Category Archives: Year 1

In many movies and television shows, we often see the good guy winning and being triumphant. Quite often we would see the bad guy ending up dead, or imprisoned, or running away from the good guy. But what is the reality we see around us? We see the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer; those who do evil get the benefits, whereas those who do good end up as losers. Some of us begin to wonder: “Does God care? Will God do something to right the situation?” As time goes by, some of us begin to lose hope, or give up, thinking that the bad guy is untouchable or unbeatable. But the funny thing about life is, the good guy does win, not quite the way we expect, but sometimes in ways that go beyond our understanding and imagination.

In today’s reading, the people tried to be good people and they tried to be faithful to the Lord. But they ended up getting disappointed and said: “It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping God’s commandments? Because the arrogant seemed to be blessed and the evil doers prosper!” But the prophet Malachi reminded the people that God sees and He knows and He remembers. In the end, for those who fear God, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.

What about us? When we see that evil or wickedness or corruption seems to be winning, would we persevere and trust in God, knowing that He will save us and help us? Are we willing to be patient and let God take care of things? May we never give up or despair, but remain in hope, prayer and perseverance, knowing and trusting that God will help us in His time and for His glory.

Sometimes we forget who we are as Christians. When we forget who we are, we may end up doing and saying things which offend God and hurt others. That is why we need to be reminded as often as possible, especially through the reading of the scriptures, who we are and how we are supposed to live. When we read the scriptures, or when we hear it being read, are we moved with what we hear? Or have we become unreceptive towards the scriptures?

In today’s reading, Ezra gathered the men, and women, and children, and read to them from the Torah. He stood, on a raised platform in the rebuilt Temple, and from morning until midday read the Torah, from beginning to end. The men, women, and children listened to their story, their family history, the laws which God had given them; and they discovered who they were. They raised their hands in the air, and proclaimed, “Amen, Amen” and they wept for joy. Why were they so moved?  Finally, they understood who they were, who God had called them to be, and they began to understand the commandments which were to guide their lives.

What about us? Do we finally get it? Do we realise who we are? We often think of ourselves as brothers and sisters in Christ, but have we read the scriptures and finally understood what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ? May we come to a realisation of who we are, who we are called to be, and let the Lord be our help, providence and guide.

Whenever we attend a meeting, some items on the agenda may be important and need to be acted upon quickly. Other items may seem not so important, and we sometimes clssify such items as KIV or Keep in View. We may “sit” on such items for a while, or in other words, not take any action, as we deliberate about how to go about dealing with such items. But the fact is, sooner or later, we would need to do something. Sometimes, in our busyness or in our enthusiasm in getting other tasks done, we may even forget to address such items, only to later discover that the issue or situation has become even more critical, and we may end up having more difficulty or challenges in dealing with such items, since we may have KIV them for too long.

In today’s reading, the Israelite exiles returned to Jerusalem to build the Temple. Their task was to complete the building of the Temple, but many other issues and tasks cropped up along the way, and they forgot how urgent it was to build the Temple, causing it to be KIV as they dealt with other matters. The prophet Haggai was called to remind the people of the building of the Temple, and his message was for the people to reflect for themselves and see how things had gone for them. The prophet Haggai reminded the people that now was not the time to become distracted with other matters, or to KIV the building of the Temple, but instead the people should finish the task.

What about us? Do we KIV when it comes to urgent matters concerning our faith and relationship with God. Do we put God first, or have we allowed many other issues to overwhelm us, and distract us from maintaining a good relationship with God, and end up putting God in KIV? May we come to our senses and put God back in the center of our lives, while we have time and opportunities to do so.