Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: 4th

Saturday of the 4th Week of Lent

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It is easy for some of us to seek revenge towards those who have cause us harm or grief. We feel that we have been wronged greatly, and we want the person or persons who wronged us to suffer. But if we consider for a moment, what is the motivation behind wanting revenge? Isn’t it because our pride and ego has been hurt, and we want to supposingly heal our pride and ego by causing hurt to the other? But the reality is that, revenge is never justified, no matter how grievous the original harm may have been. In fact, seeking revenge is only for one’s personal gratification and to puff up one’s ego. So what’s a Christian to do when one has been wronged?

Perhaps a solution could be seen on how Jeremiah in today’s reading dealt with people who have wronged him. The reading tells us: “But you, the Lord of Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence, who probe the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to you.” Instead of giving in to revenge, Jeremiah chose to leave it to God to do the judging. Instead of trying to salvage his pride and ego, Jeremiah chose to remain humble and let God be in control, knowing and trusting that God would not abandon him. It is wise for us to do the same.

Saturday of Week 4 Year 2

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We sometimes take on more than what we can do, or say more than what is necessary, especially because we want to show how capable we are or how clever we are. At first, it may seem as if we are getting things done without breaking a sweat, but the reality is that, in our zeal and focus to do things and take on more and more tasks, we may end up neglecting other equally important areas in life, such as our health, and our relationship with family and friends. As a result, we may experience burnout, sickness or relationship problems. That is why, one must know what one can do and what one can’t, and know one’s abilities and lack of it. To acknowledge that requires wisdom.

One example of knowing one’s abilities and lack of it can be found in today’s reading. In the reading, king Solomon acknowledged before the Lord that he was a young man and unskilled in leadership. He asked the Lord for wisdom so that he could understand how to discern between good and evil; and to be a good king following the ways of the Lord. Because of this, king Solomon was not only given wisdom, but blessed by the Lord with power, wealth and victory over his enemies.

What about us? Are we willing and humble enough to acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses, and seek wisdom from the Lord, so that we could do His will? Are we willing to strike a balance in our lives, doing what we can while depending on the Lord for wisdom and discernment? Our help is in the Lord, and may we glorify Him in all we do.

Tuesday of Week 4 Year 2

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In today’s reading and Gospel, we come across two different persons who came to Jesus for help. One came because she had tried all sorts of treatment to cure her haemorrhage, to no avail. The other, Jairus, came because his twelve-year old daughter was at the point of death or already dead by the time of Jesus reached Jairus’ house. Both came to Jesus with great faith, and they came in their own unique way. Jairus came publicly, begging Jesus to come to his house to save his daughter’s life. The woman came quietly, for fear of being exposed because she was ritually unclean, and inconspicuously touched the tassel of Jesus’ prayer shawl. Because of their great faith, Jairus’ daughter was saved, and the woman’s haemorrhage was healed.

What does this mean to us? It means that it does not matter what difficulty we are in or who we are; whenever we approach Jesus with sincere and honest faith, He comes to us without condition, to save us and heals us. He does not only heal us from our physical infirmities, from our shame and guilt, and from feelings of insecurities; Jesus comes readily to restore our dignity. Are we willing to make that great leap of faith like Jairus and the woman did, and let Jesus be our healer and guide?

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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From a young age, we were constantly taught and reminded to be strong and stand up for our rights. We were exposed to an environment where we must be the best, never lose out, be aggressive so that we protect what we think is rightfully ours, and to be rough and tough to prevent others from taking advantage of us. All these things taught us to be “wise” in worldly affairs, so that we would be able to live and prosper in this world.

However, today’s Gospel paints us a different set of values: the values of the Kingdom or the beatitudes. Instead of being the best, never lose out, aggressive, rough and tough; the Gospel tells us: “Happy are the poor in spirit; happy the gentle; happy those who mourn; happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right; happy the merciful, happy the pure in heart, happy the peacemakers, happy the persecuted.” It seems as if it is the weak, the powerless, the gentle and the ones who patiently endure suffering or persecution that are blessed. If we were to think like the rest of the world, then of course such values seem hard or even impossible to understand or even follow. But if we look at the second reading, St Paul reminds us: “it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.” When we allow ourselves to be consumed with power, violence, hatred and revenge, we will only experience the same things – power, violence, hatred and revenge.

So how do we get ourselves out from a potential mess and a vicious circle of fear, distrust and self-preservation? Jesus gives the answer, by teaching us an alternative set of values in today’s Gospel. These values will transform our world into the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of peace, joy and love. Jesus counters the values of greed with values of simplicity; values of power with values of weakness; values of seeking revenge with values of mercy and forgiveness; values of dishonesty with values of honesty; values of violence with values of peace. Some may say: “But all these values sound impossible or improbable for us humans to carry out. Jesus is different, for He is God.” But we must not forget that Jesus is God who became one of us. Throughout His life and ministry, He showed us how to be humble, powerless, non-violent; living a life of poverty, being gentle, hungering for righteousness, showing mercy, being a peacemaker and finally enduring persecution, suffering and even death on the cross. It is not impossible or improbable to do, if we let Jesus be our guide and walk in His ways.

So today, as the first reading tells us, let us “Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek integrity, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of the Lord.” When we strive to do so and live in His ways, then we will discover that it is when we are weak, we are truly strong.

