Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together: 2026

Wednesday, 19 August 2026

DISPLAY THE HOLINESS OF HIS NAME

20260820 DISPLAY THE HOLINESS OF HIS NAME

20 August 2026, Thursday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ezekiel 36:23-28

I will remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘I mean to display the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord – it is the Lord who speaks – when I display my holiness for your sake before their eyes. Then I am going to take you from among the nations and gather you together from all the foreign countries, and bring you home to your own land. I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land which I gave your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God.’

How to listen

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):12-15,18-19

I shall pour clean water over you and all your sins will be washed away.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

I shall pour clean water over you and all your sins will be washed away.

Give me again the joy of your help;

with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

that I may teach transgressors your ways

and sinners may return to you.

I shall pour clean water over you and all your sins will be washed away.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,

burnt offering from me you would refuse,

my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

I shall pour clean water over you and all your sins will be washed away.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

Make me grasp the way of your precepts,

and I will muse on your wonders.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 22:1-14

Invite everyone you can to the wedding

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

DISPLAY THE HOLINESS OF HIS NAME

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ezekiel 36:23-28; Matthew 22:1-14]

Happiness and joy in life are often portrayed as a wedding feast–a “wedding” because it is a celebration of love, and a “feast” because it is the way we participate in the love of the couple. This explains why we do not celebrate a marriage privately in a registry office, but rather with witnesses through a religious and social celebration. Through the wedding, the couple professes their love for each other for the rest of their lives. Such a love must be permanent and indissoluble so that it can withstand the trials and storms of life that will surely come in time. This is why the Bible underscores the indissolubility of marriage, without which couples might easily give up trying to perfect their love during difficult times, whether due to personality differences or issues pertaining to their relationship, family, children, work, and friends. Indeed, as Jesus remarked, “It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” (Mt 19:8)

This reflects the faithful love that God has for His people. God invites us to the wedding feast of His Son. He wants us to celebrate the love He shares with His Son so that we can partake in His divine love. Throughout all generations, God has been preparing us to share in His Trinitarian love through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. When He made the covenant with His people, He meant for it to be permanent. In spite of humanity’s sins and infidelity, God remained faithful to His covenant. He did not change His mind or give up on humanity, regardless of how obstinate, evil, or incorrigible we were. He continues to send us messengers, one after another, to invite us to the banquet of love and life. This is what the first part of the parable of the Wedding Banquet seeks to illustrate.

Yet, we read that this invitation to love and life continues to be rejected even today. The rejection of God’s invitation by the leaders and people of Israel continues in our time. Many of us are like them, rejecting the call of God’s prophets to repent of our sins and turn back to Him. Instead, we become absorbed in worldly endeavours, work, business, and pleasures. Indeed, “they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.” So many of us put money, power, and worldly success before God and authentic love. Even our relationships with others become based on an “I-It” dynamic–one of utility and manipulation rather than self-giving. Some do not simply reject God’s call; like the Israelite leaders, they react with hostility, attacking God and His Church simply because they feel annoyed by the call to holiness, integrity, and justice.

Nevertheless, God’s plan is undefeatable. Man might close a door, but God will open a window. When His chosen people rejected Him, God extended His call to the Gentiles and to sinners. He said to His servants, “‘The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.’ So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” Such is the graciousness and insuperable plan of God for humanity. Israel was intended to be a light to the nations: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Isa 49:6) But they failed in that responsibility. Therefore, God turned to the Gentiles through St. Paul, who said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles.” (cf. Acts 13:46f)

Today, we belong to God’s chosen people because of His gracious love. We are the people of the Promised Land; we are the new chosen people of God. By His grace alone, we are here. We have received God’s forgiveness, and like those brought in from the highways, we are invited to the Wedding Banquet. God’s grace is free. Most importantly, we have been forgiven of our sins and given a future. We have received a new heart through the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism.

This is the fulfilment of the prophecy of Ezekiel in the First Reading: “I am going to take you from among the nations and gather you together from all the foreign countries, and bring you home to your own land. I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land, which I gave your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God.”

