Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Feast

Dec 27 – Saint John, Apostle, Evangelist – Feast

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Today we celebrate the feast of the Apostle John. He is accredited for writing the Gospel according to John. He was the only apostle who was not martyred. We also know that John was given the responsibility by Jesus to care for Mother Mary, when Jesus was about to die. He is known as the “beloved disciple” and in today’s Gospel, we are told that he went in the tomb; he saw and he believed that Jesus had risen.

Throughout his life and writings, he had one simple message: “My dear children, love one another.” God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son. John followed God’s example in sharing love with others through his example and in his writings. What about us? In this world where love seems more and more superficial, are we following St. John’s example in spreading true love to all?

Dec 26 – Saint Stephen, the first Martyr – Feast

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Sometimes we come across people who are put to death for varied reasons. More often than not, the excuse is that the person is a menace or dangerous to society and since the person may have committed a hideous crime or committed murder, the person is executed for the so-called good of society. However, we do come across some people who are put to death because they uphold truth or justice. Such people are sometimes called martyrs, especially if they upheld Christian faith and truth, even to the point of being killed, assassinated or murdered.

In today’s reading, we come across St. Stephen, who was martyred because he upheld Christian truth and justice. In the reading, we are told that certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, but he was confident in God’s help and as a result: “They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.” Enraged by jealousy and refusing to admit the truth, these people eventually stoned St. Stephen to death.

What about us? Are we willing to become martyrs to Christian faith and truth, just as St. Stephen had done? If we are put in a situation where we are given a choice to deny our faith or be executed, would we be steadfast and unwavering in our faith? If we are faced with such a situation, may we be ready and prepared to do what is right and just, for the glory of God.

Saint Andrew, Apostle – Feast

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Letting go of our old life or old ways of doing things is not easy. Some of us have become so fixated or set in doing certain things in certain ways that it seems difficult or impossible to do things differently or begin new ventures. But the fact is, change happens. What used to be relevant or important in the past is no longer the case today. Things and ideas can become obsolete, and it is necessary for us to change or we may lose out in new and better opportunities.

In today’s Gospel, “Jesus saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.” Jesus may be calling you today to leave your nets, to change, to move on, and to follow Him. Would you be willing to change and let Him be your help and guide?

Saint Luke, Evangelist – Feast

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When we go for a holiday or a trip, some of us would pack so many things, since some of us feel it is better to have more than enough clothes or accessories so that we would not run out of clean clothes to wear or certain items which we feel may be necessary and may not be so easy to find at the destination we are going, or that purchasing such items could be expensive. But sometimes, we find that we end up using a lot less than we carry, and we may have to lug around so many things, making our journey or trip cumbersome, or we may worry about things going missing or stolen. This is why we should consider only bringing what we really need so that we can enjoy our holiday and trip with minimal distraction or issues.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is asking us not to worry too much about bringing so many things, since He tells us: “Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.” What is Jesus trying to tell us? He is trying to tell us that our focus is not to be too concerned about what we need to bring with us, but our duty and responsibility in proclaiming the Good News. Jesus is reminding us not to get distracted with other things, since proclaiming the Good News should take all our effort and attention. Are we able to do our part, do our best and leave it in the hands of the Lord, knowing that He will provide for us and care for us?

Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist – Feast

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There are certain kinds of people in this world which are difficult for some to accept and like. It could be the person’s character or attitude, it could be the person’s behaviour, or it could even be the person’s job or way of life. For example, how many of us are genuinely willing to show care and concern to prostitutes if one happens to come to us for help, especially when the person is wanting to change to a different and better way of life? Would we be willing to help? Or have we become prejudiced towards such persons and prefer to shun them?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus called a tax collector named Matthew to follow Him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Tax collectors were hated and shunned by the Jews, because they not only collected money from the Jews for the Romans, but they were also allowed to collect more (which could range from a bit more to a lot more) for their own survival. But Jesus was not only willing to call Matthew to follow Him, He was also willing to eat with the tax collectors and sinners. Eating with tax collectors and sinners was an unthinkable and shocking thing to the Jews, especially among the scribes and Pharisees, since they thought that people would normally eat only with good friends or close friends. But Jesus reminded them: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.”

What about us? Are we willing to offer our time with the tax collectors and sinners around us? Are we willing to eat with them, reach out to them, be a friend to them, and help them out? Or have we become like the scribes and Pharisees, self-righteous and only knowing how to condemn others? Remember that we too are sinners, and if God can be loving and merciful to us, shouldn’t we be doing the same towards others?

St. Bartholomew, Apostle – Feast

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From time to time, some of us may have been guilty of judging others just by looking at them or hearing about them. Sometimes what we see or hear could have been coloured with prejudiced eyes and ears, and unless we are open to the promptings of God’s spirit, we may fail to discover and appreciate another person’s character, talent and capabilities.

