Faithfulness and Love

Monthly Archives: July 2019

Thursday of Week 34 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 34th, Thursday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

From time to time, we may have found ourselves in a difficult or dangerous situation. When we are in such a situation, some of us may try to live in denial, thinking that such a situation is just our imagination, though the reality is that it is not. Some of us may even feel as if we have no way out and we may be tempted to give up or despair. How many of us are willing to put our full trust in God, knowing that He will do what is best for us?

Today’s reading reminds us that with God, there is no problem too big, no situation too difficult or dangerous which He cannot help us out. In today’s reading, Daniel had full confidence and trust in God’s help and God saved him from the lions. This caused King Darius, who initially thought that there was no hope or way or solution to rescue Daniel, to joyfully exclaim: “He is the living God, he endures for ever, his sovereignty will never be destroyed and his kingship never end. He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth; he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

What does this mean to us? It means that if God is on our side and watching over us, there is no reason for us to fear. It also means that we must continuously and consistently trust in God, knowing that our salvation is in Him, and not in some other form or means. Let us therefore continue to build our relationship with Him and trust Him just as Daniel did.

Saturday of Week 33 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 33rd, Saturday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

What sort of expectations do we have in life? Are our expectations only concerning wants and needs of this world? What if our expectations are not met, either partially or entirely? Some of us may just shrug off such unmet expectations and carry on our merry way, thinking that it is not that big a deal. Some of us may complain or get angry since what we expect is not fulfilled. Some of us may even end up bitterly disappointed, like what happened to king Antiochus in today’s reading.

In the reading, we are told that king Antiochus threw himself on his bed and fell into a lethargy from acute disappointment, because things had not turned out as he had planned. He had planned and achieved many things, and even planned to conquer the city of Elymais and sack its renowned riches. Unfortunately for king Anthiochus, his plans failed, and he suffered from deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he understood that life was slipping away from him, in other words, he was dying. King Anthiochus’ life of worldly expectations, ended up in disappointment.

What about us? Have some of us become like king Anthiochus, when our expectations are not met? As Christians, our expectations ought to be eventually be in God’s presence. If we focus only in fulfilling our expectations in this world, we may find ourselves quite disappointed, since our expectations may never be satisfied. May we strive more towards expectations which would guide us closer to God and be with Him, instead of just focusing on expectations which are merely temporary and may end up in disappointment.

Tuesday of Week 33 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 33rd, Tuesday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

How many of us are willing to have courage and willingness to sacrifice one’s life to glorify God? Some of us may say that we are willing and ready to do so, but if we are really and actually put to the test or face a real possibility of being put to death, would we remain steadfast in our faith, and give glory to God? Would we be willing to lose our lives and even the lives of our families by remaining faithful? Or would we abandon our faith to save our skin or to save our families from annihilation?

Today’s reading shows us an excellent example of courage and willingness to sacrifice ones life to glorify God. The reading tells us that “Eleazar, one of the foremost teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth wide to swallow pig’s flesh. But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, went to the block of his own accord, spitting the stuff out, the plain duty of anyone with the courage to reject what it is not lawful to taste, even from a natural tenderness for his own life.”

What about us? Would we be willing to follow the example of Eleazar in today’s reading, preferring to die than to commit sin? While it is easy to say that we would remain faithful, it is certainly not easy to do so, especially when it involves our families. Let us pray and continue to depend on God’s help to stay true, just and faithful to our duty as Catholics.

Saturday of Week 32 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 32nd, Saturday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

Many of us are so used to having things or services done quite quickly, so much so that when we have to wait for a few minutes or for a while to get what we want, some of us may become quite impatient, or angry, or even give up waiting and go elsewhere, thinking that other places would be faster in their services.But the reality is that there are also many situations in life where we have no choice but to wait patiently, since such situations take time. For example, if we want to renovate our house, we need to wait for materials and manpower to arrive, and then for the renovation to be completed properly. Also, when a couple wants to conceive a child, they need to be patient and persistent in their efforts, with hope that they would be successful.

The same situation also happens when it comes to prayer. In today’s Gospel, Jesus taught His disciples to “pray continually and never lose heart.” When we pray, we cannot expect God to answer our prayers quickly. We need to be patient and persistent in our prayer, with hope and confidence that God would answer our prayers according to His purpose and for His glory. May we never lose heart, and pray patiently, humbly and continually, and let God do what is best for us.

Monday of Week 32 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 32nd, Monday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

We often hear of people spending a lot of time and effort in building their career, their wealth, their families, etc. This is because the cost of living has increased a lot, compared to the past, and the working environment has become more competitive. While our efforts to survive in this world is good and necessary, how many of us are also making effort to build our relationship with God? Have some of us allowed the need to survive and prosper in the world become more important than building our relationship with God?

