Faithfulness and Love

Monthly Archives: April 2016

Thursday of Week 11 Year 1

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Before we became Christians, many of us who are adults would have gone through the RCIA or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. This RCIA is a gradual process, usually one year or even two years, to enable us to have some understanding of the Christian faith before we make a decision to be baptised or not. For those among us who were baptised as infants, we would have gone through catechism classes, to gain some understanding of the Christian faith in stages, from childhood to teenage to confirmation. However, what we learnt in RCIA or catechism is only basic stuff. If we want to gain a better understanding of our faith, we need to make effort to attend courses, seminars, sessions, bible study and other activities organised at the parish or diocese level. In some cases, some of us may even be sent to universities or Catholic institutes overseas, to study for a diploma, degree, masters degree or even a doctorate.

Some of us may be wondering: Why do we need to learn more about our faith? It is because we need to be well grounded and learned about our faith, so that we would know what is real Christian truth. Christian principles, Christian living, and not be so easily swayed into changing our faith. In today’s reading, St. Paul admonished the Corinthians, because they had become slack or complacent about their faith. In the reading, St Paul said: “But the serpent, with his cunning, seduced Eve, and I am afraid that in the same way your ideas may get corrupted and turned away from simple devotion to Christ. Because any new-comer has only to proclaim a new Jesus, different from the one that we preached, or you have only to receive a new spirit, different from the one you have already received, or a new gospel, different from the one you have already accepted – and you welcome it with open arms.” When we are not clear about our faith, we may fall into the trap which the Corinthians faced.

What about us? Are we complacent about our faith also? It is one thing to attend Mass and be devotional to some form of prayer. It is another thing to be steadfast and clear about our faith. May we not be caught off-guard and make effort to know our faith well, so that we would be able to share it well and defend it well, for the glory of God.

Wednesday of Week 11 Year 1

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Some people can be quite tight fisted or stingy or calculative with their wealth and time. Such people have no qualms about demanding and expecting the church to give them all kinds of things, or offer them all sorts of services, but they themselves are quite reluctant to give or offer their services in return. Some even put on a monkey face or sour face when giving or offering their services. I recall one incident where a group of people kept on insisting that the church be air-conditioned, since the weather is quite hot and they felt entitled to better facilities in church. When I asked whether they would be willing to sponsor some aircons and even help pay for the electricity bill, they quickly backed down and tried to change the subject. Easy to demand and suggest indeed, but not easy to help or contribute.

In today’s reading, St. Paul cautions us: “Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works.”

Are we giving because we are being pressured or forced or coerced to? Or are we giving happily and willingly? God is generous to each and every one of us by being our providence and guide, and what He grants us is far more substantial than what we could ever give. If that is the case, why do some of us still give so culculatively, or grudgingly? Are we not willing to be as generous as God is to us?

Tuesday of Week 11 Year 1

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It is interesting to observe how generous some people are with their wealth and time. We sometimes come across people who do not seem to have much, but they are willing to offer as much of the wealth as they can, or as much time as they can to serve the church and the Christian community. On the other hand, we also come across some people who seem to be quite well off, possibly owning a big house and a big car, but quite unwilling to be generous with their wealth and their time. What sort of person are you when it comes to generosity?

In today’s reading, we come across the churches in Macedonia that were facing great trials, and yet they were still willing to remain cheerful, and even though they faced tremendous poverty, they were overflowing with generosity. The reading tells us: “Now here, brothers, is the news of the grace of God which was given in the churches in Macedonia; and of how, throughout great trials by suffering, their constant cheerfulness and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. I can swear that they gave not only as much as they could afford, but far more, and quite spontaneously…”

If the churches in Macedonia were so generous in their wealth and time, even in the midst of great challenges and trials, what about us? Are we willing to be just as generous with our wealth and time? Or are we more interested in accumulating more wealth, and remain indifferent to the needs of the church and the Christian community?

Monday of Week 11 Year 1

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Many times in our lives, we may have heard anecdotes like “walk the talk” or “practice what you preach” or “show by example.” It is not enough to just say nice words or give advice, we also need to show what we mean or believe in. For example, if we call ourselves kind and generous, then we should show our kindness and generosity to all, not just to only certain persons or communities. This is because our kindness and generosity ought to be for the benefit of all, not for us to demonstrate our prejudice or biasedness. This is why it may seem easy to say things, but it is not so easy for us to follow through and do as we say.

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “We prove we are servants of God by great fortitude in times of suffering: in times of hardship and distress; when we are flogged, or sent to prison, or mobbed; labouring, sleepless, starving. We prove we are God’s servants by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by a spirit of holiness, by a love free from affectation; by the word of truth and by the power of God; by being armed with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left, prepared for honour or disgrace, for blame or praise; taken for impostors while we are genuine; obscure yet famous; said to be dying and here are we alive; rumoured to be executed before we are sentenced; thought most miserable and yet we are always rejoicing; taken for paupers though we make others rich, for people having nothing though we have everything.”

Ultimately, all that we do, all that we say, is for what purpose? It is for the glory of God. Being a disciple of Christ means there is no place for personal glory or personal gratification. May we be genuine and humble in who we are and all we do, and may we do it happily and willingly, so that all may know we are Christians by our love.

