20261024 BUILDING UP THE INDIVIDUAL BY BUILDING UP THE CHURCH
24 October 2026, Saturday, 29th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Ephesians 4:7-16 |
By grace, we shall not be children any longer
Each one of us has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. It was said that he would:
When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners,
he gave gifts to men.
When it says, ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.
Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 121(122):1-5 |
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement
of the house of David.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
Gospel Acclamation | Ps144:13 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 13:1-9 |
'Leave the fig tree one more year'
Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’
BUILDING UP THE INDIVIDUAL BY BUILDING UP THE CHURCH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 4:7-16; PS 122:1-5; LUKE 13:1-9]
We all like to engage in vain, abstract speculation. This was the case when the Jews asked Jesus about the cruel death the Galileans suffered under Pilate, or those who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them. Those who died under Pilate were most likely revolutionaries opposed to Roman authority. Those who died at the tower were Jews who had cooperated with Pilate in building an aqueduct system for Jerusalem. Regardless, the Jews associated suffering and death with personal sin. The fact that these individuals suffered such cruel and untimely deaths implied to them that God was punishing them for their sins.
However, Jesus avoided such speculation regarding the cause of their deaths. The truth is that we will all have to die eventually–whether through illness, accident, poverty, or old age. Instead of speculating on why some die earlier than others, or why some suffer tragic accidents while others die peacefully, people should consider their own eventual death. Hence, the Lord made it clear in His reply that those who died were not greater sinners or more guilty than anyone else: “They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.” (Lk 13:3, 5) What is most important is that, lest we suffer a similar fate when our end comes, we must repent or else perish like them.
Yet, while the decision to repent ultimately lies with the individual, we are also aware that individuals are heavily influenced by society and the world around them. As St. Paul wrote, we are “tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practicing deceit.” (Eph 4:14) Indeed, a person is formed and shaped by their environment: the people they interact with, those who nurture them, the culture and values they are raised with, and the presence–or absence–of faith in their lives.
More than ever, our young people are shaped by social media and the internet. The primary place of formation is no longer the home, as parents have less and less influence over their children, especially when both are busy with work and social commitments. The Church, too, has less influence over them because many attend secular schools where God is absent from daily life and religious discussions are restricted in public spaces. In fact, the real problem today is not that students will become fanatical about their religion and cause division in schools, but rather that they are completely disinterested in religion altogether–especially when religion, if taught at all, is reduced to cold and abstract information.
This is why the Lord, after warning the people about their individual responsibility to repent from sin and wayward living, underscored the importance of the community as well. The individual is deeply influenced by the larger community. The parable of the fig tree planted in the vineyard that yielded no fruit represents Israel as a nation. They were not receptive to the Word of God–and most of all, not to Christ. The Lord had spent three years cultivating the vineyard, yet they remained uncooperative. This was the state of Israel.
Yet we are told that God is all-merciful. When the owner of the vineyard said to the vine-dresser, “‘Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.'” (Lk 13:6-9) Such is the patience of God. God is willing to grant us time to repent; He is willing to wait for nations to turn back to Him. He has been waiting all these years.
Alas, there is also a final day of judgment. When nations refuse to repent of their pride and arrogance and rely solely on human ingenuity, science, and technology, they will face the inevitable judgment of God.
The signs are already present, as the Lord warned us in yesterday’s Gospel. We see moral decadence everywhere. God has been so marginalised that He seems absent from the public square. Values of faithful love, self-sacrifice, humility, and forgiveness have been replaced by superficial relationships, self-centredness, pride, and revenge. The values of lasting marriage and family life have been replaced by transient commitments and fragmented families. We see this not only on an individual level, but also in world affairs, where nations attempt to curb the growth of others simply to protect their own narrow nationalistic interests. From globalisation, we are regressing into protectionist policies driven by fear and selfishness. Every country looks out only for itself, failing to realise that there is only one world and one human family. The success of every country is interdependent on the success of others. Unfortunately, it is sad to see the world going backward, all in the name of national interest, seeking self-protection at the expense of others.
St. Paul’s teaching on the need to build up the Body of Christ provides the key to building a better world. As Church, we have all been given gifts to contribute to her building: “Each one of us has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. It was said that he would: ‘When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners, he gave gifts to men.'” (Eph 4:7-8) Christ’s death, followed by His resurrection and ascension, demonstrated His ultimate victory over sin. After conquering His enemies, instead of demanding tribute from captives as worldly conquerors do, Christ distributed gifts to us all. He has won victory over our enemies, and we belong to Him.
As our Lord, He provides us with the necessary gifts to build up His Church, which is His body: “And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-12) To build up the Church, much like a human body, we need diverse talents and gifts. The Church needs apostles to oversee unity and safeguard the flock of Christ. She needs prophets to call the People of God to repentance and to proactively address the changing trends of our time. We need evangelists to give hope to people in their struggles and to spread the Good News. We need pastors to minister to individuals in their personal needs and struggles. Finally, we need teachers to form our people in faith and morals, guiding them in the Gospel life.
“In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.” (Eph 4:13) As Church, we must grow to become more like Christ so that He may live in us and through us. Obviously, an individual cannot mature in isolation; he or she needs the Church and the broader community to journey with. We must reiterate that the individual and the community are intrinsically linked. The community can become robust only if individuals are robust, but the individual can become strong only if community support is strong. This is why both must contribute to one another: “If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love.” (Eph 4:15-16)
What is true for the Church is equally true for nations and the world today. We must promote unity among our peoples, as well as harmony and cooperation among all countries. We must fight against the prevailing tendencies toward individualism and protectionism. Instead, we must encourage greater communication among communities within our nations, foster interreligious dialogue, and increase cooperation, especially in social and humanitarian works.
On the level of international relations, we must encourage governments to look beyond immediate national interests and recognise their responsibility to engage the rest of the world, offering aid especially to poorer nations. In this way, we build a global community of love capable of sustaining growth and development for the common good. Progress and prosperity belong to all nations, because this planet was given to all.
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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