Category Archives: Tuesday

Over the years, I have come across couples who plan to get married but have not thoroughly thought about what exactly they are getting themselves into. Some couples, especially if the groom happens to come from certain ethnic groups, think that the wife would become like a servant or a slave to them, and they expect the wife to wait on them hand and foot. Some couples think that marriage is like a business contract, where either party can terminate the contract if he or she can no longer stand the other party, citing so called irreconcilable reasons. But what some of these couples do not realise that, as far as a Christian marriage is concerned, it is not something which we play play, since it is for keeps, or a life-long commitment.

That is why we should take heed of what St. Paul tells us in today’s reading: “Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy… To sum up; you too, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.” As a couple, both the man and the woman must learn that there needs to be genuine love, concern, mutual respect and many other things which make a marriage work. Being egoistic or self-centered has no place in a marriage, and couples need to learn to care for each other and support each other for better or for worse. It is certainly not easy staying married, but we pray for God’s grace that all couples will persevere and stay faithful, responsible and committed.

When people became Christians, they should have abandoned practises that contradict the Christian life, and have more trust and dependence on God. However, some still go back to old habits, attitudes, ways of doing things or behaviours which contradict how a Christian should live, especially when their prayers are not answered or when they do not get what they wish. Are we Christians only in name, as if it is some form of prestige or status symbol; or are we really and truly living as Christians, by showing our faith through our love?

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Christians are told by the Spirit to look to faith for those rewards that righteousness hopes for, since in Christ Jesus whether you are circumcised or not makes no difference – what matters is faith that makes its power felt through love.” May we not take for granted our lives as Christians and show our faith through our actions, so that others may know that we are Christians by our love.

We sometimes hear people saying: “You cannot teach an old dog new tricks” or “a leopard cannot change its spots.” Such sayings seem to imply that people, especially when they have reach a certain age or if they have certain attitudes, cannot change no matter how hard others try to help them. Some of us begin to tolerate such persons, or if they are so difficult to get along with, some of us even begin to avoid them or shun them. The funny thing is, what seems impossible to us humans is not a problem with God. God can change people, and a person who was once so mean, wicked, difficult, obnoxious or even dangerous, could change to become a better person.

In today’s reading, we come across one such person named Paul, who tells us: “You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors. Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans.” God changed Paul by transforming him from a persecutor of the faith, to a great defender of the faith, and even eventually died for the faith.

So What does this mean to us? It means that God will take care of things, and we just need to be patient and trust in Him. If God can change a person like Paul, and use him for His glory, just imagine what God could do for us, if we are humble and willing to let God be in control.

Each of us may have faced some sort of problem, calamity, hardship, suffering, anxiety, stress, or depression at some point of our lives. When we are faced with such situations, what do we do? Some would give up and despair. Some would resort to abuse of substances. Some would start blaming others for their condition, or even blame God. How many of us would bravely, resolutely and unwaveringly go through the situation, trusting God and knowing that God would help us?

In today’s reading, we come across Job who had been inflicted with one catastrophe after another. Satan was trying to make him curse God for the situation he was in. Yet, Job did not curse God or despair. He cursed the day he was born instead, wishing that he had not been born. Job did not put the blame on anyone or God, but expressed his feelings via figures of speech and exaggeration. Job still trusted in God to see him through his predicament. What about us? Are we patient and humble enough to trust in God’s providence and help?

It is easy for some of us to be fooled by appearances. For example, a person could appear to be holy or generous. The person could be doing a lot of good deeds, helping the poor, performing all sorts of corporal works of mercy, and other tasks. But does this mean that the person is really a genuine, good and holy person? Not necessarily so, since people could be doing such things to show off, to boost their ego, to look good, and win admiration from others.

This is why today’s reading cautions us: “A man’s conduct may strike him as upright, the Lord, however, weighs the heart.” Persons performing such good deeds and charitable tasks may be able to fool others, but they cannot fool God, since God sees all and knows our intentions. Thus, let us do what is just and what is right with love, justice and compassion, remembering that all that we do is ultimately for the glory of God.

Are you happy with the gifts and talents that God has given you? Some of us say that we are happy, while others may wish that they had certain gifts and talents that others have. But the thing is, God makes each and every one of us different. The gifts and talents of each and every one of us is unique, and God in His wisdom has granted such gifts and talents not for us to gloat or become proud and conceited, but ultimately for His glory and to proclaim the Good News. Are we using our talents wisely, or are we wasting our talents for selfish reasons?

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink. Nor is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. Now you together are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it.”

Our duties, responsibilities, or functions may be different; our gifts and talents may be different; but we are still brothers and sisters in Christ. We should put our gifts and talents to good use and do our duty with joy, enthusiasm and vigour, instead of trying to compare with others and feeling upset that we are not being given something better. After all, at the end of the day, we are part of God’s family, and as a family we ought to be united with diversity.