Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Mass during the Day

Pentecost Year C – Mass of the Day

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Today we celebrate Pentecost, where Jesus finally sends us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the one who will teach us everything and remind us of all that Jesus has said. But what does the coming of the Holy Spirit mean to us? What is its significance in our lives?

The coming of the Holy Spirit enables us to overcome our fears. It does not mean we would no longer have any fear, but fear can no longer control us, since the Holy Spirit is in control and will guide us. In the first reading, the apostles were at first fearful, and they hid behind closed doors. When they were filled by the Spirit, they came out from that room to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Also the coming of the Holy Spirit breaks down barriers between us and creates unity among people from diverse backgrounds. The church does not belong to any particular group, since the church is the Church of Christ and all people, regardless of race, color or language are part of it. As St. Paul reminds us in the second reading, we are “children of God”, “heirs of God and coheirs with Christ.” If we live according to the Holy Spirit, then we must not allow prejudice to affect the way we live our Christian lives. This means that since the church is made up of peoples from diverse backgrounds, we must be able to look after the interest of everyone and not only look towards our own interest.

Moreover, the alternative Gospel reminds us that the coming of the Holy Spirit is to “teach you everything and remind you of all I (Jesus) have said to you.” This is because we forget so easily and need to be constantly reminded of our identity as children of God, as brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be reminded that our life in the Spirit is a life that must be founded on love, and that there is no room for hatred, prejudice, unforgiveness, or selfishness.

Thus, let us give thanks to God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to take control of our lives. Let us always be ready to listen to His promptings and learn to live as brothers and sisters in Christ, children of God. May we let the Holy Spirit transform us, so that we may be united as one and go forth to proclaim the Good News to all the earth.

The Ascension of the Lord – Mass of the Day

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Some of us would have experienced, every now and then, the necessity for us to go away from where we presently are to another place where we are needed. Quite often, our duty and responsibility would require us to move on to another kind of duty or responsibility, or to another location where our services are needed. For example, priests and religious are transferred from one location to another, or from one parish to another, to serve the needs of the faithful in different parts of the diocese or even in different countries. Even teachers too are sometimes transferred from one school to another, depending on where their skills and specialties are needed. For some, it seems difficult and painful to move on, especially when we have become quite comfortable with where we are and with the people we are familiar with, but life is such that sooner or later, we would need to go.

This is why we could understand how the disciples must have felt when Jesus, after His resurrection, had to leave and return to His Father. His first departure when He died was already devastating enough, and now a second departure? It must have been unthinkable and disconcerting for the disciples to lose Jesus, this time for an unknown period of time. But why did Jesus leave? He left so that He could send the Holy Spirit to the disciples, giving them the strength, courage and that extra oomph to become His witnesses to the ends of the earth. This would not have been possible if Jesus had remained with His disciples, since they would still have clung close to him and not have been able to move off on their own.

So what can we learn from this? Many of us try to help others, accompany them, or even offer solutions to their problems, but we sometimes do not know when to stop. We give so much time and effort to help people that we fail to allow God to help them. Some of us even begin to act as if we are God and without us, people would go astray and there would be chaos. If such people whom we are helping become so dependent on us, then there is no need for them to seek God’s help, since we would have become like their ‘saviour.’ So, we must ‘leave’ like Jesus, so that the Holy Spirit could come and touch the lives of these people. This does not mean that we are trying to shirk our responsibilities, but what we are doing is to allow space for God to work in our lives and the lives of others, so that we and they could learn to grow in His love and care, and let Him be our guide.

Today, let us learn to know when and how to let go, and have greater faith and trust that God will take care of things. Even though Jesus has already ascended, even though He has already ‘left’ us, He is still present with us in a very special way: in the Body and Blood of Christ. May we be humble and docile enough to let God take control, so that we can be His witnesses for His glory.

Christmas Day – Mass During the Day

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In ancient times, people were not able to communicate effectively and clearly because they depended on basic sounds and symbols. Later, words were formed and eventually, languages emerged. This made it much easier for people to express themselves and share ideas, thoughts and other things. Words enable us to learn about things that we have never seen and about places that we have never been. In other words, words give us new life.

Today, we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Today’s Gospel tells us about the Word being the “true light.” Since Jesus is the Word, He is therefore that true light of hope, knowledge, justice and peace that enlightens all men. He is the light and the Word that has come into the world and has overcome the darkness of our selfishness, ego, pride, violence, hatred, anger and sin that is in the world.

