20260327 VINDICATING OUR CAUSE
27 March 2026, Friday, 5th Week of Lent
First reading |
Jeremiah 20:10-13 |
He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men
Jeremiah said:
I hear so many disparaging me,
‘“Terror from every side!”
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him
and take our revenge!’
But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered the soul of the needy
from the hands of evil men.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 17(18):2-7 |
In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
I love you, Lord, my strength,
my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise,
when I call I am saved from my foes.
In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
The waves of death rose about me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the snares of the grave entangled me;
the traps of death confronted me.
In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
In my anguish I called to the Lord;
I cried to God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard my voice.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt4:17 |
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Repent, says the Lord,
for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Or: |
cf.Jn6:63,68
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel | John 10:31-42 |
They wanted to stone Jesus, but he eluded them
The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’ Jesus answered:
‘Is it not written in your Law:
I said, you are gods?
So the Law uses the word gods
of those to whom the word of God was addressed,
and scripture cannot be rejected.
Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world,
“You are blaspheming,”
because he says, “I am the son of God.”
If I am not doing my Father’s work,
there is no need to believe me;
but if I am doing it,
then even if you refuse to believe in me,
at least believe in the work I do;
then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’
They wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded them.
He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him.
VINDICATING OUR CAUSE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 20:10-13; PS 18:2-7; JN 10:31-42]
We spend much time debating with those who do not share our faith in Christ. We try to argue with agnostics and humanists about the existence of God, and we seek to prove to others that Christ is the Son of God. However, the truth is that these arguments seldom convince sceptics that what we believe is true; there are just as many arguments against what we stand for as there are for it. This is what happened to Jeremiah in the first reading and Jesus in the Gospel: the people did not believe what they said, or the claims they made.
Indeed, words alone cannot change lives unless they match our actions. This is what the Lord said to the people: “I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?” Clearly, for Jesus, the only way to verify the truth of His words and claims was through the works He produced. He said, “If I am not doing my Father’s work, there is no need to believe me; but if I am doing it, then even if you do not believe me, believe the work I do. Then you will know for sure that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Therefore, Jesus was not asking the people to believe based solely on His words. The proclamation of God’s kingdom and His identity was found not just in His words, but in His works as well. In fact, His works themselves are the message.
However, more than just a message, His works identify Jesus as the Son of God. The Jews said to Him, “We are not stoning you for doing a good work, but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.” Yet, the axiom of life is that doing flows from being. We can doubt a person’s words and claims, but it is more difficult to doubt their life and their works. The proof of a person’s claims is verified by the life that he or she lives. Indeed, this is how we distinguish a true prophet from a false prophet, or a teacher of God from a false teacher. We must be wary of so-called prophets, preachers, and teachers who use eloquence and theatrics to impress and deceive. Instead, we must look at their lifestyle. Do they live by what they preach? Are they convinced of the values they teach others, and do they live them out in their own lives?
For Jesus, whether He was God or otherwise, what is critical is that His very life exuded the presence of God. He said, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I said, you are gods’? So the Law used the word ‘gods’ for those to whom the word of God was addressed – and scripture cannot be rejected. Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because he says, ‘I am the Son of God.'” The Scriptures often called rulers, leaders, and prophets “sons of God” or “gods.” Quoting from the Psalms, the Lord said, “I say, ‘You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you'” (Ps 82:6). Similarly, regarding Moses, God appointed Aaron to help him as his spokesman: “You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him” (Ex 4:15-16).
Indeed, the whole life of Jesus was a manifestation of the presence and power of God in His very being. “They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them” (Lk 6:18-19). Then, when Jesus healed the widow’s son at Nain, “Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!'” (Lk 7:16). Finally, “Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!'” (Mk 15:39). From beginning to end, Jesus’ divine presence was recognised or, at the very least, intuited. He was more than just a man; God was in Him.
This was also the case with Jeremiah. He was rejected by his own countrymen and even his friends for the message he proclaimed from the Lord. He lamented: “I hear so many disparaging me, ‘Terror from every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ All those who used to be my friends watched for my downfall, saying, ‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error. Then we will master him and take our revenge!'” False prophets accused him of discouraging the people with his prophecies of doom–specifically the impending destruction and captivity. They accused him of treason, even though he was truly patriotic and cared for the nation more than anyone else.
Yet, Jeremiah knew that words alone could not convict them of their sins or of the truth. Hence, he left everything in the hands of God. He said, “But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.” Jeremiah had done his part in proclaiming what the Lord asked him to do. Beyond that, he did not take the matter into his own hands; he left the rest for God to unfold the truth to them. He knew that, ultimately, the justice of God would prevail. Confidently, he said, “But you, Lord of hosts, you who probe with justice, who scrutinise the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to you. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men.”
Truly, God vindicated Jeremiah when the people of Israel were exiled to Babylon. The last king of Judah, Zedekiah, did not keep his contract of loyalty to the King of Babylon. Ignoring Jeremiah’s warnings, he secretly entered into an alliance with Egypt to overthrow King Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, the Babylonian army crushed the revolt. Many of the king’s sons and princes were slain, Zedekiah’s eyes were put out, and he was led in chains to Babylon. Such was the tragic end for a people who refused to hear the repeated calls to repentance and surrender. But Jeremiah also gave them hope; he prophesied their return to Israel and a new covenant God would make with them: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more” (Jer 31:33-34).
We, too, must show ourselves to be true prophets and mediators of God’s presence to others. Today, our faith is being questioned–not because what we say is untrue, but because of the scandals among Church leaders and members. We are counter-witnessing to the Gospel we proclaim. We are not living our lives in a way that brings glory and honour to Him; on the contrary, we dishonour Him by living lives contrary to the Gospel. Decadence has once again entered the Church. We are re-entering an era similar to what the Church in the Middle Ages experienced. Then, the Church was corrupt, especially its leadership. Today, we are not much different, and it appears things will worsen if the Church–and particularly her leaders–does not respond to the call to repentance and conversion. We need another Jeremiah to bring the Church to a self-awareness of her own sins of complacency and immorality. Therefore, before we sink further into the darkness of a new “Middle Ages,” we still have the opportunity to arrest this decadence and restore the holiness of God. We must once again consecrate ourselves to the Father, just as Jesus did.
How can we do this if not by going back to the Scriptures? Jesus made it clear when He said, “Scripture cannot be rejected.” Catholics must not rely solely on the arguments of the world, which are based on reason without faith. We must rest our faith on the Word of God as our guide. “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). Whether we are discussing same-sex unions, abortion, or euthanasia, we must turn to the Scriptures for direction to see if our propositions align with the Word of God. Otherwise, they are not from God.
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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