Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: 1st

Monday of Week 1 Year 1

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What sort of leader do we look for in church? Some of us look for a leader who can speak well or have good eloquence or has as some may say, the gift of the gab. Some of us may look for someone who could be a good organiser or a capable peacemaker. Some of us may look for someone who is charismatic and able to rile up the crowd into action. But how did Jesus choose leaders? Did he look for leaders the way some of us do?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus simply saw and called out to Simon and his brother Andrew, as well as James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus did not make any grand or elaborate speech about following Him, but merely said: “Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.” We do not have much details about whether these men had previously encountered Jesus, since the Gospel does not tell us everything, but Jesus must have been quite an extraordinary person in the minds and hearts of these men to enable them to just leave everything and follow Him.

An interesting observation we could gather from today’s Gospel is this: When other leaders rein in their supporters, they are actually gathering supporters and followers for their own benefit. They call on people to follow them so that they would have the support or clout to accomplish their goals. But what we see here in Jesus is different. He called these men to follow Him so that He could form them and make them into fishers of men. By doing so, Jesus was preparing these men not for his own political or personal benefit, but for mission for the greater glory of God.

As Christians, some of us may be called into certain leadership positions in church. Let us follow the example of Jesus, and help our fellow brothers and sisters to become fishers of men, so that we as a people of God could grow in relationship with Him and help others do the same.

Friday of the 1st Week of Lent

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Are there some among us who still harbour anger and hatred towards a brother or sister? Perhaps a family member or friend may have hurt us so badly that we find it extremely difficult to forgive, reconcile and move on. We begin a tirade of excuses, justifying our enmity with such people, and we behave as if we are the victim (even though, at times, we could be just as guilty by the way we behave). The question is: how can we continue to pray in church, and especially how can we pray the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father, when we still have such rage and anger in our hearts?

Today’s Gospel reminds us: “If you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.” Why are we still so stubborn, so obstinate, so unwilling to forgive, reconcile and move on? Are we allowing pride and prejudice to rule our minds and hearts? Let us think carefully and change our behaviour and attitude, while we have the time and opportunity to do so.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent

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Whatever our needs and wants may be, are we asking God consistently and properly? Today’s Gospel tells us: “If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” We may begin to wonder, “How is it that I have been asking for this or that and yet God has not given me what I asked for?” Let us take a good look at ourselves for a moment… Are we asking God with the right intention and with humility? Or are we expecting God to do our bidding? Are we asking so that ultimately we would be glorifying His Name? Or are we asking only to glorify ourselves and look good?

Let us be reminded that God loves all of us and treats all fairly. Today’s Gospel reminds us: “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” How willing and generous are we to love and treat others well, just as God loves and treat us fairly? Let us walk humbly and lovingly before God and behave justly and lovingly towards others, with hope that He will grant our needs for His glory.

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent

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Each and every one of us is given lots of opportunities to change our lives and grow closer to God. God is not going to condemn us and throw us into hell straight away. It is through our own neglect and refusal to change that could eventually cause us to lose our heavenly reward. Some of us may think that we have plenty of time to change, and we procrastinate, thinking that our time is not up. However, are we trying to put the Lord to the test? Are we setting ourselves up for an eternity away from God? Ultimately, we have only ourselves to blame if we do not keep watch and prepare ourselves for any possibilities.

In today’s reading, we read of the people and king of Nineveh making effort and changing their ways. We are told that “God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.” What about us? Are we doing our part and renounce our evil behaviour, whatever that may be? Or have we become too proud and obstinate, refusing to change only to regret later?

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent

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How do we pray? Some of us may pray the rosary or novena to Mother Mary. Some pray the Divine Mercy prayer. Some pray the Divine Office, or part of the Divine Office like Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer). Others may be more inclined towards praise and worship. But when we pray in these ways, are we really praying, or could we be guilty of, as today’s Gospel tells us, “babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.”

Jesus taught us a simple way of praying in today’s Gospel, a prayer called the Our Father or Lord’s Prayer. The challenge in this prayer is where forgiveness is concerned. We seek forgiveness from God for the many sins we have committed, but are we willing to forgive others too? People may have hurt us, angered us, or betrayed us but are we willing and humble enough to forgive them? Easier said than done, but if we call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, let us walk the talk and learn to love and promote love to all, forgiving, reconciling and moving on.

Monday of the 1st Week of Lent

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The way we live our lives would give us a glimpse of what would happen to us ultimately when we die. Until then, we are given lots of opportunities to repent and change our lives. Are we taking such opportunities to grow closer to God and love our neighbour impartially?

Today’s Gospel presents us with two final options: eternal life or eternal punishment. Most of us would want eternal life, but are we loving God and neighbour consistently and continuously that would lead us to eternal life? There are so many obstacles along the way, and a more challenging obstacle which we face is loving our neighbour, since we can see our neighbour daily. Loving our neighbour is indeed not an easy thing, as there are many aspects of loving our neighbour which we may have neglected. Today’s Gospel gives us some examples of loving our neighbour: “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.” We may have neglected to love our neighbour in some of these examples, and if we realise this, what are we doing about it? How can we say we love God, if we pick and choose how and whom we love? God is loving to all, regardless of who they are and what they have done. Are we doing the same?

