Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: 4th

Wednesday of Week 4 Year 2

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Some of us may have allowed success and talent to get over our heads. When we feel that we have achieved something or are capable of doing something amazing or spectacular, we begin to think that we have done so through our own efforts. Some of us may even begin to feel proud and our ego may inflate. But is such success or talent merely from our own effort? Could we emulate such success or attain such talent in every circumstances?

In today’s reading, king David, with the help of God, had subdued all his surrounding enemies and Israel became the greatest power in the region at that time. When this happened, success went over king David’s head, and he thought that he had achived such feats through his own effort and through the effort of the Israelites. What king David failed to realise is that God was helping them in their endeavours, and in a rash act of pride and to boost his ego, king David did a census of the people. He apparently wanted to know the strength of his army and to flaunt the might and splendour of his kingdom. As a result, king David and the Israelites encountered the wrath of God and were punished for it.

At the end of the day, let us not forget that all the successes we have had and all that we have achieved is actually with help from God. We cannot claim total credit, since our abilities, talents and gifts are from God meant to be used for His glory, not for our own personal gratification or to boost our ego. May we learn to walk humbly before God and be thankful to Him, and in all things give Him the glory.

Monday of Week 4 Year 2

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When we are faced with evil, what do we do? Do we repay evil with evil? Or do we put our trust and hope in God, and do only what is necessary to defend ourselves, but not with the intention of retaliating or taking revenge? It is tempting to succumb to “an eye for an eye” mentality, but what should we Christians do and how should we respond?

In today’s reading, king David was experiencing a double whammy. His own son, Absalom, had gathered enough support from among the Israelites and was now after his head. Not only that, Shimei, a relative of Saul, came along and cursed David and threw stones at him. King David could have taken these situations as an excuse to take revenge and retaliate, in an attempt to defend his kingship and wipe out his enemies, which would include getting rid of his son Absalom and Shimei. But did king David do that? No. Instead, he chose to humble himself before God and commended himself into the hands of the Lord when he said, “Perhaps the Lord will look on my misery and repay me with good …” Even when faced with a crisis, king David chose to face it with humility and repentance, and he trusted in God’s mercy and remained faithful to God.

What about us? Would we be able and willing to respond the way king David did? Or would we allow our pride and ego to get the better of us, and end up retaliating or taking revenge? May we be willing and humble enough to put our trust in God and let God be our guide.

Housekeeping – 4th Week of Advent

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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

18 Dec 2016 – 4th Sunday of Advent Year A
19 Dec 2016 – 19 December – Season of Advent
20 Dec 2016 – 20 December – Season of Advent
21 Dec 2016 – 21 December – Season of Advent
22 Dec 2016 – 22 December – Season of Advent
23 Dec 2016 – 23 December – Season of Advent

Housekeeping – 4th Week of Easter

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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

17 Apr 2016 – 4th Sunday of Easter Year C
18 Apr 2016 – Monday of the 4th Week of Easter
19 Apr 2016 – Tuesday of the 4th Week of Easter
20 Apr 2016 – Wednesday of the 4th Week of Easter
21 Apr 2016 – Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter
22 Apr 2016 – Friday of the 4th Week of Easter

Wednesday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Each and every one of us have been called and sent to proclaim the Good News. But sometimes, we may have been called to go to places outside of what is familiar to us, or outside our comfort zone. If the Holy Spirit calls us to go, would we be hesitant, drag our feet, or reluctantly go; or would we be humble and willing to go with joy and enthusiasm, knowing that God would be our help and guide?

In today’s reading, we are told: “One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” From here, we can clearly see that it is the Holy Spirit who sent Barnabas and Saul on a mission. These two did not take it upon themselves to go on mission, or only go to places which they liked, but were merely servants and followed what the Holy Spirit commanded them. May we learn from Barnabas and Saul and obediently and joyfully go where we are sent, for the glory of God.

4th Sunday of Easter Year C

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Being a Christian disciple is challenging and even disheartening for some. It is not easy trying to live Christian values when the world promotes values contrary to the Gospel. For example, in business, we are told that honest and good people will never be successful, since many in the world believe that to be rich and powerful, one must be prepared to lie, be dishonest, cheat and be involved in corruption. Also, the world seems to tell us that we must be nice to our friends and to those who can help us or are beneficial to us in some way, but we are cautioned to be wary of our enemies. As Christians, we are not supposed to make any distinction between friend and enemy, since Christians are called to love their enemies. But this is something the world is unable to accept, since it would appear as if we are freely allowing our enemies to win and take advantage of us.

In today’s readings, we are reassured and comforted that remaining steadfast to Christian values is the way to go. In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas had enemies who spread lies about them and opposed them, and these enemies managed to get Paul and Barnabas expelled from the town. But the reading does not end on a disheartening note. Instead, we are told that “the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” How is it possible for Paul and Barnabas to remain joyful even though they had been expelled from the town and it appears as if their enemies had won? It is precisely because these disciples knew that what they were doing is not for their own personal gratification or glory, but for the glory of God. The second reading tells us of the destiny of those who have suffered or died for the sake of the Gospel. They went through sufferings and persecutions, and because they remained faithful, they will no longer experience suffering, hunger or thirst “because the Lamb will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water. God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.” We are also reminded that as Christians, we cannot make every one happy, but we should follow our conscience and do what is right. To follow our conscience to do what is right is what it means to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, as Jesus in today’s Gospel reminds and assures us: “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.”

