Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Lent

Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent

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Some people may be stingy with their time and finances when it comes to church and helping others. However, these people may not be so when it comes to their own needs. Sometimes I hear of some people asking the church for this, for that, but these same people are very reluctant to contribute a fair amount of time or money. During parties or functions, these people would rush for the best pieces or the largest quantity, only to throw away or pack home what they have grabbed, but it is unfortunate to note that these people would be so inconsiderate to either bring very little to share, or they would not bring anything at all. Greed and selfishness seems to be their way of doing things.

Today’s Gospel reminds us: “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you…” Some people may think that they can get away with their behaviour and attitude, but they fail to realise that they are answerable for what they have done. Let us learn to be responsible, loving and caring, just as we pray and hope for God to be loving and merciful towards us.

2nd Sunday of Lent Year A

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Do you know who you really are? Do you know who the person next to you really is? Sometimes we are not fully aware of who a person really is until that person reveals his or her true self. Some say that to really know a person, one needs to cause the person to become drunk, then the true self emerges. More often than not, we would not know a person completely.

The disciples in today’s Gospel also did not really know who Jesus really was. They had seen him performing miracles, healing the sick, and preaching fantastic words. But they were still not fully aware of Jesus’ true nature. When Jesus was transfigured, then only did they get a glimpse of Jesus’ true identity. It must have been so awesome, so amazing, the disciples were on a high, and they wanted to be on a high for much longer, since Peter had suggested to construct 3 tents so that they could hang around for a while. But things would not last in that way forever. It was time to come back to earth, and the disciples were reminded to listen to Jesus and not to say a word about the vision to anyone until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

We too might have experienced our mountain top experience. We would love to stay there longer, perhaps indefinitely. But we know that we cannot, for we still need to continue proclaiming the Good News to others. We have been given a glimpse of who Jesus really is, and so it is our turn to share this glimpse with others. Are we still stuck on the mountain top? Or have we begun our mission in bringing the joy of Christ to others?

Housekeeping – 1st Week of Lent

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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

9 March 2014 – 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
10 March 2014 – Monday of the 1st Week of Lent
11 March 2014 – Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent
12 March 2014 – Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent
13 March 2014 – Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent
14 March 2014 – Friday of the 1st Week of Lent

Friday of the 1st Week of Lent

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Are there some among us who still harbour anger and hatred towards a brother or sister? Perhaps a family member or friend may have hurt us so badly that we find it extremely difficult to forgive, reconcile and move on. We begin a tirade of excuses, justifying our enmity with such people, and we behave as if we are the victim (even though, at times, we could be just as guilty by the way we behave). The question is: how can we continue to pray in church, and especially how can we pray the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father, when we still have such rage and anger in our hearts?

Today’s Gospel reminds us: “If you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.” Why are we still so stubborn, so obstinate, so unwilling to forgive, reconcile and move on? Are we allowing pride and prejudice to rule our minds and hearts? Let us think carefully and change our behaviour and attitude, while we have the time and opportunity to do so.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent

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Whatever our needs and wants may be, are we asking God consistently and properly? Today’s Gospel tells us: “If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” We may begin to wonder, “How is it that I have been asking for this or that and yet God has not given me what I asked for?” Let us take a good look at ourselves for a moment… Are we asking God with the right intention and with humility? Or are we expecting God to do our bidding? Are we asking so that ultimately we would be glorifying His Name? Or are we asking only to glorify ourselves and look good?

Let us be reminded that God loves all of us and treats all fairly. Today’s Gospel reminds us: “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” How willing and generous are we to love and treat others well, just as God loves and treat us fairly? Let us walk humbly and lovingly before God and behave justly and lovingly towards others, with hope that He will grant our needs for His glory.

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent

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Each and every one of us is given lots of opportunities to change our lives and grow closer to God. God is not going to condemn us and throw us into hell straight away. It is through our own neglect and refusal to change that could eventually cause us to lose our heavenly reward. Some of us may think that we have plenty of time to change, and we procrastinate, thinking that our time is not up. However, are we trying to put the Lord to the test? Are we setting ourselves up for an eternity away from God? Ultimately, we have only ourselves to blame if we do not keep watch and prepare ourselves for any possibilities.