1st Sunday of Lent Year A

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When we do something wrong or make a mistake, how many of us are willing to admit it? Some of us may try to sweep it under the carpet and hope that no one would discover what we have done. Some would start putting the blame on others and try to find a scapegoat to take the blame for us. How many of us are honestly and readily willing to say we are sorry and move on?

In today’s readings, we are reminded that Adam and Eve sinned because they did not want to admit their wrong doing. Adam blamed Eve for causing him to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve blamed the serpent for tempting her into eating the fruit. It is a continuous vicious circle. You blame me, I blame you, and in the end, we may end up fighting more and more over the most trivial things, just to ensure that we appear to look good. This attitude smacks of pride and arrogance, where we refuse to acknowledge our weaknesses and be compassionate about the weaknesses of others.

Today’s Gospel paints us another picture. Jesus was able to overcome temptation from the devil. Some may say: “But He is God! Surely as God, He is beyond temptation!” However, we should not forget that Jesus is also human. As human, He could be tempted. The forms of temptation which the devil used on Jesus are dissatisfaction, pride and disobedience. But He knew that what the devil was offering Him were merely lies. When we are dissatisfied, we begin to think that God is not giving us our needs. Pride causes us to think that we are greater and more important, and our heads begin to swell. Disobedience is caused when we bow down to the Devil instead of God, and we could do so when we treat other things and objects as gods.

Jesus refused to give in to these temptations because He knew that He was God’s beloved. We too are God’s beloved. We are precious in God’s eyes. We do not need to prove ourselves to God or to anyone. God can and will provide for us. Are we willing to be humble and patient, letting God care for us and give us what we need according to His wisdom? Or are we going to continue doing things our own way? Sometimes, when we demand too much our rights, nothing will be left.

Friday of Week 1 Year 2

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“Be careful what you wish for” is an English idiom which warns us that if you get things that you desire, there may be unforeseen and unpleasant consequences. In the case of today’s reading, this idiom is clearly relevant.

The Israelites were not happy and not content with Samuel leading them, and as a result were not happy to be ruled by God. They wanted an earthly king, despite the fact that they had God, a much more powerful and dependable king. Samuel was not happy with their request and even warned them of the consequences of seeking an earthly king, but they just did not want to listen. The Israelites still wanted an earthly king. So Samuel, with the permission of God, gave them a king. The rest, as we know it, is history. Time and again we see how many of the Israelite kings failed in their responsibilities and brought grief to the nation, even leading them into exile.

What about us? Are we letting ourselves be ruled by an earthly king? Or have we learnt to depend on our eternal king? Are we still stubborn in thinking that our earthly kings can really help us grow and prosper? Or are we willing to humbly walk in the presence of our eternal king, who we can depend on in this world and in the next? Indeed, “be careful what you wish for,” for sometimes what we want may not necessarily be good for us.

Thursday of Week 1 Year 2

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Sometimes we ask God for things, and when we don’t get what we want, we begin to try to bargain with God. Some of us may even resort to other forms of help, including bomohs, feng shui, divinations, seances, etc, hoping that we would still get what we want. Some of us may get angry and upset that God seems mean or stingy, not wanting to help us. However, the point is this: are we trying to control God? Must God grant our desires at all times? Because if we expect God to do our bidding, then we become a god. We become more powerful than God.

Today’s reading shows us that Israel tried to force God to help them win their battles against the Philistines. They brought the ark of God to their camp, thinking that God will have no choice but to protect them and help them. However, as we see at the end of the reading, God will not kow tow to their bidding. God helps them according to His terms, not according to their demands. Even if the ark is captured at that point of time, God is not perturbed. What about us? Are there times we have been guilty in trying to make God answer our prayers? Have we forgotten who we are? Let us take heed and let God be God, fully trusting that He loves us and knows what is best for us.

Wednesday of Week 1 Year 2

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Are you being called by God to a particular way of life? Some of us may be called to married life, some to religious life, others to the priesthood. How do we know that we are being called? Today’s reading shows us one way that God may call us. Here, God called Samuel 3 times. At first, Eli did not have a clue who was calling the boy Samuel, and Samuel himself too did not have a clue, for “Samuel had as yet no knowledge of the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” It was only at the third time that “Eli then understood that it was the Lord who was calling the boy.”

God may be calling us to a particular way of life, just as He called Samuel. Have we discovered which way of life is God calling us to? Have we spoken to others who may be able to advise us? Are we ready to respond, like Samuel: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” In this world with so many distractions and attractions, it may be difficult to hear the voice of God calling us. Let us open our hearts and listen earnestly, that we may discover His call.