For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
4 Sept 2016 – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
5 Sept 2016 – Monday of Week 23 Year 2
6 Sept 2016 – Tuesday of Week 23 Year 2
7 Sept 2016 – Wednesday of Week 23 Year 2
8 Sept 2016 – Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast
9 Sept 2016 – Friday of Week 23 Year 2
Every once in a while, we come across people who are extremely stubborn and obstinate. No matter what you say or do, such people have become so set or fixated with their ways that nothing can change their thoughts or mind set. It is certainly not easy to deal with such people, and we could only imagine what Jesus went through with the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel, who were just as stubborn and obstinate in their ways.
In today’s Gospel, the scribes and Pharisees were so extreme in their ways that even curing a man on the sabbath is forbidden, as the Gospel tells us that they “were watching him to see if he would cure a man on the sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him.” Jesus was not dancing to their tune or following their strict interpretation of the law, and as a result, the scribes and Pharisees were going all out to get Him. When Jesus went ahead and cured the man with the withered hand, the scribes and Pharisees “were furious, and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.”
Perhaps we should look at ourselves and the way we lead our lives: have some of us become so stubborn and obstinate like the scribes and Pharisees, so much so that the letter of the law has become more important than the spirit of the law? Sometimes we forget the purpose of what we do, and do things merely to observe and follow God’s law, whereas we should be observing a greater law, which is the law of love. May we have a change of heart and attitude, and learn to be loving and compassionate, just as our God is loving and compassionate to all of us.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
28 Aug 2016 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
29 Aug 2016 – Beheading of St. John the Baptist
30 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 22 Year 2
31 Aug 2016 – Wednesday of Week 22 Year 2
1 Sept 2016 – Thursday of Week 22 Year 2
2 Sept 2016 – Friday of Week 22 Year 2
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
21 Aug 2016 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
22 Aug 2016 – Our Lady, Mother and Queen
23 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 21 Year 2
24 Aug 2016 – St. Bartholomew, Apostle – Feast
25 Aug 2016 – Thursday of Week 21 Year 2
26 Aug 2016 – Friday of Week 21 Year 2
How prepared are we to face God? If God were to call you right now, would you be ready to meet Him? Or would you begin to go about frantically preparing yourself, even though it may already be a little too late? Sometimes due to one reason or another, some of us may have neglected in preparing ourselves to meet God, only to regret our inaction or procrastination later. Why put ourselves in a spot if we had been given plenty of time and chances to be prepared?
In today’s Gospel, we come across ten bridesmaids. Five were foolish, five were sensible. Five chose to take things easy, five got things ready and were prepared for any situation. In the end, the five foolish bridesmaids ended up being left out and locked out. In our situation, would we end up like the five sensible bridesmaids, or would we be left out like the five foolish ones? May we be wise and prudent enough not be caught off-guard, and end up being left out.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
14 Aug 2016 – 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
15 Aug 2016 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
16 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 20 Year 2
17 Aug 2016 – Wednesday of Week 20 Year 2
18 Aug 2016 – Thursday of Week 20 Year 2
19 Aug 2016 – Friday of Week 20 Year 2
There are several words that we use which could form a sentence in itself. Among these, one word which is quite significant is “why.” When we use the word “why,” we could be using it as a sentence to question, to interrogate, to wonder, or even to reflect on something. When we use “why” to reflect on something, we come to a deeper understanding of why we do what we do.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus responded to the Pharisees question about which is the greatest commandment of the Law: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.” Have you ever reflected on why these two commandments are the greatest? These two commandments actually are the very essence of being human, of being who we really are, and the meaning of our human existence. If we are to abandon or ignore these two commandments, we are actually ignoring our humanity, and by doing so, we become like the dry bones as mentioned in the first reading. We become dead, though we appear to be alive.
Thus, let us learn to love God and neighbour just like God loves all of us equally. Let us not harden our hearts, but let God be our help and guide, so that through our love and example, others would know what it means to be followers of Jesus.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
7 Aug 2016 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
8 Aug 2016 – Monday of Week 19 Year 2
9 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 19 Year 2
10 Aug 2016 – Saint Laurence, Deacon, Martyr – Feast
11 Aug 2016 – Thursday of Week 19 Year 2
12 Aug 2016 – Friday of Week 19 Year 2
Some of us sometimes forget who we are and where we come from. Some of us become easily upset or angry when someone has hurt us and some of us even begin to curse such persons, or even plot revenge. How many of us have truly learnt to be forgiving, to reconcile, and to move on? Sometimes it is due to our pride, prejudice and ego that makes it difficult for us to forgive, reconcile and move on. That is why we need to learn to have patience and humility, so that we would learn to forgive others their trespasses 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.'” Despite the many sins Jerusalem had committed, God was still willing to be merciful, loving and forgiving. What about us? Are we willing and able to follow God’s example and do the same?
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
31 July 2016 – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
1 Aug 2016 – Monday of Week 18 Year 2
2 Aug 2016 – Tuesday of Week 18 Year 2
3 Aug 2016 – Wednesday of Week 18 Year 2
4 Aug 2016 – Thursday of Week 18 Year 2
5 Aug 2016 – Friday of Week 18 Year 2
