20250924 GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY IS THE BASIS FOR MINISTRY
24 September 2025, Wednesday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Ezra 9:5-9 |
'God has not forgotten us in our slavery'
At the evening sacrifice I, Ezra, came out of my stupor and falling on my knees, with my garment and cloak torn, I stretched out my hands to the Lord my God, and said:
‘My God, I am ashamed, I blush to lift my face to you, my God. For our crimes have increased, until they are higher than our heads, and our sin has piled up to heaven. From the days of our ancestors until now our guilt has been great; on account of our crimes we, our kings and our priests, were given into the power of the kings of other countries, given to the sword, to captivity, to pillage and to shame, as is the case today. But now, suddenly, the Lord our God by his favour has left us a remnant and granted us a refuge in his holy place; this is how our God has cheered our eyes and given us a little respite in our slavery. For we are slaves; but God has not forgotten us in our slavery; he has shown us kindness in the eyes of the kings of Persia, obtaining permission for us to rebuild the Temple of our God and restore its ruins, and he has found us safety and shelter in Judah and in Jerusalem.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Tobit 13:2,4,6-8 |
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
God punishes, he also has mercy,
he leads men to the depths of the grave,
he restores men from the great destruction.
No man can escape his hand.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
It is he who scattered us among the nations.
Among them must we show forth his greatness
and exalt him in the presence of all living;
for he is our Lord and our God,
our Father and our God for ever.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Now think what he has done for you,
give thanks to him with all your voice.
Give praise to the Lord for his justice
and exalt the king of all ages.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
In this land of exile I will thank him,
and show forth his greatness and might
to the race of sinful men.
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
Sinners, come back to him,
do what is right before him.
Who knows but he will receive you with pity?
Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
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: | Mk1:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The kingdom of God is close at hand:
repent and believe the Good News.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 9:1-6 |
'Take nothing for the journey'
Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.
GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY IS THE BASIS FOR MINISTRY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZRA 9:5-9; LK 9:1-6]
Happiness in life is very much dependent on one’s outlook. For those who are grateful, everything becomes a blessing. For those who lack gratitude, not only are they never content, but they are also constantly comparing, demanding, and envious of others who seem to have more. Because of ingratitude, fuelled by envy and discontentment, people crave more. They chase after wealth, power, and status, thinking these will bring them security. Yet envy and greed often make us selfish, even driving us to unscrupulous means–cheating, manipulation, and dishonesty–to enrich ourselves. As a result, we end up enslaved by our sins and by their consequences.
This is what we read in today’s first reading from the book of Ezra. He fell down on his knees and lamented the sins of his generation and forefathers: “At the evening sacrifice I, Ezra, came out of my stupor and falling on my knees, with my garment and cloak torn, I stretched out my hands to the Lord my God, and said: ‘My God, I am ashamed, I blush to lift my face to you, my God. For our crimes have increased, until they are higher than our heads, and our sin has piled up to heaven.'” The people had abandoned God and His laws, given to them so that they could live harmoniously and remain strong as a nation. The strength of a nation, however, lies within, if she were to defend herself from her enemies. But when a country is divided by corruption, abuse of power, poverty, and social injustice, leaders cannot expect the people to support their causes. The people will be too preoccupied with their own struggles to be concerned about the nation and those in power.
As Ezra lamented, “From the days of our ancestors until now our guilt has been great; on account of our crimes we, our kings and our priests, were given into the power of the kings of other countries, given to the sword, to captivity, to pillage and to shame, as is the case today.” Truly, the fall of every nation, dynasty, family, corporation, or individual begins when we lose control over ourselves and allow sin to rule our lives. When we turn away from God and from our fellowmen, looking inwards only, we reap the consequences of our sin of selfishness. By neglecting the common good, we not only invite enemies but restrict our own growth as well, as everyone becomes concerned only with their own survival, instead of caring for each other’s interests.
Sadly, this is where the world is heading today. Political leaders are increasingly inward-looking. At one time, the world was moving toward unity, striving for a world-based order regulated by the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and other international bodies that sought to regulate order and justice, regardless of the size or economy of the country. But today, countries are forced to protect their own interests because wealthy and powerful nations no longer care to help poorer ones to rise out of poverty. Everyone is grabbing for more of the world’s wealth and power in a “survival of the fittest” mentality. The global focus has shifted to “me first”, whether at the national or personal level. Disorder and wars are inevitable when nations cannot trust one another, when promises are broken, and when actions are driven not by moral or ethical principles but by sheer pragmatism.
Yet, even for us Christians, we know this is not the end of the world. Even as we prepare for greater challenges – poverty, trade imbalances, distrust among nations, and a lack of cooperation in tackling poverty, climate change, pandemics, and technology gaps – we know that this is but a necessary consequence that God permits so that we can come to our senses. Like the Israelites in today’s reading, we too may need to endure the pains of exile and abandonment before we come to appreciate the goodness of God and the need to cooperate with Him by living His laws governing social order, justice and compassion. History often repeats itself. It was only after seventy years in exile that Israel came to its senses. In His kindness, God restored them to Jerusalem, beyond what they imagined: “But now, suddenly, the Lord our God by his favour has left us a remnant and granted us a refuge in his holy place; this is how our God has cheered our eyes and given us a little respite in our slavery.” Not only did God allow them to return, but He even inspired the King to help them rebuild the temple. As Ezra testified: “For we are slaves, but God has not forgotten us in our slavery; he has shown us kindness in the eyes of the kings of Persia, obtaining permission for us to rebuild the Temple of our God and restore its ruins, and he has found us safety and shelter in Judah and in Jerusalem.”
Gratitude for God’s mercy gave Ezra the impetus to rally his people to rebuild their nation. The responsorial psalm echoes this same conviction of Ezra and his compatriots. “God punishes, he also has mercy, he leads men to the depths of the grave, he restores men from the great destruction. No man can escape his hand. It is he who scattered us among the nations. Now think what he has done for you, give thanks to him with all your voice. In this land of exile, I will thank him, and show forth his greatness and might to the race of sinful men.” It was not easy because many of Ezra’s people had already resettled in Babylon during the seventy years, marrying, building businesses, and adopting foreign culture. Many were successful and reluctant to return to Jerusalem’s ruins. It was Ezra’s reflection on God’s grace and mercy that strengthened him to exhort and encourage his people to take up the work of rebuilding Jerusalem.
In the Gospel, the Lord invites His apostles to do the same – to carry out the ministry in gratitude for God’s love and mercy shown to them. “Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic.'” In another text in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus added, “You received without payment; give without payment.” (Mt 10:8) Gratitude for God’s grace is the foundation of all ministry. Those who have received great love will love greatly in return. Just as the apostles were entrusted with gifts and authority to heal and cast out demons, so too are we called to use our gifts for the purpose given–not for ourselves, but for God’s Kingdom. We are not worthy to be His ambassadors but Jesus is the One who qualifies us.
To reinforce that this power to exorcise, heal, and proclaim comes not from themselves but from God, Jesus instructed them to “Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic.” Their reliance was to be entirely on God’s mercy and providence. Truly, the more we realise how inadequate we are in doing God’s work, the more we will allow God to work in and through us. In humility we will acknowledge that the work is truly God’s, not ours.
From beginning to end, mission is rooted in gratitude–received with gratitude and carried out with gratitude. We do not control the outcome of our work in the ministry. We accept whatever the Lord provides and how we are received. Our task is to do what the Lord asks of us: to proclaim “the Good News and healing everywhere”, whether welcomed or unwelcomed. As the Lord said, “Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.” We do not choose what we like to do, or what is favourable. Knowing that the Lord is working with us and in us is enough.
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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