Faithfulness and Love

Author Archives: Andrew Kooi

Friday of Week 23 Year 1

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It is easy for some of us to find fault with other people. Some of us begin to see only the imperfect or less desirable things about others, instead of acknowledging their strengths and capabilities. One reason why people look down upon others or only know how to find fault with others is because the person himself or herself is insecure and unwilling to come to terms with one’s own faults. So to try and cover up their own faults, the person would project such faults on others. But sometimes, the person’s own faults would be exposed, and when confronted, they may become even more insecure and agitated. Quite often, this stems from the fact that the person is too proud or egoistic or even having some sort of inferiority complex, making it difficult for the person to be humble enough to admit one’s faults and change for the better.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus admonishes us when He says: “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.” Perhaps we should learn to be less proud and egoistic and learn to be more humble, so that we could learn to grow into better persons as we grow closer in relationship with God. Nobody is perfect and if we think we are perfect, then we may be like gods and we may think that we do not need God. Our pride and ego will not help us in the long run, so instead of trying so hard and remaining so stubborn in our present circumstances, let us be willing to let go and let God be our guide and help. After all, what good is all the pride and ego in the world to us, if it would only lead us to eternal ruin in the end?

Thursday of Week 23 Year 1

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Each and every one of us may have experienced conflict at some point of our lives. Sometimes the conflict could be a really small matter, nothing serious, and should be amicably resolved in short time. Sometimes the conflict could be of a more serious issue, and we may need more time to resolve it, but ultimately, we need to employ Christian charity and forgiveness, and not let such an issue blow out of proportion. As some of us may have heard, “let us not make a mountain out of a mole hill.” In other words, we should be courageous, kind, firm and forgiving in getting the conflict settled, instead of adding more fuel to the fire and making things worse.

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.”

We should remember that when we pray the Our Father or the Lord’s Prayer, we are also asking God to be our guide, our providence and also to forgive the many trespasses we may have committed. But at the same time, we too should do the same towards others, as St. Paul reminds us. Are we compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and loving enough to forgive and love others, just as God has forgiven us and loves us immensely?

Wednesday of Week 23 Year 1

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What does it mean to be a Christian? Being a Christian means our lives should have been totally transformed from our old ways and put on the ways of Christ. It means we are making much effort to love God and neighbour, not just with words, but also through our actions. It means that we are doing our utmost best in living a virtuous life, free from pride, prejudice, ego, malicious intentions, and a willingness to love, be humble, be docile, forgive and reconcile. All these sounds nice and good, but are we really living a Christian life, or are we only Christians in name, but living worldly lives and doing worldly things like everyone else?

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand… That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator…”

Some may say that it seems impossible to live a true Christian life, but we must not forget that to God, nothing is impossible. Yes, we will stumble and fall along the way, but we should get up and strive on, making steady progress in becoming more and more like Christ, while depending on His Grace and providence. Let us be reminded: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3).”

Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast

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Some of us may be thinking that we are nobodies, that we are small and insignificant, and we would have thought that our opinions do not matter, since we do not seem to have any clout, power, popularity or so-called authority. What we may have failed to realise is that sometimes, people who seem to be nobodies could be just as wise or even wiser in their thoughts and their conduct. Just because such people have nothing of value or significance in the eyes of the world, we may have brushed them off or not taken them seriously, when in reality, their value or significance can be seen if we look deeper with eyes of faith.

In today’s reading, we are told of Bethlehem which to the Israelites was a small and insignificant place. But as the reading tells us: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old… He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God. They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.” From what seems like such a small and insignificant place, our Saviour Jesus was born. From such a place where nobody would have given any thought of, our King of kings and Prince of Peace came forth to bring the Good News of God’s salvation to all.

