Faithfulness and Love

Monthly Archives: March 2015

Saint Thomas, Apostle – Feast

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As baptised Christians, we are sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters in Christ. But sometimes some of us forget our identity. Our behaviour, attitude and way of life seems to be in contrast with our identity as Christians. At church, we appear to be good and holy, some seem generous with their offerings; but when we are sent forth to love and serve the Lord after the Sunday Mass is concluded, are we just as good and holy as we were in church?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone.” Since we are citizens, then we should be mindful of our conduct, as the way we behave and act could turn out to be counter-witnessing to the Gospel. Of course, this does not mean that we should follow blindly everything that we are taught. We should also seek clarification and ask questions, so that we would be crystal clear about what is required. St. Thomas, whose feast we celebrate today, is a great example of how we should clarify and question, not so much because we do not believe or have no faith, but more that we would be better informed and our faith strengthened.

Today, let us not forget who we are and act accordingly. Let us be true witnesses of the Gospel, firmly rooted in faith and understanding, and humbly and joyfully go forth to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Thursday of Week 13 Year 1

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Among the many sicknesses and diseases people are fearful of, one which ranks quite high is paralysis. When a person is paralysed, the person is unable to do anything on his or her own, and has to depend on family and friends for practically everything. The person’s freedom is non-existent, as his or her life or death is totally dependent on the love and generosity of others. Moreover, depending on the reason why a person had become a paralytic, there may be no cure and the person would have no choice but to live in paralysis till death.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing Him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Jesus was impressed with the faith of these people, who had confidence and trust that He would heal the paralytic, and that is exactly what He did. The man was able to get up on his own and went home. Jesus had given back the man his freedom.

Perhaps another form of paralysis should be seriously considered here, and that is the paralysing effects of sin. Sin paralyses us slowly, until we come to a point we are no longer able to care for ourselves. We may even become indifferent towards God and towards others, as the sins we have committed engulfs us in a poisonous cloud, and blocks all our senses, preventing us from hearing God’s voice. This is why we must never allow sin to continue to remain in our soul, since its stain would eventually ruin our relationship with God. Instead, we should make every effort to go for confession, and let God heal us and cleanse us from our sins. If we value our eternal future, let us not procrastinate or take things for granted, for our time here on earth is short, and God is constantly inviting and reminding to come back to Him.

Wednesday of Week 13 Year 1

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What does it mean to be possessed by an evil spirit? Some people think that a person behaving strangely or displaying weird antics is crazy or even possessed by an evil spirit. Some people think that they have the so-called power and authority to drive away such evil spirits from others. What these people often fail to realise is that not every person behaving strangely or displaying weird antics is necessarily possessed by some evil spirit, since sometimes the person could be suffering from some sickness or mental condition which could cause such behaviour. Also, if a person is suspected to be possessed, not just any Tom, Dick or Sally can attempt to drive the evil spirit out, since what we could be dealing with here is not just any ordinary thing. In other words, don’t play play when it comes to evil spirits.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus drove away devils from two demoniacs with little resistance. It is interesting to note that the devils actually pleaded with Jesus to be cast out into a herd of pigs instead of Jesus casting them out and sending them to a fate far worse. Jesus was merciful enough to grant them their request. Jesus is God and He can easily drive devils away. But for the rest of us, we should not straight away jump into conclusions that a person is possessed, since there are certain procedures to be followed and one should consult the bishop of the diocese to determine the next course of action. Casting out devils and evil spirits is not a task which anyone can do, since it requires extensive preparations, including much prayer and fasting. If we are not properly disposed, prepared and ready, it is best we refrain from attempting such things, since we ourselves could be possessed, or cause more complications to others and even to ourselves, or some could be quite badly injured, or even face the possibility of death. Ultimately, let us check our intentions. Are we casting out evil spirits to show how great we are, for our personal gratification, or to feed our ego? Or are we truly, humbly and cautiously doing so for the greater glory of God?

Tuesday of Week 13 Year 1

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If God were to ask you to do something, would you do it? Or would you find ways and means to try and avoid doing what God wants of you? Some of us say that we will do what God wants us to, but some may not be saying so wholeheartedly. Are we willing to do God’s will and have complete trust in Him, or have some of us doubted God and tried to look back or go back to our previous ways?

