Category Archives: Year A

Do you really know and understand what love means? We use the word “love” so often, but how many of us really love? In life, our love is often divided. We have our family and relatives, our friends, our colleagues, our church members. But how much do we really love these? Do we love these more than God or vice versa? To add to the equation, do we love others who are not in this circle: such as our competitors, those who are angry with us, our enemies, those who are strangers to us, those who we think are unlovable? It seems quite an uphill task to truly and genuinely love, since it seems easier to love those around us whom we know or trust. But as Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ, members of God’s family, how do we love; how should we love?

 In the first reading, the Lord said to Moses to tell the sons of Israel: “You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan; if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans. If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him. If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset.” Here, the Israelites were being reminded that loving God and people of their own kind is not enough. They are also reminded to love all others, just as God had loved all. Moreover, the Israelites were reminded to love with right conduct and right action.

Likewise, the Gospel reminds us: “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.” When we are willing to love God totally, then our love for all others should also flow from our total love for God. We cannot possibly love without God’s help, since our love is often incomplete. This is why couples getting and staying married are often encouraged and reminded to have God in their lives, so that their love for each other and for others draws strength and dependence on God’s love.

Love is not just a feeling, it is a commitment. In a world where commitment and responsibility towards others is being compromised in different ways, we as Christians need to learn to give our all to God, and by letting God be in control, we can then share His love with all others. When we love God totally, then we will begin thinking of the needs of the others and the needs of the community before thinking of our own needs. Let our love for God be total and complete, and let Him guide us in all we say and do.

Some of us may be actually living with split or different personalities (similar to the story of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”). Some of us behave quite differently according to the situation or circumstances. For example, in the office, we may behave like a good, helpful and hardworking person in front of the boss or superior; but when it comes to other colleagues, we may begin to pick on a few who we think are a threat to our survival and advancement; or we may pick on those who we think are weaker or less capable, just to gratify ourselves. With friends, we may be jovial and cheerful, but when we are with family, our dark and discriminating side may emerge. In church, we may appear to be holy, prayerful and helpful, especially when the priest or bishop is present, but the moment we step out of church, our behavior and attitude towards our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ may change: some may even fight, quarrel, gossip, compete or belittle other parishioners.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.” Is Jesus telling us to have different standards, attitudes, or behaviour for God and others? No. Jesus is not giving us an excuse for us to behave one way with God and another way with others. Does anything really belong to Caesar? Does anything really belong to us? No. Everything belongs to God, and we are merely stewards entrusted to the care of such things. So, whatever we do, whatever we have, whatever we supposingly own or have been given the privilege to use, are meant for us to glorify God; not for our own personal gain, gratification or glory.

In the same way, today’s first reading reminds us that everything ultimately belongs to God. In the reading, Cyrus was chosen “to subdue nations before God, and strip the loins of kings, to force gateways before Him, that their gates be closed no more.” God also reminds Cyrus: “Though you do not know me, I arm you that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that, apart from me, all is nothing.” Indeed, this shows that we really do not own anything and should not be too proud or conceited with our achievements and things. Instead, we should remind ourselves that we are merely servants, entrusted with things, responsibilities and titles for the greater glory of God.

Therefore, no matter where we are, no matter who we are with, we should act and behave as children of God. Our life in church, with family, at the working place, in school, in the restaurant or among friends should not have any distinction or difference, especially in what we say or do. What is the point if we go to church behaving like angels, and then in other situations or settings, we become like “hantu” or devils? Are we being genuine, loving, or true to our identity as children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ? Or are we merely playing games, thinking that we can get away with our nastiness, meanness or aloofness? Let us remember: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Gal 6:7-8).”

At the end of our lives, we would have nothing but our lives to give back to God. What sort of lives have we lived when we return our lives to God? Are we giving a life full of honesty, compassion, love and respect; or are we giving a life full of dishonesty, selfishness and sin? Let us choose wisely, for our eternal future.

Do you know what heaven is like? Have you seen heaven? Perhaps our imagination of heaven could have been influenced by what we see in the movies or television. We imagine that heaven would be up there above somewhere in the clouds where everyone has wings and are dressed in white robes and perhaps holding a harp. But is heaven really like that? No. We do not know what heaven is really like, since no one has gone there and come back to tell us exactly what heaven is like. But we do know heaven is in a state of being with God, being in His presence. Other than that, heaven is a mystery, just as God is also a mystery.

