[stephenkhoo]

Wednesday,20 June, 2012, 11th Week, Ordinary Time
TRUE HAPPINESS COMES FROM BEING TRUE TO OUR BEING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 2 KINGS 2:1; 6-14; MATTHEW 6:1-6; 16-18

The gospel gives us the three pillars to living the fullness of life. Happiness is found when we have love for God, charity for others and self-discipline. This love for God is expressed in our relationship with Him in prayer. But a relationship with God cannot end in oneself, but our love for God must be expressed in our love for others in almsgiving and service. However, we cannot truly love God and others unless we are in touch with ourselves and in control of our passions, otherwise the perverted love of self, which is reduced to that of the flesh, will make us incapable of turning towards God or towards our fellowmen.

However, although we might know the key to living a wholesome life, the reality is that many of us are merely practicing, but not observing the spirit of the principles laid down by Christ. This was the mistake or ignorance of the Jewish religious leaders. They were doing everything to gain praise and glory. In other words, even though they were performing the spiritual exercises, their intentions were not pure. It was for this reason that Jesus reprimanded them.

But this is also applicable to us too. Before we become too smug and join Jesus in condemning them, let us be honest and acknowledge that we are no better than the Jewish religious leaders. Like them, we are so insecure and suffer such low self-esteem that we instinctively do things to seek approval from people. We give so that people will think well of us. Some people need the whole world to know when they make a donation or do some good deed. We are driven by ulterior motives when we help the poor, often for the sake of publicity or power, influence, recognition and honour, or even to gain support for our businesses.

Such practices are not exclusive to the world, but inherent in the Church as well. Whether it is the giving of alms or services to the Church, how many of us give without counting the cost, expecting nothing in return? Indeed, how often do we expect preferential treatment and gratitude just because we have given our services to the Church? How many of us are conscious that what we do for the Church is for the service of God? Thus, we serve only those who value us and treat us well, or we terminate our services if we do not get the affirmation or approval that we desire.

When we reflect on our religious practices in terms of our relationship with God, this is even more despicable. Even in prayer and worship, we want to look good in the eyes of others. We fall into spiritual pride. We join Church activities; we participate in prayer sessions and spiritual programs in order to let people know that we are “holy” and “pious.” In fasting, we are not honestly practising mortification, but showing how disciplined or persevering we are, or for some, simply to lose weight. So in prayer, fasting and services to the Church, we can perform all these for vanity.

Alas, if that is motivating us, then the condemnation of Jesus will come true for us as well. But Jesus is not so much condemning us, rather He is warning us of the consequences. So long as we are dependent on external praise and affirmation, we can never find true joy and happiness in life, since such gratification is unpredictable and beyond our control.

The culture of the world is such that one is valued not for oneself but for what one can give or do, thus reducing us to a utility. So we must always strive to prove our worth. The effect of such a meritocratic society is that those who are undeserving have no place in this world. It is no wonder that society is advocating euthanasia, encouraging abortion, advocating stem cell research involving embryos and even cloning so that we can produce the supermen and superwomen of society. Those who are weak and unable to excel have no place in society, because society does not want to be burdened with them.

Against such a destructive culture, the gospel promotes the dignity of the human being who is loved by God unconditionally and fully. That is why there is no need to perform for God. He wants us to do all these things in response to His love for us. No matter what we do, we cannot earn His love, since He has always loved us, whether we are sinners or righteous. Our good works and prayers cannot earn His love and appreciation, although He would be so happy for us to share His unconditional love and mercy by selflessly giving of ourselves and serving Him and others as He did for us.

And the joy of loving and serving from the depths of our being means that our joy would not be dictated by external factors but derived from within oneself, a self that is filled with the heart of God’s love. So as Jesus said in the gospel, when we give alms, our left hand must not know what our right is doing; or when we pray, we go to our private room and pray to the Father who is in the depth of our hearts, intimately, and when we fast, we know that it is done in union with the Father’s self emptying love for the poor and the sinner. Isn’t such a person a liberated person? No amount of praise or disgrace can affect such a person because he knows his strengths and weaknesses before the Lord. More importantly, in all humility he accepts himself as the Lord accepts him in his brokenness.

Today, we have the example of Elijah who was taken away to heaven. He was a great prophet true to His faith and belief. He was utterly courageous to the extent of confronting the King of Israel and eliminating the false prophets. He had no fear of men, only God. Of course he was not perfect as he too had his fears initially, but he overcame them and grew out of them. Because of his faith and sincerity in wanting to walk the way of the Lord, God took him to heaven mysteriously and gloriously in a chariot.

Let us too ask God to give us a double portion of His spirit, as Elisha did of Elijah. We too must seek to inherit the mantle of Elijah so that we can assume responsibility in living an authentic life for ourselves and for those whom God has placed under our care. The real authority in life is not institutional authority, that is, an authority given by our office, but by the very life of faith, love and service in selflessness and humility that can win over others. But most of all, it is a life of true joy and freedom as one lives from his center where the love of God lives. With such personal authority, we can walk dry shod even in times of crises. We can separate the waters, the symbol of chaos and darkness like Elijah and Elisha, because the power of God is with us.