THE SACRIFICES OF A MISSIONARY DISCIPLE

20260713 THE SACRIFICES OF A MISSIONARY DISCIPLE

 

 

13 July 2026, Monday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Isaiah 1:10-17

Take your wrongdoing out of my sight

Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom;

listen to the command of our God,

you people of Gomorrah.

‘What are your endless sacrifices to me?

says the Lord.

I am sick of holocausts of rams

and the fat of calves.

The blood of bulls and of goats revolts me.

When you come to present yourselves before me,

who asked you to trample over my courts?

Bring me your worthless offerings no more,

the smoke of them fills me with disgust.

New Moons, sabbaths, assemblies –

I cannot endure festival and solemnity.

Your New Moons and your pilgrimages

I hate with all my soul.

They lie heavy on me,

I am tired of bearing them.

When you stretch out your hands

I turn my eyes away.

You may multiply your prayers,

I shall not listen.

Your hands are covered with blood,

wash, make yourselves clean.

‘Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.

Cease to do evil.

Learn to do good,

search for justice,

help the oppressed,

be just to the orphan,

plead for the widow.’

How to listen

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 49(50):8-9,16-17,21,23

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘I find no fault with your sacrifices,

  your offerings are always before me.

I do not ask more bullocks from your farms,

  nor goats from among your herds.

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘But how can you recite my commandments

  and take my covenant on your lips,

you who despise my law

  and throw my words to the winds,

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

‘You do this, and should I keep silence?

  Do you think that I am like you?

A sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me

  and I will show God’s salvation to the upright.’

I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

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Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Matthew 10:34-11:1

It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.

  ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

  ‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.

  ‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.

  ‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’

  When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

 

THE SACRIFICES OF A MISSIONARY DISCIPLE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 1:10-17; MT 10:34-11:1]

Chapter 10 of St. Matthew’s Gospel focuses on the call and mission of the twelve apostles. Jesus did not simply call them or give them a mission; He also prepared them for what to expect and what it entails to share in His mission. He warned them of the sacrifices this mission would require and the persecutions they would have to endure. It would be a difficult mission, not one for the faint-hearted.

Unfortunately, many of us are not ready to be His missionary disciples. Many Catholics think being a Christian is just about having a pleasant religion. Like the Israelites during the time of Isaiah, religion for them was simply about offering worship and sacrifices to God, completely dissociated from daily life. They worshipped idols, oppressed the poor and vulnerable, cheated, stole, and practiced social injustice in their relationships with their fellowmen. When faith is separated from a life of charity toward our neighbours, all the sacrifices we offer to God are made in vain. This was God’s indictment against Israel: “Bring me your worthless offerings no more. I cannot endure festival and solemnity. They lie heavy on me. I am tired of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands, I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, but I shall not listen. Your hands are covered with blood; wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.”

Some become Catholics merely to seek a guarantee of God’s blessings and divine protection from harm and evil, treating it more like an insurance plan. They hope that if they worship the Lord, their homes will be blessed, their children will excel in their studies and careers, their jobs will be secure, their businesses will be successful, and everyone will enjoy good health. They expect peace and love in the family. However, this approach is entirely self-centred; it is an individualistic and self-seeking faith. If our faith and happiness remain confined to ourselves and our loved ones, we have not understood what it means to be Christ’s disciples. The Lord said, “Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.”

Instead, being a Christian means being a missionary disciple of the Lord. We are all called to be disciples and missionaries simultaneously. A good disciple is always a missionary, and a zealous missionary must first be a good disciple. Like the apostles, we are sent out to proclaim the nearness of God’s kingdom by healing the sick, giving life to those who have lost hope, and reconciling those who have been marginalised, dead in sin, or enmeshed in evil. We do all these things freely, unconditionally, and generously (cf. Mt 10:7f). Yet, this mission calls for tremendous sacrifice and the capacity to suffer for the Lord and His people. Those who undertake the mission of spreading the Good News must never expect it to be an easy task, filled only with appreciation and joy.

On the contrary, Jesus made it clear to His missionary disciples: “Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.” This is the first demand made on our Lord’s missionary disciples. We must be ready to take up our cross, which comes from the daily challenges, trials, and inconveniences of life. We have to contend with misunderstandings, the imperfections and sins of our fellowmen, the tension of keeping everyone united in love and peace, sickness and accidents, the demands of work and career, financial stability, raising children, looking after the elderly, and bonding with our spouse. Indeed, many demands are made on us within family life. Beyond the family, we also have commitments to our friends and our community.

