Faithfulness and Love

Category Archives: Year A

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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Some of us are worry-warts. We worry about our finances, our future, our children’s future, our health, our job, our retirement plans, what to eat, where to go for holiday, etc. Some people even worry that they have nothing to worry about.

Certainly, we need to do our part and work hard for our families and ourselves. But we should not become too concerned to the point where it becomes sinful, as we are eaten up by anxiety, fear, and despair. Today’s Gospel and readings are not telling us to become irresponsible and expect others to provide for us. Instead, we should note:

  1. Stop worrying. What can you gain from worrying and how would that improve our situation?
  2. God sees us as extremely valuable and precious.
  3. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom and we should “Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well.”

God knows our needs and would grant them if we ask with persistence and with sincerity. Are we willing to let God guide us and help us?

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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Over the centuries and decades of human history, we have seen much anger, hatred, revenge, opposition, defiance, destruction, etc. as people are unable to love and forgive. It seems easier to get back at others than to forgive, reconcile, let bygones be bygones and move on. Perhaps there is a certain amount of pride and stubbornness which makes people behave and react in this way.

However, today’s Gospel and readings remind us of the need to love. Often we may think that love is only for those who love us. We find it difficult or impossible to love those who hate us. But if we consider the big picture: when we continuously and consistently love others, regardless whether they are friends or otherwise, these people may slowly change their attitude or behaviour towards us. Love is capable of transforming foes to friends, if we make effort to love genuinely. However, we should note that love is not just a feeling, it also requires action. We need to show love towards others, by being good to them, praying for them, being generous to them, etc. It is when we show true and genuine love towards others over time, people begin to change, and our environment changes too.

Often, we may try to take the easy way out by being nasty or indifferent towards those who are mean or difficult to us. We may feel as if our time and effort could be used for other things. But it is through God’s grace we can love and help bring peace on earth. If each of us make effort and not give up so easily, if we are willing to be consistent and make sacrifices, then perhaps we may all truly be God’s children.

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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How deep or mature have we become in our relationship with God? Some people think that praying the rosary is good enough. Some people think that going for Mass on Sundays is sufficient. Others think that getting involved in certain church activities is good enough. But ask yourself… Have you grown deeper and more mature in your relationship with God? If not, why?

Today’s Gospel warns us that “unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” The scribes and Pharisees were more interested in observing the letter of the law, and in doing so neglected the spirit of the law. As a result, they became so inflexible, lacked common sense and preferred to lord it over others by telling them what to do, but they did not practice what they preached. Jesus in today’s Gospel also reminds us that it is not enough to just observe the commandments, but one should understand and observe the full implications of the commandments (both letter and spirit) and make every effort to love God and neighbour. For example, we may not actually kill a person, but the fact that we are putting a person down to the point of destroying his or her self-worth and dignity, we are “assassinating” that person.

If we call ourselves Catholics, then we should be mindful about our relationship with God and especially with the people around us. Let us not become self-righteous like the scribes and Pharisees, but learn to be loving and forgiving, just as God is loving and forgiving towards us.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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Each and every one of us has got a purpose in life. Our purpose in life ought to be to serve others and show good example, not just by words but also by deeds. Today’s Gospel reminds us that “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world…” Salt in itself is useless. It becomes useful when mixed with food to improve its taste. Light in itself is also useless. It becomes useful when it illuminates the night and guides us on our way. In the same way, each and every one of us are called to be useful in different ways while proclaiming the Good News.

However, lest we become complacent, thinking that it is sufficient to just proclaim the Good News, today’s Gospel also reminds us: “In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.” Our words in themselves don’t mean anything, if they are not accompanied with good deeds. In the Letter of James, we are reminded: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Christianity is not just talk, as talking is easy, talking is cheap. We are also reminded to walk the talk, to show what we mean, to mean what we say.

