Faithfulness and Love

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25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Sunday, April 19, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 25th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

It is not easy to build a relationship or gain friendship. It takes time for a relationship and friendship to become strong and mature. However, there are two attitudes which can destroy relationship and friendship. What are the two attitudes? They are jealousy and ambition, as they can cause soured relationships, rifts and disharmony. As St. James warns us in the second reading: “Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done…”

Relationships and friendships breakdown, deteriorate or even disintegrate because we develop feelings of jealousy against one another, and this is often fueled by ambition for power and status. What is the cause of jealousy and ambition? St. James in today’s second reading gives us a clue: “Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force.” Moreover, in today’s gospel, we see the disciples of Jesus fighting among themselves over the issue of power. They were arguing over which of them was the greatest.

Why do we need to be jealous and ambitious? Why do we need to be the greatest? It is precisely because we are insecure; we are not comfortable with ourselves; we feel that we are not good enough and that others are better off than us; we feel that others threaten our status and position; and all these could lead us to become more and more jealous until we come to a point where jealousy consumes us, and we become more interested in working towards the downfall of others. Jealousy leads us to gossip and slander, and we end up wasting all our time and energies in our petty squabbles and in our scheming, instead of building God’s kingdom.

So what do we need to do to break the deadly and poisonous grip of jealousy in our lives? We need to put a stop to all the nonsense we are doing immediately, no ifs, maybes or buts. We cannot go on being jealous, as it will only lead us to our ruin. Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel: “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.” This means we should strive towards serving with humility, we should strive to work with one another in building God’s kingdom, and we should strive towards a conversion of heart. This can come about if we pray earnestly for ourselves, for one another, and for the community. But prayer alone is not enough. We must be prepared to change our ways and heal our relationships with one another, instead of continuing to point fingers at one another and hurting each other with our words and deeds. May we let the Lord be our guide and strength, and release us from our jealousy, so that in all we do, His name be glorified.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Friday, April 17, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 24th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

As children, many of us may have attended Religious Education each Sunday. For some of us, such classes are called Catechism classes or Sunday school. During such classes, we would have learnt so many things about God, about Jesus, about the ten commandments, the list goes on. But the problem is: is this what faith is all about? Is our faith confined only to memorising our catechism? Some of us may have gone through rote learning in school, where we had to memorise things and regurgitate such facts in order to pass exams. But what benefit did we eventually gain from such methods of learning? Do we understand what we have learnt and are we able to apply such facts in daily life? In the same way, do we understand what we have learnt at Catechism classes, and are we able to apply what we have learnt in daily life?

The fact is: faith is more than just memorising facts, as the readings today tell us. Faith is more than merely reciting the creed; more than learning our catechism; more than just knowing about God and Jesus. It is pointless for us to just have the kind of faith where we have head-level knowledge about something or someone, where we merely have facts and information about that thing or person. Instead, our faith should be about knowing someone, whereby we have a special and intimate relationship with that person.

In today’s gospel, Peter recognises Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One of God. However, this recognition is only head knowledge. Peter knew about Jesus but didn’t know him as a person. Jesus, therefore, explains who he really is and what his mission entails. Jesus tells Peter that He must suffer grievously, be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, put to death, and after three days He will rise again. But this is the part which Peter could not understand. Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ but could not accept the fact this Christ must suffer and die. To help Peter, Jesus further explains that for one to become His disciple, that person must be prepared to renounce himself, take up his cross and follow the same fate of Jesus. This means that the disciple must have an intimate relationship with Jesus and not only be satisfied with knowing about Jesus.

That is why our faith would be meaningless if it stays only within head-knowledge. Our faith calls for conversion, commitment and action. St. James in the second reading challenges us to show our faith through our good deeds. It is not enough to just say that we have faith, but we must prove our faith through the lives we live, by our readiness to accept the cross of Jesus and follow him. We must be prepared to lose everything, even our lives knowing that “anyone who loses his life for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”

Let us therefore honestly examine our faith. Is our faith merely head-knowledge? Is our faith only a safe kind of faith that tries to avoid trouble or the cross? If we call ourselves Christians, then we should be doing what Christ did. We should renounce ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus, since He is the way to eternal life and glory.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Thursday, April 16, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 23rd, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

Among the many senses which most of us have which we often take for granted are the ability to hear and the ability to speak. If we are unable to see, we can still get around on our own by using our ears, sense of smell and other senses which would have been further heightened and enhanced as we get older. If we are unable to hear but our other senses are intact, we could still survive by using sign language and other forms of communication, including reading another person’s lips to somewhat understand what the person is saying. If we are unable to speak, we could also depend on other forms of communication to survive. But just imagine if one is born mute and deaf, or become that way due to some illness. Life would certainly be quite difficult to live, since one would be dependent on others for almost everything.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute. This healing could be seen from a different perspective, that is, it can be seen as a symbolic model of the process of evangelisation, or spreading the Good News about Jesus. The apostles heard the Word of God and then went out and spoke about it to everyone. These people heard the apostles preaching and they in turn went and spoke about it to all their friends. Eventually the Good News reached the entire world.

