Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Feast

Saints Philip and James, Apostles – Feast

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It is easy for some of us to become influenced by different teachings which appear to sound Christian, but are in fact teachings by self-proclaimed evangelists, who publicise their words and works, but with a hidden ulterior motive. Quite often, such people go about preaching to attract crowds, with the intention of making money and attaining wealth and property. Once such people have gotten what they wanted, they may conveniently make themselves scarce, while some would continue doing such deeds as long as they can. The true message of the Gospel is lost, replaced by teachings which suit or benefit such people.

That is why, in today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.” We need to be cautious not to fall into the trap of other preachers who try to sweeten or cheapen the Gospel message for their own purposes, and be discerning enough to know what is the truth and what is not, with direction and help from competent authorities, and especially with help from God.

Saint Mark, Evangelist – Feast

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What does it mean to proclaim the Good News to all creation? Some people think that to do so, they need to go to remote places in some unexplored territory and proclaim the Good News to the natives there. Some people seem to think that proclaiming the Good News means reaching out to people who have not become Christians. But are these what proclaiming the Good News to all creation is all about?

If we consider Jesus’ command in today’s Gospel: “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.” What is Jesus trying to tell us here? Jesus is telling us that our task in proclaiming the Good News is not something which we do according to our own talent or abilities, but by “the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.” This means that our task can only be fruitful if we allow the Lord to work with us and we submit to His care and guide. May we be humble and joyful in our efforts in proclaiming the Good News, treating it as a joy and privilege for His glory.

Chair of Saint Peter, The Apostle – Feast

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In the corporate world, the focus is to make as much money and profit as possible with as little cost as possible. This would often involve fierce competition not only between rival companies, but even within the company itself, as management would try to squeeze out as much work as possible from employees, whereas employees would try to demand as much remuneration and perks as possible. We often hear terms like “it’s a dog eat dog world” or “it’s a jungle out there” or even “survival of the fittest” being used to describe the situation and environment of the corporate world.

In contrast, the church has got quite a different view or focus. In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us to “Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow.” This way of life and way of thinking requires us to be a servant to all, instead of lording over others or trying to make ourselves look good.

As Christians, are we influenced to follow the ways of the world, or the ways of Christ? It is quite easy for us to lose focus in our daily lives and become more and more accustomed to the ways of the world, since we do need to survive in this world. But let us be reminded of our ultimate goal, and seek God’s constant help and guidance, so that we would be able to grow closer to God and walk in His ways.

Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle – Feast

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Whenever we encounter a person who is known to be notorious for persecuting Christians, what would we do? Perhaps some of us may try to avoid such a person at all costs. Some of us may pray that God would protect us from such a person. Some of us may even petition to God that such a person has a change of heart and stop such persecutions.

But sometimes, God can do something beyond our expectations. In the case of Saul, whose conversion we celebrate today, he was transformed from a fierce persecutor of Christians, to a fierce defender of the Christian faith. Saul became known as Paul, and he suffered much to bring the Christian faith to the gentiles, the very Christian faith he had once so enthusiastically persecuted.

If God can change a person from a monster to a saint, just imagine what He can do to us. We have seen the wonders He has done time and again, transforming people who many thought to be beyond hope, to something better for His glory. May we have faith and trust in our loving God, knowing that He will take care of things for us, for His glory.

Dec 28 – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – Feast

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Paranoia is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself. Sometimes, paranoia can cause a person to commit greater sins such as to kill, either through character assassination or even physically, in an attempt to get rid of what one irrationally perceives to be threat.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The Holy Innocents were martyred or killed because King Herod was a paranoid and insanely jealous man. He was constantly worried and paranoid that he would lose his throne, since the Romans had given him the throne as a gift, and the Romans could just as easily take it away and give it to someone else. This led King Herod to irrationally see Jesus as a threat to his sovereignty and power, and Jesus had to be exterminated to protect his interests. Since he did not know what Jesus look like and where Jesus was, he decided to kill any babies around, with the hope that one of them would turn out to be Jesus.

Some of us too can sometimes be paranoid or jealous about something. As a result, great sins could be committed to protect what we think is rightfully ours. Have we forgotten that our ultimate purpose is to glorify God in all we do? Why are some of us so easily paranoid and jealous? May we come to realise that our paranoia and jealousy stems from our ego and pride, and learn to walk humbly in God’s presence.

Saint Francis Xavier, Priest – Patron of Missions – Feast

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How do we transmit the Good News to others? Some of us think that we can get information about faith from the internet, from others who teach about faith, from our Christian friends or relatives, from books and magazines, and many other sources of information. While all these methods or means of are fine and good, we also need to do our part so that the Good News be heard by others.

This is why, in today’s Gospel, Jesus commands us: “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.” As Christians, we are commissioned to preach the Good News to all around us, as best we can. We cannot just sit back and relax, expecting others to do it, since each and every Christian has a duty to preach the Good News. Have we been making effort and doing our part in sharing and promoting our Christian faith, just as Jesus has commanded us to do?

