Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Easter 4

Friday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Life can sometimes pose us with challenges which some of us may find difficult to cope. For example, at some point of our lives, we may be stricken with an illness, due to one reason or another. If we are in such a situation, what would we do? Some may try different doctors, hoping that modern medicine would have some cure somewhere. Some may look for traditional or alternative medicine in the hope that one could be cured. Others may seek the help of medicine men, shamans, and other forms of divination or feng shui, thinking that these may help. But in our pursuit for a cure, how many of us are willing to bring God into the picture? How many of us really do pray earnestly and consistently, asking God to have mercy on us and heal us?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reassures us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.” In our efforts to be cured, we may feel anxious, worried, concerned and troubled with what may happen to us. But do we have enough trust in God and in Jesus to heal us? Perhaps the cure may come instantaneously, perhaps it may come slowly, but we should not give up, thinking that God has abandoned us to our predicament. God can heal us according to His time. Are we willing to be patient and let God take care of us?

Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter

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It is interesting to see how some people try so hard to show how talented, how smart, how great, how clever or how resourceful they are. Such people do so to gain recognition, get the attention of others, perhaps rub shoulders with people who could be of use to them, and also to feed their pride and ego. But if we ponder for a moment: Why do we need to try so hard to show off? What are we trying to prove? Who are we really serving?

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.” Jesus is inviting us to question our motives in serving others. Sometimes, in our zeal and efforts to serve, we may actually be serving ourselves. This happens when we try to gain glory for what we do, and try to lord it over others, thinking that they are not up to our standards or our expectations.

Let us be mindful of who we are, for we are merely servants and Jesus is the Master. When we acknowledge this fact and do our duty for the glory of God, then happiness will be ours, since we do not need to worry about losing our popularity or prestige. If we really are skillful, talented or capable, we do not need others to praise us or tell us how good we are, since these are gifts from God and we should thank and give praise to God for such gifts.

Wednesday of the 4th Week of Easter

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What does it mean to be a missionary? Some people think that being a missionary means they must go to some remote place where people are primitive and appear to be savages or are followers of some animistic belief, and attempt to bring the good news to them. Sometimes, these people take it upon themselves to go to such places, without being sent or commissioned by a higher authority. But that is not what being a missionary is all about. Being a missionary means one is sent by a church into an area to carry out evangelism or other activities, such as educational or hospital work. The person does not choose where he or she is to be sent, but the church decides (hopefully with promptings from the Holy Spirit). Moreover, being a missionary does not mean only remote areas or areas where people seem primitive are favourable, for one could also be sent to developed areas where people are in need of God just as much as those elsewhere.

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. So these two, sent on their mission by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. They landed at Salamis and proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; John acted as their assistant.” 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, but were merely servants and followed what the Holy Spirit commanded them.

Thus, if you think you are being called to be a missionary, be mindful of whether you become one because you have been called by a church and sent to a particular place; or you are trying to become one according to your own interest, own agenda and own purposes. Being a missionary means to be at the service of God according to where the church sees a need, for the ultimate reason is to glorify God, and not for one’s personal gratification or glory.

Tuesday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Some of us seem to think that a particular ministry in church belongs to us. Some try to prevent other people from taking leadership roles in such ministries, and then they complain that it is difficult to bring in new blood to improve on the particular ministry. What these people fail to realise is that the various ministries in church do not belong to anybody. We are serving in such ministries for the glory of God, and not for our own gratification or to show how good or capable we are.

The same principle applies when it comes to preaching the Good News. We are called to preach the Good News to all nations, not just to a certain group of people or to a certain community. In today’s reading, we are told: “Those who had escaped during the persecution that happened because of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they usually proclaimed the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.” As we can see, the reading shows us that the Good News is meant for all, not only are Jews meant to be converted, but even Greeks and others too can be converted.

If this is the case, then we should not try to segregate ourselves according to ethnic group, racial lines, or language. We are supposed to be brothers and sisters in Christ, not brothers and sisters of a particular group in Christ. Are we making effort to come out of our comfort zones and learn to love and live with others as part of God’s family? Or have we still allowed ourselves to be separated, differentiated and segregated, and only care about those within our circle? Has our Christian faith grown to be more of a communitarian one, or are we still individualistic about our Christian faith?

Monday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Which voice are we listening to? Which gate are we entering through? Sometimes in life, we may be tempted and lured to listen to the voice of the world and all the splendour it appears to offer. But what we see is merely an illusion, something like an advertisement to make something appear greater or better than it really is. When we fall into listening to such a voice, we may find out that we have been duped. What we heard may not quite turn out to be what we expected. If we are not careful, we may even lose our lives just for the sake of something which is temporary and not up to expectations. Why do we allow ourselves to go astray and end up in a mess?

In contrast, Jesus in today’s Gospel is reminding us that He is the shepherd and the sheep follow Him because they recognise His voice. Jesus also reminds us that He is the gate of the sheepfold. As long as the sheep go through the gate of Jesus, and follow His voice, the sheep are safe. The other voices are thieves and brigands, who come only to steal and kill and destroy; but Jesus has come so that we may have life and have it to the full.

