20251031 RECONCILING THE REJECTION OF GOD’S GRACE BY OUR LOVED ONES
31 October 2025, Friday, 30th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Romans 9:1-5 |
I would willingly be condemned if it could help my brothers
What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20 |
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.1Th2:13 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message for what it really is:
God’s message, and not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn10:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 14:1-6 |
'Is it against the law to cure a man on the sabbath?'
Now on a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. There in front of him was a man with dropsy, and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees. ‘Is it against the law’ he asked ‘to cure a man on the sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away. Then he said to them, ‘Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a sabbath day without hesitation?’ And to this they could find no answer.
RECONCILING THE REJECTION OF GOD’S GRACE BY OUR LOVED ONES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 9:1-5; Ps 147:12-15,19-20; Lk 14:1-6]
St Paul would empathise with us more than anyone else when our loved ones–whether our parents, children, siblings, or friends–reject the grace of Christ. Some of us are at a loss as to why our children, whom we have raised according to the Gospel of Christ, have left the Church because they disagree with its teachings on gender, marriage, abortion, IVF, social egg freezing, or euthanasia. Others have left the Church because of tragedies in their lives–bereavement, rejection by friends, or failure in their studies or careers. They come to conclude that God does not love them, or that God is not just. They become angry with God. Indeed, we feel sad for them and sorrowful that we no longer share the same faith with our loved ones. We know that any unity with them is superficial when we do not share a common love for God and the same basic values in life.
This was also Paul’s experience with his fellow Jews. They did not accept the Gospel even though Paul made it a point to preach to them first. Many could not accept it because they failed to see Christ as the fulfilment of the history of salvation, as the Lord said to the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. (Lk 24:25-27) Some could accept Christ as the fulfilment of God’s plan but were unable to abandon their customs and rituals according to the Law of Moses. They could not accept the Gentiles into the Christian faith unless they were circumcised and observed Jewish customs. They feared that their faith would be adulterated by the inclusion of Gentiles and that they would become unclean.
As a consequence, St Paul suffered a deep dilemma in his life. On one hand, the Gospel was reaching many Gentiles, and the Church was growing with more Gentiles than Jews accepting the Lord. Yet he failed to convince his own people to accept Christ and the Gospel. Hence, he wrote: “What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ–it is the truth–my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood.” That is our struggle too. We most desire that our loved ones share the same faith with us. We want the best for them–and most of all, we want them to share eternal life with God. We do not want to see them condemned or separated from God and from us in the next life. Thus, we feel lost and discouraged.
Sometimes we begin to blame ourselves for their rejection of the Gospel or departure from the Church. We carry the guilt, thinking perhaps we have been poor examples of faith. We question whether we have failed as parents or friends, and therefore caused their disbelief. Yet we also wonder how this could be. They were baptised, instructed in the faith, surrounded by Catholic friends, educated in Catholic schools. We brought them to church every Sunday, and they partook of the Eucharist. And still, they have left the faith or lost trust in God and in the Church. Where did we fail them? Is it our fault or theirs?
This was also what St Paul said of the Jews: “They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs, and from their flesh and blood came Christ, who is above all, God for ever blessed!” Indeed, the Jews had every privilege. They were the chosen People of God, His sons and daughters, chosen from among all the peoples to be God’s people. They were a privileged race, given promises, laws, and the glory of witnessing God’s power–He freed them from Egypt through signs and wonders. They received covenants from the time of Noah, Abraham, and Moses, culminating in Christ. God, in His goodness, showed patience in preparing them to receive the Messiah. They had their forefathers, the Patriarchs, Moses, and the prophets to show them the way. Yet, in spite of all these privileges, they still rejected Christ.
Like St Paul, we too ask: What will happen to them? Will they be condemned and not be saved? But we know that God’s salvific plan is to save all. Can God save them even though they rejected His invitation to accept Christ and His Gospel? We must hold firmly to the truth that Christ desires all people to be saved. Earlier, St Paul wrote about Adam and Christ: “Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Rom 5:18f) Thus, we are convinced that Christ’s death saves us all. This is the election of God–He predestines all to be saved.
However, while it is true that Christ’s death saves all, it requires faith in Him. St Paul wrote earlier: “For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” (Rom 3:23-25) How then can the Jews–and our loved ones–be saved without faith in Christ? That is our worry and our pain, because we love our loved ones as deeply as St Paul loved his people, to the point of being willing to be cursed and cut off from Christ if that could save them. Hence, we must rely on God’s mercy and grace.
We must continue to place our faith in Christ, who comes to save all. In the Gospel, Jesus showed how much He desired to save everyone. Even though He knew the Pharisees were against Him and sought to trap Him, He accepted the invitation to dine at a Pharisee’s house. His mission was open to all, and although He had a preferential option for the poor and marginalised, He also reached out to the rich, the influential, the religious leaders, and tax collectors. Christ’s love is inclusive and extended to all. Thus, we can be sure that God in Christ is all-merciful and ever ready to forgive and restore us to union with Him. Like St Paul, we too must proclaim God’s mercy and wisdom.
Christ assures us that He is not indifferent to our suffering, just as He was not indifferent to the man suffering from dropsy. He knew what it was like for the man to suffer, and His heart went out to him. Jesus’ desire is always to heal and to relieve our suffering. He wants us to encounter God’s love and mercy. Unlike the Pharisees–whose minds were closed and hearts hardened by hypocrisy and pride–Jesus looked beyond rituals and narrow interpretations of the Law. Love, mercy, and compassion must come before all else. As St Paul later wrote: “The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom 13:9f)
Finally, like St Paul, we must give glory to God’s wisdom and mercy, which are beyond comprehension: “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor? Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things.” Let us trust in His judgment, for His judgment is just. He alone can read our hearts. Therefore, “Do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.” (1 Cor 4:5) Truly, God can save us in ways beyond our imagining.
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.
