Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Ordinary Time

Thursday of Week 28 Year 1

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It is not easy for some of us to hear the truth. The truth hurts, and when our behaviour, conduct and attitude are exposed, some of us may try to find ways and means to prevent the truth from being widely circulated. We do not want to lose face or become embarrassed, so our defence mechanism kicks in, and we begin to work on some form of damage control. But the fact is, the truth will prevail, we cannot sweep it under the carpet forever. We could keep trying to live in denial, only to be further humiliated, or we could face up to it, seek forgiveness, reconcile and move on.

In today’s Gospel, we read: “When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.” The scribes and the Pharisees knew that they were in the wrong, but they were stubborn, proud, egoistic and arrogant, refusing to admit their fault. Instead, they still insisted in keeping their facade, and tried to put Jesus down. But what the scribes and the Pharisees failed to realise is that Jesus was not just any ordinary itinerant preacher. The more they tried to go against Jesus, the more foolish they looked, even without realising it. Ultimately, we need to decide. Are we going to be like the scribes and the Pharisees, only to lose face even more? Or are we willing to be humble and docile, and let God help us change for the better?

Wednesday of Week 28 Year 1

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Some of us seem to easily find fault with others. We think that we are clever enough, wise enough or knowledgeable enough to tell others what to do or what not to do. But is that really the case? Are we really faultless, or are we merely being self-righteous and judgemental towards others? Jesus reminds us: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you… (Matthew 7:1).” However, some of us still fail to realise that all of us are human, and we may not know the full facts or details. Thus, why do we still insist in looking at or judging others with coloured eyes?

In today’s reading, we are further cautioned not to judge. St. Paul warns us: “No matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge. We know that God condemns that sort of behaviour impartially: and when you judge those who behave like this while you are doing exactly the same, do you think you will escape God’s judgement? Or are you abusing his abundant goodness, patience and toleration, not realising that this goodness of God is meant to lead you to repentance?” When we judge others, even when it is obvious that we have at some point of time done the same thing as what others have done, we are merely being hypocrites. May we be humble enough to admit our own failings, and learn to be compassionate and encouraging towards others, instead of trying to be self-righteous and judgmental.

Tuesday of Week 28 Year 1

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Some of us seem to be so preoccupied in maintaining cleanliness in our homes and even keeping our bodies clean. We would make so much effort to sweep and mop the house regularly, and most of us would take a bath at least once a day, and some even put on nice smelling perfume. But all these efforts to maintaining cleanliness are merely external cleanliness. What about our internal cleanliness, that is, the cleanliness of our soul?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus admonished the Pharisees when he said: “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.” The Pharisees focused so much on external practices, including so-called practices in cleanliness, that they neglected in keeping their souls clean. We too could be just as guilty as the Pharisees, by only putting on a facade of being clean on the outside, but what about the inside, our soul? May we come to realise that the cleanliness of our soul is more important, and may we do something to maintain the cleanliness of our soul, for our eternal future.

Monday of Week 28 Year 1

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Supposing someone were to come up to you and ask you: “What do you do as a Christian or as a Catholic?” What would your response be? Some of us may say we worship and pray to God and Jesus is our saviour and guide. Some may say that they attend Sunday Mass regularly and get involved in various church activities. But what are we supposed to do as Christians?

While all other activities and church events are good, our primary duty as Christians is to preach the Good News, as Paul says in the reading. Not only that, Paul also mentioned in the reading that Romans, to whom his letter is addressed, are also duty-bound to preach the Good News. This means that preaching the Good News is not only meant for religious leaders, each and every Christian is expected to do his or her part in preaching the Good News, in one form or another. Therefore, let us not slack or try to shirk our responsibilities, and go do what is expected of us.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

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What is your favourite chapter or verse in the bible? Some of us seem to have a favourite chapter or verse, which we often turn to, to remind us of God’s love, to comfort us when we are facing difficulties, or when we are in need of strength and encouragement. But the bible is not only about such things. The bible also contains chapters and verses which could make us feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy, as the second reading reminds us: “The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword…” This means that the bible not only consoles us but also challenges us. It does not only promise blessings but also spells out curses which arise when we fail to remain faithful to God.

Today’s Gospel is one example where reading the bible could make us feel quite uncomfortable or uneasy. Why so? In the Gospel, the rich man claimed that he had kept all the commandments from his earliest days. Then Jesus posed him a greater challenge, “Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” If you were in the rich man’s shoes, how would you have felt? Quite likely some of you would have been bewildered with such a challenge. It seems crazy and absurd for us to get rid of everything that we have and become a pauper, just to follow Jesus. But what is Jesus really trying to tell us? Are you able to read between the lines?

What Jesus is trying to tell us is quite profound and concerns us as Christians, as His followers, as His disciples. Jesus is reminding us that the kingdom of God is far greater than the kingdom of men. The treasures which we will find in heaven far surpasses and outweighs the riches which we accumulate on this earth. Unless we are prepared to let go of things on this earth by being detached from them, we will not be able to gain treasures in heaven. This is because when we are concerned only on things of this life, which are temporary, will fade, and which we cannot take with us after death, then we are truly being foolish, since we are spending so much time trying to accumulate earthly things which would eventually be lost to us.

