20251110 PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY AND UNITY OF THE COMMUNITY
10 November 2025, Monday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Wisdom 1:1-7 |
Seek the Lord in simplicity of heart
Love virtue, you who are judges on earth,
let honesty prompt your thinking about the Lord,
seek him in simplicity of heart;
since he is to be found by those who do not put him to the test,
he shows himself to those who do not distrust him.
But selfish intentions divorce from God;
and Omnipotence, put to the test, confounds the foolish.
No, Wisdom will never make its way into a crafty soul
nor stay in a body that is in debt to sin;
the holy spirit of instruction shuns deceit,
it stands aloof from reckless purposes,
is taken aback when iniquity appears.
Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man,
though she will not pardon the words of a blasphemer,
since God sees into the innermost parts of him,
truly observes his heart,
and listens to his tongue.
The spirit of the Lord, indeed, fills the whole world,
and that which holds all things together knows every word that is said.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 138(139):1-10 |
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
Before ever a word is on my tongue
you know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before you besiege me,
your hand ever laid upon me.
Too wonderful for me this knowledge,
too high, beyond my reach.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I lie in the grave, you are there.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea’s furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
Gospel Acclamation | Ph2:15-16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 17:1-6 |
If your brother does wrong, reprove him
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!
If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’
PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY AND UNITY OF THE COMMUNITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Wis 1:1-7; Ps 139:1-10; Lk 17:1-6]
In the first reading, the sacred writer addresses “the judges on earth” (cf. Ps 2:10). In other words, it is particularly directed at all who are leaders who hold positions of trust and responsibility for the community entrusted to their care. Because leaders hold influential positions in the community, they must act with integrity not only in their judgment but also in their personal lives. Indeed, leaders must “love virtue,” for “Wisdom will never make its way into a crafty soul nor stay in a body that is in debt to sin; the holy spirit of instruction shuns deceit, stands aloof from reckless purposes, and is taken aback when iniquity appears.” A righteous life implies faithfulness to the divine will and upright moral conduct.
In the same vein, the Lord said, “Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!” It is true that living in a community exposes us to both good and bad influences, for none of us is perfect. While life in a community can protect and safeguard us from sin and evil, it can also lead us into sin, especially when leaders or elders set poor examples through their words or deeds. Those who are new in faith or growing in their spiritual life — the “little ones” — are especially vulnerable to the bad examples of those who should be guiding them.
The word scandal means to place a stumbling block that causes another to trip and fall. Those who entice others to go astray or to do evil by their words or actions are condemned by the Lord. We often forget that as elders and leaders, our failures and sins are never purely personal; every sin affects the community. Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as private sin. When we fail to live up to our Christian vocation, we cause others to stumble with us, dividing and weakening the community. In fact, the Jews regarded it as an unforgivable sin to teach another to sin, for that person would then teach others, setting in motion a chain of sin with no end.
What are these stumbling blocks that we put up? They include those who use their intellect, knowledge, and eloquence to destroy the Christian faith by twisting the truth of Scripture and replacing it with worldly thinking. False doctrines — whether in the form of eccentric teaching, legalism, or compromise can lead people of simple faith astray. Scandalous behaviour, such as sexual offences, cheating, or misappropriation of funds, causes grave harm to the community, especially when committed by leaders. Those who compromise their Christian lifestyle and live worldly lives also place obstacles before others who might come to believe, as their contradictory witness breeds scepticism and doubt.
Hence, Jesus warns those responsible for causing the “little ones”– those of simple faith to stumble, that it is better for them to die than to live and cause others to lose faith. He said in strong terms, “Alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones.” Being cast into the sea would be preferable, for it might save the soul for eternal life, rather than facing God’s judgment for causing others to fall.
Thus, the Lord urges us all to “watch ourselves.” We must always be alert, for others are watching us — often from afar — judging the faith we profess. St Peter exhorts us, “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). St Paul likewise exhorted the leaders in Ephesus, saying, “Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. Therefore, be alert” (Acts 20:28-31).
Nevertheless, this does not mean that we should remain silent or allow sin to permeate and infect the community. Rather, the Lord said, “‘If your brother does something wrong, reprove him, and if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I am sorry,’ you must forgive him.'” When someone threatens the fellowship of the community, it calls for a fraternal response in Christian love. This forgiveness has no limits. Failure to rebuke wrongdoing allows confusion and disorder in the ethical life of the community, causing it to suffer even more. We have a mutual responsibility for one another in the pursuit of righteousness. No one can say, “It is none of my business.” By remaining silent in the face of wrongdoing, we become accomplices to sin. Jesus gives us no option, for He said, “If your brother does something wrong, reprove him.”
Fraternal correction, given gently and with love, aims to bring about repentance, which leads to forgiveness. The goal of rebuke is not to destroy the person, even if he is a sinner, but to save him and protect the community. Thus, the call to rebuke also demands a quickness to forgive. Our intention must be for the good of all, not so much to put people down, or to show how self-righteous we are. This is why we must be ready to help those who fall, not act as judges or executioners. There is no place for censoriousness. In fact, if one takes pleasure in rebuking others, he should disqualify himself from doing so. We must be compassionate, yet never indifferent to evil or bear grudges.
How can we live this way unless we strengthen our faith in Christ? Hence, the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “Were your faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Only faith gives us the power to overcome temptation and remove obstacles. Only faith, expressed through love, can correct others fraternally and win back sinners. It is difficult to rebuke sin because we do not want to be unpopular, or friends or fans. Yet, obedience in correcting and forgiving makes us more like God.
Deep and honest relationships are grounded in a living relationship with God. The Book of Wisdom reminds us, “Let honesty prompt your thinking about the Lord; seek him in simplicity of heart, since he is to be found by those who do not put him to the test; he shows himself to those who do not distrust him.” Indeed, “Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man, though she will not pardon the words of a blasphemer, since God sees into the innermost parts of him, truly observes his heart, and listens to his tongue.” Faith works wonders. A person of great faith is gentle and forgiving, not vindictive but understanding. Yet, the cry “Increase our faith!” reminds us that we cannot increase faith by ourselves; it is a gift of grace. As St Paul says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9).
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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