Scripture Reflections

PROCLAIMING THE TRUTH IN THE WORLD TODAY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: ACTS 1:15-17, 20-26; 1 JN 4:11-16; JN 17:11-19

This world we live in is indeed a harsh place.  Of course, compared to many countries in the world where violence and wars ravage, Singaporeis blessed with peace and prosperity.  Yet, even in a stable country like Singapore, we cannot say that we have eradicated all kinds of violence, injustices and selfish attitudes in our own homes, offices and environment.  Affluent countries, such as ours, are plagued by individualistic values which are subtly promoted by the mass media.

This concern has been voiced many times by the public, especially people in authority, parents, educators and government leaders, when they lament that the social media, TV and movies, implicitly flaunt certain social values deemed ‘unhealthy’ in our society as being ‘acceptable’ norms. Indeed, the government is very much aware that Singaporeans should not only succeed economically, but that we also need to look into the ethical, aesthetic and spiritual needs of our people. Otherwise, what we get is an ugly Singaporean, often parodied as one who is ‘kiasu’, self-centered, calculative, materialistic and lacking in civil consciousness.  As Christians we, who have been consecrated in the truth, are called to proclaim the truth.  What are the pre-requisites for proclaiming the truth?

Firstly, it presupposes that we know what the truth is.   In a world where there are so many ideologies and values that are being promoted by the mass media, it has become very difficult not to be influenced by them.  The truth is that many of us do not know where the truth lies today.  We have become muddled headed.   But the heart of the problem is not really a question of Catholic values, Buddhist values or even worldly values.  The crux of the question is whether those values that we adopt in our lives are really setting us free and making us authentic, self-integrated and fulfilled people.  In other words, we are concerned about the truth of the values that the world is offering us.  Do these values guarantee that we live authentic lives?

Secondly, we have to ask ourselves who and what are the norms of Truth?  For us Christians, Jesus is the norm of truth and He expressed this truth by His life of unconditional love and service. Perhaps the most important criterion of determining the truth of our values is that what we do in life must make us into more loving people.  In the second reading, John tells us clearly, that “God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him. “   This is what Jesus meant when He prayed:  “Keep those you have given me true to your name.”  To be true to the name means to say that we reflect the life of God in us.  It is to be like God.  St John tells us that “we can know that we are living in him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit.”

Consequently, what is needed for us Catholics today is to re-examine the values we hold against the values of the gospel.  We need to be purified by the Word.   Yes, purification in St John is not effected by blood of sacrifices or by rituals, but by His Word.  The only way we can be protected by the false and illusory values of the world is when we take refuge in the Word of Jesus which frees us from pernicious ignorance.  To remain true to our Christian values is to be consecrated in the truth.  It is a value system that is not dictated by the prevailing spirit of the age or the trends of society, but based on the unchanging gospel message.

But how many of us are imbued with the gospel message?  How many of us are truly searching for the truth in our lives?   The fact is that some of us have stopped searching for truth.  We are blindly following the crowd.  We do not have the guts to stand on our own feet even when we know that everybody is going the wrong way.  Someone once said, the fact is that half the world is drowning and the other half is swimming in the wrong direction.  Our whole life must be this constant searching for truth because the world very often makes us confused over our values.  Therefore, again and again, we have to consider what this world is offering us and whether they are true.  We can know this only by comparing them with Christ’s message and the truth proclaimed by Him.

If Christianity has lost its influence in society today, it could only be because we have not consecrated ourselves to the truth as Jesus wants us to.  The fact is that many of us are not convinced of the values of the gospel.  We might have heard of them but we are not that convinced that they are really good for us.  And if we ourselves are not convinced of how life should be lived, how can we proclaim our message convincingly to others?

Thirdly, if we want to proclaim the truth, we must live the truth ourselves.  Unfortunately, we Catholics, who are supposedly the enlightened ones, have not escaped the snares of social pressure.  Sometimes it is difficult to see any difference between the values adopted by us and those of the world.  Like everybody else, we are status and brand conscious.  We hanker after material wealth at all cost, even if it requires us to use unethical means to be successful.  Recently, when I visited a family, I saw the irony of the whole situation: the son was wearing a pair of branded shoes costing a few hundred dollars while the father himself was wearing a pair costing only a few tens of dollars.  And while his children travel by cab, he takes the bus.  Perhaps, our children are not to be blamed because we adults have, by our example and subtle messaging, conveyed to them the importance of wealth, prestige and glory.

