20260910 COMPASSIONATE IN JUDGING
First reading |
1 Corinthians 8:1-7,11-13 |
Your brethren may be weaker than you: do not lead them astray
Now about food sacrificed to idols. ‘We all have knowledge’; yes, that is so, but knowledge gives self-importance – it is love that makes the building grow. A man may imagine he understands something, but still not understand anything in the way that he ought to. But any man who loves God is known by him. Well then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that idols do not really exist in the world and that there is no god but the One. And even if there were things called gods, either in the sky or on earth – where there certainly seem to be ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ in plenty – still for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we exist.
Some people, however, do not have this knowledge. There are some who have been so long used to idols that they eat this food as though it really had been sacrificed to the idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled by it. In this way your knowledge could become the ruin of someone weak, of a brother for whom Christ died. By sinning in this way against your brothers, and injuring their weak consciences, it would be Christ against whom you sinned. That is why, since food can be the occasion of my brother’s downfall, I shall never eat meat again in case I am the cause of a brother’s downfall.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 138(139):1-3,13-14,23-24 |
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
Already you knew my soul,
O search me, God, and know my heart.
O test me and know my thoughts.
See that I follow not the wrong path
and lead me in the path of life eternal.
Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
Gospel Acclamation | Jm1:21 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept and submit to the word
which has been planted in you
and can save your souls.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 6:27-38 |
Love your enemies
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’
10 September 2026, Thursday, 23rd Week in Ordinary Time
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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 COR 8:1-7,11-13; LUKE 6:27-38]
We are all weak in different ways. This is an important starting point if we want to practise what the Lord asks when He says: “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourself; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.” Most of us are quick to judge and condemn others. We struggle to tolerate the weaknesses and sins of those around us, often forgetting that we are no better. Of course, not all of us struggle with the exact same sins, but none of us can claim to be sinless. As St. John makes clear: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 Jn 1:8, 10).
In his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul addresses a practical dilemma of his day: eating food offered to idols. We must appreciate the context of these Gentile Christians. They were a religious minority in a pagan society where idol worship and ritual sacrifices were common. Consequently, most of the meat sold in the market had previously been offered to idols. For newly converted Christians, salvation was found in Jesus alone. Thus, eating food offered to idols was viewed by many as a betrayal of faith, as though one were participating in pagan worship.
Yet, there was also a practical reality. Meat offered to idols was often much cheaper than other meat. Some Christians continued to buy it because they knew that idols were an illusion. As St. Paul explained: “We know that idols do not really exist in the world and that there is no god but the One. And even if there were things called gods, either in the sky or on the earth – where there certainly seem to be ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ in plenty – still for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we exist.”
However, the danger was that this practice could cause scandal or misunderstanding, especially for those weaker in their faith or understanding. Most believers simply follow the rules as instructed by their faith. Because the majority are not educated in theology and Scripture, they may not be able to navigate the fine line of how faith should be practised in daily life. Consequently, while it is theologically permissible to eat meat offered to idols, pastorally it may not be helpful. Doing so can give the impression that Christians are partaking in idol worship, as if they, too, believe such food has been accepted by other gods. St. Paul noted: “Some people, however, do not have this knowledge. There are some people who have been so long used to idols that they eat this food as though it really had been sacrificed to the idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled by it.”
Ultimately, it comes down to pastoral charity. As St. Paul reminds us: “‘We all have knowledge’; yes, that is so, but knowledge gives self-importance–it is love that makes the building grow. A man may imagine he understands something, but still not understand anything in the way that he ought to. But any man who loves God is known by him.” Even if an action is technically permissible, it may not be the most loving choice for the common good or for those who are not as knowledgeable as us. So out of charity, we should refrain from causing others to stumble: “In this way your knowledge could become the ruin of someone weak, of a brother for whom Christ died. By sinning in this way against your brothers, and injuring their weak consciences, it would be Christ against whom you sinned. That is why, since food can be the occasion of my brother’s downfall, I shall never eat meat again in case I am the cause of my brother’s downfall.”
In our own day, many of us face similar tensions, particularly within multi-religious families. A common dilemma arises during funeral rites for non-Christian parents. For example, if a parent was Taoist, can a Christian participate in funeral rites that show respect for the deceased? Some might isolate themselves entirely, refusing to take part in any gesture out of fear of appearing to worship their deceased parents or pagan gods. Yet, by doing so, we risk causing further division and grief to the family, who may see us as lacking filial piety and respect. Hard-line Catholics might claim that God must always come before parents–which is true–but we must ask ourselves whether this is the most loving way to witness to a faith that proclaims love and compassion for all. So long as we do not worship or pray to other gods, participating out of respect for the dead can be a profound act of charity. It is a path that calls for prudence, discernment, and pastoral flexibility.
In the final analysis, it is God who judges our hearts and intentions. In his letter to the Romans, Paul returns to this principle: “Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.” (Rom 14:13, 15-16). This echoes what the Psalmist says as well: “O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you. Already you knew my soul, O search me, God, and know my heart. O test me and know my thoughts. See that I follow not the wrong path and lead me in the path of life eternal.”
Indeed, the Lord asks us to be generous with our compassion, promising: “Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.” When we are understanding, respectful, and sensitive to the feelings, cultures, and beliefs of others, we win them over through love and humility. This is true even more so when we show love to our enemies. As Jesus commands us: “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too.” Otherwise, others will see us as arrogant, intolerant, and lacking charity, which would undermine the proclamation of the Gospel. If we claim to be truly religious, people must see the face of God in our words and deeds. Seeing the difference in us, they may become more open to our faith–admiring our witness so that, through the grace of God, their hearts are opened, and one day they might truly desire to know the Christ who has transformed us in love and forgiveness.
This is why we must show mutual respect for those who are different from us. Christians are called to exercise the highest form of charity–not simply being good to those who are good to us, but also extending love to our enemies and to those who differ from us. As Jesus said: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to receive back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend without expecting anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”
Truly, we are called to reveal ourselves as sons and daughters of God by the way we love, forgive, give, and respect others. When we demonstrate that Christ has transformed us into godly people whose hearts are filled with love, we fulfil the true demands of our faith and live out what it truly means to be a Christian.
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.
