20260815 PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
15 August 2026, Saturday, 19th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Ezekiel 18:1-10,13,30-32 |
You, not your children, will suffer for your sins: so repent, and live
The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows:
‘Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: “The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; and the children’s teeth are set on edge”?
‘As I live – it is the Lord who speaks – there will no longer be any reason to repeat this proverb in Israel. See now: all life belongs to me; the father’s life and the son’s life, both alike belong to me. The man who has sinned, he is the one who shall die.
‘The upright man is law-abiding and honest; he does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the idols of the House of Israel, does not seduce his neighbour’s wife or sleep with a woman during her periods. He oppresses no one, returns pledges, never steals, gives his own bread to the hungry, his clothes to the naked. He never charges usury on loans, takes no interest, abstains from evil, gives honest judgement between man and man, keeps my laws and sincerely respects my observances – such a man is truly upright. It is the Lord who speaks.
‘But if anyone has a son prone to violence and bloodshed, then this son shall certainly not live; having committed all these appalling crimes he will have to die, and his blood be on his own head.
House of Israel, in future I mean to judge each of you by what he does – it is the Lord who speaks. Repent, renounce all your sins, avoid all occasions of sin! Shake off all the sins you have committed against me, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why are you so anxious to die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone – it is the Lord who speaks. Repent and live!’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 50(51):12-15,18-19 |
A pure heart create for me, O God.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
A pure heart create for me, O God.
Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.
A pure heart create for me, O God.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
A pure heart create for me, O God.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Col3:16a,17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you;
through him give thanks to God the Father.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 19:13-15 |
Do not stop the little children coming to me
People brought little children to Jesus, for him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZEKIEL 18:1-10,13,30-32; MATTHEW 19:13-15]
The first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel focuses on personal responsibility in our decisions and actions over collective responsibility.This is a necessary reminder for us, especially when we tend to put the blame on our parents and society for the predicament we are in.
Many of us are affected by the decisions and actions made by our parents, elders, community, country, and the world at large. We live in a global village. Today, even if we are not personally responsible for a situation in our community, family, or workplace, we are still affected by what others do. This is particularly true of the Church and any religious body. When a member of the community counter-witnesses to the faith or causes a scandal, the entire community is tainted. Often, when some members of the community abuse their freedom, rules and policies are instituted to prevent a recurrence, making life more inconvenient for everyone else.
Take, for example, air travel. Before the threat of terrorism became a reality, clearing immigration and security checkpoints was a breeze. Now, one must go through multiple screenings to prevent an incident that could endanger the lives of fellow travellers. So it is true that the sins and negligence of others do have consequences for the broader community.
Realising that individual actions impact others, we must all the more take responsibility for our choices. We must not conveniently–as some do–shirk our duty to make things right by blaming others for our situation. We can wallow in self-pity because our parents were irresponsible in how they raised us. We can point fingers at them for our failures, blaming their constant bickering over money, gambling, drinking, and infidelity. Or we might blame them for our current struggles or our inability to find a partner, claiming they were too strict or overprotective.
This is precisely the context of today’s first reading. The people of Israel had a strong sense of collective responsibility. God called them to be His people, to be a nation. The ties between members of the People of God were deep. The sin of one affected the circumstances of others, and the sin of a leader impacted the entire nation. This holds true today, especially for those in leadership. A leader’s failure to act rightly causes harm to those they lead, whether in a nation, church, or organization. Leaders bear a heavy responsibility toward the community because they do not live or work for themselves alone.
However, through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord reminds us that we must also take personal responsibility seriously and stop blaming our misfortunes on the sins of our forefathers or our community. The Lord says: “Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; and the children’s teeth are set on edge? As I live there will no longer be any reason to repeat this proverb in Israel. See now: all life belongs to me; the father’s life and the son’s life, both alike belong to me. The man who has sinned, he is the one who shall die.”
Each of us must account for our own actions and suffer the consequences of our sins or negligence. Indeed, our guilt is greater when more people suffer innocently because of our irresponsible words or actions. This is why, when awakened to past sins, many of us struggle to forgive ourselves–we realise the immense suffering we have caused not just to ourselves, but to the people we love. A decision to drive drunk leads to a lost job, and the family suffers. The sin of adultery breaks up a marriage and leaves children bearing the emotional weight. A gambling addiction forces a family to live in fear of harassment by loan sharks in their own home.
Consequently, we are called to examine ourselves. This is what the Lord is inviting us to do through His prophet: “Repent, renounce all your sins, avoid all occasions of sin! Shake off all the sins you have committed against me, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why are you so anxious to die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone – it is the Lord who speaks. Repent and live!” As the psalmist says, “A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.” How, then, should we examine our lifestyle so that we can live justly?
When we consider the challenges the world is facing–especially a lifestyle that is amoral, individualistic, and self-centred under the guise of freedom–we must ask whether we are exercising our personal rights responsibly. Today, the world often seeks freedom focused solely on the self, rather than on duty to society or community. While everyone has the freedom to exercise personal rights, that freedom cannot be absolute to the point where we abandon our duty to the common good. We see an overemphasis on individual rights that ignores how personal choices impact the community. It becomes all about my interests, my desires, my happiness, and my needs–often at the expense of others.
Take, for instance, marriage, singlehood, and procreation. While not everyone is called to married life or singlehood, we must be honest about our choices. What criteria influence our choices? Are we truly motivated by love for others, or just love of self? Someone might marry to escape loneliness–or at least think they can, even if that turns out to be an illusion. Others remain single simply because they do not want to share their lives, time, or resources with anyone else, choosing instead to pursue personal leisure without constraint.
The same applies to having children. Do we have children as an investment for old age, or to stave off loneliness? Or do we desire children so that we can share our love with them, raising them to contribute to the community and the continuation of the human race?
At the end of the day, the ultimate criterion for our choices must not be self-centred love; it must also serve the greater good of our loved ones and society. For instance, a man might choose to remain single because he is the eldest child and needs to support his siblings when his parents cannot afford to. Others, of course, remain single simply because they have not found the right partner. Regardless, to live a happy and fulfilling life–whether single or married–we cannot live solely for ourselves. Getting married, having children, or remaining single must all be directed toward the greater good. Only then can we say we have exercised personal responsibility conscientiously.
The Lord clearly presents the righteous life we ought to live, as well as the consequences of acting irresponsibly: “The upright man is law-abiding and honest; does not seduce his neighbour’s wife. He oppresses no one, returns pledges, never steals, gives his own bread to the hungry, his clothes to the naked. He abstains from evil, gives honest judgement between man and man, keeps my laws and sincerely respects my observances. But if anyone has a son prone to violence and bloodshed, who commits one of these misdeeds, then this son shall certainly not live; having committed all these appalling crimes he will have to die, and his blood be in his own head.”
This is particularly relevant regarding our children and those over whom we have influence. The Lord asks us to bless them and bring them closer to Him and the Kingdom of Heaven. This is our calling. May our actions truly inspire others and build up the community. Let us not exercise our freedom and rights in ways that cause others to suffer or divide the community through injustice, oppression, and selfishness. Instead, let us use our freedom for the greater good of all–which ultimately serves our own good as well.
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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