For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
23 Nov 2014 – Christ the King Year A
24 Nov 2014 – Monday of Week 34 Year 2
25 Nov 2014 – Tuesday of Week 34 Year 2
26 Nov 2014 – Wednesday of Week 34 Year 2
27 Nov 2014 – Thursday of Week 34 Year 2
28 Nov 2014 – Friday of Week 34 Year 2
If God were to call you today to give an account of your life, where would you stand? Would you find yourself in the book of life? Would you be able to be with Him for eternity? What sort of life have you been living up to this point of time?
In today’s reading, John had a vision where he “saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.” John also saw in his vision a burning lake which is the second death “and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.”
While we should not become too paranoid and fearful with the contents of this reading, we should also not neglect our relationship with God. In life, we may have focused much on worldly matters, at the expense of growing closer in relationship with God. Perhaps we should consider what really is important to us, and change our lives for the betterment of our eternal future.
What do you fear most? Some people are afraid of the dark. When they are in a dark place, their imagination starts to run wild and they try to get to a lighted place as quickly as possible. Some people are afraid of thunder and lightning. Some people are afraid of dying, and they go through great lengths in caring for their health, hoping to prolong their lives as much as possible. As Christians, should we be fearful or should we be trusting and hopeful?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus paints us a picture of troubles and dangers to come when He says: “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.” For those who have let fear taken over their lives, such a message may seem like we are doomed. But Jesus did not stop there. He continues: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” Instead of being fearful of problems, calamnities and persecution in this world, we should be hopeful and confident that God will protect us and liberate us. Let us continue to remain in His friendship, knowing that with Him by our side, who can be against us.
Patience and perseverance are two attributes which perhaps some of us need to nurture as we journey through this life. Some of us may have become so used to getting things done quickly, or some may have become so used to getting results instantly, that we may have forgotten the meaning of being patient and to persevere. When we do not achieve or get things done quickly the way some of us are used to, some of us may feel frustrated and some may even give up. But life is not just about doing things quickly, life is not just about instant this or instant that, life is especially about building relationship with God and with others, and building a relationship is never an instant effort. It takes time and dedication to be closer to God and with others.
In today’s Gospel, we are reminded that we “will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.” When we are faced with such trials and tribulations, let us strive to be patient and persevere in remaining in good relationship with God, for all these trials and tribulations are only temporary. Are we willing to endure patiently, with perseverance, and joyfully, even to the point of being put to death, for the greater glory of God?
Does anyone of us know when we will die? Surely not. We do not know exactly when we would die. All we know is that some day, we will die. Many factors could contribute to how long we would be on this earth, but ultimately, only God knows when it would be time for us to leave this life. Likewise, we would not know when the world would end. Sometimes we come across folks who claim to know when the world would end, but we should not be so easily duped by such folks. Some of these folks would use various scare tactics or so called bible passages to sound convincing with the intention to make us give up our wealth and possessions. The irony is, if the world is “really” going to end, shouldn’t these folks be preparing themselves spiritually and helping others to prepare themselves spiritually too, instead of fleecing others and then making a run for it? Just as only God knows when we would die, the same principle applies to when the world would end.
This is why, in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.” If we have trust and confidence in God, then there is no reason for us to worry or fret. What is more important is that we make every effort to remain in good relationship with God and with others. Regardless of what happens, God will care for us, if we place our trust in Him and continue to walk in His ways.
Some of us say that we trust in God. The question is: do we have full and complete trust, or selective trust, or partial trust? Some of us say we trust in God, but we have doubts whether God would really help us. Some of these people may go to other sources such as mediums, feng shui, bomohs, medicine men, or some other means, thinking that if God does not really help them, they think at least they have a backup plan. But do these other sources really help, or are they merely harming us in one way or another? How many of us are willing to have full and complete trust in God’s providence?
In today’s Gospel, we see the generosity of the poverty-stricken widow who was willing to put in from the little she had, all she had to live on. Others put in what they could spare, or what was convenient to them, but this poverty-stricken widow had full and complete trust in God’s providence and surrendered all that she had.
