Faithfulness and Love

Author Archives: Andrew Kooi

Tuesday of Week 12 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 12th, Tuesday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

In this world, some people seem to be only more concerned about themselves. They practice “survival instinct” or “survival of the fittest,” and they try to grab as much as they can. Such attitude and behaviour can lead to greed and selfishness, since not only are they grabbing all they can, some would even go so far as to deprive others of their basic needs, so that such persons would benefit or prosper even more. Could some of us Christians be having such behaviour or attitude?

In todays’s reading, we see an example of having a “survival instinct.” In the reading, Lot and Abraham had a dispute as there seemed not enough place for both of them to co-exist. Abraham was older, but he was generous enough to let his nephew Lot to choose which part of the land to take. Using survival instinct, Lot quickly chose the choice lands (in other words, the part which seemed better or richer in resources). But because of his generosity and his giving way to Lot, God blessed Abram and his land.

As Christians, would we be willing to give way to others and not let our “survival instincts” take control of us? Sometimes what we may be letting go may turn out to be for the better. Would we be willing to check our “survival instincts” and let God be our help and guide?

Monday of Week 12 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 12th, Monday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

It is not easy for some of us to move from one place to another. This is because over the years, we may have accumulated many things, made many friends, and become accustomed to the place we are at. For some of us, we may have become older, perhaps a little less mobile due to age or illness. But sometimes, it is good and necessary for us to leave and move on. For some of us who are priests or religious, moving on gives us opportunities to experience new places, discover new things in a new mission or environment, and also give our former mission or parish a chance to grow and transformed with new leadership.

In today’s reading, “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.” In a way, the Lord was giving Abram an opportunity for greater and better things, and by obeying and going to where the Lord wanted him to go, Abram received much blessings from the Lord. What about us? Would we be willing to go when the Lord calls us to go some place? May we willing to go to where the Lord leads us, and let Him be our providence and guide.

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Posted on by Posted in 12th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year A Leave a comment

Some of us may have heard stories of Christian missionaries going to distant lands to preach the Good News. Some of us may have been influenced by the movies or television, of the adventure and excitement of these Christian missionaries who overcame the odds, climbed mountains, crossed valleys and rivers, and successfully established Christian missions wherever they went. But more often than not, such movie or television scenes do not reflect the reality faced by Christian missionaries. The reality is that being a Christian missionary is a tough and thankless job. Jesus never promised us that it would be easy or smooth sailing, but warned His disciples and us too, that they will face persecution, and face many obstacles, such as objections from family and friends, criticisms, jealousy of others, stubbornness of those we are trying to reach out to, and many more other obstacles. What happens when we are faced with so many obstacles? We are tempted to be discouraged and tempted to give up. This causes some of us to not even want to try, as some are afraid of failure even before they have begun. When we are discouraged, we may be prevented from beginning Christ’s mission. Sounds like a dready and hopeless situation, isn’t it?

But wait! All is not lost. Today’s readings give us lots of hope, assurance and encouragement. God is not saying that all will be well, or that He will solve all our problems, remove all obstacles, and make life easy for us. As witnesses for Jesus Christ, we are sure to meet with opposition, encounter rejection, and face much criticism from others. Why, even Jesus Himself was also rejected by His own people. So what is God’s message for us? God’s message is: “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid, for as today’s Gospel tells us: “everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear.” Do not be afraid of any obstacle or person who seems to stand in the way of your mission in doing God’s will, because as the first reading reminds us: “the Lord is at your side, a mighty hero” and He will deliver you.

So what does this mean? It means that we need to take courage. Courage does not mean we believe and rely on our own strengths and capabilities. Courage means we know and trust that God loves us and that we are precious in His eyes. Jesus uses the example of the two sparrows which can be bought for the price of a penny. The penny and the sparrows may seem small and worthless, but in the eyes of God, each sparrow is precious enough for God to take notice. What more of us? Jesus tells us in the Gospel: “You are worth more than hundreds of sparrows… so there is no need to be afraid!”

So let us take heart, do not be afraid, and not be discouraged. In today’s second reading, St. Paul assures us: “If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift.” Let us courageously declare Jesus in the presence of all people, and no matter what happens, may we always remember that we are precious in God’s eyes. May we never end up regretting not trying in the first place, but be bold in our efforts, and glorify God in all we say and do.

Thursday of Week 11 Year 1

Posted on by Posted in 11th, Thursday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

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

Posted on by Posted in 11th, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

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

Posted on by Posted in 11th, Tuesday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

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

Posted on by Posted in 11th, Monday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

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

Posted on by Posted in 10th, Friday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

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

Posted on by Posted in 10th, Thursday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

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

Posted on by Posted in 10th, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 1 Leave a comment

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.