Faithfulness and Love

Monthly Archives: January 2015

Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent

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Whenever we make a business contract with another person, we are actually coming up with an agreement of a list of services being offered, certain terms and conditions to be met, the kind of compensation to be received such as money or goods in exchange, and the consequences to be faced if the contract is not fulfilled. Such a contract could be broken by either party for a variety of reasons, and should that happen, legal or other measures may be taken. More often than not, the parties involved would prefer to see the contract carried out until such a time the conditions have been completed or the contract is no longer relevant and the parties involved agree to terminate mutually.

However, when God deals with us humans, He does not make contracts with us, but a covenant. The terms are stipulated by God and fulfillment of the covenant are carried out by God in His time. In today’s reading, God made a covenant with Abraham, where Abraham “shall become the father of a multitude of nations.” This covenant is not for a limited period, but in perpetuity. Naturally, Abraham would not get to see the covenant fulfilled completely in his life time. It is something which would go beyond the present and we see the covenant continuing even today. When God makes a covenant, He keeps His word and He is faithful, even though we may not be so faithful to Him at times. Even though God is omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing), He is still willing to make a covenant with us humans, and keep His end of the bargain. We are invited to remain faithful to Him, but we are not forced to. We can choose to remain in His providence, or we could choose to go our own way, but we know from our history that remaining in His providence is the way to go.

Today, God is inviting us to remain with Him, so that we may continue to prosper. Even though there are times we may have gone astray, God is always beckoning us to come back to Him. Let us make every effort to remain in His love, so that we may live and be happy.

The Annunciation of the Lord – Solemnity

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Usually, when a married woman finds herself pregnant, she would be quite happy, since she and her husband may have tried several times to become pregnant. There would be weeks of anxious expectation, highs and lows, getting clothes for the new baby, preparing everything necessary, but the budding parents-to-be would be excited and willing to get things ready. When the child is born, all in the family would be extremely happy and proud with having a new addition to the family.

But imagine for a moment, a woman being told she would become pregnant and she was betrothed. Betrothal meant the man and the woman were legally bound to each other although they could not live together until the wedding had taken place. In Israel, a woman who was unfaithful during betrothal was stoned to death. So, when the angel Gabriel said said to Mary, “Do not be afraid,” and then explained that Mary would give birth to Jesus whose father would be the Holy Spirit, Mary could have been perplexed and petrified for a while. She knew that she would face much gossiping and many other nasty things being said about her, as well as the many nasty looks that she would have to endure, but what was Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel? Mary simply said: “Be it done unto me according to your word.” Her response was faith. She believed. We see how strong her faith really was, for she was willing even to risk death for the sake of obeying God.

In recent times, some of us may have become quite attracted to things being explained scientifically. Some of us may think that science can explain and prove many things. But there are also many instances where science cannot explain or prove. Faith means believing even when science cannot explain or prove. It is because of faith that Mary, a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit; and an old couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist. Faith believes, as the angel Gabriel said, that “Nothing is impossible to God.”

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent

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Gratitude and thankfulness are virtues which may be lacking in some of us nowadays. We may have become so used to getting things done, getting more things, getting what we want, or even getting it quickly, that we have forgotten the meaning of being grateful, being thankful, being patient, being content with what we have, and just being happy. Sometimes our thirst for more and more could lead us to fall into greed, pride, impatience, selfishness and other sins.

In today’s reading, the Israelites lost patience on the way to the Promised Land. They spoke against God and against Moses, even though God had assured them that they would get there. These Israelites expected to reach their destination quickly, and they were not humble enough to let God lead the way. It was only when some of them were being bitten by the fiery serpents that they pleaded: “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.”

When we are not willing to let God be in control and guide us, we too may experience a similar situation as the Israelites. Some of us think that we have a right to this or that, but we fail to realise that in the end, whatever we have and whatever we get is actually from God’s providence. When we expect our rights to be met, we may one day find that we may have nothing left. Let us let God be our true guide and providence, for He knows what is best for us and He would give us what we need according to His time and His terms.

Monday of the 5th Week of Lent

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Have you ever been unfaithful to your husband or wife? Hopefully most of us would say we have been faithful. If we are aware of what it really means to be married and are committed and determined to stay faithful, we would not allow our eyes to wander and look longingly at another man or woman. Even people who are not married could also fall into sin when we allow our eyes to wander and look longingly at another man or woman. This is where the danger of lust may creep in and we would have committed adultery in our hearts, even though we may not have actually done anything physically to the other person.

