20261001 BE A CHILD OF OUR LORD – ONE COMMUNITY CALLED TO LOVE
01 October 2026, Thursday, St Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin & Doctor
First reading | Isaiah 66:10-14 |
Towards Jerusalem I send flowing peace, like a river
Rejoice, Jerusalem,
be glad for her, all you who love her!
Rejoice, rejoice for her,
all you who mourned her!
That you may be suckled, filled,
from her consoling breast,
that you may savour with delight
her glorious breasts.
For thus says the Lord:
Now towards her I send flowing
peace, like a river,
and like a stream in spate
the glory of the nations.
At her breast will her nurslings be carried
and fondled in her lap.
Like a son comforted by his mother
will I comfort you.
And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.
At the sight your heart will rejoice,
and your bones flourish like the grass.
To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 130(131) |
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
A weaned child on its mother’s breast,
even so is my soul.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and forever.
Keep my soul in peace before you, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 18:1-5 |
Unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.’
BE A CHILD OF OUR LORD – ONE COMMUNITY CALLED TO LOVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Isaiah 66:10-14; Ps 131; Matthew 18:1-5]
In the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, he wrote, “When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man, all childish ways are put behind me.” Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. St. Therese was certainly not childish in her ways of relating with God, but she was childlike, as the Lord asks of us.
When the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus “called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.'”
To become a child so that we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven is far from acting in a childish manner. St. Therese knew that God wants us to approach Him as a child approaches her father. God is also like a mother to her, in whom she finds refuge and consolation. “Like a son comforted by his mother will I comfort you. (And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.) At the sight your heart will rejoice, and your bones flourish like the grass. To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.” She had total confidence in God.
What then does it mean to be a child of our Lord?
First, it means to cultivate a simplicity of heart. When we know that we are children of our Lord, we do not seek to be greater or better than anyone else, but simply to be a child before our Lord Jesus. This was why St. Therese was at peace with herself–she felt no need to compare herself with others. She had no reason to be envious because she knew she was deeply loved by God. When God loves us, no human love can replace or compete with that love. She was that little flower whom God loved, so she was at peace and content to be just herself.
The truth is that many of us seek the love of people in the world because we are insecure, thinking that we are not lovable enough. Hence, we seek to be loved, and when others receive more love than us, we become jealous and envious.
Secondly, being a child means being open and receptive to love. A child has a natural tendency to be curious and to reach out. A child is innocent until spoiled or wrongly indoctrinated by adults. Otherwise, it is in a child’s nature to discover, to learn, and to trust adults. A child does not ask, “What about me?” or “What is in it for me?” A child simply wants to love and be loved. Love and openness are what drive a child to act.
St. Therese was driven precisely by God’s love for her. It is this love that impels us to love the Church and our brothers and sisters unconditionally. Indeed, she discovered that the only true vocation in life is to love. When we love, we have fulfilled our vocation. We are all called to love in different ways in the Church because we are parts of the Body of Christ. Each of us is called to love and serve in the way God has destined for us. When we love and do His holy will, we find peace and happiness. St. Therese fell in love with Jesus and found joy in loving and serving others.
Thirdly, a child trusts in God’s plan. Sometimes, we wonder what great roles God has for us in the world. We all seek to do great things for God. We hope to be given a position of honour so that we feel we have done something grand for Him and for humanity. Some of us feel sad or unwanted because we think we are not worthy of God. While others perform great deeds, we feel left with simple, insignificant tasks.
Initially, St. Therese thought that way too. She wanted to be a missionary like St. Francis Xavier in the Far East. But she was sickly and unable to do what missionaries did. She thought–as many of us do–that unless we do great things in the Church, we are not important.
How do we apply this childlike love in community life? St. Therese discovered that what we do in life is secondary, but why and how we do it is primary. It is the love that we put into our actions that matters at the end of the day. Love is what makes everything great in the eyes of God. Holiness is doing small things in a great way–with a heart of love, devotion, and humility. Whether it is saying an encouraging word, being patient with our brothers and sisters, lending a helping hand, accepting the difficulties and routine monotony of life, or being tolerant of weaker and insensitive people, this is what holiness is all about. She accepted all the little inconveniences in her life.
Like us–especially those living in community at home, in church, or at the office–she had to deal with difficult people. There was a sister in her community who did not like her, and everything Therese said or did displeased her. Therese reflected and said to herself that charity must not consist of feelings, but of deeds. So she continued to love that sister by offering her services just as she would to anyone she loved, praying for her, and giving her a friendly smile. We do all these things for the greater glory of God and for our brothers and sisters. She is called the “Little Way” for good reason. Doing little things with great love is sufficient for anyone to grow in holiness. Trust and hope in God’s grace are what help us persevere in love and patience.
Indeed, love is the key to tolerance and forgiveness. In all that we do, St. Therese teaches us that without love, whatever we achieve is nothing. As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.”
Hence, St. Therese wrote: “Finally I understood that love comprises all vocations, that love was everything, that it embraced all times and all places. Then she cried out, ‘My vocation is love… Yes, I have found my place in the Church… in the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love.'”
St. Therese gives hope to all of us that we can be holy as well. We are a community of sinners on a pilgrimage to become a community of saints. We are called to help each other grow in sanctification through both good and bad events. Therese always wanted to be a saint. Holiness is not reserved only for martyrs, missionaries who lay down their lives for the Gospel, or priests and religious. Holiness simply means making use of what the Lord has given us for His greater glory. She said, “Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be. I understood, too, that Our Lord’s love is revealed as perfectly in the most simple soul who resists His grace in nothing as in the most excellent soul.” This is why we must encourage and help one another make progress in accepting God’s will in our lives, including the things we dislike and the weaknesses or mistakes of others.
This calls for self-emptying. To love means we need to die to ourselves–dying to our comfort, our will, our convenience, and our pride so that we can serve God and do His holy will. Indeed, she taught us that mortification does not require extreme penances. All she did was break her self-will, check a hasty reply, and perform small deeds without making a fuss. Living in community is where we learn self-emptying love. Instead of focusing on ourselves, we are called to focus on others. Meaning and fulfilment in life come from giving ourselves away. True holiness and love are revealed in community living because we are challenged to give of ourselves increasingly through tolerance, acceptance, and service. In contrast, the world is becoming more individualistic because people have become intolerant of others, concerned only with their own needs and interests.
Yet, we cannot do this unless we fall in love with Jesus and rely on Him alone. All Therese’s strength lay in prayer and sacrifice, which are invincible weapons that soften the heart much better than words. Even in prayer, one does not need to be a theologian to pray deeply or understand the Scriptures. Like a little child realising her nothingness, she threw herself into the arms of Jesus. Trusting in God, she was able to give herself completely to Him.
St. Therese offers us a gentle image of God as a loving Father and Mother. As Isaiah wrote, we should come to Him like children: “Rejoice Jerusalem! That you may be suckled, filled, from her consoling breast, that you may savour with delight her glorious breast. At her breast will her nurslings be carried and fondled in her lap.” Let us learn from her the humility to accept ourselves as we are before God and our fellow human beings. We must depend on Him for everything so that we can free ourselves from all anxiety and fear.
As a community, we must help each other encounter Jesus by worshipping together in faith at every Eucharist we celebrate and expressing our love for God through care and concern for one another–both at Mass and in the daily life of our community. This means supporting each other in worship and being involved in ministries so that the community can grow, worship with joy and safety, and ensure everyone is cared for and welcomed. Unless this community falls in love with Jesus and with one another, we cannot find the strength to grow in love and holiness. Let us, therefore, through our faith, worship, and actions, help each other encounter the love and mercy of Christ more and more deeply.
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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