Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: 19th

Friday of Week 19 Year 2

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If you find out that your husband or wife has been unfaithful and has prostituted himself or herself, all for the sake of money, would you forgive him or her? What if you find out your girlfriend has become pregnant because of her loose living which you discovered, would you forgive her? It seems easy to say that we forgive, and we recite such words when we pray the Our Father. But are we willing to put into action what we say by genuinely forgiving those who hurt us, just as God forgives us our trespasses?

In today’s reading, we are reminded of how loving and forgiving God is: “The Lord says this: ‘Jerusalem, I will treat you as you deserve, you who have despised your oath even to the extent of breaking a covenant, but I will remember the covenant that I made with you when you were a girl, and I will conclude a covenant with you that shall last for ever… I am going to renew my covenant with you; and you will learn that I am the Lord, and so so remember and be covered with shame, and in your confusion be reduced to silence, when I have pardoned you for all that you have done – it is the Lord who speaks.'” God is willing to forgive us, no matter how bad we have been. If God is willing to forgive us, should we not do the same towards others?

Thursday of Week 19 Year 2

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How do we treat our family members and friends? What about our enemies? How do we treat them? Do we treat them as persons, to be loved, respected and with dignity; or do we treat them as things, to be used, abused, and discarded? Unfortunately, some of us treat different people differently according to who and what they are, even though we claim to be Christians. For example, we treat our family members well, but how do we treat the maid or servant in our homes? Do we treat them as persons, or do we make them work our monies worth?

In today’s Gospel, the king initially treated the servant as a thing, and since the servant could not pay his debt, the king thought he had every right to sell of the servant and the servant’s family, to repay the debt. The servant was just like any other thing or commodity, to be bought and sold at leisure. But when the servant pleaded to the king for mercy, the king had a change of heart and treated the servant as a person, with compassion and mercy. So the servant was given back some dignity, and he should have done the same for his fellow servant. But this servant was ungrateful, since the dignity restored to him was not shared with his fellow servant, and in the end, this servant ended up worse than before, for failing to treat his fellow servant with the same dignity his master had treated him.

What about us? Are we treating others with the same dignity that God treats us? Do we treat the people who serve us, who work in our homes as maids, who do many things to make our lives comfortable, with love and dignity? God treats all of us with love and dignity regardless of who we are or what sort of status we have in society; may we too learn to do the same.

Tuesday of Week 19 Year 2

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What does it mean to be great? Some of us may think that to be great, we must have lots of money and property. Some of us may think that to be great, we must be highly educated. Some of us may think that to be great, we must have lots of titles and honours. But what is greatness really?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus taught His disciples: “‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'” Like little children, when we learn to be humble and depend on our Heavenly Father for His help, guidance and providence, then we are learning what greatness really means. We begin to realise that being great is not for ourselves, but for the glory of God. May we strive to do God’s will, and in all we do give God the glory.

Monday of Week 19 Year 2

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It is easy for some of us to begin to demand certain rights and privileges, just because we think we are entitled to them. But there are times where we could set aside certain rights as a form of showing good example or witnessing to others.

In today’s Gospel, we see the collectors of the half-shekel questioning Peter on whether Jesus pays the half-shekel. Jesus is actually exempted as the temple is the house of God and he is the Son of God. However, Jesus chose to forgo his right to be exempted and had the tax paid so that his exercising his right would not be a stumbling block to the temple collectors and others. He sent Peter fishing to demonstrate that he was in fact Lord over all creation, having the power to know which fish had a shekel in its mouth, just enough to pay the tax for the two of them. Moreover, Jesus’ willingness to pay the tax shows his submission to the law of God. He told Peter to take the shekel and “give it to them for me and for you.” Here, we see that Jesus made a distinction between himself as the exempted son and Peter as the non-exempted subject, and yet still followed the law of God as an example to others.

What about us? Are we still demanding our rights? If Jesus, son of God, is willing to forgo His rights and pay the temple tax, would we be willing to do the same? May we do what is right, even if it involves forgoing certain rights, for the glory of God.

Housekeeping – Week 19 Year 2

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

7 Aug 2016 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
8 Aug 2016 – Monday of Week 19 Year 2
9 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 19 Year 2
10 Aug 2016 – Saint Laurence, Deacon, Martyr – Feast
11 Aug 2016 – Thursday of Week 19 Year 2
12 Aug 2016 – Friday of Week 19 Year 2

Friday of Week 19 Year 2

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Some of us sometimes forget who we are and where we come from. Some of us become easily upset or angry when someone has hurt us and some of us even begin to curse such persons, or even plot revenge. How many of us have truly learnt to be forgiving, to reconcile, and to move on? Sometimes it is due to our pride, prejudice and ego that makes it difficult for us to forgive, reconcile and move on. That is why we need to learn to have patience and humility, so that we would learn to forgive others their trespasses just as God forgives us our trespasses.

In today’s reading, we are reminded of how loving and forgiving God is: “The Lord says this: ‘Jerusalem, I will treat you as you deserve, you who have despised your oath even to the extent of breaking a covenant, but I will remember the covenant that I made with you when you were a girl, and I will conclude a covenant with you that shall last for ever… I am going to renew my covenant with you; and you will learn that I am the Lord, and so so remember and be covered with shame, and in your confusion be reduced to silence, when I have pardoned you for all that you have done – it is the Lord who speaks.'” Despite the many sins Jerusalem had committed, God was still willing to be merciful, loving and forgiving. What about us? Are we willing and able to follow God’s example and do the same?

