20250910 TRUE LIFE WITH CHRIST
10 September 2025, Wednesday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Colossians 3:1-11 |
You must look for the things that are in heaven
Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.
That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 144(145):2-3,10-13a |
How good is the Lord to all.
I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.
How good is the Lord to all.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God.
How good is the Lord to all.
To make known to men your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age.
How good is the Lord to all.
Gospel Acclamation | 1Jn2:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.
Alleluia!
Or: | Lk6:23ab |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad:
your reward will be great in heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 6:20-26 |
Happy are you who are poor, who are hungry, who weep
Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.
‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’
TRUE LIFE WITH CHRIST
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Col 3:1-11; Ps 145:2-3,10-13; Lk 6:20-26]
We all seek true happiness in life. But where is life to be found? The rich are not necessarily happy. Those who are successful are also not truly happy. Even those of us who have beautiful families may feel that something is missing in our lives. So, not only the poor, the needy, and the sick lack happiness, but even those who seem to be doing well in life are often not fulfilled. So where can we find real happiness in this life?
St Paul tells us that true life is with Christ, and that the life we have is hidden with Christ in God. If we seek fullness of life, we must come to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (cf Jn 14:6) When Jesus asked Peter whether he too would leave Him, Peter replied, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:68f) Thus, if anyone seeks the fullness of life, he or she must come to Christ.
Through baptism, we have been made children of God. Yet baptism is not just a ritual; it is an act of dying to our old self and living a new life in Christ. St John wrote, “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 Jn 3:2f) This requires dying to the old self, for as St Paul says, we have already died. The more we die to ourselves, the more our life hidden in Christ will shine through us. “But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.”
For this to be a reality, we “must kill everything in (us) that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god.” Indeed, desire for worldly things is the cause of many of our woes. We crave for sensual pleasures, fame, wealth and power. These things in themselves are not evil, but when they control our lives and become ends in themselves, they become idols. When there is no true love in our lives, when passions dominate us and others are used for selfish gain, such passions lead to greed, envy, pride, gluttony, and anger.
Christians must show themselves to be different from the world. St Paul advised: “And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies.” Allowing our passions to control us is to show that we are still under the bondage of the Evil One. When we lose our temper, it reveals immaturity and a lack of restraint in dealing with difficulties and the faults of others. A lack of self-control is a sign that the Spirit of the Lord is not with us.
This is the message of the Beatitudes. They are about choices. Jesus gives us His blueprint for happiness in this life and in the next. More than words, the Beatitudes encapsulate His entire earthly life. He lived in poverty, with complete openness to the Spirit. Through the Spirit’s power, He stood courageously before His enemies: “Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh. Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as a criminal, on the account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.” Truly, Jesus has turned the values of the world upside down.
This is what St Paul calls us to: “Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died.” Yes, we are called to focus on the things of heaven. In other words, we are to see the spiritual aspect of our lives. To look for the things of heaven is to look for what ultimately lasts in life. The things of this earth, even if they are not immoral, are passing and only the means to enjoy the transcendent values of this life. In themselves they can only give us pleasure, which is passing. But we must seek for what ultimately makes us happy. We must seek for values like truth, love and compassion. These are the transcendent values of this life and hereafter.
Within this context, St Luke speaks of the Church’s mission to restore the dignity of the poor and the hungry. He invites us to share in this mission, giving preferential care to the poor. Concern for the marginalized is an obligation of the Church, for all are children of God: “How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.” We are also called to reach out to those in sorrow and to those who suffer injustice. In doing so, we share in their joy of trusting the Lord and being filled with good things. Whether as givers or recipients, we bring joy to each other–through gratitude or generosity.
St Paul further urges us to “strip off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.” To be in Christ is to recognise that all of us are brothers and sisters in the same Lord with the same Father. With this renewed image, we can truly treat one another as family.
In the final analysis, what is it that makes us truly happy? It is sincere love, mutual understanding and support, compassion for the weak and fellow sinners, forgiveness, and acceptance. There will always be enough food for this world if we die to ourselves and our selfishness. There will be no poor people if the rich are willing to share what they have, and those who lack are willing to work responsibly. But the truth is that whether it is the poor or the rich, we are not living responsibly in our lives. For those who realise that little is needed to be happy, and who devote their lives to love and service of the poor, the underprivileged, and the wounded, there is great happiness. This is the joy of the Lord.
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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