20251021 LIVING OUR LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE
21 October 2025, Tuesday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Romans 5:12,15,17-21 |
Divine grace, coming through Jesus Christ, came as an abundant free gift
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned; but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. When law came, it was to multiply the opportunities of failing, but however great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater; and so, just as sin reigned wherever there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life thanks to the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 39(40):7-10,17 |
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Instead, here am I.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
In the scroll of the book it stands written
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
Your justice I have proclaimed
in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
O let there be rejoicing and gladness
for all who seek you.
Let them ever say: ‘The Lord is great’,
who love your saving help.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk8:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
Alleluia!
Or: | Lk21:36 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 12:35-38 |
Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready.’
LIVING OUR LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 5:12,15,17-21; Ps 40:7-10,17; Lk 12:35-38]
What does it take for us to live our life meaningfully in the present? Whilst it is true that people often remind us to live fully in the present – forgetting the past and not worrying about the future – the truth is that the present cannot be lived meaningfully without seeing our life in perspective. This is particularly true when we are going through difficult situations in life, such as illness, an accident, a relationship breakup, or failure in a project. When we feel that our world is falling apart, when everything seems hopeless and meaningless, then seeing life in perspective becomes crucial. Otherwise, we may feel so disheartened by the present that we have the will to live for the future.
Looking at life in perspective requires us to consider two directions: retrospective and prospective. The former requires us to look back at our past and consider what happened in relation to our present situation. It calls for reflection and a review of past events so that we can learn from both our successes and failures in order to improve for the future. Unless we understand our past, we cannot explain our present. Life is about making sense of events. When events are perceived as meaningless, they leave us unsettled and unfulfilled. This is why knowledge of our history is important–without it, we cannot understand where we are now, and we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past instead of learning from them.
Within this context, we can appreciate what St. Paul is trying to do for his readers. It is important for us to make sense of where we are now. The reality is that we are living in a world where selfishness, greed, violence, and killing exist. Why is there evil in society? Why is there division and suffering? Why are there famines and wars? Most of all, why are there diseases and death? St. Paul traces the present situation to sin, which leads to death: “Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin, death; and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.” Sin is traced back to Adam, who may represent both the first man and our solidarity with him as human beings. By virtue of our shared humanity, we inherit the fallen nature of Adam. In other words, we participate in Adam’s sin because we, too, sin–both due to our fallen nature and the bad example of others. This is referred to doctrinally as original sin–the sin of origin–which traces our broken humanity to the sin of Adam and its consequences.
But it’s not just that we are all sinners–we also share in the effects of sin, which is death. The death spoken of here is not merely biological death, but spiritual death. When St. Paul says that death has entered the world through sin, he is also referring to spiritual death–evil, selfishness and greed, ignorance, self-worship, and anything that leads us away from truly living. (cf. Gal 5:19-21) Eventually, spiritual death leads to biological death–through violence, neglect of the body, or fear of death itself, seeing it as our enemy. St. Paul declares in Romans: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23), and he repeats in Corinthians: “The sting of death is sin.” (1 Cor 15:56)
However, understanding our lives in perspective must not stop at reflection–it must also be prospective. In other words, we must look forward. Knowing our past helps us avoid repeating it, but we are also called to act in the present in light of what we hope for in the future. This requires faith. What we hope for in the future is not guaranteed–we can only walk by faith, not by sight. What we do now may or may not bring about the future we hope for. That’s why faith is necessary. But how can we be confident that our hope is not futile, but a substantiated hope?
St Paul tells us that our future is rooted in Christ’s death for us on the cross. Comparing the sin and fall of Adam to the victory over sin and death gained by Christ, he said, “If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Indeed, we can be confident that Christ’s death helps us overcome sin and heals our fallen nature, because the grace of God given to us through Christ is more powerful than the sin of Adam.
This, then, is the prospective direction that our faith in Christ provides. We do not have to feel that because we share a fallen nature with Adam we are doomed, as we cannot overcome sin and death. The truth is that with Christ, there is always a future. With Christ, grace is always available to those who come to Him. St Paul wrote, “But however great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater; and so, just as sin reigned wherever there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life, thanks to the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Through Christ’s death, we are reconciled with God and given the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of sonship and daughtership in Christ. We are no longer doomed but called to share in the life of God. And we “will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. or this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Cor 15:51,53)
To live prospectively is to live in such a way that we are always ready for the coming of the Lord, when we will give an account of our stewardship. St. Luke reminds us to be watchful, using a series of images to underscore the importance of this. Being conscious of the future will help us determine our present priorities. If we are clear about our final goal, we will take the steps needed to reach it. A clear vision of the end will determine how we live today. If we believe that our ultimate goal is to share in Christ’s sonship and the life of God, then we will begin to live out that sonship now. This is what it means to live prospectively–being prepared at all times, like servants awaiting their master’s return from a wedding banquet. With the psalmist, we can say: “Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.”
Indeed, living in perspective calls us to live fully in the present while also living with an eye on the future. We must be watchful and ready by doing His will. Jesus said: “See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.” (Lk 12:35-37) Constant vigilance is necessary. As the Lord also said: “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” (Lk 12:39-40)
Faith means trusting in God not only for the present but also for the future, walking faithfully with Him until He returns. What God promises to do for us in the future affects how we live now. Jesus said that when the master returns: “He will put on an apron, sit them down at table, and wait on them. It may be in the second watch or in the third, but happy are those servants if he finds them ready.” (Lk 12:37-38) God will give us His fellowship and He will serve us by giving us fulfilment in our lives. It is significant that the reward for fidelity is God’s own service. Jesus, as the chief steward, leads us in service. He will share the meal at the table of fellowship and serve the food–a sign that we are one in Christ, and that being one with Him also means being united in service to one another. In God’s kingdom, our greatest joy will be to serve one another in love and to walk together in fellowship.
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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