20250727 OUR IMAGE OF GOD FORMS OUR SELF-IMAGE
27 July 2025, Sunday, 17th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Genesis 18:20-32 |
Abraham negotiates with the Lord
The Lord said, ‘How great an outcry there is against Sodom and Gomorrah! How grievous is their sin! I propose to go down and see whether or not they have done all that is alleged in the outcry against them that has come up to me. I am determined to know.’
The men left there and went to Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Approaching him he said, ‘Are you really going to destroy the just man with the sinner? Perhaps there are fifty just men in the town. Will you really overwhelm them, will you not spare the place for the fifty just men in it? Do not think of doing such a thing: to kill the just man with the sinner, treating just and sinner alike! Do not think of it! Will the judge of the whole earth not administer justice?’ the Lord replied, ‘If at Sodom I find fifty just men in the town, I will spare the whole place because of them.’
Abraham replied, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this to my Lord, I who am dust and ashes. But perhaps the fifty just men lack five: will you destroy the whole city for five?’ ‘No,’ he replied ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five just men there.’ Again Abraham said to him, ‘Perhaps there will only be forty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the forty.’
Abraham said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry, but give me leave to speak: perhaps there will only be thirty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this, but perhaps there will only be twenty there.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the twenty.’ He said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the ten.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 137(138):1-3,6-8 |
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly
and the haughty he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of affliction
you give me life and frustrate my foes.
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
You stretch out your hand and save me,
your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
Second reading |
Colossians 2:12-14 |
Christ has brought you to life with him and forgiven us all our sins
You have been buried with Christ, when you were baptised; and by baptism, too, you have been raised up with him through your belief in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.
He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn1:14,12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word was made flesh and lived among us:
to all who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
Or: | Rm8:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The spirit you received is the spirit of sons,
and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 11:1-13 |
How to pray
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’
He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:
‘“Father, may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test.”’
He also said to them:
‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
OUR IMAGE OF GOD FORMS OUR SELF-IMAGE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Gen 18:20-32; Ps 138:1-3,6-8; Col 2:12-14; Lk 11:1-13]
Today’s scripture readings deal with our relationship with God. This is in continuity with last Sunday’s readings when we read how Abraham welcomed the three men, who were divine messengers, to his tent without his knowing it. Then, in the gospel, we had the story of Martha and Mary who provided hospitality to Jesus, with the former busy taking care of Jesus’ material comforts whilst Mary was simply sitting at His feet, giving Him full attention.
Today, the liturgy invites us to reflect further on the process and dynamics of our relationship with God, our self-image, and how these affect our relationship with our fellowmen. The truth is that underpinning our relationship with God is our perception of Him. This is true in all relationships. We react according to our image or perception of the other. As it is said, we do not see things as they are, but as we are. Our interpretation of events and what we perceive is shaped by our past experiences, formation, studies and knowledge. If we have a positive image of the other, we will tend to be more relaxed, interested, and receptive. We will treat the person with respect, hospitality and warmth. But if we have a negative impression of that person, even before getting to know him or her personally, we will likely be more guarded and reserved in the way we relate to that person.
So, too, in our relationship with God – how we perceive Him will determine how we relate to Him. If we see God simply as a creator, then we relate to Him accordingly. If we see God as a retired architect, we may not be bothered with Him, thinking that nothing can be changed. If we see God as a policeman, we may live in constant fear of punishment for our offences and negligence. But if we see God as a friend, then we will relate to Him in an intimate and personal way. And if we see God as our heavenly Father, we will approach Him with both reverence and childlike trust, recognizing His divine providence and loving care.
