Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Saturday

Saturday of Week 4 Year 2

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One of the many realities in life is that we cannot do everything. There are some things which we can do; some things which we can do really well, as we have the gift or talent for it; and there are also some things which we just cannot do, or are able to do with some difficulty. Some things can be learnt, but learning to do such things has its limits, since we may not be naturally adept or gifted in doing such things. This is where we need to learn to let go and let others do other things which we may not necessarily be good at, or depend on God’s providence to get things done.

In today’s reading, king Solomon acknowledged before the Lord that he was a young man and unskilled in leadership. He asked the Lord for wisdom so that he could understand how to discern between good and evil; and to be a good king following the ways of the Lord. Because of this, king Solomon was not only given wisdom, but blessed by the Lord with power, wealth and victory over his enemies. King Solomon knew his abilities and limitations, and chose to depend on God’s providence, instead of trying to do things on his own.

What about us? Are we willing and humble enough to acknowledge our abilities and limitations just as King Solomon did, and seek wisdom from the Lord, so that we could do His will? May we come to realise that ultimately, our help is in the Lord, and may we glorify Him in all we do.

Saturday of Week 3 Year 2

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What sort of response do we have when we commit sin or do something wrong? Are we willing to own up to the sin committed or the wrong done? Or would we go through great lengths to deny any wrongdoing or sin, even though the sin or wrongdoing is so evident beyond reasonable doubt? Have we allowed ourselves to become blinded by pride and ego, and think that we are never wrong or never guilty?

Today’s reading shows us how King David responded when the prophet Nathan confronted him with the many sins he had committed. Instead of trying to worm his way out, or make all sorts of excuses, or deny his guilt, King David was docile and humble enough to admit his guilt and merely said: “I have sinned against the Lord.”

What about us? Would we be willing to own up to our wrongdoing, our mistakes, our sins? Let us not allow pride and ego get the better of us and be humble and docile, just like King David showed us, and admit our wrongdoing, our mistakes, our sins. Let us not allow the stain of wrongdoing or sin remain, lest we end up ruining our relationship with God.

Saturday of Week 2 Year 2

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How generous are we towards others? Are we generous to all, regardless of who they are and where they come from, or are we generous only to certain persons who may be beneficial to us in some way? Are we generous in our time and wealth, even to the point where it hurts, or are we calculative in giving what we are comfortable in giving, or only what we can spare?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was home. A crowd had gathered and Jesus could have been calculative in giving his time towards the crowd, since some would have thought that Jesus ought to have some privacy and rest. However, to Jesus, being generous knows no bounds or limits, especially when it comes to doing the will of God. Instead of being calculative, Jesus was generous even to the point where it hurts.

What about us? would we be willing to be generous like Jesus, even forgoing our personal needs or comfort? Are we willing to put others before self, and follow Jesus’ example, who showed us the true meaning of being generous? May we learn to be more like Jesus, who came to serve, not to be served, and in all we say and do, give glory to God.

Saturday of Week 1 Year 2

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It is easy for us to condemn or ostracise a person, especially if the person has committed a serious crime; but how many of us are willing to give the person a second chance, especially if the person is genuinely remorseful and wanting to change his or her ways? What if we are the ones who have done something wrong and are asking for a second chance? Would we then be compassionate and merciful towards others and give them a second chance as well, just as we have been given a second chance?

In today’s Gospel, Matthew, a tax collector was called by Jesus to follow Him. As a tax collector, Matthew was condemned and ostracised by his countrymen because he sold his services to the Romans to collect taxes and profited in the process. However, Jesus was willing to give Matthew a second chance by inviting him to follow Him.

What about us? Jesus gives us plenty of chances to start again. Would we be willing to set aside our prejudice, pride, self-righteousness and ego, and give others a chance, just as God has given us many chances to turn back to Him?

Saturday after Epiphany

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Whose will are we trying to follow? Are we following God’s will, or are we following our own will? If we say we are following God’s will, then surely we should be praying for His will to be done, just as we do when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. But sometimes we pray that our needs and wants are met, instead of leaving it to the Lord, and trusting that His will would be sufficient. Are we willing to refocus our prayers so that God’s will be done?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “We are quite confident that if we ask the Son of God for anything, and it is in accordance with his will, he will hear us; and, knowing that whatever we may ask, he hears us, we know that we have already been granted what we asked of him.” Ultimately, the reading reminds us that God listens to our prayers in accordance with His will, not ours, and that if we ask for something in accordance with His will, then we can be confident that He will hear us. Are we willing to ask in accordance with His will, trusting and knowing that He will do what is best for us, for His purposes and glory?

Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent

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We live in a world where most things in life are no longer free. For example, food, clothing and many other essential things we need to survive are not free. Education, especially if we want to attain higher education, is not free. Even in our relationships, many of us love or like another because of some reason, such as the other is good or kind to us, or the other has certain attributes we like, or even because the other is useful in one way or another. We seem to expect and give at some cost, but as Christians, what sort of way of living should we strive to follow?

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us: “Without cost, you have received; without cost you are to give.” Jesus lives this teaching because He did many things; including curing the sick, letting the blind see, expelling demons, feeding the hungry with His words and material food; restoring the dead to life; cleansing the lepers and so on; all these without asking for any payment. Some of us may think that Jesus could do all these things and much more since He is God; but if we think about it for a moment, could we not do the same? After all, we call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, and so we should follow His example in the way He lived. Are we willing to receive and give without cost; and for all things give God the glory?

Saturday of Week 33 Year 1

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What sort of expectations do we have in life? Are our expectations only concerning wants and needs of this world? What if our expectations are not met, either partially or entirely? Some of us may just shrug off such unmet expectations and carry on our merry way, thinking that it is not that big a deal. Some of us may complain or get angry since what we expect is not fulfilled. Some of us may even end up bitterly disappointed, like what happened to king Antiochus in today’s reading.

In the reading, we are told that king Antiochus threw himself on his bed and fell into a lethargy from acute disappointment, because things had not turned out as he had planned. He had planned and achieved many things, and even planned to conquer the city of Elymais and sack its renowned riches. Unfortunately for king Anthiochus, his plans failed, and he suffered from deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he understood that life was slipping away from him, in other words, he was dying. King Anthiochus’ life of worldly expectations, ended up in disappointment.

What about us? Have some of us become like king Anthiochus, when our expectations are not met? As Christians, our expectations ought to be eventually be in God’s presence. If we focus only in fulfilling our expectations in this world, we may find ourselves quite disappointed, since our expectations may never be satisfied. May we strive more towards expectations which would guide us closer to God and be with Him, instead of just focusing on expectations which are merely temporary and may end up in disappointment.

Saturday of Week 32 Year 1

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Many of us are so used to having things or services done quite quickly, so much so that when we have to wait for a few minutes or for a while to get what we want, some of us may become quite impatient, or angry, or even give up waiting and go elsewhere, thinking that other places would be faster in their services.But the reality is that there are also many situations in life where we have no choice but to wait patiently, since such situations take time. For example, if we want to renovate our house, we need to wait for materials and manpower to arrive, and then for the renovation to be completed properly. Also, when a couple wants to conceive a child, they need to be patient and persistent in their efforts, with hope that they would be successful.

The same situation also happens when it comes to prayer. In today’s Gospel, Jesus taught His disciples to “pray continually and never lose heart.” When we pray, we cannot expect God to answer our prayers quickly. We need to be patient and persistent in our prayer, with hope and confidence that God would answer our prayers according to His purpose and for His glory. May we never lose heart, and pray patiently, humbly and continually, and let God do what is best for us.

Saturday of Week 29 Year 1

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What sort of achievements are we looking for in life? Are some of us only looking for money, wealth, fame, property, recognition, higher status and so on? How long can we really hold on to such things? Perhaps some of us may be able to hold on till old age, but the reality is that all these things will be lost, or end up being taken by others, when we return to the Lord. Then what would happen to us? Would we be with the Lord, or would we end up away from the Lord?

In today’s reading, we are cautioned: “The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God.”

The question is: are we still going after unspiritual things here on earth, thinking that such things would benefit us for the long term? Or have we made more effort to strive for more spiritual pursuits, to grow closer to God? May we come to realise what is really important in the end, and strive more towards what is spiritual, for our eternal good.

Saturday of Week 28 Year 1

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In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” What is this sin that could not be forgiven? This unforgivable sin is our attitude when we say, “There is no hope, God cannot forgive me.” When we have such an attitude, we are commuting the grave sin of despair, where we say that God cannot or is incapable of forgiving us. It is as if the Holy Spirit cannot do anything to change us or help us, and that we are doomed. This is blasphemy, since it denies the very core of God’s being: His love and mercy.

So what should we do? We should remember of God’s immense mercy and not have any thought of despair, since God shows His love to us even if we are sinners, His mercy is without end and greater than our sinfulness. May we not doubt God’s mercy towards us, and grow closer to Him with confidence, knowing that we have a loving and merciful God, who will care and provide for us.