There is a Malay saying: “Cakap tak serupa bikin” which roughly translated means: “What you say is not the same as what you do.” Are we all talk and no action? Are we just blowing hot air, knowing only how to yak away, with the possibility of ending up gossiping? Or are we making effort to show the Good News, with our words and actions?

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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In many human institutions, we tend to see quite a bit of politics going around. We see favouritism happening. If you are in the good books of the leader, you may get extra perks or benefits and in some cases, no one could touch you or attempt to discredit you. The term “blue-eyed boy (or girl)” comes to mind here, as the person favoured may be seen by the leader as being spotless.

However, as followers of Christ, we are reminded that God has no favourites. When we have favourites, then we may be guilty of falling into factions, claiming to be for this leader or for that leader, just because the leader whom we are supporting is partial and nice to us and in an effort to protect our interests, we maintain a healthy relationship with that particular leader. However, we need to ask ourselves: Who are we serving in ministry? Are we serving Christ or are we serving ourselves? If we are serving Christ, then we ought to, as the second reading reminds us, “make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice.” We should avoid favouring one leader from another and instead focus our energies in preaching the Good News.

Moreover, if we are followers of Christ, then we should remain joyful in His light, since His light dispels the darkness of fear, uncertainty, anxiety; the darkness of sin which weights us down. Let us make every effort, as Jesus reminds us in the Gospel, to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” May we learn to dwell in the light of Christ, while striving to avoid any form of darkness which could ensnare us, including the darkness of favouritism, and grow together as brothers and sisters in His radiant love.

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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As leaders of different ministries in church, some of us may begin to think that the ministry we are in or even the church we serve would collapse if we are not around. Some people think that it is their God-given right to be the leader of a particular ministry. Some even think that their point of view and ideas are the only ones which should be noted.

However, today’s Gospel shows us a different attitude towards ministry. John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to his own disciples, saying: “Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” By doing so, John revealed his humility as he knew who he was and he was willing to step aside and let Jesus take over. Humility is not putting oneself down, but knowing one’s purpose and knowing when to lead and when to let go and move on.

As we reach a certain stage in life, we should follow the example of John the Baptist. There comes a time when we are no longer spring chicken and can no longer do certain things. Our purpose is to be witnesses for Christ. We need to point others to Jesus and not draw attention to ourselves. We should not treat our being in ministry as a popularity contest. Humility means knowing our identity and mission, and knowing how to help others grow and eventually take over. We must remember that we are not the Master, but merely servants. We are apostles and not the Saviour. Let us be humble and gracious enough to do our part, so that God’s Kingdom, not ours, will grow and prosper.

4th Sunday of Advent Year A

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What’s in a name? As parents-to-be, it is important to think carefully and consider the consequences of giving your child a particular name. Sometimes, we may not be aware of the meaning of the name and what it would mean according to different languages. For example, a person named Ho Chin Chai may appear to have an innocent name, but in Hokkien language, “Ho” means “very” and “Chin Chai” sounds like “cincai” in Bahasa Malaysia, which means “simply”; “casually”; “do as one pleases”; “without thought” or “randomly”. Another example is if a person has a surname “Chan” and has a given name like “Bella” or “Isabella.” The person would then be known as “Bella Chan” or “Isabella Chan.” Sounds like an ok name, but if you look at it in Bahasa Malaysia, the name would become “belacan” or “is a belacan”! “Belacan” is shrimp paste or shrimp sauce, a common ingredient used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisine. It would be quite embarrassing if a teacher or some one would to call out, “Belacan, come see me now.” So, it is important to choose a name wisely, otherwise one may face a lifetime of ridicule, teasing and embarrassment.

As Catholics, we are also advised to choose a baptism and/or confirmation name wisely. We are encouraged to choose a name of a saint, one whose example we could follow and imitate. In today’s Gospel, the angel of the Lord commands Joseph to name the child Jesus, “because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.” The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘God saves.’ Throughout the Gospels, we would see that Jesus truly lives up to his name as our saviour and redeemer. Jesus is also known, in today’s First Reading and Gospel as “Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.'” God has taken the initiative to come close to us and has become one of us, instead of we trying to come close to Him.

