Faithfulness and Love

Monthly Archives: June 2016

Tuesday of Week 28 Year 1

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Many of us make great efforts to keep ourselves clean, tidy and pleasant smelling. We bathe regularly, use expensive perfumes, apply make-up, put on good looking clothes, and do many other things of this sort, to make a good impression and keep up a good appearance. After all, we would not want to emit body odour and feel embarrassed in the presence of others, and we would not want to appear unkempt. But all these efforts to maintaining cleanliness are merely external cleanliness. What about our internal cleanliness, that is, the cleanliness of our soul?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus admonished the Pharisees when he said: “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.” The Pharisees were more interested in appearing to be good and holy, and they observed many practices to appear to be clean, but they neglected in keeping their spiritual sides clean. In the same way, we too could be appearing be clean, but we may be neglecting to keep our souls clean from the stain of sin. Are we interested in only external appearance, which is temporary? Or have we made effort to remain clean internally, by keeping our souls clean from sin?

Monday of Week 28 Year 1

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People become Catholics or Christians due to a variety of reasons, and after baptism, they are encouraged to live out and practice their faith in many different ways. Some do so by getting involved in different church ministries such as Ministers of Hospitality, Lectors, Commentators, Catechists and many others. Some do so by reaching out to the poor, providing them with basic necessities. Some do so by getting involved in works of mercy or charitable deeds, such as visiting the sick in hospital, praying for them, visiting prisons and much more. But what is the most important duty a Christian or Catholic is bound to do?

Our primary duty as Christians or Catholics is to preach the Good News, as Paul says in today’s reading. This means that preaching the Good News is not only meant for religious leaders, since each and every Christian is expected to do his or her part in preaching the Good News, in one form or another. One need not go far or to some remote place to preach the Good News, since even in our homes or housing area, we would come across many who may have not heard the Good News. Are we doing our part with joy, perseverance and consistency, or have we been slacking or trying to to shirk our responsibilities?

Friday of Week 27 Year 1

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What happens to a person when he or she allows jealousy to take control of one’s life? Some begin to behave in a silly or erratic manner, and they begin to say things which are silly, stupid or which make a fool of themselves. Some begin to waste time and effort trying to plot and bring the other person down, when they could have used such time and effort to do good. Some even begin to lose sleep and become increasingly frustrated, when others seem to be doing better or are more successful than they are, causing their health to be affected. But at the end of the day, why do we need to be jealous? What are we really trying to prove?

In today’s Gospel: “When Jesus had cast out a devil, some of the people said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – Since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then.'”

When people allow jealously to get the better of them, they begin to talk nonsense, such as what has happened in the Gospel. Instead of trying to belittle Jesus, these people only end up belittling themselves. May we prevent jealousy from ruining our lives and relationships, and give thanks to God for the gifts we have as well as the gifts others have.

Thursday of Week 27 Year 1

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In many movies and television shows, we often see the good guy winning and being triumphant. Quite often we would see the bad guy ending up dead, or imprisoned, or running away from the good guy. But what is the reality we see around us? We see the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer; those who do evil get the benefits, whereas those who do good end up as losers. Some of us begin to wonder: “Does God care? Will God do something to right the situation?” As time goes by, some of us begin to lose hope, or give up, thinking that the bad guy is untouchable or unbeatable. But the funny thing about life is, the good guy does win, not quite the way we expect, but sometimes in ways that go beyond our understanding and imagination.

In today’s reading, the people tried to be good people and they tried to be faithful to the Lord. But they ended up getting disappointed and said: “It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping God’s commandments? Because the arrogant seemed to be blessed and the evil doers prosper!” But the prophet Malachi reminded the people that God sees and He knows and He remembers. In the end, for those who fear God, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.

What about us? When we see that evil or wickedness or corruption seems to be winning, would we persevere and trust in God, knowing that He will save us and help us? Are we willing to be patient and let God take care of things? May we never give up or despair, but remain in hope, prayer and perseverance, knowing and trusting that God will help us in His time and for His glory.

Wednesday of Week 27 Year 1

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Do we understand what the words mercy and compassion mean? We often say such words, especially when we are the ones asking for mercy and compassion, but when it involves others, especially those who have done great harm towards us, towards our loved ones, or even towards others, do we have the same attitude of mercy and compassion? Quite likely, some of us may wish just retribution towards those who have cause such harm. But if we consider a moment: do we fight evil with evil? How different are we if we demand retribution towards those who have done harm, and we respond with hate, anger and rage?

In today’s reading, Jonah was sulking and fuming because God did not punish the people of Nineveh, because these people had renounce their evil behaviour. Jonah had expected divine retribution from God, because the Ninevites were Israel’s sworn enemies. But what Jonah failed to realise and appreciate is that God is merciful and compassionate to all, not just to the Israelites, and He is slow to anger, rich in graciousness, relenting from evil.

If God is so compassionate and merciful towards all, even towards those whom some perceive to be evil-doers, than what about us? Do we still insist for an eye for an eye, or retribution come what may? Or have we learnt to be like God, who is patient, loving, compassionate, and merciful to all?

