20260301 BEAR THE HARDSHIPS FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOOD NEWS
01 March 2026, Sunday, 2nd Week of Lent
irst reading | Genesis 12:1-4 |
All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you
The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.
‘I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you.’
So Abram went as the Lord told him.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 32(33):4-5,18-20,22 |
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
The word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in you.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
Second reading |
2 Timothy 1:8-10 |
God calls and enlightens us
With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt17:5 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
From the bright cloud the Father’s voice was heard:
‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel | Matthew 17:1-9 |
His face shone like the sun
Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.
As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’
BEAR THE HARDSHIPS FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOOD NEWS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GN 12:1-4; PS 33:4-5,18-20,22; 2 TIM 1:8-10; MT 17:1-9]
All of us have dreams. The future is born of dreams. What we are enjoying today is the result of the dreams of our forefathers. Much progress has been made in the scientific and technological world because people dare to dream the impossible dream. It is important that we have our own dreams. We live on because of our dreams. Without dreams, life would be meaningless. We would just drift through life, living in the past, without zeal and passion.
Abraham in the first reading was given a great dream for his people. He heard the Lord telling him, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.” Upon receiving this dream, Abraham set out, not knowing clearly where it would lead him. All he knew was that God had a great plan for his people. It was a dream of a better life than the one they were already living.
In the second reading, we also read of the dream of St Paul. He wrote, “This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.” St Paul’s dream was to offer life and immortality to all. In preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, his dream was that all who come to Him would find fullness of life, joy, and peace. The Good News that St Paul taught is that the Father loves us in Christ Jesus and that we are saved by His death and resurrection. All that is needed is faith in Him, given through grace. We are saved not because we are good or because of our good works, but purely by the grace of God.
In the Gospel, the Lord was given a dream, a preview of what was to take place. He had a vision: “There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him.” God revealed to Jesus the future glory that had always been His. This is the glory that is to be shared with us. When we follow Jesus, we too will be transfigured in time to come. Through this experience, Jesus was affirmed as the New Law and the final Prophet. He is the new Moses and the new Elijah.
Today, the dream of the universal Church is the New Evangelisation, making the Good News relevant to Catholics and understandable to those who are searching for truth, love, and life. We are called to proclaim the Good News, which in today’s terms means showing forth the compassionate face of God in Christ Jesus. Whereas Pope Benedict underscored the love of God in Christ, the thrust of Pope Francis was to concretise this love of God in His mercy.
Indeed, more than ever, in this harsh world of ours–where competition is tough, where we are rewarded for the good work we do and punished mercilessly for the mistakes we make–we need to proclaim the mercy of God. This is the reason Pope Francis urged us to go beyond rigid laws and to change the image of the Church as an institution that is cold and without a heart. He wanted the world to encounter God’s compassionate love in Christ Jesus, who comes to forgive us all our sins, to give us courage and hope–not to condemn us, but to save us from perdition. Accordingly, it is important to return to the spirit of the law rather than merely insisting on the letter of the law.
The Good News, therefore, is directed principally at the poor–those who are spiritually poor and those who are materially poor.He wanted the Church to move out of her comfort zone and to be with the poor. Many Catholics have stopped coming for Mass. Some have left the Church completely. Many of us struggle with our sins, especially those related to lust, greed, envy, pride, and anger. The Church must show herself to be inclusive. Not everyone can yet live up to the ideals of the Gospel. The Church, being a Church for sinners, should welcome all who are struggling to live according to the teaching of Christ. The divorced, people of same-sex orientation, the sick, and the poor must find a home in the Church. This is the essence of the Good News: that Jesus loves us all, including sinners.
But realising our dreams for the Church and the country is not easy. When we seek to make changes, we inevitably face opposition–not so much from without as from within. This was the case for Abraham, Christ, and Paul. People oppose change for many reasons. Some oppose it because the vision of their leaders is not their own. Some feel threatened because the status quo is altered and their comfort zone is affected. Others are constrained by strict dogmatic beliefs and feel that the Church is abandoning her traditions and the truth of the Gospel. Some are unable to empathise with those who are marginalised in the Church and even at home. Leaders, too, suffer much opposition from those who are unhappy with attempts to move the Church forward because their convenience is compromised.
So what must we do in the face of opposition? We must not forget the dream before us. In times of trials and difficulties, we must keep the dream clear in our minds. Once we lose our dream, we lose hope. St Paul was always conscious of his dream to be with Christ one day in heaven: “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:8) Abraham too, in his long journey to the Promised Land, trusted in God and placed his hope in Him.
We must think of the greater good for the future of humanity, the Church, and society. Our forefathers sacrificed much for us. Without their sacrifices, we would not be where we are today. As the Letter to the Hebrews says, “And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Heb 11:39f) Abraham was a rich man with many flocks. He was living a comfortable life. There was no need for him to venture out, especially since when the call came, he was already seventy-six–past retirement age!
Secondly, we must rely on the power of God’s grace. St Paul wrote, “With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy–not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace.” This was his secret to peace and joy in his ministry.
We must pray fervently and with faith. Prayer is the only way to find true peace of heart. The psalmist tells us, “The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine. Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield.”
Finally, we must bask in the love of God as Jesus did. “He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.'” So too for St Peter–the experience was so profound that he wanted to remain there forever. Thus he suggested, “Lord, it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Indeed, later on, St Peter recounted this experience when he wrote, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (1 Pt 1:16) This transfiguration experience was both for Jesus and for the apostles, so that they could face the trials that lay ahead.
So let us be a blessing to others and to the world. The Lord said to Abraham – and to us all – “I will bless those who bless you. I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.” Let us hold our dreams high, as Paul did. He said, “This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus.” We already have a foretaste of it. We have seen for ourselves what the Gospel can do for us. It is not that we have not seen it – only that we have not yet seen it in its fullness. Let us pray for the courage, wisdom, and strength to move the Church forward and to bring the Good News to all, especially the poor, the marginalised, those living in darkness and walking in the valley of death.
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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