Seeing how important it is for us to choose a name wisely, let us reflect on the name given to us. Is it a name of a saint? Are we living up to our name by following and imitating the saint’s example? Our names are not a trivial or “cincai” matter. May God help us to be worthy of the name given to us.

3rd Sunday of Advent Year A

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We live in a world where everything must be done fast. We have ATMs for instant cash, we have credit cards for instant credit, we have instant coffee, instant noodles, instant this, instant that. But there are also many situations where we need to wait, to be patient. For example, babies are not conceived and born in a day or a week. It takes about 9 months of waiting and preparing. Nobody gets a degree after only one class. Most people need to study 2 or 3 years for a basic degree. Building a house cannot be completed too quickly. We need to ensure that a strong and secure foundation has been established before the building can commence. When we eat, we cannot shove everything into our mouth and swallow at one go. We may choke or get indigestion as a result.

Even waiting for the Lord’s coming requires us to be patient. In the first reading, we are told: “Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you.” When is the Lord coming to save us? We do not know. So we need to be patient. In the second reading, we are
reminded: “Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming… You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.” Here, we should be patient and not lose heart. The Gospel today also echos our need to be patient and not lose heart, as Jesus tells us: “happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.”

Seeing that we need to be patient and not lose heart, let us make a choice. We could choose to trust God, or we could choose to do things our way. Whatever choice we may wish make, we must be prepared to face the consequences.

2nd Sunday of Advent Year A

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When we were baptised as babies, or as children, or as adults, did anything change in our lives? Some of us may think that baptism means we become adopted children of God, but do we really know what that means?

In today’s Gospel, we see John baptising. His baptism is a baptism of repentance, and with repentance we need to be totally changed, totally converted and transformed anew. Total conversion means we can no longer be partial, we need to discard any form of prejudice, discrimination and intolerance. In the First Reading, we see how all creatures live in peace and harmony. They do no hurt, no harm,
on all God’s holy mountain. In the Second Reading, we are reminded that “It can only be to God’s glory, then, for you to treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you.”

Seeing how we are supposed to behave as baptised Catholics and as adopted children of God, let us then examine ourselves. Do we treat others fairly and justly? Do we consider ourselves united as Catholics, and not just focused in a particular ethnic group or language? Are we able to care and love others without looking at skin colour, language, or appearance? When we sing, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love,” do we realise the significance of what we sing and do we really mean what we sing? If we consider ourselves as adopted children of God, then perhaps we should make more effort to treat others as part of God’s family, and not as strangers.

1st Sunday of Advent Year A

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Some of us may have been asleep for quite a while. Instead of growing in faith and in relationship with God, we may have been dormant or inactive. Some do the minimal and seem focused more on wealth, success, fame, fortune, etc. of this world. But for how long can we be in this state of sleepiness? We may be awake physically, but are we truly awake spiritually?

As we begin a new Liturgical Year on this 1st Sunday of Advent, and as we prepare to say goodbye to this year, let us take this opportunity, as the Second Reading tells us today, to change our lives and to “wake up for our salvation is even nearer; let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime.”

Throughout this year, we need to ask ourselves thoroughly and honestly: have we changed and become better persons? Have we become closer to God? Have we learnt to be more forgiving and loving? Have we learnt to be more patient, especially towards our family, loved ones, elders, etc.? If we have failed in one way or another to improve ourselves in any of these areas and more, let us wake up and take stock of our lives.

Jesus warns us in today’s Gospel to “stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming” and we “must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Are we going to allow ourselves to be caught off-guard? Or have we been making preparations spiritually to meet our loving God? Let us not pass the many opportunities given to us to grow spiritually, lest we find ourselves left out and have only ourselves to blame.