But is being rich wrong? No, that is not the point of what Jesus is trying to teach us. What Jesus is trying to tell us is to remove all obstacles, such as our riches, our pride, our wealth and possessions, or our power, which prevent and distract us from following Him and becoming truly His disciples. While we do need to survive in this world, we should not be entangled by what this world has to offer, and lose sight of our heavenly goal. As some may have heard, we should “eat to live” and not be concerned with “living to eat.” This means that, like the camel in the Gospel, we must remove earthly burdens which encumber us, so that we may pass through the “eye of the needle,” if we seek to be in the Kingdom of God.

Some of you may be thinking: giving up our earthly riches and being detached from them? Sounds impossible. We are surrounded by so many forms of temptations to gain more and more of what this world has to offer. How do we tear ourselves from such constant bombardment of earthly attractions? Once again, Jesus assures us: “For men it is impossible, but not for God; because everything is possible for God.” May we seek God’s help and grace, so that we would be able to give up all attachments that will prevent us from following Jesus, so that we would be lightened and free to strive towards His Kingdom.

Housekeeping – Week 27 Year 1

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

4 Oct 2015 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
5 Oct 2015 – Monday of Week 27 Year 1
6 Oct 2015 – Tuesday of Week 27 Year 1
7 Oct 2015 – Our Lady of the Rosary, Memorial
8 Oct 2015 – Thursday of Week 27 Year 1
9 Oct 2015 – Friday of Week 27 Year 1

Friday of Week 27 Year 1

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Have you ever stopped to think what jealousy could do to you, especially if you allow it to fester and control you? Some people may be quite surprised and embarrassed when they discover what happens when they allow themselves to be jealous. 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, and their health is 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, we read: “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.'” We can obviously see that some of the people had allowed jealously to get the better of them, causing them to talk nonsense. Instead of trying to belittle Jesus, these people only end up belittling themselves. May we become aware of the dangers of allowing jealously to control us, lest we inadvertently end up by being worse than we were before.

Thursday of Week 27 Year 1

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Life is such that we do not always get what we want immediately. Sometimes we need to ask a few times before we get what we want. Sometimes we do not get what we want at all. When we do not get what we want, what happens? Some of us may begin to feel as if God has abandoned us or God does not care, some may even start going for other means, hoping that these other means would give us what we want. But more often than not, we still end up not getting what we want. Then what? Do we just give up, get angry, pout and throw a tantrum? Or are we willing to be patient, persistent and consistent, with hope and trust that God would grant us our needs and wants?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.” Sometimes we ask for things or for help, but we are not persistent, patient and consistent in what we ask for. Sometimes, what we ask for may not be good for us. That is why we need to discern whether what we are asking for is really needed or necessary, and whether what we are asking for would ultimately glorify God. May we be humble and patient enough to let God guide us and grant us what we truly need, according to His time and for His glory.

Tuesday of Week 27 Year 1

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Some of us may have heard of the idiom, “once bitten twice shy,” which basically means when something or someone has hurt you once, you tend to avoid that thing or person. In the case of Jonah, this time he complied with God’s command, after having had the unpleasant experience of being in the fish’s belly for three days and threes nights and later vomited out on shore. Jonah went to warn the Ninevites of the impending doom coming their way. The Ninevites took Jonah’s warning seriously, and even the King of Nineveh issued a decree: “Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?”

The reading then tells us 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.” In the same way, when we listen to God’s warning and act upon it, we too may experience what the Ninevites experienced, and we would also avoid going through the unpleasant experience of Jonah. Are we willing to take seriously what God is telling us, before it is too late?

Monday of Week 27 Year 1

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If God calls you and asks you to do something, would you do it? Or would you try to find all sorts of excuses to avoid doing it?  Some of us may even go to the extent of trying to run away and hide, hoping that God would eventually let us go and not bother us, but that is not often the case. God is omnipotent and omniscient, meaning that He is all-powerful and all-knowing. This means that, no matter where we try to run, we cannot hide, for God can seek and find us anyhow.

In today’s reading, Jonah tried to run away from God, instead of doing His will by going to Nineveh. What Jonah failed to realise is that he was not dealing with just any other being, but he was dealing with God. Jonah tried to run away by boarding a ship to Tarshish, but God had other plans. In a way, the way God treated Jonah shows that He has got an interesting sense of humour, by causing Jonah to be swallowed by a big fish, only to be vomitted on to the shore after three days and three nights in the fish’s belly. Eww! Must have been quite yucky and disgusting to be stuck in a fish for a while.

In the same way, we too could experience a not so pleasant time like Jonah, if we choose to repeatedly ignore God’s voice. Sometimes we need to remember that God calls us because He has a better plan for us, and it would be to our benefit to do His will for His greater glory.