Category Archives: Year 1

What sort of riches are we striving for? Are we focusing only on riches here on earth, or have we been making effort to attain riches in heaven?

Today’s Gospel gives us an excellent opportunity to reflect what is most important to us. This passage also reminds me of an e-mail I received awhile ago:

A man lay dying on a bed surrounded by his wife and children. He had millions in the bank and was afraid of losing it all. So he said to his wife: “When I die, make sure you withdraw all my money and place it in my coffin for burial.” His children were aghast with such an idea but dared not say anything. The man died. After the funeral, the children asked their mother: “Mom, did you actually do as dad asked?” The mother smiled and replied: “Don’t worry. I am not stupid. I wrote him a cheque and placed it in the coffin!”

Is wealth and property here on earth all that matters? Or have we been making effort to be in good terms with our loving God?

People who have done something wrong may try to hide their wrong doing in many different ways. Some may keep quiet and sweep it under the carpet, hoping the matter does not surface. Some may try to find a scapegoat and put the blame on the other party. Some may even make lots of noise or fuss and hope that by creating a ruckus, people will get confused and forget about the issue at hand.

Today’s Gospel shows Jesus giving it nicely (or in BM, taruh betul-betul or kow kow) to the scribes and Pharisees for their many wrong doings. However, as we can see, instead of acting justly and humbly to correct their wrongs, the scribes and Pharisees tried to attack back with “innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.” Pride and arrogance have consumed these scribes and Pharisees, and we too could be guilty of the same.

Are we willing to change our ways, and walk humbly before God? Or have we become proud, arrogant and self-righteous like the scribes and Pharisees have here?

As humans, some of us admit that we are partial and biased in one way or another. For whatever reason, we may treat some with favour, some will be treated indifferently, some will just be overlooked. In other words, we may look at people with different standards.

This can lead to situations where the “favoured” people get away with something that others will be severely punished for.

The last line of the 1st reading says that God has no favourites. That means God is impartial, that He loves everyone regardless of whether they are good or bad, clever or not so clever, etc.

What about us? Are we able to be impartial to all, just as God is impartial towards us?

What would Jesus say about our generation?

Jesus gave a stern warning to his generation when they demanded a sign from him. When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims, he says that he is God’s sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. Unfortunately the religious leaders were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes.

What about us? When God gives us a sign, warning us to change our ways, do we get the hint? Or have we been blinded and fail to take notice and do something till it is too late?

When a person is blinded with envy or jealousy, then anything that other people do, no matter how good or noble the deed may be, is seen as evil or bad. This was the problem with some people during Jesus’ time. Due to their narrow-mindedness and self-centeredness, they saw him as a threat as he was doing good deeds and attracting large crowds, possibly causing their own “fans” to dwindle.

We too could fall into the same trap, especially when pride and greed have taken over our being. Instead of belittling others just because they are doing better than us, let us be reminded that ultimately, what we are doing is for the greater glory of God.

Non nobis, non nobis, Domine Sed nomini tuo da gloriam (Psalm 115:1)

How persistent are we in praying to God for His bounty? Sometimes when we ask for something and we don’t get it, we may give up, thinking that God is never going to grant us our needs. However, if you look closely at the Gospel, we can identify 2 important points. The first is, are we persistent in asking? The second is, are we asking for our own selfish needs or is what we are asking ultimately for His glory? After all, in the Our Father, we pray “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” If what we are asking is ultimately to glorify God, then surely what we “ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Otherwise, we may be asking so that Our Kingdom come and Our will be done.

Some of us may think that it is better to be a Mary than a Martha, but the point of the Gospel is to remind us that there is a time and place to be a Mary or a Martha. The question is: do we know when is the right time and place?