To live the truth means that we make the presence of Jesus felt in our lives.  Yes, as Christians we are called to be like the apostles, to be witnesses to the resurrection.  To be a witness to the resurrection is not a mere confession of our belief in the resurrection of Christ but to live lives that are truly liberated from all earthly slavery.  It is to live a life of love.  No amount of confession of Jesus by our lips can convince anyone if they are not matched by our lives.

Of course living the truth is not easy.  It becomes more difficult especially when our own fellow Catholics let us down.  Quite often, we have to stand up to our faith alone.  We are not united in our mission – the mission of truth and love.   Jesus presents the ideal in the gospel, “That they may be one even as we are one. “  The unity of the Father and the Son is our model.  The Johannine letters are products of the harsh reality.  Christians then were hurting one another, as they still do today.  This makes our mission doubly difficult.  Not only do we not support each other in living in the truth but we have become counter-witnesses to the Truth of Jesus in us.  In spite of this, we do take hope.  For Jesus in the gospel has confidence that we can do it, like the apostles, despite our sinfulness, weakness and frailness.  If we place our lives in His hands, He will equip us with the qualities of mind, heart and character which are necessary for the task.  We need only to be united in love with God.  We will be victorious over evil in the end.

Yes, we are sent into the world to change it and not be changed by it.   It is for this that we are consecrated by our baptism and commissioned by our confirmation.  Like the apostles of today, we too are sent to face the challenges of the future; not to run away from its problems of poverty and oppression, but to plunge into them and improve the lot of God’s people.  Not to turn away from the world’s injustices and violence, but to turn toward them and remove them.  Not to turn our backs on its abortions and drug addictions, but to confront them and eliminate them.  Not to allow the world to use the mass media to their advantage but we must be critical and weary of the messages being communicated to us.  Our task is not to condemn the world for its sins, but to save it; not to be indoctrinated by the world but to expose its false values.

Written by Rev. Fr. William Goh
Spiritual Director, Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC)
© All Rights Reserved
___________________________

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Catholic Spirituality Centre Singapore

Best Practices of Daily Scripture Reflections – By Fr William Goh

1. Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
2. Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
3. It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.

DEVELOPING THE FULL POTENTIALS OF EACH PERSON

SCRIPTURE READINGS: ACTS 18:23-28; PSALM 47; JOHN 16:23-28

Often, we come across people who, after having been touched by the Lord, become very passionate in their faith and want to do something for Him.  In their ignorance, they can become over-enthusiastic and lack sensitivity towards others.   Quite often, they are not conscious of their motives for service either.  In extreme cases, some become fanatical and may be misguided in their faith.  The normal reaction to such people would be to pour cold water to kill their enthusiasm. Of course, negative reaction such as this could at times be fuelled by underlying fear or jealousy of these people.  The other common reaction is for authorities to just ignore them, and hope that the fervor will die a natural death, especially when such people refuse to accept supervision and guidance.

In the first reading, we see a similar scenario, but which elicited a very different reaction.  We read that Apollos was “an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John.” Indeed, Apollos seems to be a very talented, knowledgeable and sincere man.  He knew both the scriptures and the faith very well.  He had both knowledge and passion in his faith and in Jesus.

Fortunately, we have Priscilla and Aquila who saw his potential.  Instead of reacting with suspicion and fear, “they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way.”  They saw in him a rough diamond that needed to be polished.  Instead of writing him off as inexperienced and lacking in truth, they were ready to guide him.  They knew that Apollos would be a greater preacher of the gospel once he was instructed in the fullness of the gospel.  This calls for patient mentoring.  Nature must be perfected by grace.  That both of them were willing to take him under their tutelage, speaks much for them.  They were not intimidated by the erudite knowledge of Apollos.  He was a brilliant and eloquent man.  They were ready to dialogue with him.  They did not feel threatened that Apollos might outshine them as preachers and teachers.  Their only concern was that Apollos be effective in his ministry.  Priscilla and Aquila were selfless in the proclamation of the gospel, not thinking of their interests, popularity or status.

