Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Tuesday

Tuesday of Week 10 Year 2

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When we are having a problem or facing a crisis, what do we do? Perhaps we may pray and beseech God to help us through. But what if our prayers do not seem to be answered, even though we may have prayed fervently, then what do we do? Would we continue to pray, with patience and persistence, knowing and trusting that God would do what is best for us? Or would some of us begin to try looking for other means of help, only to find that those other means are really no help at all?

In today’s reading, the woman from Zarephath was facing a crisis, since there was famine and she was at her wits end as to how to feed her son and herself, once the last bit of meal and oil is finished. To make matters worse, the woman was a widow, and widows in those days would have experienced much hardship, especially if they did not have much wealth or property left behind by their deceased spouse. Fortunately for this widow, her prayers were answered because she obeyed Elijah’s instructions  “The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.” Because of her obedience and trust in God, the woman and her son were saved from imminent suffering and death.

What about us? Are we willing to have full trust and confidence in God, with patience and persistence? Sometimes, especially in today’s world, we may be so used to getting things done quickly. But God’s ways are not our ways, and if we are willing to wait and let Him do what is best for us, we may receive even more than what we hoped for.

Tuesday of Week 8 Year 2

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Our minds can sometimes be so filled with thoughts of different kinds, that we become preoccupied with finding solutions to some of such thoughts. Sometimes we think too much, and stress ourselves out with so much anxiety, fear and worry. Our focus seem to lean more and more towards matters here on earth, that we forget that there is more to life than such earthly issues. As Christians, what should we do?

In today’s reading, we are told: “Free your minds, then, of encumbrances; control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” When we put our trust in God and depend on His providence, there is nothing for us to worry or fear. There is a song by Don Moen titled: “God Will Make A Way.” Indeed, God will make a way for us, even though we think that there seems to be no way. All we need to do is let Him be in control, and God’s Grace is sufficient for us. He will take care of things, so let us do our best and lead good Christian lives, and let God do the rest.

Tuesday of Week 7 Year 2

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It is easy for some of us to get caught up with the ways of the world. Some of us strive for fame, popularity, titles, property, wealth, honour, and many other things that the world has to offer. Sometimes we end up doing things to put others down or to belittle others, in an effort to show how valuable or useful we are, in an effort to gain the attention of those who could reward us with worldly rewards. But let us ask ourselves honestly: How long will such rewards last? Can we bring such rewards with us in the afterlife? Would such rewards mean anything or is of any use when we die? Surely many of us know the answer to these questions, but how many of us are humble and willing to change our ways?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “You are as unfaithful as adulterous wives; don’t you realise that making the world your friend is making God your enemy? Anyone who chooses the world for his friend turns himself into God’s enemy… God opposes the proud but he gives generously to the humble. Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he will run away from you. The nearer you go to God, the nearer he will come to you… Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” God is ever so patient to us and gives us plenty of opportunities to grow closer to Him. He is offering us eternal life, not eternal damnation, but we have a choice: God does not force us to be with Him. We can choose to remain in Him, or we can choose to be away from Him. Of course, this does not mean that we should neglect worldly matters completely, since we still need to survive in the world while we are living. But what it means is we should get our priorities right, and strive towards what is eternal, instead of only being concerned about that which is temporary.

Tuesday of the 7th Week of Easter

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Some of us go through life as if there does not seem to be much meaning. We get up, get ready, perhaps have a nice breakfast, go to work, slog it out for hours, then come back from work exhausted, probably have a shower then a light dinner, before we hit the sack, to repeat the whole process again. While it is necessary for us to survive in this world, and we need to take care of our life here on earth, is what we are doing day in day out all there is to life? Are we content in only focusing on living and surviving in this world, without much thought about our eternal future?

In today’s reading, St Paul reminds us: “But life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.” St Paul is reminding us that just living life as it is, or just talking about one’s present situation and one’s life, is insufficient. As Christians, we have an added dimension, that is, we are called to go forth and preach the Good News, and not only be content with letting life slip by or spending our time in idle chatter. May we take heed of St. Paul’s example, and do our part in building God’s Kingdom for His glory.

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Easter

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No matter how challenging of difficult your day has been, when you enter a church to pray or to gaze at the tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament, how do you feel? Quite likely you would calm down and feel some peace, isn’t it? When you hear a lovely hymn being sung or played from a CD, you would feel some peace right? When you are gazing at the crucifix at home or at the big crucifix in church, or gaze at a holy picture of Jesus, Mary, the Holy Family, or one of your favourite saint, you would also feel some peace right? Notice what is happening? You are experiencing a sense of security and peace, as you know that God is with you.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a message of peace and hope. He tells us: “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” When we have God with us, when we have Jesus as our guide, then there is no reason to fret, worry or fear. No matter how difficult the circumstances may be, no matter how tough life is treating you, no matter how painful the persecution you may be experiencing, just remember this: God gives us peace, the kind of peace which is sufficient for us. Let us not feel downtrodden or even despair, since God is there to protect us and guide us to our true home.

