Readings:Yeh 33:7-9; Rm 13:8-10; Mat 18:15-20

MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, CAN YOU REMEMBER WHAT WAS THE SERMON LAST SUNDAY?

1. IF I ASK YOU WHAT WAS THE SCORE; BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND ASTON VILLA LAST SUNDAY, I AM SURE YOU WILL REMEMBER!
2. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING BIGGER THAN PREMIER LEAGUE HERE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT… THE GOAL OF OUR LIFE.
3. LAST SUNDAY, JESUS REMINDED US ABOUT THE CROSS. HE SPOKE ABOUT THE PERSONAL CROSS. TODAY, JESUS SPEAKS TO US ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE CROSS.
4. WHAT IS THIS COLLECTIVE CROSS? IT IS SOMETHING THAT EACH ONE OF US HAS A PART TO PLAY. OR TO PUT IT IN FOOTBALL LANGUAGE, IT IS A TEAM GAME.
5. ALL THREE READINGS TODAY TALK ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN A COMMUNITY. WE ARE ASKED TO LOOK AFTER ONE ANOTHER AS MEMBERS OF THE SAME COMMUNITY.
6. BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO LIVE AS INDIVIDUALS, ACT AS INDIVIDUALS… AND EVEN PRAY AND GO TO MASS AS INDIVIDUALS, THEN WE ARE ALL SURE TO FAIL AND DISINTEGRATE INTO A SAD AND LONELY INDIVIDUAL.
7. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, GOD WILL PROBABLY LEAVE YOU ALONE, TOO. BECAUSE THIS IS THE RESULT OF SELFISHNESS, AND SELFISHNESS IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOD STANDS FOR.
8. GOD SEEMS TO WORK BEST AND IS MOST VISIBLE IN COMMUNITIES. THAT’S WHY MANY MIRACLES, CONVERSION AND HEALING TAKE PLACE AT RALLIES, PRAYER MEETINGS AND EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATIONS. IN SUCH COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, THE PEOPLE COME WITH SINCERE LOVE AND HUMILITY AND PRAY FOR EACH OTHER.
9. WHEN THESE QUALITIES ARE PRESENT, IT IS A FERTILE GROUND FOR GOD TO WORK. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN THESE ATTRIBUTES ARE ABSENT, IT BECOMES A BARREN AND UNCONDUCIVE ATMOSPHERE FOR GOOD THINGS TO HAPPEN.
10. THE MESSAGE IS VERY CLEAR. WE MUST CARE FOR EACH OTHER AS A COMMUNITY. OR TO PUT IT STRONGLY, WE MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE ANOTHER. THIS IS WHAT I MEAN BY THE COLLECTIVE CROSS.
11. SCRIPTURE GIVES SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THEY WERE TO DO IT IN THOSE DAYS. THEY WERE TO CORRECT A MEMBER OF THEIR COMMUNITY IF HE DID SOMETHING WRONG. AND IF A FELLOW MEMBER FAILED TO HELP HIM FROM FALLING INTO SIN, THEN HE WOULD BE AS GUILTY AS THE SINNER – AND WOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
12. THAT WAS HOW THE COMMUNITIES OF OLD ISRAEL LIVED. IS THIS STANDARD TOO RIGID TO APPLY TODAY? IS IT OUTDATED?
13. WELL, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, BUT THE KEY MESSAGE OF THE READINGS IS AS RELEVANT TO US. IT APPLIES VERY MUCH TO US TODAY IN SENGKANG, AND SINGAPORE.
14. IN FACT, IT IS EVEN MORE URGENT THAT WE APPLY THIS TO OUR COMMUNITY TODAY, BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS BECOME A SAD AND SORRY PLACE.
15. IF WE DO NOT SEE IT AS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GUIDE ONE ANOTHER IN THE TRUTH, SOCIETY WILL CONTINUE TO DEGENERATE MORALLY. CRIME RATE WILL RISE, SOCIAL DISHARMONEY WILL HAPPEN, TENSIONS WILL INCREASE. AND WE WILL BE AT THE RECEIVING END. OUR CHILDREN WILL BE AT THE RECEIVING END.
16. THE COLLECTIVE CROSS IS A COMMON SIGN TO REMIND US OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER. WHEN WE LIVE GOD’S VALUES COLLECTIVELY, WE AND OUR CHILDREN CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A BETTER FUTURE. OTHERWISE, THE COLLECTIVE CROSS BECOMES COLLECTIVE SUFFERING, BROUGHT ABOUT COLLECTIVELY BY OURSELVES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
17. SO, MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, HOW CAN WE APPLY WHAT JESUS COMMANDS US TO DO? HOW CAN WE HELP ONE ANOTHER TO STAY ON THE RIGHT TRACK? HOW CAN WE CORRECT ONE ANOTHER ALONG THE WAY?

