20251229 SIGN OF CONTRADICTION TO A WORLD TRYING TO NORMALISE SIN
29 December 2025, Monday, 5th Day within the Octave of Christmas
First reading | 1 John 2:3-11 |
Anyone who loves his brother is living in the light
We can be sure that we know God
only by keeping his commandments.
Anyone who says, ‘I know him’,
and does not keep his commandments,
is a liar,
refusing to admit the truth.
But when anyone does obey what he has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.
We can be sure that we are in God
only when the one who claims to be living in him
is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.
My dear people,
this is not a new commandment that I am writing to tell you,
but an old commandment
that you were given from the beginning,
the original commandment which was the message brought to you.
Yet in another way, what I am writing to you,
and what is being carried out in your lives as it was in his,
is a new commandment;
because the night is over
and the real light is already shining.
Anyone who claims to be in the light
but hates his brother
is still in the dark.
But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light
and need not be afraid of stumbling;
unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness,
not knowing where he is going,
because it is too dark to see.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 95(96):1-3,5-6 |
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Proclaim his help day by day,
tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
It was the Lord who made the heavens,
his are majesty and state and power
and splendour in his holy place.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn1:14,12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.
To all who received him he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia!
Or: |
Alleluia, alleluia!
A light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 2:22-35 |
'You have prepared a light to enlighten the pagans'
When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
SIGN OF CONTRADICTION TO A WORLD TRYING TO NORMALISE SIN
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Jn 2:3-11; Lk 2:22-35]
The Gospel gives us an example of what it means to allow Jesus to be born in our hearts. We are called to consecrate ourselves to the Lord, just as Mary and Joseph consecrated Jesus. In obedience to the Law of Moses, “the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord–observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord–and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews who expressed their love for God by observing the Law, bringing their only child to be consecrated to Him.
If we claim to know God and love Him, then we must keep His commandments. Saint John reminds us, “We can be sure that we know God only by keeping his commandments. Anyone who says, ‘I know him,’ and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, refusing to admit the truth. But when anyone does obey what he has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him.” If we truly love God, we would not want to do anything to dishonour His holy name by living a life that is different from that of His Son. As St John clearly states, “We can be sure that we are in God only when the one who claims to be living in him is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.”
The authenticity of our faith and love for Jesus is not measured by emotions, verbal professions of faith, or mere external observance of religious customs. Rather, we must examine whether our lives are consistent with the life of Christ and the teachings of Scripture. We must also be cautious of those who preach a Gospel different from what was handed down from the beginning. As St John warns us, “My dear people, this is not a new commandment that I am writing you, but an old commandment that you were given from the beginning, the original commandment which was the message brought to you.” We must be wary of religious leaders seeking to rewrite the commandments that have been given to us from the beginning, and we should resist all such attempts. Any new teaching that is not consistent with what has been handed down by the apostles and the tradition of the Church must be rejected at all costs.
Why do people twist and distort the original teachings that have been handed down to us from the beginning? Should we make compromises with those who advocate a culture of death, same-sex unions, and transgender lifestyles? Many justify such positions in the name of “love.” Yet when the Lord was presented in the Temple, Simeon said to His mother, “You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected–and a sword will pierce your own soul too–so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.” Jesus is indeed a sign of contradiction. From the very beginning and throughout human history, He has not been accepted by the world.
Even today, many struggle to accept His Gospel of truth and love. Many speak of love, but often without truth. They claim that same-sex union is “love,” and euthanasia and abortion are “acts of love” for oneself or for those whose lives are ended. When we rationalise and normalise what is neither right nor true, we bring destruction upon humanity, society, and the community, because there is no truth in such a distorted understanding of love. These examples reflect love of self at the expense of others. Authentic love is not centred on self-interest; rather, everything we do must be directed toward the glory of God and the service of the larger community we live in.
Saint John reiterates, “Yet in another way, what I am writing to you, and what is being carried out in your lives as it was in his, is a new commandment; because the night is over and the real light is already shining.” What St John means is that mere observance of the commandments is not enough, unless we also live out their spirit. As Jesus Himself teaches, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He makes it clear that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them: “Until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of the pen, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” He also warned those who break the laws, particularly those who teach the laws: “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:17-20).
But are we being cruel to those who struggle to fulfil the laws in their lives? We must distinguish between the objective laws and subjective obedience to these laws. We have no right to change the Gospel simply because its truth is difficult to fulfil. The truth of life cannot be changed. Truth is eternal, given by God, and inscribed on the hearts of humanity. When we seek to change God’s laws, we mislead others into falsehood, giving them the impression that they are living in truth. This is not love–it is a lie. By normalising what is wrong and presenting it as right, we harm others: both those who reject the truth and those striving to live faithfully. Sadly, this is the reality today when religious leaders advocate compassion and mercy, but do not teach the truth.
So how do we make sense of St John’s teaching: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling; unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness, not knowing where he is going, because it is too dark to see”? We do not hate sinners, nor do we marginalise or exclude them from our community. Instead, we welcome them, guide them to the love of Jesus, help them cherish the Word of God and to accept it as it really is – not as a human word, but the Word of God – which is at work in us when we believe (1 Th 2:13), and journey with them to know and love the Lord. When they come to know and love Him, they will eventually submit themselves to the Word of God as it is.
Only Jesus can lead them to the fullness of truth and love. In Jesus, there is no separation between truth and love. If something is truly love, then it must be rooted in truth. If we proclaim the truth, we must proclaim it with love. Jesus welcomed all sinners – even the tax-collectors and prostitutes. He did not reject them, but neither did He condone what they were doing. His words were always, “Repent, believe, and sin no more.” So, too, in our outreach, we do not humiliate or exclude them from our community just because they are unable to be faithful to the commandments. We are all sinners in our own ways, and we have our own struggles. What the Lord asks is that we strive, with His grace and forgiveness, to purify ourselves. This is also what we are called to do in loving our brothers and sisters.
Consequently, we cannot bless marriages that are contrary to God’s law. But, we can bless those in same-sex unions, transgender individuals, and the divorced and remarried who sincerely seek to be faithful to the commandments as taught in the Scriptures. We pray that God will help them understand His original plan, as Jesus taught: “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mt 19:4-6) This truth is clear, and we cannot compromise on what the Lord has commanded.
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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