Let us therefore give thanks to God for the Word has become flesh, God has become man, so that we have life in Him. Let us not keep this Good News of this Word to ourselves, but go forth and proclaim it and share it with others, since as the Gospel tells us: “The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” May we joyfully and enthusiastically His witnesses and give Him the glory.

Pentecost Year B – Mass of the Day

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What does it mean to be a Christian? Are we truly united as brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of our ethnic group, language group, or even social status or background? Sometimes, we come across parishes which are quite divided and segregated along racial and social lines. Each group is more interested only in the affairs, needs and wants of their respective friends and acquaintances within their group. We see people within their group avoiding or minimising contact with people of other groups, due to fear, prejudice, pride, inability to communicate, or for some other reason. Sometimes, when there is a dispute among persons between different groups, we see people taking sides, defending their own group, and finding ways to discredit the other side. It seems as if there is a siege mentality, where the other side is seen as a constant threat that needs to be checked. But is this what being a Christian really all about? Is Christianity exclusive only to certain people?

In today’s First Reading, we are told that the Holy Spirit came and rested on the heads of the disciples, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech” and also that “there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language about the marvels of God.” Notice that the Holy Spirit did not take sides or focus only with a particular group, but instead broke barriers in language so that all could hear and understand the disciples in their own language.

Likewise, today’s alternative Second Reading remind us: “If you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. I warn you now, as I warned you before: those who behave like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires. Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit.” If we are sticking to our guns and sticking only to our respective groups, then how can we belong to Christ Jesus, since we are actually being self-indulgent with only our group?

This is why we cannot be Christians and at the same time be attached or fixated to only a particular group. The Holy Spirit is gifted to all of us, regardless of who we are and where we come from. The second reading tells us that: “There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose.” Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves honestly and sincerely: are we Christians only in name, but self-serving in practice? Or are we truly making every effort to be united as one family of God? Are we willing to come out of our comfort zones and reach out to others, especially those who are not so familiar to us, with love and Christian charity? Let us mean what we say when we sing: “We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

The Ascension of the Lord – Mass of the Day

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At some point of our lives, we would have experienced people coming and going. Some go away because they have moved to another place, some go away because they have retired and wish to be away from the limelight, some go away because they have been transferred; but whatever the reason may be, sooner or later, a person would need to go away.

When a person goes away, some of us may feel sad that the person has left us. Perhaps we may one day be able to see the person again, perhaps not. But if we consider a moment, a person going away could also be seen as a moment of joy. Why so? When a person has gone away, his or her leaving gives us opportunities and room to grow. The person may have gone away, but if the person has been a great influence to us, a part of him or her would be with us, and that part would only surface and come to life when the person has gone. When the person was with us, we may have taken him or her for granted, it is only when the person has gone, then only do we begin to appreciate and imitate what the person has done. It seems strange, but that is sometimes how things are in life.

Jesus knew this fact of life really well, and He knew that He had to leave so that the disciples and the church could be empowered, grow and mature. The disciples could not be depending on Him physically forever, since that would stifle their willingness to grow and move on. But by leaving, Jesus left His disciples a legacy to continue, and that same legacy goes on even today. What is that legacy? To spread the Good News to all, no matter where we are.

The question is: has Jesus really left us? Has Jesus left us in a lurch or abandoned us? No. He may have left us physically, but He is with us in an even more powerful way, that is through the Holy Spirit. We may have been fearful and uncertain when Jesus left us, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been given the strength and courage to face up to the world and help others to love just as Jesus loves us.

Today, as we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus, let us not feel disheartened or lost. Jesus is with us, guiding us, and helping us to go forth and preach the Good News with vigour. Now is our time, now is our moment, and let us seize every opportunity to glorify God with our words and deeds.

Christmas Day – Mass During the Day

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Many of us like to receive presents. When we receive a present, we become quite excited and can’t wait for the earliest opportunity to open the present. Sometimes the present comes with instructions not to open it until a certain date, time or event occurs. When this is the case, some of us may become quite curious and tempted to try and find ways and means to take a peek. However, when we finally get the chance to open the present, what happens? Some of us may be quite happy since we have gotten what we wanted. Some of us may feel disappointed because we did not quite get what we wanted. But if we step aside for a while and ponder… what we are getting here are things which are temporary and won’t last forever. But today, we are offered a present which is the greatest present of all. What present is this? It is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.

