20250731 THE CONCLUSION
31 July 2025, Thursday, 17th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Exodus 40:16-21,34-38 |
The tabernacle is set up
Moses did exactly as the Lord had directed him. The tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. Moses erected the tabernacle. He fixed the sockets for it, put up its frames, put its crossbars in position, set up its posts. He spread the tent over the tabernacle and on top of this the covering for the tent, as the Lord had directed Moses. He took the Testimony and placed it inside the ark. He set the shafts to the ark and placed the throne of mercy on it. He brought the ark into the tabernacle and put the screening veil in place; thus he screened the ark of the Lord, as the Lord had directed Moses.
The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because of the cloud that rested on it and because of the glory of the Lord that filled the tabernacle.
At every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose from the tabernacle the sons of Israel would resume their march. If the cloud did not rise, they waited and would not march until it did. For the cloud of the Lord rested on the tabernacle by day, and a fire shone within the cloud by night, for all the House of Israel to see. And so it was for every stage of their journey.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 83(84):3-6,8,11 |
How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.
My soul is longing and yearning,
is yearning for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my soul ring out their joy
to God, the living God.
How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.
The sparrow herself finds a home
and the swallow a nest for her brood;
she lays her young by your altars,
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.
They are happy, who dwell in your house,
for ever singing your praise.
They walk with ever-growing strength,
they will see the God of gods in Zion.
How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.
One day within your courts
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God
I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.
How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn15:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 13:47-53 |
The fishermen collect the good fish and throw away those that are no use
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’
When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district.
THE CONCLUSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EX 40:16-21, 34-38; MT 13:47-53]
Today’s Scripture readings present us with two seemingly different conclusions. The first reading, from the Book of Exodus, ends with the installation of the tabernacle. From this point onward, it would be in this sacred place that God would meet His people in a special way. It was at the tabernacle that His presence would be powerfully felt. “The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because of the cloud that rested on it and because of the glory of the Lord that filled the tabernacle.” This would also become the way the Lord guided His people throughout their journey in the desert. “At every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose from the tabernacle the sons of Israel would resume their march. If the cloud did not rise, they waited and would not march until it did.”
In the Gospel too, we find another conclusion — this time to the parables of the Kingdom of God. In the structure of St. Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5-7 contain the Sermon on the Mount, which presents the perfect ideal of the Kingdom. Chapters 8-10 concretize the Kingdom of God through the miracles performed by Jesus, and chapters 11-13 reveal the hidden nature of the Kingdom through parables. Fittingly, this section concludes with the message of judgment, illustrated by the parable of the dragnet, in which the good are separated from the bad. After the judgment, those found unworthy of the Kingdom will be cast “into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
At first glance, we may not immediately see the close connection between these two conclusions. Yet both are deeply related to the presence and reign of God. The presence of God that filled the tabernacle was a localized presence — tied to a specific place. In contrast, the reign of God that Jesus proclaimed in the New Covenant is not confined to a location but dwells in the hearts of all men and women. Wherever God reigns in our hearts, there His presence is found. There is joy and freedom for those who live under the New Law of the Kingdom, because God is the one ruling their lives. Unlike the Law of the Old Covenant, the New Law — summed up in the Sermon on the Mount — goes beyond the Mosaic Law. It reveals the true spirit behind the commandments given to us.
In a real sense, therefore, the Kingdom of God is already present within us to varying degrees whenever we open ourselves to the grace of the Kingdom. The expectation of the Kingdom should not be relegated solely to the end of time. Rather, at every moment of our lives, we are either rejecting the life of the Kingdom or living under its Spirit. When we see the end of the Kingdom in this perspective, then the Last Judgment is not something to be feared, but something to be longed for. If we find ourselves fearful of the judgment as portrayed in today’s Gospel, it is because we interpret the parable too literally, as if we are standing before God in a human courtroom, receiving a sentence and being dispatched to either heaven or hell. Rather, the parable should be seen as a teaching tool to help us understand that the choices we make for the fullness of life here and now will ultimately shape our final destiny.
From this perspective, the Final Judgment is not something to be feared. Rather, it should be seen as the definitive establishment of God’s reign in our lives, where more pain or sorrow will be no more. With His reign comes everlasting peace, joy, and love. And where else could this place be, if not in the heart of God Himself? Heaven — a state of eternal bliss, joy, and love is where we all hope to arrive. Death, then, is not a punishment but a passage into new life and the fullness of life.
For this reason, the psalmist declares, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Blessed they who dwell in your house! Continually, they praise you. I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” We have all, in some measure, tasted this heavenly state of living in the tabernacle of God, when we come before His presence in prayer, in intimacy, and most especially when we receive Him in the Most Holy Eucharist. To dwell in the presence of God brings a joy and peace that no human being can give.
But the fact remains that sin and God are incompatible — just as light and darkness cannot coexist. We cannot serve both God and Satan. If we desire to come to the Lord, we must purify ourselves with sincerity of heart. Of course, we know that perfection is not something we can achieve by our own will alone; it depends entirely on the grace of God. What matters is that we cooperate with His grace as fully as we can. When we fail, we simply have to turn to our merciful God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, trusting in His mercy and recognizing that our sins hurt God as much as ourselves and those around us. So, there is no reason to fear judgment, because we know that God’s judgment is always tampered by mercy and forgiveness. However, this does not give us license to become presumptuous of His mercy and to continue sinning without a real desire for repentance. Without a contrite heart, we are consciously rejecting the Kingdom of God — something entirely different from one who earnestly seeks to live the life of the Kingdom but, due to human weakness and ignorance, falls into sin.
So what would our conclusion be? Have you considered how your life’s journey will end? Will it be one of liberation, joy and deep satisfaction — knowing that you have lived your life to the fullest with a clear conscience before God and man? Will you be able to say with St Paul: “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:6-8)
St Paul could look forward to the fullness of God’s Kingdom because he had chosen to walk with the Lord every day and in every moment of his life. He lived continually in the presence of God — whether awake or asleep, at work or at rest, in prayer or in the company of others. We too can begin to share in this Kingdom life there and now when we live with full awareness of His presence and love, expressed through a life of service, charity, forgiveness and compassion. This is what the Lord is asking of us.
Just as God was with His people at every stage of their journey — making His presence felt in the tabernacle through the signs of cloud and fire, so too we must allow His presence to guide us. At every stage of our lives, we must rest and ponder the direction we are taking, like the people of God during the Exodus. We read: “If the cloud did not rise, they waited and would not march until it did. For the cloud of the Lord rested on the tabernacle by day, and a fire shone within the cloud by night, for all the House of Israel to see. And so it was for every stage of their journey.”
In the same way, Jesus urges us to respond rightly at every moment, as He says: “Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.” We must learn from our mistakes, from our past, whilst working towards the future. From the storeroom of our history and experience, we are called to draw wisdom: to maximize the lessons of our failures and to build on the good we have done. While we appreciate and value the past, we must also remain open to the new ways the Lord desires to work in our lives. Forgetting our past will hurt us as much as living in the past, and forgetting the grace of the present moment will hinder us from allowing the future to take its full effect in our lives. By integrating the past, the present, and the future in Christ, we will gradually grow in the life of the Kingdom. As the author of Hebrews reminds us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb 13:8)
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.
