20251019 EQUIPPED FOR THE MISSION
19 October 2025, Sunday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Exodus 17:8-13 |
As long as Moses kept his arm raised, Israel had the advantage
The Amalekites came and attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Pick out men for yourself, and tomorrow morning march out to engage Amalek. I, meanwhile, will stand on the hilltop, the staff of God in my hand.’ Joshua did as Moses told him and marched out to engage Amalek, while Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek. But Moses’ arms grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and on this he sat, Aaron and Hur supporting his arms, one on one side, one on the other; and his arms remained firm till sunset. With the edge of the sword Joshua cut down Amalek and his people.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 120(121) |
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel’s guard.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Second reading |
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 |
The man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work
You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.
Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience – but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
Or: | Heb4:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 18:1-8 |
The parable of the unjust judge
Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’
And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’
EQUIPPED FOR THE MISSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ex 17:8-13; Ps 121:1-8; 2 Tim 3:14 – 4:2; Lk 18:1-8]
Today, the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday. All of us, as baptised Christians, are called to undertake the mission of spreading the Gospel to all nations. The word “mission,” however, sometimes makes non-Christians–especially civil authorities–nervous. They tend to think of mission as some kind of holy war, like those undertaken by the Crusades in the Middle Ages, or as an aggressive and fanatical form of proselytism. Today’s first reading might wrongly reinforce this idea, with Moses and the Israelites raising their arms in battle against the Amalekites and cutting them down.
But the mission of the Church is about the proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. It is truly Good News offered as a gift, not coerced. It is not about converting territories or practising a forceful kind of proselytism. The mission of the Church is to proclaim the reign of God’s love and justice in the world, fostering reconciliation among humanity and with God. It is about building true fraternity in Christ, promoting communion and justice in the world, and respecting all religions in a common search for peace and unity. Therefore, far from promoting aggression, violence, hatred, or revenge, the Gospel of our Lord is an instrument for bringing real peace to the world through forgiveness, reconciliation, and respect for all. The cross of Jesus defeats evil and hatred in humanity because His unconditional love for us, shown through His death on the cross, breaks down all barriers; and by His resurrection, He demonstrates the power of love.
Indeed, the real battle in the world today–the one we are called to fight–is a spiritual battle. In fact, the battles that the Israelites fought were principally spiritual. Their real enemies were not external but internal. The wars they fought were within the human heart. The challenges they faced after leaving Egypt revealed their fears and anxieties, born of shallow faith in God. At Marah, in the Desert of Sin, and at Massah and Meribah, their real suffering was not caused by outward circumstances but primarily by their lack of faith in God and their greed. They did not trust that God would provide for them, despite the many signs and wonders He had shown them in Egypt and during their wandering in the desert.
Israel’s survival was once again at stake at Rephidim when they were attacked by the Amalekites. They were attacked without provocation. Their enemies took advantage of the Israelites, who were weak, helpless, tired, and hungry. This encounter with the Amalekites is a picture of the Church in her spiritual warfare. Today, the Church is again under attack for her belief in the Gospel and for upholding values such as the sanctity of the family, unity and fidelity in marriage, the truth of God’s creation of two distinct and complementary genders – male and female – in His image, the protection of every human life, and justice for all. In a world of moral relativism, where truth is denied, the Church is called to stand up for the truth of the Gospel.
But this calls for courage and perseverance in proclaiming the Gospel, welcome or unwelcome. This is what St. Paul urges us to do: “Proclaim the message, and, whether welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience–but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching.” The best way to enlighten the world is through the teaching and proclamation of the Gospel, both in word and deed. Indeed, St. Paul calls us to preach the Word faithfully, not for our own glory or interests, but for the sake of the Kingdom of God and our obligation to answer before God for the gift of faith we have received. As St. Paul charged his people, “Before God and before Christ Jesus, who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his appearing and of his kingdom.” The mission of the Church is to share the Good News–the Word of God–with everyone, but with sensitivity, “guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy.”
However, the sharing of the Good News presupposes that we are first loyal to all the teachings we have received since the foundation of the Church. We must be clear that truth does not change from one thing to another, although truth, like a seed, can evolve and grow to its fullness–but always according to its identity. Likewise, to be true witnesses of the Gospel, we must remain faithful to the deposit of faiththat we have received from our forefathers. This deposit of faith, known as Scripture and Tradition, is safeguarded and taught by the Magisterium. We must therefore remain consistent with what the Church has handed down to us over the last two thousand years. There is a real danger today that, in the name of relevance, some Christians are trying to alter the content of the Word of God and the doctrines passed on to us by our ancestors in faith. This is why St. Paul instructed Timothy, the young bishop: “You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures–from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Secondly, we must be faithful to the Holy Scriptures. The Word of God is the only sure safeguard against the many modern interpretations that stem from worldly ideologies. These ideologies seek to supplant the truth of the Gospel by proposing ideas and thoughts inconsistent with Scripture. Indeed, we cannot be equipped for mission if we are not familiar with the teachings of the Holy Bible, especially the New Testament. Only a deep knowledge and familiarity with the Word of God will help us discern what is true and right for Christian living, preventing us from being carried away by outlandish theories and myths. We cannot seek the truth if we hardly read the Scriptures, which “are inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives, and for teaching them to be holy.”
Indeed, the Scriptures are the foundation of Christian doctrine. It is impossible to have faith in Christ without believing in the Bible, for the Church cannot exist without the Gospel. While it is true that the Word of God is more than the Bible–a living person–it remains a fact that the Bible preserves the record of our belief in Christ and His teachings. It is therefore useful for correction and inspiration. All theories, ethics, and doctrines must align with the Word of God and be tested by it. This is why we must be wary of teachers and Christians who dilute or distort the Word of God and deviate from the deposit of faith in their interpretations.
Thirdly, we must rely on prayer. There is no way to conduct spiritual warfare without prayer. Moses, in the first reading, shows us the importance of prayer. We cannot prevail against the enemies of truth without the assistance of God. We can only overcome sin, temptation, and the hardness of human hearts through the power of prayer and good Christian conduct. The real weapon to win today’s spiritual battle–against secularism, the powers of darkness, and moral relativism–is the power of prayer. Moses won his battle against the Amalekites through persistent and faithful prayer. His only weapon was prayer. We too must put on the armour of God, as St. Paul tells us, by wearing the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (cf. Eph 6:14-17).
Most of all, we must gather together as the Church, as one Body of Christ, to offer worship and praise. This is best demonstrated when the Church comes together in the celebration of the Eucharist. Through the Eucharistic celebration, we are nurtured by the Word of God, instructed through the homily, and strengthened by sharing in Christ’s Spirit through the Eucharistic sacrifice and the partaking of His Body and Blood. Jesus assures us in the Gospel: “Will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily.” Yet He also asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” This is why we need to support each other in faith and in love–not only in worship but also in fraternal fellowship. Only when we live as a true community of love will we be able to attract others to share in that love and experience a foretaste of the Good News of the Kingdom life.
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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