Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: 3rd

Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent

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Pride can be the downfall of many. When a person becomes proud, he or she slowly begins to lose the ability to reason, to accept mistakes and correction, to change, to forgive and seek forgiveness, and even to love unconditionally. People who gradually become proud begin to think that only their ways or thoughts matter, and others are perceived as a threat or unwanted competition. Such people may begin to find ways and means to put others down, or belittle them, or in some cases even to the point of committing ‘assassination’ of character or taken to the extreme, having the other killed so as to protect one’s interest. Such is the danger of being consumed with pride, that other sins and vile acts could begin to occur.

In today’s Gospel, we come across some people who have become so proud of themselves, their ways, and their capabilities, that Jesus was seen as a threat to them. They just could not accept Jesus or His teachings and everything Jesus did was seen as bad or threatening to them. Such people even went to the extent of saying: “It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.” A normal, sane, and thinking person would not associate the devil casting our devils, since such utterance is illogical, absurd and makes one look and sound foolish. But herein lies the problem: when a person is proud; jealousy and anger creeps in when one believes that one’s status or ability is being challenged. In response to their silly statements, Jesus admonished these people, saying: “Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – Since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you.” But were these people willing to see error in their ways? No, pride had already coloured their vision, and they preferred to remain in their comfort zone and carry on merrily in their ways instead of changing and returning to God’s ways.

We too could fall into the same trap as these people, if we allow ourselves to dwell in pride, since pride could rear its ugly head in many ways and forms. May we be watchful and learn to grow in humility, so that we could grow closer in relationship with our loving God.

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

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Do you want to live? Or would you prefer to die? Many of you may be thinking… what a silly question! Of course many of you would say that you would want to live, and some would say that they would want to live as long as possible. So what do we need to do to help us increase our lifespan? Some may think that it would be necessary to have a healthy diet. Others may think that physical exercise and regular check-ups with the doctor would help. But what sort of life are we trying to prolong here? Are we only concerned about life here on earth?

In today’s reading, Moses said to the people: “Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you….But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children.” At first glance, we can deduce that Moses is giving the people a pep talk, and encouraging them to be faithful and remain close in relationship with God, so that they would one day come to the promised land. But for us Christians, our promised land is not a place here on earth. Our promised land is to be with God in heaven. Are we faithfully, diligently and consistently doing our part to “take notice of the laws and customs” and even “tell them to your children and to your children’s children” so that we would reach our promised land?

Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

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“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” are the words from the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father which we pray on many occasions. We pray the Lord’s Prayer during Mass, when we pray the rosary, during a wedding, funeral or even a baptism service, and during many other liturgical services. But some of us do not seem to understand or appreciate what it really means to forgive and to receive forgiveness. Some of us say we forgive, but in our hearts we are still keeping the hurt or anger and allowing such hurt and anger to fester in us, to consume us, and lead us to even greater bitterness and hatred.

But what exactly does it mean to forgive? To forgive means we are making a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. 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. If we receive forgiveness from God, we must give it to others who hurt us. When we forgive, we cannot hold grudges or seek revenge. We are to trust God for justice and forgive the person who offended us. That does not mean we must forget the offense, since sometimes that is beyond our power, but we should not linger in the memory of the offense or allow the thought about the offense to consume us and continue to hurt or destroy us. Forgiveness means releasing the other from blame, leaving the event in God’s hands, and moving on.

This is where the unforgiving servant in today’s Gospel did not get the point. He thought that he had been given a lucky break when his master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Instead of being grateful and thankful for his master’s generosity, charity and benevolence, and instead of following his master’s example towards his fellow servant, he became arrogant and nasty, refusing to forgive the other servant who owed him way much less than what he owed his master, and even had the gall to throw his fellow servant into prison till he should pay his debt. This caused his master to become furious and as the Gospel tells us: “”You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt.”

What about us? Are we still like that wicked and unforgiving servant, expecting God and others to forgive us, but refusing to forgive others? Do we treat forgiveness lightly or as a lucky break, and think that we can do as we please towards others? As the Gospel also reminds and cautions us, we will be responsible and liable to repay our debts if we refuse to forgive others: “And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.”

