Gospel Reflection 2021/2022

God REVEALS Himself to us.

The beginning titles of the Part I of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) read, “GOD COMES TO MEET MAN… God reveals His plan of loving goodness…” The titles – short yet powerful – show us that our Christian God is a God who does not hide or close upon Himself, but He is a loving God who reveals and opens Himself to us.

CCC 51 further explains that, “It pleased God, in his goodness and wisdom, to REVEAL himself and to MAKE KNOWN the mystery of his will. His will was that men should HAVE ACCESS to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become SHARERS in the divine nature.”

God chooses to meet us;

He chooses to communicate with us;

He chooses to reveal Himself to us;

and He chooses to share Himself with us.

In the Old Testament…

✝️ God communicated and revealed to Moses from the burning bush [Ex 3]. Moses was looking after the flock of his father-in-law near Horeb, the mountain of God. He suddenly caught sight of a flame blazing from the middle of a bush, but strangely the bush was not consumed by the flame. Spurred by curiosity, he walked up to investigate. And God called out to Him from the middle of the burning bush, revealed Himself as “I AM WHO I AM”, and sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from the house of slavery.

✝️ God communicated and revealed to Samuel [1 Sm 3]. The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli in the sanctuary where the ark of God was. One night, as he was lying in the sanctuary, God called, “Samuel! Samuel!” Unafraid, the young Samuel thought it was Eli calling him. Finally, Eli realised that it was God who was calling Samuel. And at the advice of Eli, Samuel responded the fourth time when God called, saying, “Speak Lord; for Your servant is listening.” At that, God revealed Himself to Samuel and remained with him.

✝️ God communicated and revealed to Elijah at Horeb [1 Kgs 19: 1-13]. Hunted down by the evil Jezebel, Prophet Elijah fled for his life. In extreme anguish, he wished to die. Finally, he came to a cave at Horeb, the mountain of God to spend a night there. And the word of God came to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” God revealed Himself to Elijah and strengthened him.

In the fullness of time, Jesus came.

‘In the past God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son.’ [Heb 1: 1-2]

✝️ Jesus communicated and revealed to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob [Jn 4: 1-42]. It was a hot afternoon, and Jesus sat by the well. A Samaritan woman came to draw water at that hour, and Jesus asked her for a drink, “Give me a drink.” A seemingly ordinary conversation started and it quickly escalated into a deep conversion experience for the Samaritan woman: Jesus revealed to her that He was the Living Water and the Messiah; and she was transformed by the divine encounter and the divine conversation.

✝️ The risen Jesus communicated and revealed to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus [Lk 24: 13-35]. After Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Jesus’ disciples were dejected, depressed, disappointed, defeated and disillusioned – and two disciples were abandoning the sinking ship, they were leaving Jerusalem. On their way to Emmaus, the risen Lord came near and walked with them, but they could not recognise Him. And Jesus asked, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” And the divine encounter was followed with the divine conversation: Jesus explained the Scripture about Himself to the two disciples. And the divine conversation climaxed with the divine banquet: Jesus broke bread with the disciples; their eyes were opened and at that moment, they recognised Jesus.

Today, Jesus and the Father continue to come to us with the Holy Spirit.

In the Gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus says [Jn 16: 12], “I still have many things to say to you.” Even today, our Triune God continues to come to us: He meets us in the Scriptures, the Sacraments and the liturgies of the Church; He meets us in our prayers; He meets us in the world and in the circumstances around us; and He also meets us in our instincts and consciences.

God continues to meet us;

He continues to communicate with us;

He continues to reveal Himself to us;

and He continues to share Himself with us.

Above all, the Holy Eucharist (the Mass) is surest and most definitive means of divine encounter, divine conversation and divine banquet.

At every Mass, the Most Holy Trinity comes to meet us (divine encounter): at the Liturgy of the Word, God communicates with us and reveals Himself to us (divine conversation); at the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as we eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus, we are nourished (divine banquet) and we come to share in God’s divine life.

At the heart of the Holy Eucharist is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, ablaze with love for you and for me. May we deeply encounter, experience and behold the loving Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist: as He speaks to us from His Heart, let us listen to Him with the ears of our hearts.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“One God, three Persons, Triune Unity,

be near me in the temple of my soul.

Draw me to share in Your life and love...

and let me rejoice in loving You for all eternity....”

Let us also pray with and pray for Ukraine that:

“The weapons of war be silenced, the evil of the aggressors be stopped, and those who hold the fate of the world in their hands may spare us from the horror and madness of war.”