Kalender Liturgi 16 Sep 2019 Senin Pekan Biasa XXIV PW S. Kornelius, Paus, dan Siprianus, Uksup; Martir. IMAN SANG PERWIRA.

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Kalender Liturgi 16 Sep 2019
Senin Pekan Biasa XXIV
PW S. Kornelius, Paus, dan Siprianus, Uksup; Martir
Warna Liturgi: Merah
Bacaan I: 1Tim 2:1-8
Mazmur Tanggapan: Mzm 28:2.7.8-9
Bait Pengantar Injil: Yoh 3:16
Bacaan Injil: Luk 7:1-10

Bacaan I
1Tim 2:1-8
Kita harus berdoa untuk semua orang,
karena Allah ingin semua orang diselamatkan.

Pembacaan dari Surat Pertama Rasul Paulus kepada Timotius:

Saudara terkasih,
Pertama-tama aku menasihatkan,
agar dipanjatkan doa-doa dan permohonan serta ucapan syukur kepada Allah
bagi semua orang, bagi pemerintah dan penguasa,
agar kita dapat hidup aman dan tenteram
dalam segala kesalehan dan kehormatan.
Itulah yang baik dan berkenan di hati Tuhan, penyelamat kita.
Ia menghendaki agar semua orang diselamatkan
dan memperoleh pengetahuan akan kebenaran.

Allah itu esa,
dan esa pula Dia yang menjadi pengantara Allah dan manusia,
yaitu manusia Kristus Yesus.
Ia telah menyerahkan diri sebagai tebusan bagi semua orang,
suatu kesaksian pada waktu yang tepat.
Untuk kesaksian itulah
aku telah ditetapkan sebagai pewarta dan rasul.
Yang kukatakan ini benar, aku tidak berdusta.
Aku ditetapkan sebagai pengajar bangsa-bangsa
dalam iman dan kebenaran.

Oleh karena itu aku ingin
agar di mana pun
kaum lelaki berdoa dengan menadahkan tangan yang suci,
tanpa kemarahan dan perselisihan.

Demikianlah sabda Tuhan.


Mazmur Tanggapan
Mzm 28:2.7.8-9
R:6
Terpujilah Tuhan,
sebab Ia telah mendengarkan doa permohonanku.

*Dengarkanlah suara permohonanku,
apabila aku berteriak kepada-Mu minta tolong,
dan mengangkat tanganku ke arah tempat-Mu yang maha kudus.

*Tuhan adalah kekuatan dan perisaiku;
kepada-Nya hatiku percaya.
Aku tertolong, sebab itu beria-rialah hatiku,
dan dengan nyanyianku aku bersyukur kepada-Nya.

*Tuhan adalah kekuatan umat-Nya
dan benteng keselamatan bagi orang yang diurapi-Nya!
Selamatkanlah kiranya umat-Mu dan berkatilah milik-Mu sendiri,
gembalakanlah mereka dan dukunglah mereka
untuk selama-lamanya.


Bait Pengantar Injil
Yoh 3:16
Begitu besar kasih Allah kepada dunia,
sehingga Ia mengaruniakan Anak-Nya yang tunggal.
Setiap orang yang percaya akan Dia, memiliki hidup abadi.


Bacaan Injil
Luk 7:1-10
Di Israel pun iman sebesar itu belum pernah Kujumpai

Inilah Injil Yesus Kristus menurut Lukas:
Pada suatu ketika,
setelah mengakhiri pengajaran-Nya kepada orang banyak,
masuklah Yesus ke Kapernaum.
Di situ ada seorang perwira
yang mempunyai seorang hamba yang amat ia hargai,
Hamba itu sedang sakit keras dan hampir mati.
Ketika mendengar tentang Yesus,
ia menyuruh beberapa orang tua-tua Yahudi kepada-Nya
untuk meminta agar Ia datang dan menyembuhkan hambanya.
Mereka datang kepada Yesus,
dan dengan sangat mohon pertolongan-Nya, katanya,
"Sudah selayaknya Engkau menolong dia,
sebab ia mengasihi bangsa kita,
dan dialah yang menanggung pembangunan rumah ibadat kami."
Maka pergilah Yesus bersama mereka.

Ketika Yesus tidak jauh lagi dari rumahnya,
perwira itu menyuruh beberapa sahabatnya untuk mengatakan kepada Yesus,
"Tuan, janganlah bersusah-susah,
sebab aku merasa tidak layak menerima Tuan dalam rumahku.
sebab itu aku juga merasa tidak pantas
datang sendiri mendapatkan Tuan.
Tetapi katakanlah sepatah kata saja, maka hambaku itu akan sembuh.
Sebab aku pun seorang bawahan, dan di bawahku ada pula prajurit.
Jika aku berkata kepada salah seorang, 'Pergi' maka ia pergi;
atau kepada yang lain, 'Datanglah!' maka ia datang;
dan jika aku berkata kepada hambaku, 'Kerjakanlah ini!'
maka ia pun mengerjakannya."

