20260429 THE CENTRALITY OF OUR MISSION
29 April 2026, Wednesday, 4th Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 12:24-13:5 |
'I want Barnabas and Saul set apart'
The word of God continued to spread and to gain followers. Barnabas and Saul completed their task and came back from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them.
In the church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
So these two, sent on their mission by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. They landed at Salamis and proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; John acted as their assistant.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 66(67):2-3,5-6,8 |
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
or
Alleluia!
O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
or
Alleluia!
Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
or
Alleluia!
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Jn20:29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
‘You believe, Thomas, because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn8:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 12:44-50 |
I, the light, have come into the world
Jesus declared publicly:
‘Whoever believes in me
believes not in me
but in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me,
sees the one who sent me.
I, the light, have come into the world,
so that whoever believes in me
need not stay in the dark any more.
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully,
it is not I who shall condemn him,
since I have come not to condemn the world,
but to save the world.
He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already:
the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.
For what I have spoken does not come from myself;
no, what I was to say,
what I had to speak,
was commanded by the Father who sent me,
and I know that his commands mean eternal life.
And therefore what the Father has told me
is what I speak.’
THE CENTRALITY OF OUR MISSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 12:24-13:5; Ps 67:2-3,5-6,8; John 12:44-50]
Today, the Church continues to emphasise the importance of mission in the life of a Christian. This task is all the more urgent because of widespread secularisation. Furthermore, an emphasis on inter-religious dialogue has given many Catholics the impression that all religions are essentially the same — mere alternate paths to the one God. Consequently, many feel there is no longer a necessity to witness to Christ. Consequently, we compromise the Gospel message, replacing it with humanitarian and support services, labelling these as “missions” as well. As a result, the Church’s mission risks becoming merely a social endeavour, no different from the work of a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
This reductionist understanding of mission has inadvertently contributed to a decline in priestly vocations. If the mission is merely a matter of doing good and helping in humanitarian services, then the specific necessity of the priesthood vanishes. Indeed, many priests today forget that their primary calling is to exercise their unique sacerdotal office. Priests are not called to be social administrators; rather, they are called to advance the cause of our Lord, which is the salvation of the world. A priest who celebrates the Eucharist, the Sacrifice of the Lord, unites himself and the Church to Christ in a profound way, offering himself to save the world from ignorance and sin. Through the celebration of the Eucharist, the priest makes present the saving love of Christ on the cross.
Consequently, the work of evangelisation flows from our love for the Lord and our personal experience of His saving work in our lives. Our mission, therefore, is to lead people to the Lord; this zeal is born from our union with Him in the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass. It is the grace we receive through the Eucharist that gives us the impetus to draw others to Him by proclaiming the Gospel and His saving love.
Indeed, the primary mission of the Church is not principally a call to do good or perform acts of charity. In today’s Gospel, Jesus underscores that His mission is not to judge the world, but to save it. “I have come not to condemn the world, but to save the world.” The condition of salvation is not morality, but faith in Him. This is not to say that humanitarian services are not part of the mission or that they are unimportant; rather, they flow from our faith in Christ and our love for Him, which is then expressed in our love for our neighbours. The foundation of our mission is not merely charity for our fellowmen, but the love of Christ and His saving work. We do not just do good for others; we love them for the sake of Christ, who comes to save us all.
The Gospel today summarises the first part of the Gospel of John, known as the ‘Book of Signs’. From Chapter 13 onward, it is called the ‘Book of Glory’, as it concerns His imminent passion, death, resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. This discourse marks the end of the public ministry of Jesus, which calls for judgment and decision. Consequently, John synthesises the central themes of His teaching, namely, darkness and light, judgement and salvation, and rejection or faith. The reason for accepting Him is that He and the Father are One. Jesus declared publicly: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me, sees the one who sent me. For what I have spoken does not come from myself; no, what I was to say, what I had to speak, was commanded by the Father who sent me, and I know that his commands mean eternal life. And therefore, what the Father has told me is what I speak.” Clearly, Jesus is the Word of the Father — the Word of God. Hence, faith is directed not only toward Him but toward the Father who sent Him. Jesus speaks in the name of the Father and is sent by Him.
Consequently, the salvation that Jesus brings is to enlighten us to what is true and good. The image of light in a world of darkness is used by the Lord to speak of salvation. “I, the light, have come into the world, so that whoever believes in me need not stay in the dark any more.” The world is dark because it is alienated from God and therefore lives in sin. But Jesus has come to reveal the truth about ourselves. He will send us the Holy Spirit to “prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.” (Jn 16:8-11)
So we are called to take a decision for Christ. Salvation depends on our response. The Word of God can be preached to us, but if we are not ready to accept it, then we will ultimately bring judgement upon ourselves. Jesus said, “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully, it is not I who shall condemn him, since I have come not to condemn the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already: the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.” It is important to take note that the Lord will not be judging us at the end of time. Rather, we will be judging ourselves in the light of His words and the truth that He has revealed to us. It will not be God who will prevent us from entering into the fullness of life in His kingdom. But we exclude ourselves because we judge ourselves to be unworthy of that life.
Who, then, are the unworthy? First, those who hear the Word of God but do not keep it. Second are those who totally reject Christ by refusing His teachings. The former category refers to us: Christians who accept Christ but do not integrate His teaching into our lives and live according to them. Because of His very presence, we will be filled with shame when we meet Him at the end of our lives. The latter rejects Christ completely — and therefore the Father as well. The judgement rendered to this group will be based on the very words given to them; because they rejected those words, they face condemnation. In rejecting Jesus’ teachings, which come from God and offer eternal life, they deprive themselves of salvation.
This explains why in the First Reading from Acts of the Apostles, the Church sees the urgency of spreading the Gospel. This is because salvation depends on our accepting Jesus and recognising Him as the Light of the World. “The word of God continued to spread and to gain followers. Barnabas and Saul completed their task and came back from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them.” Through the ministry of Barnabas and Saul, the Gospel was proclaimed — first to the Jews, and then, upon being rejected, to the Gentiles.
The mission they undertook was not an initiative of their own. It was not about building their kingdom or choosing to do something they liked — as some of us do when we volunteer in the church or join a ministry. Rather, they received it as a call from God through the Holy Spirit. “One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.'” Truly, it was a response to the command of God speaking to them through the Holy Spirit. “So, these two, sent on their mission by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. They landed at Salamis and proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.” We, too, must embrace our call to evangelisation.
It is also significant that they were conscious of not relying on their own strength and strategy. Instead, they continued to rely on the power of God and His grace. They never took for granted that they could fulfil the mission or bring about the conversion of hearts simply through their preaching or good works. They know that it was the Holy Spirit who would give them the words and provide the opportunities to spread the Gospel and touch the hearts of their listeners. Hence, they always included fasting and prayer in their missionary work, to prepare their hearts, ensuring they served with a pure motive — all for the glory of God, and not for their own glory and interests. “So it was that after fasting and prayer, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” Effective mission depends on prayers and fasting!
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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