God loves all of us so much that he gave us His own Son Jesus as a present to save us from our sins and to guide us to Him. Could we ever find a present greater than or more valuable or more special than Jesus? Surely not! But, like every present that we receive, we are free to choose to accept it or to reject it. If we choose to reject this special present, then as today’s Gospel tells us: “He was in the world that had its being through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own domain and his own people did not accept him.” It seems strange or tragic that people would choose to reject Jesus, but there are times where such people have become so engulfed with the ways of the world, with power, with money, with position and power, and with so many other things, that Jesus and ultimately God has no place in their hearts and minds. When we put other things or persons first in our lives, then we are rejecting Jesus, the Word of God.

But if we accept this special present, then as the Gospel tells us: “But to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to all who believe in the name of him who was born not out of human stock or urge of the flesh or will of man but of God himself.” If we are willing and prepared to open and accept this special present, then we will share in Jesus’ glory and our lives will be transformed. We will no longer be orphans or strangers but become children of God. We will have the privilege to hear God speaking to us through His Son, as St. Paul tells us in the second reading: “At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is.”

Let us open our hearts and minds, and accept Jesus as the greatest gift of all. Let us let Jesus be in control and guide us throughout our lives. If we truly value and appreciate this special gift from God, then we do not need or want anything else. Let us consistently and happily accept this gift of Jesus this Christmas and every Christmas.

Pentecost Year A – Mass of the Day

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Have we been filled with the Holy Spirit? Are we willing and daring enough to go and preach the Good News? When the Holy Spirit came and rested on the heads of the disciples, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.” Today’s 1st reading also tells us that “there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language about the marvels of God.” The Holy Spirit gave these disciples courage to go forth to proclaim the Good News fearlessly.

Today’s 2nd reading also reminds us that “there is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose.” This means that all of us are filled with the Holy Spirit. We received the Holy Spirit at baptism, and further strengthened at confirmation. Strenghtened with the Holy Spirit, we should be going forth with gusto and joy to proclaim the Good News. The question is: why are some of us still procrastinating? Why are some of us cowering in fear or not willing to commit ourselves to proclaiming the Good News in whatever way of life we are in? Are we doubtful that God can help us? Are we expecting only others to proclaim the Good News? There is no such thing as a nominal Christian; for each of us have been called, chosen, and strengthened to go forth and proclaim the Good News. Are we shirking from our responsibility?

The Ascension of the Lord – Mass of the Day

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Saying goodbye or farewell is never easy. In some cases, we may get to see the person again only after a long time. In other cases, we may never get to see the person again. Some of us become so attached to the person who is leaving, that it becomes all the more harder to let go. Some may try all sorts of tricks and antics, hoping that the person would change his or her mind and stay. But the reality is, when it is time to leave, it is time to leave.

For forty days, Jesus continued to appear to the disciples to tell them about the kingdom of God. He gave them lots of encouragement and prepared them for His departure. He even assured them: “John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” Eventually, the day came where Jesus was “lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.”

When Jesus left them, the disciples were still in a daze. They had not fully comprehended the reality that Jesus was physically gone. The first reading tells us: “They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’” Once again, the disciples were being reassured that Jesus had left but He would return.

With Jesus gone, the Holy Spirit could come. The pain of separation would soon be replaced with the joy which the Holy Spirit gives us. In today’s Gospel, Jesus told his disciples: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” This is the mission which Jesus entrusted to His disciples; this is the same mission He is entrusting to us now. We are now sent to go forth and proclaim the Good News, but we are not left alone. Jesus is with us always, and the Holy Spirit will guide us and help us. Are we ready to fulfil our destiny as bearers of Good News to all? Let us be not afraid, for God is with us.

Christmas Day – Mass During the Day

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Nowadays we hear the word “love” being used and misused rampantly. People sometimes interchange the word “like” or “enjoy” with the word “love.” For example, a person may say “I love ice-cream” but actually mean “I like or enjoy eating ice-cream.” Or perhaps a person may say “I love shopping” but actually mean “I like going shopping.” The word “love” is too often used instead of the word “like” or “enjoy,” for things which are merely pleasing, but evoke no great warmth of feeling or desire. This habitual use of the word “love” to express other feelings minimises and cheapens the real meaning and potential of love in its true sense.

While some of us may not fully understand or appreciate the word “love,” God has shown us in many ways the true meaning of the word “love.” Today we celebrate Christmas Day and today, “The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” This “Word” is Jesus Christ who came because “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” What about us? Are we willing to love others with all sincerity, just as God loves us unconditionally? Let us bring the joy of Christmas, spreading peace, love and goodwill to all persons.