Category Archives: 32nd

Among the many tasks that the church needs to do, the one which is paramount is to go forth and preach the Good News. This means that the church is continuously on mission to bring the Good News to all. It also means that, at times, the church needs to send persons to places further away, or even far away, to bring the Good News to others. Thus, to enable the church to fulfil its duty and task in preaching the Good News with less delay or interruptions, it is necessary that the faithful support the mission of the church, especially in funds contributed and other supporting roles, so that those doing mission could focus on their duty.

Today’s reading reminds us that “It is our duty to welcome missionaries and contribute our share to their work.” This means that we not only need to encourage and support them, we also need to see to their upkeep and for other works of charity they may endeavour. As we know, doing God’s work involves expenses, as nothing is free, and the more we are willing to contribute to missionary efforts, the more people can be sent to reach out to others, especially in areas where some of us may not be able to go ourselves.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: are we contributing willingly, fairly and generously for the growth of the church and for its missionary efforts? Sometimes the little extra we offer could go a long way towards helping the church to continue in its efforts in bringing the Good News to all. May we be willing to give generously, just as God has been generous to us in many ways.

Many of us are so used to having things or services done quite quickly, so much so that when we have to wait for a few minutes or for a while to get what we want, some of us may become quite impatient, or angry, or even give up waiting and go elsewhere, thinking that other places would be faster in their services.But the reality is that there are also many situations in life where we have no choice but to wait patiently, since such situations take time. For example, if we want to renovate our house, we need to wait for materials and manpower to arrive, and then for the renovation to be completed properly. Also, when a couple wants to conceive a child, they need to be patient and persistent in their efforts, with hope that they would be successful.

The same situation also happens when it comes to prayer. In today’s Gospel, Jesus taught His disciples to “pray continually and never lose heart.” When we pray, we cannot expect God to answer our prayers quickly. We need to be patient and persistent in our prayer, with hope and confidence that God would answer our prayers according to His purpose and for His glory. May we never lose heart, and pray patiently, humbly and continually, and let God do what is best for us.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Some say that being a Christian means following the ways of Christ; some think that being a Christian means praying and observing church laws and precepts; some think that being a Christian means to reach out to the poor, marginalised, destitute, the lost, the little, and so on. All these efforts are good and they have their purpose, but perhaps one area which some of us should look at is supporting the mission of the church, especially in funds contributed and other supporting roles, so that those doing mission could focus on their duty.

Today’s reading reminds us that “It is our duty to welcome missionaries and contribute our share to their work.” This means that we not only need to encourage and support them, we also need to see to their upkeep and for other works of charity they may endeavour. As we know, doing God’s work involves expenses, as nothing is free, and the more we are willing to contribute to missionary efforts, the more people can be sent to reach out to others, especially in areas where some of us may not be able to go ourselves.

Thus, we need to ask ourselves: are we contributing fairly and generously for the growth of the church and for its missionary efforts? Sometimes the little extra we offer could go a long way towards helping the church to continue in its efforts in bringing the Good News to all.

There seems to be many things in life which we do not seem tired of doing. For example, we do not seem to get tired of watching tv, going for a movie, eating good food, surfing the internet, shopping, travelling, going for a holiday, socialising with friends, going for a party, attending a music concert, playing sports, and much more. All these things are fine and good, but when it comes to praying and growing in our spiritual life, how many of us are just as enthusiastic and not tired in doing so?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus taught His disciples to “pray continually and never lose heart.” Jesus reminded them, and us too, of the importance of prayer and perseverance in faith. When we are not tired of prayer and presevere in faith, then Jesus assures us: “Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily.” The question is: would we “berazam” or remain steadfast in our prayer and perseverance of faith, knowing that God would help us according to His time and for His glory?