Unfortunately, there is another group of people who have lost touch with God after conversion: fellow Catholics. They are portrayed in the Gospel as the man without the wedding garment. In those days, guests were provided with a wedding garment and expected to respect the host by participating fully in the celebration. But this man was careless and negligent. He went to the wedding without the proper attire–the baptismal garment given to us at our baptism. Instead, such people continue to wear their old clothes, refusing to give up the sinful lifestyle they lived before baptism. They have not died to the “Old Adam” within them. Negligent in their faith, they do not belong to a Catholic community and remain unsupported. Consequently, although baptised, they remain conformed to the world.

Today, we are called to assume the responsibility of being a light to the nations. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:13-16) In this way, we manifest the holiness of His great name, which has been profaned among the nations. We are called to embody the holiness of God. By living holy lives based on the Gospel of love and compassion, we reveal the glory of God and His holiness. In doing so, we show that we are truly sons and daughters of God our Father, who loves us all. God’s face and glory are made visible through us, His children.

What is the path to holiness? Pope Francis reiterated this call to holiness in his apostolic exhortation: “At its core, holiness is experiencing, in union with Christ, the mysteries of his life. It consists in uniting ourselves to the Lord’s death and resurrection in a unique and personal way, constantly dying and rising anew with him. But it can also entail reproducing in our own lives various aspects of Jesus’ earthly life: his hidden life, his life in community, his closeness to the outcast, his poverty and other ways in which he showed his self-sacrificing love.” (Gaudete et Exsultate 20)

Most of all, we are called to reveal the holiness of God by living out the Beatitudes. By doing so, as Jesus teaches, we live a blessed and happy life–a life that displays His love and holiness. By living a life of compassion for the poor and one of forgiveness and mercy for the weak, we can help sinners, those who have left the Church, and those who have never known God’s love to find Him. Ultimately, holiness of life means reflecting the mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and love of God in both word and deed. This is aptly summed up in the parable of the Last Judgment, where the criterion for entering the kingdom is based on love, mercy, and compassion. (cf. Mt 25:31-46)

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.

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF LEADERSHIP

20260819 CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF LEADERSHIP

19 August 2026, Wednesday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Ezekiel 34:1-11

An oracle against bad and selfish shepherds

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them:

‘“Shepherds, the Lord says this: Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock. You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently. For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.

‘“Well then, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, I swear it – it is the Lord who speaks – since my flock has been looted and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of any wild animal, since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, in view of all this, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says this: I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them any more.”

‘For the Lord says this: “I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.”’

How to listen

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:135

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let your face shine on your servant,

and teach me your decrees.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 20:1-16

Why be envious because I am generous?

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF LEADERSHIP

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZEKIEL 34:1-11; MATTHEW 20:1-16]

Today’s Gospel reading is a response to the question St. Peter posed to Jesus on behalf of the apostles: “What about us? We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?”

This question exposes the apostles’ self-centred attitude toward service and leadership. They entered into leadership seeking power, wealth, recognition, and self-interest–not very much different from what the world seeks. Worldly leadership is about the leaders themselves, not about the people they are called to serve.

The theme of today’s Scripture readings calls us to reflect deeply on the true meaning of Christian leadership. From the outset, we must state in no uncertain terms that the First Reading, although directed primarily at the political and religious leaders of Israel, is relevant to all of us in leadership today–especially those in politics, the workplace, schools, religious institutions, communities, and even as parents. None of us is spared from God’s indictments against bad shepherds.

Who are the bad shepherds that were denounced? First, they are those who make use of their sheep for their own interests. “Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock.” To feed on the milk of our sheep and to dress ourselves in their wool means that we are feeding off them and basking in their honour. It is about our own interests, not those of the people we are called to serve. Instead of serving them, we make them serve us.

