Everyone is called to continue the mission of Christ

“Today, all of us are called to continue the mission of Christ.” Bishop Richard Ng said during the Chrism Mass on March 13 at the Cathedral of St Joseph.

Apr 04, 2024

Bishop Richard Ng praying over the Oils.


MIRI: “Today, all of us are called to continue the mission of Christ.” Bishop Richard Ng said during the Chrism Mass on March 13 at the Cathedral of St Joseph.

Before expounding on the readings of the day, he gave the congregation a short history of what took place in 587 BC. The Israelites were captured and taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Their city and temple were destroyed, and they were in exile.

“Today’s first reading taken from Isaiah (written after the exile around 530BC) The Israelites were in captivity and exile in Babylon for about 50 years. When the new king ascended, he allowed them to return to their land.

“Upon their return, they saw their city and temple in ruins. They had to start all over again. Seeing their despair, God sent Prophet Isaiah to give them hope and encouragement to rebuild the city wall as the enemies were still there, the city and the temple. He prophesied that Jerusalem and the temple would be rebuilt and true enough, it was rebuilt.

“This prophecy was not fully fulfilled during his time. It took 500 years with the coming of Jesus for it to begin to be fulfilled.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus took the Isaiah’s prophesy as his mission statement during his public ministry. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

Jesus came to announce the Jubilee year, a time of peace, reconciliation, salvation, and forgiveness. As we hear His proclamation today, we are called to continue His mission and fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah. Through our baptism, we've been anointed with Chrism, imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit. At confirmation, we received an added boost. Are we aware of the responsibility to embody the Good News for others?

To proclaim liberty to captives means freeing those ensnared by their own or others’ limitations — be it fear, prejudice, or ignorance. As vessels of the Holy Spirit, we must extend forgiveness, seek forgiveness, and offer reconciliation to set people free.

Giving sight to the blind involves guiding those with shallow or absent faith toward Jesus, providing them with hope, courage, and the essence of life’s meaning.

We're called to free the downtrodden and declare a year of Jubilee — a year of shalom, characterised by love, peace, and joy.

If the enormity of these tasks overwhelms us, we can start with one action at a time — being kind, generous, or sharing our faith. Mastering one task well allows us to gradually expand our efforts. This approach enables the Holy Spirit to work through us effectively.

We have been anointed. Almost all of us have received at least double power (baptism and confirmation) – we must use it for the Kingdom of God. Only then can we make a difference.

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