Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Wednesday

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Easter

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Bread is an essential part of a meal for many people. People eat bread, sometimes with different kinds of vegetables, meat and fruits. Sometimes, bread is eaten with different kinds of jam, butter, margarine, peanut butter and other types of spreads. In some cases, bread could be eaten on its own, and some even dip pieces of bread into a cup of coffee, milo, chocolate or some other beverage, or even dip into some form of mixture or sauce. In Malaysia, we can find bread in other forms, such as chapati, roti canai (also known as “roti prata”), naan and thosai. When dipped in dal curry, fish curry or other kinds of curry and sauces, the taste and flavour is enhanced further.

But as we would notice, the kind of bread we eat is nourishing only to our bodies. What about the kind of bread which would nourish our spiritual side, our soul? In today’s Gospel, Jesus 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. But, as I have told you, you can see me and still you do not believe.” The bread which we get for a meal will never satisfy and nourish us completely, since we would become hungry and thirsty again after a while. Jesus is offering us Himself, the bread of life, the kind of bread which would satisfy us both body and soul, provided that we come to Him and believe in Him.

Each day, Jesus is inviting us to partake in this bread of life, the Eucharist, His body, which is real food and real drink, to strengthen us and help us progress in our spiritual journey. It seems strange that there are some who make so much effort to find other forms of bread which satisfies us only temporary, when Jesus is offering us the best bread available and moreover, free of charge. Are we still insisting in going after only worldly bread, or are we making more effort to regularly partake in that heavenly bread for the betterment of our soul?

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

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Some of us are afraid of the dark. Before we enter a dark room or a dark place, we would turn on the lights or if we have a torch, we would switch it on. Even in ancient times, people would light a fire near the entrance of their cave or house to deter wild animals or other unwanted beings from approaching. Light gives us some assurance and comfort that we would be safe and somewhat protected from possible dangers ahead. However, there are some who prefer darkness, because it is in darkness that they could go about doing naughty things or despicable acts.

In today’s Gospel, we read: “though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.” If we are doing what is right in the eyes of God, then we have no reason to fear. But if we choose to be evil and corrupt in our words and deeds, then we would find ways and means to remain dark in God’s presence. The question is: how long can we run and hide from the truth? Let us be reminded that “God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.” God is inviting us to come to the light and come closer to Him. It is up to us to choose whether we want eternal happiness or eternal ruin.

Easter Wednesday

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Being crippled can be a difficult and painful experience. One’s ability to live an independent life is lost, and one would need help from others to perform even the simplest task which many of us take for granted. There are different reasons why a person could become crippled. Some are crippled as a result of an accident, some are crippled because of an illness, and some are crippled from birth, like the man in today’s reading.

The man in today’s reading had been crippled from birth, and he had to beg from people to survive. Instead of giving him money, Peter and John gave him something more important and more valuable: they cured him in the name of Jesus Christ and gave him back his freedom and independence. The man began walking and jumping and praising God for he was freed from his crippled state and was able to fend for himself.

In a way, we too could become crippled. When we sin, we are crippling our soul and slowly losing our ability to listen to the voice of God. We slowly become desensitised to what is holy and good, and lose our relationship with God. But all is not lost, for we are given plenty of opportunities to be healed from our crippling state when we seek forgiveness, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Are we humble and willing to be freed from our crippling state and grow closer to God, or are we still stubbornly refusing to change and remain crippled till it is too late?

Wednesday of Holy Week

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Some of us Christians may have faced ridicule, some form of persecution, or even insult. However, one of the hardest things we may encounter is when we are betrayed by another person. It becomes even more painful when the one who betrays us is a close friend or family member. You thought you could trust them and depend on them, but as it turns out, they too have turned against you. To make matters worse, the reason why they decided to turn against you is not because they have something against you, but merely because of money or some promise of wealth, property or high position. Such are some people who are willing to betray others just for a small sum, property or title, all of which are temporary and will be lost.

This is the reason why Jesus said in today’s Gospel: “but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!” When a person chooses to betray another for money, property or position, the betrayer has made his or her life and the life of others cheap. God treats us as His precious, but our betrayal treats us as cheap or worthless, easily to be discarded when the time comes. Have we become so easily influenced by temporary perks or benefits, that we are willing to betray others, and ruin ourselves in the end? Do we not realise that our life and the lives of others are far more valuable, precious and important compared to all the wealth, position and power the world has to offer, since all these things will fade away or be lost?

Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent

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Some of us may have experienced some situation or danger or even some sort of illness which make us wonder whether we would be able to survive such an ordeal. Some may begin to wonder whether our prayers would be answered, so that we would be safe and be able to continue living. Some may think that they would not get the help they asked for, and may begin to look for other sources of help in an effort to preserve their life; whereas some may just give up and despair. But how should we Christians address such an issue?