Tuesday of Week 27 Year 1

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What do you do when you come to realise that you have sinned? Would you go for confession as quickly as possible to remove the stain of sin from your soul? Or would you think that there is plenty of time to go, only to put it off indefinitely? When you stain your shirt or dress, surely you would get it cleaned and removed as quickly as possible. This is because the shirt or dress may be valuable or significant to you, and you would not want to end up with a ruined shirt or dress. If so, then why are some procrastinating in removing the stain of sin from the soul, which has eternal consequences?

In today’s reading, the king of Nineveh made quick and immediate “efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.” This is because the king of Nineveh realised the consequences of not taking action, and he was not going to wait until he encountered God’s wrath. May we too make every effort to keep our souls clean from the stain of sin, so that we too avoid the disaster which would affect our eternal future.

Monday of Week 27 Year 1

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We sometimes come across certain persons who just want to win, no matter what. Such persons usually have a big ego and they think that they are right, or in some cases even if they have been proven wrong, they would twist and turn to try and make it sound that they are not that wrong, or that they are still right from a different point of view. Such persons are what we call “know it alls” or “think they know it all,” while the fact of the matter is they may actually only sound right or sound as if they know it all, but if scrutinised further, they may not necessarily be right or know it all after all.

In today’s Gospel, we come across a lawyer who tried to disconcert Jesus. Even after Jesus had given a correct and good answer, the lawyer just could not leave things be, and even tried to justify himself. In the end, the lawyer ended up eating humble pie and even though he knew that Jesus had put him in a spot, he was still unable to let go of his pride and ego. Jesus challenged him by asking: “Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’” The lawyer knew that the example of the Good Samaritan showed what it means to be a good neighbour, but because of his pride, ego and prejudice, he could not bring himself to answer: “The Samaritan proved himself a neighbour…” Instead, the lawyer merely said, possibly in a haughty tone: “The one who took pity on him.”

What about us? Are some of us like the lawyer, thinking that we are always right or often right? Have we tried to disconcert or discredit others, to show how great, clever, learned or smart we are? Let us not allow our pride, ego and prejudice to get the better of us, and learn to walk humbly in the presence of our loving and merciful God.

Friday of Week 26 Year 1

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When something goes wrong, how many of us are willing to take responsibility for what has happened? Perhaps some of us may do so, but there are also people who refuse to admit they have done wrong and try to play the blame game and put the blame on others, or even find a scapegoat to take the blame. Why do people do such things? It could be because of their pride and ego, where they are unwilling to admit they are wrong, even though it is quite obvious, and they even think that they can never be wrong. Such persons rather stick to their way of thinking and refuse to learn from their mistakes, expecting others to accept them as they are. Could some of us have such behaviour or attitudes in some way?

In today’s reading, Baruch reflected upon the disastrous events that had happened to the Israelites, especially the destruction of Jerusalem, and exile in Babylon. He came to a conclusion: “To us, the look of shame we wear today, we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, we have disobeyed Him, we had not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.” Everything that went wrong and all the disastrous events that happened, Baruch pointed the finger at himself and his people, instead of trying to put the blame on others.

What about us? Are we willing to be humble and admit our mistakes? Are we willing to seek forgiveness from God and from others, while being willing to forgive others too, when they have wronged us? Are we willing to learn from our mistakes and wrongdoings, and let the Lord change us into better persons?

Thursday of Week 26 Year 1

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Sometimes we forget who we are as Christians. When we forget who we are, we may end up doing and saying things which offend God and hurt others. That is why we need to be reminded as often as possible, especially through the reading of the scriptures, who we are and how we are supposed to live. When we read the scriptures, or when we hear it being read, are we moved with what we hear? Or have we become unreceptive towards the scriptures?

In today’s reading, Ezra gathered the men, and women, and children, and read to them from the Torah. He stood, on a raised platform in the rebuilt Temple, and from morning until midday read the Torah, from beginning to end. The men, women, and children listened to their story, their family history, the laws which God had given them; and they discovered who they were. They raised their hands in the air, and proclaimed, “Amen, Amen” and they wept for joy. Why were they so moved?  Finally, they understood who they were, who God had called them to be, and they began to understand the commandments which were to guide their lives.

What about us? Do we finally get it? Do we realise who we are? We often think of ourselves as brothers and sisters in Christ, but have we read the scriptures and finally understood what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ? May we come to a realisation of who we are, who we are called to be, and let the Lord be our help, providence and guide.

Wednesday of Week 26 Year 1

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In today’s reading, we come across Nehemiah who was a slave and the king’s wine-attendant. The duty of a wine-attendant was to ensure that the wine tasted good and was not laced with poison. If the wine tasted bad, Nehemiah could lose his head. Not only that, Nehemiah had to serve the wine with a happy face, otherwise he could be punished. So when the king asked why did he look so sad and what was in his heart, a great fear came upon him, because he risked punishment for looking sad, and he wanted to go back to his homeland to rebuild his ancestral city, but he was afraid that the king might get offended by his requests.

Nehemiah called on the God of heaven, and then made his request to the king. To his surprise, all that he asked for, even the timber for building of the Temple, was granted. Why was Nehemiah able to have all his requests granted? Because Nehemiah called on the Lord first, and the favour of the Lord was upon him. So the next time we are faced with any choices or decisions, and before we make a choice or decision, let us call on the Lord first, so that His favour would be upon us.