20250816 FORMING THE YOUNG TO MAKE RIGHT CHOICES
16 August 2025, Saturday, 19th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Joshua 24:14-29 |
'The Lord is a holy God, a jealous God'
Joshua said to all the people, ‘Fear the Lord and serve him perfectly and sincerely; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’
The people answered, ‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those peoples out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, because he is a holy God, he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you desert the Lord to follow alien gods he in turn will afflict and destroy you after the goodness he has shown you.’ The people answered Joshua, ‘No; it is the Lord we wish to serve.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ They answered, ‘We are witnesses.’ ‘Then cast away the alien gods among you and give your hearts to the Lord the God of Israel!’ The people answered Joshua, ‘It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we will obey.’
That day, Joshua made a covenant for the people; he laid down a statute and ordinance for them at Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a great stone and set it up there, under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord, and Joshua said to all the people, ‘See! This stone shall be a witness against us because it has heard all the words that the Lord has spoken to us: it shall be a witness against you in case you deny your God.’ Then Joshua sent the people away, and each returned to his own inheritance.
After these things Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died; he was a hundred and ten years old.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-8,11 |
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God.’
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Col3:16a,17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you;
through him give thanks to God the Father.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 19:13-15 |
Do not stop the little children coming to me
People brought little children to Jesus, for him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
FORMING THE YOUNG TO MAKE RIGHT CHOICES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Josh 24:14-29; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11; Mt 19:13-15]
One of the challenges facing young people is the ability to make right choices in life. Young people are connected to the world of information technology. With the deluge of information available on the internet and social media – offering countless and often conflicting views on life, religion, politics, lifestyle, and values – they can become confused and even paralyzed when it comes to decision-making. As a result, they no longer know what is right or wrong. Without no moral principles to guide them, their choices are often driven by personal preference or pragmatism.
Yet the choices we make will determine not just our happiness but also our future. When we make the wrong choices, we have to live with the consequences. Unfortunately, some of these penalties will have great impact on our direction in life and our future. Some mistakes we make leave deep scars – whether because society rejects us or because we cannot forgive ourselves for the wrongs we have done. This is what Joshua meant when he warned his people what would happen to them if they choose the foreign gods. “You cannot serve the Lord, because he is a holy God, he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you desert the Lord to follow alien gods he in turn will afflict and destroy you after the goodness he has shown you.” In other words, those who make wrong choices in life ultimately face destruction through the evil, falsehood, and wrongs they have embraced.
Indeed, man’s greatest gift is freedom. This is what it means to be created in God’s image and likeness. We are given the freedom to love and be loved. However, freedom, today, is wrongly understood as the freedom to do anything one likes, even acting against oneself and against the well-being of their fellowmen. When freedom is not employed to love God and our fellowmen, and for our well-being, then what is a gift becomes the cause of our destruction. That is why it is important to ask ourselves how we make use of our freedom. What choices do we make in life? How do we make our choices?
This is particularly true for our young people. Parents and adults have a duty to guide them in making the right choices in life. In the Gospel, the Lord paid special attention to young children because they are innocent, teachable, and humble enough to learn. Hence, He rebuked the disciples for trying to drive the children away. Instead, “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ Then he laid his hands on them.” Parents, therefore, have a grave responsibility to form their children in the right values so that they know how to make wise and morally sound choices when they grow up.
The task of parents is not so much to control their children or make them subservient. Even if children obey out of fear or respect, they would not grow as individuals unless they are allowed to learn to make conscientious decisions in life. Otherwise, what will happen when their parents are no longer around? The true duty of parents is to form the conscience of their children so that they can freely make the right choices and exercise their freedom responsibly. Unfortunately, most parents do not guide their children in decision-making. Instead, they use their authority to compel obedience to their own wishes, instilling fear by threatening to disown them or cut them off from the family. Others, on the opposite extreme, abandon their children to the influence of the internet and social media, allowing these platforms to shape their values.
That Jesus paid attention to children is a reminder for all who are care-givers, educators, formators and guardians of the grave responsibility of forming our children in truth and authentic love. Hence, we must ask ourselves: what kind of values are we imparting to them? In most instances, sadly, even Catholic parents put Christian values at the bottom of how choices are made. The reality is that, although they identify as Catholic, their minds and values are often shaped more by the world than by the Gospel. Like much of society, they place greater emphasis on academic excellence, prestigious careers, and high-paying jobs than on moral integrity. Many are less concerned with whether their children possess strong moral values, filial piety toward elders and country, honesty, integrity, and generosity toward the less fortunate, the suffering, and the common good. As a result, for many Catholic parents, religion and faith are the last considerations when forming their children to make life choices. Some even discourage their children from active participation in church ministries, fearing it will distract them from their studies.
Today, Joshua addressed the heart of all choices–the one decision that will determine every other choice we make in life. He, too, felt the urgency of leading his people to make the ultimate choice, the choice that shapes all others. He challenged them, saying: “Fear the Lord and serve him perfectly and sincerely; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living.” In the end, they had to choose: the God of Israel, the gods of their ancestors, or that of the Amorites.
In choosing the God they wished to serve, the Israelites were, in effect, determining all their other values and choices in life. To choose God is to subordinate every decision to Him. As the psalmist declares: “O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize. I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight; since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness forever.” Choosing God implies that we will walk in His path and make Him the centre of our life. All our decisions will be made in such a way that we will glorify Him in all that we do. Our values are guided by the laws that He laid down for us. The laws are followed simply because they are the expression of the wisdom of God.
But why should they choose the God of Israel? Simply because He is the Ultimate, the giver of life. That was what the people said, “We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other Gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those people out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
So, what is the difference between worshipping the God of Israel and the alien gods and the gods of the Amorites? To choose other gods is to choose the lesser things of life – power, glory and material gain. This is the reason why some people pray to deities and spirits; seeking protection from all harm and evil, hoping to enrich themselves and their businesses, or striving for influence in politics or commerce. Pagans pray to their gods only to get earthly blessings and worldly favour, not for righteousness or moral living. True religion, however, promotes right living and right thinking- wholesome, honest, loving, caring, and compassionate. Hence, in choosing Yahweh, the people had to declare, “It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we obey.” Obedience to His word and laws is the way to fullness of life, not merely a means to secure temporary favours from God.
Today, as parents and adults, we must lead by example – not merely by words – just as Joshua did. He told the people, “As for me in my House, we serve the Lord.” We too must be witnesses of love and truth to our people by the way we live our lives. Just as Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him. ‘Then cast away the alien gods among you and give your hearts to the Lord the God of Israel!'” We, too, witness best by the values and choices we make in life, especially in our devotion and reverence to God. In this way, our children, seeing us living happy, loving, joyful lives, will also be inspired to choose God as the Ultimate Ground of their happiness in life.
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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