However, today’s readings give us some glimpses or ideas of heaven. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah gives us an image of heaven where there would be a banquet of rich food; no more mourning as death will be destroyed; every tear will be wiped away as there is no longer any pain or suffering.We would also be able to see God face to face, and not just have some vague idea of what He may be like. In the Gospel, we are once again presented with the image of the banquet through the parable of the wedding feast. What is interesting is that all are welcomed to the wedding feast. In the Gospel, we read that “The servants went out to the crossroads of the town and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike.” However, people are not forced to enter. God chooses to invite all to be with Him, but we can choose not to enter or respond.

One may ask: why would anyone in their right mind not want to be in heaven with God? It may sound crazy or illogical, but there are people who refuse heaven. There are several reasons why people refuse heaven. One could be because some people feel they are not worthy or too sinful to be with God. They feel naked and ashamed, and prefer to hide from God, just as Adam and Eve tried to hide from God after eating the forbidden fruit. This could be the reason concerning the man mentioned in the gospel who was found to be without a wedding garment. The man, by not wearing a wedding garment, by not being prepared and ready to be with God, possibly due to feeling ashamed, and choosing to remain silent, had condemned himself.

Another reason why people refuse heaven is because these people are full of resentment, hatred and unforgiveness. They are unable to love, forgive, reconcile, have compassion and mercy towards others. Heaven is a state of harmonious and loving relationship between others with God. When people are filled with resentment and unforgiveness, they are unable to dwell in a state of harmonious and loving relationship between others with God. Because of this, these people are experiencing hell; and they choose hell because they refuse to love, forgive and reconcile.

What about us? Are we longing for heaven? Or are we refusing heaven? Ultimately, we are given a choice. This choice is for keeps, it is an eternal choice, it is what is called a fundamental option. God does not force us to be with Him; we choose to condemn ourselves by refusing His love, forgiveness, care and providence. We condemn ourselves when we stubbornly choose to remain as we are, thinking only about ourselves and refusing to love, forgive and be reconciled with others. Let us consider carefully the consequences of our choice for there is no turning back.

As we journey through life, we begin to accumulate a lot of things. Some of us accumulate wealth, property and riches. Some of us accumulate friends and acquaintances. Some of us get married and have children. Some of us accumulate educational and dignitary titles and honours. Some accumulate all sorts of odds and ends which we may not use or need. When we accumulate these things or people, some of us begin to think that we own them. We think that we are entitled to have power and authority over them. We begin to control, manipulate, or jealousy cling on to them, thinking that no one else but we can have them. We become quite possessive towards them.

But do we really own these things and people? Are these things and people our sole property, to be used and possibly abused as we see fit? No. We do not own these things and people, simply because these things and people are only temporary. The tenants in today’s Gospel thought that the vineyard belonged to them and they attempted to completely take over the vineyard from the owner by beating up the owner’s servants and ultimately by killing his son. But what the tenants failed to realise is that the vineyard is not theirs, they were merely staying there for a time, and one day they would need to move on.

When we think we possess or own something, or when we think that the thing or person is only for us, we may actually be hurting others in our desire to hold on tightly. For example, some of us have children. Our children are God’s gifts and they were given to us “on loan” or “on trust” so that we could learn to care, feed, love and share our faith with them. There will come a time we would need to let go, and let them fly away so that they could live independent and fruitful lives. But when we are so possessive towards our children, we become a stumbling block towards their growth, freedom and happiness. We begin to interfere with almost every aspect of their lives, only to make matters worse and create unnecessary anger, resentment, tension and hurt.

In the same way, when we become possessive towards our husband or wife, we are actually hurting them. We begin to get suspicious of our husband or wife, even for the smallest reason such as having friends. Is it wrong for your husband or wife to have friends? Just because he or she occasionally goes out for a bite or to watch a movie (especially with their friends of the same gender) does not mean he or she is being unfaithful or will leave you. We need to learn to trust and not be so possessive, suspicious or jealous, because we only create further resentment or tension if we behave this way. It is unfortunate that some men resort to violence to control their wives and prevent them from living a decent life. In the same way, it is equally unfortunate that some women begin to get extremely jealous, cautious, suspicious and possessive towards their husbands, to the extend of nagging, throwing tantrums, or even hen-pecking them for the slightest issue.

At church, some of us think that without us, the church would collapse or fall apart, or a particular church ministry would go bust. What we forget is that the church or church ministry does not belong to us. We should remember that we are merely servants and we should treat involvement in church and church ministry as a temporary thing. We should make effort to train and encourage others, especially the younger generation, so that one day they will be able to replace us and continue working for the Lord. It is when we refuse to let go, when we stubbornly insist in holding on to a particular ministry or office, we could be actually stifling the growth of the church. By doing so, we could be building our own kingdom, instead of God’s Kingdom.

