Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: 28th

Saturday of Week 28 Year 2

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Some of us can become quite animated and agitated when we discuss about a hot present issue such as what is happening in politics and the situation we are facing in the economy. We can spend lots of time trying to prove our point, or to comment with gusto on such matters which affect us. But when it comes to Jesus, do we have the same enthusiasm and zeal to share about Jesus and the Gospel to others, more so especially since Jesus is our saviour, our Lord and God? Do we acknowledge with pride and conviction Jesus’ presence in our lives before others? Do we acknowledge the difference that our Lord Jesus has made in our lives? Or have we become shy or fearful to mention about Jesus, even though He is not shy or fearful towards us?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.” Are we enthusiastic and joyful in declaring Jesus in the presence of men? May we not falter in sharing the Good News, and while doing so, give God the glory.

Saturday of Week 28 Year 1

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In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” What is this sin that could not be forgiven? This unforgivable sin is our attitude when we say, “There is no hope, God cannot forgive me.” When we have such an attitude, we are commuting the grave sin of despair, where we say that God cannot or is incapable of forgiving us. It is as if the Holy Spirit cannot do anything to change us or help us, and that we are doomed. This is blasphemy, since it denies the very core of God’s being: His love and mercy.

So what should we do? We should remember of God’s immense mercy and not have any thought of despair, since God shows His love to us even if we are sinners, His mercy is without end and greater than our sinfulness. May we not doubt God’s mercy towards us, and grow closer to Him with confidence, knowing that we have a loving and merciful God, who will care and provide for us.

Wednesday of Week 28 Year 1

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Every once in a while, I get someone coming to me for confession, but all they are saying is what others have done wrong, and they seem blameless. But are such persons really faultless, or are such persons merely being self-righteous and judgemental towards others? Some of us still fail to realise that all of us are human, and we may not know the full facts or details. Thus, why do we still insist in looking at or judging others with coloured eyes?

In today’s reading, St. Paul warns us: “No matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge. We know that God condemns that sort of behaviour impartially: and when you judge those who behave like this while you are doing exactly the same, do you think you will escape God’s judgement? Or are you abusing his abundant goodness, patience and toleration, not realising that this goodness of God is meant to lead you to repentance?”

When we judge others, even though we may have at some point of time done the same thing as what others have done, we are merely being hypocrites. May we be humble enough to admit our own failings, and learn to be compassionate and encouraging towards others, instead of trying to be self-righteous and judgmental.

Saturday of Week 28 Year 2

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When important people or VIPs (Very Important Persosn) are invited to a function or an occasion, we often recognise the presence of such important people by saying sentences like: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are proud to acknowledge the arrival and presence of so and so in our gathering tonight. Let us welcome them with a thunderous applause.” We take pride in their being with us not only for their importance and the position they hold in the community, but also for the outstanding works they may have contributed to the community, for the exemplary lives they may have lived and for the difference they may have made in the lives of many.

But when it comes to Jesus, do we have the same pride just like we have with important persons, more so especially since Jesus is our saviour, our Lord and God? Do we acknowledge with pride and conviction Jesus’ presence in our lives before others? Do we acknowledge the difference that our Lord Jesus has made in our lives? Or have we become shy or fearful to mention about Jesus, even though He is not shy or fearful towards us?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.” May we be enthusiastic and joyful in declaring Jesus in the presence of men, and give Him all the glory.

Saturday of Week 28 Year 1

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Imagine for a moment what happens when we die… We are shown a movie of our entire life. In the movie, we see all the things we did, and we also notice a number of blanks in between some parts of the movie. When asked why there seem to be such blanks in the movie of our life, Jesus tells us that these were the times when we sinned and asked for God’s mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we asked for God’s mercy and forgiveness, our sins are forgiven, and He does not remember them anymore. Such sins are finito, gone with the wind, so to speak.

In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” What is this sin that could not be forgiven? The Holy Spirit is the Advocate who is constantly beckoning us to “Turn back to our loving God.” And so the unforgivable sin is our attitude when we say, “There is no hope, God cannot forgive me.” When we have such an attitude, we are commiting the grave sin of despair, where we say that God cannot or is incapable of forgiving us. This is blasphemy, plain and simple, since it denies the very core of God’s being: His love and mercy.

So what should we do? We should constantly remind ourselves of God’s immense mercy. We should not have any thought of despair, since God shows His love to us even if we are sinners, His mercy is without end and greater than our sinfulness, and His mercy enables such blanks in the movie of our life. May we grow closer to God with confidence, knowing that we have a loving and merciful God, who will care and provide for us.

