For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
2 February 2014 – Presentation of the Lord
3 February 2014 – Monday of Week 4 Year 2
4 February 2014 – Tuesday of Week 4 Year 2
5 February 2014 – Wednesday of Week 4 Year 2
6 February 2014 – Thursday of Week 4 Year 2
7 February 2014 – Friday of Week 4 Year 2
When a person is weak and self-centred, he or she may do things to please others or to win recognition and approval. Sometimes such people may make promises which are difficult to fulfil, and when confronted with possible embarrassment or ridicule for being unable to keep the promise, he or she may be more than willing to fulfil such promises, even though such promises could lead one to greater wrongdoing or even commit sin.
In today’s Gospel, we see King Herod who was an example of such a weak and self-centred person. He was so easily tricked by his wife who got her daughter to dance for Herod and entice him to do what she wanted. This led to the death of John the Baptist, even though initially “Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.” Are some of us like Herod in one way or another, wanting and willing to save face at all costs? Are we so easily duped into making promises without thinking carefully the consequences?
As Christians, we are constantly reminded to go forth and preach the Good News. This command is not to be taken lightly, as it is one of great urgency and importance. Today’s Gospel reminds us of this great urgency and importance: “Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.'”
Each of us are called to go forth and preach the Good News. Sometimes along the way, we may be distracted with all sorts of other attractions, and we may lose our focus and concentration in our duty. Let us learn to not be attached to all these other attractions, and depend on God’s providence, so that we can be effective in bringing Jesus’ message to others.
One of the reasons why a priest or a religious is rarely sent back to his home parish to serve is because people tend to assume they know much about the priest or religious. Also, some people may think that just because the priest or religious is a local boy or girl, they think they can manipulate or control him or her. Some people may also not have that much respect or acceptance of the priest or religious, especially since they think they know really well his or her family, his or her background, etc. This may make it challenging or difficult for the priest or religious to function properly or effectively at his home parish.
Today’s Gospel also reinforces this matter. Jesus was not accepted among his home-town people as they thought they knew his family and he really well. This made it difficult for Jesus to perform any miracle at his home-town and only managed to cure a few people, especially because of the people’s lack of faith in him.
When we are faced with this kind of situation, let us consider our options. Are we able to function well in our mission at our home-town? Let us not be apprehensive to voice out our concerns to the relevant authority, so that they can decide what is best for our home-town community and what is best for us.
How much do we really trust Jesus? Are there some among us who doubt that God can really help us? Today’s Gospel shows us the amount of trust the haemorrhaging woman had towards Jesus. This woman had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years and no doctor could cure her. Nothing in the medicine world could do anything to help her. And yet, this woman had faith that Jesus could cure her. The Gospel tells us that “she came up behind Jesus through the crowd and touched his cloak. And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint.”
Sometimes our modern medicine or modern science may not be able to help us, since there are many things that modern medicine or modern science has still not fully understood or discovered. When this happens, we may be given the impression that there is no hope or all is lost. Some of us may even go for treatment from bomohs, shamans, medicine men, etc, thinking and hoping that these may be able to cure us. However, let us take the example of the haemorrhaging woman and trust that the Lord will care for us and do what is best for us. Are we willing to let God take control and help us?
When we are in trouble and the Lord helps us out of our mess, how would we respond? Some of us may think that we had had a lucky escape. Some may begin to think that it was actually through our own effort that we managed to get out of trouble. However, how many of us would be genuinely grateful to God for His help?
In today’s Gospel, the demoniac begged to be allowed to stay with Jesus. But Jesus would not let him but said to him, ‘Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.’ In this way, the demoniac was preaching the Good News by sharing his story with his people, instead of keeping it to himself and clinging on to Jesus. If we are in a similar situation, would we be excited to share the Good News with others? Would we be grateful and thankful of God’s mercy?
Many of us spend a lot of time waiting. We wait for the baby to be born, we wait for our children to grow up and be independent, we wait for our retirement, we also have to wait for people who are late, we wait for the bus or train and whatever. But many a times, whatever we are waiting for shows up sooner or later.
In today’s Gospel, we see Simeon and Anna waiting, they had waited for a long time, and finally their hope was fulfilled. When Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, God’s ancient promise of sending a Saviour was fulfilled with the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. God has come to save His people and the blessing and lighting of candles and the procession is to symbolise that the light of salvation is already shining on the Church and on the world. The light of salvation is shining and yet we still wait. We wait for the day we can finally be with the Lord eternally.
Until we are finally together again with the Lord, let us, like Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, wait for the Lord in prayer and be ready to do His will when He calls.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
26 January 2014 – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
27 January 2014 – Monday of Week 3 Year 2
28 January 2014 – Tuesday of Week 3 Year 2
29 January 2014 – Wednesday of Week 3 Year 2
30 January 2014 – Thursday of Week 3 Year 2
31 January 2014 – Friday of Week 3 Year 2
When some of us do something wrong, we may try to sweep it under the carpet, or try to create a ruckus or distraction so that the initial wrong committed may hopefully be forgotten. Some of us may even try to destroy the evidence of our initial wrongdoing. hoping that no one would be able to discover and use such evidence against us. Today’s reading shows us an example of trying to hide or destroy the evidence of wrongdoing. King David had committed sin by sleeping with another man’s wife, causing Bathsheba to become pregnant. Then he tried to hide the evidence by encouraging Uriah to go home and spend some time with his wife Bathsheba, hoping that Uriah would later think that the pregnancy was caused by him. When that failed, David got rid of Uriah instead.
If we look at today’s reading carefully, we can begin to discover that when we sin, we may end up committing greater sin while trying to cover up the initial sin. Why are we so afraid, when we have a loving and merciful God, who is willing to forgive us if we are truly repentant and seek forgiveness? It seems silly for us to try to hide or destroy the evidence, as we cannot hide from God. Let us take courage and confess our sins, instead of trying to hide and get ourselves into more trouble.
Many of us have got some form of skill, talent or know-how which could be put to good use, especially in building God’s Kingdom. Some are happy and willing to offer their abilities. However, there are some who seem to be stingy or unwilling to do so. Why is this so? There are many reasons. For some, they feel shy or inadequate, even though they really are competent and good. Some refuse to help because of pride or stubbornness, only wanting things done their way or no way. Others feel they have been hurt or angered by other faithful or even a priest, and they have been unable to find it in their hearts to forgive and move on.
While we empathise with such people, we should also take heed of the warning today’s Gospel tells us. Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are all called to be lamps to be put on a lamp-stand for all to see, not to be hidden. Also, we are reminded that: “The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” We ought to utilise our abilities for the glory of God, because if we don’t, we may in time lose such abilities. Are we wasting away our abilities for our own selfish pursuits? Or have we been humble enough to offer our abilities to God? Let us remember that God is patient and generous to us and He will reward us more than we can imagine.
