Category Archives: Thursday

Are old people wiser than others? Some think that just because a person has reached a certain age, or as some say, the person has eaten more salt or rice than others, then that person ought to be wiser than others. But as we have seen throughout history, old people are not necessarily wiser, since they may have not learnt from their mistakes, or they may have fallen away from their original path, and allowed themselves to be influenced by unwise ways.

In today’s reading, we see an example of a person who had grown old, and was not wise in his actions and conduct. That person is King Solomon, who at an old age allowed his heart to be swayed to other gods because of his many wives. Even though the Lord had appeared twice to him, he still did what displeased the Lord. King Solomon had gained the reputation of being a wise king. But this gift of wisdom was the fruit of his faith in God. Now that wisdom and faith was lost, since he had turned away from the Lord and “became a follower of Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and of Milcom, the Ammonite abomination. He did what was displeasing to the Lord, and was not a wholehearted follower of the Lord, as his father David had been.”

What does this mean to us? It means that, even as we grow old, we must be cautious to remain steadfast, faithful and true to the ways of the Lord, and not allow ourselves to be swayed to other gods. Are we able to persevere in faith, and remain wise in following the Lord’s ways?

Every once in a while, we come across certain persons who do church work or get involved in church activities or church ministries, but with the intention of being seen, or being heard, or being known by others, or even to receive praise or admiration from others. Such persons seek attention and would use various ways and means to appear to be invaluable, or indispensable, thinking that without them, the activity, ministry, or even the church, would collapse. Some have even gone so far as to make it a habit in taking lots of pictures of themselves being involved in such activities or ministries, to show others their abilities, accomplishments, or how capable they are. But are such attitudes or behaviour compatible to how a Christian should behave and conduct? Are such attitudes or behaviour following the ways of Christ?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “For it is not ourselves that we are preaching, but Christ Jesus as the Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” Moreover, the reading reminds us: “And we, with our unveiled faces reflecting like mirrors the brightness of the Lord, all grow brighter and brighter as we are turned into the image that we reflect; this is the work of the Lord who is Spirit.” This means that our efforts and involvement in various church activities or ministries, should not be to blow our own trumpet or to show off or even to feed our pride and ego, but to serve others with humility and joy, knowing that our efforts are ultimately for the glory of God. Are we willing to let go of our pride and ego, and become vessels who reflect the brightness of the Lord to others?

Some of us may have heard of the term “filial piety.” Filial piety basically means to be good to one’s parents; to take care of one’s parents; to engage in good conduct not just towards parents but also outside the home so as to bring a good name to one’s parents and ancestors; to perform the duties of one’s job well so as to obtain the material means to support parents. When we observe filial piety, we would try to keep the peace, especially in our family and with our parents, siblings and other loved ones. We would try not to get into major arguments as far as possible, and sometimes we learn to give and take so as to avoid ill feelings, as we would not want our family to break up and drift apart. But sometimes, we are put into a difficult situation. If your parents, siblings or other family members demand that you to do something which would keep the family united and at peace, but would cause you to break God’s commandment and commit sin, what would you choose? Would you listen to your family, or listen to God?

This is why Jesus in today’s Gospel tells us: “Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” It may seem good to try and maintain family unity and happiness, but by doing so, we could be doing something which would cause us to commit sin. It is indeed a difficult choice, but it may be one we may need to make. May we choose what to do wisely, because what we choose would lead to certain consequences.

When we go to the dentist, one of the things that some of us dread is when the dentist uses a drill as part of a procedure to repair a tooth. The drilling can lead to a sense of being uncomfortable, or even pain, especially when the drill touches a nerve. Sometimes the dentist would give us an injection to help numb the pain, but the pain can still be felt. When we feel the pain, what do we do? Do we brave through it, or do we twist and turn violently and make a ruckus? In the same way, we sometimes come across persons who confront us and “drills” us with the truth. When we are faced with the truth, do we keep trying to live in denial or try to sweep it under the carpet, or do we face up to it, seek forgiveness, reconcile and move on.

In today’s Gospel: “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 the truth about them had been exposed, but they were stubborn, proud, egoistic and arrogant, refusing to admit their fault. Instead, they tried to put Jesus down to hide the truth. But what the scribes and the Pharisees failed to realise is that the truth would eventually prevail, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

Ultimately, we need to decide. Are we going to be like the scribes and the Pharisees, refusing to face up to the truth? Or are we willing to be humble and docile, and face up to the truth? Just like a drill can help make our tooth better, may we let God drill us, so that we would change and become better persons for His glory.

In many movies and television shows, we often see the good guy winning and being triumphant. Quite often we would see the bad guy ending up dead, or imprisoned, or running away from the good guy. But what is the reality we see around us? We see the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer; those who do evil get the benefits, whereas those who do good end up as losers. Some of us begin to wonder: “Does God care? Will God do something to right the situation?” As time goes by, some of us begin to lose hope, or give up, thinking that the bad guy is untouchable or unbeatable. But the funny thing about life is, the good guy does win, not quite the way we expect, but sometimes in ways that go beyond our understanding and imagination.

In today’s reading, the people tried to be good people and they tried to be faithful to the Lord. But they ended up getting disappointed and said: “It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping God’s commandments? Because the arrogant seemed to be blessed and the evil doers prosper!” But the prophet Malachi reminded the people that God sees and He knows and He remembers. In the end, for those who fear God, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.

What about us? When we see that evil or wickedness or corruption seems to be winning, would we persevere and trust in God, knowing that He will save us and help us? Are we willing to be patient and let God take care of things? May we never give up or despair, but remain in hope, prayer and perseverance, knowing and trusting that God will help us in His time and for His glory.

Sometimes we forget who we are as Christians. When we forget who we are, we may end up doing and saying things which offend God and hurt others. That is why we need to be reminded as often as possible, especially through the reading of the scriptures, who we are and how we are supposed to live. When we read the scriptures, or when we hear it being read, are we moved with what we hear? Or have we become unreceptive towards the scriptures?

In today’s reading, Ezra gathered the men, and women, and children, and read to them from the Torah. He stood, on a raised platform in the rebuilt Temple, and from morning until midday read the Torah, from beginning to end. The men, women, and children listened to their story, their family history, the laws which God had given them; and they discovered who they were. They raised their hands in the air, and proclaimed, “Amen, Amen” and they wept for joy. Why were they so moved?  Finally, they understood who they were, who God had called them to be, and they began to understand the commandments which were to guide their lives.

What about us? Do we finally get it? Do we realise who we are? We often think of ourselves as brothers and sisters in Christ, but have we read the scriptures and finally understood what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ? May we come to a realisation of who we are, who we are called to be, and let the Lord be our help, providence and guide.