20260430 SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY
30 April 2026, Thursday, 4th Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 13:13-25 |
God has raised up one of David's descendants, Jesus, as Saviour
Paul and his friends went by sea from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia where John left them to go back to Jerusalem. The others carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the sabbath and took their seats. After the lessons from the Law and the Prophets had been read, the presidents of the synagogue sent them a message: ‘Brothers, if you would like to address some words of encouragement to the congregation, please do so.’ Paul stood up, held up a hand for silence and began to speak:
‘Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen! The God of our nation Israel chose our ancestors, and made our people great when they were living as foreigners in Egypt; then by divine power he led them out, and for about forty years took care of them in the wilderness. When he had destroyed seven nations in Canaan, he put them in possession of their land for about four hundred and fifty years. After this he gave them judges, down to the prophet Samuel. Then they demanded a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years, he deposed him and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 88(89):2-3,21,22,25,27 |
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
or
Alleluia!
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
or
Alleluia!
I have found David my servant
and with my holy oil anointed him.
My hand shall always be with him
and my arm shall make him strong.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
or
Alleluia!
My truth and my love shall be with him;
by my name his might shall be exalted.
He will say to me: ‘You are my father,
my God, the rock who saves me.’
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Rv1:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
You, O Christ, are the faithful witness,
the First-born from the dead,
you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 13:16-20 |
Whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me
After he had washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus said to them:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
no servant is greater than his master,
no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.
‘Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly. I am not speaking about all of you: I know the ones I have chosen; but what scripture says must be fulfilled: Someone who shares my table rebels against me.
‘I tell you this now, before it happens,
so that when it does happen
you may believe that I am He.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.’
SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 13:13-25; PS 89:2-3, 21, 22, 25, 27; John 13:16]
The First Reading recounts the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas as they set out to proclaim the Good News. Sent by the Holy Spirit, they travelled without a pre-mapped plan. Much like Jesus, they went where the Spirit led them.
The Christian mission, unlike business or political enterprises, cannot be reduced to mere human planning and strategising; rather, it is led by the Holy Spirit. “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” (Acts 13:4) We might think that they should have held more meetings to strategise their approach to winning converts to the Lord, but this was not their way. Instead, they listened intently to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Because they believed that the mission belonged to the Lord, they allowed the Holy Spirit to lead the way.
But it also did not mean that they left everything to the Holy Spirit. When the Lord gave them an opening or an opportunity, they were quick to seize it. Are we ready to seize the opportunity to witness to the Lord? As the Responsorial Psalm puts it, “I will sing forever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts forever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.” St Paul was always ready to seize the opportunities given to him. Firstly, he responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to be set apart for the mission of proclaiming Christ to other places. We can be sure that this was not on his mind. He was clearly quite content to help Barnabas in instructing the Church at Antioch. (cf Acts 11:26) In today’s reading, he was at Antioch in Pisidia. “After the lessons from the Law and the Prophets had been read, the presidents of the synagogue sent them a message: ‘Brothers, if you would like to address some words of encouragement to the congregation, please do so.’ Paul stood up, held up a hand for silence and began to speak.” He did not hesitate or lose the occasion to announce the Good News.
He readily made use of the invitation to address the Jews. Again, Paul was very much in touch with his audience. He was quick to adapt the message about Jesus in a way that the Jews could understand and accept. He did not begin by proclaiming Christ as the Saviour and Lord. On the contrary, he began by acknowledging their faith in the history of salvation, beginning from Israel’s election. He led them through their common history of how God liberated them from slavery in Egypt and led them through the desert for forty years, looking after them, providing for their needs. Then, He gave them the land of Canaan by driving out their enemies. To provide unity and stability, God gave them Judges and later acceded to their demands for a king. And it was to King David that God made a promise that he would be the one to carry out His plan. Finally, to realise this promise, God raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel.
This was a diplomatic and convincing way to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, foretold by the prophets in accordance with the plan of God. Such a presentation makes sense because salvation is not an abstract divine intervention, but a concrete, gradual unfolding of God’s plan in our lives. By showing the continuity of faith and the final realisation of God’s plan in Christ, Paul helped them to open their minds to the possibility that his message was true. Indeed, we read later, when they “were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next sabbath. When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.” (Rom 13:42f)
In the Gospel, Jesus took the same path as well, seizing whatever opportunities there were to fulfil the plan of God. We are told that at the Last Supper, just before the Passover feast, Jesus used that occasion to anticipate His passion, death and resurrection by celebrating the memorial meal. Knowing that one of His apostles would betray Him, He still found the chance to reach out to Judas. By offering him a piece of bread as a sign of friendship and washing his feet, He sought to teach him humble service and surrender to God’s will. Indeed, whenever the Lord found an opportunity to proclaim the Father’s love, He seized it.
Whether it was Paul or the Lord, they sought to give encouragement to those under their charge. What people need most today are words of encouragement. Life can be rather trying because of the many demands that are made of us, especially given the elevated expectations and high quality of life we all strive for. This has taken its toll on our family relationships and our lifestyle. Furthermore, the intensity of competition and self-centeredness make this world seem like a hostile and divisive place to live in.
What people want to hear is that God is faithful to us. This is what the psalmist sought to proclaim, “I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. I have found David, my servant and with my holy oil anointed him. My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong. My truth and my love shall be with him; by my name his might shall be exalted. He will say to me: ‘You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me.'” This was what Paul showed in his message to the Jews in Antioch; that Jesus was the fulfilment of the promise of God to King David and his people. Jesus was the one destined and announced by John the Baptist to be the Saviour and Messiah. And therefore, in fulfilling that Davidian promise, God is a faithful God.
God’s fidelity to us is incarnated in time and in history. The grace of God does not destroy nature but elevates it. So, when God’s grace enters human history, God makes use of individuals through their strengths and even their weaknesses to fulfil His divine plan. Salvation is ongoing. The process is ongoing, even though it has been technically accomplished already in Christ. God continues to make use of us to bring His salvation to the whole world. Each one of us is called to sing the praises of God as well.
We are called to represent our Lord. Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly, whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Just as the Father sent the Son, we are now sent out in the power of the Holy Spirit. We must remain humble and cooperative in the service of the Kingdom. We are called to do His will and not our own. If each of us does our part, just as our forefathers did despite their weaknesses, we too, will usher in the Kingdom of God.
Each one of us must seize whatever opportunities the Lord gives to us. There are many occasions when the Lord opens the door for us to reach out and to proclaim His name. It could be through an act of kindness, an inspiring thought, or a word of encouragement. Even the trials and tribulations of life could offer us an invitation to announce Christ to the world — such as a breakup in a relationship, a misfortune, or a sickness. In all these occasions, the Lord is giving us access to touch people’s lives. Alas, many of us are not alert to the prompting of the Spirit. The Lord warns us, “Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly. I am not speaking about all of you: I know the ones I have chosen, but what scripture says must be fulfilled: Someone who shares my table rebels against me.” Knowing that we have done what is required of us will give us peace; unlike Judas, who, although unable to derail the plan of God, suffered guilt and shame. So, happiness is just at our doorstep. Like Paul and Barnabas, if we just focus on proclaiming and sharing the Good News with people according to our circumstances, we will find life an immense joy and fulfilment. Indeed, as the Lord said, “No servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.” We, too, must follow the path of our Lord in service and love.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment