Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Weekday

21 December – Season of Advent

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There are many reasons why we should remain joyful even though our country may be experiencing tough times, even though we may be facing difficulties or even persecution. If we look around us, we can see the joy of having the gift of life, the gift of good health, even the gift of friendship or companionship. We can see the joy in the faces of couples, who are expecting a child, as they go about making the necessary preparations. We can see the joy of a child, looking around with wonder and awe, since even the smallest thing or what seems to be trivial to many of us seems to arouse the curiosity and excitement of the child. Seeing that many joyful things, situations and events occur around us, no matter how big or small such joyful occasions may be, do we not feel joyful too?

In today’s reading, Israel is invited to shout for joy, since “The Lord has repealed your sentence;
he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear.” With the Lord by Israel’s side, there is no longer any reason to be sad or fearful. Likewise, the Gospel tells us of the joy experienced by Mary and Elizabeth when they met. For Elizabeth, the sadness of previously being barren is over as God revealed His blessings on her. For Mary, she experienced the joy of seeing her cousin exactly as what the angel Gabriel had said, as well as the joy of things to come.

Today as we are preparing to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, may we remain joyful and hopeful. God is coming to help us and save us. Let us set aside our anxieties, fears and worries, and with joy and exuberance share the joy of the Lord with all.

18 December – Season of Advent

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Supposing one day, as you are having a date with your girlfriend, she tells you a shocking truth: she is pregnant. How would you react or respond? What if your girlfriend were to tell you that the child was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit? How would you react or respond? Would you believe your girlfriend and accept the child as your own? Or would you dump her, thinking that she had been unfaithful and is making up stories to try and cover up what you think is the real truth?

In today’s Gospel, we come across Joseph who had found out that his betrothed, Mary, was with child. Certainly Joseph would have been filled with doubts, possibly even with suspicion, especially when the child was said to have been conceived through the Holy Spirit. Joseph was certainly in a dilemma, for he knew the consequence and fate of a woman with child before marriage. Joseph could have had difficulty coming to terms with such a news, and after much thought, he thought that the best solution would be to divorce Mary informally, since he was a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity. Then came saving news: the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and assured Him that the child was indeed conceived through the Holy Spirit. Mary had not betrayed him or committed sin after all. Joseph took Mary to his home and raised the child as His own.

If we are in Joseph’s shoes and faced a similar situation, would we still keep our girlfriend and the child? Or would we still insist in dumping her, even though she had not done anything wrong? Sometimes the society we live in may make it difficult for us to take courage and keep our girlfriend and the child, but if such a thing were to ever happen, may we take courage in God’s providence and do what is right.

17 December – Season of Advent

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Throughout our lives, we would have experienced times of greatness, times of weakness and moments of grace. Perhaps when we were young, we would have experienced greatness in our achievements, in our relationships with others, and in our relationship with God. Then some of us may have gone through a period of weakness, where we may have fallen away from our relationship with God and with our relationships in church. Some of us during this stage may have been too preoccupied or busy in our career or in other pursuits. Then some of us may come to realise that all the wealth and achievements we savoured or sought are actually not that important or that big a deal after all. It is during this time that some of us experience God’s grace and we rekindle and strengthen our relationship with God and with church.

In today’s Gospel, we also see moments of greatness, times of weakness and moments of grace. From Abraham to David, we see moments of greatness, with Israel becoming the chosen people of God and developing into a great and mighty nation. From David to the Babylonian exile, we see moments of weakness where Israel’s fell from greatness. We see how Israel turned away from God and turned to sin. From the Babylonian exile to Jesus, we see moments of God’s grace, with God’s promises to Israel and its fulfillment in Jesus.

What stage are we presently in now? Are we facing moments or grace, or are we still stuck in moments of weakness? Are we still pursuing wealth, fame, power and all that the world has to offer, or have we come to realise that building a relationship with God is more worthwhile in the long run? May we not get caught off guard, and do our best to grow closer to God, who constantly beckons us to come to Him and remain in His love.