In today’s Gospel, we come across the scribes and Pharisees who brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery (or so it seems). Being caught committing adultery was already bad enough, but these scribes and Pharisees had malice in their hearts. They did not really care about the woman; to them, she had committed an unforgivable crime and to them, the only solution was to have the woman stoned to death. Not only were they determined to get rid of her, they also tried to make a big display of their so called piousness and holier-than-thou attitude and even humiliated her by making her stand there in full view of everybody. Using her as an example to all, and as a tool to try and trap Jesus, they tried to force Jesus’ hand, because they knew that either way He answered, they were confident that he would be caught and trapped with His own words. It is ironic that the scribes and Pharisees had caught the woman, but as we know, it takes two to tango. What happened to the man? Didn’t he get caught as well, or did he get away so easily? We do not know the full story about how only the woman was caught, but what we do know is Jesus saw through their evil intentions and their hypocrisy, looked up and said, “If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Bang! The scribes and Pharisees were caught. Jesus had turned the tables on them, and “they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there.” Then Jesus assured the woman with these words: “Neither do I condemn you… go away, and do not sin any more.”

Ultimately, we need to ask ourselves: how faithful have I been in my relationship with another person and in my relationship with God? Have I committing adultery in my thoughts or even in my deeds? Have I become like the scribes and Pharisees, self-righteous and so easy to condemn others, but refusing to admit my failings, mistakes and sins? Our God is beckoning us to come back to Him and remain in His love. We choose to remain with Him, or we choose to condemn ourselves by going away from Him, through our attitude and our actions.

5th Sunday of Lent Year B

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What does it mean to be great? What does it mean to be important? Some think that being great and important means having a title or a high position in society; some think it means having lots of wealth and property; some think it means having lots of influential friends and acquaintances; some think it means being popular or famous like movie stars or pop stars. But what about those people who are not in the limelight; those people who care for the sick, the unloved, the forgotten, the bedridden, the rejects of society; those people suffering crosses without grumbling; those people giving encouragement to others; those people who bring the love of God to others; those people who witness to Jesus in small ways? Are they great and important too? As Christians, what does it really mean to be great and important? Are we great and important only in the eyes of the world?

If we look at the life of Jesus, we can get some ideas of what it really means to be great as a Christian. In today’s Gospel Jesus says His hour has come, His hour of glory. Unlike what the world may think as glory, Jesus’ glory is quite different: It is his passion and death! Why so? Because if a grain falls on the ground and dies it yields a rich harvest. The hour of glory for Jesus is his passion and death because when he is lifted up from the earth he will draw all men to himself. Jesus’ glory is not what the world thinks as glorious because the world does not see as God sees. Who would have thought that Jesus would have to suffer? Yet as the second reading reminds us, “He learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.” This is greatness, not quite what the world sees as greatness, but greatness in God’s eyes. It is for each and every one of us Christians to follow, as the Gospel reminds us: “Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.”

The question is: are we still looking for greatness in this world, greatness which is only temporary, an illusion? Or have we begun looking for greatness which is eternal? Sometimes we give glory to what seems strong and powerful, but God does not look at appearances, God looks at the heart. Do we give glory to what appears great or do we give glory to what truly is great? Let us not be complacent into thinking of what seems great but in reality is not so, but humbly, earnestly and consistently strive to discover the real meaning of greatness, and glorify God.

Housekeeping – 4th Week of Lent

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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

15 March 2015 – 4th Sunday of Lent Year B
16 March 2015 – Monday of the 4th Week of Lent
17 March 2015 – Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent
18 March 2015 – Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent
19 March 2015 – Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Solemnity
20 March 2015 – Friday of the 4th Week of Lent

Friday of the 4th Week of Lent

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Each and every one of us have got a certain tolerance level or limit towards something. Once we reach that level and beyond, some may find it quite difficult to go on. Some have got a certain tolerance level towards pain. Once they reach that level, the pain may become quite unbearable that some may resort to drastic measures (such as suicide, or if the pain is caused by another, some may even go to the extent of committing murder) to end the pain, while others may turn to substances to dull the pain, and in doing so some may end up becoming addicted to such substances after prolonged usage. But what sort of tolerance level do we have towards the truth?