It is certainly not easy and a challenge being a Christian. Jesus did not promise us an easy life or that he would take away all our problems and sufferings in this life. To be his disciple, we must be prepared to face the same fate as Jesus did, and be ready to endure hardships and persecutions. What Jesus promised us is that He will be our shepherd; will never allow us to despair; will give us the courage and strength to bear the cross; and will lead us to ‘restful waters’ and remain in His love and care. Are we willing to endure temporary suffering and hardship, for eternal joy and peace?

Housekeeping – 4th Week of Lent

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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

6 Mar 2016 – 4th Sunday of Lent Year C
7 Mar 2016 – Monday of the 4th Week of Lent
8 Mar 2016 – Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent
9 Mar 2016 – Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent
10 Mar 2016 – Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent
11 Mar 2016 – Friday of the 4th Week of Lent

Thursday of the 4th week of Lent

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How much do we really love God? Do we have genuine love for God and for others, or are we doing things just for show and to seek approval and be accepted?  Some of us may have become so accustomed to the ways of the world, that we seek more and more approval from others around us, instead of doing what is right in God’s eyes.

This is why, in today’s Gospel, Jesus admonishes us: “As for human approval, this means nothing to me. Besides, I know you too well: you have no love of God in you. I have come in the name of my Father and you refuse to accept me; if someone else comes in his own name you will accept him. How can you believe, since you look to one another for approval and are not concerned with the approval that comes from the one God?” Have we become so attuned to winning approval among people here on earth, approval which would not last and would be lost? Are we risking our eternal future, just for the sake of experiencing temporary gratification and happiness? May we come to realise our folly, and change our lives before it is too late.

4th Sunday of Lent Year C

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There are many things in life which we could avoid or have control of. Sometimes, it is for our personal good that we have the freedom to choose what we want and need, since some things may not necessarily be good for us in the long run. On the other hand, there are also many things in life which is beyond our control, beyond our choice. For example, we cannot control when we would actually die, since death can come at any time, at any place, at any moment. Another example of something beyond our control is change. As long as we are alive, we are constantly changing physically and biologically, and we have no control of such change. But we do have control over one important aspect, that is our direction in life. However, it is precisely this direction in life which is hardest to change and accept.

Today’s readings tell us of different examples of change and how people respond to such changes. In the first reading, the Israelites had a change of lifestyle in the kind of diet they had been having. They now had finally arrived at their new homeland, after escaping Egypt and journeying 40 years in the desert. From that time on, they no longer had the manna which they ate in the desert; instead they had tasted the produce of that country, unleavened bread and roasted ears of corn. In the Gospel, we come across the younger son who started off on the wrong track but who later repented and decided to change his direction in life. The younger son represented the sinners among Jesus’ followers who had repented and changed from their past lives, whereas the older son represented the pious and religious Pharisees and scribes who continued to hold on to their self-righteous beliefs, refusing to change because they felt that they were already good and they believed that they had no need to change. This is because change can be frightening and disturbing to some of us, but unless we change, we will remain like the elder brother: angry, frustrated, complaining always and we can never allow ourselves to be part of God’s salvation. St. Paul in the second reading reminds us that “For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It is all God’s work.” If we are indeed a ‘new creation’ then change must take place, and we must begin to live this ‘newness’ of life.

At the end of the day, change of our direction in life can only happen if we are open to God’s love and care. May we pray for grace to accept change, and let our loving God guide us in all we do, so that we glorify Him and move forward in faith, hope and love.

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

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Throughout sacred scripture, we have come across many different prophets. Some of us may recall them by name and even quote some of the things they may have said. Even today, we come across some people who claim to be prophets. Sometimes their claims are true, other times their claims turn out to be false. But if we consider a moment: who is a prophet? How do we discern whether a person is a prophet or not? A prophet is a messenger, mouthpiece or spokesman of God. He comes to recognise the will of God for his time, that is, what God is trying to say to His people in a certain time, under certain circumstances and in a certain place. A prophet is not one who keeps silent, but is expected to receive and proclaim the message of God. If the prophet fails to proclaim the message or shirks his responsibility, God will raise other prophets to undertake the task.

Being a prophet is not easy and is certainly not a joke or a laughing matter. Sometimes, the prophet is asked to give a message of hope and encouragement to God’s people. Other times, the prophet is given the task to challenge and condemn the people for their sinfulness, by being the conscience of the nation. This causes the prophet to face opposition and rejection, since everyone likes to hear praises and words of encouragement and no one likes to hear criticism. But such criticism is necessary for us to grow. If we are not open to criticism and are not honest with ourselves, we would then be blind to where God wants to lead us.

When we look at today’s Gospel, we are reminded that Jesus speaks of the many prophets in Israel’s history who were rejected by their own people and sometimes welcomed by others. Jesus too is such a prophet, and since He chose to reprimand his listeners in today’s Gospel, Jesus too is rejected. The Word of God is a double-edged sword which cuts both ways. We must be prepared to hear words of encouragement as well as words that would challenge our present way of life. But are we willing and humble enough to do so?

Fulfilling a prophetic role is certainly difficult, since no one wants to be the bad guy. It seems much easier to talk about people behind their backs then to confront them. As a prophetic people, we are called to confront and challenge each other. Confrontation does not mean that we have no love. Instead, love is the reason why we must confront and act the prophet. In the second reading, we are reminded that love is always patient and kind, it is never jealous, never boastful or conceited, or rude or selfish. A prophet is not someone who is harsh, mean, wicked and heartless, but so full of love for God and His people that he is prepared to risk being rejected by his own people and face the consequences of speaking the truth. May we willingly, patiently and humbly accept the challenge to become prophets, with love as our motivation, since without love, we cannot be true prophets, but we may only end up as complainers and critics. Let us pray for the strength and courage to speak the truth with love.