Mendengar itu, heranlah Yesus akan dia.
Sambil berpaling kepada orang banyak yang mengikuti-Nya,
Ia berkata,
"Aku berkata kepadamu:
Di Israel pun iman sebesar itu belum pernah Kujumpai."
Setelah orang-orang suruhan itu kembali ke rumah,
mereka mendapati hamba yang sakit itu sudah sehat kembali.

Demikianlah Injil Tuhan.

16 SEPTEMBER, 2019, Monday, 24th Week, Ordinary Time

FOSTERING RELIGIOUS HARMONY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [  1 TIm 2:1-8; Ps 28:2, 7-9; Lk 7:1-10 ]

Even today as we claim to be a more civilized and democratic society, there is religious oppression in many parts of the world, sometimes by the secular authority and sometimes by the dominant religion of the country.  Even if there are no outward oppressive acts, there is great discrimination.  The truth is that religious conflicts are lose-lose situations for everyone, whether those of religious beliefs or without religious affinity.  They create more disharmony, retaliation and hostility among peoples.

The consequence of religious conflicts is that religions are indirectly helping society to sow the seeds of secularism.  In other to avoid religious conflicts, governments think that the way to show neutrality is through the promotion of secularism.  With secularism, the moral consequence is relativism.   It is almost impossible for a government to always act morally because no one agrees on what is right or wrong.  The government no longer sees itself as the spokesman for morality, since there is no common foundation of truth.  The end result is a life of individualism and pragmatism.  This is the true age of idolatry, the worship of self, ego and the selfish needs of the individual.  For the sake of convenience and not thinking of the implications of our actions for the future of humanity, we end up with pragmatism, which is to do what we think is good for the moment.

In truth, all peoples on earth want to live in peace and harmony, whether at home, in office, in society or in the world.  But no peace is possible so long as religions are not respected and accepted.  True religions must promote peace, love and unity.  In the first reading, St Paul calls everyone to pray for all "so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet."  Indeed, St Paul says, "To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved."  Ultimately, St Paul says, "there is only one God."   Indeed, God is the Father of us all, regardless whether we are believers or not.  We are one family of God and God loves us all.  In the gospel, Jesus says, "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous."  (Mt 5:44)

Of course, from our Christian experience and perspective "there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all."   This is based on our encounter with the saving grace of Christ Jesus through His passion, death and resurrection.  St Paul said he is the perfect example of one who had been saved by Christ.  "He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans."

This does not mean that we need to impose our faith on others.  Just because we believe that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one can come to the Father except through Him because He is identified with the Father (cf Jn 14:5-14), it does not imply that all have come to this faith.  The work of evangelization is not proselytizing.  Rather it is the work of enlightenment, the gradual work of leading one into a personal relationship with the Lord.  This takes time.  This is what St Paul urges us, "he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth."  We are called to help them to grow in the knowledge of the truth, which we recognize they already have in a greater or lesser extent.  "The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself."  (Nostra Aetate, 2)

How can we help humanity to grow in faith and in truth?  Firstly, we must pray for everyone, especially those in authority, be it secular or religious.  St Paul wrote, "My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority."  Ironically, the cause of division is often those in authority sowing seeds fear and hostility through slander, misinformation, inciting hatred and discrimination.  Religious leaders that fan suspicion, distrust and hatred for other religions through their preaching and distortion of the truth of the beliefs of others are not promoting religions as the path to peace.  So it is important that we pray for religious leaders, whether official or lay leaders, to promote peace and goodwill rather than hatred and competition.

But secular authorities do equally worse when they discriminate one religion over another or even give preference to secularism under the guise of neutrality to all religions.  In some countries, the secular authority is not just secular but anti-religion. It is a misconception for the world to think that only secularism can bring about unity in the world in the midst of so many religions and non-believers.  Secularism is not the solution to peace and unity but in reality brings more division since it leads to relativism, individualism and pragmatism.  A society without moral values and strong foundation in the truth will eventually disintegrate and be divided because they live in falsehood.  If secularism is the answer to world peace and unity, we just need to look at the world today, and ask if we are more secure, more united, more tolerant, more self-giving and more selfless in serving humanity.