In today’s reading, the angels urged Lot: “Come, take your wife and these two daughters of yours, or you will be overwhelmed in the punishment of the town… Run for your life. Neither look behind you nor stop anywhere on the plain. Make for the hills if you would not be overwhelmed.” Lot managed to convince the angels to allow his family and he to escape to a town called Zoar. However, “the wife of Lot looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.” Why did she do so? The reading does not tell us specifically. Perhaps Lot’s wife had become too attached to her old life, and she looked back in regret for what she was losing. Perhaps she was curious and wanted to see whether everything would be totally destroyed. But whatever the reason may be, she had disobeyed God and suffered the consequences. As Jesus cautions us: “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:28-33).

What about us? When we were baptised, we were supposed to have died to our old selves and put on a new self, becoming children of God and maintaining a good relationship with Him. But some of us, perhaps, may have been tempted to “look back” or doubted whether God would really provide for us. Let us not be fooled into thinking that God does not care for us or has abandoned us. Rather, let us continue to trust Him, knowing that He knows what is best for us and will provide for us according to His time and for His glory.

Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles

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Peter and Paul are two great apostles who showed us what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Each of them were martyred for the faith, and they show us two very different approaches or styles to discipleship. Peter was a slow learner in the faith. He made a lot of mistakes, sometimes very big mistakes. He loved Jesus and yet denied that he even knew Him. Still Jesus never failed to offer Peter compassion and mercy, and always the opportunity to begin again. Paul, on the other hand, came to faith in Christ in almost an instant. Although he’s often pictured as being knocked off a horse on the road to Damascus, scripture only tells us that he was struck down by a great light. But three days later Paul turned away from persecuting the Church to become a voice of the gospel for the nations, bringing Christ’s message to the Gentiles.

If we look at Peter and Paul, we could actually see, to a certain extent, two distinct styles of discipleship. Each style has got its purpose and we could call one as the Peter Style and the other as the Paul Style. The Peter Style seems to be those who try to do the right things, but who make mistakes; those who mean well, but don’t always seem to follow through; those who try to understand but who don’t always get it and when they do get it, they sometimes don’t get it right; those who fail, who repent, who get discouraged when they fail yet again, and who keep coming back, to try again. Those who have the Paul Style, are gung-ho, convinced, and are not hesitant or afraid to say it out loud. They make big demands on others as well as on themselves. They say things that are hard or difficult to say, and aren’t afraid to say it. They preach fearlessly and without reservation. The Paul style does fail too from time to time, but when they do and admit it, they move ahead stronger than ever. The Paul style can sometimes be quite annoying.

When we consider these two styles of discipleship, some of us are like the Peter style, some of us are like the Paul style, and some of us are of both styles at different times, places and situations in our lives. If we are aware of which style we are in, we can then learn to understand and appreciate the other style, and learn how to work together for the glory of God.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

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Before we begin a task or make a trip for a holiday, many of us like to plan ahead and make the necessary preparations and arrangements, so that the task could be completed successfully, or we would be able to reach our destination safely and enjoy the holiday without problems. We would scrutinise our options and some of us would go through the details over and over again, with the hope that whatever we have planned would be smooth sailing. Some of us would even come up with contingency plans should our original plan be ridden with sudden surprises or other issues which may crop up along the way. However, life is such that even the best plans we make could sometimes turn out quite differently than what we had expected. We may eventually get what we hope to achieve, or to where we want, but not quite the way we want.

In today’s Gospel, we read of how Jesus’ plans were diverted by two different individuals who were in need. In the Gospel, Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, and He was about to begin preaching, teaching and healing, when He was interrupted by Jairus, the synagogue official, who pleaded with him to see his daughter who was “desperately sick.” Before we go further, just imagine you were in Jesus’ shoes… How would you have responded, especially with the crowd waiting eagerly and expectantly for you? Some of us may have said: “I am a little tied up with these folks at the moment. Could I come later?” Perhaps some of us may have said: “Just look at this crowd! I can’t just leave them here. Maybe next time?” But did Jesus respond to Jairus in any of these ways? No. Instead, Jesus got up without hesitation and followed Jairus to his house.

Then, while Jesus was making his way to Jairus’ house, a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years touched His cloak. Jesus was immediately aware that power had gone out from him, turned round in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ Of course, anyone could have touched Jesus as the crowd was so big and was pressing round Him, but Jesus continued to look all round to see who had done it. Once again Jesus was distracted from His plan to go to Jairus’ house, and was kind and gave encouragement to the woman, when she came forward to admit the truth. Before Jesus could make His way to Jairus’ house after sending the woman off in peace, news came from Jairus’ house that his daughter had died. Some of us may have thought that it is too late, and we may have said “why put the Master to any further trouble?” But as far as God is concerned, it is never too late. Jesus still went on, reached Jairus’ house, raised the girl from the dead and returned her to her family.

