20260905 SPIRITUAL FATHERHOOD
05 September 2026, Saturday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Corinthians 4:6-15 |
What do you have that was not given to you?
Take Apollos and myself as an example and remember the maxim: ‘Keep to what is written.’ It is not for you, so full of your own importance, to go taking sides for one man against another. In any case, brother, has anybody given you some special right? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given, how can you boast as though it were not? Is it that you have everything you want – that you are rich already, in possession of your kingdom, with us left outside? Indeed I wish you were really kings, and we could be kings with you! But instead, it seems to me, God has put us apostles at the end of his parade, with the men sentenced to death; it is true – we have been put on show in front of the whole universe, angels as well as men. Here we are, fools for the sake of Christ, while you are the learned men in Christ; we have no power, but you are influential; you are celebrities, we are nobodies. To this day, we go without food and drink and clothes; we are beaten and have no homes; we work for our living with our own hands. When we are cursed, we answer with a blessing; when we are hounded, we put up with it; we are insulted and we answer politely. We are treated as the offal of the world, still to this day, the scum of the earth.
I am saying all this not just to make you ashamed but to bring you, as my dearest children, to your senses. You might have thousands of guardians in Christ, but not more than one father and it was I who begot you in Christ Jesus by preaching the Good News.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 144(145):17-21 |
The Lord is close to all who call him.
The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.
The Lord is close to all who call him.
He grants the desires of those who fear him,
he hears their cry and he saves them.
The Lord protects all who love him;
but the wicked he will utterly destroy.
The Lord is close to all who call him.
Let me speak the praise of the Lord,
let all mankind bless his holy name
for ever, for ages unending.
The Lord is close to all who call him.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps26:11 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Instruct me, Lord, in your way;
on an even path lead me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 6:1-5 |
The Son of Man is master of the sabbath
One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath day?’ Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God, took the loaves of offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which only the priests are allowed to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’
SPIRITUAL FATHERHOOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 CORINTHIANS 4:6-15; LUKE 6:1-5]
The theme of today’s Scripture readings centres on the meaning of spiritual fatherhood. St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said, “You might have thousands of guardians in Christ but no more than one father and it was I who begot you in Christ Jesus by preaching the Good News.” St. Paul saw himself as the spiritual father to all the Christians in Corinth because he preached the Good News and established their Christian community.
In the Gospel, Jesus claimed spiritual fatherhood when He compared Himself and His disciples to King David and his men. King David was not only a political monarch, but also a spiritual leader to the people of Israel. Jesus likewise claimed the same authority as King David when His men broke the law stipulating that the Bread of the Presence could only be consumed by Aaron and his sons in a holy place (cf. Lev 24:8-9; 1 Sm 21:1-6). We are all called in different ways to exercise spiritual fatherhood over those under our charge – whether we are parents, older siblings, educators, Church leaders, or community leaders.
Our primary task as a spiritual father is to ensure unity within our community or organisation. This is often the most daunting challenge. In every community, there will be differences of opinion, and factions form to pledge allegiance to different figures. This was precisely the case when St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Division plagued the community as some pledged support for Paul and others for Apollos, leading to jealousy, competition, and quarrelling. Disunity easily spreads when members lobby for their favourite leaders. However, leaders themselves can also be the culprits by putting down others and encouraging sectarianism. Paul was acutely aware of this dynamic and dealt with the issue decisively before the community fractured further.
Secondly, as spiritual fathers, it is our duty to instruct those under our care in proper values. Just as Paul instructed Titus, Timothy, and Onesimus as their spiritual father in the faith, we have a responsibility to care for our biological and spiritual children by forming them in virtue. This mirrors how Jesus taught His disciples the way to live the Kingdom life in the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Mt 5-7). In today’s First Reading, St. Paul instructs Christians not to be carried away by riches, honour, status, or intellectual pride, but rather to live lives of simplicity, goodness, service, and charity. He wrote, “For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, as I teach them everywhere in every church” (1 Cor 4:17).
Thirdly, we must remain watchful to ensure we are feeding our spiritual children the right spiritual food. When St. Paul could not be present in person, he wrote letters to exhort and encourage the Christians to live the life of Christ authentically, while gently rebuking them when their actions contradicted Gospel values. Similarly, when Jesus defended His disciples for breaking the Sabbath law as interpreted by the Pharisees, He pointed to the time when David took the Bread of the Presence from the altar to feed his hungry men. Jesus then declared, “The Son of Man is master of the Sabbath.”
Jesus proved Himself to be a father who was concerned not only with the physical hunger of his men, but with their spiritual hunger as well. This Bread of Presence at the Tabernacle in the Old Testament prefigures the Eucharist in our tabernacles today. As the Bread of Life–whose real presence remains in the consecrated host–Jesus continues to feed the People of God through both His Word and the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Spiritual fathers must intentionally nourish those under their care through the Word of God and the Eucharist so that their faith and love may grow.
Fourthly, a spiritual father is a mentor to his spiritual children. Teaching alone is insufficient; we must walk the talk and serve as a living example. Twice, St. Paul urged the Corinthians to follow his lead: “I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me” (1 Cor 4:16) and “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Paul possessed the courage and confidence to ask the Christians to imitate him because true spiritual fatherhood is not about talking, preaching, or lecturing. A true father is conscious that he is called to be a role model for those under his care. Unless a spiritual father lives out what he teaches, he loses credibility. Mentorship is perhaps the most essential dimension of spiritual fatherhood.
Unfortunately, instead of defending, protecting, caring, and loving our spiritual children, many of us who are called to be spiritual fathers are harsh and lack empathy. This was the failure of the Pharisees and scribes in Jesus’ time. They interpreted the Law in a way that turned it into a burden on the people. Rather than prioritising human needs above the Law, they cared more about the letter of the law than its spirit. Had they been more in touch with the struggles and pain of humanity, they would have applied the laws with compassion.
The most important prerequisite for spiritual fatherhood is acquiring the wisdom of God, which is the spirit of humility. Unless we remain humble and recognise that everything we have comes from God, we risk thinking too highly of ourselves. As Scripture reminds us, “Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor 3:18). All leaders and their gifts come from God. Paul asks, “What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given, how can you boast as though it were not?” (cf. 1 Cor 4:7). He further emphasises, “So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future–all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Cor 3:21-23). A spiritual father must recognise that this role is a gift from God. We do not earn or deserve such an honour; it is purely by God’s grace that we are appointed to act on His behalf for His children.
Spiritual fathers must remember that they are “servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries” (1 Cor 4:1). As servants, our role is to bring God’s presence, Word, and love to our spiritual children while remaining accountable to the God who appointed us: “It is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (1 Cor 4:2). St. Paul exemplified this humble stewardship when he wrote, “We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God” (2 Cor 6:3-8).
We, too, must earn the respect of our spiritual children through the way we conduct ourselves and care for them. Even when St. Paul reprimanded the early Christians, he did so with love and gentleness: “I am saying all this not just to make you ashamed but to bring you, as my dearest children, to your senses.” He appealed to their hearts by his sincerity: “We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return–I speak as to children–open wide your hearts also” (2 Cor 6:11-13). This is the compassionate, authentic spiritual fatherhood we are called to exercise with everyone under our care–whether as parents, guardians, leaders, or priests.
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.
