Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Year 2

Friday of Week 21 Year 2

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We sometimes come across people who call themselves experts in a particular subject or a particular field of study. Such persons may claim to know a lot about the subject or field of study, but as we know, many subjects or fields of study evolve or change over time. Nothing is permanent and nothing remains the same, since what we know yesterday, may become old news, or obsolete, or no longer relevant today or tomorrow.

In today’s reading, we are reminded of an expert whose wisdom goes beyond any wisdom of man. The reading tells us: “As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? …For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” Since God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, let us not become so proud, arrogant or conceited about wisdom found here on earth. Instead, let us remain humble and do our part in remaining in right relationship with God, and submit to His wisdom, since His wisdom is ageless and limitless.

Thursday of Week 21 Year 2

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In everything that we do, there needs to be some sort of preparation. For example, if we want to do well in an examination, we would need to study smart and get sufficient rest, so that we would be prepared and remain alert while attempting the examination. If we want to remain healthy, we would need to ensure we have healthy food, live a healthy lifestyle, exercise and go for regular medical checkups to detect any potential illnesses eatly. The same goes for our soul: if we want to keep our soul clean, we need to be regular in going for confession and doing penance. We do all these things because we do not know what is going to happen in the future, so we need to be well prepared.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us “Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming… You too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”Jesus is not asking us to be extremists and focus only in our spiritual life, but also to take care of our lives too. There is a time and place for everything, and if we remain alert and vigilant, then there is no need to worry, since we are making efforts to stand ready. May we not be caught off-guard, but remain prepared to be with the Lord.

Tuesday of Week 21 Year 2

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Every once in a while, we come across people who try to scare others into believing that the world is going to end. They then try to cajole such persons into parting with their wealth, supposingly in preparation for the end of days. But if the end of days is really coming, why would anyone need wealth? Surely such wealth would not mean anything to anyone anymore, since the world would likely be destroyed and we would cease to exist as humans, and end up where we have chosen to be for all eternity. Such persons claiming such things are merely trying to cheat others of their wealth, and once they have gotten the loot, they would make a run for it.

In today’s reading, St Paul reminds us: “To turn, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way.” Instead of worrying too much about the end of the world, perhaps we should make more effort in remaining in good relationship with God. When we are in good relationship with God, then there is no reason to fret or fear, since God will be our help and guide.

Friday of Week 20 Year 2

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What do you do when you are really down in the doldrums, when you feel as if there is no hope, when things look bleak and there does not seem to be any way out, when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel? Would you give up and think that all is lost? Would you despair and go into severe depression, or even end it all? Or would you still trust in God, knowing that no matter how bad things may seem, He will help us out in His time?

In today’s reading, we see how God is about to rescue the Israelites and give them life again: “Then he said, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They keep saying, “Our bones are dried up, our hope has gone; we are as good as dead.” So prophesy. Say to them, “The Lord says this: I am now going to open your graves; I mean to raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel. And you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. And I shall put my spirit in you, and you will live, and I shall resettle you on your own soil; and you will know that I, the Lord, have said and done this – it is the Lord who speaks.”” This reading shows us that God is not going to abandon us, no matter how bad or hopeless the situation may seem. Are we patient and humble enough to wait for God to save us? Would we be discerning enough to recognise when He comes to deliver us?

Thursday of Week 20 Year 2

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I believe most of us would not want to appear unkempt or smell bad, especially when we are outside. Even in our homes, we would want to keep clean. We spend a lot of time and effort in our personal hygiene, so that our bodies would remain fresh, clean and healthy. But all these efforts are only concerning our bodies. How clean have we been keeping our soul? Have we been keeping our soul clean by going for confession regularly, to remove the sins we have committed?

In today’s reading, God cleansed His people from their iniquity and sins: “I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land which I gave your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God.” By doing so, God took the initiative to help His people remove their uncleanness and shepherd them so that they would grow and prosper as His people. In the same way, God is also wanting to remove the uncleanness from our soul, and we are invited and urged to do so by going for confession and doing penance. Are we going to allow God to cleanse us, or would we prefer to remain dirty?

Wednesday of Week 20 Year 2

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Some people seem to think that only priests and religious are shepherds, and all others are sheep. Actually that is not the case, since each and every one of us are shepherds in different situations, and we have a responsibility towards the people under our care. For example, a person who teaches catechism is like a shepherd to those being catechised. If the person does not fulfil his or her duties in a responsible manner, those being catechised could be led astray. That is why each and every one of us who hold important functions or positions in church need to constantly remind ourselves that our duty and responsibility is to care and shepherd the flock with genuine love. We cannot slack or take things for granted or become complacent, since we would be accountable should something happen to the flock due to our neglect.

In today’s reading, the prophet Ezekiel warned the shepherds of Israel of their impending judgement: “Shepherds, the Lord says this: Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock.” The shepherds of Israel in this case had not done their duty faithfully. Instead of caring for the flock, these shepherds were preying on the flock and caring only about themselves. As a result, the Lord took the flock away from these shepherds to prevent them from causing any further damage.

What about us? Have some of us become like these shepherds of Israel, only concerned about ourselves and not the least bit bothered about the flock entrusted to us? If we have been neglecting or slacking in our duties, let us change our ways and do our duty, before it is too late.

Tuesday of Week 20 Year 2

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Can a person be successful, wealthy, well-known, famous or admired by others, and stay humble at the same time? Yes, it is possible, but it is certainly not so easy to do so, since such success, wealth, fame and other achievements could cause people to so easily become proud and arrogant. We have seen time and again people behaving one way before they attained success, wealth, fame and other achievements, and behaving in quite a different way after that. However, things become serious when a person becomes so proud, conceited and arrogant, even to the point of thinking that one is a god.

In today’s reading, we come across the ruler of Tyre who became so bloated with pride, just because he had attained wealth and power. The prophet Ezekiel was sent to remind him and caution him not to be so proud, and that he was only a man, not a god. The reading does not tell us at this point what happened to the ruler of Tyre, but from different parts of scripture, we have come to know that people who are so proud and arrogant would later come to realise their folly, sometimes when it is a little too late. May we learn not to be so proud, arrogant and conceited, since all we have and all our achievements are from God, and what He has given us, He can take away. May we learn to remain humble and depend on Him, letting Him guide us so that in all we do, we would give Him the glory.

Friday of Week 19 Year 2

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If you find out that your husband or wife has been unfaithful and has prostituted himself or herself, all for the sake of money, would you forgive him or her? What if you find out your girlfriend has become pregnant because of her loose living which you discovered, would you forgive her? It seems easy to say that we forgive, and we recite such words when we pray the Our Father. But are we willing to put into action what we say by genuinely forgiving those who hurt us, just as God forgives us our trespasses?

In today’s reading, we are reminded of how loving and forgiving God is: “The Lord says this: ‘Jerusalem, I will treat you as you deserve, you who have despised your oath even to the extent of breaking a covenant, but I will remember the covenant that I made with you when you were a girl, and I will conclude a covenant with you that shall last for ever… I am going to renew my covenant with you; and you will learn that I am the Lord, and so so remember and be covered with shame, and in your confusion be reduced to silence, when I have pardoned you for all that you have done – it is the Lord who speaks.'” God is willing to forgive us, no matter how bad we have been. If God is willing to forgive us, should we not do the same towards others?

Thursday of Week 19 Year 2

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How do we treat our family members and friends? What about our enemies? How do we treat them? Do we treat them as persons, to be loved, respected and with dignity; or do we treat them as things, to be used, abused, and discarded? Unfortunately, some of us treat different people differently according to who and what they are, even though we claim to be Christians. For example, we treat our family members well, but how do we treat the maid or servant in our homes? Do we treat them as persons, or do we make them work our monies worth?

In today’s Gospel, the king initially treated the servant as a thing, and since the servant could not pay his debt, the king thought he had every right to sell of the servant and the servant’s family, to repay the debt. The servant was just like any other thing or commodity, to be bought and sold at leisure. But when the servant pleaded to the king for mercy, the king had a change of heart and treated the servant as a person, with compassion and mercy. So the servant was given back some dignity, and he should have done the same for his fellow servant. But this servant was ungrateful, since the dignity restored to him was not shared with his fellow servant, and in the end, this servant ended up worse than before, for failing to treat his fellow servant with the same dignity his master had treated him.

What about us? Are we treating others with the same dignity that God treats us? Do we treat the people who serve us, who work in our homes as maids, who do many things to make our lives comfortable, with love and dignity? God treats all of us with love and dignity regardless of who we are or what sort of status we have in society; may we too learn to do the same.

Tuesday of Week 19 Year 2

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What does it mean to be great? Some of us may think that to be great, we must have lots of money and property. Some of us may think that to be great, we must be highly educated. Some of us may think that to be great, we must have lots of titles and honours. But what is greatness really?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus taught His disciples: “‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'” Like little children, when we learn to be humble and depend on our Heavenly Father for His help, guidance and providence, then we are learning what greatness really means. We begin to realise that being great is not for ourselves, but for the glory of God. May we strive to do God’s will, and in all we do give God the glory.