20260303 SPIRITUAL AND PASTORAL CONVERSION OF LEADERS
03 March 2026, Tuesday, 2nd Week of Lent
First reading |
Isaiah 1:10,16-20 |
Cease to do evil; learn to do good
Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the command of our God,
you people of Gomorrah.
‘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.
‘Come now, let us talk this over,
says the Lord.
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
‘If you are willing to obey,
you shall eat the good things of the earth.
But if you persist in rebellion,
the sword shall eat you instead.’
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.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt4:17 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Repent, says the Lord,
for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Or: | Ezk18:31 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Shake off all your sins – it is the Lord who speaks –
and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel | Matthew 23:1-12 |
They do not practise what they preach
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
SPIRITUAL AND PASTORAL CONVERSION OF LEADERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Is 1:10,16-20; Ps 50:8-9,16-17,21,23; Mt 23:1-12]
The Scripture readings today focus on the spiritual and pastoral conversion of leaders. The prophet Isaiah addressed the leaders of Israel, calling them “rulers of Sodom” and referring to the people as “Gomorrah.” Isaiah summoned the leaders of Jerusalem to appear in court before the Lord to justify their conduct. By addressing them by the names of the two most notorious and wicked cities–which were destroyed by fire and brimstone–the prophet was accusing them of belonging to that same category.
They were evil, unscrupulous, and self-centred, engaging in unjust practices that targeted orphans and widows, taking advantage of them in their vulnerability. Such disregard for justice was a fundamental violation of the Covenant, through which God specifically instructed the people to have special concern for the poor and the defenceless because they themselves were once slaves in Egypt. For this reason, they will also become like those two cities: barren and uninhabitable. Just like the Dead Sea, where nothing can survive, no birds, animals, or fish can live there because nothing can grow.
What was even more hypocritical was their attempt to cover up their sins through the cultic observance of festivals and by offering sacrifices at the Temple. The truth is that such rituals could not deliver them from the consequences of their deeds if they continued to persist in doing evil. What God desires is right and just behaviour.
Indeed, the Lord says in the responsorial psalm: “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. 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? 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.”
Yet, the call of Isaiah was not merely a matter of judgment; rather, it came from a God who loves and truly cares for His people. God was not vindictive, but desired to save. Thus, the reprimand to cease doing evil and stop the wrongdoing was complemented by a corresponding call to grace: “Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.”
Indeed, this God was ready to dialogue with His people, asking them to draw near to Him. The Divine Judge was ready to reason with them: “Come now, let us talk this over,” says the Lord. Their sins had distanced them from Him, but instead of rejecting the people and their leaders, God invited them to come close to Him so they could come to their senses. God was opening a line of communication. He does not force His people to repent, but extends an invitation to help them see why they should abandon their sinful way of life.
God showed them the greater things they could possess if they would only give up their ill-gotten gains, which would otherwise bring further disaster. He said, “If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.” There is both a promise of grace for those who return to the Lord, and a warning of wrath for those who persist in rebellion. The choice, therefore, is as clear as day.
Most of all, God promised them forgiveness and the cleansing of their sins: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” God is able to wash away their sins and restore them to holiness. How gracious this God is to those who repent before they face the consequences.
The truth is simple: what keeps us from renewing our relationship with the Lord is stubbornness, selfishness, and pride. God is not asking us to be perfect, but to come to our senses by being open and responsive to His call. Worship becomes acceptable when we live a life of justice and compassion toward His people, in imitation of God’s mercy and love. Paradise is ours when we live a righteous, honest, compassionate, and charitable life with everyone.
While the first reading from Isaiah underscored the personal conversion of the leaders and the people, the Gospel calls for a pastoral conversion of religious leaders. Jesus reproached the leaders for failing in their responsibility to minister to their people. Instead of alleviating their burdens, “they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders,” instead of assisting them.
As leaders, while we are called to help our people grow in holiness and perfection, we must also be compassionate and empathetic toward the situations and struggles they face. Although it was important to uphold the Law of Moses so that the people would remain faithful to the Covenant, interpreting the laws narrowly and legalistically placed an unnecessary burden on the people–far beyond what the basic laws required. By adding more prescriptions to protect the Torah through Oral Tradition by providing specific applications, these numerous laws made it extremely difficult for the people to experience the joy of loving God.
A pastoral conversion would mean that religious leaders–while seeking to help their people remain faithful to the ideals of the Gospel–must think creatively about how to do so without discouraging them in their pursuit of holiness. It is within this context that we should understand Pope Francis’ efforts to accommodate those who are divorced and remarried outside the Church, or those in LGBTQ relationships.
Pope Francis calls for patience in helping them seek the truth of the Gospel. However, this is distinct from saying that divorce is acceptable to the Church, or that same-sex unions are to be recognised as marriage. Rather, the Church must be seen as compassionate toward sinners and not exclude them completely; otherwise, the Church would seem to be only for those who are saints. The truth is that we are all sinners in varying degrees.
Another case in point is the question of the reception of Holy Communion. Those who have committed grave sins are not permitted to receive Communion, as they are not in full communion with Christ and His Church. However, those with venial sins are permitted to receive, as the reception of the Eucharist strengthens their resolve to live the life of Christ more perfectly, since Christ dwells in them and gives them the strength to live the Gospel life.
The question, then, is what determines “serious sin” in the truest sense of the word? Is it simply a casuistic application of the law, or must we consider the spirit of the law, the intention of the sinner, cultural influences, and other factors that lead a person to sin? In such situations, a pastoral conversion is required of Church leaders and the People of God–to think beyond the legalism of the law and to examine the intention of the person seeking to receive Communion.
Another example of pastoral conversion concerns how religious leaders should conduct themselves in their relationship with the people. Jesus said: “The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practice what they preach. Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares, and having people call them ‘Rabbi.'”
Jesus reminds us: “The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.” While it is not wrong to be called teacher or master, we must not supplant the one true Master and Teacher of our faith, who is Christ. Similarly, when people call us “father,” we are called to be representatives of our Heavenly Father.
Priests, who are ordained to act in persona Christi Capitis–in the person of Christ, the Head of the community–must be conscious that their ministry does not end by simply drawing people to themselves. What every leader must constantly ask is whether their followers’ relationship with the Lord has increased in depth, knowledge, and intimacy. We are dispensable, whereas the Lord is indispensable. When our followers become leaders who lead others to Christ, we know we have done our work well; for as John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).
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.