Friday of Week 4 Year 1

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It is easy for us to be warm and friendly towards our friends and family. When we go to church and see someone we know, we would make effort to say “hi” and to catch up on news. Some of us may even sit with such persons, so that we could go out for a meal or a drink after the Mass. But what if a stranger comes to church, do we welcome him or her and make him or her feel at home? Or do we mind our own business and carry on with our prayers or with whatever task we are doing? Are we brothers and sisters in Christ only to persons we know and like? Or are we brothers and sisters in Christ to all?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the one body. Marriage is to be honoured by all, and marriages are to be kept undefiled, because fornicators and adulterers will come under God’s judgement. Put greed out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: I will not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing: what can man do to me?” May we come out of our “groupish” or “clannish” or “friends and family only” mentality and attitude, and make effort to be loving, caring and welcoming towards all, especially the lost, the least, the little and the last, so that others may know that we are Christians by our love.

Wednesday of Week 4 Year 1

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Each and every one of us go through some form of suffering in life. Suffering is part and parcel of life. We suffer because of illness, growth, lost relationships and many other reasons. While we cannot avoid suffering, what is more important is how we treat suffering. We could see suffering as a good or positive thing; or we could see it as a bad or negative thing.

In today’s reading, we are reminded of the necessity and advantages of suffering. We are told: “Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.”

When we suffer punishment from God, it is not because God does not like us or is out to get us, it is because God treats us as His sons and daughters. We are being trained to become better people, and grow closer to God. Let us look at suffering as something good and worthwhile, for we are being prepared to remain happy and cared for in God’s loving presence.

Tuesday of Week 4 Year 1

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Many of us say we have faith in Jesus, but how many of us really mean what we say? Do we have faith in Jesus only when times are good or when the situation suits us, or do we have faith at all times? Supposing we are being persecuted, ridiculed or even being put to death, would we still have faith in Jesus? Or would some of us abandon our faith just to save our skin? Are consistent and steadfast in our faith, or is it only for our convenience?

In today’s Gospel, the synagogue official named Jairus and the woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years had great faith in Jesus. Because of their faith in Jesus, Jairus’ daughter was brought back to life, and the woman was cured from the haemorrhage she suffered. If Jesus could work such miracles for these people, just imagine what He could do for us, if we have consistent, persistent and unwavering faith in Him. May we learn to be patient and ask Jesus for His help, knowing with full confidence that He will do what is best for us, for the glory of God.

Monday of Week 4 Year 1

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We sometimes think that we can do things on our own. To a certain extent, that may seem true. For example, we can come up with new inventions, we are able to build seemingly amazing works, some of us may have discovered new ways of doing things or new medicines to help us live better lives. But sometimes, there are situations where we are unable to resolve or do on our own. For example, we have no control over certain kinds of diseases, since our knowledge of such diseases is still limited. We have no control over the weather, since typhoons, flash floods and other natural disasters still occur. So when we are faced with situations where we are unable to solve or control, what do we do? For some of us, we have faith and trust in God, believing that God will help us. We believe that God would make the impossible possible, and we just need to be patient and let Him be in control.

In today’s reading, we are told that “Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets – these were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what is right and earned the promises. They could keep a lion’s mouth shut, put out blazing fires and emerge unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were given strength, to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders.” These are all heroes of faith, as they realised that they could not accomplish what they did on their own, and had depended on God for strength, ability and endurance to do what they did.

What about us? Do we depend entirely only on our strength, ability and endurance? Or do we offer ourselves to God, letting Him use us to accomplish even better things, for His glory? May we be humble and docile, letting God be our help and guide, and having full faith and confidence in His love and providence.

Friday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Some of us may have experienced a situation called mid-life crisis, where we begin to realise that the many things we once enjoyed, can no longer be enjoyed; the many things we once could do, seem to be harder to accomplish; the many tasks we once worked so hard on, seem to be not much of a big deal anymore. When we are experiencing such a situation, some of us may be slipping towards depression, since our life and body condition is changing, as we are aging and we discover that we are no longer as before, sort of like “no more spring chicken.”

But today’s Gospel gives us some comfort. Jesus is inviting us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.” What we are going through is part of life as we grow older, and instead of worrying or fretting, we should just move along and adapt to a different phase of life. Sure, we may not be as we were before, but does it really matter? With Jesus as our guide and help, what we can or cannot do is no longer our concern. We just do what we can, and offer all we do for the glory of God. May we keep on trusting in Jesus, knowing that He will be at our side, as we walk on.

Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter

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What do we look for in life? Are we looking for fame, popularity, recognition, peer acceptance or something else for ourselves? Or are we looking for true joy and happiness? Some of us think that by gaining fame, popularity, recognition, or peer acceptance, we would be joyful and happy. But the joy and happiness we seemingly experience are only temporary things, they do not last, they are merely illusions that come and go. After some time, when the fame, popularity, recognition, or peer acceptance is gone, we may even lose the joy and happiness previously experienced.

That is why, in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “I tell you most solemnly, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him. Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly.” When we let Jesus be in control, when we do not seek greatness for ourselves, then we will experience true happiness, because all that we are doing is not for our own pleasure, personal gratification or to boost our ego. All that we are doing is for the greater glory of God, and to build God’s Kingdom. May we be humble and willing to walk in Jesus’ ways, and let Him grant us true happiness, the kind of happiness that will last.