20261018 RESPECT FOR GOD AS OUR CREATOR AND LIFE-GIVER
18 October 2026, Sunday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Isaiah 45:1,4-6 |
I have taken Cyrus by his right hand to subdue nations before him
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whom he has taken by his right hand
to subdue nations before him
and strip the loins of kings,
to force gateways before him
that their gates be closed no more:
‘It is for the sake of my servant Jacob,
of Israel my chosen one,
that I have called you by your name,
conferring a title though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, unrivalled;
there is no other God besides me.
Though you do not know me, I arm you
that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
that, apart from me, all is nothing.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 95(96):1,3-5,7-10 |
Give the Lord glory and power.
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord all the earth.
Tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
Give the Lord glory and power.
The Lord is great and worthy of praise,
to be feared above all gods;
the gods of the heathens are naught.
It was the Lord who made the heavens,
Give the Lord glory and power.
Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and power;
give the Lord the glory of his name.
Bring an offering and enter his courts.
Give the Lord glory and power.
Worship the Lord in his temple.
O earth, tremble before him.
Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’
He will judge the peoples in fairness.
Give the Lord glory and power.
Second reading |
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 |
We constantly remember your faith, your love and your hope
From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, and constantly remember before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn17:17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 22:15-21 |
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’
RESPECT FOR GOD AS OUR CREATOR AND LIFE-GIVER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 45:1,4-6; 1 THESS 1:1-5; MATT 22:15-21]
Christ has come so that we can have life, and have it abundantly. He has come to give us not just physical life, but the fullness of life, and most of all, eternal life. For this reason, the Church defends human life from its very beginning at conception until natural death. For us, human life is not just any other life. Man is not simply an animal that can be disposed of at will; man is a child of God. He has a soul and is destined for eternal life. Created in the image and likeness of God, we are called to recognise that God–not human beings–is the author of life.
This is the fundamental principle taught in today’s Gospel. Jesus told His detractors, “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar–and to God what belongs to God.” No one is permitted to take a life, because we are not its creator. We cannot play God and take life into our own hands; rather, we are called to promote, heal, and protect life. Tragically, in today’s world, there is little respect for life or the human body.In the name of beauty–or sometimes out of depression–the body is mutilated. At times, despair and meaninglessness lead to suicide. Many advocate for abortion and euthanasia. Human life is not taken seriously because it is viewed as just another organic form of life, like animals and plants–nothing divine, nothing sacred.
What is the crux of the problem? Man no longer believes in God. He has supplanted God’s place, making himself his own god and deciding his own destiny. He goes against natural law. Instead of rendering to God what belongs to Him, he seeks to impinge upon what is sacred. Without God, he deceives himself into believing that science, reason, and technology can grant life and solve every problem. Ironically, in rejecting God as the author of life, man experiences total helplessness. He realises that he has no power over death. Science and medicine cannot extend life forever or cure every illness. Faced with powerlessness before death, he lives in fear of it. He attempts to hide death through cosmetic makeovers, or prolong physical life through supplements and cloning research. Yet, deep down, he knows he must face his end.
As St. Paul tells us, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. No one can overcome death! No one can escape death. Because man knows this enemy will have the final word, he lives in hopelessness, as if there were no tomorrow. So he tries to make himself happy by satisfying his passions and sensual desires, thinking that temporary pleasures will bring fulfilment. But when we become slaves to materialism and consumerism, the heart remains empty. What is man without a soul? What is life without a meaning that endures beyond this life? What is love if it cannot last forever? The final outcome of living without God is always meaninglessness. Life becomes absurd, happiness remains fleeting, and everything turns out to be a passing dream, an illusion. As Shakespeare writes in Macbeth, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” How tragic and discouraging to think that all our achievements and efforts come to nothing in the end!
And so, we thank God for the gift of faith. As the Lord spoke through the prophet, “I am the Lord, unrivalled; there is no other God besides me. Though you do not know me, I arm you so that men may know, from the rising to the setting of the sun, that apart from me all is nothing.” Truly, whether we know Him or not, we are nothing without God. Only God gives meaning to our existence and grants true happiness. Without God, we cannot explain our presence here or give life to ourselves. We are not the originators of life and love; we receive them from God to share with others.
God is truly great and beyond human understanding. Faith is not opposed to reason; rather, it transcends reason. Faith is not opposed to science, but helps science cooperate with God’s creation. Yet science is not the ultimate answer to life or happiness. There are many things our finite minds cannot comprehend. We lack divine wisdom and remain ignorant of many things, despite our great strides in technology. In the First Reading, history shows us that God remains in control of human destiny. Beyond all human expectations, God used King Cyrus of Persia to restore Israel. As Isaiah wrote, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'” We must remain humble in our knowledge before God, our Creator.
As Christians, we not only believe in the existence and power of God as our Creator, but we also know Him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Paul writes, “We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and with utter conviction.” Indeed, we have been chosen in love and for love by God. The Good News we have received–Jesus Christ, who died and rose for us–gives us life and a firm hope in our future destiny, when we will share in the glory of His resurrection. Today, regardless of who we are, we are called to cooperate with God. He has chosen us to be His instruments in promoting life and love; we are His co-creators. We were chosen not because of our own merits, but because of His grace. As the Lord says, “It is for the sake of my servant Jacob, of Israel my chosen one, that I have called you by your name, conferring a title though you do not know me.”
Like the Psalmist, we must use our talents for the glory of God, acknowledging His Lordship over all creation: “The Lord is great and worthy of praise, to be feared above all gods; the gods of the heathens are naught. It was the Lord who made the heavens. Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name. Bring an offering and enter his courts.” In all that we do, our work must express our faith in God. St. Paul wrote, “We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, constantly remembering before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love, and persevered through hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Therefore, in our respective vocations, we are called to evangelise and pray as we work. We must not rely on human skills and science alone; we must also believe in miracles and in the power of God to accomplish what humanly seems impossible. While we ought to do all we can using the knowledge and skills God has given us, we must ultimately surrender our work to Him. Never doubt the reality of miracles when God shows forth his power and glory. Remember that we are chosen instruments for mediating healing, love, and compassion. We are co-workers in the mission of evangelisation–missio ad gentes, both ad extra and ad intra. Our mission is not to proselytise, but to witness to God’s loving salvation through our own examples of love and mercy. Whenever you feel weary and burdened by your struggles, draw strength from the Lord and ask for Our Lady’s intercession. As the prophet Micah says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Above all, we must carry out our work with love, faith, and courage. We must never be afraid to stand up for the truth or fear man, just as Jesus was not. May the respect others had for Him be said of us as well: “Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in truth, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you.” Let us always be ready to defend the truth and eternal values. In doing so, we can hold our heads high. There is no greater legacy we can leave behind than to be known as someone who gives and serves selflessly. Money cannot buy true happiness; only generous and loving service brings fulfilment. May our lives be filled with joy, knowing that we will be remembered–by both God and humanity–as life-givers!
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.
