Category Archives: Friday

When something goes wrong, how many of us are willing to take responsibility for what has happened? Perhaps some of us may do so, but there are also people 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. Why do people do such things? It could be because of their pride and ego, where they are unwilling to admit they are wrong, even though it is quite obvious, and they even think that they can never be wrong. Such persons rather stick to their way of thinking and refuse to learn from their mistakes, expecting others to accept them as they are. Could some of us have such behaviour or attitudes in some way?

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.

What about us? Are we willing to be humble and admit our mistakes? Are we willing to 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 change us into better persons?

It is interesting to note that some people seem to think that they can pay their way to heaven, sort of like “cheap grace” where the more they contribute, the better the chances for them to reach heaven. Also, some so called Christian pastors seem to be focused in ensuring that their faithful pay up every month, even to the point of checking on their pay slip or income status, and even publishing on the notice board, the names of so called “offenders” who have not been able to contribute, though there may be good and valid reasons why they may be unable to do so. Has our church and even some of us begun to have such thoughts and attitudes?

In today’s reading, St. Paul warns us: “This is what you are to teach the brothers to believe and persuade them to do. Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit – with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that.”

Are we a church only for the money? In some churches, we seem to get the impression that the leadership is focusing only for the money, where the rich, influential and wealthy are well treated, but the poor, the marginalised, those who are not so well-off or even those who are struggling to make ends meet are given little or minimal attention. If our focus is only for the money, then why are we church in the first place? Are we followers of our own ego, pride and gratification, or are we truly and sincerely following Jesus and His teachings?

Among the many things that we long for, one that seems to stand out is security. We can have good food, sufficient clothing, and other things, but when we do not feel secure, all these other things may not matter. Some of us even go to the extent of investing in a guard dog, or install an alarm system, or install some form of CCTV, to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our property from intruders. Some of us even move to a different area which seems more secure, such as a gated and guarded area, or where the neighbourhood seems pleasant and peaceful.

In today’s reading, we come across Ruth who could have followed her sister-in-law and return to her own people. Even Naomi her mother-in-law encouraged her to do so, since Ruth’s husband, who is Naomi’s son, had died, and Naomi and Ruth no longer had any source of income and security in the household. Instead of going back to her own people, Ruth chose to give herself to follow her mother-in-law to go to a foreign land, and gave up her sense of belonging and security. By giving up herself and giving herself to Naomi, God blessed her and her name is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus.

What about us? Would we be willing to give ourselves up to Jesus? What about giving ourselves up to the needs of others? Would we be willing to let go of our security and let God be in control? It is when we give our heart and soul and mind to God, we will be secure and at peace.

Throughout my ministry, I sometimes come across couples who do not seem to understand the implications of getting married and staying married. Getting married seems the easy part, but staying married is where the challenge lies. As the years go by, the married couple would face many kinds of conflict, difficulties and challenges. But such conflict, difficulties and challenges could be seen as opportunities for the couple to grow and stay strong together, especially if they practice “oneness” in thier married life. What is this “oneness” all about?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminded the Pharisees and reminds us too: “Have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two become one body? They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.” This is precisely the “oneness” that couples need to practice, that is, “the two become one body.” When couples stick together in working out conflict, difficulties and challenges, then their “oneness” would enable them to find solutions to such conflict, difficulties and challenges. May our couples remain stuck to each other through thick and through thin, through good times and bad, with help from our lovimg God.

What does it mean to obey? In today’s reading we are presented with what seems to be a simplistic understanding of the meaning of obedience. In a nutshell, the reading is telling us that to obey means to keep the laws and the commandments of God, and by doing so we will prosper, live long and be happy. The reading also cautions us that if we disobey God, then we lose everything and be ruined.

But Jesus in the Gospel gives us a deeper and different meaning of obedience. In the Gospel, Jesus tells that if we want to be His disciples, then we would have to renounce everything and take up our cross. What Jesus is trying to tell us is that when we let go, we gain, or if we were to put it in a different way: We should let go, and let God. Obedience to God is not about gaining world riches. Rather, obedience to God is the realisation that eternal riches is far more precious, far more valuable. So the question is: Why do we obey? What do we ultimately seek?