This is why we should never take for granted other people. Take the example of mother Mary whose birthday we celebrate today. To others, she was just like any other Jewish girl, nothing great or important. But God made her the mother of His Son, Jesus, and mother of God. God had transformed what people think as insignificant, to become significant and important, if we look with eyes of faith and trust. Let us be thankful and grateful to God for the gift of mother Mary, and also the gift of each and every one of us, because all of us are made in His image, and we are important and significant in the eyes of God.

Monday of Week 23 Year 1

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Most of us are busy people, but we should take care not to overdo things. Sometimes we do too much at the expense of something else. Perhaps the something else could be our health, and all the effort in doing so much ends up in poor health or hefty medical bills. Perhaps the something else could be our strained relationship with family and friends. Or perhaps the something else could be our deteriorating relationship with God. We ought to remember that the Lord’s day or the Sabbath is for all Catholics to gather for Mass to be nourished by the Lord. Just as God “rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,” human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord’s Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.

That being said, we come across the scribes and the Pharisees in today’s Gospel who had extreme views about the Sabbath. Any logical and decent human being would have concurred with Jesus by doing good and to save life on the Sabbath, if and when the need arises. But not the scribes and Pharisees, since these folks were so extreme and stubborn that not a single thing could be done during the Sabbath. Jesus was amazed with their attitude, and He still went ahead to cure the man with the withered hand. Naturally, this did not go well with the scribes and the Pharisees, and they began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.

Sometimes we too could be just as guilty like the scribes and the Pharisees. Some of us could be doing unnecessary things on the Sabbath, while others may be doing absolutely nothing, not even good things, like the scribes and the Pharisees. Have some of us forgotten that ultimately, what God wants is “mercy, not sacrifice?”

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

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Among the many senses which most of us have which we often take for granted are the ability to hear and the ability to speak. If we are unable to see, we can still get around on our own by using our ears, sense of smell and other senses which would have been further heightened and enhanced as we get older. If we are unable to hear but our other senses are intact, we could still survive by using sign language and other forms of communication, including reading another person’s lips to somewhat understand what the person is saying. If we are unable to speak, we could also depend on other forms of communication to survive. But just imagine if one is born mute and deaf, or become that way due to some illness. Life would certainly be quite difficult to live, since one would be dependent on others for almost everything.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute. This healing could be seen from a different perspective, that is, it can be seen as a symbolic model of the process of evangelisation, or spreading the Good News about Jesus. The apostles heard the Word of God and then went out and spoke about it to everyone. These people heard the apostles preaching and they in turn went and spoke about it to all their friends. Eventually the Good News reached the entire world.

Today, however, we may be in danger of losing the faith that the apostles gave their lives to hand on. Many people are abandoning the faith. The Good News is that God so loved the world that he sent his only son that we might have life, but many of us are not “hearing” it and are not sharing it. Why are we not sharing it? Because many of us may have become so preoccupied in our lives with so many other things, that we would have forgotten how urgent it is for the Good News to be preached. Some of us may have become deaf to the Good News, and some of us may have become mute in sharing it, whereas some of us may have even become both deaf and mute to the Good News.

To heal the deaf and mute man in the Gospel, Jesus took him away from the crowd. Jesus could have just willed that the man be healed, but instead He touched him. He put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. He then spoke a seemingly magic word… ephphatha which means “be open”, and the man was healed. Similarly, Jesus may be calling you to come away and touch each of us as well, so that our ears and tongue would “be open” and enable us to hear clearly and speak clearly once again, so that we too would be healed and be able to confidently and courageously go forth and preach the Good News. Are we willing to be healed by Jesus and go forth to preach the Good News with renewed vigour?

Housekeeping – Week 22 Year 1

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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

30 Aug 2015 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
31 Aug 2015 – Monday of Week 22 Year 1
1 Sept 2015 – Tuesday of Week 22 Year 1
2 Sept 2015 – Wednesday of Week 22 Year 1
3 Sept 2015 – Thursday of Week 22 Year 1
4 Sept 2015 – Friday of Week 22 Year 1

Friday of Week 22 Year 1

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Change and progress is never easy for some. Some people generally prefer to remain as they are, keeping the status quo, doing as they have been doing for donkey years, sticking to what is familiar. Such people view new insights or new teaching with much suspicion, and they would often put up their defence mechanism to protect their old ways. The problem is, such people may have become so set in their old ways, that they have become a hindrance to allowing God’s voice to be heard and for true conversion of heart to take place.