What do these stories mean to us? These stories tell us that God always has time for us. God is never too busy to hear and notice the prayers and plea of every single person even when everyone else does not seem to notice, or are not bothered, or are too busy or preoccupied with their own matters. God is not so inflexible that he does not make changes at times in order to help us and guide us.

What about us? Are we able and willing to follow God’s example and make ourselves available to others who need our time and our help? Or have we become so individualistic, calculative and selfish with our time, that our needs and wants take precedence over others? God gives life; not causes death. He is our comforter and healer; not the cause of our suffering and pain. May we too be life-giving and bring comfort and healing to others, as we grow in relationship with God and with our fellow pilgrims here on earth.

Housekeeping – Week 12 Year 1

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

21 June 2015 – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
22 June 2015 – Monday of Week 12 Year 1
23 June 2015 – Tuesday of Week 12 Year 1
24 June 2015 – Birthday of John the Baptist
25 June 2015 – Thursday of Week 12 Year 1
26 June 2015 – Friday of Week 12 Year 1

Friday of Week 12 Year 1

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When we are sick or having some sort of trouble, we would try to find help from the various options available in modern medicine. Different doctors may give us different prognosis and suggest different kinds of treatment, some cheap, some quite expensive. In our efforts to be cured, what if, after all the different medical procedures have been attempted, we are still not well? How would we respond to such a predicament?

In today’s Gospel, the leper had suffered much, since at that time, lepers were ostracised from society and had to live on their own or within a leper community, as they were considered unclean. There seemed to be no cure and the leper, in desperation and with hope, dared to venture towards Jesus, bowed low in front of Him, and pleaded to Jesus for a cure. Even then, the leper did not force Jesus to cure him, as he merely said: “Sir, if you want to, you can cure me.” The leper had placed his full confidence and trust in Jesus, and as a result, he was cured.

How many of us are like that leper in today’s Gospel, willing to have full confidence and trust in God? Sometimes in our efforts to find a cure, we may have forgotten or neglected to seek God’s help, thinking that we can find a solution or a cure on our own. But let us not forget that God can and will heal us, if we are willing to be patient and place our trust in Him. Are we willing to be humble and let God care for us according to His time and for His glory?

Thursday of Week 12 Year 1

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There are some people who seem to think that they can get by as Christians by doing the barest minimum. Some of these people know how to talk, know how to make lots of suggestions, know how to complain and grumble when things are not in their favour, but that seems to be all they know. When they are asked to help improve on the situation, or offer their services to make things right, these people would begin to make lots of excuses or distance themselves, refusing to get involved and do their part.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, “It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” It is easy for people to talk, but not so easy for them to do things, especially when it comes to doing God’s will. Are we Christians only in name, preferring to be complacent and remain in our comfort zone, refusing to do our part for the glory of God?

Birthday of John the Baptist

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Who is John the Baptist? Why are we celebrating His birthday? What is so significant about him? John the Baptist is the last of the Old Testament prophets. At the same time, his ministry begins the New Testament period. Therefore, he is the link between the Old and the New Testament. But is this reason enough to celebrate the feast of his birthday? There is actually more than meets the eye, and we shall soon discover other significant points concerning why we celebrate his birthday.

We celebrate the feast of his birth because we are also called to share in his ministry as a prophet. Each of us is also called by God to his ministry even before we were born, as the prophet Isaiah in the first reading writes: “the Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.” This means that we are not the result of some accident, but we are part of God’s plan and have a purpose and a mission in life. Also, we have been called to preach the Good News of God’s salvation. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God has made our mouth a sharp sword or a sharpened arrow. This means that we cannot remain silent and remain hidden in our comfort zone.

Besides that, as God’s servant and prophet, we must remember that our reward comes from the Lord, and we should not expect any other earthly reward or payment for what we do. This means that we must not compromise the truth or allow ourselves to be bribed into diluting the truth, even though there will be people who will not like what we say. Moreover, our role is to bring a message of healing and reconciliation to all, just as John the Baptist preached a message of repentance and reconciliation, and called the people to turn back to God by turning away from their evil ways to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Ultimately, we are to point the way to Jesus. We must decrease as Jesus increases. Our message and our ministry does not point to ourselves; and we must lead others to Christ, not to ourselves. All these points mentioned are precisely what John the Baptist did, and we are called to do the same by giving glory to God.

Today, as we celebrate the feast of the birthday of John the Baptist, let us learn from his example, for his example is precisely the model of Christian discipleship. May we, like John the Baptist, bear witness to the Light, and prepare others for the Lord.