1. FIRST, MAY I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT WE ARE NOT CALLED TO BE POLICEMEN OR POLICE WOMEN. WE ARE NOT OUT TO CATCH PEOPLE DOING WRONG. WE ARE JUST CALLED TO BE BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO ONE ANOTHER.
2. WITH THIS ATTITUDE AS A STARTING POINT, OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS TO EACH OTHER WILL SPEAK OF LOVE AND NOT OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.
3. WITH THIS ATTITUDE, WE CAN GO ABOUT CORRECTING OTHERS WITH LOVE. WITH THIS ATTITUDE, WE WILL ALSO BE MORE OPEN TO BE CORRECTED OURSELVES, WITHOUT BEING DEFENSIVE.
4. IT IS EASIER TO CORRECT OTHERS. BUT WE MUST ALSO ACCEPT TO BE CORRECTED OURSELVES. THAT IS HOW WE CAN GROW. JUST AS WE CORRECT OTHERS WITH LOVE, WE MUST ACCEPT CORRECTION WITH LOVE.
5. SO MAKE A STAND TODAY. IF YOU KNOW THAT YOUR FRIEND IS SURFING DIRTY WEBSITES, TELL HIM THAT IT IS WRONG. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS CHEATING IN ANY WAY, TELL HER THAT SHE IS WRONG. IF YOU SEE A COLLEAGUE OR A CLASSMATE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE WEAK, TELL HIM NICELY THAT IT IS WRONG.
6. OFTEN, WE ARE AFRAID TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO ROCK THE BOAT. WE WANT TO REMAIN POPULAR. OR WE ARE AFRAID THAT PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT WE ARE TOO HOLY.
7. NO, DON’T SUCCUMB TO THIS APPREHENSION. BE TRUE TO YOUR CHRISTIAN IDENTITY. ASK GOD FOR THE GRACE TO HELP YOU STAND UP FOR HIS VALUES. AND ALSO THE GRACE TO HELP YOU HELP OTHERS TURN AWAY FROM SIN.
8. WHEN YOU ARE TRUE TO YOURSELF, TRUE TO YOUR IDENTITY AS CHILD OF GOD, YOU DELIGHT THE FATHER. AND GOD’S BLESSINGS WILL BE UPON YOU.

1. AND WHEN MORE CHRISTIANS DO LIKEWISE, MORE BLESSINGS WILL BE UPON THE COMMUNITY. THEN WILL THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE AN INCREASE OF GOD’S PRESENCE… YOU WILL SEE MORE HEALING, CONVERSION, JOY, PEACE AND LOVE ALL AROUND AND INSIDE YOU.
2. THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING IN COMMUNITIES HERE IN SENGKANG AND ALL OVER SINGAPORE. THIS IS A REALITY. THESE COMMUNITIES BEAR TESTIMONY TO THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN AND AMONG US. IT IS THE WAY TO OVERCOME THE WORLD.
3. SO MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS, I SHALL LEAVE YOU WITH THE WORDS OF ST PAUL IN THE SECOND READING. IN A REFRESHING WAY TO INSTIL OUR SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID… “THE ONLY THING YOU SHOULD OWE ANYONE IS LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.”
4. IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS OUR DEBT TO ONE ANOTHER. FRATERNAL CORRECTION IS NEVER EASY. CORRECTING SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS NOT CLOSE TO US IS EASIER. BUT, ARE WE REALLY TRUE TO EACH OTHER IF WE PRETEND THAT ALL IS ALLRIGHT WHEN IT IS NOT.

A M E N. (Fr Sarwiseso Robertus – Singapore)