Category Archives: Friday

How many of us are willing to take responsibility for what has happened, especially if something bad has happened? Some of us may do so, and learn from our mistakes and move on, but there are also those who refuse to admit they have done wrong and try to play the blame game and put the blame on others, or even find a scapegoat to take the blame, because they are more concerned about their pride and ego, instead of what is just and right.

In today’s reading, Baruch reflected upon the disastrous events that had happened to the Israelites, especially the destruction of Jerusalem, and exile in Babylon. He came to a conclusion: “To us, the look of shame we wear today, we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, we have disobeyed Him, we had not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.”

Everything that went wrong and all the disastrous events that happened, Baruch pointed the finger at himself and his people, instead of trying to put the blame on others. Are we willing to be humble and admit our mistakes, seek forgiveness from God and from others, while being willing to forgive others too, when they have wronged us? Are we willing to learn from our mistakes and wrongdoings, and let the Lord guide us so that we would become better?

What do we look for in life? Do we look for wealth and property? Do we look for fame and popularity? Do we look for titles and admiration from others, especially our peers? While it is true that we need to have some of these worldly things to survive, how long would we be able to cling on to such things? When we return to the Lord, would we be able to bring such worldly things with us? Of course not! Such worldly things would need to be left behind, and would no longer mean anything to us. Then what is to become of us then?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

The Gospel cautions us that treasures on earth are only temporary, whereas treasures in heaven are permanent. The strange thing is that some of us are making so much effort to store up that which is temporary, to the detriment of that which is permanent. Are we willing to have a change of heart, and make more effort to focus on that which is permanent, without neglecting our living needs while here on earth?

A true friend is always there to help, in both times of triumph and crisis. However, there are some friends who appear to be true friends, only to be exposed as those who are only there in fortunate circumstances. Such friends are known as fair-weather friends, where someone is a good friend when it is easy to be one and who stops being one when you are having problems, or someone who can be depended on only when everything is going well. Such fair-weather friends are often friends with us only for their advantage, benefit and convenience.

That is why, in today’s reading, we are cautioned: “Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisers one in a thousand. If you want to make a friend, take him on trial, and be in no hurry to trust him…” The reality of life is such that we need to be careful when making friends, so as to not be taken advantaged of, or taken for a ride. May we be discerning and careful in choosing our friends, so that we may find true, dependable, intimate and loyal friends, and may we be true, dependable, intimate and loyal as well.

When it comes to learning music, such as learning to play the piano or guitar or violin, there needs to be study of theory and practical. Without theory, we may not understand or appreciate what constitutes acceptable or good music, and the practical aspect may be compromised. Theory without practice would not bring us anywhere, since we may know the theory of music, but we would not know how to play the instrument. Thus in music, both theory and practical are needed, so that we would be able to harmonise and improve our musical talent.

In today’s reading, St. Paul emphasised faith in Jesus Christ over the blind practice of the Law. The blind practice of the Law without having faith in God would result in the meticulous keeping of rules and regulations, just as one would only be blindly learning music theory without having a clue about why we are doing so and how we could put such theory to good and practical use. It becomes like a “monkey see, monkey do” situation. This would lead to a contradiction on what we say and do, compared to what we are supposed to believe in.

Thus, let us not just blindly follow rules or blindly have faith, but have some proper formation on our faith, so that we would have some understanding of what we believe in and why we believe. In doing so our faith in Jesus would grow and mature as we walk in His ways.

It is not easy for us to stand alone when it comes to upholding truth, righteousness and good principles. We may find ourselves isolated, shunned or even despised by those around us, since we have chosen to do what is right, instead of what is popular or agreeable to others. But if we look at our lives and purpose as Christians, are we called to be accepted and popular, and in doing so commit sin? Or are we willing to stick to following God’s ways, even if it means being treated as an outcast, persecuted, or even face the possibility of being put to death?

In today’s reading and Gospel, we see two examples of what it takes to stand alone for what one believes in and what is right. In the reading, the prophet Jeremiah was not accepted because he only had “bad” news for the people. Even though the priests and prophets in the Temple of the Lord wanted the prophet Jeremiah dead for what he said, the prophet Jeremiah refused to budge from saying what is right. The “bad” news the prophet Jeremiah told the people was for their own good, with hope that they would change their ways and return to the ways of God. In the Gospel, Jesus highlighted that a prophet is not accepted among his own people. He too had to stand alone in the face of rejection and even opposition.

But when we stand alone for what is just and right, we are actually not alone, since God is with us. May we remain steadfast in doing what is just and right, even if it means being alone in such a task, since what we do is not for our own gratification, but for the glory of God.

How loyal are we in our lives, when it comes to our family, our spouse, our workplace, in society, and even in a country? Do we seek only benefits, perks and advantages when it befits us, and when things are not to our liking or not going our way, we run away or look for alternatives? For example, if our spouse is stricken with a serious disease, would we remain loyal to him or her, or would we start looking elsewhere for gratification? When the company is facing difficult times, do we care only about ourselves and leave, looking for better prospects, or are we willing to stay and weather out the storm? When our country is going through turmoil and corruption, do we stay to do what is right and help rebuild the country, or do we run away and look for greener pastures?

It is easy for some of us to become disloyal, especially when we are more concerned only about ourselves, and perhaps our loved ones. But how many of us are willing to set aside our ego, our pride, our need for personal gratification, and remain loyal, come what may? Even when it comes to our faith, do we remain loyal when certain teachings or practices are not to our liking? Or do we run away and look for some other faith which benefits us?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “Come back, disloyal children – it is the Lord who speaks – for I alone am your Master.” Ultimately, we need to choose where our loyalties lie. If we choose to remain loyal to God, then we need to come back to Him and walk in His ways. May we choose wisely and not end up following the dictates of our hearts, and in doing so, risk our eternal future.

Blind people may not be able to see, but at least they can still communicate reasonably well with others. A person who is deaf, on the other hand, may experience much frustration and challenges, since such persons depend on sign language to communicate, and sometimes such sign language may be challenging to interpret. Moreover, a person who is deaf may attempt to speak, and what is spoken may be not so comprehensible, since the inability to hear also affects the diction. This may lead to feelings of insecurity and embarrassment for the deaf person, since communication is much harder compared to blind persons.

That is why, in today’s Gospel, Jesus took the deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, aside in private, away from the crowd, so that the deaf man would feel less insecure and embarrassed with his condition. Also, Jesus touched his ears and his tongue, and looked up to heaven to let the man feel and see that the healing powers were coming down from on high.

What can we learn from this? Quite often, we may have taken for granted the way we communicate, often using words. But the gospel account reminds us that in order to be understood, we must know what and how the other person can understand, and we must know how to use other forms of communication such as touch, body language and facial expression, to reach out to the other person. May we use our various senses wisely, so that the Good News could be effectively shared to all.