Gospel Reflection 2021/2022

Separating the wheat from the chaff.

Chaff (or hull) is the outer layer of a wheat grain. As the chaff is thin, light and papery, it can be easily removed. Traditionally, the farmers would toss the wheat grains from big flat baskets into the air; as the lighter chaff is blown away by the wind, the heavier wheat grains will stay. This wind-assisted process for the separation of the wheat from the chaff is called winnowing.

Similarly, to extract gold from the streams, the simplest and most traditional method is gold panning. This process involves the sieving of gold from dirt by washing them in a pan with water. The dirt which is lighter will be washed away, while the gold which is heavier will remain in the pan.

Beware lest we lose the SUBSTANCE by grasping at the SHADOW. [Aesop, Greek fabulist and storyteller]

• • SHADOWS are transient, fleeting, superficial, deceptive, unreal and profane.

• • SUBSTANCE is perpetual, permanent, profound, promising, genuine and divine.

In many ways, the world has tricked us into crazing for and chasing after the SHADOWS: the bottomless food and drinks, the unlimited money and power, the boundless fame and fortune, the self-serving glory and honour, the excessive comfort, luxury and entertainment...

As Aesop has warned us: in our constant pursuit of these SHADOWS, the danger is that we could easily lose sight of the REAL SUBSTANCE that we should desire and aspire for in life.

“What must we do?” [Lk 3: 10]

As the faithful disciples of Christ, we are called to be different: we must not follow the crowd crazing for and chasing after the SHADOW of the ‘vanity of vanities’ [Ec 1: 2].

Instead, we are called to be MEN AND WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE – not by the worldly standards – but by God’s standard. Nothing adds SUBSTANCE, value, weight and meaning to our lives other than God Himself. God is the ONLY SUBSTANCE every Christian must desire and aspire for.

St Augustine beautifully and rightly says that, “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.” Everything else is mere shadow, pale in comparison to God.

We must also remember that falling in love with God, seeking Him and finding Him is a continuous life-long journey. Even our baptism is not an end in itself. Rather it is an invitation for us to know God more dearly, love Him more intensely, follow Him more closely, and serve Him more passionately.

• • In this earthly life, only with this ever-growing and ever-deepening relationship with God, will we not be blown away by the howling wind, or swept away by the rising water, or shaken to the core by the devastating earthquakes.

• • And at the end of time, we will also be judged and separated like the wheat from the chaff: those among us ‘with substance’ like the wheat will be gathered into the barn, while those among us ‘without substance’ like the chaff will be throw into the unquenchable fire.

“He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” [Luke 3: 16]

In the world around us and even at the deepest realm of our hearts, there is a constant confusion between SUBSTANCE and SHADOW, good and evil, right and wrong, falsehoods and God’s Truth.

We can only rely on God the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us that we may be truly wise and discerning – to strip away the falsehoods layer by layer to arrive at God’s Truth, and to remove the shadow to see God as He truly is.

• • As in winnowing, our hearts need the ‘wind’ of the Holy Spirit to separate the wheat (SUBSTANCE) from the chaff (SHADOW).

• • As in gold panning, our hearts need the constant flowing ‘water’ of the Holy Spirit to wash away the dirt (FALSEHOODS) to reveal the hidden gold (GOD’S TRUTH).

• • And as in gold refining, our hearts need the ‘fire’ of the Holy Spirit to burn away the impurities (SIN) – what is remain is pure gold (VIRTUE) purified and tested by fire and pleasing to God.

Jesus Christ is the REAL Substance of our lives.

This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete (Joyful) Sunday. The liturgical colour is rose; and the First Reading at Mass is an invitation to joy: for the Lord our God is (already) in our midst [Zp 3: 17].

Have we missed the Lord our God in our midst?

As we are busy shopping, wrapping gifts, decorating and preparing for Christmas, may we know that all these are none but SHADOWS – let not the SHADOWS of festivity outshine our Lord Jesus Christ who is the REAL SUBSTANCE of our lives.

If anyone of us have been physically away from the Catholic Church, perhaps it is time for us to come back to Church this Advent and this Christmas. May we truly experience the person, the presence and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit especially in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Come, Lord Jesus.

Come with Your Holy Spirit.”