20250626 ACTING CONFIDENTLY ON THE PROMISE OF GOD
26 June 2025, Thursday, 12th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Genesis 16:1-12,15-16 |
Hagar bears Abram a son
Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no child, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, ‘Listen, now! Since the Lord has kept me from having children, go to my slave-girl. Perhaps I shall get children through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai had said.
Thus after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years Sarai took Hagar her Egyptian slave-girl and gave her to Abram as his wife. He went to Hagar and she conceived. And once she knew she had conceived, her mistress counted for nothing in her eyes. Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘May this insult to me come home to you! It was I who put my slave-girl into your arms but now she knows that she has conceived, I count for nothing in her eyes. Let the Lord judge between me and you.’ ‘Very well,’ Abram said to Sarai ‘your slave-girl is at your disposal. Treat her as you think fit.’ Sarai accordingly treated her so badly that she ran away from her.
The angel of the Lord met her near a spring in the wilderness, the spring that is on the road to Shur. He said, ‘Hagar, slave-girl of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I am running away from my mistress Sarai’ she replied. The angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel of the Lord said to her, ‘I will make your descendants too numerous to be counted.’ Then the angel of the Lord said to her:
‘Now you have conceived, and you will bear a son,
and you shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard your cries of distress.
A wild-ass of a man he will be,
against every man, and every man against him,
setting himself to defy all his brothers.’
Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave to the son that Hagar bore the name Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 105(106):1-5 |
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
or
Alleluia!
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love endures for ever.
Who can tell the Lord’s mighty deeds?
Who can recount all his praise?
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
or
Alleluia!
They are happy who do what is right,
who at all times do what is just.
O Lord, remember me
out of the love you have for your people.
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
or
Alleluia!
Come to me, Lord, with your help
that I may see the joy of your chosen ones
and may rejoice in the gladness of your nation
and share the glory of your people.
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Heb4:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn14:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 7:21-29 |
The wise man built his house on a rock
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!
‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’
Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes.
ACTING CONFIDENTLY ON THE PROMISE OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Gn 16:1-12, 15-16 (or Gn 6-12, 15-16); Ps 106:1-5; Mt 7:21-29]
Abraham was concerned that he might not have a descendant to continue the family line and he said to the Lord, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (Gn 15:3-5) We are told that “Abraham believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Gn 15:6)
Often, even people who have faith in God’s promises get shaken, or begin to doubt God’s promises when the answer is not given soon enough. This was the case of Abram. They had waited for ten years, and Sarai was still barren. Then Sarai began to think that perhaps God intended to give them a child through a proxy, namely, their slave girl. She was impatient and said to Abram, “Listen, now! Since the Lord has kept me from having children, go to my slave-girl. Perhaps I shall get children through her.” Abram agreed to Sarai’s suggestion. Indeed, our faith is often weakened by our loved ones and friends around us who pour cold water on our trust and confidence in God. They use logic to encourage us to take matters into our own hands rather than wait on the Lord with trust and confidence.
But as a result of their self-will and their failure to trust in God’s unfolding plan, they paid a heavy price for their folly. We are told that after Hagar, the slave-girl, gave birth, she became haughty and proud because she was carrying the child of Abraham. The family was divided due to the constant bickering between the two women. Later, when Sarai gave birth to Isaac, rivalry arose over how their sons were treated. So much so, they eventually had to go their separate ways, resulting in two nations, one from Isaac and the other from Ishmael. This is so true for us in lives: if only we would learn to wait and discern God’s plan for us. In our anxiety, we often seize upon what appears to be an opportunity, assuming it comes from God, when in fact it stems from our own insecurity. This is why it is so important to be people of prayer and discernment.
The gospel reiterates the necessity of building our house upon solid rock. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount – a synthesis of the core teachings of our Lord in Matthew’s gospel – the evangelist concludes with Jesus reminding His disciples that it is not enough to merely listen to His words; they must also act on them. He said, “‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against the house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell: and what a fall it had!”
Indeed, our life must be founded on the Word of God. In all our decisions and in our discernment, we must turn to the gospel and the teaching of Holy Scripture to discern what the Lord has to say with regards to life issues. As St Paul wrote to Timothy, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16f) We must seek God’s guidance by reading the Scriptures and, like Abraham, believing in the Word of God and His promises. Writing to the Thessalonians, St Paul said, “We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (2 Th 1:13)
We are also reminded of the words of St James when he wrote, “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.” (Jms 1:22-25) It is therefore critical that we are both hearers and doers of the Word.
This is why the Lord told His disciples. Without acting on His Word, it is like building our house on sand, and when the storms of life come, we will be washed away. We must imbibe the Word of God. Unfortunately, not many Catholics make it a point to spend some time reading, praying, meditating and studying the Word of God every day to guide their life. They spend hours reading the daily papers and devouring gossip news on the Internet, but they have no time to read the Word of God. The Lord makes it clear, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (Jn 15:7-11)
On the other hand, we must not rely merely on doing things that appear to be for the Lord. This is how the false prophets behaved, as the Lord warned His disciples earlier. He said, “‘It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil man!” The false prophets claimed that they were messengers of the Lord. They even mimicked the true prophets – teaching in His name, performing exorcisms, and even working healing miracles. But their personal lives were far removed from what they professed to be. Indeed, there are many false teachers and false prophets even within the Church today. They appear to preach the Word of God, celebrate the sacraments, and do good works. However, behind their actions lie motives of personal gain – whether for fame, glory, power, or material benefit. Their lifestyles are scandalous: they live lavishly and waste time on idle pursuits, time that should be used for the service of the people and glorifying God.
Indeed, good actions alone do not mean that someone is from God. Even healing miracles may be performed by priests and teachers who live immoral and sinful lives. The miracles they perform are not the result of the goodness of their hearts or their personal faith in God, but rather a response from God, in His mercy, to the prayers and cries of the people. So do not be misled into thinking that it is because the priest is very holy. We need to examine their lifestyles – whether they are using the ministry to enrich themselves, living lives of pleasure, and spending excessive time on entertainment, rather than dedicating themselves to study, prayer, writing, reflection, teaching and ministering. Of course, all ministers are human, and they need time to relax, to recreate, and to enjoy the gifts of creation. But even these activities should ultimately give glory to God.
But in the final analysis, they must ask where their heart is. As the Lord said earlier, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Mt 6:21-24) Indeed, they must keep their eyes on the Lord and on His people whom they are called to serve generously, selflessly and humbly. With the psalmist, we pray, “They are happy who do what is right, who at all times do what is just. Come to me, Lord, with your help that I may see the joy of your chosen ones and share the glory of your people.” Let us strengthen our relationship with the Lord so that everything flows from Him.
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.
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