Yet, if we think we are doing well simply because we have taken care of our family, we are mistaken. Our first commitment is not to our family, but to God. Jesus said, “Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me.” Jesus is not saying we should not love or care for our family. Rather, it is a question of priority and preference. Do we put our loved ones before our loyalty to God? The truth is that most of us love our family first, our career (wealth and power) second, and perhaps God third. In our scale of priorities, loved ones and work often come before God, and for some, He even comes after personal pleasure.

Indeed, many put their loved ones — if not their career or business — before God. They are afraid to upset a parent or spouse who dislikes them going to church or reading the Bible. Many couples from mixed marriages end up not attending church at all, let alone practising the faith, because the non-Catholic partner does not allow or support them and their children in attending church services and programs. Of course, many Catholics also abandon their faith to join the religion of their fiancé or spouse because they are afraid of losing the one they love, thereby putting human beings before God. Some young people are called by the Lord to serve Him full-time, but because of objections from their parents, they forgo their lifelong calling. Hence, the Lord said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.”

In truth, there should be no conflict between loving God and loving our family, being committed to our career, or enjoying the pleasures of life. However, if God is not first in our lives, we lose our perspective, and our priorities become disordered. Only with God can we view people and work through the lens of sacrificial love for the good of others. In fact, loving God more expands our capacity to love our family and neighbours more authentically and selflessly. Some mistakenly think that God will take their loved ones away if they love Him more. This is short-sighted. In truth, He gives them back to us even more deeply by enabling them to love us with the very love He has for us.

The next demand on a missionary disciple is choosing others over self: “Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.” If we want to find true life, we must be ready to sacrifice our own lives for others. Like Jesus, we are called to be servants and to give our lives as a ransom for the happiness of others. A missionary of Christ always seeks to put the needs and interests of others before their own. This means sacrificing one’s time, resources, pleasures, convenience, and even sleep to help someone else. It means constantly reaching out to offer hope, encouragement, consolation, and strength. In doing so, we forget ourselves and find our true fulfilment in the joy, comfort, and happiness that others experience through us. This is the greatest happiness in life — knowing that others are happy because of our love.

Finally, lest any of us think we are not qualified for missionary work, the Lord reminds us that supporting missionaries is a missionary act in itself: “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man because he is a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.” We might not all be able to preach eloquently, teach, or minister through prayer and counselling. However, those who handle ancillary responsibilities — such as assisting missionaries, providing for their needs, preparing their food, running mundane chores, and offering hospitality — are fully participating in missionary activity. Indeed, without the help of those working behind the scenes, many community leaders would not be able to accomplish what they do. These are the unsung heroes and missionaries. Their work is no less significant than that of teachers and preachers. As the Lord said, “If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.” In the eyes of God, the specific role we play matters less than the fact that each of us, in our own way, is contributing to the spread of the Gospel.

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.

 

NATURE GROANING FOR FREEDOM AND GLORY OF GOD’S CHILDREN

20260712 NATURE GROANING FOR FREEDOM AND GLORY OF GOD’S CHILDREN

 

12 July 2026, Sunday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Isaiah 55:10-11

The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

How to listen

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 64(65):10-14

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

You care for the earth, give it water,

  you fill it with riches.

Your river in heaven brims over

  to provide its grain.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

And thus you provide for the earth;

  you drench its furrows;

you level it, soften it with showers;

  you bless its growth.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

You crown the year with your goodness.

  Abundance flows in your steps,

  in the pastures of the wilderness it flows.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

The hills are girded with joy,

  the meadows covered with flocks,

the valleys are decked with wheat.

  They shout for joy, yes, they sing.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

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Second reading

Romans 8:18-23

The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons

I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

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Gospel Acclamation

1S3:9,Jn6:68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Matthew 13:1-23

A sower went out to sow

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

  He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

  Then the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,

see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,

for fear they should see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their heart,

and be converted

and be healed by me.

‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

  ‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

 

NATURE GROANING FOR FREEDOM AND GLORY OF GOD’S CHILDREN

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 55:10-11; PS 64(65):10-14; ROM 8:18-23; MT 13:1-23]

God created the world with everything in it, placing man and woman at the summit of creation. It is God’s plan that creation will be guided in its growth to full maturity through the stewardship of human beings. God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” (Gen 1:26) Human beings, being invested with intellect and will, are called to exercise stewardship over creation. To dominate creation does not mean that they can use it as they please; rather, they are called to make it grow. God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Gen 1:28)

Alas, because of sin, man himself is a fallen creature. He suffers the consequences of the loss of original justice. Instead of being at one with creation and leading it to greater heights, his self-centeredness and ignorance have led him to betray it. He has become an enemy of creation. Instead of seeing creation as his friend and ally, he seeks to dominate it in a way that is abusive and destructive, preventing creation from attaining the glory and fulfilment that God intended for His work. Instead, man is destroying creation by failing to respect the laws of nature that govern it.

When ecology is destroyed, creation — being interconnected — also breaks down. Whether it is plants, animals, insects, or the weather, they are all so deeply connected that the destruction of one will negatively impact other parts of creation. Indeed, indiscriminate deforestation, the killing of wildlife, and imbalances in marine life have led to a situation where climate warming causes plants, animals, birds, and marine life to die. This results in extreme changes in weather, leading to floods, droughts, typhoons, and earthquakes. Nature is blind, and when the laws of nature are not respected by man, nature will hit back. In the final analysis, the greed of man to harness creation for his selfish needs, without due respect for the laws of nature, has led humanity to this crisis. Indeed, industrialists and entrepreneurs are the main causes of the destruction of our planet, a price for which later generations will have to pay and are already paying.

Indeed, respect for the laws of nature is critical for harmonious living in creation, not just among other creatures and created things, but with human beings as well. In the first reading, the Lord says, “As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.” God has created nature with its own laws. If all of us followed the laws of nature, we would not be in this situation. There would be order in creation, and creation would flourish and benefit humanity even more. As it is, by abusing creation, we have depleted natural resources without due consideration, to the detriment of the future of humanity and the planet.

The laws of creation are given by God; they are a divine mystery. The laws of nature must be understood within the context of the law of grace. We will never be able to contemplate enough the majesty and wisdom of our Creator. All things are created in such a way that they follow certain laws so that they can live, grow, and flourish. This mystery of God’s grace at work in our lives is also brought out in today’s Parable of the Sower. Jesus said, “Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up, they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.” God sows the seed, but where the seed falls is a mystery of grace. So too, we can sow the seed, we can preach the Word, and we can give instructions as to how one should live his or her life; yet, not all are capable of receiving it with the same depth and understanding. These are given factors. Just as we do not determine where we are born, our intelligence, or our charisms and gifts, we must understand that everything is a grace from God.

However, this does not mean that we do nothing and just depend on the grace of God. We have a responsibility to cooperate with God’s grace, remembering that His grace precedes our cooperation. In other words, unless He has given us charisms, we will not have the means to employ them for good and for service. Hence, in the explanation as to why some cannot understand the parables, it is because they do not cooperate with God’s grace. Jesus explained, “For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. They look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. Their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me.”

Accordingly, the laws of nature also apply to human beings in the way we respect and cooperate with the laws of creation. In the explanation of the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explains the different levels of receptivity to the Word of God. For those who hear the word “without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart.” Those who receive it “on patches of rock” are those who hear the word and welcome it at once with joy, but have no root and do not last. Those who received the seed among thorns are those who allow the worries of this world and the lure of riches to choke the word, and so produce nothing. Then, “the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.” It is worth noting that even the yield of the harvest varies among different people.

Consequently, it is important for us to cooperate with both the laws of nature and the law of grace. Our task is to lead the whole of creation, including ourselves, to fulfilment in this world and the next. This is what St. Paul envisaged when he wrote, “I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose; it was made so by God.” It is God’s plan and desire for us to attain fulfilment eventually. Hence, St. Paul gives us this vision: “But creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.”

Our task, therefore, is to be guided by the Word of God and be formed in the image and likeness of Christ, so that we can lead creation and ourselves back to God. At this moment in time, creation is not yet perfected; hence the inconsistencies, the lack of harmony in creation, and the destruction caused by the sins of man. But when we are reconciled with God and walk in His ways of truth and love, then we will renew creation and bring it to fulfilment alongside us when we come into glory in heaven, in Christ. As it is, we already have a foretaste of God’s intention to recreate the world through His grace at work in us through the Holy Spirit. “From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.” Let us therefore be good stewards of God’s creation by being rooted in the Word of God and in the life of the Spirit.

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.