Monday of the 3rd Week of Lent

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Misunderstandings and ill-feelings sometimes occur when people do not communicate well or when people do not get the actual message. Sometimes the misunderstanding could be because the one who receives the message does not know or is not aware that the message is not for him or her; sometimes it could be misinterpreted due to limitations in language (as some say, “lost in translation”); sometimes it could simply be because the person who receives the message is edgy or quite easily aroused over the smallest things, possibly due to pride, fear, or even lacking of trust; sometimes it could just be a case of not listening, thinking and executing, but just hearing and doing.

When the king of Aram sent Naaman to the king of Israel, the message given to him in the form of a letter was actually meant for Elisha, but possibly due to a misunderstanding of the message, the king of Israel thought that the king of Aram was trying to pick a quarrel with him, since he tore his garments and exclaimed: “Am I a god to give death and life,’ he said ‘that he sends a man to me and asks me to cure him of his leprosy? Listen to this, and take note of it and see how he intends to pick a quarrel with me.” But Elisha admonished the king for doing such a silly thing, called Naaman to come to him, and had Naaman cured after Naaman immersed himself seven times in the Jordan. This led Naaman to realise “that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.”

Sometimes we too do not listen carefully to what we are told. We just hear and scoot off, only to come back feeling sheepish or embarrassed for not getting the gist of the message. Just as the king of Israel was too quick to jump into conclusions, Naaman himself too was at first too quick to jump into conclusions when he felt Elisha was not willing to cure him directly or immediately. It was only after he did what Elisha told him that Naaman was completely cured.

What about us? Do we take time and effort to listen carefully to what we are told? Do we discern carefully what God is telling us? Sometimes it just takes a bit of patience, humility and perseverance to truly understand the message. Let us not so easily jump the gun or jump into conclusions, so that we will be crystal clear on what we have listened.

3rd Sunday of Lent Year B

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How much do we value our places of worship? How much do we care about our churches? Also, how much do we care about ourselves as a Christian community? Are we coming to church only to fulfil our Sunday obligation and nothing more? Do we take care of the surroundings and the inside of the parish church we go to? Do we care about our Christian community and find ways and means to help it grow spiritually? Or has our church become a place of gossip; a place where we throw rubbish and other items we have just used (such as tissue paper, sweet wrappings and other items) or have no use of; a place of selling and buying of religious articles (or in some cases, even a place where business or other commercial dealings take place); or even a place for other activities instead of being a house of prayer and the dwelling place of God?

Among the Jews, the Temple was a sacred institution. It provided them physical space to offer worship and sacrifices, and also symbolised the very presence of God. For a Jew, the Temple became a sign that God had not abandoned his people, despite their failures, iniquities and weaknesses. The Temple therefore occupied a very central place in the Jewish religion. That is why in today’s Gospel, Jesus was so upset when he found people using the Temple for business purposes rather than for religious purposes.

As a result of the temple being misused and being turned into another commercial place, Jesus became quite angry and chased away all those money-changers, sellers and even the cattle and sheep as well from the Temple, saying: “‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.” This caused the Jews to become even more determined to plot to get rid of Him. But what gave Jesus the courage to do what no other person could dare do? “Zeal for your house will devour me,” are the Old Testament words that came to the minds of the disciples after seeing Jesus in action. Here is someone who is so passionate about truth, justice, fairness and right-conduct such that he is ready to challenge the religious leaders of his time in order to promote these values. Here is someone who is ready to die for his values.

Today, Jesus is looking for men and women of integrity who are willing and ready to serve, are courageous, committed and ready to stand up to challenge evil practices, immoral conduct and other vile acts, no matter the cost. He is challenging all of us to do what is right and proper in our lives and in our churches, so that others may see what it means to be a Christian. There is a time and place for everything, and we should strive to ensure that our churches and we too do not end up like what happened to the Temple. Let us pray that the same zeal that led Jesus to the cross and beyond may also fill our hearts and enable us to seek justice and fairness regardless of the cost to ourselves. Let us make our own these words: “Zeal for your house will devour me!”

Friday of Week 3 Year 1

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Whenever we face troubles or persecution because of our faith, some of us may be tempted to give up or give in. The lures and temptations of riches, wealth, status and power are certainly a challenge for us to keep at bay. But we need to truthfully ask ourselves: are we looking for temporary gratification here on earth, or do we seek that which is eternal? Our persecutors could use all sorts of dirty tricks, ways and means to try and make us fall, but are we willing to be steadfast, firm and hold on to our faith at all costs?