The Scripture readings provide us with three examples of how we are called to relate to God. In the first reading, we have Abraham, whom God regarded as His friend, and so He shared His personal thoughts and plans with him. The Lord said, “How great an outcry there is against Sodom and Gomorrah! How grievous is their sin! I propose to go down and see whether or not they have done all that is alleged in the outcry against them that has come up to me. I am determined to know.” Knowing that God was going to destroy the city, Abraham did not so much test God’s compassion and mercy as he sought to discover for himself the depth of God’s mercy and forgiveness. He asked, “Are you really going to destroy the just man with the sinner? Perhaps there are fifty just men in the town. Do not think of doing such a thing: to kill the just man with the sinner, treating just and sinner alike!” And God replied that He would spare the whole town for the sake of the fifty just men. Gradually, Abraham reduced the number down to ten, and God replied, “I will not destroy it he replied for the sake of the ten.” We should not imagine Abraham as bargaining with God, but rather as trying to understand better the heart and mind of God. What Abraham discovered was that God is merciful and compassionate, longsuffering and tolerant.
In the gospel, St. Luke continues the theme of cultivating our relationship with God. He recounts the incident when “once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray: ‘Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.'”
It must be noted that in teaching the disciples the Our Father, Jesus was giving them the principles of prayer in how we relate to God, rather than merely prescribing a fixed formula. Jesus did not intend to provide a so-called perfect prayer to be recited superstitiously or repetitively in order to obtain favours, nor did He emphasize outward gestures such as prostration, bowing, or lifting up of hands. These are secondary and serve only as aids in nurturing a relationship with God. What we must learn is the principles derived from the content of the Lord’s Prayer. In other words, in teaching us to pray the Our Father, Jesus was helping us to form the right image of His Father, so that we can relate to Him as His children.
So, in the Lord’s Prayer, God is portrayed as a Father who calls us to share in His holiness. “Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come.” We are called to reflect the holiness of our heavenly Father by living according to the principles of the Kingdom Life, doing His will, and obeying His commandments. At the same time, aware of our human weaknesses, Jesus taught us to recognize that this God, while calling us to perfection, is also sympathetic toward us and understands that we need time to grow in grace. Hence, we must see in the Father not only a God who challenges us but also a God of compassion and divine providence.
These principles are then elaborated in the parable that follows. Firstly, Jesus spoke about the man who went to his friend in the middle of the night to borrow three loaves of bread for an unexpected guest. But his friend was unwilling to get up saying, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it to you.” However, Jesus remarked, “I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.”
In contrast, God is not like that. He is ever ready to give us what we truly need. Jesus instructed us to ask, seek, and knock – not to pressure God into granting our requests, but so that we may ask for what is truly good for us, and not simply what appears to be good. We must not mistake a stone for bread, a snake for a fish, or a scorpion for an egg. These things may look similar but are deceptive.
Likewise, God, as our good Father, not only provides what is truly good for us but, above all, desires to give us His very own Spirit. As the Lord said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Having His Spirit is to share of His mind, and heart, and His life.
Then, in the second reading, St. Paul speaks about what Christ has done for us. He highlights God’s unconditional mercy and love, shown by the death of His Son for us on the cross. “You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins. He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.”
Christ reveals the mercy of God by dying for us, and cancelling our debts. Such is the depth of God’s mercy for us sinners, by forgiving us all our sins.
Now, if we see God in the way the three readings illustrate, then our relationship with Him will not only be intimate, loving, and trusting, but it will also transform how we see ourselves and others. We will begin to regard ourselves as God regards us. Because God is compassionate towards us, we will learn to be compassionate toward ourselves. Because God is patient with us, we will grow in patience with ourselves. Because God forgives us, we will learn to forgive ourselves.
When we see ourselves as sons and daughters of God, we will begin to see ourselves as His beloved. And this transformation does not stop with us – we will begin to regard others in the same way. We will extend the same compassion, love, and mercy to them. We will see others as fellow sons and daughters of God and therefore deserving of the same respect, as our brothers and sisters.
Indeed, our image of God shapes our image of ourselves. As we come to see God more clearly, we also, unconsciously, begin to heal and transform our own self-image. And when our own self-image is healed, we will also have a healthier image of our brothers and sisters. Consequently, holiness is the process of being formed into the image of His Son.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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