20261025 BREAK FROM IDOLATRY AND SERVE THE LIVING GOD
First reading | Exodus 22:20-26 |
If you are harsh with the widow and orphan, my anger will flare against you
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the sons of Israel this:
‘“You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan; if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans.
‘“If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him.
‘“If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset. It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would he sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity.”’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51 |
I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength,
my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise,
when I call I am saved from my foes.
I love you, Lord, my strength.
Long life to the Lord, my rock!
Praised be the God who saves me,
He has given great victories to his king
and shown his love for his anointed.
I love you, Lord, my strength.
Second reading |
1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 |
You broke with idolatry and became servants of God; you are now waiting for his Son
You observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord; and it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the gospel, in spite of the great opposition all round you. This has made you the great example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread – and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 22:34-40 |
The commandments of love
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’
BREAK FROM IDOLATRY AND SERVE THE LIVING GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EX 22:20-26; Ps 18:2-4,47,51; 1 THESS 1:5-10; MT 22:34-40]
St. Paul praised the Thessalonians, saying, “You broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God.” (1 Thess 1:9) What is so wrong with idolatry? On the surface, idolatry might seem harmless. After all, the psalmist tells us: “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats. Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.” (Ps 115:4-8) In themselves, they are powerless unless one believes they are real. Even St. Paul, when addressing whether Christians could eat food offered to idols, applied the same principle: “Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘no idol in the world really exists,’ and that ‘there is no God but one.'” (1 Cor 8:4)
So what is so wrong with worshipping idols? The truth is that idolatry is the worship of nothingness–the worship of an illusion. Believing in idols and worshipping them causes us to live in delusion; we allow ourselves to be deceived. Moreover, the real danger is that evil spirits can use these idols, masking themselves behind them to make them appear real. When we believe these idols have power, we allow evil spirits to take control over us. When worshipping idols–which in themselves are nothing–we risk worshipping the evil spirits that reside in them. This is entirely different from sacred images that depict holy lives, such as the statues used in Catholicism and other religions. For us, statues serve as reminders of the presence of the person depicted, helping us feel closer to them.
More importantly, true idolatry is the worship of oneself–when we make ourselves into God. To believe we are gods simply because we are powerful or wealthy is self-deception. We think that having status grants us the right to do whatever we want and control our lives and the lives of others. Some make themselves gods thinking that through science and technology, humanity can conquer the world. They fail to realise their human limitations. Only when confronted with life’s tragedies do they come to recognise their helplessness. As Alexander the Great discovered at the end of his life: no doctor can save us from death, no amount of money can buy back life or health, and no one can guarantee us tomorrow.
Serving idols means serving ourselves at the expense of the rights of others. This is why Moses cautioned the people to respect strangers and never molest or oppress them. We are called to care for widows and orphans–the weak and vulnerable. We must not treat them harshly. If we lend money to the poor, we must not charge interest, as they already lack resources. Those who act as usurers commit a severe sin against charity, acting as a scourge to the poor rather than a help. They are heartless, and God warns them: “They will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans.” (Ex 22:23-24) This is also why the Lord commanded that if a debtor pledges his cloak as collateral for a loan, it must be returned before sunset so he has something to cover himself in the cold night air. (Ex 22:26-27)
Taking advantage of the poor, the stranger, and the orphan demonstrates a complete lack of mercy, revealing a selfish devotion to self-interest. When we ignore the rights and well-being of others, we cause division in the world. In many places, especially urban centres, crime flourishes because people have nothing to live on. The vast divide between the extremely rich and the extremely poor breeds envy and resentment. Some resort to cheating, violence, and exploitation to acquire what they want or to enrich themselves further. In doing so, they cause suffering, hostility, and disunity. A society must ensure that the social gap between rich and poor does not become excessive, as inequality breeds evil and disharmony. Sin destroys unity and love, creating misery that ultimately causes us to lose everything we have.
When we worship self-made idols, we become consumed by possessions that cannot give life. The more we seek to hoard, the more insecure we become. We grow suspicious of others and jealous when they have more or are more successful than us. We strive to be superior and more powerful than everyone else–a pattern that plays out not only on an individual level, but on the international stage as well. This is why, whether in our offices, schools, communities, or global politics, we see division, conflict, and war. There is no peace or joy where lives are governed by envy, anger, greed, and lust. When sin fills our hearts, true happiness remains elusive, no matter how much wealth or status we acquire. Sins against our fellowmen and ourselves strip away life, peace, love, and joy. It is an illusion to think we can be happy in isolation, without regard for the common good. Serving self and serving the world leads to spiritual death and misery. Living a life of dishonesty and greed will bring misery to ourselves.
So where do we find life? We find life when we serve the living God! The God we serve is a living God, revealed fully in Jesus Christ. He is called a living God because He gives us life. He cares deeply about our lives–especially the poor, the underprivileged, widows, and orphans. He comes to save sinners from the destructive power of sin and acts as the defender of the weak and helpless. He desires our happiness, which is why the God of the Old Testament gave His people the Law to guide them, leading surrounding nations to remark on their wisdom: “When they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’ And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?” (Dt 4:6-8)
This living God is revealed in Jesus Christ, who emptied Himself to give us life. He showed us the way to true life by giving His life as a ransom for many. He came so that we might have life, and have it abundantly. (Jn 10:10) He came to serve, heal, empower, and deliver us from evil. He sums up His mission by quoting the Prophet Isaiah on the role of the Servant: showing compassion for the sick and offering forgiveness to sinners. Ultimately, He allowed Himself to be falsely accused and put to death for our salvation.
This explains why the Lord sums up the Law into two great commandments: love of God and love of neighbour. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.” (Mt 22:37-40) To find life, we must first love God so that we can truly love our neighbour. Authentic love of God always leads to authentic love for others. As St. John reminds us: “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” (1 Jn 3:14-15, 17)
One cannot claim to love God while failing to love his neighbour, for that reveals that God’s love does not truly dwell within him. God loves us all because we are all His creatures, and He is the Father of all. As Jesus taught: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” (Mt 5:44-45) We are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt 5:48) Those who love God are deeply loved by Him: “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (Jn 14:23) When filled with His love, His Spirit dwells within us, enabling us to love, forgive, and care for others.
St. Paul also serves as our model. He invites us to imitate his example: “You observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord.” (1 Thess 1:5-6) St. Paul showed himself to be a man capable of deep love and mercy. He tirelessly reached out to the Jewish people despite encountering constant rejection. He brought the Gospel to the Gentiles and defended their freedom against those who sought to impose the Jewish Law upon them. His generosity was shown through the sacrifices he endured for his mission: physical beatings, flogging, stoning, imprisonment, three shipwrecks, and relentless opposition from both religious authorities and the crowds.
Consequently, Paul became a model for others. The Christians imitated him: “And it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the gospel, in spite of the great opposition all round you. This has made you the great example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread–and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere.” (1 Thess 1:6-8) How beautiful it is when we become mentors who impart life and faith to others! That is the greatest legacy we can leave behind.
In everything we do, we must keep our ultimate purpose clear. St. Paul encourages us: “[You] are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.” (1 Thess 1:10) Ultimately, we are working for eternal life, not merely life on earth, which is but a foretaste of the glory to come. When our minds remain fixed on eternity, we stop wasting time arguing over trivial matters or trying to accumulate wealth, power, and status. As we age or face illness, things that once seemed crucial to fight for fade in significance in the light of eternity. Instead, we become focused on living life to the fullest in self-giving love, so that we can meet the Lord and share in His life forever.
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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