Tuesday of the 4th Week of Easter

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In the corporate world, people would generally not share important matters or company procedures with just anybody. This is because such information is normally classified as trade secrets or company confidential information, and sharing such information could be detrimental towatds the growth of the company, or put the company at a disadvantage. Strict rules and heavy penalties are enforced to ensure that employees and those who have access to such information toe the line and divulge such information only to those who are authorised to know. But when it comes to the Good News of Jesus Christ, we have no such stringent rules. Instead, we are encouraged to share the Good News to everyone without fear or favour. But sometimes, we come across people who seem to be sharing the Good News only with certain groups or certain persons they are comfortable with. As Christians, are we limiting our efforts on sharing the Good News? Or have we learnt to break any barriers or prejudices, and share the Good News with all?

In today’s reading, we are told that those who escaped during the persecution travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they proclaimed the Good News only to the Jews. We were not told why they limited the proclamation of the Good News only to the Jews, since there could have been many reasons that made them do so, including reasons like the political, social and cultural circumstances. But some of them who came from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and started preaching to the Greeks, and the Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord. This shows that if we are willing to move out of the norm and venture into the unknown, if we are willing to come out of our comfort zone and be courageous and daring to reach out to others, God can work wonders through us. May we be humble and willing to let God be in control, so that we can be His instruments in building His Kingdom and glorify His Name.

Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Easter

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There are some topics of discussion which could cause people to become very excited or passionate in expressing their views, opinions and thoughts. One such topic would be politics, where people sometimes get into intense argument and may begin to take sides and insist that a particular political party or persons within that party are good, bad or somewhere in between. Another such topic would be food, since each person would have his or her favourite food and favourite location where such food could be found. But if we look at such topics carefully, we would discover that these topics are only temporary. People could change allegience from one political party or person to another, due to changes in circumstances or situation. Likewise, people could change their preference for food and where to find such food, due to various reasons.

But there is one topic that will not change, and that is Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and believe in Him, as today’s Gospel tells us: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” When we remain in Jesus and believe in Him, we have something which is constant, dependable, reliable and accessible. Political parties and persons come and go. Food comes and goes, since places and persons also come and go. But Jesus remains at all times and in all places. So, if that is the case, shouldn’t we make more effort in being with Jesus, receiving Him regularly, and letting Him be our help and guide?

Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

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Over the years, it has become more and more challenging to live out Christian ideals and way of life. This is because the ways of the world and the many attractions it offers have become more and more enticing and appealing to many. Some of us may have become more and more engrossed with what the world offers, since some of us do not want to be left out or left behind. Some of us feel that it is important to keep up with progress and improve on our standard of living. But the question is: where do we draw the line? Do we embrace the ways of the world, even to the point of abandoning Christian living and Christian virtues? Do we succumb to the demands of the world, and forgo what is proper and just according to what Jesus has taught us?

In today’s reading, we are told about the early Christian community and the sort of attitude and way of life they lived: “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common. None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.”

Could we ever go back to such a way of living? Would we be willing to make sacrifices and be willing to share whatever we have with others? The ways of the world seem to tell us that our rights are more important; that what is ours is ours; that we must protect our interests at all costs. But from the reading, we seem to be encouraged to share instead. Do we really want to follow Jesus and His ways, and be ready and willing to share, for the betterment of the Christian community and for the glory of God? Or have we become so accustomed to the ways of the world, so much so that some of us may have become more and more alienated from others, even though we call ourselves Christians?

Easter Tuesday

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Usually on a Sunday, we may get a sizeable crowd for Mass. In some parishes, several Masses may need to be celebrated to accommodate the crowd. Sometimes, Masses may be celebrated in different languages, so that persons of different language preference would be able to understand and participate at Mass. However, just imagine for a moment… 3000 people coming for Mass at the same time. Surely such a situation would be unusual or amazing, especially on a Sunday, not a Feast Day, Solemnity or some other significant celebration, but an ordinary Sunday. If 3000 people coming for Mass at the same time is already considered phenomenal, just imagine if we had 3000 baptisms happening on the same day and time. Wouldn’t it be a miracle? Could such a miracle happen ever again in our churches at this present time?

In today’s reading, 3000 people were cut to the heart when they heard Peter’s words, they were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. What Peter said had moved the hearts of so many and changed their lives completely, bringing about their conversion. Likewise, may our hearts be moved like those 3000 people, and may we renew our zeal and commitment in bringing Jesus’ Good News to others.

Tuesday of Holy Week

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Each and every one of us are given many options to choose in life. Sometimes we make good choices, sometimes we make not so good choices. But whatever choice that we have made, God is constantly inviting us to choose life and to dwell in His love. It is ironic and tragic that there are people who choose to avoid God, but that is the reality of having the freedom to choose, and whatever choice a person has made, the person would need to be prepared to face the consequences of the choice made.

In today’s Gospel, we come across two individuals who made a choice. Judas chose to betray Jesus, even though he had been with Jesus for such a long time. Peter tried to be a bravado and claimed that he was willing to lay his life for Jesus, but later chose to disown or deny Jesus when he was confronted. But the difference between the betrayal and the denial is this: Judas was not repentant of his betrayal, since he later went and killed himself. Peter, on the other hand, sought to make amends with the risen Lord.

So which individual have we become or are becoming? Are we becoming more like Judas, refusing Jesus and preferring to go our own way? Or have we learnt to become more like Peter, acknowleding or admitting our mistakes, and seeking to return to the Lord’s ways and growing closer to Him? May we choose wisely, for our eternal future is at stake.