20261008 IGNORANCE AND NEGLECT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
08 October 2026, Thursday, 27th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Galatians 3:1-5 |
You received the Spirit because you believed what was preached
Are you people in Galatia mad? Has someone put a spell on you, in spite of the plain explanation you have had of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ? Let me ask you one question: was it because you practised the Law that you received the Spirit, or because you believed what was preached to you? Are you foolish enough to end in outward observances what you began in the Spirit? Have all the favours you received been wasted? And if this were so, they would most certainly have been wasted. Does God give you the Spirit so freely and work miracles among you because you practise Law, or because you believed what was preached to you?
Responsorial Psalm | Luke 1:69-75 |
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up for us a mighty saviour
in the house of David his servant,
as he promised by the lips of holy men,
those who were his prophets from of old.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.
A saviour who would free us from our foes,
from the hands of all who hate us.
So his love for our fathers is fulfilled
and his holy covenant remembered.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.
He swore to Abraham our father
to grant us that free from fear,
and saved from the hands of our foes,
we might serve him in holiness and justice
all the days of our life in his presence.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 11:5-13 |
Ask, and it will be given to you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
IGNORANCE AND NEGLECT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Galatians 3:1-5; Luke 1:69-75; Luke 11:5-13]
Why do many Catholics lose their zeal and passion for their faith, much less the desire to spread the Gospel? For many, faith is reduced to a set of rituals they must practice and rules they must observe just to enter heaven when they die. They lack joy in their Christian life and are hardly seen to be an “Alleluia people.” Immediately after proclaiming the Risen Lord with joy, some quickly descend back into the tomb.
This joy is often short-lived because we all face many challenges–from family life and workplace stresses to broken relationships, poor health, and, of course, the economy and inflation! So how can we be an Alleluia people all the time–not just when things are going well, happy, and healthy, but when we are carrying the crosses of life?
This was precisely what happened to the Christians in Galatia. Jewish Christians from Jerusalem had come to Galatia under the influence of teachers of the Law. They told the Galatians that to attain spiritual perfection, they needed to observe the Mosaic Law. In Paul’s mind, this was a perversion of the Gospel, because perfection cannot be achieved through legalistic observance. He exclaimed, “Are you people in Galatia mad? Has someone put a spell on you, in spite of the plain explanation you have had of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?”
Why was Paul so shocked by what was happening? Because they had already received the Holy Spirit! By receiving the Holy Spirit, they should have known that the Spirit is a pure gift from God, and that with this reception comes divine power.
Paul highlighted three key aspects of the Galatians’ experience of the Spirit: First, Paul reminded them of how they initially received the Holy Spirit: “Let me ask you one question: was it because you practised the Law that you received the Spirit, or because you believed what was preached to you?”
The truth is that no one can buy or earn the gift of the Holy Spirit. We recall how Simon in Samaria saw the Spirit imparted through the laying on of the apostles’ hands and offered them money, saying: “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God.” (Acts 8:18-21)
Indeed, the Holy Spirit is given freely to all who believe–not because of any good works or rule-keeping. In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius, a Gentile, while Peter was still speaking: “The Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?'” (Acts 10:44-47)
The Holy Spirit is the pure gift of God. This is what the Lord teaches in today’s Gospel, instructing His disciples to pray with faith for everything–especially for the gift of faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit: So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Indeed, what greater gift can one receive than the Spirit of the Father and the Son?
Consequently, we need to free ourselves from a false understanding of the Gospel that reduces it to a set of rituals and laws to be observed. Paul was conscious of the grace and mercy given to us in Christ crucified. As he wrote to the Romans: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:6-8)
Salvation is a free gift and cannot be earned: “Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Rom 5:9-11)
Secondly, Paul reflected on their progress toward spiritual maturity through the Spirit. The reception of the Spirit was meant to be the beginning of their spiritual growth. So how could the Galatian believers, having received the Spirit by believing in the message of the Cross, now return to reliance on the Law? “Are you foolish enough to end in outward observances what you began in the Spirit? Have all the favours you received been wasted?”
This applies to us as Catholics whenever we observe rules–which are meant as guidelines for living out the Christian life–in a slavish manner, thinking that legalism is the way to win God’s favour.
What must be emphasised is that the Holy Spirit is received freely. It must be the Holy Spirit that motivates us to do good–not to earn our salvation, but to live out the salvation already granted to us. St. Peter echoes this: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.” (2 Pt 1:10-11)
Living a good life reflected in good works is the consequence of the Holy Spirit living in us; it is to reinforce His presence in our lives. As St. Paul wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God–not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)
For those of us who are conscious of the Holy Spirit within us, the Spirit works mightily in and through us, just as He did with the apostles. St. Paul asks: “Does God give you the Spirit so freely and work miracles among you because you practise the Law, or because you believed what was preached to you?”
A clear and defined experience of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is necessary to empower us and allow Him to drive us in everything we do.
When we are aware of the Holy Spirit and seek His help in everything we do or say, He will enable us to perform the works of Jesus, as the Lord had promised: “I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
Before ascending to the Father, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, reminding the apostles before Pentecost: “While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4f)
In light of Paul’s teaching, we must remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit releases us from slavery to the Law. Faith is not about ticking off religious obligations, but about allowing God to perform His work in and through us. It is this consciousness of the Holy Spirit that makes us truly His sons and daughters: “Because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.” (Gal 4:6-7)
Let us pray for a greater consciousness of the Holy Spirit present in our hearts and at work in our lives–for He is the One who empowers us.
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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