Saint Andrew, Apostle – Feast

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Some of us may be able to learn certain subjects through the internet these days. The internet has become so full of resources that we can get information about a certain topic or subject, and learn much about it with ease. However, we also know that the information available on the internet is not always accurate or reliable. We need to be cautious about what we read, because what we sometimes get could be false or inaccurate.

What about information concerning faith? Can we learn about faith through the internet? To some extend, we may glean some information there, but once again, we need to be cautious and verify that the source of such information concerning faith is reliable and reputable. That is why it is sometimes better to learn about faith from a person or persons who has been properly trained and qualified in teaching about faith to others. As St. Paul reminds us in today’s reading: “Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ.” May we be alert and cautious not to be misled by false information or false doctrine, but go and seek those who can preach it to us, those who really know their stuff and teach what the church teaches.

Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles – Feast

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One of the things which we Christians should never forget is that, in church and in our community, there should be no strangers, since we are all sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters in Christ. This means that we need to be friendly and welcoming towards new members and those we may have not seen or met before. We cannot come to church minding our own business and thinking that it is not our duty or responsibility to show Christian love towards others. Just as Jesus loves all of us and treats each of us as His own, shouldn’t we be doing the same as best we can?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.” If we are part of God’s household, then surely we should at the least be familiar and friendly towards others around us, including newcomers. It is unfortunate that we sometimes see newcomers being ignored, while some of us seem so busy socialising with only people we are comfortable with or we seem so busy and focused only with church activities. May we not forget the “human element” of being Christian, and be willing to come out of our comfort zone, so that we would truly be united as God’s children.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin, Doctor – Feast

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Our hand has five fingers. Among these five fingers, some might assume that it is the last finger, the little finger, that has the least important function. However, we might be surprised to discover that the little finger is actually the strongest finger of the hand. Why so? When you grip a knife, the last three fingers of each hand, especially the little finger, are used to grip the knife handle tightly, with the thumb and index fingers holding it loosely. Also, try holding a hammer without the little finger gripping the handle. It won’t be that easy to hit a nail into the wall.

So it is interesting to see how much strength and power the little finger has, isn’t it? It may be the smallest of all the fingers, it may be the last finger in the hand, it’s just a little finger, but it certainly has considerable strength. In fact, losing the little finger can be very inconvenient. It may mean losing the grip of things, practically as well as symbolically. This helps us understand what Jesus meant when He said in the gospel: The one who makes himself as little as a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Just as the little finger plays an important role in gripping, a little child shows us how we should be strongly gripping in our dependence on God and His providence.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus. Her way to holiness and eventually to sainthood is known as the “Little Way.” She believed that the way to approach God is to be like how a little child approaches its parent: with open arms and complete trust. St. Teresa showed how she lived out that “Little Way” by taking on all the lowly and humble tasks in her convent. Her life was just so routine, mundane and ordinary. But she did small things with great love. St. Teresa was like that last finger of the hand – small and little, yet strong and powerful. She taught and showed us that in the small, little and lowly, God’s mighty love and power is shown. May we follow her example, and learn to do all things, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem, for the glory of God.

Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels – Feast

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Do you believe that ghosts exists? Some people not only believe, but they would become quite superstitious and wear all sorts of amulets or charms, chant prayers, offer gifts such as fruits and food, avoid going near certain places like the graveyard at night, and do all sorts of other things, in the hope that the spirits would not disturb them. Such people are frightened that the ghost would bring them bad luck or disaster should they encounter one.

For some, ghosts are considered evil or wicked and should be avoided at all cost. But are all spirits evil? No. There are also good spirits which help us in one way or another, sometimes without even us realising that they are present. One such spirit are the angels or archangels, like Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, whose feast we celebrate today. The name Michael means “who is like God.” In Scripture, it was St. Michael who long ago led the battle against Satan (Rev. 12:7-9) and his will is focused and driven toward accomplishing goodness: he is a protector of souls, and wields his sword of righteous justice against Satan. Gabriel means “God is my strength.” In Scripture, He appears to Zechariah (Lk 1:13) and Mother Mary (Lk 1:27-28). Gabriel brought us God’s message of strength in which we draw our hope: God Incarnate was soon to enter history for love of man. Raphael means “God is my health.” Raphael is one of seven angels “who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord” (Tob 12:15). The meaning of Raphael’s name reflects the fact that he touched Tobit’s eyes in order to heal them of blindness.

Though God cannot be seen, yet through these three archangels, He manifests His power and presence. Each angel is sent by God to be our help and our guide, since an angel cannot give instructions on its own accord, but deliver instructions from God to us. May we be docile and humble enough to listen to the angels and archangels, who are there to be our rule and our guide, so that with their help, we could grow closer with our loving Lord.