What would you do if one day, your parish has a new parish priest or a new religious sister, and the new person is actually a son or daughter of the parish, that is, someone whose origins are from the parish he or she is now being posted to. Would you accept the person and work with him or her to help the parish grow? Or would you reject the person, because you think that you know the person well enough?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” The people did not accept Jesus because the people thought they knew Him too well, and they already had preconceived opinions and ideas about Him. Their hearts were closed and they did not think Jesus had anything to offer them. As a result, they had rejected Jesus upfront, without even giving Him a chance to help and guide them.

Some of us too may have this attitude problem. Some of us allow our preconceived ideas and opinions to surface and rear their ugly heads, making it difficult for some to accept a familiar face. The question is: are we willing and docile enough to change our attitude and work with the son or daughter of the parish? Who knows, he or she may turn out to be an amazing and loving shepherd and guide. Are we willing to give him or her a chance?

Why do we come for Mass on Sunday? Some of us do so to fulfil the Sunday obligation. Some of us do so because we want to receive Holy Communion and be nourished by Jesus. How many of us come because we want to listen to God’s Word, listen to the homily, and also receive Holy Communion? Do we pay attention while the readings are being read, the Gospel is being proclaimed and the homily is being preached? Do we recall what was the homily preached last Sunday? Or have we been day-dreaming, reading some Catholic publication, looking at the church bulletin, looking at our handphone (cellphone), getting distracted by some other thing, or doing something else while the Liturgy of the Word is being proclaimed?

In today’s Gospel, we come across the parable of the sower, where the seed is the Word of God. What happens to the seed depends on how we have allowed it to be sown. Have we allowed the seed to be sown in rich soil, and let it grow in our hearts and in our soul? Or have we allowed other factors to distract us, and cause the seed to be lost, or taken away, or unable to grow? May we come to realise the importance of both the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and give our utmost attention to both, so that we may be like the one “who received the seed in rich soil and yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.”

We sometimes come across people who just do not seem to have anything good to say about others. At the slightest opportunity, such persons would condemn the actions or words of others, sometimes without even bothering to verify the facts. To such persons, only they are right and eveyone else is wrong, no matter how much good others have done. Why do such people behave in this way? It is precisely because of their pride, ego and insecurities, that they cannot stand seeing other people doing what is right and what is just.

In today’s Gospel, we see an example of such persons in the Pharisees, who refused to acknowledge the good others do. These Pharisees had so easily forgotten, as Jesus reminded them, that what God wants is mercy, not sacrifice. Because of this, the Pharisees had become so proud, arrogant, full of themselves, and egoistic, so much so that they so easily condemned the blameless. Could some of us have become like the Pharisees, when we treat others with contempt, or we belittle others for whatever reasons, or we think that we are right and others are wrong? May we come to realise our attitude and behavior, and change our ways, and do what is right and just for the glory of God.

It is certainly not easy being a Christian. Our beliefs and principles quite often are in contrast with the ways of the world, and when we are faced with a choice, we would face a serious dilemma. It is easy to say that we would follow the ways of Christ, but when the choice involves our livelihood, or involves family relationship, then things become quite sticky and difficult. For example, not all of us come from families which are Christians, especially if some of us in the family converted to Christianity. When our siblings or parents challenge us to do something which is not right according to God’s laws, would we stand firm with our Christian way of life? Or if our boss at work asks us to do something wrong or illegal for the benefit of the company, would we still stand firm with our Christian way of life? Or would we succumb to family, work or peer pressure?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus cautioned us: “Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.'” If we were persecuted for our faith today, would we be willing to suffer and even die for our faith? May we choose to do what is right and just in God’s eyes, and be courageous and steadfast in witnessing to the Gospel for the glory of God.