Category Archives: Year 2

One of the challenges that some of us face is to control our tongue and know when to speak and when to keep quiet. When we see someone doing something which we perceive to be wrong, we have the strong urge to talk to another person about it (in other words, to gossip with someone else), or swiftly condemn the person with so called righteous indignation. However, how many of us are willing to take the trouble to check the facts carefully, and if really found to be true beyond reasonable doubt, are willing to approach the person to address the issue? Or do we conveniently lash out or condemn the person, thinking that we are right in doing so?

In today’s reading, St. Paul cautions us: “So is the tongue only a tiny part of the body, but it can proudly claim that it does great things. Think how small a flame can set fire to a huge forest; the tongue is a flame like that. Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world in itself: it infects the whole body; catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation. Wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish can all be tamed by man, and often are; but nobody can tame the tongue – it is a pest that will not keep still, full of deadly poison. We use it to bless the Lord and Father, but we also use it to curse men who are made in God’s image: the blessing and the curse come out of the same mouth. My brothers, this must be wrong.”

From the reading, we can clearly see that the tongue may be tiny, but it can cause a lot of damage to oneself and to others, if we do not learn to control it properly and speak only when and where necessary. May we strive towards keeping our tongue under continuous check, so that we may use it properly and correctly to build ourselves and others, and give God the glory.

I believe most of us would want to keep healthy, especially as we age. We spend a lot of time and effort to ensure that we eat healthily, we go for regular check-ups to detect diseases early so that such diseases could be treated early to have a better chance at survival, and we do many other things which concern the health and well-being of our body. But how many of us spend time and effort to keep our soul healthy? Do we go for confession regularly, and build our relationship with God for the health and well-being of our soul?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us: “Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap.” If we are not vigilant; if we slacken in our spiritual health and allow sin to permeate in our soul and neglect to cleanse ourselves from sin by going for confession, we may find ourselves regretting for not taking care of our spiritual health. By then, it may be too late, and we may find ourselves away from God.

While it is good for us to be concerned for the health and well-being of our body, we should also not neglect to be concerned about the health and well-being of our soul, lest we find ourselves suffering physically and even spiritually. Let us remain vigilant and watch ourselves, so that when the time comes, we would be better prepared to meet the Lord.

A dilemma is a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially ones that are equally undesirable. Usually, when one is faced with a dilemma, one would try to choose the option which is less difficult to accept compared to the other choices.

In today’s reading, St. Paul spoke of a dilemma. But St. Paul’s dilemma was of a different kind, where there were two options or possibilities and both of which were good for him. St. Paul’s dilemma was either remaining alive so that he would able to continue guide and strengthen the community, while remaining in Christ; or facing death so that he would be forever with Christ. Though St. Paul would have wanted to be forever with Christ, he also realised that to stay alive on this earth would be better for the sake of the community. So, St. Paul chose to survive and stay, and continue to serve for the good of community and glorify God.

What about us? If we were to face a “happy” dilemma like St. Paul, would we be willing to set aside our personal desire or personal interests to be forever with Christ, and continue to guide the community entrusted to us, for the good of the community? May we continue to humbly walk in God’s ways, and help others to do the same.

It is easy and tempting for some of us to get carried away with new teaching by certain church leaders. Such church leaders may have heard such teaching from the internet, or they may have been influenced by their friends or colleagues. But what we need to watch out for is whether such teaching is for the benefit of those who spread such teaching, and not for the glory of God. That is why we need to discern what we hear, remain true to the truth, and continue to grow in love as we grow to become more like Christ, and not for our own glory or benefit.

In today’s reading, we are reminded: “Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love.”

The reading reminds us that it is through living by the truth and love that we shall grow in all ways into Christ. The reading also cautions us not to be so easily tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. What this means is we should take care to follow the ways of Christ, by making every effort to live by the truth and in love. May we be prudent and walk in Christ’s ways, glorifying Him in all we do.

Some of us can become quite animated and agitated when we discuss about a hot present issue such as what is happening in politics and the situation we are facing in the economy. We can spend lots of time trying to prove our point, or to comment with gusto on such matters which affect us. But when it comes to Jesus, do we have the same enthusiasm and zeal to share about Jesus and the Gospel to others, more so especially since Jesus is our saviour, our Lord and God? Do we acknowledge with pride and conviction Jesus’ presence in our lives before others? Do we acknowledge the difference that our Lord Jesus has made in our lives? Or have we become shy or fearful to mention about Jesus, even though He is not shy or fearful towards us?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.” Are we enthusiastic and joyful in declaring Jesus in the presence of men? May we not falter in sharing the Good News, and while doing so, give God the glory.

One reality in modern society is that, no matter where we go, we would encounter laws and regulations. Such laws need to be observed, for the good of all, otherwise there would be chaos. Such laws are supposed to protect those who follow what is stipulated and also to deter wrong-doing. Thus, the law is like our guardian and it is expressed in the form of law-enforcement officers, and in some cases, the courts may come into the picture.

In today’s reading, St. Paul said that the Law was the guardian of the people until Jesus Christ came along and then they could be justified by faith. The Law was there for the people to keep to it and follow it. Yet the problem here is that, by just keeping to the precepts of the Law, people could be doing so without any faith and only out of fear, instead of out of love and out of a desire to grow closer to God. With Jesus, we are justified by faith and are no longer under the law as our guardian, but we become sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

The question is: are we still keeping the law out of fear and just to get ourselves out of trouble; or have we grown in faith in Jesus, and keep the law out of love? Are we keeping the law only for the sake of keeping it to protect ourselves from punishment, or have we learnt to let Jesus be our guiding “law,” so that we would become more and more like Him? May we learn to follow the law of love, letting Jesus be our help an guide.