In today’s Gospel, St Bartholomew did not initially have a good impression of Jesus or Nazareth. Hearing that Jesus was from Nazareth, he asked, “What good can come out of Nazareth?” He said this because Nazareth was a small, insignificant place, and to the Jews, it seemed unlikely that the Messiah would come from there. St Bartholomew was not despising Jesus or even Nazareth for that matter, but he was just being frank and straightforward, and Jesus recognised that in St Bartholomew when He said that St Bartholomew was incapable of deceit. Not only that, Jesus saw that St Bartholomew was sincere and that he awaited for the coming of the Messiah, since St Bartholomew was found “under the fig tree,” at prayer and open to the Lord. Eventually, St Bartholomew was humble and open enough to recognise Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel.

Some of us too may have been like St Bartholomew at some point of our lives. We may have had not quite a good impression of someone initially, because of what we may heard about the person or where the person came from. Let us pray that, like St Bartholomew, we would eventually see the good in others, just as Jesus sees the good in each of us.

Saint Laurence, Deacon, Martyr – Feast

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What do you look for in life? Some people seem to be busy trying to gain more riches, property and wealth; some look for power and prestige; some even look for recognition and titles. In our efforts to gain such things on earth, we may have grown more and more distant from God, since we may have spent much time on earthly pursuits, with little or no time for heavenly pursuits. But do all these really matter at the end? What would become of these things when we die? Can we bring them with us? Of course not. We would have to leave them behind. Then what is to become of us then?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.” Perhaps we should look carefully at the kind of lives we are living, and change our ways, growing closer to God while we have the chance to do so, so that we may be with Him for all eternity.

St. James, Apostle – Feast

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What do we seek in this life? Do we seek glory, power, prestige, fame, personal glory, personal gratification, recognition from others? Or do we seek to do God’s will for His glory? Some of us may say that we are seeking to do God’s will, but do our words and actions show that we truly and sincerely are seeking to do God’s will?

In today’s Gospel, we come across St. James whose Feast we celebrate today, and his brother John, the two sons of Zebedee, who tried to get Jesus to grant them important seats or positions in heaven, one on Jesus’ left, and one on Jesus’ right. But what James and John failed to realise is that ultimately, it is not their personal glory or prestige that matters, but what matters is doing all things for the glory of God. Jesus reminded the twelve that “anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Moreover, St. Paul reminds us that “we are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us.”

This means that, what we should be striving for is to serve and not to be served, and that we are merely instruments to be used for the glory of God. May we be humble and willing to let God use us for His glory, so that through us, others may come to know Him and walk in His ways.

St. Mary Magdalene, Feast

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Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. In the Gospel, we come across Mary Magdalene who came to the tomb while it was still dark. She sees the stone which covered the tomb has been moved away and does not enter. Instead, she remained outside the tomb and was weeping. Grief can sometimes blind us to what is reality, and grief had blinded Mary Magdalene into thinking that Jesus’ body had been taken away, when she said: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him.” But what Mary Magdalene failed to realise is that Jesus had risen. It was only when Jesus said to her, “Mary!” that she realised that she was standing face to face with Jesus, and not just the gardener.

What about us? Have we allowed our grief and our weeping to blind us to what is reality? Have we forgotten that Jesus is risen and is in our midst? No matter how difficult or challenging the circumstances we may be in, let us not forget that the Lord Jesus has risen, He has conquered death and He has saved us from our sins. Let us not grief any longer, but rejoice, for our God has won a great victory for us, and let us be humble and willing to let Jesus be our help and guide.

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Feast

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In today’s Gospel we read the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth. What gift did Mary bring to Elizabeth? We are not told that she brought food or some other item, but she brought herself. She gave Elizabeth the gift of her very presence. It is easy to send flowers or a parcel, but to give the gift of ourselves, to make time to be with somebody, that is the gift that many people long for but do not receive. Following Mary’s example in today’s Gospel story, we must give ourselves, our presence, our time. We must find the time to visit and be with people. This is the greatest gift because its value cannot be calculated in terms of money.

Another point about Mary’s gift to Elizabeth is that one should give not according to one’s convenience but according to the needs of the receiver. It was not convenient for Mary to travel the lonely, dangerous road from Galilee to the hills of Judea. But Elizabeth needed a helping hand. She was six months pregnant and could no longer to do many things. So Mary, as soon as she learned that Elizabeth was six months pregnant went quickly and stayed with her for about three months, until she gave birth. Mary gave to Elizabeth what she needed when she needed it.

Also, Mary’s presence enabled Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and Elizabeth was able to experience the interior peace and joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. Mary’s visit was an inspiration to Elizabeth. When we visit people, let us try to bring some inspiration into their lives, let us seek to bring them closer to God, and let us try to share with them the Spirit of God in us, the Spirit of consolation, of courage, of peace and joy, just as Mary did for Elizabeth.