20261028 FOSTERING UNITY: A HOPELESS ENDEAVOUR?
28 October 2026, Wednesday, Ss Simon and Jude, Apostles
First reading |
Ephesians 2:19-22 |
In Christ you are no longer aliens, but citizens like us
You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 18(19):2-5 |
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Te Deum |
Alleluia, alleluia!
We praise you, O God,
we acknowledge you to be the Lord.
The glorious company of the apostles praise you, O Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 6:12-19 |
Jesus chooses his twelve apostles
Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.
He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.
28 October 2026, Wednesday, Ss Simon and Jude, Apostles
FOSTERING UNITY: A HOPELESS ENDEAVOUR?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 2:19-22; LUKE 6:12-19]
One of the greatest challenges a leader faces is building unity and alignment in their organisation. This is true in every context–be it religious, political, corporate, or governmental. It is difficult because we all come from diverse backgrounds, experiences, upbringings, educations, religious convictions, political inclinations, and influences. Even more so in a world of globalisation, where we are all exposed to different cultures, religions, and philosophical ideologies, getting everyone on the same page, buying into the mission and vision, and moving the dream forward can seem almost futile. So much so, many leaders are tempted to give up.
The Church is divided not only because we struggle to agree on its vision and mission, but also on the way we should move forward.Disagreement is found not just on operational issues, but also on doctrinal views. Everyone has their own views of God, liturgy, and Church laws. Indeed, a root cause of division lies in doctrinal and theological pluralism, as well as differing understandings of authority. This is especially true for the Catholic Church, which is universal, comprising more than one billion members across diverse cultures, languages, levels of spiritual maturity, theological depths, social and intellectual classes, and religious experiences.
If we ever feel hopeless and want to give up on the vision of a united Church, a united people, or a united country, we should turn to Saints Simon and Jude for inspiration. St. Paul writes, “You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone.” We are called to build our foundation on the apostles, with Christ as our cornerstone. In this way, “As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.”
Among the apostles, St. Jude is known as the patron saint of hopeless cases, and St. Simon is named the Zealot. From St. Jude, we learn to ask for perseverance; from St. Simon, we learn never to relinquish our zeal for what we believe in and stand for. St. Jude was also deeply concerned about division in the Church. In his epistle addressed to the Universal Church, he expressed concern over divisions caused by Christians living licentious lives and corrupting others with unacceptable teachings. Of them, he wrote: “They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever.” (Jude 12-13). Simon, on the other hand, was known for his zeal and passion for his Jewish identity, his love for the Law, and his people. His zeal and unswerving devotion to God earned him the title “the Zealot.”
What does it take to forge unity in our churches and organisations? The answer lies in rooting ourselves in the Lord as our cornerstone. St. Jude once posed a question to our Lord: “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.” (Jn 14:22-24). Indeed, only when we allow the Lord to live in our hearts through His Word does the Father make His home with us. Unity is founded on our common love for the Lord.
For us as Christians, if Christ is our cornerstone, as St. Paul says, then we must find our unity in Him. This was how the Lord gathered His disciples together. In the Gospel, we read that “when day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became the traitor.”
The Lord knowingly chose a very disparate and diverse group of men to be His apostles. They came from different social classes, political inclinations, trades, and occupations–mostly from the lower class and uneducated, but also including dubious characters like Matthew the tax collector, and even a traitor. With such varied temperaments, personalities, and backgrounds, they surely struggled to get along at times, leading to clashes and tensions among them. Yet Jesus chose them not in spite of, but because of their different perspectives and backgrounds, so that they could contribute to the richness and diversity of the new People of God.
Jesus formed them into a community by winning them over through His love. It was their common devotion to the Lord that brought them together despite their differences and social status. They might have argued over position, status, or how to relate to the Romans, but they all came together because of one man, Jesus, whom they loved and admired. For the sake of Jesus, they were willing to set aside their differences and work together for the common good of the Church.
Indeed, as Christians, we might have differences in doctrines, in our vision for the Church, or in how we carry out mission work. Yet, if we have a common love for the Lord, we will stay together and work together because we love Christ. To love the Lord is to love His Church. This is what the Lord prayed for in His priestly prayer: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (Jn 17:21-23).
Secondly, unity can only be achieved through prayer. This is why the Lord spent the entire night in prayer before appointing the Twelve: “Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God.” This is a striking moment in the Gospels, highlighting how crucial prayer is before making an important decision (much like at the Garden of Gethsemane before His passion, where He prayed for strength and courage). We cannot achieve great things or make wise decisions without prayer. So often as a Church, we spend hours in meetings but only a few minutes in prayer. Perhaps we have failed to listen to God, which is why our decisions can lack His divine inspiration. Like St. Jude, we must never give up hope in God, who works within us.
Thirdly, unity can be achieved if we maintain clarity regarding our fundamental common vision and mission: to build the New People of God, instituted by our Lord when He appointed the Twelve Apostles to represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel. In choosing the Twelve, Jesus established the New People of God, who come from all strata of society, regardless of language, race, or culture. We are all called to be members of God’s household: “You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household.”
Inspired by this vision of our Lord, we are called to join in His mission of restoration, reconciliation, and healing. After appointing the Twelve, “He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.” This is what we are called to do as well: to be a beacon of hope to others as St. Jude is to us, and to be zealous in reaching out to the suffering and wounded, just as Simon the Zealot was.
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.