Second, bad shepherds are those who fail to put the needs of the sheep before their own. Instead of looking out for those who are sick and in pain, they are more concerned with their own needs and convenience. They are too busy attending to their own interests to look after others. “You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently.” Those shepherds who only tend to the rich, powerful, and healthy are clearly not doing their work.

Third, bad shepherds are those who lack compassion in dealing with those under their care. When shepherds behave like dictators and rule their sheep “cruelly and violently,” they will only destroy and hurt the flock even more. Leaders who are harsh and authoritarian, putting fear into the lives of those whom they lead, will only create division and inflict anger and resentment on their sheep. Compassion is perhaps one of the most important qualities of leadership, for only when a shepherd feels with his people can he truly empathise with them and set them free from their slavery and pain.

Fourth, bad shepherds are those who cause disunity and sow seeds of discord in their community. The primary task of a shepherd is to foster unity among everyone under his charge. “For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.” Shepherds are therefore called to gather everyone into the Kingdom.

As leaders, what should our attitude be? In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus teaches us what it means to be a Good Shepherd. We are called to be grateful first and foremost for the gift of leadership. When called upon to be leaders, we should feel humbled–not honoured–by the choice of God. Leadership is a grace. It is not something that we acquire by right or earn. This is precisely the lesson of the parable. It addressed the religious leaders and the Jews, reminding them that their position as the People of God was purely by the grace of God. It was not their own doing, but freely given by God. Hence, we have nothing to boast about, but only reason to thank God that He has counted us worthy to lead the people He has entrusted to us. For this reason, there is no place for boasting if we have come to know Christ earlier than others. Those who came first have no greater privilege than those who came later, because what we have is purely by grace. Thus, we have no reason to think that we are better than those whom we are called to serve.

Secondly, we must be conscious that we are only stewards of God’s people. The people under our care do not belong to us. They are the flock of God, and we are only His deputies. In the First Reading, through the prophet Ezekiel, God repeated this truth when He said, “since my flock has been looted … since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock … I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. … I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them anymore. I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.” Because they are not our property, we cannot do as we like with them. We can only do what God wants of us, according to His terms and desires, not ours. We are given authority to exercise on His behalf and for His greater glory, according to His will and plan. As parents and leaders, our task is to ensure that our children fulfil their vocation in life and that those under us give glory to God by sharing and contributing their gifts in the service of God and humanity.

Thirdly, in the eyes of God we are all equal. In the parable of the vineyard, we read that God cares for all, irrespective of who we are. God does not discriminate against us. Whether we are first or last in any community, every single person is important to Him. For this reason, like the landowner, He sought out everyone who was waiting to be gainfully employed. God wants all to be saved and to find happiness. He cares for both the strong and the weak. Hence, unceasingly, He goes to the marketplace to look for people who are seeking to enter the kingdom of life. Regardless of whether we are chosen earlier or later, whether we are leaders or sheep, all of us are sheep in the eyes of God since we all belong to Him. God values our work equally, irrespective of what work we do. That is why the labourer who came last was paid the same amount as those who started work earlier. God sees our effort, love, and commitment to whatever is apportioned to us, not what we do.

Fourthly, we must learn the compassion and generosity of God. God feels for those who are without work–in other words, those who feel they have no meaning and purpose in life. One of the worst things in life is to feel useless. So when God saw the men waiting hour after hour to be employed, He felt sorry for them. Thus, even at the last hour, He ensured that they were gainfully employed. God also knows that the daily wage of a labourer is important for the family; otherwise, the spouse and children would suffer. So He did not begrudge them their wage just because they came late. God thinks of the overall welfare of the worker and his family.

At the end of the day, we must not ask the question that Peter asked. The joy of leadership and service is not about rewards and payment. The greatest joy is that we can serve and give. The thrill that comes from serving and helping people is a reward that the world cannot give. That is why Christian leadership and service cannot be measured by how much we earn or what we get out of it. Rather, it is how much we put into what we do–forgetting the rewards–that will make us happy and liberated. Focusing on rewards will only take away the joy of love and humble service.

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.