That is why, in today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about not putting a new cloak to patch an old cloak, and using only new skins to store new wine. Jesus is telling us to move on from old ways to new and better ways of growing in relationship with God. He is telling us not to be too focused in only meticulously observing the law, as the scribes and Pharisees do, but to refocus in the law of loving God and loving neighbour, which was the whole idea and purpose of the law in the first place. The scribes and the Pharisees had taken what was supposed to be quite a simple law, and transformed it into lots of rituals and practices, which cause people to be bogged down in mere external practices. But Jesus, like new wineskin and new wine, was showing them and all of us too, a new and better way of living, by living the way of love.

Sometimes we too could be guilty in following the ways of the scribes and the Pharisees in what we do and how we behave towards others. Some of us are so focused in prayers and practices, which are like the old ways of the scribes and the Pharisees, instead of focusing in the new way of Christ, the way of loving all, just as God loves all. May we be humble and willing to change, so that we would be free to listen to God’s voice again, and grow deeper in relationship with Him.

Thursday of Week 22 Year 1

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Each and every one of us has got a different calling from God. Some of us are called to remain single, some are called to married life, others may be called to be priests or religious. All of these callings are not from our own efforts, but a vocation, a gift from God based on His plan for us. We can choose to respond to His call or to avoid it, for God does not force us to respond to a particular vocation or way of life.

In today’s Gospel, we come across the call of Simon Peter. When Simon Peter saw the huge amount of fish caught, “he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ For he and all his companions were completely overcome by the catch they had made; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’ Then, bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed him.” Notice that Simon Peter and his companions did respond to Jesus’ call, since they left everything and followed Him. Simon Peter might have been unsure or hesitant at first to respond to Jesus’ call, but what made him take the plunge is when Jesus said, “Do not be afraid.”

If we are called today to serve the Lord in a particular vocation, let us take heed and be assured by Jesus saying, “Do not be afraid.” We may experience different storms in life, and some of us may be tempted to abandon our calling, but let us not give up or run away, since we have Jesus as our help and guide. Let us with good cheer and enthusiasm respond to our calling, so that we too in our own way, be fishers of men.

Wednesday of Week 22 Year 1

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Good and capable doctors or healers are not easy to find. When we come across one, we would do our utmost best to try and ensure the person remains in our village, town or even city. Many would flock to such a person for treatment, making it less likely for the person to want to move elsewhere, since such a person’s services is sorely needed. But sometimes, due to reasons other than economics or popularity, such a person may eventually need to move.

When it comes to priests and religious, they too may be quite sought after, especially when they are good and capable preachers, counsellors, teachers or spiritual guides. We try to get them to remain with us, and some may go so far as to even write to the bishop or superior petitioning that they stay, but ultimately, they may still need to go elsewhere to serve.

In today’s Gospel, the crowds went to look for Jesus, “and when they had caught up with him they wanted to prevent him leaving them, but he answered, ‘I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do.’ And he continued his preaching in the synagogues of Judaea.”

Jesus could have easily been happy and comfortable to remain in one place and do His teaching and healing there, but that would mean that He was only satisfying His personal needs. Instead, He chose to do the will of God by going to other places to teach and heal, since He was sent to proclaim the Good News to many places, not just remain in one. In the same way, we too need to realise that when a priest or religious is transferred to another place, the priest or religious would move on because he or she is doing the will of God. Instead of making it difficult for him or her to move, let us be thankful for the gift of the priest or religious for having been with us for all these years, and let us continue to pray for him or her, so that he or she would remain faithful to his or her duty and vocation.