Gospel Reflection 2020/2021

We are broken people living in a broken world. After a month-long Full MCO, the number of new COVID-19 infection cases has not reduced but it has been on an increasing trend. On 9 Jul 2021 (Friday), the number of new infections has recorded a whopping 9,180 cases. As the state of emergency is ending soon, the politikus (political rats) are up and about with their political game of musical chairs. Our whole nation is falling, failing and ailing. Even the whole world is in disarray and chaos.

Against this bleak backdrop, many of us are complaining about our ‘first-world’ problems such as no vacation, no going out, no gathering, no feasting and partying, no haircut, etc… Yet, there are many brothers and sisters around us who are less fortunate: they are struggling to earn a living, to put food on the table, to stay afloat and to survive this prolonged storm.

Looking at the less fortunate brothers and sisters around us, we are often tempted to give sage and safe advice, “Pray and trust God,” or to offer assurance that “I will pray for you”. Sounds familiar? Yes, even one infamous Malaysian politician, in a most insensitive and outrageous remark (at the White Flag Campaign), commented that, “Do not surrender with white flag, pray instead!” No doubt, prayer is important, and it is essential for us to trust in God especially in this trying time. But is that the only comfort and consolation we can offer to those in need?

St James [2:14-17] warns us of such hypocrisy:

‘What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.’

This 15^th Sunday in the Ordinary Time, Jesus empowers us and sends us out into the world: in pairs, taking nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no copper for our purses, not even a spare tunic.

(1) We are sent ‘in pairs’ because we are not solitary beings and we need the support of each other. In all the good works that God calls us to, we must always be in communion with Christ and His Church because cut off from Jesus the True Vine, we can do nothing [c.f. Jn 15: 1-6].

(2) We are to ‘take nothing’ because God does not call the equipped, but God equips the called. Even though we think we are not ready and we think we do not have what it takes to ‘feed the five thousand’, the sincere offering of our ‘five-loaves-and-two-fish’ is all that God needs from us [c.f. Jn 6: 1-14]. Echoing this, Mother Teresa would say, “If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” We do what we can, and God will do the rest. When we have no time to spare, God will give us time; when we have no more strength, God will empower us; when we are tired of loving, God will pour His love into our hearts… God, in His Divine Providence, will always provide.

By the virtue of our Baptism, we are chosen and sent. As we pray for miracles, may we be God’s miracles in the world. As we pray for answers, may we be God’s answers to someone’s prayer. Our fervent prayer to God must always motivate us to be the hands, the feet, the eyes, and the body of Christ in the world today [c.f. St Teresa of Avila].

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Here I am, Lord. Send me.” [Is 6: 8]