Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Wednesday

Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter

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In every Christian community, we need to be fervent in prayer and be watchful over the many dangers around us. This does not mean we become paranoid or fearful, but we should be prepared for any situation with full of faith. In today’s reading, St. Paul addressed these words to the elders of the church of Ephesus: “Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. So be on your guard…”

Dangers indeed lurk in many places, even among certain members of our Christian community. Some of our own Christian members may not necessarily be who they appear to be. There is more than meets the eye. Even among Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot later betrayed Jesus. This is why Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) reminds us: “Let your acquaintances be many, but for advisers choose one out of a thousand. If you want to make a friend, take him on trial, and do not be in a hurry to trust him” (Sirach 6:6-7).” Be careful who we trust, and let us seek God’s help for His guidance.

Wednesday of the 6th Week of Easter

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Understanding our faith, what we believe in, is not something we can fully comprehend or accept all in one go. Sometimes we need time to slowly digest what we have heard, what we have learnt. Other times, we need to trust and believe, since not everything can be fully explained or understood.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.” The Spirit of truth is with us, from the time we were baptised and confirmed. The question is: are we patient and persistent enough to let the Spirit guide us? Are we humble enough to trust and believe, even when something seems difficult to accept or comprehend? Let us open our minds and hearts happily and willingly, and let the Spirit lead us.

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Easter

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Are we part of Jesus’ vine? Or have we drifted away from Him. Some of us think that we are part of Jesus’ vine, but the reality is that some of us have chosen to be apart from Him, or we have drifted away from Him due to our neglect, or due to our attitudes and behaviour. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.” We may appear to be doing good or charitable things, but we could still be apart from Jesus. We could appear to be respectable people, but we could still be cut off from Jesus. How so? By looking at the fruits and motivation of what we are doing and why we are doing such things. Some of us are doing things for our own glory or for our own personal gratification, under the pretence of appearing helpful, respectable, good or charitable.

Ultimately, whether we are remaining in Christ or otherwise can be summed up in what Jesus tells us: “It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.” The glory is to God, not to ourselves. The question is: are we really remaining in Jesus?

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Easter

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When we are faced with bitter persecution, what would we do? Would we continue to keep the faith and stand our ground? Would we continue to keep the faith but go elsewhere to proclaim it, since it would have been not possible to continue proclaiming it in one’s present location? Or would some of us abandon our faith to save our skin and protect our interests?

In today’s reading, we read “a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled to the country districts of Judaea and Samaria.” At first instance, we may think that only the apostles were still keeping the faith. But if we read further, we would discover that “those who had escaped went from place to place preaching the Good News.” The disciples may have made a run for it, but they were doing so, so that the faith could be preserved and taught elsewhere, despite facing persecution. If we are faced with similar persecution, would we still be fervent and steadfast just as these disciples and the apostles were, some remaining to keep the church alive in Jerusalem, others going elsewhere to spread the Good News?

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

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People get jealous for different reasons. Some are jealous in a joking or playful manner: they say they are jealous but they say it in jest. Some are jealous but they do not allow jealousy to get into their head and control them; instead they use their ‘jealous’ energies to do something positive or good. Others are jealous and allow their jealousy to control their thoughts, feelings and emotions; a good example of this kind of jealousy is found in today’s reading, where: “The high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.”

When we allow jealousy to take control of our lives, we become slaves to our passion and pride. We see others doing God’s work or doing good deeds as a threat to our popularity and power. Great crimes and heinous deeds have been committed as a result of this unhealthy form of jealousy. Have some of us become like the high priest and all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees; jealous of the gifts and abilities of others and refusing to admit or acknowledge God’s gifts to them? Or have we learnt to be humble and content, praising God for the gifts of others and the gifts bestowed on us?

Easter Wednesday

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How many of us really care about others? Do we care about others unconditionally, or do we care because there is something we can gain from caring? In today’s reading, the people, who put the cripple from birth down to beg every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate, are not mentioned in name. Who are these people? Why were they putting the cripple down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate to beg? Were they using the man to beg so that they could get money by preying on the sympathy of passersby? Were they just being charitable to the man so that he could continue to survive? Could the man’s condition be healed, even though the cost could have been quite high? So many questions, so many scenarios.