In today’s reading, we read of the people and king of Nineveh making effort and changing their ways. We are told that “God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.” What about us? Are we doing our part and renounce our evil behaviour, whatever that may be? Or have we become too proud and obstinate, refusing to change only to regret later?

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent

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How do we pray? Some of us may pray the rosary or novena to Mother Mary. Some pray the Divine Mercy prayer. Some pray the Divine Office, or part of the Divine Office like Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer). Others may be more inclined towards praise and worship. But when we pray in these ways, are we really praying, or could we be guilty of, as today’s Gospel tells us, “babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.”

Jesus taught us a simple way of praying in today’s Gospel, a prayer called the Our Father or Lord’s Prayer. The challenge in this prayer is where forgiveness is concerned. We seek forgiveness from God for the many sins we have committed, but are we willing to forgive others too? People may have hurt us, angered us, or betrayed us but are we willing and humble enough to forgive them? Easier said than done, but if we call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, let us walk the talk and learn to love and promote love to all, forgiving, reconciling and moving on.

Monday of the 1st Week of Lent

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The way we live our lives would give us a glimpse of what would happen to us ultimately when we die. Until then, we are given lots of opportunities to repent and change our lives. Are we taking such opportunities to grow closer to God and love our neighbour impartially?

Today’s Gospel presents us with two final options: eternal life or eternal punishment. Most of us would want eternal life, but are we loving God and neighbour consistently and continuously that would lead us to eternal life? There are so many obstacles along the way, and a more challenging obstacle which we face is loving our neighbour, since we can see our neighbour daily. Loving our neighbour is indeed not an easy thing, as there are many aspects of loving our neighbour which we may have neglected. Today’s Gospel gives us some examples of loving our neighbour: “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” We may have neglected to love our neighbour in some of these examples, and if we realise this, what are we doing about it? How can we say we love God, if we pick and choose how and whom we love? God is loving to all, regardless of who they are and what they have done. Are we doing the same?

1st Sunday of Lent Year A

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When we do something wrong or make a mistake, how many of us are willing to admit it? Some of us may try to sweep it under the carpet and hope that no one would discover what we have done. Some would start putting the blame on others and try to find a scapegoat to take the blame for us. How many of us are honestly and readily willing to say we are sorry and move on?

In today’s readings, we are reminded that Adam and Eve sinned because they did not want to admit their wrong doing. Adam blamed Eve for causing him to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve blamed the serpent for tempting her into eating the fruit. It is a continuous vicious circle. You blame me, I blame you, and in the end, we may end up fighting more and more over the most trivial things, just to ensure that we appear to look good. This attitude smacks of pride and arrogance, where we refuse to acknowledge our weaknesses and be compassionate about the weaknesses of others.

Today’s Gospel paints us another picture. Jesus was able to overcome temptation from the devil. Some may say: “But He is God! Surely as God, He is beyond temptation!” However, we should not forget that Jesus is also human. As human, He could be tempted. The forms of temptation which the devil used on Jesus are dissatisfaction, pride and disobedience. But He knew that what the devil was offering Him were merely lies. When we are dissatisfied, we begin to think that God is not giving us our needs. Pride causes us to think that we are greater and more important, and our heads begin to swell. Disobedience is caused when we bow down to the Devil instead of God, and we could do so when we treat other things and objects as gods.

Jesus refused to give in to these temptations because He knew that He was God’s beloved. We too are God’s beloved. We are precious in God’s eyes. We do not need to prove ourselves to God or to anyone. God can and will provide for us. Are we willing to be humble and patient, letting God care for us and give us what we need according to His wisdom? Or are we going to continue doing things our own way? Sometimes, when we demand too much our rights, nothing will be left.

Friday after Ash Wednesday

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How do you fast? Some people eat less, some avoid certain types of food or drink for a period of time, some do not eat anything for a period of time. But can you tell whether a person is fasting? For some, fasting is a real pain and they put on a “sour face” or “monkey face” to show that they are fasting. Some look listless or seem to have no energy while fasting. How many of us fast cheerfully and discreetly?

Today’s reading tells us about the type of fasting the Lord expects of us: “to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the man you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin?” If we fast to put on a show, then what is the point of fasting? Also, if we fast but treat others badly, how different are we compared to others? Let us learn to fast happily and with compassion towards others, so that “your light shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over. Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you.”