The question is: are we still trying to trust in our own abilities and intuition, thinking that we can make our own choices and continue listening and being influenced by other voices? Or are we willing to be cared for and protected by Jesus by listening to His voice and going through His gate. The choice is ultimately ours to make, but let us be aware of the consequences of our actions, as it could be a matter of life or death.

4th Sunday of Easter Year B

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What sort of motivation do we have when we are given a task to do? Some people would do a task because it is their job to do so, and they expect to be well paid and receive other rewards for the work done. Such people may be motivated by better income, better job security, better promotion prospects, or even approval and recognition from others, especially from the peers and the boss. But what if the task at hand happens to be unglamorous, few others are keen to do, and prospects and recognition are limited or non-existent? Would you still be willing to take on such a task and give it your all?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the good shepherd. He also contrasts between a good shepherd and a hired hand. Is Jesus trying to tell us that a hired hand, or a person who is paid to perform a task, is bad or not any good in any way? No! Jesus is not concentrating on the payment, because from time to time we do hear of hired hands who are just as committed as the good shepherd. What Jesus is focusing more about is the attitude and the level of commitment of the shepherd. That is the main aspect Jesus wants to differentiate. Why so? We should be aware that sheep are quite different from other animals. Animals generally have a leader of the pact or head which they follow and depend on. For most other animals like monkey, tiger or lion, the animal can be a leader or a follower. But not sheep. Sheep are not able to lead other sheep but depend on a shepherd to survive. If sheep were left on their own, they may get into trouble very easily and quickly.

We come across many sheep in our society who are unable to care for themselves. In this case we need someone to guide them. That someone is a shepherd. Some “shepherds” are paid to take care of the sheep and such people are called hired hands, especially since they are only doing a job and they are more attracted to good rewards and other perks. If trouble comes, for example a wolf, fox or bear is about to attack the sheep, such people may quite likely run away, as they would not dare to lose their life for an animal. But if it is the shepherd who is caring for the sheep, then the sheep have a better chance of survival, as the shepherd would be willing to lay down even his life for his sheep. To a good shepherd, caring for sheep no longer becomes merely a money making activity or to gain recognition or popularity, it becomes a vocation.

Therefore, we need to ask ourselves honestly: Have we become more and more materialistic and self-centered, that our wants and needs have taken precedence over the needs of our community and our parish church? Do we expect only the priests and religious to be the shepherds and we just step aside and take things easy? Or have we begun to become more like the good shepherd, doing our part to care for the flock and willing to make sacrifices for the good of all?

Friday of the 4th Week of Easter

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How much do we trust God? How much do we trust Jesus? We say we trust, but sometimes some of us resort to other ways to get what we want or to reassure or comfort us. Some of us go for feng shui, bomohs, shamans, medicine men, astrologers, etc., thinking that perhaps these may be able to help us, only to be disappointed later or we may end up worse than we initially were.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reassures us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.” No matter how difficult or challenging the situation, Jesus can help us. We may not get the sort of help we expect or we may not get the help so quickly, but we will be helped according to what is best for us, since sometimes what we expect is not necessarily suitable or helpful. The question is: are we willing to let God take care of things, or are we always trying to be in control?

Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Are we doing our own thing, or are we doing God’s thing? Are we building our own kingdom, or are we building God’s Kingdom? Sometimes we may be doing things which may appear to glorify God, but in reality we are doing such things for our own benefit or to glorify ourselves. Today’s Gospel reminds us of who we ought to be: “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.”

Sometimes in our lives, we may be behaving more like the master than the servant. When we treat others with contempt; when we lord it over others; when we think we are smarter, wiser or superior compared to others; when we misuse our authority; when we are biased towards certain people; then we may be doing our own thing instead of truly and unreservedly glorifying God. Let us discern and discover who we are and ought to be; and behave accordingly to gain true happiness.

Tuesday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Do we belong to Jesus? Are we the sheep that belong to Jesus? Sometimes our attitudes and behaviour towards others seems to show that we belong to an exclusive group and only members of our group are significant or important. But today’s Gospel reminds us, where Jesus said: “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.” Jesus did not say, “the sheep that belong to me from a particular group…” So, if this is the case, all of us can be part of the sheep that belong to Jesus. Even in today’s reading, we see how: “Some of them, however, who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well. The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.”

Seeing that all of us are in equal footing in being the sheep that belong to Jesus, we should examine ourselves. How are we treating others who are different from us? Do we behave as brothers and sisters in Christ, as one children of God? Do we care and help others, without favouring particular persons, groups, etc.? Are we working together in building God’s Kingdom?

Monday of the 4th Week of Easter

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Some of us may be quite strongly entrenched in our ethnic group, tribal group or in some form of association, that our loyalty and obedience towards that group may be quite strong. This could lead to great clashes of differences between groups. Even among Christians, we still see some remnants of such segregation and allegiance of groups in certain countries.

However, today’s reading reminds us that as Christians, we should no longer be in division and allegiance to a particular group. We as Christians should be brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all God’s children regardless of who we are and which ethnic group come from. Today’s reading shows us that the Jews had come to a realisation that even pagans could be saved. The reading tells us: “This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God’ they said ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’”

If God can grant repentance to all, why are some of we still stubbornly holding on to our ethnic group? Let us change our attitudes and behaviour towards others and live in unity with diversity as children of God, for God loves and cares for all.