Acts 8:5-8, 14-17/ 1 Peter 3:15-18/ John 14:15-21
Do you know what is the percentage of the population in Singapore who has tertiary education?
Just a check on the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the 2012 Statistics say that it is about 25%.
In other words, about one in four persons in Singapore is a university graduate.
That means to say that Singaporeans are highly educated, thanks to the effective education system.
Which means to say that from young, we are taught how to think correctly and reason out things properly.
There is this story of a couple with a young son and they were looking around for a place to rent.
Finally, they came upon a place that was owned by an elderly man, and they really liked the place.
So when the couple inquired about the rent, the old gentleman said, “I would gladly let you have this place, but I don’t rent it out to couples with children.” glancing at the young boy as he said this.
Of course the couple was disappointed with this, so they turned to leave.
After walking a couple of steps, the young boy turned and went back to the house and knocked on the door.
The elderly gentleman opened the door and saw the young boy and said, “Oh, it’s you. What do you want?”
The young boy said, “I want to rent this place!”
The elderly gentleman said, “But I don’t rent it out to couples with children.”
And the boy replied, “I don’t have children. I only have parents. So, how much is the rent?”
Not surprising actually, because nowadays the young children can think so fast and they are able to give a reply to whatever we say to them.
We may have to admit that the young are better educated than us and they certainly know more than us.
But being better educated is not just about thinking fast and having something to say about everything.
The 2nd reading spells out the purpose of a Christian education and formation.
It says this: Reverence the Lord in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you for the reason for the hope that you have.
It continues by saying: But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us that He will give us an Advocate (a Helper/Defender) to be with us forever.
And this Advocate is the Spirit of Truth, who will help us to love Jesus and keep His commandments.
And this Spirit of Truth, this Advocate is indeed helping us to understand our faith and defend it.
In the latest edition of the Catholic News, there is an article on page 12 that is worth reading. The caption says: Thousands take part in procession and Holy Hour in response to planned “black mass” in US.
It reported that a group of students at Harvard University, one of the top universities in the world, had planned to conduct a satanic ritual “black mass” on May 12 on the campus. (A “black mass” is a satanic ritual which mocks the Catholic Church’s Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)
That planned event brought about a public outcry and drew wide criticism from religious leaders, as well as from students, alumni and faculty members at Harvard.
The Catholic community at Harvard responded with a Eucharistic procession and a Holy Hour at St Paul’s Church that was attended by 2000 Catholics and joined by many others.
At the Holy Hour, the senior Catholic chaplain at Harvard, Fr. Michael Drea, told the congregation, “We are here tonight praying, with trust and worship, in the presence of our Risen Saviour under the appearance of bread.”
He continued by saying, “A threat to the Eucharist in an act of sacrilege demands our prayerful and firm response.”
The Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, said that the Catholic community took offence at the planned “black mass” but there was no way to prevent it other than to try and explain to people how evil it is.
But thanks be to God, that planned “black mass” was cancelled and taken out of campus.
Certainly it was the prayers of the Catholic community, the procession and the Holy Hour that prevented the “black mass” from taking place.
And most certainly, it was the Advocate, the Holy Spirit of truth, that activated the Catholic community into a prayerful and firm united response against that evil.
So even though people are educated and have all the information, and even at the tertiary level, the presence of evil lurks in the corners and in the corridors.
But evil can only thrive when people of faith say and do nothing about it.
May the Spirit of truth defend and guard us against evil and falsehood.
May the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, empower us to give a prayerful and firm response with our faith so that others will be able to see the reason for the hope that we have.
And let us love the Lord and keep His commandments, and teach others to do the same. That’s what a good education is all about.