Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

REFLECTION:

This whole week since All Souls Day, it seems like St. Paul has been inviting us to think deeply about our life now and the life that awaits us after this world. Today, Paul continues that invitation by turning our attention to our mission in life — to pause and ask whether we are living it faithfully. Each of us has been entrusted with a mission or purpose by God. For some, it is as a parent, teacher, student, friend, or priest. For others, it may be the quiet, unseen roles of caring, listening, or simply being present. Whatever it is, it is the unique way God calls us to love.

In this passage, Paul looks back on his own mission with gratitude. He recognizes that everything he accomplished was by God’s grace, not his own doing. Paul’s goal was to bring Christ to those who had not yet heard of Him — not for personal recognition, but so that others might come to faith. His life became an offering to God, and through it, Christ was made known.

That same call belongs to each of us. God continues to work through our words, actions, and example, often in ways we may never fully see. Each day becomes part of our mission — a chapter in the story God is writing with our life. And while none of us may complete that mission perfectly, we are invited daily to begin again, to keep striving, and to let Christ work through us.

One beautiful spiritual practice that helps us do this is the examination of conscience. It is a quiet moment at the end of the day to look back with honesty and gratitude. It’s not about feeling guilty or listing failures, but about reflecting with God on how we lived that day — where we saw His grace, where we fell short, and how we might respond better tomorrow. We ask: Did I live today in a way that reflects my calling? Did my words, actions, and choices help me move closer to fulfilling the mission God has given me?

When we take time for this reflection each night, we allow the Lord to shape us a little more each day — to mold us into faithful servants, just as He molded Paul. And one day, when our mission in this life is complete, may we look back with peace and say, as Paul did, that we have finished the work God entrusted to us.