For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
11 Sept 2016 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
12 Sept 2016 – Monday of Week 24 Year 2
13 Sept 2016 – Tuesday of Week 24 Year 2
14 Sept 2016 – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
15 Sept 2016 – Our Lady of Sorrows, Memorial
16 Sept 2016 – Friday of Week 24 Year 2
When we are invited to a house for a meal, would we just barge in, go straight to the dining table and begin eating? Of course not! There is a certain decorum and good manners we follow, since the host has taken so much trouble to invite us and prepare us a meal. When the time comes for the meal to be enjoyed, we would also not just simply seat at the dining table, but wait politely for the host to seat us according to his or her preference, and wait till everyone is present and ready, and then wait until we are invited to begin eating. Surely we are not barbarians or so uncivilised as to embarrass the host with disgusting and unbecoming table manners.
In the same way, when we come for Mass to the Table of the Lord, there is a certain decorum, protocol and table manners to follow. In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us of such decorum, protocol and table manners: “The point is, when you hold these meetings, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you are eating, since when the time comes to eat, everyone is in such a hurry to start his own supper that one person goes hungry while another is getting drunk. Surely you have homes for eating and drinking in? Surely you have enough respect for the community of God not to make poor people embarrassed?… So to sum up, my dear brothers, when you meet for the Meal, wait for one another.”
What St. Paul reminds us in the reading is still applicable even today. When we come for Mass to the Table of the Lord, we are coming for a banquet with the Lord. Unfortunately, we sometimes see some people appearing to be so famished or lack control, that they have to eat something else while Mass is going on; or they even allow their children to eat something during Mass. Surely we can train ourselves and our children to be patient and wait; and then later eat and drink as we like after Mass. Have we forgotten that we are in the presence of God, and that we should learn to wait till the proper time comes for us as a community to partake in the Lord’s meal? Do we not respect and value the Lord’s meal, and wait till the Mass is over?
People in love have the capacity of doing the craziest things. If you observe a person in love, you would notice the amount of time and effort the person would spend towards the one the person loves. For example, a mother would go through great extent to ensure that her child is well cared for and well provided, regardless whether the child is grateful to the mother or not. A father would not hesitate to rescue his child who fell into a pool, even though he does not know how to swim and may be at risk of drowning. A teacher spends lots of time helping a child to gain a better grasp of his lessons, as the child is a slow learner, and the teacher loves the child and wants him to do well in life, without caring about what others think. Love can certainly make people do crazy things.
In today’s Gospel, we see examples of how love can make people do crazy things. In the Gospel, we are told that a shepherd leaves ninety nine sheep to go after the one that is lost. We are also told that a woman goes in search for the lost tenth drachma by “light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it.” A person attuned to the ways of the world or a business person may be thinking: “Are you crazy? Have you gone nuts? Why risk losing the other sheep just to look out for one? Why go through all the trouble looking to that one drachma when you already have the other nine?” But the fact is, God’s ways are different from our ways. God loves without limit, and He is prepared to go all out and endure suffering, seek and find that one which is lost.
Some of us may think that the best thing to do would be to let these sort of people carry on with whatever they’re doing, and we too carry on with our own lives. We wash our hands off such people, because we don’t feel it worthwhile or necessary to bring them or rescue them. But this is where God shows us the true meaning of love. God never gives up even when we choose to give up; He never stops working or trying even though we have long ceased all efforts; He never stops loving even when we may feel as if it is impossible to love anymore. Such is our God: the most compassionate, the most loving, and the most merciful. Seeing that we have such a God, what does this tell us? This tells us that each of us is very important; has a special dignity; is unique; is priceless and worth saving. The problem is, we sometimes fail to recognise our own dignity, and we forget who we are. Because of this, we easily get angry with others when we are made to feel small; or become jealous and selfish because we feel that we are not good enough. But the point is, God is telling you: “You are beautiful! You are precious! Why let others put you down? God loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you and to save you from your sins!” Are we doubting God?
Today, let us hold our heads up high, knowing with trust and confidence that God is there to help us and guide us. Each and every one of us is more precious and valuable than anything else, so we should not feel down or give up. Let us always remember that God will never abandon us; that He loves us unconditionally, and that we too should learn to love the way He loves us.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
4 Sept 2016 – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
5 Sept 2016 – Monday of Week 23 Year 2
6 Sept 2016 – Tuesday of Week 23 Year 2
7 Sept 2016 – Wednesday of Week 23 Year 2
8 Sept 2016 – Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast
9 Sept 2016 – Friday of Week 23 Year 2
Every once in a while, we come across people who are extremely stubborn and obstinate. No matter what you say or do, such people have become so set or fixated with their ways that nothing can change their thoughts or mind set. It is certainly not easy to deal with such people, and we could only imagine what Jesus went through with the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel, who were just as stubborn and obstinate in their ways.
In today’s Gospel, the scribes and Pharisees were so extreme in their ways that even curing a man on the sabbath is forbidden, as the Gospel tells us that they “were watching him to see if he would cure a man on the sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him.” Jesus was not dancing to their tune or following their strict interpretation of the law, and as a result, the scribes and Pharisees were going all out to get Him. When Jesus went ahead and cured the man with the withered hand, the scribes and Pharisees “were furious, and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.”
Perhaps we should look at ourselves and the way we lead our lives: have some of us become so stubborn and obstinate like the scribes and Pharisees, so much so that the letter of the law has become more important than the spirit of the law? Sometimes we forget the purpose of what we do, and do things merely to observe and follow God’s law, whereas we should be observing a greater law, which is the law of love. May we have a change of heart and attitude, and learn to be loving and compassionate, just as our God is loving and compassionate to all of us.