Today, however, we may be in danger of losing the faith that the apostles gave their lives to hand on. Many people are abandoning the faith. The Good News is that God so loved the world that he sent his only son that we might have life, but many of us are not “hearing” it and are not sharing it. Why are we not sharing it? Because many of us may have become so preoccupied in our lives with so many other things, that we would have forgotten how urgent it is for the Good News to be preached. Some of us may have become deaf to the Good News, and some of us may have become mute in sharing it, whereas some of us may have even become both deaf and mute to the Good News.

To heal the deaf and mute man in the Gospel, Jesus took him away from the crowd. Jesus could have just willed that the man be healed, but instead He touched him. He put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. He then spoke a seemingly magic word… ephphatha which means “be open”, and the man was healed. Similarly, Jesus may be calling you to come away and touch each of us as well, so that our ears and tongue would “be open” and enable us to hear clearly and speak clearly once again, so that we too would be healed and be able to confidently and courageously go forth and preach the Good News. Are we willing to be healed by Jesus and go forth to preach the Good News with renewed vigour?

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 22nd, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

From a young age, most of us would have been introduced to rules and regulations at home. We would have been taught what is acceptable, what is not, and what would be the consequence if we broke a rule. Even in school and later in society, we have rules and regulations. As a civilised society, we know that we need rules and regulations, so that there would be some order. Otherwise, people would do as they please and society would disintegrate into chaos. As usual, we would always come across those who complain about certain rules and regulations, especially those that do not benefit them by giving them a free reign to do what they like, but rules and regulations are there not just for the benefit of a few, but meant for all. Take for instance vehicle parking. If there are no rules, people would park indiscriminately, and cause obstruction, inconvenience to others, and even pose a danger to other people. That is why, whether we like it or not, we need rules to function as a society.

In today’s readings, we come across the law, which is God’s commandments. God’s commandments are there to help us become better persons as well as to become mature and responsible Christians. The first reading tells us about God’s commandments, where we are to: “keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding.” Likewise, St. James in the second reading describes the law as “all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given to us from above” and that we are to “accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.” St. James in the second reading also reminds us that God’s law is there to help us become the “first fruits of all that he had created.” Without God’s law to guide us, we would be guided by our own pride, prejudice, ego and selfishness. Thus, God’s laws help us become free from our own selfish motives and intentions.

However, we must be cautious not to become extremists in following God’s laws. The scribes and the Pharisees were examples of following God’s laws to the extreme, by following God’s laws without understanding their purpose, by being very judgmental of others, and by seeing themselves as the guardians of the Law and the watchdogs of morality. This led Jesus in today’s Gospel to reprimand them by exclaiming: “This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me.” This is because a person could appear to be following God’s law by meticulously observing external practices like what the scribes and Pharisees did, but deep inside the heart there could be malice and evil intentions, as Jesus in today’s Gospel reminds us: “nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean.” That is why it is not enough to just follow the laws, or follow them blindly, or even follow them only because we fear punishment. Instead, we should follow God’s law out of love and not out of fear, as God’s law is the law of love.

Thus, let us have a conversion of heart and follow God’s law with love and compassion. Just as God has shown much love and compassion towards us, we too should do the same for others. Let us ask God to help rid ourselves of any evil intentions, so that we would be free and happy to listen to His words, act upon them, and by our words and actions give Him all the glorify.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Sunday, April 12, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 21st, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

Words are cheap. People can say many things, but they may not necessarily mean what they say. For example, we hear of all sorts of promises being made by certain leaders before an election, but once the leader has won the election, would he or she be committed in fulfilling the promises made? Some may try to do so to the best of their abilities, but as we have seen, there are those who only know how to talk, but do nothing in the end. In Bahasa Malaysia, we call such people “cakap tak serupa bikin” or “saying is not the same as doing.”

What about us Christians? We are taught to love God and love neighbour. But do we love God and love neighbour only in words and nothing more? Hopefully we as Christians would say that we love God and love neighbour not only in words, but especially in our actions, in our conduct and in our behaviour. If we love someone, especially if that someone is our girlfriend or boyfriend, we would try to see the person as often as possible, and we would also try to be with that person as much as possible. We call this “dating” (or as some may say, earning a “degree in ‘paktorlogy’) and some may make much effort in “dating” for some time, so that both would get to know each other pretty well, before deciding to get married or tie the knot, so to speak. But it is interesting to note that, when it comes to loving God, how many of us are making effort to go to church to spend time with Him? When we dislike a person, we would find ways and means to avoid or shun the person. But if some of us have been making all sorts of excuses or come to church only as and when it is convenient to us, doesn’t that mean we dislike God? Surely if we say we love God, then we should be trying to meet Him as much as possible.

