Category Archives: Year 1

Many of us are so used to getting things done quickly. Some of us complain when there is a traffic jam and we fume while we wait for the vehicles in front of us to hurry up and go. Some of us get agitated when the internet is slow, even if it is only for a little while due to some issue that is being addressed. At work, some of us may have experienced our boss breathing down our necks, expecting us to complete a task or report quickly. Some of us may have become quite impatient with certain family members or with our children, when they take time to get dressed or when they seem slow in finishing a meal. It seems like as we become more and more modernised and progressive, we may have become more and more impatient and demanding. Life, for some, could be quite stressful, when others expect us to hurry and we in turn expect others to do the same.

However, when it comes to our prayer life and communication with God, we are reminded that God does not follow our rules or our ways. When we ask something from God, He does not always grant it to us immediately, pronto, expresso. Sometimes, we find ourselves having to wait, since ultimately, God decides what is best for us. When we don’t get what we want or ask for, how many of us are humble and willing to be patient and persistent in our prayer? Would we become impatient and start looking elsewhere to get what we want?

In today’s Gospel, we come across a Syrophoenician pagan woman who begged Jesus to cast the devil out of her daughter. Even though Jesus did not seem to immediately grant her her wish, she was humble enough to be patient and persistent in begging Jesus for His help. In the end, due to her immense faith in Jesus, Jesus granted her her wish. What about us? In a world which is becoming more and more obsessed in frantically rushing through things and tasks, are we willing to be patient and persistent in our prayer and in seeking God’s help? Let us maintain full trust and confidence in God, knowing that He will guide us and care for us.

We sometimes come across people who have taken certain God’s laws such as dietary laws to the extreme. Such people begin to focus more on whether it is “kosher or not” to eat something, or whether it is “halal or haram” (Malay for ‘allowed or forbidden to be eaten.’) But what some of these people may fail to realise is that by focusing so much on such dietary laws, they may neglect, ignore or fail to observe more important aspects of God’s laws such as love, mercy, compassion, justice, fairness and many others. They may appear to be pious in what can or cannot be consumed, or even how they look in public, only to be hypocritical in their behaviour and conduct.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer? It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.” Are some of us only concerned about the externals and choose to behave as we please? Some of us may appear to be holy, but our hearts may be twisted or hide nasty or cruel intentions. Let us take heed and be honest with ourselves, and make every effort to shy away from all that drives us away from our relationship with our loving God.

How much do we love God? Some of us say that we love God a lot. But what about others? Do we love others as much as we love God? Do we follow God’s commandments in loving God and loving others? How many of us can claim to be truly loving God and others? Or could we be guilty of loving God and others when it is beneficial or convenient to us?

In today’s Gospel, we come across the Pharisees and some of the scribes who thought that loving God means following their traditions and way of life. These people were so extreme in following their own rules and regulations, so much so that they were even willing to circumvent or bypass the true meaning of God’s laws, for the convenience and observance of their own. This is why Jesus scolded them when He exclaimed: “It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture: This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations. You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.”

What about us? Are we just as guilty in making up laws and regulations which befits us, and make God’s word null and void for the sake of our tradition which we have handed down? Let us be mindful and careful not to become like these Pharisees and scribes, who do things only to appear to be good and holy. Let us instead follow the example of Jesus, who loves us all and does all things for the greater glory of God.

It seems strange and unfortunate that we sometimes come across some people with quite low self-esteem. Such people think that they are not good, or hopeless, or worthless, or lacking in one way or another. When a person has got low self-esteem, such a person may try to cover it up by bearing down at others, in an attempt to hide their true self and possibly to boost their ego. Some people with low self-esteem may try to put the blame on others, thinking that they have gotten to such a state because of others. Some keep to themselves and prefer to lick their wounds and remain in their present state, rather than making effort to do something about it. Some even try to show off to others how good they seem to be, hoping to gain some popularity or recognition from others, in an attempt to hide their low self-esteem. The question is: are we not aware of how important and valuable we are? Do we not know that we are made in the image and likeness of God, and thus we should have no reason and no excuse to belittle ourselves and remain in such a state?

In today’s reading, we are reminded that whatever God had made, “God saw that it was good.” If that is the case, then each and every one of us is good, because God does not make mistakes. We are good in different ways, as each and every one of us are made to be different, to be special, to be unique. Thus, let us put aside our fears, our worries, our low self-esteem, and continue to do our best and shine, so that in all we do, we bring glory to God.

When a stranger comes to church, do we welcome him or her and make him or her feel at home? Or do we mind our own business and carry on with our prayers or with whatever task we are doing? What if a stranger were to come to our home, would we be welcoming or hospitable towards the stranger; or would we be suspicious of the stranger, since we may have heard of horror stories of robberies or other unpleasant situations; or would we pretend not to be at home, hoping that the stranger would go away? What about those who are in prison or those who have been abused or badly treated? What have we done for them? Notice that these scenarios point to our duty to love others just as God loves us. It is easy to say we love God, since we do not see Him, but would we be just as generous in our love towards others, not just in words, but also in deeds?

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the one body. Marriage is to be honoured by all, and marriages are to be kept undefiled, because fornicators and adulterers will come under God’s judgement. Put greed out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: I will not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing: what can man do to me?”

We call ourselves Christians and we believe that God would provide for us. But what are we doing or what have we done to provide for others? Are we making effort to love and care for others just as God is loving to all? Or has our love become a selfish love, only focusing on ourselves and perhaps on our loved ones?

If we are given an important task in our job, would we get to work immediately, or would we take things easy and procrastinate, thinking that the task could wait, no matter how urgent it may be? Quite likely we would get to work quickly, as our livelihood may be at stake, and we would want to make a good impression on our bosses or superiors, hoping that we would get a promotion or better pay. We certainly would not want to jeopardise our future by being lazy or complacent.

However, if it is Jesus calling us to perform an important task, how would we respond? In today’s reading: “Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’” We can see the urgency and gravity of the task Jesus had given to the Twelve, and they had to go forth quickly and not be concerned or saddled with things which could hinder them from performing the task. Would we be willing to follow the Twelve’s example and perform the task quickly, as our eternal future may be at stake, or would we still procrastinate and remain complacent, thinking that we have more important things to do?

Suffering is part and parcel of life. Before we were born, our mothers suffered labour pains and the pangs of childbirth. As we were growing up, we suffered growth pains such as our first attempts to walk only to fall down, possibly bump our heads or bottoms and cry, and then try again; the pain of our first teeth coming out, and we may have developed a fever and experienced great discomfort; and even the pain due to the consequence of our curiosity of touching something we should not be touching. We also suffered lost relationships such as the death of a loved one or when a loved one left us due to one reason or another. Indeed, we cannot avoid suffering, but what is more important is how we treat suffering. We could see suffering as a good or positive thing; or we could see it as a bad or negative thing.

In today’s reading, we are reminded of the necessity and advantages of suffering. We are told: “Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.”

We are all treated as sons and daughters of God, and when we suffer punishment from God, it is not because God does not like us or is out to get us. We are being trained to become better people, and we are growing closer to God. In this way, suffering ought to be seen as something good and worthwhile, for we are being prepared to remain happy and cared for in God’s loving presence.

Each day, we are faced with all sorts of trials, tribulations and challenges in life. Some of us would trudge on and do the best we can, while there are some who would find life quite unbearable and may resort to substances or other ways to ease the pain. Some may even give up and despair, thinking that there is little hope in going on. However, as Christians, we should have faith and confidence in God. We know that God would help us according to His terms, and we are reminded to continue to trust in His love and providence.

Today’s reading reinforces our need to depend on the Lord for help. The reading encourages us by stating: “With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us, we too, then, should throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily, and keep running steadily in the race we have started. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection…” The saints hsve gone through much persecution during their lifetime but they persevered till the end. We ought to follow their example “and keep running steadily in the race we have started.” Also, we are not in this journey alone, for we have Jesus to guide us and transform us into something better. Are we willing to be humble before God and walk in His ways, knowing that He will save us and lead us to Him?