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

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Different people have got different kinds of fear. Some fear the dark; some fear insects, spiders, lizards (especially those known as geckos or “cicak” in Malay, that reside in houses) or other creepy crawlies; some fear their husbands or wives due to one reason or another; some fear to lose, even in small or insignificant matters; and some fear heights. Among the many reasons people may be fearful of, I believe one which is quite common is the fear of death or dying. Many people do not like to talk about death or think about death. Perhaps, they think that if they do not talk about it or think about it, it would not happen. But the fact is, death will happen, and we cannot avoid death. It can come at any time and at any place.

Since we cannot avoid death, what do we do then? Do we try to run and hide somewhere, trembling and worrying ourselves silly? Of course not! We must, as Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, “stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” We should not be caught off guard but always be prepared and be ready. Jesus also reassures us: “There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.” We shouldn’t be afraid of death,  since death reminds us that there is a beginning and end to our physical life; that we need to pay attention to our relationship with others, especially with our family members and friends, during our short time on earth; that power, riches and popularity are all temporary, and we should remain humble; that we are humans, we are weak and we ultimately need to rely on God for everything; and that we should look seriously into our spiritual life and keep our soul clean and ready to meet the Lord and be with Him.

Moreover, the second reading reminds us that “only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen.” Some of us fear death because we fear the unknown, and we do not know what is going to happen to us. But faith gives us the answer. Faith tells us that God will never abandon us and that God will make us a home for us with him in heaven.

Therefore, let us have faith and confidence that God will care for us. If we trust in Him and prepare ourselves consistently and faithfully with hope and humility, then we should not have any reason to fear death, since we are only strangers and nomads on earth in search of our real homeland, a better homeland, our heavenly homeland.

Friday of Week 19 Year 1

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Different people have got different views about what a marriage is all about. Some think that it is ok for people to marry, and then if they find that they have differences that they supposingly cannot resolve, then they should divorce. Others, including the Catholic Church, insist that there is no such thing as a divorce and that couples should make every effort to reconcile their differences and seek help where necessary to maintain their marriage. Why is the Catholic Church so strict about marriages where some other denominations have relaxed the rules?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminded the Pharisees and reminds us too: “Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.”

This is why, when it comes to marriages, the Catholic Church pays particular attention to the pre-marital preparation and the pre-marital course, as well as other programmes to help couples in their married lives. Getting and staying married is not like changing clothes, so the couple should be fully aware of themselves, each other, and what they are getting themselves into. Sometimes, in the process of attending a pre-marital course and making the necessary pre-marital preparations with the parish priest, the couple may discover things about each other which may not have surfaced previously. This gives the couple a chance to decide whether they are still willing to remain united with each other before the marriage takes place. After all, a wedding is only a moment in time, but a marriage is for a lifetime. So, do not play play with marriage, unless one is ready and prepared to work at it and stay committed, united and remain in love with the other, no matter what happens.

Thursday of Week 19 Year 1

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How genuine are we when it comes to forgiveness? Some of us say we forgive, but we still keep the hurt in our hearts and even dwell on it. Some of us say we forgive, but we still remember what had happened and we cannot seem to let it go. So what exactly is forgiveness then? Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well. This also means that the victim no longer allows the offense to affect him or her, and is willing to let God help him or her heal over time.

The first servant in today’s Gospel had had his debt cancelled and he was allowed to go free. But this servant obviously did not appreciate the generosity of his master. He thought that he had been given a lucky break. That is why the first servant did not seem to understand or appreciate his master’s forgiveness. Instead of learning from his master and forgiving his fellow servant by cancelling his fellow servant’s debt, he became mean, arrogant and nasty towards his fellow servant, even to the point of having his fellow servant thrown into prison. In the end, this unforgiving servant ended up in prison himself, and his master in anger and disgust “handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt.”

We ask God for forgiveness whenever we sin, but have we been just as forgiving to others, just as God is forgiving to us? May we take heed and be warned, that we too may end up in prison just like that unforgiving servant, as Jesus cautions us: “And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.”

Wednesday of Week 19 Year 1

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Many of us want quick solutions to our problems. This is often because we are so used to having many things done for us instantly. For example, we want to get money, we go to the ATM and withdraw the amount we require. We also have instant coffee, instant tea, instant noodles and so many other instant things which supposingly makes life easier. However, when it comes to relationships, could we ever have instant relationships? Would we be happy with a relationship where it is touch and go, or we hardly know the other, or the relationship is just shallow, sort of more like an acquaintance than a true friend type of relationship? Surely not. I believe most of us would want a lasting, happy, healthy and meaningful relationship.

This is why, in today’s Gospel, we are reminded about how we should deal with people, especially when there is a problem or issue at hand. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us: “If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.” This means that we should not expect instant solutions or jump the gun and go straight to a higher authority without dealing with the other party first. Thus, if we really and truly value our relationships, let us be mindful of how we treat others, since we too would want to be treated fairly, justly and with proper dignity.