In today’s reading, we are given great assurance that God will never abandon us or forget about us. The reading tells us: “For Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.’ Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you.” If God has made it clear that He would not forget us, even though others may, why do some of us still doubt His assurance? Let us remain hopeful, confident and steadfast in faith, knowing that God would help us in His time.

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

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Do you want to live? Or would you prefer to die? Many of you may be thinking… what a silly question! Of course many of you would say that you would want to live, and some would say that they would want to live as long as possible. So what do we need to do to help us increase our lifespan? Some may think that it would be necessary to have a healthy diet. Others may think that physical exercise and regular check-ups with the doctor would help. But what sort of life are we trying to prolong here? Are we only concerned about life here on earth?

In today’s reading, Moses said to the people: “Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you….But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children.” At first glance, we can deduce that Moses is giving the people a pep talk, and encouraging them to be faithful and remain close in relationship with God, so that they would one day come to the promised land. But for us Christians, our promised land is not a place here on earth. Our promised land is to be with God in heaven. Are we faithfully, diligently and consistently doing our part to “take notice of the laws and customs” and even “tell them to your children and to your children’s children” so that we would reach our promised land?

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent

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What do you look for in life? Some of us may be looking for riches, wealth and financial security. Some may be looking for continuous happiness with family and friends. Some may look for titles, recognition and power. Some may look for popularity among peers. But what about you? What are you really looking for?

In today’s Gospel, we come across the mother of Zebedee’s sons coming to Jesus and asking Jesus to give her two sons important positions in heaven. These two brothers were looking for power and prestige, even in heaven. It seems strange that these two did not ask Jesus themselves and got their mother involved, but if we consider for a moment their actions, we can understand why they did so, since some of us would do the same. What they did could be called a form of “intercessory syndrome,” where a person feels more comfortable to ask another to ask the authority or important person instead of asking themselves. Some of us do the same by asking our father or mother to ask the other parent, instead of asking the other parent directly. In the same way, some of us do the same by preferring to ask Mother Mary instead of asking God or Jesus directly.

But Jesus response to their request is a lesson in service and humility. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us: “You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” To be great is to be a humble servant to all. This is quite in contrast with what the world thinks of greatness, and if we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, then we need to learn to shed away the ways of the world and put on the ways of Christ. May we learn to walk humbly before our loving God and let Him be our guide.

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent

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How many of us really take our spiritual life or spiritual condition seriously? When was the last time you went for confession? How often do you go for Mass, seek spiritual direction, perform an examination of conscience, read the bible, pray, meditate, perform merciful acts of charity and other spiritual acts which help us grow in relationship with God? When we seem young, healthy, full of life and seem to have many things going good for us, some of us may have become preoccupied with enjoying life and striving to make a name for ourselves here on earth; but as we become more and more busy with earthly things, we may become more and more complacent or even indifferent with eternal things.

In today’s reading, the people of Nineveh were warned by Jonah that their city was going to be destroyed after 40 days. Though their city was tremendously huge and took 3 days to cross it, everything would be wiped out. So what did the Ninevites and their king do? Did they scoff at such a warning and go about merrily with their lives? No. The Ninevites and their king proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, making effort to renounce their evil behaviour and the wicked things they had done. As a result, the reading tells us: “God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.”

What about us? Are we still being complacent and continuing merrily with our lives? Are we aware of the state or condition of our soul? Let us not be caught off-guard and jeopardise our eternal future, but be proactive and make every effort to grow closer with God.

Wednesday after Epiphany

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At some point of our lives, we may have experienced difficult or challenging situations. These situations are like storms or facing a headwind. When we are facing such moments, how do we respond? Some choose to brave the storm or winds, and try to move on. Some begin to feel low in the doldrums, and may resort to other distractions to try and escape from the situation at hand. But how do we, as Christians respond to such a situation?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to His disciples: “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” Jesus did not just say these words to calm his disciples down, but He also got into the boat with them. When we are facing difficult or challenging situations, Jesus is echoing the same words to us: “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” He is not abandoning us, but He is also getting into the boat of our difficulties, so that He can be with us and help us weather out the storm. Are we willing to trust Him and let Him take control of the situation?

Wednesday of Week 11 Year 2

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When we do good things or works of charity, what is our motive or intention? Are we doing such things to show how rich, how great, or how wonderful we are? Or are we doing such things for the greater glory of God? Sometimes we may appear to be doing good, but we should be careful not to expect admiration, gratification or rewards. If we expect something in return, then perhaps we may, as today’s Gospel warns us, have had our reward.

Instead, we should make every effort to do good inconspicuously. As today’s Gospel reminds us, “and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.” Ultimately, we need to ask ourselves honestly: by doing good, are we glorifying God and letting His Kingdom come; or are we glorifying ourselves and letting our kingdom come?