20260510 PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL WITH RESPECT AND A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
10 May 2026, Sunday, 6th Week of Easter (1st Anniversary of Pope Leo’s Pontificate)
First reading |
Acts 8:5-8,14-17 |
They laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit
Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20 |
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
or
Alleluia!
Second reading | 1 Peter 3:15-18 |
In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life
Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.
Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.’
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 14:15-21 |
I shall ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever,
that Spirit of truth
whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows him;
but you know him,
because he is with you, he is in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come back to you.
In a short time the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me,
because I live and you will live.
On that day you will understand that I am in my Father
and you in me and I in you.
Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them
will be one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL WITH RESPECT AND A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 8:5-8,14-17; PS 66:1-7, 16, 20; 1 PETER 3:15-18; JOHN 14:15-21]
The Church is missionary in nature. The Scripture readings remind us that the Church is called to spread the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ even when persecuted. The first reading recounts the persecution of the Jews against the Christians led by Saul. We are told that “all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.” (Acts 8:1) Instead of being cowed into silence and paralysis, the disciples “who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.” (Acts 8:4f) Indeed, nothing could stop the early Christians from proclaiming the Word of God even to the Samaritans and the Gentiles, baptising them in the name of the Lord Jesus and bestowing upon them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
If the proclamation was effective, it was because it was proclaimed with power in the Holy Spirit, with conviction and with works of power. We read that “the people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result, there was great rejoicing in that town.” Unlike the Samaritans who were involved in magic and evil spirits, Christ accompanied Philip by working signs of healing through him. This difference between Christ and the work of the evil spirit is brought out clearly when Simon, who was involved in the occult, sought to buy power from the apostles. Peter made it clear that the gift of the Holy Spirit was not for sale but given only to those who repented of evil and their sins by having faith in Christ.
In the Gospel, we are also told that faith in Christ is necessary if we are to do the works that He did. Earlier, when Philip the apostle asked the Lord to show them the Father, his request suggested a desire to see God just as Moses saw the glory of God (Ex 33:18). However, this only revealed his ignorance concerning Jesus, because he failed to realise that at the centre of Jesus’ identity is His relationship with the Father; a relationship of such intimacy that Jesus could say, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9).
Indeed, it is this intimacy with His Father that allowed Him to speak of Himself not merely as an agent of the Father, but as one in mutual indwelling. He said, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves” (Jn 14:10-11).
Jesus does not simply represent the Father; He makes Him present. Such complete union means that Jesus’ words and deeds have their source in the Father. While He is not the Father, He is nonetheless one in and with Him. Hence, Jesus promised those who have faith in Him “will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (Jn 14:12).
However, faith alone is not sufficient; it must be accompanied by love if we are to be His effective missionaries. The assurance given to the disciples is that He will do whatever we ask in His name, so that the Father may be glorified in Him. He said, “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it” (Jn 14:13-14).
To ask in His name is not a magic formula added to the end of a prayer to ensure it is granted. Rather, it means that whatever we pray, we sincerely hope it is in union with His concerns, His will, His plan, and His vision for us and all of humanity, in accordance with the Father’s will. Union with Christ in mind and heart is a prerequisite for effective ministry.
Faith and love in Jesus are manifested when we keep His commandments. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” This statement does not mean that love is merely the act of obeying commandments; rather, it refers to an adherence to His teaching and His entire way of being and living. In other words, we must walk with Jesus in complete dependence on Him and in obedience to His Father, acting and speaking in union with Him.
Love, like faith, therefore engages the entire person’s will and mind. Jesus said, “Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and show myself to him.” Our thoughts and words must be inspired by the Lord and His teaching, and whatever we do must be directed to His glory and that of His Father.
In union with our Lord, we share in His Spirit. Jesus assures us, “I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.”
Jesus works in and through us via the Holy Spirit. He said, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you. In a short time, the world will no longer see me; but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you.” It is through the Holy Spirit, as we saw in the missionary work of Philip and the early Christians, that the Gospel must be proclaimed with power, conviction, and signs of wonder.
Today, we celebrate the first anniversary of the installation of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. We give thanks for his pontificate. Looking back after a year in office, we know for certain that it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the Cardinals to choose the right man to be the successor of St. Peter. When he was elected, he was an unknown Cardinal; many did not know him, and his election took many by surprise. After one year, we now have a clearer understanding of why the Lord chose Pope Leo at this point in the life of the Church.
He is the man needed to continue the work of his predecessors, specifically the urgent mission of the New Evangelisation. For this reason, at the first consistory at the beginning of this year, he asked the Cardinals to revisit the apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis so that the Church can be truly missionary in her outlook. This remains the priority of the Church in today’s world, where Christianity faces great challenges from secularism, relativism, and materialism, as well as the moral ambiguity arising from science and technology. He must also deal with a world where a rules-based order is eroding in international relations, and where “might” is often seen as “right.” Indeed, the world is fragmented and especially the rights of smaller nations like Singapore are in jeopardy.
Within the Church, Pope Leo has had to walk a tightrope between those advocating for radical change in doctrine and tradition and those who champion fidelity to the deposit of faith. Amid such theological and cultural tensions, Pope Leo has shown himself faithful to the role of Peter, which is to watch over the Church and guard the deposit of faith entrusted to him.
While recognising the need for the Church to respond to contemporary questions, his approach is to advocate for innovation within continuity, as the doctrines and traditions of the Church must be protected against the impulsive and ever-shifting demands of our times. Pope Leo has restored a sense of stability to the Church by reinstating traditions, particularly in liturgy, protocol, and administration. At the same time, recognising the need for the Church to remain relevant, he advocates the way of synodality; a way of being in respectful relationship and dialogue with one another, with special care for the poor and the marginalised.
Pope Leo has been outspoken when truth must be spoken and conscience must be awakened, especially in matters concerning peace and the unity of humanity. He has spoken out strongly against armament, particularly nuclear armament, as well as the terrible effects of war on the world and the loss of innocent and vulnerable lives. Yet, he has done so with both respect and firmness.
Pope Leo has certainly taken the exhortation of St. Peter seriously: “Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring.”
Indeed, we are grateful for the leadership of Pope Leo, the cornerstone of whose pontificate is to foster unity in mission through bridge-building, synodality at all levels, and unity in doctrine. He is inspired by St. Augustine, who reminds us: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.” Rooted in the Church Fathers and the tradition of the Church, and guided by his Augustinian background and canonical training, we thank God for the gift of Pope Leo to our Church. He continues to build the Church into a missionary body, one that carries out communion as our mission in a world divided by relativism, individualism, and selfishness. Pope Leo is clear that we cannot be effective in our mission if we are divided in doctrine. Our mission is communion; hence, this mission must be accomplished in communion. He has brought a sense of calm and unity to the Church, without which we would contradict our very mission. Let us support him in his pontificate and continue to pray for him.
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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