The truth hurts. Some of us prefer not to let others know the real us, or the real situation, and we would go through great effort to cover up the truth or sweep it under the carpet, and find ways and means to ensure it does not surface. In some cases, trying to avoid the truth could lead some of us to have malice, cruel intentions or wickedness in our hearts. Some begin to ill-treat, mock or even kill (either by actually committing such an act, or by bringing down a person’s reputation through character assassination). This is the situation the godless in today’s reading were in. They could not and refused to admit the truth, and their reasoning, common sense and sense of justice and fairness became corrupted and misguided. The reading even tells us: “This is the way they reason, but they are misled, their malice makes them blind. They do not know the hidden things of God, they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded, they can see no reward for blameless souls.”

What about us? Have some of us become like the godless, only interested in finding ways and means to protect ourselves and our interests from being exposed or revealed? Are we running away, avoiding or hiding the truth? We may be able to run and hide, but for how long? Someday, somewhere, the truth will come back to haunt us and be brought to light. As a Malay saying goes: “sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga” (roughly translated into English as: “no matter how clever a squirrel is able to jump, it would eventually fall to the ground”). Let us set aside our pride, prejudice and ego, and let God guide us to be true.

Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Solemnity

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Some of us seem to misunderstand the silent types. Some think that people who are silent or do not say much seem to be anti-social, or appear to be not so approachable, or even appearing to be aloof. But as we know, we should never judge a book by its cover. What appears to be something in our mind, could be quite different in reality, especially in personality and character, once we get to know the person. We sometimes call these sort of people “introverts” and for some of those among us who are extroverts or like to yakkity yak yak, meeting an introvert could be quite a harrowing or unnerving experience for some, especially if we do not know how to reach out to one.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That is quite a long (and impressive) title for someone we do not know much about. We do not have any record from the Gospels of what he said, and we would notice in the alternative Gospel that it was Mary who did the talking when they found Jesus in the temple. But what may seem lacking in words and sayings in the Gospel, Saint Joseph more than made up for it in action. Even though in the Gospel he found out that Mary was pregnant with Jesus, he still listened and did what the angel told him to do and took Mary to be his wife. When they found out that Jesus was missing, he became a pillar of strength for Mary and could be counted on as they frantically looked for Jesus.

From these few instances where Saint Joseph are mentioned, we can deduce that Saint Joseph trusted in the Lord and he was faithful to what was entrusted to him. In his silence, humility and trust, we learn that one can be silent, and be a source of strength. We also learn that action speaks louder than words, as what we do could sometimes mean more to another than what we merely say. So the next time you come across these silent types, be aware that these folks could sometimes be a great source of strength and dependence. We just need to be willing and humble enough to accept others for who they are and learn to appreciate their gifts, abilities and talents, giving thanks to God.

Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent

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Some of us may have experienced some situation or danger or even some sort of illness which make us wonder whether we would be able to survive such an ordeal. Some may begin to wonder whether our prayers would be answered, so that we would be safe and be able to continue living. Some may think that they would not get the help they asked for, and may begin to look for other sources of help in an effort to preserve their life; whereas some may just give up and despair. But how should we Christians address such an issue?

In today’s reading, we are given great assurance that God will never abandon us or forget about us. The reading tells us: “For Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.’ Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you.” If God has made it clear that He would not forget us, even though others may, why do some of us still doubt His assurance? Let us remain hopeful, confident and steadfast in faith, knowing that God would help us in His time.

Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent

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When we are stricken with a serious illness or facing some sort of crippling difficulty, who do we turn to? Some people start looking for the best doctors to try and cure them. When modern medicine or other forms of modern therapy fail to heal or cure, some people start looking for bomohs, medicine men, shamans or some other form of traditional healing; some people begin to listen to practitioners of feng shui or some other form of divination, thinking that these would give them some form of lucky charm, amulet or method which would cure them; some people may even think that their illness is incurable and may begin to despair. But what about us Christians? What should we do?

In today’s Gospel, we come across a building at the Sheep Pool in Jerusalem, called Bethzatha in Hebrew, consisting of five porticos; and under these were crowds of sick people – blind, lame, paralysed – waiting for the water to move. These people had much faith that the water, when stirred or disturbed, would heal whoever was first to get into the water. One man there had an illness which had lasted thirty-eight years, and despite his faith that the water could heal him, he never had a chance to get into the water, since so many people were there and someone else always seemed to get there first. But Jesus came and said, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk,’ and the man was instantly cured. There was no need for the man to inch his way to the pool with hope of receiving new life, since new life from Jesus came to him.

If Jesus could cure the man instantly, He could do the same for us. Are we willing to put our trust in Jesus instead of running around looking for all those other means, which more often than not would not cure us but may make matters worse? Sometimes we just need to be humble and patient, consistent and persistent in our prayer, and let Jesus heal us according to His time.