20261014 CRITERIA TO DISCERN WHETHER ONE IS LIVING A SPIRIT LED LIFE
14 October 2026, Wednesday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Galatians 5:18-25 |
To belong to Christ, crucify all self-indulgence
If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you. When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. I warn you now, as I warned you before: those who behave like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, of course. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires.
Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 1:1-4,6 |
Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps26:11 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Instruct me, Lord, in your way;
on an even path lead me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 11:42-46 |
You overlook justice and the love of God
The Lord said to the Pharisees: ‘Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!
A lawyer then spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘when you speak like this you insult us too.’
‘Alas for you lawyers also,’ he replied ‘because you load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.’
CRITERIA TO DISCERN WHETHER ONE IS LIVING A SPIRIT LED LIFE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GALATIANS 5:18-25; LUKE 11:42-46]
The letter to the Galatians encourages Christians to live and walk by the Spirit. Having already received the gift of the Holy Spirit, living by the Spirit stands in contrast to living by the flesh. To live by the flesh is to engage in self-indulgent activities that satisfy natural inclinations, which are often disoriented and lacking in self-control. St. Paul gives us the criteria for when we allow our natural inclinations to direct our lives. These inclinations are not inherently wrong, but because of our wounded nature, we easily allow human desires to control us: “When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things.”
When we do not exercise self-control, what is naturally good can turn into something evil when carried to excess. Indeed, love between two persons is good, as are appropriate expressions of love like a hug or a gentle kiss. However, when we do not control our sexual desires, it leads to sexual disorder like “fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility.” When we gratify our human nature–when we are selfish and inward-looking–we become insecure and view others as enemies and competitors. As a consequence, we engage in “feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy.” All these are manifestations of a chaotic nature. There is an inner division within the person. He loses his self-control and rationality, allowing his fears, insecurities, and desires to control his life, resulting in “idolatry and sorcery, drunkenness, orgies and similar things.”
But can the law help to control our sinful nature? Often, the law is used as an external curb or control on human nature when it is disordered. The Law of God should be welcomed because it enables us to live an upright and righteous life. Obedience to the commandments of God allows us to share in God’s holiness, love, and mercy. It is God’s gift to His people. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses said to the people: “I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’ For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?” (Dt 4:5-8). By following these laws, they could live as God’s children and together prosper, living in harmony and love. But there is a big “if,” because we know that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Even Jesus knows that!
If religious laws are inadequate to control the impulsive behaviour of man, civil laws are even more helpless. Civil laws differ from religious morality. They are ethical guidelines designed to help society live harmoniously. Morality consists of religious, personal, or cultural beliefs about right and wrong–internal principles that govern an individual’s conduct. Ethics, on the other hand, are external rules that regulate the harmonious functioning of society. Some civil laws are not morally right; they are merely accommodations to a society seeking selfish pleasures within limits that do not encroach upon the freedom of others. Hence, society might allow legal prostitution, gambling, drinking, sexual permissiveness, immodest dressing, gay activities, and other “sinful” activities, so long as they remain within limits set by the culture of the community. Legislated civil laws need not necessarily be moral, but are tolerated in a modern society. Yet, the laws themselves cannot prevent people from breaking them. This is why, despite the heavy penalties associated with breaking the law–such as for sexual crimes, criminal breach of trust, scamming and cheating, or violating traffic laws–we still hear every day of people being charged and convicted of such crimes.
Whereas if we allow the Spirit of God to lead us, He will raise us to greater heights because our motivation will not be fear, obligation, or ego. We will be driven by love and conviction. We must clarify that the Spirit is not against the Law. The Spirit is the fulfilment of the Law, which is good but impossible to carry out through our own willpower and efforts alone. This is what the Lord said in the Gospel: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil.” (Mt 5:17). The Holy Spirit is the New Law in the New Testament. Writing to the Romans, St. Paul says: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:2-4). This is why St. Paul warns us not to live according to the flesh: “for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” (Rom 8:13f).
So how do we know that we are walking in the Spirit and not deceiving ourselves? Paul defines the characteristics of those who live by the Spirit: “What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, of course.” Indeed, true freedom and happiness in life come when we enjoy the fruits of the Spirit. When we manifest the fruits of the Spirit, we feel at peace with ourselves and experience joy in our hearts. We are not easily irritated or impatient because we empathise with others and see the goodness in them, remaining gentle and kind when they fail to live a life of the Spirit. Most of all, we have self-control because we no longer allow our flesh or our uncontrollable desires and emotions to direct our lives.
Consequently, in today’s Gospel, Jesus reprimanded the religious leaders for their hypocrisy. On the surface, they seemed to be obedient to the Law. In fact, they were meticulous in observing every single detail of the law–to the point of lacking prudence and judgment. They were obsessed with the small details of the law, but overlooked the bigger picture and the fundamental principles of justice and the love of God. The Lord said to the Pharisees: “Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone.”
In truth, by acting this way, they were not people of the Spirit but of the flesh, because their motivation was not love for God and their fellow human beings. They were motivated by pride, seeking honour, recognition, and praise. Their motives for observing the law were not noble. The laws were observed externally, but their hearts were not changed. The Lord said: “Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!” Indeed, the laws became another form of slavery that drained the life and joy out of people. When a lawyer spoke up, saying, “‘Master,’ he said ‘when you speak like this you insult us too.’ ‘Alas for you lawyers also,’ he replies, ‘because you load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.'”
So, according to Jesus, the real measure of living the life of the Spirit is love of the supreme good: God Himself, and our neighbours who are made in the image and likeness of God. God is love, and if we are God’s children, then we must love like Him (1 Jn 4:8). To walk in the Spirit is to do everything out of the love of God within us. Love is always directed toward the good of others. It embraces the weaknesses of others and seeks to carry their burdens with them. If we truly walk in the Spirit, we will not do anything that causes pain, suffering, or injustice to our fellow human beings. And we can love in this way only when the love of God is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us (Rom 5:5). Let us, therefore, be discerning, walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Only the Spirit gives life; the flesh has nothing to offer. Let us live in true freedom and joy in the Spirit, so that when people see us living in such a manner, they too will ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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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