Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Year 2

Wednesday of Week 5 Year 2

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I find it interesting and baffling how certain persons can be so particular about what is clean and what is unclean when it comes to certain matters, and yet remain clueless or indifferent when it comes to other matters. For example, such persons can be so particular about certain types of food that can be eaten, even to the point where certain commercial establishments have even gone to the extent of changing the name of a food item, just because the name of the food item appears to contain the name of a certain animal or a certain beverage which is supposingly unclean to certain groups. On the other hand, such persons seem clueless or indifferent when it comes to unjust deeds, corruption and other unfair practices which are happening around them.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is telling us that we should be more concerned about words and actions which comes out of us that makes us unclean, instead of being petty about what we eat or drink, or even the kind of name given to what we eat and drink. In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that “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.” Such words and actions which come out of us not only causes us to be unclean physically, such words and actions also affect us spiritually. Thus, let us open our eyes and hearts, and realise what really matters when it comes to cleanliness, and remain clean in the sight of God.

Saturday of Week 4 Year 2

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We sometimes take on more than what we can do, or say more than what is necessary, especially because we want to show how capable we are or how clever we are. At first, it may seem as if we are getting things done without breaking a sweat, but the reality is that, in our zeal and focus to do things and take on more and more tasks, we may end up neglecting other equally important areas in life, such as our health, and our relationship with family and friends. As a result, we may experience burnout, sickness or relationship problems. That is why, one must know what one can do and what one can’t, and know one’s abilities and lack of it. To acknowledge that requires wisdom.

One example of knowing one’s abilities and lack of it can be found in today’s reading. In the reading, king Solomon acknowledged before the Lord that he was a young man and unskilled in leadership. He asked the Lord for wisdom so that he could understand how to discern between good and evil; and to be a good king following the ways of the Lord. Because of this, king Solomon was not only given wisdom, but blessed by the Lord with power, wealth and victory over his enemies.

What about us? Are we willing and humble enough to acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses, and seek wisdom from the Lord, so that we could do His will? Are we willing to strike a balance in our lives, doing what we can while depending on the Lord for wisdom and discernment? Our help is in the Lord, and may we glorify Him in all we do.

Tuesday of Week 4 Year 2

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In today’s reading and Gospel, we come across two different persons who came to Jesus for help. One came because she had tried all sorts of treatment to cure her haemorrhage, to no avail. The other, Jairus, came because his twelve-year old daughter was at the point of death or already dead by the time of Jesus reached Jairus’ house. Both came to Jesus with great faith, and they came in their own unique way. Jairus came publicly, begging Jesus to come to his house to save his daughter’s life. The woman came quietly, for fear of being exposed because she was ritually unclean, and inconspicuously touched the tassel of Jesus’ prayer shawl. Because of their great faith, Jairus’ daughter was saved, and the woman’s haemorrhage was healed.

What does this mean to us? It means that it does not matter what difficulty we are in or who we are; whenever we approach Jesus with sincere and honest faith, He comes to us without condition, to save us and heals us. He does not only heal us from our physical infirmities, from our shame and guilt, and from feelings of insecurities; Jesus comes readily to restore our dignity. Are we willing to make that great leap of faith like Jairus and the woman did, and let Jesus be our healer and guide?

Saturday of Week 3 Year 2

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We sometimes come across people who refuse or who are reluctant to admit their guilt. Even when they are confronted with facts and evidence proving their guilt beyond reasonable doubt, such persons would still refuse to admit or accept their guilt, and some even try to find a scapegoat and blame others such as a family member, friend or colleague, and some even go to the extent of blaming God, instead of taking responsibility for the wrong they have committed. Blinded by pride and ego, such persons think that they are never wrong or never guilty. Could some of us be having such a proud or egoistic attitude?

In contrast, today’s reading shows us how King David responded when the prophet Nathan confronted him with the many sins he had committed. Instead of trying to worm his way out, or make all sorts of excuses, or deny his guilt, King David was docile and humble enough to admit his guilt and merely said: “I have sinned against the Lord.”

What about us? Would we be willing to own up to our guilt, our mistakes, our sins? Or would we rather try to sweep things under the carpet, only to have such dirt exposed at a later time? Let us be humble and docile, just like King David showed us, and admit our guilt. After all, isn’t it better for us to remove the stain of guilt earlier, than to let the stain remain and ruin our relationship with God?

Saturday of Week 2 Year 2

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Are we generous or big-hearted only towards certain persons or certain groups? Or are we big-hearted or generous towards all? Sometimes, we may have been big-hearted or generous only towards persons or groups we like, or we can get along with, or when it is convenient to us. But what about those persons or groups we are not familiar with, or we are not close with? Are we willing to be generous or big-hearted towards them as well?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ relatives thought that Jesus was out of His mind, since he was home and even then, a crowd had gathered and Jesus was still willing to be big-hearted and generous towards the crowd, even though, in their mind, Jesus ought to have some privacy and rest. However, Jesus’ relatives missed the point about Jesus, since to Jesus, being generous or big-hearted knows no bounds or limits, especially when it comes to doing the will of God.

