For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
9 March 2014 – 1st Sunday of Lent Year A
10 March 2014 – Monday of the 1st Week of Lent
11 March 2014 – Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent
12 March 2014 – Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent
13 March 2014 – Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent
14 March 2014 – Friday of the 1st Week of Lent
Are there some among us who still harbour anger and hatred towards a brother or sister? Perhaps a family member or friend may have hurt us so badly that we find it extremely difficult to forgive, reconcile and move on. We begin a tirade of excuses, justifying our enmity with such people, and we behave as if we are the victim (even though, at times, we could be just as guilty by the way we behave). The question is: how can we continue to pray in church, and especially how can we pray the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father, when we still have such rage and anger in our hearts?
Today’s Gospel reminds us: “If you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.” Why are we still so stubborn, so obstinate, so unwilling to forgive, reconcile and move on? Are we allowing pride and prejudice to rule our minds and hearts? Let us think carefully and change our behaviour and attitude, while we have the time and opportunity to do so.
Whatever our needs and wants may be, are we asking God consistently and properly? Today’s Gospel tells us: “If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” We may begin to wonder, “How is it that I have been asking for this or that and yet God has not given me what I asked for?” Let us take a good look at ourselves for a moment… Are we asking God with the right intention and with humility? Or are we expecting God to do our bidding? Are we asking so that ultimately we would be glorifying His Name? Or are we asking only to glorify ourselves and look good?
Let us be reminded that God loves all of us and treats all fairly. Today’s Gospel reminds us: “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” How willing and generous are we to love and treat others well, just as God loves and treat us fairly? Let us walk humbly and lovingly before God and behave justly and lovingly towards others, with hope that He will grant our needs for His glory.
Each and every one of us is given lots of opportunities to change our lives and grow closer to God. God is not going to condemn us and throw us into hell straight away. It is through our own neglect and refusal to change that could eventually cause us to lose our heavenly reward. Some of us may think that we have plenty of time to change, and we procrastinate, thinking that our time is not up. However, are we trying to put the Lord to the test? Are we setting ourselves up for an eternity away from God? Ultimately, we have only ourselves to blame if we do not keep watch and prepare ourselves for any possibilities.
In today’s reading, we read of the people and king of Nineveh making effort and changing their ways. We are told that “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 doing our part and renounce our evil behaviour, whatever that may be? Or have we become too proud and obstinate, refusing to change only to regret later?
How do we pray? Some of us may pray the rosary or novena to Mother Mary. Some pray the Divine Mercy prayer. Some pray the Divine Office, or part of the Divine Office like Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer). Others may be more inclined towards praise and worship. But when we pray in these ways, are we really praying, or could we be guilty of, as today’s Gospel tells us, “babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.”
Jesus taught us a simple way of praying in today’s Gospel, a prayer called the Our Father or Lord’s Prayer. The challenge in this prayer is where forgiveness is concerned. We seek forgiveness from God for the many sins we have committed, but are we willing to forgive others too? People may have hurt us, angered us, or betrayed us but are we willing and humble enough to forgive them? Easier said than done, but if we call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, let us walk the talk and learn to love and promote love to all, forgiving, reconciling and moving on.
The way we live our lives would give us a glimpse of what would happen to us ultimately when we die. Until then, we are given lots of opportunities to repent and change our lives. Are we taking such opportunities to grow closer to God and love our neighbour impartially?
Today’s Gospel presents us with two final options: eternal life or eternal punishment. Most of us would want eternal life, but are we loving God and neighbour consistently and continuously that would lead us to eternal life? There are so many obstacles along the way, and a more challenging obstacle which we face is loving our neighbour, since we can see our neighbour daily. Loving our neighbour is indeed not an easy thing, as there are many aspects of loving our neighbour which we may have neglected. Today’s Gospel gives us some examples of loving our neighbour: “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” We may have neglected to love our neighbour in some of these examples, and if we realise this, what are we doing about it? How can we say we love God, if we pick and choose how and whom we love? God is loving to all, regardless of who they are and what they have done. Are we doing the same?
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
2 March 2014 – 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
3 March 2014 – Monday of Week 8 Year 2
4 March 2014 – Tuesday of Week 8 Year 2
5 March 2014 – Ash Wednesday
6 March 2014 – Thursday after Ash Wednesday
7 March 2014 – Friday after Ash Wednesday
For some of us, life tends to be encumbered with all sorts of thoughts. We think about our present situation and the situation of our family. Some think about the future and what is going to happen to their family and themselves. Others think about their financial situation, be it good or not. If we are not careful and become too engrossed with these thoughts, this could lead to all sorts of fear and anxiety.
Today’s reading reminds us “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. Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth; make a habit of obedience: be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy.” If we say we trust in God, then we should not be thinking too much about these other things which can distract us from our relationship with God. We do need to do our part, but there are some things and some situations which we cannot be fully in control of. There is a song called “que sera sera, whatever will be will be.” Perhaps we should be more trusting to God, and let whatever will be will be.
Some of us may be attached to certain things, way of life, people, habits, etc. We seem to be unable to let go of these attachments, since we may feel that these attachments belong to us and us alone. One form of attachment which people tend to fall into is wealth, be it money and/or property. A person could be so attached to wealth that sharing it or giving it away could pose a problem. Wealth becomes like a god to some, as they think that their happiness depends on what and how much they have.
When wealth becomes more important to us, then we may fall into the same trap as the rich man in today’s Gospel. Like the rich man, we may have forgotten what is more important to us. In another part of the Gospel, we are reminded that we cannot serve 2 masters, God and wealth. In today’s Gospel, the rich man may seem to have observed the commandments, but his heart is not attached to God, his heart is attached to the vast wealth he has. What about us? Have we become like the rich man, only concerned about our wealth, and forgotten or ignoring God? Can we bring our wealth with us when we die? Certainly not! But sometimes some of us only realise this when it is too late and we are about to leave this earth. Are we setting ourselves up for eternal happiness or otherwise?
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
23 February 2014 – 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
24 February 2014 – Monday of Week 7 Year 2
25 February 2014 – Tuesday of Week 7 Year 2
26 February 2014 – Wednesday of Week 7 Year 2
27 February 2014 – Thursday of Week 7 Year 2
28 February 2014 – Friday of Week 7 Year 2