Is it easy to follow Jesus and be a Christian? No. There are many things about being a Christian which goes against the ways of the world, and this could lead to misunderstanding, conflict, persecution and even death. That is why we must count the cost before committing ourselves; we must know what we are getting ourselves into; and we cannot follow Christ blindly or be a Christian without considering the serious implications of our call.
So what is so challenging and difficult about following Jesus and being a Christian? Today’s Gospel gives us a few points to think about. Firstly, we are told: “Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple.” This is difficult teaching especially since many of us are constantly taught that family comes first. But Jesus tells us that if we are asked to choose between what our family wants us to do and what God wants from us, we must always choose what God wants, even if this may go against the wishes of our family members. Does this mean that we should stop loving our family members? No. We must love them, but we must be strong in our commitment to the truth and to what is right. Great sins have been committed to maintain and to safeguard family honour. But being a Christian means our family should not be an obstacle to prevent us from being a good Christian and doing God’s will. Secondly, we are told: “No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple.” This means that we must be willing to offer our lives totally to God, just as Jesus offered His life totally on the cross to save us from our sins. Thirdly, we are told: “None of you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns.” This means that if we choose to follow Jesus, then we must change completely our attitude towards the goods of this world. We must be willing to be detached from such worldly and temporary things, and use them not for our own selfish needs or for our personal gratification, but to help others and to glorify Him.
Humanly speaking, these points seem to give us the impression that it seems impossible to be a Christian, if we are only to rely on human reasoning. This is why we need to constantly seek that divine wisdom which the first reading speaks of: “As for your intention, who could have learnt it, had you not granted Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from above?” It is this divine wisdom which would help us recognise that the things we are prepared to give up in this world are nothing or insignificant, compared with the riches we shall obtain in the kingdom of God.
Today, we are presented with a choice: to remain with the ways of the world, or to follow Jesus and be firm and steadfast to the ways of God. Naturally, it is not an easy or straightforward choice, but we cannot have it both ways. If you are placed in such a situation, may you be prudent and choose wisely, since your eternal future may be at stake.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
28 Aug 2016 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
29 Aug 2016 – Beheading of St. John the Baptist
30 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 22 Year 2
31 Aug 2016 – Wednesday of Week 22 Year 2
1 Sept 2016 – Thursday of Week 22 Year 2
2 Sept 2016 – Friday of Week 22 Year 2
When a crime is committed or a serious sin is committed, what do we do? It is easy for many of us to sweep things under the carpet and let things be; or we may think that it is not our concern or our problem; or we just shrug and say that “life is like that, it is not fair, but what could we do.” But how many of us are willing to stand up to the truth, even though we may be ridiculed, face persecution, or even face the possibility of death?
In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist had great courage in condemning the marriage of Herod to Herod’s brother’s wife. Because of this, and to please his wife Herodias, Herod had John arrested and put in prison. John stood up for the truth and as a result, he had to pay a price. John’s courage in upholding the dignity of marriage and condemning the adulterous relationship of Herod and Herodias resulted in his death by beheading in prison.
If we are put in a similar situation, would we be courageous like John the Baptist and uphold the truth? Or have we become compromising and accommodating, watering down the truth, or even disposing the truth altogether? In the end, who are we trying to please? Do we want to please mere mortals, that which is temporary? Or would we rather please God, that which is eternal?
What does it mean to be humble? Being humble is a Christian virtue, but some of us may have confused and misunderstood its true meaning. Some people think that humility means putting oneself down by being very critical of oneself, one’s talents and one’s achievements. They do not speak about their talents and gifts because they fear that this would appear to be boasting. Others criticise their own talents, abilities and achievements by saying: “I am not holy enough, don’t choose me as a leader in this parish;” “my cooking is just so so, I don’t think my dishes taste that great” (even though in reality, the dishes are yummylicious and shockalingam); “My voice is not that great, I don’t sing that well” (though in reality, the person sings like a lark). The problem and irony of such statements is: whenever we criticise and put ourselves down, we are actually hoping and expecting others to praise and admire us and our achievements. Such so called humility is not really humility, but is called false humility, which is a disguise for pride.
Instead, in today’s Gospel, Jesus is telling us: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.” The first reading reinforces what Jesus is telling us: “My son, be gentle in carrying out your business, and you will be better loved than a lavish giver. The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly, and then you will find favour with the Lord.” Today’s readings tell us that we should not seek any reward, praise, thanks or honour for what we do. We should not look for positions of honour or for recognition of our achievements, since once we have become addicted and attached to praise and human recognition, everything that we do may be with a hidden motive. When others do not praise or thank us, we become fed up, hurt and angry. Humility is serving and giving without asking or expecting anything in return; without needing to please others; and doing all things for the glory of God.
So what should we do? How should we understand humility? Humility is understanding and appreciating one’s strengths and weaknesses. Every person has both strengths and weaknesses. If we learn to accept and live with our strengths and weaknesses, we would then be much happier persons. In the same way, we must also recognise and appreciate the weaknesses and strengths of others. We must always remember that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Also, humility means accepting all others as persons, as brothers and sisters. We should not pick and choose or stick only to certain groups. Instead, we should recognise everyone as precious, important, significant, valuable and deserving equal respect.
Today, let us follow the example of Jesus, who though was Son of God, humbled Himself and chose to become man, and even humbler still, chose to become a servant of all. As Christians, we should follow Jesus and embrace true humility, doing all things to build God’s Kingdom and to give Him all the glory.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
21 Aug 2016 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
22 Aug 2016 – Our Lady, Mother and Queen
23 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 21 Year 2
24 Aug 2016 – St. Bartholomew, Apostle – Feast
25 Aug 2016 – Thursday of Week 21 Year 2
26 Aug 2016 – Friday of Week 21 Year 2
