“Knowledge fills one with pride, while love edifies”. Saint Paul addresses these words to the brothers and sisters of the Christian community of Corinth: a community rich in many charisms, to which the Apostle often recommends, in his letters, to cultivate communion in charity. We listen to them as we thank the Lord together for the Church of Singapore, also rich in gifts, lively, growing and in constructive dialogue with the various other Confessions and Religions with which it shares this marvelous land. Precisely for this reason, I would like to comment on the same words taking inspiration from the beauty of this city, and from the great and daring architecture that contributes to making it so famous and fascinating, starting with the impressive complex of the National Stadium, where we find ourselves.
And I would like to do so by recalling that, ultimately, even at the origin of these imposing constructions, as of every other enterprise that leaves a positive mark on this world, there is not, as many think, first of all money, nor technique, nor engineering – all useful means, very useful –, but love: “the love that builds”, precisely. Perhaps someone might think that this is a naive statement, but if we think about it carefully, it is not so. There is no good work, in fact, behind which there are not people who are perhaps brilliant, strong, rich, creative, but still fragile women and men, like us, for whom without love there is no life, nor drive, nor reason to act, nor strength to build.
Dear brothers and sisters, if there is something good and remains in this world, it is only because, in infinite and varied circumstances, love has prevailed over hate, solidarity over indifference, generosity over selfishness. Without this, here too no one would have been able to make such a large metropolis grow, the architects would not have designed, the workers would not have worked and nothing could have been achieved.
So what we see is a sign, and behind each of the works before us there are many love stories to be discovered: of men and women united with each other in a community, of citizens dedicated to their country, of mothers and fathers caring for their families, of professionals and workers of every kind and grade, honestly committed to their different roles and duties. And it does us good to learn to read them, these stories, written on the facades of our houses and on the layouts of our streets, and to pass on the memory of them, to remind ourselves that nothing lasting is born and grows without love.
Sometimes it happens that the greatness and grandeur of our projects can make us forget it, deluding us into thinking that we alone can be the authors of ourselves, of our wealth, of our well-being, of our happiness, but in the end life brings us back to a single reality: without love we are nothing. Faith, then, confirms us and enlightens us even more about this certainty, because it tells us that at the root of our ability to love and be loved there is God himself, who with the heart of a Father desired us and brought us into existence in a totally free way and who in an equally free way redeemed us and freed us from sin and death, with the death and resurrection of his Only Begotten Son. It is in Him, in Jesus, that everything we are and can become has its origin and fulfillment.
Thus in our love we see a reflection of God’s love, as Saint John Paul II said on the occasion of his visit to this land, adding an important phrase, namely that “for this reason love is characterized by a profound respect for all men, regardless of their race, their creed or anything that makes them different from us.”
Brothers and sisters, an important word for us because, beyond the amazement we feel before the works done by man, it reminds us that there is an even greater wonder, to be embraced with even greater admiration and respect: that is, the brothers and sisters we meet every day on our path, without preferences and without differences, as Singaporean society and Church, ethnically so diverse and at the same time so united and supportive, clearly testify!
The most beautiful building, the most precious treasure, the most profitable investment in the eyes of God, who is it? It is us, it is us: beloved children of the same Father, called in our turn to spread love. The readings of this Holy Mass speak to us in various ways, which from different points of view describe the same reality: charity, which is delicate in respecting the vulnerability of those who are weak, provident in knowing and accompanying those who are uncertain on the path of life, magnanimous and benevolent, in forgiving beyond all calculation and measure.
The love that God shows us, and that he invites us to practice in turn, is like this: «it responds generously to the needs of the poor, is marked by pity for those who suffer, ready to offer hospitality, faithful in difficult times, always ready to forgive, to hope», forgiving and hoping to the point of «returning a blasphemy with a blessing is the heart of the Gospel».
We can see it in many figures of saints: men and women conquered by the God of mercy, to the point of becoming a reflection, an echo, a living image. And I would like, in conclusion, to remember two, two figures. The first is Mary, whose Most Holy Name we celebrate the memory of today. How many people have her support and her presence given and continue to give hope to, how many lips have her Name appeared and does appear in moments of joy and sorrow! And this is because in Her, in Mary, we see the Father’s love manifested in one of the most beautiful and total ways: that of tenderness, let us not forget the tenderness, the tenderness of a mother, who understands and forgives everything and who never abandons us. This is why we turn to Her!
The second is a saint dear to this land, who found hospitality here many times during his missionary journeys. I speak of Saint Francis Xavier, welcomed in this land on many occasions, the last on July 21, 1552. We have a beautiful letter from him addressed to Saint Ignatius and his first companions, in which he expresses his desire to go to all the universities of his time to “shout here and there like a madman and shake those who have more science than charity”, so that they feel driven to become missionaries for the love of their brothers, “saying from the depths of their hearts: ‘Lord, here I am; what do you want me to do?'”.
We too could make these words our own, following his and Mary’s example: “Lord, here I am; what do you want me to do?”, so that these words accompany us not only in these days, but always, as a constant commitment to listen and respond promptly to the invitations to love and justice that even today continue to come to us from the infinite charity of God.
