Category Archives: Friday

These days, I notice fewer and fewer people going for confession regularly. Quite often, I observe many people going for confession only during the Advent and Lent season, where the Sacrament of Reconciliation is held from parish to parish at different days and times. But how many people actually make effort or take the trouble to go for confession regularly, perhaps at least once a fortnight, or if necessary once a week? This gives me the impression that many have become less sensitive to sin as they are influenced by the ways of the world. The irony here is that these people would have no qualms in bathing regularly or putting on expensive perfumes, but neglect to “bathe” their souls regularly.

In today’s Gospel, why did Jesus tell us to “tear out your eye, or cut off your hand and throw them away if they cause you to sin?” What Jesus is trying to tell us is that He wants us to choose life and happiness by doing what is good rather than choosing death and suffering by doing evil. This also means we must find out if there is any relationship or activity or group that causes us to sin and separate us from God. If there is, we must cut it off from our life, with help and grace from God. If we have committed sin, we must cut it off by going for confession, and not allow the sin to fester and ruin our soul. Are we willing to take action by going for confession regularly so that our soul would be scrubbed clean? Let us not procrastinate further, and let our loving God cleanse our soul (through the Sacrament of Reconciliation) and heal us back to a healthy relationship with Him.

It is interesting to observe how people spend so much time and effort in obtaining things of this world, things which are only temporary and will not last. For example, we may have a brand new car today, but that same car would slowly depreciate in value, parts will breakdown, and there will come a time when the car would end up as scrap. The same goes for the computers and electronic gadgets we own or long to own. What is the latest and greatest today would become obsolete tomorrow. Whether we like it or not, that is the way things are here on earth, and we need to set our priorities right and focus on what really matters.

In today’s reading, we are reminded of One who will never disappear or fade away. The reading tells us: “His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.” No matter what happens, be it good or bad, Jesus will always be there for us. So we should make more effort to grow closer to Him and let Him be our guide, since all other persons and things are impermanent, temporary, and will sooner or later go away, but Jesus will always be around.

Extremism can come in many forms, and these days, we see more and more of religious extremism and intolerance happening. Extremists give the religion a bad name, since what they do and their way of thinking is actually distorted and diverted from what is the actual teaching of the particular religion. Such people take simple and straightforward teaching and make it complicated and radical. Sometimes, such extremists do such things to draw attention to themselves, and to attract especially the young to join their cause.

In today’s Gospel, we come across a bunch of extremists who are the lawyers and the Pharisees. These folks held an extreme view, among many things, about keeping the sabbath. To them, keeping the sabbath means absolutely no work can be done, not even good deeds. But Jesus caught them in an embarassing situation when He said: “‘Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a sabbath day without hesitation?’ And to this they could find no answer.”

When we are dealing with extremists, their minds are so warped and they have become so stubborn and obstinate, that even doing good and merciful acts are prohibited. This is why the lawyers and Pharisees could not and dared not answer Jesus’ challenge, since they would be conflicting their absurd position if they were to agree that such a good or merciful deed is permissable and commendable. What about us? Are some of us extremists in one way or another? Have we put people off or caused disharmony in our community with our extreme views through our behaviour, attitude and conduct? Let us do away with such extreme views, so that we may learn to live and love according to the ways of the Lord once again.

It seems that many of us are becoming more reluctant to deal with issues which we may have with certain other persons. Sometimes we just ignore the person or walk away, not wanting to have anything to do with the person or addressing the issue. Sometimes we go straight to the person’s boss, leader and superior, even though the issue may not be that great initially, because we lack the patience or courage to deal with the person directly. Why do we do these things? It is precisely because we have allowed our pride and ego to take control, so much so that we are only concerned about ourselves, and not interested in practicing love, mercy and compassion towards ourselves and towards others.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “Why not judge for yourselves what is right? For example: when you go to court with your opponent, try to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the bailiff and the bailiff have you thrown into prison. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny.”

Have some of us become so self-righteous or conceited that we think we are faultless and right, demanding that others admit their faults? Or have we come to a point that we are not bothered about others anymore, causing ill-feelings, anger or even hatred to simmer and boil over? As Christians, we pray that God would forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Are we practising what we pray, or are we saying it blindly, without meaning, just to put on a show?

A leaven is a substance used in dough and batter that causes it to rise, making the end product, be it bread, cake or some other baked item, soft and delicious to eat. While leaven is usually used for a good purpose, there is a different kind of leaven which we need to be cautious about. What leaven is that? The leaven of hypocrisy of the Pharisees, which Jesus warns us in today’s Gospel not to imitate because they give us false impressions and bad examples. For example, the Pharisees like to give alms in public. They do this only to please the crowd, not God. Now, if one follows their example, one also becomes like them because their corrupting influence, their ‘leavening effect’, corrupts and influences us to give alms for our personal glory, gratification and to boost our pride and ego, instead of giving alms for the glory of God.

Behind much hypocrisy and lying is fear. Often we are afraid of how others will react if they discover the truth about us. That is why we must not be afraid to allow “Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear.” When our inner life and hidden actions are exposed to the light of God, the light of truth, we can be set free. We can do this especially when we go for the sacrament of reconciliation, where all that we are ashamed of, all that is hidden, could be revealed and forgiven. When we do so, we have no reason to fear, because God is there to help us and guide us. Are we willing to come out of our shadows, our hypocritical ways, and let the light of God shine through us and heal us?

What happens to a person when he or she allows jealousy to take control of one’s life? Some begin to behave in a silly or erratic manner, and they begin to say things which are silly, stupid or which make a fool of themselves. Some begin to waste time and effort trying to plot and bring the other person down, when they could have used such time and effort to do good. Some even begin to lose sleep and become increasingly frustrated, when others seem to be doing better or are more successful than they are, causing their health to be affected. But at the end of the day, why do we need to be jealous? What are we really trying to prove?

In today’s Gospel: “When Jesus had cast out a devil, some of the people said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – Since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then.'”

When people allow jealously to get the better of them, they begin to talk nonsense, such as what has happened in the Gospel. Instead of trying to belittle Jesus, these people only end up belittling themselves. May we prevent jealousy from ruining our lives and relationships, and give thanks to God for the gifts we have as well as the gifts others have.