What can we learn from them?  Firstly, as leaders we must be ready to find potential leaders to replace us.  Good leaders are always on the lookout for potential leaders to take over their work.  Like Priscilla and Aquila, we must learn to spot those with talents to succeed us.  To hang on to power and position is to do disservice to the Church.  Leaders cannot think of themselves and continue to enjoy their service and position without preparing others to replace them.  The failure to look for new leaders will lead to the demise of whatever projects and initiatives we have started.  This is one of the biggest mistakes of leaders, scrambling for replacement only when the situation demands it.

Secondly, we must mentor them once we find them to have potential for leadership.  We must invest time to train them. This is the most difficult part.  Being exemplary and mentoring potential leaders take time.  We need patience and not expect them to be like us in every way.  We need to accept compromises in the high standards we have set for ourselves.  Otherwise, we will discourage the potential leaders, for they will feel inadequate and inferior. Skills need to be cultivated through time and experience.  Training leaders therefore calls for tremendous sacrifices.  We must be willing to let go and be willing to let them take over the limelight. At the same time, we must be encouraging, affirming, supportive and tolerant when they make mistakes.  Only in this way will potential leaders find strength to persevere.

Thirdly, we must be tactful.  “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instructing about the Way.” They did not embarrass Apollos in front of everyone.  They took him aside and spoke to him personally.  When we need to correct or help someone, it is important that we do not make the person lose face before others.  Tact and diplomacy will make people whom we need to correct more receptive to what we want to say.  Although truth must always be said, it must always be spoken in charity.

Of course, such positive attitudes towards those who are talented call for a response as well. ‘Newbies’ must be willing to learn. The problem is that some think they know everything.  They do not take the trouble to understand the procedures, background and history before rushing to implement changes; ignoring the lessons of the past.  Docility is therefore essential for any formation.  Without docility no learning is possible; regardless how willing experienced leaders are to impart wisdom and knowledge to them.  Docility presumes humility.  

Again, Apollos had the right spirit of learning.  Although he knew much about the Hebrew scriptures and all that John the Baptist taught, he was willing to relearn everything.  Considering that he was so steeped in the knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures, it would have been truly a great humility on the part of Apollos to let go of his previous learning and accept with openness what Priscilla and Aquila had to say about Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  But Apollos was willing to bracket his own convictions and knowledge in order to be fully receptive to what the couple wanted to share with him.   Most likely, Apollos knew that there was something more than what he already knew so well.

Of course, the community also has a great part to play in the building up of future leaders. The community must be supportive and welcoming.  We note that the Christians were very supportive too of Apollos’ initiative when he “thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him.” The problem sometimes is that communities are so used to their leaders and familiar faces that they are often not ready to accept new blood into leadership.  They start comparing the new ones with the old and established leaders who are more experienced.  As a consequence, potential leaders get discouraged because of the unfair and sometimes harsh criticisms and rejection they receive.  How often have we had new leaders who, after being initiated into the group, give up because the community made them feel rejected and unwelcome?

Of course, at the end of the day, realizing one’s potential requires more than the mere use of human ingenuity, etc.  We need the grace of God.  We read that when Apollos “arrived there he was able by God’s grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way he refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.”  Without the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can never excel in what we do.  This explains why the disciples instructed Apollos on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, since he only received the water of repentance of John the Baptist.

For this reason, we must pray and ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”  Only through Jesus, can we receive the help of the Holy Spirit.  Indeed, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given to us through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus told the disciples, “For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God.”   By believing in Him, we will be blessed with all the graces needed to live our lives as intended by God and to accomplish our mission.

In the final analysis, effective preaching must come from a mind that can understand the depths of God and the mystery of His inner life; and a heart that is in touch with God and man; and finally a faith that is grounded in our confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior. So without a consciousness of the Holy Spirit and a clear experience of the power of the Lord in and through them, we will never be able change the world.  It is not enough to teach but rather, as the Bishop would instruct the candidate asking for admission to the Order of Diaconate, saying, “Believe what you read.  Practice what you believe.  Teach what you believe.” Faith in Jesus of the head and heart is what makes faith.  When we trust in the power of God on account of our faith in Jesus, then our joy will be complete.  When we ask in faith, and when the petition is answered, our joy is complete, for then we know that Jesus is true and is real.

Written by Rev. Fr. William Goh
Spiritual Director, Catholic Spirituality Centre (CSC)
© All Rights Reserved
___________________________

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Catholic Spirituality Centre Singapore

Best Practices of Daily Scripture Reflections – By Fr William Goh

1. Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
2. Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
3. It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.