Friday of Week 28 Year 1

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A leaven is a substance used in dough and batter that causes it to rise, making the end product, be it bread, cake or some other baked item, soft and delicious to eat. While leaven is usually used for a good purpose, there is a different kind of leaven which we need to be cautious about. What leaven is that? The leaven of hypocrisy of the Pharisees, which Jesus warns us in today’s Gospel not to imitate because they give us false impressions and bad examples. For example, the Pharisees like to give alms in public. They do this only to please the crowd, not God. Now, if one follows their example, one also becomes like them because their corrupting influence, their ‘leavening effect’, corrupts and influences us to give alms for our personal glory, gratification and to boost our pride and ego, instead of giving alms for the glory of God.

Behind much hypocrisy and lying is fear. Often we are afraid of how others will react if they discover the truth about us. That is why we must not be afraid to allow “Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear.” When our inner life and hidden actions are exposed to the light of God, the light of truth, we can be set free. We can do this especially when we go for the sacrament of reconciliation, where all that we are ashamed of, all that is hidden, could be revealed and forgiven. When we do so, we have no reason to fear, because God is there to help us and guide us. Are we willing to come out of our shadows, our hypocritical ways, and let the light of God shine through us and heal us?

Thursday of Week 28 Year 1

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When we go to the dentist, one of the things that some of us dread is when the dentist uses a drill as part of a procedure to repair a tooth. The drilling can lead to a sense of being uncomfortable, or even pain, especially when the drill touches a nerve. Sometimes the dentist would give us an injection to help numb the pain, but the pain can still be felt. When we feel the pain, what do we do? Do we brave through it, or do we twist and turn violently and make a ruckus? In the same way, we sometimes come across persons who confront us and “drills” us with the truth. When we are faced with the truth, do we keep trying to live in denial or try to sweep it under the carpet, or do we face up to it, seek forgiveness, reconcile and move on.

In today’s Gospel: “When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.” The scribes and the Pharisees knew that the truth about them had been exposed, but they were stubborn, proud, egoistic and arrogant, refusing to admit their fault. Instead, they tried to put Jesus down to hide the truth. But what the scribes and the Pharisees failed to realise is that the truth would eventually prevail, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

Ultimately, we need to decide. Are we going to be like the scribes and the Pharisees, refusing to face up to the truth? Or are we willing to be humble and docile, and face up to the truth? Just like a drill can help make our tooth better, may we let God drill us, so that we would change and become better persons for His glory.

Tuesday of Week 28 Year 1

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Many of us make great efforts to keep ourselves clean, tidy and pleasant smelling. We bathe regularly, use expensive perfumes, apply make-up, put on good looking clothes, and do many other things of this sort, to make a good impression and keep up a good appearance. After all, we would not want to emit body odour and feel embarrassed in the presence of others, and we would not want to appear unkempt. But all these efforts to maintaining cleanliness are merely external cleanliness. What about our internal cleanliness, that is, the cleanliness of our soul?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus admonished the Pharisees when he said: “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.” The Pharisees were more interested in appearing to be good and holy, and they observed many practices to appear to be clean, but they neglected in keeping their spiritual sides clean. In the same way, we too could be appearing be clean, but we may be neglecting to keep our souls clean from the stain of sin. Are we interested in only external appearance, which is temporary? Or have we made effort to remain clean internally, by keeping our souls clean from sin?

Monday of Week 28 Year 1

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People become Catholics or Christians due to a variety of reasons, and after baptism, they are encouraged to live out and practice their faith in many different ways. Some do so by getting involved in different church ministries such as Ministers of Hospitality, Lectors, Commentators, Catechists and many others. Some do so by reaching out to the poor, providing them with basic necessities. Some do so by getting involved in works of mercy or charitable deeds, such as visiting the sick in hospital, praying for them, visiting prisons and much more. But what is the most important duty a Christian or Catholic is bound to do?

Our primary duty as Christians or Catholics is to preach the Good News, as Paul says in today’s reading. This means that preaching the Good News is not only meant for religious leaders, since each and every Christian is expected to do his or her part in preaching the Good News, in one form or another. One need not go far or to some remote place to preach the Good News, since even in our homes or housing area, we would come across many who may have not heard the Good News. Are we doing our part with joy, perseverance and consistency, or have we been slacking or trying to to shirk our responsibilities?

Friday of Week 28 Year 2

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Are you a hypocrite? Do you do things for show, or do you practise what you preach? People are hypocrites when they are not being real, they put on a show but in actuality are not who or what they really are, and do not practise what they preach. Could you be guilty of hypocrisy in some form?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us to “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear.” We need to be truthful and honest about ourselves: are we really being who we are? Are we saying and doing things for our own benefit and glory, or just to sound good or look good, or just to please others? Are we being blind guides and causing others to stray? We may think we can run, but we cannot hide forever. One day we would need to give an account of our attitude, behaviour and conduct. When that happens, what would the consequences be? Jesus cautions us in the Gospel: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell.” Let us thus be true, be real, be genuine in what we say and do, and make every effort and without pretense to walk humbly in God’s presence, learning to love all, while trusting and depending on Him.