Zephaniah 3:14-18 / Philippians 4:4-7 / Luke 3:10-18
The year-long celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Catholic Church in Singapore concluded yesterday, 11th December.
We may wonder why the 11th December, and some other date. That is because on the 11th of December 1821, and that was two hundred years ago, a Catholic priest by the name of Father Laurent Imbert, stopped by Singapore on a mission to China.
Though he did not establish a mission in Singapore, he wrote a letter to his Superior in which he said that he found about a dozen Catholics, all living in pitiful conditions and having forgotten about their religion.
As it is always said, the rest is history, as Singapore grew from a little humble mission station to a bustling Archdiocese, with 32 parishes, all that in a relatively small island.
So, the Church in Singapore had humble beginnings, but it grew and after two hundred years, we are looking at how God has blessed the Church in Singapore.
Yes, we give thanks and we rejoice that the Lord has blessed and guided the Church over these two hundred years.
We look back and we see the wonders and marvels the Lord has done through the Church, in the areas of education, healthcare, social service and proclaiming the Good News to all who are called by God to be His children.
But, more than just what we, the Church in Singapore has done, we need to look at what needs to be done and to also ask for the Lord's blessings to do it.
In the gospel, when the people heard the message of repentance from John the Baptist they had one question. The tax collectors, the soldiers and the people asked this question: What must we do?
We too, as we look at the two hundred years of being Church in Singapore, we must also ask this question: What must we do?
Yes, what must we do? What is it that the Lord wants us to do?
As we think about this, let us also remember that what we do flows from who we are. In other words, action flows from being.
We need to think about who we are first, and then we will know what we must do.
The mission of the Church is to be a sign of salvation and to lead people to Jesus the Saviour.
So, we are called to be signs of salvation, and that we know who Jesus is, and that others can see Jesus in us.
And how do they see Jesus in us? The 2nd reading tells us this: Let your tolerance be evident to everyone. The Lord is near. There is no need to worry, but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.
When others can see that in us, that we are a joyful and thankful people, then they will want us to bring them to Church.
They will want to know how to pray and how to be at peace. They will want to know who Jesus is and to seek forgiveness and healing.
Yes, when others see that this is who we are, then what we need to do will come naturally.
God has called us to be His people, and blessed us with the gift of faith.
Let us be a blessing for others, so that as church, we will journey on with rejoicing and thanksgiving.