20250922 RECOVERING OUR ZEAL AND STRENGTHENING OUR CATHOLIC ROOTS
22 September 2025, Monday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Ezra 1:1-6 |
Cyrus king of Persia frees the Jews to return to Jerusalem
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfil the word of the Lord that was spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: ‘Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, wherever he lives, be helped by the people of that place with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, as well as voluntary offerings for the Temple of God which is in Jerusalem.”’
Then the heads of families of Judah and of Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, in fact all whose spirit had been roused by God, prepared to go and rebuild the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem; and all their neighbours gave them every assistance with silver, gold, goods, cattle, quantities of costly gifts and with voluntary offerings of every kind.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 125(126) |
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels
the Lord worked for them!’
What marvels the Lord worked for us!
Indeed we were glad.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
They go out, they go out, full of tears,
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song,
carrying their sheaves.
What marvels the Lord worked for us.
Gospel Acclamation | James1:18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
By his own choice the Father made us his children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of all that he created.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt5:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your light must shine in the sight of men,
so that, seeing your good works,
they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 8:16-18 |
Anyone who has will be given more
Jesus said to the crowds:
‘No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under a bed. No, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light. So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.’
RECOVERING OUR ZEAL AND STRENGTHENING OUR CATHOLIC ROOTS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ezr 1:1-16; Ps 126; Lk 8:16-18]
Why do Catholics lose their faith and zeal? There are generally two kinds of Catholics: those who are baptized from birth and those who are converts. Often, cradle Catholics appear weak in their faith because they were born into it without fully discovering it on their own. Even converts who have been initiated into the faith sometimes lose their zeal and fervour. Many cradle Catholics gradually drift away, but so too do many new converts who, after some time, become lukewarm in their faith. What causes this loss of faith?
Indeed, this was also the experience of the Israelites during their captivity in Babylon. The Kingdom of Israel was gradually destroyed by inept and corrupt kings and religious leaders. The Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, and many of the ten tribes were deported. Later, in 587 BC, the kingdom of Judah was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The Temple was destroyed and the city was burnt to the ground, and the elite citizens were deported to Babylon. Only a small remnant remained behind. During the exile, many were devastated and forlorn. With both kingdoms destroyed, Israel as a nation ceased to exist. From then on, those from Judah were called Jews.
But then came the good news of liberation. In fulfilment of Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Jews would remain in captivity for seventy years (cf. Jer 25:11; 29:10), King Cyrus, a pagan king who was more liberal in treating his captives, decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild their city, especially in restoring the Temple of Jerusalem. He declared: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel–he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, wherever he lives, be helped by the people of that place with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, as well as voluntary offerings for the Temple of God which is in Jerusalem.” King Cyrus even promised assistance and returned the treasures that had been taken from the Temple to the Jews.
With God, nothing is impossible. He is faithful to His promises. As the responsorial psalm proclaims: “When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’ What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad. Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage as streams in dry land. Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.” God worked through Cyrus to enable the exiled Jews to return to their homeland. He even prompted Cyrus to generously offer gifts, protection, and restored the temple treasures taken during the captivity.
However, not all were eager to return to Jerusalem. By then, more than 250 years had passed since the Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, and about 70 years since Judah’s destruction by the Babylonians. Many of those exiled had already resettled, intermarried, and integrated into their new lands, losing their heritage over time. This explains why the Jews from Judah despised the Samaritans in the north, regarding them as no longer pure Israelites. Many of these scattered tribes no longer supported the rebuilding of the Temple.
Even for the Jews in Babylon, 70 years in exile was a long time. Those born had never seen Jerusalem. Apart from the memories, dreams and hopes of their forefathers handed down by their parents and grandparents, they had no real attachment to the holy city. Many were well-settled in Babylon as migrants, having found employment. Figures like Daniel served in the royal court, enjoying special privileges, while others such as Mordecai and Queen Esther rose to prominence. Many had accumulated much wealth, land and status over the years.
Why should they start all over again, and give up everything they had built? Their families were rooted in Babylon. The return journey to Jerusalem would take over four months, across dangerous and hostile terrain. Thus, many chose to remain. While they did not mind supporting their kinsmen financially – “All their neighbours gave them every assistance with silver, gold, goods, cattle, costly gifts, and voluntary offerings of every kind” – they were unwilling to exchange comfort and security for hardship and sacrifice.
However, we read that those who went back notably came from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, from the Southern Kingdom. “The heads of families of Judah and of Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, in fact all whose spirit had been roused by God, prepared to go and rebuild the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.” It was God who moved their hearts, planting in them a longing for their homeland and a desire to restore the Temple. By His grace, their faith was renewed. Their exile had humbled them, and they no longer allowed material comfort to hinder obedience to God’s will.
What lessons can we draw from this captivity? The Gospel highlights the factors that caused the loss of their zeal and passion.
The first factor is complacency. In the Gospel, Jesus said, “So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.” How connected we are with our faith, traditions, and community influences our devotion and loyalty. Many Catholics do not read the Word of God, or deepen their understanding of the faith, nor share the Word of God with their Catholic friends. They do not participate in the activities of the Church. Whatever little they learned at Catechism or RCIA is quickly forgotten. Without a strong foundation in faith and spiritual life, they are easily swept away by life’s distractions. They become lukewarm and get attracted to the world. Like the exiles who grew comfortable in Babylon, they no longer felt the need for God. Hence, they were reluctant to return to Jerusalem to start all over again.
Secondly, when we are not one with our community in sharing the same faith, same customs, joys and sorrows, we will lose our affinity with them. This was the case of the Israelites who were in exile. They lost the sense of community and sense of belonging. Indeed, many Catholics have lost their faith because they lost connection with the Catholic community. This is particularly so for many of our young people after Confirmation. Many just attend Mass on Sunday in an individualistic manner, without having any real relationship with fellow Catholics. Naturally, without fellowship, support, and shared spiritual life, faith weakens. When trials come, they find themselves unprepared and drift toward the world.
The third reason for the loss of zeal is the lack of witness of their faith. “No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under the bed. No, he puts it on a lamp stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and bought to light.” The only way to grow our faith is to share it with others. The more we testify to our beliefs, the more we understand and internalize them. Evangelizing others also deepens our own faith. A life of love, service, and sharing the Gospel with family and friends is how we bring Christ’s light to the world. In the process of evangelizing others, we also evangelize ourselves.
Therefore, if we want to renew our zeal for God, the Church, and our people, we must remain connected. We need to be connected firstly with God, so that we can find our compass, direction and balance in life. Secondly, we must connect with our Catholic community, sharing joys, struggles, and aspirations, which rekindles zeal and hope. Finally, through listening to the Gospel and serving together, we strengthen our faith and Catholic identity. These are the sure ways of renewing our faith and keeping it alive.
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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