Ultimately, we need to remember that we are all pilgrims here on earth. Our time on earth is short, and instead of bickering or being possessive towards something or someone, we should be humble and willing to be detached, to let go, to love just as God loves us. We should be reminded, as St. Paul advises us in the second reading: “There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.” Let us use our time here on earth wisely to give glory to God in all we do, and be genuine, respectful, loving, forgiving and caring towards all.

Some of us may have been attending Mass and activities in one parish community for years. Some of us seem to prefer to skip from parish to parish, going for Mass and activities as and when we please or where it is convenient to us. Some just go for Mass and do not get involved in any parish activities. There are some too who do not seem to value the Mass, or even being in a parish community, and only come occasionally. Which sort of person could you be?

People come or do not come for Mass and become part of a parish community due to a number of reasons. But whatever the reason may be, we need to ask ourselves honestly: Is our parish community united as brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we part of a parish community, or are we lone rangers (or “Sdn. Bhd” or “Pte. Ltd.”), only intending to fulfil our Sunday obligation and nothing more? What have you done to be part of a parish community? Some of us actually don’t feel that we are part of a parish community. Perhaps, some think that the church is just a place to go and pray and attend Mass. Perhaps, some don’t have a real sense of belonging, coming and going like a “rolling stone.” The Church becomes like a hypermarket or supermarket or convenience store where we come only to get what we need. When the church does not satisfy our needs, we complain, become angry, pout, feel frustrated, or feel resentment. But is that what being Church all about: for me, myself and I?

St. Paul in today’s reading reminds us: “If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, So that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus.” We call ourselves Christians or Catholics, but that is not enough. We come to church, but that is not enough. We say we are brothers and sisters in Christ, but that is not enough. We need to show and mean what we say through our actions. If we are only concerned about our own needs, then how can we say we are united as brothers and sisters in Christ?

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us a parable of two sons: one says he would go to the vineyard but only says this just to sound good and to please his father but did not go. The other said he would not go, but decided to go in the end. This parable reminds us that we need to walk to talk, talk is cheap, action is what matters. We say that we are one community, but just saying it is not enough. We need to prove it through our actions and by making effort to remain united as brothers and sisters in Christ. This means we must come out of our comfort zone; we must stop thinking only about ourselves and start thinking about others, about the community; we must learn to love happily, joyfully, willingly and meaningfully. It is only when we do our part and work together as one, united family, that we could truly become one family, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Is life fair? Throughout the day, we may have heard someone somewhere exclaiming: “It’s not fair!” We may have heard children complaining: “I’m doing more work!” or “My chores are more difficult; that’s not fair.” Students at school may resent the extra attention given to a classmate… “that’s the teacher’s favourite, the teacher’s pet; that’s not fair!” A sibling thinks his or her portion of food appears to be smaller than his or her other sibling’s… “That’s not fair!” We may have heard of employees who think their boss doesn’t appreciate their efforts or recognise their achievements, wondering: “that’s not fair!” Someone at work receives a raise in salary which causes another person to think: “I have seniority. I’ve been here longer; that’s not fair!” So, is life fair?

Some of us think that good work, seniority, experience, or talent should be rewarded. Some think that all should be treated equally: no discrimination, no favourites, no this, no that. But are we expecting equality and fairness in all situations, at all cost? Today’s gospel puts us in a spot. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us of a landowner who hired workers at different times of the day to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day, regardless of how long one had worked, the landowner paid all equally, one denarius per person, as what had been agreed upon. Some of us may think: that land owner is not fair. Why should those who work longer hours be paid the same as those who worked fewer hours? Humanly speaking, that appears to be not fair and the landowner appears to have exploited the workers, especially those who worked longer hours. But consider this: the landowner had made an agreement of one denarius a day, no more, no less (not according to the number of hours worked, as some may have expected). He chose to be generous to all, regardless of the number of hours worked. So was the landowner really being fair? Certainly! He paid in full what had been agreed upon, and he chose to be generous. If that is the case, why do some complain about fairness and equality?

In the same way, some of us may feel that God is like the landowner. Some of us feel that God is not fair at times. But are we expecting God to be fair according to our terms? We assume that the way God deals with us ought to be the same as how we deal with each other. However, as the first reading reminds us; God’s ways are not like our ways; nor are God’s thoughts like ours. This realisation should lead us to rejoice in the fact that God transcends all human standards, not in fairness according to the way we perceive, but in love, mercy and compassion.

In today’s responsorial psalm, we are reminded: “The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures. The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts.” Therefore, we should be thankful, grateful and celebrate, for God is fair to us according to His terms, not according to our terms.