Friday of Week 10 Year 1

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Some of us seem to like to claim credit for what we do, and in some situations, even in what other people do. We have seen many examples of people doing something, and then someone higher up or with more influence gets the credit. In the Malay language, we call such a situation: “lembu punya susu, sapi dapat nama” (roughly translated as “milk from the cow, but the bull gets the praise.”) But what sort of attitude should we have towards doing things as Christians? Are we being just like everyone else in claiming credit?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us… You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.” What this reading is telling us is that we may have done many things, or worked miracles in Jesus’ name, but ultimately, credit should be given to God, since our abilities, talents and healing powers come from Him. May we learn to be docile and humble, and let God use us as His instruments, for His greater glory.

Thursday of Week 10 Year 1

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Some of us may appear to be good and holy Christians, but our conduct and behaviour may be different according to circumstances. For example, some of us may behave piously in church, or in the presence of a priest or a bishop, but how do we behave towards others in our homes, in our communities, in our work places, in society? Do we behave as Christians should, and practice Christian values and virtues, in all situations, in all circumstances?

In today’s Gospel, “Jesus said to his disciples, If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” What does this mean? We know that the scribes and Pharisees liked to show off and their piety was only to attract attention, or make them appear to be good and holy, or to boost their pride and ego. Jesus even called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, since they did not practice what they preached. When our conduct and behaviour is different according to circumstances, when we try to show off our piety but do not love God and neighbour, then we may be like the scribes and Pharisees. May we come to realise what it really means to be a Christian and truly, consistently and faithfully practice Christian virtues, for the glory of God.

Wednesday of Week 10 Year 1

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In each country which practices some form of democracy, there is a set of laws which do not change so easily. We call such laws constitutions, since such laws are fundamental principles or established precedents that determine how a country is to be governed. Such constitutions are there to ensure that all persons, regardless of their faith or upbringing, share the same rights and privileges (at least, that is what it is supposed to ensure.)

In today’s Gospel: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.'” Jesus said this probably because His disciples were thinking that Jesus was starting a revolution against the religious system at that time, and they were looking forward to some radical change. Instead of the kind of change the disciples expected, Jesus was actually helping his disciples and us too to return to the original meaning of the Law and the Prophets, sort of like the original constitution so to speak, since the original meaning had been diluted and interpreted to suit the scribes and the Pharisees.

What about us? Are we adhering to the original meaning of our faith, in loving God and loving neighbour? Or have some of us tried to change the original meaning of our faith to suit our needs and purposes? May we adhere to the original meaning of our faith, and in all we do, give God the glory.

Tuesday of Week 10 Year 1

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When we buy an item or product such as a handphone or a computer, we hope that the item or product would last for quite some time. But what happens if the item or product is damaged and cannot be repaired, or the item or product is no longer usable due to advances in technology? Quite likely we would discard them, since such items are considered useless and keeping such items or products around would mean we are accumulating junk.

In today’s gospel, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt adds flavour to food, and light enables all to see. When salt becomes tasteless, it become useless and is thrown away. When the light bulb is spoiled, the light bulb become useless as it no longer able to produce light, and it is thrown away. Likewise, we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and if we as salt and light do not use our gifts and talents to add flavour to the lives of all, as well as to light up the way, we may end up useless and end up being thrown away. Are we allowing ourselves to become useless through our pride, ego and indifference, and risk being thrown away?

Monday of Week 10 Year 1

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Throughout the week, many people would have slogged it out in their work or studies. They would have had to go through many challenges, suffering or even pain. Then when Friday comes, some of such persons would say “Thank Goodness It’s Friday” or TGIF. But the excitement of Friday is only for a short while, since eventually, we would come back to Monday again. When Monday comes, some of such persons would then say “Monday blues” since it is back to the grinding mill or back to work. But is Monday really that bad a day? Do we see Monday as going back to suffering?

In the 1st reading, we are presented with two perspectives of “suffering.” One perspective is that God will comfort us in all our sorrows (and suffering) so that we can offer others, in their sorrow, the consolation that we have received from God. The other perspective is that when we are “made” to suffer, then it is for the consolation and the salvation of others. What this means is that suffering and sorrow have a redemptive value and it can be a source of consolation. This redemptive value and source of consolation can be seen when we look at the Gospel, where the beatitudes remind us that suffering and sorrow can be blessings.

So what does this mean to us? What this means is that Monday, or any other day for that matter, is not that bad after all. This is because we can receive consolation from the Lord, especially when we are suffering in His Name or for His glory. May we look at each day as a blessing, and offer each day to God, doing all things not for our ego or pride, but for His greater glory.

Friday of Week 9 Year 1

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Among the Jews the most common title for the Messiah was Son of David.This title was connected to another, which is the title “the Christ” which means the anointed one. The religious authorities at that time maintained that the Christ must be a direct descendant of King David. However, this posed a problem, since Judah had been conquered by the Persians, and this caused King David’s direct line of descendants to be terminated.

When Jesus quoted the psalm from David and explained it, He cleared the confusion and doubts the people had in their minds. Jesus quoted the psalm to show to the crowds and the Pharisees that the Messiah was more than a descendant of David because David calls this descendant of his, “my Lord.” This is to show that David views the Messiah as his Lord and superior. When Jesus said these words, the people were delighted, because they could now believe again. Many of them already accepted Jesus as the Messiah and as the Son of David, and what Jesus explained to them further strengthened their confidence in Jesus.

So what does it mean for us when to acknowledge Jesus as Lord? To acknowledge Jesus as Lord means that we should owe our full submission and loyalty to Him. But do we really give to Him our loyalty? Do we take delight in knowing that we have a Lord who is far greater than any other? May we happily, gratefully and humbly acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and invite him to be the King of our hearts and the ruler of our thoughts, relationships, and in all that we do.