Glory Of God Is Found In Simplicity - Christmas Homily by Archbishop William Goh (25 December 2020)

[Music] in the first reading from the prophet isaiah we read the people that walk in darkness has seen the great light on those who live in the land of deep shadow a light has shoned my dear brothers and sisters who are those people that walk in darkness who are those people that continue to live in the land of deep shadow yesterday i went to visit an elderly lady she is 94 years old and she is in very good health but she is all alone because her only son is always away traveling at work and she was looked after by a helper other than the fact that she has good health she is not able to walk not so mobile and so she needs someone to hold her and she said to me i'm 94 years old my health is so good i have no illness but if i have no illness how can i die and she was tired of living because for her life has no more meaning no more purpose the sun is always away every day she is looking at the four walls the company of a tv and a dog i also visited an elderly priest he is sickly and also unable to walk and he told me bishop i have been asking the lord to bring me home but i've been waiting and he has still not called me so i quit i said to him you know saint peter is very busy with the kovit 19 cases you are not on the priority admission you just have to wait for elderly people who have already done so to speak their mission in life what is there for them to hope for every day they are just waiting to return home because life does not seem to have any more purpose any more meaning indeed my dear brothers and sisters those who live in the land of deep shadow and those who walk in darkness are not necessary people who are elderly who are sickly even healthy people like us how do you find life sometimes when you look at your life are you truly living a fulfilled life for many of us life is a real struggle every day we are worried about our financial situation about our health about our family we are worried about our business our job our promotion and all day long every day we are fighting to survive and the little pleasures that we have and sometimes this ego fulfillment trip that we have but is that what life is all about have you ever wondered with all the achievements in your life do you really feel that your life has meaning and purpose that is why there are many people who are healthy who are strong who are apparently successful they also do not find life truly worth living that is why my dear brothers and sisters at christmas god reveals to us the true meaning of our existence the meaning of existence is found in the ordinariness of life that's why god has come to us not as a stately king not in his majesty and his glory the king of kings came in a little baby a little child he was not dressed in fine clothes but his sword in clothes his throne was the manger god became small so that we will not be afraid to approach him god became one of us so that we can feel close to him a baby is never threatening not intimidating anyone who sees a baby a child immediately responds with love with tenderness and that is how the lord wants us to remember if you want to find the true meaning in life it is really a question of finding god in ordinary life in the simplicity of our life that is why the release kovid 19 pandemic the lord is stripping us of all the not listeners and to come back to what is really essential the other day i went to visit an elderly couple they are staying in the one room hdb flat 37 square meter the lady is about 70 over years old and the man in his late 80s the man cannot walk i went there to bring jesus to them but actually they brought jesus to me more than brought jesus to them because in this couple i saw the face of god in them i saw the way they look after each other the way they cared for each other when i was talking to them two young ladies knock at the door and they brought a packet of fruit or food so i asked who donate this he says your grace every day those from the hindu is the hindu welfare home will send us the food one packet for lunch one for dinner and look at the food one scoop of vegetable or one scoop of meat or fish and the packet was meant for two of them and look at the simplicity and they were grateful and they were so happy they told me one packet only cost 60 cents when i saw the two young ladies who brought the food i said there is hope in this world that young people do care that young people care for those people that they do not even know and the love of god is universal it is not just catholics serving the poor the non-catholics but even the non-catholics are serving our catholics who are poor and most of all her eyes brighten up when she told me you know your grace the government give us 150 ntuc voucher for grocery twice a year and she was so grateful for the 150 dollars for her to buy grocery and the best thing of all also the food that was provided for that year is free because some benefactors has provided and paid for the 60 cents for the packet of food and she told me this year we don't have to pay utility bills at all and she was so grateful and she was so joyful you know after i left her place when i was going back i began to wonder for me as a bishop i don't care about things i don't think and care about money about my food because they are all supplied and very often i take what is applied for granted i don't think much because i'm just focused on my ministry on my work but for these poor people even a packet of food simple food shed by two persons they are so full of joy and gratitude and i was deeply moved that it doesn't take many things in life to make a person happy that is why mother teresa did tell us you know the most difficult people to please and to make them happy are the rich people it's not the poor and so this is a very important message for all of us if we want to find god god is found in the small things of life it is not about achievements it is not about the clothes that we wear it is not about what we have done the real happiness and joy of life is to find authentic people whom we can relate with who care for us and i'm reminded when i was going back that actually the happiest things in life are free let me narrate to you a personal trial i went through you know recently for one month i couldn't sleep at all normally i had no problem sleeping normally the moment my head rests on the pillow within five minutes i fall asleep until one day this lady came to ask me say father how do you fall asleep i said to myself i said it was a silly question just sleep now and then after that i begin to ask the question how do i fall asleep actually then i start thinking how i was falling asleep and the moment when i start thinking how do i fall asleep i can't sleep so my mind is so alert am i falling asleep am i falling asleep am i going to sleep so that kept me awake for a month you know then after that i said i must not think that i'm falling asleep so now i start to think how not to think that i'm falling asleep it was such a psychological kind of situation and for one month i hardly sleep not even two hours so after i came out of it i prayed to god say god please help me because i think i will collapse in no time leave but this thing carries on and when the whole thing was over i said to myself actually yeah the best things in life are free i will give up everything just for one night of sleep those of you who have insomnia you will understand if you cannot sleep at night the whole day you can't do your work properly and these things are free but we take them for granted that is why my dear brothers and sisters as we celebrate christmas it's very important for us to remember this that we can find the joy of christmas where interestingly the angel told the shepherds i bring you news of great joy and wear this joy is a sign for you you will find a baby wrapped in sweating clothes lying in danger it is in the manger the ordinariness of life that you will find god and secondly we are told if you want to find god it is a question of happiness with your loved ones it is in compassion in service and in love as we reveal the face of jesus to others we will come to encounter his joy deeply and that is why today in the second reading simple tells us god's grace has been revealed and what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to god all our worldly ambitions we must be self-restrained and live good and religious life in this present world when we give our ambition ambition do not fulfill us it is when we make time for people make time for true friendship and love that is why during this christmas we must avoid this hedonistic consumeristic attitude it is not just buying gifts and giving to each other or exchanging gifts and we can do it in a functional manner but it's the persons that are important so if you want to truly experience the joy of christmas it is your presence not your presence your presence are secondary it is how you mediate your presence of god to one another so we pray my dear brothers and sisters that we have the simplicity of the shepherds simplicity of mary and joseph for it is some simplicity that we reveal the face of god amen

Channel: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

Views: 14,161

Keywords: Catholic, Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, Archdiocese of Singapore, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, Archbishop William Goh, William Goh, Homily, Sermon, Scripture Reflection, Singapore, Proud2BCatholic, ArchComms, Homily Extracts, Short Sermons, Message of the day, Daily Bread, Mass, Jesus, Eucharist, Evangelisation, Gospel, Vocation, Faith, Homilies, Homily for today, Daily Mass, Weekday Mass, Christmas, Life, Love, Compassion, yt:cc=off

Id: hSepYbnCgOc

Length: 17min 18sec (1038 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 25 2020