Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Wednesday

Wednesday Week 2 Year 2

Posted on by Posted in 2nd, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 2 Leave a comment

Some of us sometimes end up needing to learn things the hard way. This is especially because we feel that we are right, our pride and ego have gotten over us, and we think that we can grow and prosper on our own, even to the extent of thinking that we are self-made or more than capable of handling things without the need for God. When things don’t go our way, or when we face problems and danger, then what happens? Some of us end up swallowing our pride and go back to God for help, while some would still stubbornly try to do things their way and end up in a worse situation.

In today’s reading, we see how the Israelites ended up learning things the hard way, since Saul had failed the Israelites as a king. The Israelites thought that they did not need God’s help and depended on Saul to bring them fame, glory and riches. But what did Saul ended up doing? Saul was leading the Israelites to imminent defeat to the Philistines, since he initially coud not find anyone who was willing to duel with Goliath, the champion of the Philistines. But God did not abandon the Israelites to their doom. God inspired and helped David to come forth and fight Goliath. When Goliath cursed David by his gods, David answered the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have dared to insult. Today the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I shall kill you; I will cut off your head, and this very day I will give your dead body and the bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord gives the victory, for the Lord is lord of the battle and he will deliver you into our power.”

Notice that David had said that God would give the victory. This shows that ultimately, it is God who is King. A human king like Saul failed the Israelites and brought them to the brink of destruction, but God as the eternal king brings peace, prosperity and victory. May we be wise enough to know which king to choose and depend on.

Wednesday of Week 1 Year 2

Posted on by Posted in 1st, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 2 Leave a comment

A vocation is a calling from God and we are invited to respond to the call. Some may choose to respond to the call wholeheartedly; some may respond with hesitation or with some fear; whereas some may choose to ignore or reject the call. The question is: how do we know that God is calling us? Sometimes we may be called by God, but we may not recognise His voice. This is where it may be helpful for us to seek help from another person such as a priest, a religious, a vocation director, or someone who could help us to discern whether we are being called by God, or we are just imagining things. Such a person would journey with us for a while, so that we would be able to hopefully recognise God’s calling and make our choice.

In today’s reading, we read about Samuel being called by God, but Samuel was unable to recognise God’s voice, since he “had as yet no knowledge of the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” Fortunately for Samuel, Eli was there and he “understood that it was the Lord who was calling the boy.” With Eli’s help, Samuel was able to respond to God’s call, and later “all Israel from Dan to Beersheba came to know that Samuel was accredited as a prophet of the Lord.”

What about us? Have we received God’s call to a way of life? Are we able to recognise God’s voice? Some of us may be fortunate to be able to recognise God’s voice on our own. Some of us may need a little help from another person, especially from one who has been called and has recognised God’s voice. Whatever the case may be, may we discern and think carefully, and may we be generous in our response for the glory of God.

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent

Posted on by Posted in 3rd, 3rd Week, Advent, Advent 3, Wednesday, Weekday Leave a comment

We sometimes forget who we are. We think that a particular property belongs to us, since we had paid for it. We think that the money we have in the bank belongs to us, since we may have worked hard to accumulate the money, or through other investment or other means. We think that our family members belong to us, since we had conceived, given birth and cared for them from young till now. But do we really own all these things, to be used and disposed as we see fit? Can we bring these things with us when we die?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “Apart from me, all is nothing. I am the Lord, unrivalled, I form the light and create the dark. I make good fortune and create calamity, it is I, the Lord, who do all this.” Everything that we have is actually not ours, not our sole property. We are merely stewards, entrusted which such things and persons, since we will need to leave them behind some day. May we learn not to be possessive or proud of such things and persons, and learn to be detached from them, so that we can learn to be attached to God and let Him be our help, providence and guide.

Wednesday of Week 26 Year 2

Posted on by Posted in 26th, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 2 Leave a comment

Why do we follow Jesus? Have we decided to follow Jesus, no matter what happens? If disaster strikes, would we still follow Jesus, knowing and trusting that Jesus would be our help and guide? Or would we abandon Jesus and go for some other form of help? Sometimes, we come across people who claim to follow Jesus, only because they think that Jesus could be of use to them. Could some of us have such an attitude, thinking that Jesus is merely a means to satisfy our demands?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that following Him comes at a cost. We should be ready to give up everything we hold so dear, take up our cross and follow Him. We should also learn to be detached from people and things, so that we could be free to do God’s will. Would we be willing to surrender all to follow Jesus? Or have we become so attached to persons and things around us, and such persons and things have become obstacles preventing us from becoming true disciples of Jesus? May we be true to ourselves and be willing to become true followers of Jesus, letting Him be our constant help and guide, with trust and hope that we would be with Him for all eternity.

Wednesday of Week 18 Year 2

Posted on by Posted in 18th, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 2 Leave a comment

How persistent and consistent are we in asking God for help? Do we ask God with hope or perseverance, or do we so easily give up when help does not seem to come? Are we patient enough to let God do what is best for us? Or do we expect God to cure us immediately, and when He does not submit to our demands, we begin to go for other sources, hoping and expecting these to help us, only to end up being disappointed? Sometimes, such other sources may not only be unable to help us, but may cause us even more problems. Then what happens? What would we do?