Friday of the 5th Week of Lent

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As Christians, doing good in this world is becoming more and more challenging and difficult to accomplish. This is because we are bound to stumble upon certain people who will criticise, find fault, belittle, or even persecute us no matter how big or small the good deed, gesture or task may be. Some people may even accuse us of trying to convert others or cause others to weaken their faith, just because we are doing some charitable task or work of mercy under the church. Perhaps in the past, the church may have had certain so-called Christians who caused Christianity to develop a bad name due to the counter-witnessing of such Christians. But as we know, every religion has had its share of good and bad followers. The question is: how do we help others to see our real purpose and good intention, so that they would come to know what being a Christian really means?

In today’s reading, we see how the prophet Jeremiah was persecuted by his enemies just because he was speaking the truth. Likewise, in the Gospel, Jesus was persecuted because of certain words He said and for some, even the things He did were rejected. But did the prophet Jeremiah or Jesus back down from what they did or said? Did they stop what they were doing so as to pacify their enemies? No. Instead, they continued what they said and did, because they were trying to help others see and understand their real purpose and good intention, so that the world would come to know God who really loves us and God who invites us to remain in His love. Though we too may face trials and persecution, may we not give up or give in, but remain faithful in our witnessing, so that others may come to know what it really means to be a Christian, and give glory to God.

Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent

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What is a contract? A contract, especially if we are referring to a business contract, is an agreement of a list of services being offered, certain terms and conditions to be met, the kind of compensation to be received such as money or goods in exchange, and the consequences to be faced if the contract is not fulfilled. Such a contract is often only for a certain period of time, and once the terms and conditions of the contract have been fulfilled, the contract would usually expire. But when it comes to God and us, God does not make contracts with us, but a covenant. The terms are stipulated by God and fulfillment of the covenant are carried out by God in His time.

In today’s reading, God made a covenant with Abraham, where Abraham “shall become the father of a multitude of nations.” This covenant is not for a limited period, but in perpetuity. When God makes a covenant, He keeps His word and He is faithful, even though we may not be so faithful to Him at times. God is willing to make a covenant with us humans, and keep His end of the bargain. We are invited to remain faithful to Him, but we are not forced to. We can choose to remain in His providence, or we could choose to go our own way. The choice is up to us, though it is advantageous for us to remain in His covenant. So let us always choose to remain with Him, so that we may continue to prosper, live and be happy.

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

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Are you a slave? Or are you free? You may be wondering: “What a silly question! Of course I am free! After all, I can move around, gather with friends, do many things without let or hindrance.” But even though we may appear to be free, we could also be enslaved. How so? Some of us could be enslaved by a certain passion. For example, we may be enslaved by a passion to have the latest gadget or gizmo, and we could end up spending so much money trying to keep up, and even end up in debt. We could be enslaved by an addiction. For example, some of us could be addicted to smoking or drinking alcohol. Without a cigarette or two, or without a glass of whiskey or brandy, some of us may begin to feel jittery, restless and uncomfortable, since something seems lacking in us (that is, the nicotine or alcohol which we have become so dependent on). So are we really free?

Another form of slavery is when we sin. When we sin, we become slaves to evil. 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 be freed from our sin instead of being enslaved by it. But the problem is: how many of us are willing and humble enough to heed Jesus’ words and be freed by Him from the slavery of sin, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Some of us seem to be procrastinating, thinking that we have plenty of time and make amends. Some of us just do not seem to bother or care about the consequences of allowing sin to remain in us. Are we going to allow the slavery of sin to continuously ensnare and poison us, until it is too late? Do we really want to be free in the first place?

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent

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We sometimes come across certain words or messages which are difficult to accept or swallow. When we are confronted with such words, what do we do? Some of us may try to avoid the words altogether, thinking that they will go away or even be forgotten. Some of us may try to find ways and means to interpret the words so that they mean something else, or at the very least they sound a little more palatable to us. Some of us may take offence and begin to find ways to discredit the person uttering such words. But how many of us are willing to accept such word as a means to improve oneself; or to take heart such words; or even to take such words with a pinch of salt, especially if we are quite certain that such words do not apply to us, instead of over-reacting?

In today’s Gospel, we see how the Pharisees were not able to understand or even misunderstood Jesus. This is because their minds were already so fixated and they refused to admit who Jesus is, even though they could clearly see who Jesus is from His words and deeds. These Pharisees even began to think of what to refute or retort, instead of taking the trouble or the effort to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them. When the heart is stubbornly closed, or when a person has become so proud, egoistic and arrogant, it is certainly very difficult to help a person to change or become better or grow closer to God. May we take caution and not end up becoming like the Pharisees, so that God may help us transform into something better.

