20250824 EVANGELIZATION REQUIRES DISCIPLESHIP, SUFFERING AND GRACE
24 August 2025, Sunday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Isaiah 66:18-21 |
They will bring all your brothers from all the nations
The Lord says this: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory to the nations. As an offering to the Lord they will bring all your brothers, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on dromedaries, from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says the Lord, like Israelites bringing oblations in clean vessels to the Temple of the Lord. And of some of them I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 116(117) |
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
Second reading |
Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13 |
The Lord trains the one he loves
Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.’
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 13:22-30 |
The last shall be first and the first last
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.
‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”
‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’
EVANGELIZATION REQUIRES DISCIPLESHIP, SUFFERING AND GRACE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [IS 66:18-21; PS 117:1-2; HEB 12:5-7.11-13; LK 13:22-30]
The divine plan of God is to save us all and give us life in abundance. Isaiah prophesied, “The Lord says this: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory.” St Paul wrote in his letter to Timothy, “God our Saviour…. desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:3f) Jesus also said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jn 10:10) It is clear, therefore, that God desires us to be saved. This is simply another way of saying that He wants us to share in the fulness of His life, wisdom and love.
Although God’s divine plan is fulfilled in Christ, it requires us to bring the Good News to everyone–especially those who have not heard of Him or who have not yet encountered Him deeply. God has chosen us to be His emissaries of the Good News. To the Israelites who returned from exile and settled back in Jerusalem, the Lord said, “I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations, to the distant islands that have never heard of Me or seen My glory. They will proclaim My glory to the nations. As an offering to the Lord, they will bring all your brothers–on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on dromedaries–from all the nations to My holy mountain in Jerusalem.” Indeed, those of us who have returned to the Lord or have encountered Him must now begin to look outward, rather than focusing solely on our own survival. A sign of spiritual maturity is when we move beyond self-preoccupation and become aware of the needs of others. This was how Israel understood her vocation as the Chosen People: to bring the Lord’s salvation to others, rather than turning inward. As Christians, we know that all nations will be saved by Christ, through us, as we witness to His love and life.
Indeed, we must be careful that we are not too inward-looking. This is the warning our Lord gives us in today’s Gospel. The Jews, as God’s covenanted people, believed they had automatic entry into the Kingdom of God. They said, “‘We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets’, but he will reply, ‘I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!’ ‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside.'” Indeed, Jesus asserts that many Gentiles will enter God’s Kingdom. His invitation is open to Jew and Gentile alike.
The criterion for entry into the Kingdom is not race or privilege, but the way we live out the responsibilities of the Gospel. Jesus emphasizes the narrowness of the road, urging, “Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.” We know that the disciples, including the Twelve, found it difficult to accept the demands of the Gospel. Luke makes it clear that if we sit back in complacent contentment, thinking we are saved simply because we belong to a race or church, Jesus’ warning is still pertinent, “Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us’ but he will answer, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will find yourself saying, ‘We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets’ but he will reply, ‘I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!'” Jesus also told a similar parable about the wedding attendants: five wise virgins with oil in their lamps, and five foolish ones who were unprepared for the wedding feast. When the foolish ones cried out to the Lord for entry, they found the doors slammed in their faces.
The passage to eternal life is open to all, but it is “narrow” because it is demanding. It requires commitment, self-denial, and the mortification of our selfishness. We will not be judged based on presumed privileges, but by our works. Therefore, from the time we become members of God’s Kingdom through baptism, we must remember that this is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of growing in discipleship. We are called to strive to follow Him, to imitate Him, by taking up our cross daily, especially the cross that comes from devoting ourselves to serving our brothers and sisters. This is not always easy, and it is often not appreciated.
In our suffering, the letter to the Hebrews explains that it is not without meaning and purpose, and certainly does not contradict our belief in a loving God. Rather, it is the means by which we are being formed into the image of Christ. The same letter also reminds us, “although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb 5:8f) Therefore, we should not disdain the discipline of the Lord. It is the discipline of a loving Father who is preparing us to share in His divine glory. Suffering, in this sense, is training in sonship. God uses our hardships and trials to perfect us in love. If we respond by growing in love – seeking God in the midst of suffering and allowing Him to stretch our capacity to love – we become more like Jesus. St Paul reminds us, “If children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom 8:17) Thus, we must embrace suffering as the loving training and discipline of a Father, forming us to have a heart like His. It is only in suffering that we truly realize our finiteness and our selfishness.
Furthermore, by sharing in Christ’s sufferings, we can truly say that we are members of the Body of Christ, for the Church continues to suffer in every age. This, St Paul says, is a great privilege. When a person of great importance invites us to work and suffer with him, it is indeed an honour. It means that he has confidence in us, believing that we will be able to accomplish with him what he seeks to do. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. (Lk 6:22-23) True friendship with Christ is expressed not in words but in the way we live – through our goodness, humility, meekness of heart, mercy toward sinners and the suffering, love for justice and truth, and a sincere commitment to peace and reconciliation. For this reason, it will not be enough to merely declare oneself a “friend” of Christ, boasting about our relationship with Him: “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets.”
But we can never be content with suffering. While suffering itself can be a form of evangelization and a powerful instrument, it is never something to accept passively. Jesus understood suffering deeply, and He went out of his way to heal it in all its forms. In an age of selfishness and materialism, the generosity shown by so many for the alleviation of suffering – caring for the sick, improving the lives of the underprivileged – becomes one of the clearest signs of Christ at work in our society. This is a participation in the work of Christ and, therefore, a way of extending the reign of His Kingdom on earth. By so doing, we are truly living out the life of grace. What we have received freely from God, we are called to pass it on to others. Indeed, just as we do not suffer alone – Christ suffers with us, and so do other members of the Body of Christ – we can trust that His grace is sufficient for us. Hence, we must dwell in God’s love, find strength in Him, and allow His love to perfect us. We must rid ourselves of anything that blocks us from His love, such as unforgiveness and resentment.
In the final analysis, let us remember that saving our own souls is only possible when we also strive to help save the souls of others. By reaching out to others, we share in their struggles as well. Holiness is not something to achieve for the sake of our ego or as a personal accomplishment. On the contrary, the struggle against sin – the falling and rising – is holiness. God is pleased not with our results, but with our desire and our efforts. Even if we are not perfected, His grace will cover all our sins, for Jesus died on the cross precisely for sinners. So let us, as the responsorial psalm invites us, “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News. O praise the Lord, all you nations! Strong is his love for us; he is faithful forever.” Let us not live sterile life. Instead, shine forth with the light of your Faith and of your love.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment