Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Year 1

Tuesday of Week 24 Year 1

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During Jesus’ time, widows were considered helpless and powerless, as they had no one to protect or support them in their needs. In today’s Gospel, the widow was considered practically dead too, since without her only son, she had no means to provide for herself. But then she encountered the compassion of Jesus. Jesus was moved with pity for her, saw her pain and grief, and felt her sorrow and helplessness. By restoring her only son to life, Jesus showed his love and concern, giving back to her hope and new life, and restored her to her community.

What about us, if we see someone who is helpless and powerless, would we do our utmost best to help the person, so that the person would get back hope and new life? Or would we mind our own business and look the other way, or simply wish the person well and not get involved? May we learn to imitate the love and compassion that Jesus shows us, so that all may know what it really means to be a Christian.

Monday of Week 24 Year 1

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When we pray, what do we pray for, and who do we pray for? Do we pray only for our needs or perhaps the needs of those we care about or love? Have we ever prayed also for others, especially those we do not know, or we do not like, or those who have been hurtful towards us in one way or another? Do we keep everyone in our prayers; or do we pick and choose who we pray for, or do we pray for only certain reasons?

In today’s reading, we are told: “My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth.” May we remember all around us in our prayers, for the good of all and for the glory of God.

Tuesday of Week 23 Year 1

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We sometimes come across someone who seems to be teaching Christian faith and values. But if we scrutinise such persons carefully, we could discover that such persons are not really teaching Christian values and faith, but values and faith based more on the ways of the world, instead of the ways of Christ. Such persons often preach or teach in this way for their benefit, and are not really concerned about their followers spiritual well-being. Once they have achieved their objectives or goals, they may just make themselves scarce, and leave their followers in a lurch.

That is why, in today’s reading, St. Paul cautions us: “Make sure that no one traps you and deprives you of your freedom by some second-hand, empty, rational philosophy based on the principles of this world instead of on Christ.” The reading cautions us to not allow ourselves to be fooled into accepting such empty teachings of such persons, since doing so would only lead us astray. May we be discerning and careful in what we hear, and ensure that our community remain faithful to true teaching for our spiritual growth and to grow closer to God.

Saturday of Week 22 Year 1

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Living a Christian life in the world is certainly not easy. We face all sorts of challenges and temptations, especially since quite often, the ways of the world are not the same as the ways of Christ. We are often faced with choices: to do what is right and just, or to do what is expected of us so that we can maintain our livelihood. For example, some of those in the medical field may have been challenged to perform an abortion, or risk losing their job. When faced with such a choice, what would you do? Would you be willing to find work elsewhere, even if it means that one may possibly not be able to get a job for a while?

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Now you are able to appear before him holy, pure and blameless – as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the Good News…” The reading here reminds us to persevere and stand firm. This means that we must do our very best and not give up, even if it means we may face persecution or challenges. It also means that we must remain steadfast in our faith, and not allow the ways of the world to influence us into watering down or even abandoning the ways of Christ. May we continue to trust and depend on Jesus, and let Him be our help and guide.

Friday of Week 22 Year 1

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We sometimes come across certain faithful who are stuck with doing things according to a certain previous parish priest’s way of the past. Even though such ways of doing things are already outdated or no longer relevant in today’s context, such faithful would stick to their belief that such ways are the only ways to get things done. But the reality is that things change, and what worked in the past would no longer work in the present or even in the future. For example, in the past, people, especially adults, were taught catechism on a one to one basis, before baptism is given; nowadays, people are taught through RCIA before they are considered for baptism.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about not putting a new cloak to patch an old cloak, and using only new skins to store new wine. Jesus is telling us to move on from old ways to new and better ways of being disciples and of growing in relationship with God. He is telling us not to be like the scribes and Pharisees, who focused in only meticulously observing the law, but to refocus in the law of loving God and loving neighbour, which was the whole idea and purpose of the law in the first place. Jesus was showing us a new and better way of living, by living the way of love.

Sometimes we too could be guilty in following the ways of the scribes and the Pharisees, or the ways of certain faithful who are stuck in old ways. May we be humble and willing to change, so that we would be free to listen to God’s voice again, and grow deeper in relationship with Him, while using new ways and methods to do His will and glorify Him..

Saturday of Week 21 Year 1

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God has given us gifts, talents and capabilities, and such gifts, talents and capabilities are meant to be put to good use, especially to glorify God. But are we putting such gifts, talents and capabilities to good use, or have we become lazy and let our gifts, talents or capabilities go to waste, even to the point of one day losing such gifts, talents or capabilities, as a result of neglect or lack of practice?

In today’s gospel, the servant who buried his one talent in the ground was called “wicked and lazy” by his master.For some, the master seemed rather harsh with his words and in his treatment of that servant, but we must remember that the servant had been given the one talent not for him to do as he pleases or to boost his ego, but to benefit the master. Since the servant chose not to be bothered about what his master expected, he suffered the consequences.

What about us? Are we putting our gifts, talents or capabilities to good use for the glory of God? Let us not end up like that “wicked and lazy” servant, and end up being “thrown into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

Tuesday of Week 21 Year 1

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As Christians, we are commanded to go forth and preach the Good News. But when we go and preach the Good News, what is our true purpose or agenda in doing so? Are we doing it for the greater glory of God, or are we doing it for our personal gratification or personal gain, and to boost our reputation and ego?

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians and us: “We have not taken to preaching because we are deluded, or immoral, or trying to deceive anyone; it was God who decided that we were fit to be entrusted with the Good News, and when we are speaking, we are not trying to please men but God, who can read our inmost thoughts.”

What does this mean to us? It means that we need to check our motives and see whether we are truly preaching the Good News with right motive, right intention and right disposition. May we go forth and preach the Good News, with humility and joy, not for ourselves or to show how capable or great we are, but for the greater glory of God.

Monday of Week 21 Year 1

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What sort of lives are we living as Christians? Do we walk the talk and practice what we preach? Or do we merely utter words and lord it over others, and expect others to do as we say but not do as we do? When we merely say things without showing example, then we may be hypocrites like the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel, who Jesus condemned with harsh words: “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to. Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.”

So what does this mean to us? It means that we should be careful of our words and actions. May we not end up as hypocrites like the scribes and Pharisees, easy to say lots of things or make comments, but unwilling to take ownership of what we say and practice what we tell others to do. Word are cheap and meaningless, unless we are willing to walk the talk and show good example.

Tuesday of Week 20 Year 1

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Some of us may have, from time to time, felt as if we are powerless and incapable of doing God’s will, especially when the problems and issues we face seem too big or too difficult to handle. When we are faced with such a situation, what do we do? Do we continue to struggle and persevere in doing our task, without being too concerned about whether we are successful in completing such a task? Or would we give up on the task or avoid it completely?

In today’s reading, the Lord turned to Gideon “and said, ‘Go in the strength now upholding you, and you will rescue Israel from the power of Midian. Do I not send you myself?’ Gideon answered him, ‘Forgive me, my lord, but how can I deliver Israel? My clan, you must know, is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least important in my family.’ the Lord answered him, ‘I will be with you and you shall crush Midian as though it were a single man.’” Even though Gideon felt that he was helpless and incapable of accomplish such a task, God assured him that he would be victorious, since God is with him to see it through.

What about us? Are we willing to trust in God’s providence and let God use us to see the task through? If God is helping Gideon to be victorious, even though Gideon felt weak and least important, just imagine what God would do for us if we put our full trust and confidence in Him.

Saturday of Week 19 Year 1

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How is it possible for some of us to fall into the sin of serving other gods? When we begin to treat wealth, property and other things as more important than God, then we would be falling into the sin of serving other gods. We say we love and serve God, and yet some of us seem to find it difficult to take time off from our work to come to church on Sunday; or we seem to spend more time in pursuing our personal interests, instead of church or charitable activities to give glory to God. When we have such attitudes or excuses, then are we really loving and serving God, or have we strayed away from God or even rejected God outright?

In today’s reading, “The people answered Joshua, ‘No; it is the Lord we wish to serve.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ They answered, ‘We are witnesses.’ ‘Then cast away the alien gods among you and give your hearts to the Lord the God of Israel!’ The people answered Joshua, ‘It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we will obey.’”

Notice that in the reading, Joshua challenged the people to “choose today whom you wish to serve.” And the people made a clear and firm choice in choosing to serve God, and not some other foreign god. Are we willing to commit ourselves just like the Israelites did? Or have our hearts become divided, or even rejected God, in pursuit of other gods such as our wealth, our property, our fame and popularity, and other things?