Monday of the 5th Week of Lent

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Have you ever noticed how some people are so easily duped with certain leaders and hang on to every word they say? Some of these folks are not necessarily simpletons, as some of them are quite highly educated, but when it comes to certain matters such as faith and religion, some of these folks prefer not to think carefully what the leader is saying, and blindly follow the instructions and pronouncements made by the leader, without even thinking or considering whether such words uttered by the leader are truth, or actual teaching of the faith, or they are merely rubbish meant to benefit the leader.

In today’s reading, we come across two elderly men who had been selected from the people that year to act as judges. These elderly men were judges posing as guides to the people, and their hearts were filled with filled and uncontrollable lust, especially towards Susanna. Because of this, the reading tells us that these two men “threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to heaven, and forgetting its demands of virtue.” Instead, they managed to have Susanna condemned to death via trumped up charges, and the people were so naive to listen to these judges without proper investigation, just like what some people do even today. But thankfully, God “roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy named Daniel who began to shout, ‘I am innocent of this woman’s death!'” Daniel even added (perhaps in a mocking way): “Are you so stupid, sons of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth? Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her.” In the end, instead of Susanna, the two elderly perverted men were the ones condemned to death.

What about us? Do we just follow a leader blindly, regardless whether the leader is a religious or political one? Have we come to realise that sometimes a leader may be dishing out commands or instructions merely for his or her own benefit? May we not be so “stupid” or so easily duped into obeying blindly, but take caution in what certain leaders say, so that in all things, we glorify God.

Friday of the 4th Week of Lent

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Throughout history, we have seen how certain people have been murdered, asssassinated, belittled or treated with meanness or contempt, just because they speak the truth or they do things that do not conform to the ways of the world, or conform to a certain ideology or way of thinking. The fact is: the truth hurts, and some people refuse to admit their error and change their ways; or some people are benefitting from certain deals or privileges, and they refuse to give up on such benefits.

In today’s reading, we come across some people who wanted to get rid of the virtuous man, since the virtuous man was exposing their hypocrisy and falseness. Likewise, the Gospel shows us how certain Jews, especially the scribes and the Pharisees, wanted to get rid of Jesus, because His words, way of life and deeds were challenging their comfort and so called authority. But the fact is: are we prepared, like the virtuous man and like Jesus to remain steadfast to the truth and to justice? Or have we become more and more conforming to the ways of the world? When we are on the side of truth, we should not be afraid as there is nothing to hide. So, let us stand firm and remain on the side of what is right and just, and we will see the fruits of our perseverance, knowing that our loving God will not fail us and be our help and guide.

Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent

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There is song called “When Will They Ever Learn” and part of the lyrics are: “Where have all the soldiers gone; Long time passing; Where have all the soldiers gone; A long, long time ago; Where have all the soldiers gone; Gone to graveyards, every one; When will they ever learn?; When will they ever learn?” In this song, we discover how people seem to have not learnt from the past; how people, especially among the younger generation who are experiencing peace and prosperity, easily forget the evil, the atrocities committed, the suffering endured. When people forget, the consequences can be disasterous. We have seen numerous wars, betrayals, and other deeds which happen over and over again at different points of history. Why is this happening? Some reasons could be: due to our pride, our ego, our impatience with God and with each other, our lack of forgiveness, our selective forgetfulness. When will they ever learn?

In today’s reading, the Israelites experienced the liberation from Egypt and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. God had rescued the Israelites in a spectacular way. But did the Israelites learn from their past? No. They soon forgot about the God who saved them and they created an idol in the image of an animal and worshipped it. As a result, the Israelites ended up wandering in the desert for 40 years as a reminder of who they are and what God has done for them.

We too could end up wandering in the desert for 40 years or even more, if we forget who we are and what God has done for us. We could end up in a vicious cycle, forgetting the many bitter and painful lessons of the past, if we do not make effort to remember and change our ways, our attitudes and our conduct. God is so patient with us and giving us plenty of opportunities to repent, realign ourselves to Him, and live and grow in His love and care. Will we ever learn? Are we willing to learn?