me.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn3:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:

everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 4:35-41 ©

'Even the wind and the sea obey him'

With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 12:1-7, 10-17; PS 51:12-17; MARK 4:35-41]

This life is much more chaotic than ever in the history of humanity. Indeed, when we look at the situation in the world today, there is chaos. The trade wars and nationalistic fervour of some countries have caused the economic volatility in the world. Powerful countries are seeking to control the smaller and weaker countries through the use of monetary, trade and political pressures, and when these do not work, they sow seeds of discord among the peoples, finance opposition so that the country will be in disarray and collapse. But there is also another war that has been waging silently over the last 40 years by secularists, relativists and materialists. It is an ideological cultural war. They seek to destroy the eternal values of humanity by diminishing the sacredness of marriage into a trivial and mundane event. Through the powerful use of mass media, entertainment, and celebrities, they have slowly normalized what was considered out of place in society, such as same-sex union, transgender, divorce, abortion euthanasia and the use of drugs.

In our own life, our family is messy and we feel incapable of holding the members of the family together. Spouses are living separate personal lives. Children and parents cannot communicate because of the generation gap. Values of children are no longer imbibed from their parents, because the latter are hardly around, but picked up from the internet and social media. Since there are so many views, they will follow what is popular, which means those that speak the loudest and of highest publicity. It is a herd mentality because with so many voices, it is impossible to verify all the information. We just follow what we like, or what the world sees as ‘cool’.

Even the Church is facing chaos. There are so many voices today, compared to 40 years ago when things were a lot clearer. Doctrines were accepted without question then. But today, our own Catholics espouse relativistic views, choosing what they agree with and discarding teachings that they do not agree with. It is a selective reading and following of the doctrines. Even bishops, theologians and priests are not in accord. Even the competence of the teaching of the Pope is put in question. With doctrinal confusion, be they doctrines or morals, and with the scandals in the hierarchy of the Church, one wonders whether the Catholic Church is truly the Church of Christ. By extension, one even wonders whether Christ is real, because He does not seem to be protecting the Church as He promised St Peter.

We are just like the disciples of our Lord in the boat. They were in the midst of the storm. The Lord was with them. Apparently, He was asleep, tired after a long day of preaching and ministering. He was sleeping soundly at the stern of the boat even though the boat was tossing, waves crashing in, the disciples yelling and shouting for help in fear, in spite of the fact that some were experienced fishermen. But Jesus did not seem to be perturbed by what was happening. So “they woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!'” Isn’t this the same question we ask every day and so often of our Lord? Do you not care that we are sinking into the mud? Do you not care that we are drowning in our sorrows, confusion and division in the world? Do you not care that the Church seems to be losing her battle in building the kingdom of God? Instead of seeing the Church as a mustard seed growing from strength to strength, we see the influence of the Church diminishing, marginalized, and instead of being held in regard, she is viewed with suspicion. The power of evil in the world seems to be gaining strength and momentum. The negative values of the world seem to be gradually accepted as the norm of life. What is good in the past is now seen as outdated. What is evil in the past is seen as something good. Even Satanism is promoted in the world as a religion and occult books are sold publicly to children. So is Jesus sleeping, is He aware?

Perhaps, it is not the Lord who is sleeping but we are sleeping. We are still in our ignorance, like the disciples. We do not know who Jesus truly is. That is why we do not have faith and confidence in Him. After Jesus calmed the storm, the Lord said to the disciples, “Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?” We read that “they were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and sea obey him.'” Who is this man? Who is He that even the wind and the sea obey Him? He must of course be God because it was God who created the world. Only God can command the seas and the winds to obey Him. God is in charge. He has power over all creation. Hence, when the Lord “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again.”

The irony of this event shows that the real fear is not the fear of creation and even of death. The real fear that we should have is the fear of God. So we read that the disciples were filled with awe, a holy fear of God. Initially they were fearful of the winds and the waves. But now when everything was calm, they feared God because they intuited the divinity in Jesus. But isn’t that what the Lord said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Lk 12:4f) Unless we fear Him, we lose all perspective of life. The book of Wisdom tells us that the fear of the Lord is true Wisdom. “The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life. Those who fear the Lord will have a happy end; on the day of their death they will be blessed. To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; she is created with the faithful in the womb. The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish. To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom, and her branches are long life. (Sirach 1:12-14,18,20)

This was initially the case of King David after he had sinned. He was fearful of the punishment that came from sin. God does not punish us for our sins. Rather, our sins punish us. In other words, God always forgives us, but we might not be spared from the consequences of our sins. David committed adultery and murder. As a consequence the Lord told him, “So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. I will stir up evil for you out of your own House. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. You worked in secret, I will work this in the face of all Israel and in the face of the sun.” Nathan said to David, “The Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die, the child that is born to you is to die.” Although, it is phrased as if God punished David, it is more accurate to say that the effects of the sins of David caught up with him.

Whatever we do in life, we will reap the consequences. If we sow evil, then evil will be sown in our family and in society. This is true for the decadent world as well. Evil might seem to be triumphant. But it is not. Evil will destroy itself. Evil people will destroy others and eventually also destroy themselves. This is the greatest deception of the Evil One. With the destruction of religious authority, political authority, parental authority, what is there left for this world except relativism and pragmatism? Society without moral guidance, without knowledge of what is right or wrong will destroy itself because the values promoted by the world are selfish, inward-looking, individualistic and not holistic or for the common good of humanity.

Like King David and the disciples, we must fear God! We must come to realize that God is the ultimate power in life. The world may seem to be winning in its evil influence but we do not just live for this life but in the life to come. We should not just fear death but eternal death. If we are faithful and repentant, then eternal life awaits us. We should not fear that we are losing the battle because Jesus is with us in the storms of life. He is in charge. Rather, we should simply pray with King David, “A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervour sustain me.”

Thursday, 25 January 2024

NURTURING OUR YOUNG TO PASS ON THE FLAME OF FAITH

20240126 NURTURING OUR YOUNG TO PASS ON THE FLAME OF FAITH

26 January 2024, Friday, Ss Timothy and Titus

First reading

2 Timothy 1:1-8 ©

Fan into a flame the gift God gave you

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus in his design to promise life in Christ Jesus; to Timothy, dear child of mine, wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

Night and day I thank God, keeping my conscience clear and remembering my duty to him as my ancestors did, and always I remember you in my prayers; I remember your tears and long to see you again to complete my happiness. Then I am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came first to live in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I have no doubt that it is the same faith in you as well.

That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 95(96):1-3,7-8,10 ©