As Christians, what do we really believe in? We say that we believe in Jesus, but do we really know who Jesus is? Some Christians had fallen into heresy in the past, when they began to think of Jesus as only a man, or only God, whereas Christians believe that Jesus is both man and God, and that He is Son of God. If we call ourselves Christians, then we not only believe in Jesus, but we also have life in Him and we do what He tells us. Are we following Jesus and His ways, or have we drifted away from Him and are doing our own thing?
In today’s reading, we are reminded: “God has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son; anyone who has the Son has life, anyone who does not have the Son does not have life.” Do we have life in Jesus? Or have we allowed sin to rule our lives, and allowed ourselves to go astray? May we come to realise our situation, and return to life in Jesus, walking in His ways and growing in relationship with Him, for the betterment of our eternal future.
Some of us seem to be using the word love so easily without meaning it or understanding its meaning. When we say we ‘love,’ we may be actually saying that we ‘like.’ Some of us love because there is a condition, or strings attached, or there is something we can get out of it. But how many of us are able to love unconditionally, the way God loves us unconditionally? How many of us are willing and able to love those who are difficult to love, those who are our enemies?
In today’s reading, we are told that refusing to love makes us murderers. The reading tells us: “This is the message as you heard it from the beginning: that we are to love one another; not to be like Cain, who belonged to the Evil One and cut his brother’s throat; cut his brother’s throat simply for this reason, that his own life was evil and his brother lived a good life. You must not be surprised, brothers, when the world hates you; we have passed out of death and into life, and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers. If you refuse to love, you must remain dead; to hate your brother is to be a murderer, and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them.”
When we refuse to love, we are dead to the needs of others and dead to our relationship with them. We begin to think only of ourselves and become oblivious to others. We become like murderers, since we are no longer bothered or concerned about others, and we may find ways and means to protect our image, our interests, and feed our pride and ego, even to the point of actually committing murder. This is why as Christians, we may at times be at odds with the ways of the world and the world would hate us, since the world often focuses only on the self, and others or things are merely to be used, abused, exploited and discarded. May we stay alert and be cautious not to fall into the Evil One’s trap, but learn to truly love just like God truly loves all of us.
It is certainly not an easy task to remain in the state of grace, since we face so many temptations each day. This does not mean we have an excuse to sin or give up, but we should make every effort to avoid sinning and if we do, we should make effort to go for confession, do penance and do our very best to not sin again. God gives us plenty of opportunities to change and grow in His love, guidance and friendship, and we need to do our part in maintaining a good relationship with Him.
This is why, in today’s reading, we are reminded that we “must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ. Anyone who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law.” We should not hesitate to seek forgiveness and reconciliation through confession when we sin, since the Sacrament of Reconciliation enables us to purify ourselves from our sins. It is strange that there are people who seem to put off confession to only twice a year, especially during the Advent and Lent confession period. Surely we would not bathe only twice a year or, for those of us who are married, have intimacy with our spouse only twice a year. Surely most of us would keep clean as often as necessary and possible, and those of us who are married would do our best to keep the flame of love and intimacy alive. Thus, let us not procrastinate or make any more excuses, but keep our souls clean, so that we would one day be with our loving God.
What sort of life are we living at present? Are we living life according to God’s ways? Or are we living life according to the ways of the world? While it is necessary for us to make a living in this world, we sometimes come into conflict with certain practices or policies which could cause us to sin. If we are faced with such a situation, would we continue to do what we are told and commit sin, or would we be courageous enough to avoid sin? It is certainly not an easy decision, but what is it that really matters to us in the end?
In today’s reading, we are reminded: “My children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.” In the reading, we are given a choice to live a holy life and grow in relationship with God, or to live a sinful life and distant ourselves from God. Ultimately, may we choose wisely for our eternal future is at stake.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
24 Dec 2016 – Christmas Eve – Midnight Mass
25 Dec 2016 – Christmas Day – Mass During the Day
26 Dec 2016 – Dec 26 – Saint Stephen, the first Martyr – Feast
27 Dec 2016 – Dec 27 – Saint John, Apostle, Evangelist – Feast
28 Dec 2016 – Dec 28 – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – Feast
29 Dec 2016 – 5th day within the octave of Christmas
30 Dec 2016 – Holy Family
Today we celebrate the feast of the Apostle John. He is accredited for writing the Gospel according to John. He was the only apostle who was not martyred. We also know that John was given the responsibility by Jesus to care for Mother Mary, when Jesus was about to die. He is known as the “beloved disciple” and in today’s Gospel, we are told that he went in the tomb; he saw and he believed that Jesus had risen.
Throughout his life and writings, he had one simple message: “My dear children, love one another.” God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son. John followed God’s example in sharing love with others through his example and in his writings. What about us? In this world where love seems more and more superficial, are we following St. John’s example in spreading true love to all?
Sometimes we come across people who are put to death for varied reasons. More often than not, the excuse is that the person is a menace or dangerous to society and since the person may have committed a hideous crime or committed murder, the person is executed for the so-called good of society. However, we do come across some people who are put to death because they uphold truth or justice. Such people are sometimes called martyrs, especially if they upheld Christian faith and truth, even to the point of being killed, assassinated or murdered.
In today’s reading, we come across St. Stephen, who was martyred because he upheld Christian truth and justice. In the reading, we are told that certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, but he was confident in God’s help and as a result: “They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.” Enraged by jealousy and refusing to admit the truth, these people eventually stoned St. Stephen to death.
What about us? Are we willing to become martyrs to Christian faith and truth, just as St. Stephen had done? If we are put in a situation where we are given a choice to deny our faith or be executed, would we be steadfast and unwavering in our faith? If we are faced with such a situation, may we be ready and prepared to do what is right and just, for the glory of God.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
18 Dec 2016 – 4th Sunday of Advent Year A
19 Dec 2016 – 19 December – Season of Advent
20 Dec 2016 – 20 December – Season of Advent
21 Dec 2016 – 21 December – Season of Advent
22 Dec 2016 – 22 December – Season of Advent
23 Dec 2016 – 23 December – Season of Advent
In today’s Gospel we read the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth. What gift did Mary bring to Elizabeth? She gave Elizabeth the gift of her very presence. It is easy to send flowers or a parcel, but to give the gift of ourselves, to make time to be with somebody, that is the gift that many people long for but do not receive. Another point about Mary’s gift to Elizabeth is that one should give not according to one’s convenience but according to the needs of the receiver. It was not convenient for Mary to travel the lonely, dangerous road from Galilee to the hills of Judea. But Elizabeth needed a helping hand. She was six months pregnant and could no longer to do many things. So Mary, as soon as she learned that Elizabeth was six months pregnant went quickly and stayed with her for about three months, until she gave birth. Mary gave to Elizabeth what she needed when she needed it.
Also, Mary’s presence enabled Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and Elizabeth was able to experience the interior peace and joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. Mary’s visit was an inspiration to Elizabeth. When we visit people, let us try to bring some inspiration into their lives, let us seek to bring them closer to God, and let us try to share with them the Spirit of God in us, the Spirit of consolation, of courage, of peace and joy, just as Mary did for Elizabeth.