Secondly, we must be respectful of other religions and recognize the good in them rather than pick on doctrines which we cannot agree.  Religious teachers and leaders must teach their congregations to be respectful and appreciative of other religions.  We must not see other religions as a threat to ours.  They are not a threat but actually a boost to our own faith, especially when we interact with them and come to realize how little we know about our faith and are unable to explain what we believe and why we believe.  So formation is the key to strengthening our faith, not focusing on other religions and putting them down in their beliefs, or worse still, discrediting and making fun of them by distorting their beliefs.   We must be sensitive, like the Centurion who understood the religious rituals and cleanliness of the Jews.  So we read that "Jesus went with them, and was not very far from the house when the centurion sent word to him by some friends: 'Sir' he said, 'do not put yourself to trouble; because I am not worthy to have you under my roof and for this same reason I did not presume to come to you myself; but give the word and let my servant be cured."  He was sensitive enough not to approach Jesus himself for fear of showing disrespect.

Thirdly, we must promote authentic friendship and charity.  It was the Jewish elders who came to Jesus and "pleaded earnestly with him.  'He deserves this of you' they said 'because he is friendly towards our people; in fact, he is the one who built the synagogue.'"  Although the centurion was not a Jew, he was a good man.  He cared for the people and supported them, even in their religion.   He did not isolate them.  He gave them whatever support they needed.  Such is the generosity and open-mindedness and heart of the centurion.  So much so he won the respect and love of the Jewish community.  We, too, must do the same and reach out to those who are of different faith from us.  We must wish them well and celebrate with them in their joys and festivities.  We might not share the same beliefs but at least we can show our common brotherhood. Through genuine friendship, respect and mutual appreciation, we come to value and support one another, and even enrich each other's faith as well.

The centurion might not worship the God of Abraham but he certainly must have believed in God.  His life was a demonstration of the fruit of God's love in his heart.  This is seen in his devotion to his family. He even treated his slave like his own child and his love for the people regardless of their religious affiliations.  He might not have faith in Jesus as the Son of God but certainly, his faith was growing and he believed that Jesus must be a man of God to be able to perform miracles.

So conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit.  Faith ultimately is a gift and we cannot force or impose.  What is more important is for us is to share our faith in Christ with others, the Christian way of life, so that others too can share in the fullness of life in Jesus, here and hereafter.   Happiness in life is not just in the next life but begin here and now.  If we share our faith it is because we want others to come to know Jesus so that they can have life abundantly and to the full.  (cf Jn 10:10)  If they come to know that Jesus is their Saviour and Lord, may God be praised!  Otherwise, even if they live a good life like the Centurion, they can be saved by their own religions.  The Church teaches, "Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience." (Lumen Gentium, 16)

Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved

Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections

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.

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.

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.

Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online, nor will they be available via email request.

16th SEPTEMBER

St Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop, martyrs

Luke 7:1-10

A centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death. When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave...And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed."

We use these words during the Holy Mass before we receive Holy Communion: _"Lord, I am not worthy."_ St John Vianney explained that if Jesus had taken into account our 'worthiness', He would never have instituted the Eucharist. But He took into account only His love for us. Ordinarily we can only receive Him once a day but our desire would be to receive Him many times. According to St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Alphonsus Liguori, the value of a spiritual communion can be as great as Holy Communion itself. It depends, obviously, on the internal dispositions. If God can unite Himself to souls with a piece of bread, would it not be possible for Him to do the same with a strong desire? St. Teresa of Jesus wrote: _"When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you."_ St. John Vianney taught, _"If we are deprived of Sacramental Communion, let us replace it by spiritual communion, which we can make every moment...when we cannot go to the church, let us turn towards the tabernacle; no wall can shut us out from the good God."_

In 1975 the Communist Army took control of Vietnam, sending numerous bishops and priests to prison. Many disappeared, leaving no trace. A prisoner described what he found once in a cell he was moved to. It had been used by a priest who disappeared. On the wall, with a loose stone, the priest had drawn a huge Host and a Chalice. Presumably, unable to say Mass, he had spent a long time there in 'adoration', longing for the Eucharist. Lord, I know I'm not worthy, but I wish to receive You _"with the purity, humility and devotion with which your most holy Mother - my Mother - received you, with the spirit and fervour of the saints."_

Catechism of the Catholic Church § 27-30

*Jesus finds faith in a Roman centurion*

The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for... In many ways, throughout history down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest for God in their religious beliefs and behaviour: in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals, meditations, and so forth. These forms of religious expression, despite the ambiguities they often bring with them, are so universal that one may well call man a religious being... But this "intimate and vital bond of man to God" can be forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world (Mt 13:22); the scandal of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear (Gn 3:8f.) and flee his call (Jon 1:3).

"Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice," (Ps 105[104]:3) Although man can forget God or reject him, He never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness. But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will, "an upright heart" (Ps 97[96]:11), as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God.

"You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without measure" (Ps 145[144]:3; 147[146]:5) and man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this man, though clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof that "you withstand the proud" (Jas 4:6). Despite everything, man, though but a small a part of your creation, wants to praise you. You yourself encourage him to delight in your praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you," (St Augustine, Confessions 1,1,1)