In today’s Gospel, we come across a Canaanite woman whose daughter is tormented by a devil. Jesus seemed reluctant to help her, since Jews generally do not have anything to do with Canaanites, and Jesus was a Jew “sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the Canaanite woman was persistent, patient and being humble enough to continuously call out to Jesus and seek His help. In the end, Jesus gave the woman what she wanted, saying: “Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.”

What about us? Are we going to grumble and pout when Jesus does not seem to be helping us? Or are we going to follow the example of the Canaanite woman, who showed us what it means to be persistent, patient and humble? May we let Jesus do what is best for us, in His time and for His glory.

Wednesday of Week 9 Year 2

Posted on by Posted in 9th, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 2 Leave a comment

It is often tempting and easy, when it comes to preaching the Good News, to rest on our laurels and avoid coming into conflict with others, especially when times are peaceful and churches seem full of faithful. Some of us become reluctant to share the Good News with others, and some even do not respond when their faith is questioned, preferring not to get involved. But what sort of attitude should we Christians have concerning this matter?

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace.” This means that we cannot just remain silent and idle in our faith, but be bold, courageous and willing to go forth and preach the Good News, as well as to make clear what our faith is really about if questioned. Are we willing to bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, following the example of St. Paul?

Wednesday of Week 8 Year 2

Posted on by Posted in 8th, Wednesday, Weekday, Year 2 Leave a comment

It is easy to spot a fake, especially if we are quite observant of certain things about what is genuine. For example, we can see that a product is a fake by the type of packaging used, since most fake products would not go through the effort or trouble to use proper packaging for the product. However, from time to time we do get some products which have been packaged in such a way that it looks just like the real thing. This is where we need to be careful about where we buy the product from (such as purchasing from retail outlets which are known and recognised by the company of the product), and look out for certain security features which would tell us that the product is genuine, features which are extremely difficult for others to duplicate.

Likewise, it is also relatively easy to spot fake people, especially by their conduct and behaviour. Some of such people claim to love others, but their love could sometimes be seen to have some sort of hidden intention or agenda: “ada udang di sebalik batu” or “there is a prawn under the stone” are some expressions used on such persons, who love others or are nice to others because there could be some benefit or advantage for them in the long run. That is why, in today’s reading, St. Peter reminds us: “You have been obedient to the truth and purified your souls until you can love like brothers, in sincerity; let your love for each other be real and from the heart.” Some of us could be loving others, but we may be not sincere with our love, especially if we have certain conditions attached to it or we believe we could gain some advantage or benefit. May our love be genuine, sincere and real, and may we learn to love unconditionally, just as God loves all of us unconditionally.

Wednesday of the 4th Week of Easter

Posted on by Posted in 4th, Easter, Easter 4, Wednesday, Weekday Leave a comment

Each and every one of us have been called and sent to proclaim the Good News. But sometimes, we may have been called to go to places outside of what is familiar to us, or outside our comfort zone. If the Holy Spirit calls us to go, would we be hesitant, drag our feet, or reluctantly go; or would we be humble and willing to go with joy and enthusiasm, knowing that God would be our help and guide?

In today’s reading, we are told: “One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” From here, we can clearly see that it is the Holy Spirit who sent Barnabas and Saul on a mission. These two did not take it upon themselves to go on mission, or only go to places which they liked, but were merely servants and followed what the Holy Spirit commanded them. May we learn from Barnabas and Saul and obediently and joyfully go where we are sent, for the glory of God.

Housekeeping – Holy Week

Posted on by Posted in Easter Triduum, Easter Vigil, Good Friday, Holy Week, Housekeeping, Maundy Thursday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Leave a comment

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

20 Mar 2016 – Palm Sunday
21 Mar 2016 – Monday of Holy Week
22 Mar 2016 – Tuesday of Holy Week
23 Mar 2016 – Wednesday of Holy Week
24 Mar 2016 – Maundy (Holy) Thursday
25 Mar 2016 – Good Friday
26 Mar 2016 – Easter Vigil

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

Posted on by Posted in 5th, Lent, Lent 5, Wednesday, Weekday Leave a comment

It is interesting to observe how some people would go through great effort to make sure that they are healthy and clean. Such people would go for regular checkups, eat healthy meals, go for regular exercise, and take baths regularly to keep clean. But how many of us make effort to keep our soul clean? Do we go for regular confession or do some of us only go twice a year during Lent and Advent? Are we not aware that sin enslaves us, and once we are enslaved, our eternal future is in jeopardy? It seems odd that some of us would go through so much trouble to keep our physical lives clean, and neglect or procrastinate in keeping our spiritual lives clean.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “I tell you most solemnly, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured, but the son’s place is assured. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus is inviting us to confess our sins and have our souls cleaned, so that we would remain in His love and care. May we humbly and consistently go for confession and seek Jesus’ help and guidance, so that our place in the house is assured.