Today’s reading reminds us that we should “love virtue, let honesty prompt your thinking about the Lord, seek him in simplicity of heart; since he is to be found by those who do not put him to the test, he shows himself to those who do not distrust him.” Instead of just focusing on our needs in the world which is temporary, we should also pay more attention to growing closer to God, which would be for our eternal future. Let us not be caught off-guard, and be prepared to meet the Lord.

Thursday of Week 31 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 31st, Thursday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

Some of us may think that losing something which seems small or insignificant may not be a big thing, especially when we have plenty to spare and we find that it is not worth worrying or fretting about such a lost. However, sometimes what seems small and insignificant could be just as important or serious. For instance, a small lump may seem insignificant, but if we are not careful and see a doctor for diagnosis and quick treatment if necessary, we may be in big trouble as that small lump may turn out to be malignant.

Today’s Gospel shows us that, when it comes to saving us, God takes everything seriously, even what seems small and insignificant. He wants each and every one of us to be with Him, even if it is one sheep, or one drachma, or one whatever. Each and every one of us is important to God, and when we confess our sins and make more effort to return to His ways, “there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.” May we follow God’s example and treat all things, big and small, with love and care, so that none would be lost.

Monday of Week 31 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 27 December, 31st, Monday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

In life, some of us like to do things or favours for others, with the hope that others would do the same for us. For example, in business, some of us may take a client out for a nice meal, with hope and expectation that the client would buy more things from us, or even consider us as a long-term supplier. Some of us do this because we follow a “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” principle, where we hope to receive what we give, and help each other benefit. But how many of us are willing to give, without expecting to receive anything in return?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to his host, one of the leading Pharisees, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’

What Jesus is telling us is that we should give freely, generously and happily, without expecting anything in return. By doing so, our giving would be sincere, without strings attached, without any terms or conditions, not for our own benefit, not to boost our popularity or ego, and not for our glory, but for the glory of God.

Wednesday of Week 30 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 30th, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

A man was riding his motorcycle along the highway, when all of a sudden, he lost control of his motorcycle and met with an accident, which left him near dead. He ended up in a hospital in a coma, in a vegetative state. He had a girlfriend whom he had planned to marry, and despite the doctor’s advice that the man may eventually die, the girlfriend chose to give up her job and her time to nurse him, with hope that he would some day recover. For several months, there seemed to be no response from the man, but the girlfriend did not give up. Slowly, some signs began to appear, as the man gradually was able to move his eyes, then he began to try to speak, and after much care and love, he was able to walk. It was a miraculous and joyful moment, when the man was eventually united with his girlfriend in marriage.

What the girlfriend went through and did for the man, is what the spirit would do for us in today’s reading. In the reading, “The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.” Even though the situation initially seemed helpless and hopeless, the man was able to make a reasonably good recovery with tremendous help from his girlfriend. Likewise, even though we may have experienced some sort of helpless and hopeless situation, the Spirit would help us recover and move on. Are we willing to have much trust and faith in the Spirit, and let Him be our help and guide?

Saturday of Week 29 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 29th, Saturday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

What sort of achievements are we looking for in life? Are some of us only looking for money, wealth, fame, property, recognition, higher status and so on? How long can we really hold on to such things? Perhaps some of us may be able to hold on till old age, but the reality is that all these things will be lost, or end up being taken by others, when we return to the Lord. Then what would happen to us? Would we be with the Lord, or would we end up away from the Lord?

In today’s reading, we are cautioned: “The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God.”

The question is: are we still going after unspiritual things here on earth, thinking that such things would benefit us for the long term? Or have we made more effort to strive for more spiritual pursuits, to grow closer to God? May we come to realise what is really important in the end, and strive more towards what is spiritual, for our eternal good.

Saturday of Week 28 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 28th, Saturday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” What is this sin that could not be forgiven? This unforgivable sin is our attitude when we say, “There is no hope, God cannot forgive me.” When we have such an attitude, we are commuting the grave sin of despair, where we say that God cannot or is incapable of forgiving us. It is as if the Holy Spirit cannot do anything to change us or help us, and that we are doomed. This is blasphemy, since it denies the very core of God’s being: His love and mercy.

So what should we do? We should remember of God’s immense mercy and not have any thought of despair, since God shows His love to us even if we are sinners, His mercy is without end and greater than our sinfulness. May we not doubt God’s mercy towards us, and grow closer to Him with confidence, knowing that we have a loving and merciful God, who will care and provide for us.