20251025 ARE WE COURTING DEATH?
25 October 2025, Saturday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Romans 8:1-11 |
The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you
The reason why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this in order that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates.
The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 23(24):1-6 |
Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.
Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things.
Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps144:13 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ezk33:11 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man,
says the Lord,
but in the turning back of a wicked man
who changes his ways to win life.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 13:1-9 |
'Leave the fig tree one more year'
Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’
ARE WE COURTING DEATH?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Rom 8:1-11; Ps 24:1-6; Lk 13:1-9]
Are we reading the signs of the times rightly, or even taking them seriously? This was the question Jesus posed to the crowd in yesterday’s Gospel. Of course, He was using the example of forecasting the weather. But the irony of man is that we can predict the weather and even the financial markets, yet we lack foresight when it comes to considering the future of humanity: the future of marriage as an institution, the repercussions on our children growing up without holistic parents because of divorce and same-sex unions, the promotion of promiscuity, cohabitation, and divorce in movies and television; the effects of secularism and the emptiness it leaves in the human heart; and the consequences of materialism, individualism, and relativism. Have we truly read the signs of the times? Have we seriously considered the outcomes of our current lifestyles and their impact not only on us but on our children, our children’s children, and the future of humanity?
Unfortunately, the world today is controlled by unspiritual people. When our leaders are unspiritual, what will become of the nation? What will become of society, our schools, or even our religious institutions? When decadence sets in, and because future religious leaders come from this same environment, even they will be affected. As St. Paul says, unspiritual people care only for this passing world, its pleasures, and themselves. He wrote: “The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God.” Policies today are often pragmatic–made for the moment, with no consideration for tomorrow. Many are crafted for economic gain without thought for the moral and spiritual growth of the people. How can a nation be truly happy when its people lack Christ-like values, spiritual fulfilment, authentic love, and unity? How short-sighted can our leaders be–whether in politics or business–when all they care about is productivity and economic growth, as if these alone were the recipe for happiness.
In the Gospel, Jesus warns us that when we make false compromises or fail to act rightly, we will perish. Twice He repeated, “Unless you repent, you will perish as they did.” Truly, the writing is on the wall. We read it in the news and see the effects of secularisation and so-called freedom in the West. Humanity has swung from one extreme to another–from the dictatorial rule of tyrannical governments to the dictatorial rule of individuals. The abuse of freedom is but another form of slavery when it is used for selfish interests and worldly gain. We have seen countless cases of greed, cheating, and fraud–where are those people now? Those who lusted for power and ruled dictatorially–where are they? Have we asked those who have fallen into addictions–gambling, drinking, drugs, sex, pornography–where they are today? For those unfaithful in marriage, what has become of their families and children? Those who live unhealthy lifestyles–are we not now suffering the consequences? Yet we fail to realise that we may be next. We avoid confronting our own lives by engaging in speculation and gossip, just like the Jews in today’s Gospel, who discussed whether those who suffered or were killed were greater sinners than they were. Jesus told them bluntly, “They were not, I tell you.” Yet He warned them, “No; but unless you repent, you will perish as they did.”
The parable of the barren fig tree is another warning to us all. God is patient and compassionate. He tolerates our lack of response to His grace, but a time will come when we must face judgement–not only at death, but through the consequences of our sins and follies that will inevitably catch up with us. St. Paul wrote to the Galatians: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” (Gal 6:7f)
So what does it mean to repent? One way is to turn away from our sins. Another is to obey God’s laws, as today’s responsorial psalm implies: “Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place? The man with clean hands and a pure heart, who desires not worthless things. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” Yet, as we know, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We desire to turn away from sin, and we know its consequences–we have seen how leaders fall, how marriages are destroyed, and how children grow resentful and rebellious. Still, we fall into the very sins we condemn in others. Though we wish to live holy lives, we cannot do so by our strength alone. We must allow the Spirit of Christ to live within us, to motivate and empower us through His love. But how can this become a reality in our lives? How can He help us overcome sin and destroy death in our bodies?
Firstly, St. Paul says that Christ’s death destroyed death, which is the consequence of sin: “The reason why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned is that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. God has done what the Law, weakened by our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending His own Son in a body like ours, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this so that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature dictates, but as the Spirit dictates.” Through His death on the Cross, we know that we are saved, for He has conquered death. We no longer fear death because it has been overcome. Only those without fear can love fully and take risks–even in the face of death.
Secondly, by His resurrection, He has bestowed upon us the Holy Spirit. Through baptism, “The Spirit of God has made His home in you. In fact, unless you possess the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to Him. Though your body may be dead because of sin, if Christ is in you, then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit living in you.” It is the Holy Spirit working in and through us who brings us into union with Christ, sharing His wisdom and empowering us to live out God’s law through love and faith. When we allow the Spirit of God to rule our lives–living by His power and in His presence–we can overcome the temptations of the Evil One. Love conquers all things, even our enemies.
Let us, therefore, take heed of Christ’s warning to repent before we perish–not just for our sake, but for our children and for humanity.Let us be wise by being spiritual, thinking beyond ourselves, our immediate needs, and short-term solutions that lead to long-term destruction. While we strive to solve today’s problems, we must also keep an eye on the future, lest it become too late to repair the damage–just as with the so-called population explosion theory of the 1960s. Leaders who truly care for their people must keep their spiritual vision clear so that they may act with wisdom and prudence. As St. Paul exhorts us: “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have the opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” (Gal 6:9f)
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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