Today’s reading gives us some words of encouragement to hold on and persevere: “Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised. Only a little while now, a very little while, and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay. The righteous man will live by faith, but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him. You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.” If we believe in the promises of Jesus, we should not waver or cheapen ourselves into submitting to what this world can offer, but fight on and be on our guard against all forms of temptation, knowing that what we would gain in the end is far more precious and valuable than what we could ever attain in this temporary life.

Thursday of Week 3 Year 1

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Owning a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle is a great timesaver and a great convenience for many of us. With such a vehicle, we could go to different places quickly and safely. Also, we could go to places where there may not be any public transport easily or cheaply available. However, owning such a vehicle also means we need to maintain it regularly. It is no point owning such a vehicle, only for it to breakdown or be rendered unusable, due to our neglect in sending it for proper repairs and maintenance. We are responsible for the upkeep of the vehicle, if we want to continue using it.

In the same way, we are also responsible for the upkeep of our faith and relationship with God. We cannot call ourselves Christians and do nothing, thinking we could just sit idle and care only for ourselves. The reading today reminds us of the need for us to be together in faith as a community in communion with God: “let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not stay away from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage each other to go; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.” Also, we are reminded in today’s Gospel that we need to do our part in faith, and be generous and diligent in our conduct and efforts. The Gospel tells us: “Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: are we doing proper repairs and maintenance to our lives as Christians, just as a vehicle requires proper repairs and maintenance? Or have we become complacent and lazy? Let us do what is necessary to avoid a “breakdown” in our faith and in our relationship with our loving God.

Wednesday of Week 3 Year 1

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Some of us often like to think of ourselves as good Christians. Some think that we are good because we have been regular in coming for Mass and other church activities. Others think that we are good because we have been generous with our contributions. But if we consider for a moment, how many of us truly have the Word of God embedded in our hearts and minds? Do we listen to God’s Word and then transform it into action? Or do we just hear God’s Word and then carry on doing things in our own merry way? Some of us may think that so long as we are not doing something bad or hurting others, we should be okay. But is that really the case?

In today’s Gospel, we read about the parable of the sower. If we ponder a while, we may begin to realise what sort of Christian we have become. We may appear to be good Christians, but God’s Word may have gotten lost in our lives, or as some may say, “gotten lost in translation.” How many of us could truly and sincerely say that we come under the category of “those who have received the seed in rich soil: they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” Let us not despair or give up should we discover that we have not really measured up to arrive in this category. Instead, let us be more diligent and double our efforts, so that God’s Word could truly live in us and transform us into the best He wants us to be.

Tuesday of Week 3 Year 1

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Some people try to take credit for the success of others. For example, we have heard of people who say: “I discovered that person and brought him or her to where he or she is today.” But these people fail to realise that the success of the person is not necessarily dependent on them, but it is because the person had worked hard, or had used his or her God-given talents and abilities to become where he or she is. We sometimes also come across parents or family members who begin to think that they have an exclusive right or access to a person, using blood-relationship as an excuse to gain preference or favours from the person. But what did Jesus say today which shattered such attitude?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that relationship with Him is not confined to family alone or even to mere words we utter. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us: “‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.'” If we claim to relate to Jesus, then our relationship should be one of action, that is to do the will of God. It is not enough to just say that we know Jesus or we are related to Him, even when it comes to blood-relationship. What is more important is that through our actions in doing God’s will, others may be inspired to do the same for the greater glory of God.

Monday of Week 3 Year 1

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Have you ever been jealous of someone? Some of us may have experienced some form of jealousy in life, but have you ever experienced immense jealously towards another person? When we experience immense jealousy, some may begin to find ways and means to get the better of the other person, or some may find ways and means to put the other person down, or some may even go to the extend of committing heinous acts to appease oneself. Some have been known to become insane with jealousy, and only after a grave or despicable act has been committed, that the person may come to realise one’s folly or the person may try to cover one’s tracks, hoping that what they have committed would not be exposed or brought to light.

In today’s Gospel, the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem had such immense jealousy, that they began to talk nonsense when they said about Jesus: “‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.'” Jesus really went to town with these scribes and made fun of them, saying: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either – it is the end of him.” These scribes show us how unwise we could become when we are immensely jealous, even to the point of uttering contradicting statements. May we be on our guard against such immense jealousy, and always remember that in all we do, we are to glorify God.