What about us? would we be willing to be big-hearted or generous, even to the point of forgoing our personal needs or comfort? May we be humble and follow Jesus’ example, who showed us the true meaning of being big-hearted and generous, and in all we say and do, give glory to God.

Saturday of Week 1 Year 2

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How many of us are willing to give another person a second chance? Some of us may do so out of compassion, but there are also some of us who rather let the person be condemned or ostracised, especially if the person had done something to hurt us. What if we are the ones who have done something wrong and are asking for a second chance? Would we then “pay it forward,” so to speak, by being compassionate and merciful towards others and give them a second chance as well, just as we have been given a second chance?

In today’s Gospel, we come across Matthew, a tax collector who had been called by Jesus to follow Him. As a tax collector, Matthew was hated by his countrymen because he was selling his services to the Romans to collect taxes and, in the process, made a handsome profit. In the eyes of the Jews, Matthew had already messed up his life, and was considered beyond hope or redemption. However, Jesus was well aware of this and yet He was willing to give Matthew a second chance by inviting him to follow Him.

Likewise, Jesus gives us plenty of chances to start again. He sees us for what we are in terms of our past foolishness, but he also sees what we can become in terms of our future possibilities. Would we be willing to set aside our prejudice, pride, self-righteousness and ego, and give others a chance, just as God has given us many chances to turn back to Him?

Tuesday of Week 3 Year 2

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We often make a lot of effort and time in building our relationship with our parents, siblings and loved ones. Sometimes we even bend backwards, trying to accommodate their requests or demands, in an effort to maintain family bonds. All these efforts are fine and good, but the reality is our parents, siblings and loved ones are not going to be with us forever. Some may move to another place and may be less reachable, some may pass away due to old age or sickness. What would become of us then, when our parents, siblings and loved ones are no longer with us?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is reminding us that our efforts should not only be in building relationships with parents, siblings and loved ones. Rather, our efforts should especially be in building a relationship with God, by doing the will of God. Our physical relationships will not last, but a spiritual relationship with God would last. Are we willing to double our efforts, and grow spiritually and closer to God?

Monday of Week 3 Year 2

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I once visited a parishioner whose husband ran an Aikido school. Her husband joined us for tea, and while having a chat on various topics, her husband shared with me about his Aikido school. It seems that Aikido is a martial art, like karate. However, Aikido is a unique way of self-defense because, unlike Karate which uses force which can be lethal, Aikido uses the assailant’s aggression against himself. As her husband enthusiastically shared his experiences in practicing and teaching Aikido, I recall how Aikido could be related to today’s Gospel. How so?

In today’s Gospel, we see how Jesus used the principles of Aikido to defend himself against the scribes. The scribes accused Jesus by claiming that “‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.’”But Jesus used such statements to point out the scribes flawed logic by countering, “How can Satan drive out Satan?” In the end, the scribes were made to look foolish, since their accusation or “aggression” was used against themselves.

What about us? Have we been caught in such an embarrassing situation where we had accused others of something, only to end up having such accusations thrown back to our face? May we learn to be humble and check our motivations and intentions, so that we do not end up making false or illogical accusations or comments, and end up looking silly or foolish.

Thursday of Week 34 Year 2

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Among the many ways the evil one could use to tempt us to sin, the use of deception and disappointment is quite common and dangerous. This is because, when we are going through trials and tribulations, we could be deceived with various false promises of security and safety, and when things don’t work out and such promises of security and safety end up crumbled and destroyed, some of us may become quite disappointed, even to the point of giving up or even despairing.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus paints us a picture of troubles and dangers to come when He says: “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.” For those who have let fear taken over their lives, such a message may seem like we are doomed. But Jesus did not stop there. He continues: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” If we have faith and hope in God, then we should not allow any other forms of promises of security and safety to distract and deceive us. Instead, we should be persistent and consistent in trusting in His providence, knowing that He will take care of things, according to His time and for His glory.

Friday of Week 34 Year 2

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For some of us, a vision could be seen as a warning or reminder to behave or to be good, otherwise some calamity or disaster may occur. However, visions need not necessarily be seen in that way. When a vision occurs, it could also be seen as a prompting from God, inviting us to look into our lives and grow closer to Him. God is reaching out to us, giving us opportunities to walk in His ways, trust in His providence, and let Him be our help and guide.

In today’s reading, John had a vision where he “saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.” John also saw in his vision a burning lake which is the second death “and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.” If we have been consistent, committed and persistent in our efforts to grow in relationship with God, then such visions should not startle us or cause us to fear, since we can be confident and trust that God will take care of us. God is inviting us to live, it is up to us to accept His invitation and be alive in His love.