However, we notice something different. Peter and John did not just give him some money and walk away. They healed him of his crippledness in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. In doing so, they gave back the crippled man his life, his independence, his freedom. He was no longer dependent on others to survive, he could now take care of himself. If you were in his shoes, you would also certainly be walking and jumping and praising God!

It seems easy for us to just give some money and walk away. After all, that seems to be the most convenient way of doing charity. But let us ask ourselves sincerely… Is that enough? Are we really helping, or are we just giving so that the recipient would not bother us further, and possibly to feel and look good? How many of us are willing to go that extra mile, like Peter and John, and help the person more than what is basic or minimum? Are we truly loving others, just as God truly love us?

Wednesday of Holy Week

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We sometimes hear of people betraying other people for one reason or another. Sometimes the reason could be personal pride, greed, money, jealousy, rage, etc. What some of these betrayers do not realise is that they may not necessarily get the “reward” promised to them at the end. We hear of cases where a person betrays another for an agreed reward, only to be put to death by those who hired the betrayer, as they may decide to destroy any evidence of involvement and they may not trust the betrayer to keep silent. As some say, dead men tell no tales.

Today, we see Judas receiving 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus. We are already reminded in Monday’s Gospel that Judas “was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions.” So 30 pieces of silver seemed a nice sum for him and something hard to resist. The problem is, is friendship so cheap that it can be sold for 30 pieces of silver, which is the price of a slave? Like Judas, some of us give little thought to the consequences of our sins. Some of us only look at self-gratification and temporary pleasure we get from committing such sins, and never stop to think about its long-term consequences. We are blinded by our personal interests, and we forget that we are selling our souls just for a measly sum. Why do we commit such acts only for temporary gratification but could lead us to an eternity away from God? Do we consider ourselves so cheap and worthless that even that temporary sinful act is enough for us, only to suffer eternal consequences?

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

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How many of us are willing to admit our mistakes or wrongdoing and give glory to God? Some of us may try to hide our mistakes by sweeping it under the carpet, hoping that no one would take notice or take action. Some of us may try to find a scapegoat and avoid taking responsibility. How many of us are willing to take responsibility, say sorry, reconcile and move on?

Today’s reading tells us of King Nebuchadnezzar. Even though initially, King Nebuchadnezzar appeared to be quite arrogant and hard headed, and even had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace for defying his order to worship his gods, King Nebuchadnezzar was willing to admit that God is the One True God when he exclaimed: “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own.” This shows that King Nebuchadnezzar was not as arrogant or hard headed as initially thought.

What about us? Are we able to open the eyes of our hearts and recognise our strengths and failings? Are we humble enough to admit our wrongdoings, seek forgiveness and reconciliation, and move on while growing closer to God?

Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent

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As we go about in life, we may be tempted to do things our way and for our own benefit. This is especially evident as we climb the career ladder, as we try to impress the boss with hope of getting a promotion, as we go out of our way to gain admiration or approval from our professors or teachers at university or at school, hoping that we would gain better grades. Even in church circles, we see some people trying to curry favour with the parish priest or bishop, hoping that they would gain prominence and perhaps some sort of important position or title.

However, today’s Gospel paints us a very different picture. Jesus tells us “I tell you most solemnly,
the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees the Father doing: and whatever the Father does the Son does too.” Towards the end of the Gospel, Jesus reminds us “I can do nothing by myself; I can only judge as I am told to judge, and my judging is just, because my aim is to do not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” Are we doing things in obedience to the will of God? Or are we doing things for our own will? In the Lord’s Prayer, we are pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done.” Are we making effort and doing our part in building God’s Kingdom? Or are we only interested in building our kingdom?

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

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Laws and customs are there for a purpose. If we do not have laws and customs, we may descend into chaos. Each person may end up doing as one pleases. People become fearful because of uncertainty. This is why in today’s reading we are reminded: “take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life…” When we take notice of the laws and customs, we are set free and we have life, because we know what is ok and what is not ok.

In the Gospel, Jesus too reminds us that we take notice of the laws and customs when he said: “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them.” Jesus reminded us of a simple summary of the laws and customs when he taught us to love God and love neighbour. This means that laws and customs are not to be disregarded but to be followed. Are we aware of what are God’s laws and customs, and are we doing our utmost best to follow them?