What about us? How generous are we in giving our time and wealth to God? Are we willing to have full and complete trust in God’s providence, and just like the poverty-stricken widow, give all that we have to God? Or have we become more and more concerned about safe-guarding or increasing our wealth and abilities for ourselves, and become more and more calculative towards giving to God and to others? Sometimes we come across people who expect the church to do a lot of things for them, but they refuse or are reluctant or are unwilling to do things for the church, or they do as little as possible. God is generous towards all of us and loves all of us abundantly. Are we willing to be just as generous in return?
What sort of lives have we been living thoughout this year? Have we been living only for ourselves and perhaps for our immediate family members? Or have we been living a life of compassion and love towards our neighbour, especially the poor, the destitude, the needy, etc.? Do we know who is our neighbour? When the Son of Man comes in his glory as mentioned in today’s Gospel, would we be among those to whom He says: “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”?
Our faith cannot be kept under wraps or only for ourselves. Our faith should lead to good works, so that all may see and give praise to God. Jesus is our King, but He is not the sort of king who only cares for himself and for his inner circle, He cares for each and every one of us. He has shown us the kind of faith that we ought to live and we are encouraged to follow His example. We hope that one day, we would hear Him say to us: “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
As we come to the end of this liturgical or church year, let us reflect on how we have been and the kind of life we have lived. Let us also strive to give our all to Jesus, and let Him be our help and guide, so that He, our God may be all in all.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
16 Nov 2014 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
17 Nov 2014 – Monday of Week 33 Year 2
18 Nov 2014 – Tuesday of Week 33 Year 2
19 Nov 2014 – Wednesday of Week 33 Year 2
20 Nov 2014 – Thursday of Week 33 Year 2
21 Nov 2014 – Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
There are several words, practices or beliefs in our Christian faith which cannot be explicitly found in the Bible. For example, the word “Trinity” is not specifically mentioned anywhere in the Bible, but Christians still believe that our God is a Trinitarian God or a Trinity. Likewise, the word “Christmas” is not found anywhere in the Bible, but many Christians celebrate Christmas to remind us of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just because a word is not found in the Bible, does that mean it is not true? No. This is because many of these words, practices or beliefs are what we call “Sacred Tradition” which Christians have accepted from the earliest times.
The Memorial of the presentation of Mary in the Temple is another belief among Catholics which is not found in the Bible but from sources other than the Bible. It is found in an extra-biblical source called the Infancy Narrative of James. According to that text, Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne had been childless, but then they received a message from heaven that they would have a child. In thanksgiving, they brought the child Mary to the Temple to consecrate her to the Lord. It is believed that Mary remained in the Temple to be formed and prepared for her role as the Mother of God. This feast shows that even in her childhood Mary was completely dedicated to God. It is from this account that arose the Memorial of Mary’s Presentation.
From this Memorial, we are reminded of our presentation, dedication and consecration to God when we were baptised. We were transformed from an old self to a new self, to be God’s chosen children. As God’s children, our duty is to go forth to preach the Good News and to present our lives as an offering that is pleasing to God. Just as Mary fulfilled her mission to bring Jesus Christ into the world, we too are called, chosen and sent to fulfil our mission in bringing His message into the world. Are we following Mary’s example and doing our part earnestly, diligently and joyfully?
Opportunities come and go. We can choose to seize such opportunities, or we can choose to ignore them and let them go by. Some have become so used to certain ways, habits or behaviours that they are resistant to change. Such people refuse to accept good opportunities to enhance themselves or to change for the better, preferring to remain as status quo. But how long can such people remain as they are? There may come a time they would be replaced or retired, so that new ways and new blood could be introduced. In our faith journey, we may also become stagnant if we refuse to change. God gives us many opportunities to grow closer in relationship with Him, and it is up to us to seize such opportunities, or end up being left behind.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus had every reason to shed tears over Jerusalem. The Jews had heard the message of Jesus but His message of peace did not sink into their hearts. The Jews did not heed the signs that God gave them because of their stubbornness and refusal to change. As a result, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, and the Jews who attempted to revolt against the Romans were destroyed and crushed. We too may suffer a similar fate, if we procrastinate or remain obstinate in our ways. God is patient and loving to all of us, and He gives us many opportunities to build a deeper and closer relationship with Him. We can choose to walk humbly in His ways, or choose to do things our way. Let us be mindful of the consequences of our actions.