If we say we love God, then how do we show it? Scripture reminds us that we must love God with all our heart, all our mind, all our being. This means that we must serve Him and only Him alone, and we must not have any other gods before Him. All this sounds nice and good when times are great, but when we are facing problems, difficulties, persecution or when times are bad, do we turn to God for help, or have some of us gone to bomohs, witch doctors, shamans, temple mediums and other forms of help? If we say that we love God, but we go to other forms of help when we are in need or in trouble and God does not seem to be responding to our pleas for help, then we are lying. We are prostituting ourselves to other forms, we are committing adultery, because the fact is, we do not really love God after all. St. Paul in the second reading gives us an example of a married couple to illustrate the relationship between God and us. If we pray to other gods; if we turn to other gods or other forms of help; then we will be committing adultery against God like how some of us commit adultery against our spouse when we are unfaithful to them.

This is why we need to make a firm commitment to love God above all else. We need to maintain fidelity and remain faithful to God regardless whether times are good or bad. In today’s gospel, many of Jesus’ followers left Him because they could not accept His teaching. If we say that we love God, then we must accept His teachings. We cannot choose to believe what suit us or make us feel comfortable. We must take God as He is and not according to our own terms. We must choose God over and above all other gods, whether it be money, wealth, fame, power, or other deities. This relationship we have with God must also be reflected in our families and community. Do we show our love to our husband or wife and family members in the way that we show our love to God? Do we show love for our children the same way God loves us? If we are not truly loving God and loving others the way God loves us, then what sort of a Christian life are we living? Are we not being hypocrites, “cakap tak serupa bikin,” only know how to say and not doing what we say?

Today, let us pray that God will strengthen our faith in Him and also strengthen our relationship with one another especially in the family and in the community. Let us not only pray, but also take action, do our part, and be truly loving and forgiving towards others. May we mean what we say, and say what we mean, and do all we can to show our love for God and for others.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Thursday, April 9, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 20th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

Some people think that they are very wise, or that they supposingly have wisdom beyond their years. Others think that they are very intelligent. But is an intelligent person considered a wise person? If a person is clever in doing something or accomplishing something, is that person considered wise? Sometimes we come across people who have given up much of their time and wealth helping others. There are some in society who view such people as foolish, silly or stupid, since they think that such people could have used their time “wisely” for better pursuits. But are such people wise in helping others? Or are those who think these folks are being foolish, silly or stupid the ones who are wise? What is wisdom, really?

In Proverbs 9:10, we are told: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” This is quite a different picture of wisdom from what the world thinks as wisdom. In fact, St. Paul in today’s second reading reminds us: “Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent and not like senseless people. This may be a wicked age, but your lives should redeem it. And do not be thoughtless but recognize what is the will of the Lord.” When we are thinking with the mind of God, when we learn to fear Him with awe and reverence, we begin to learn and appreciate true wisdom, which is God’s wisdom.

This is why we would never be able to reconcile human wisdom with God’s wisdom. One classic example of how human wisdom differs greatly from God’s wisdom is the Eucharist. We Christians believe that Jesus is truly present in the consecrated bread and wine. The bread may continue to look and taste like bread, but our faith tells us that it is no longer bread but Christ himself. This is something really hard to understand or accept if we rely only on human wisdom. Moreover, in the Gospel, Jesus insisted that He is the living bread from heaven and that anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. Not only that, Jesus insisted that his “flesh” is that bread of life. Naturally, the Jews reacted in an understandable way, since they relied on human wisdom and logical intelligence, and they even argued among themselves: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” But God’s wisdom does not need to be logical, since His wisdom goes beyond our logic and our limited understanding. At Communion, it is Jesus that we are receiving, his flesh, his body. This may sound like foolishness or absurdity to the world, but for us it is wisdom, since we know and believe that Jesus is the only food that can satisfy all our wants and desires.

Therefore, let us not focus too much only on trying to be intelligent or clever, since these things are only temporary and will fail us some day. Let us also not depend too much on human wisdom, since what appears to be wise in human terms may not necessarily be so in God’s terms. Instead, let us make more effort to seek divine wisdom, so that with God’s help and guidance, we will grow closer to Him and one day be with Him for all eternity.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 19th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

 

Over the years, people have experienced all sorts of trials and temptations as they try to improve and progress in their spiritual life. Some have been tempted to lie, to misuse God’s name, to steal, to covet, to murder, to commit adultery or to do this or to do that. But one thing which some may have been tempted to do which is probably far more dangerous is to be tempted to despair on himself, herself, or even on others.

What does it mean to despair? It basically means a person has totally given up on himself, or herself or on others, as if he or she is or they think others are beyond hope, beyond redemption, beyond salvation. Some even go to the extent of committing suicide as they think that that is the only option open to them. What some of us sometimes fail to realise is that we are not perfect and that until we die, there will always be plenty of chances and opportunities for us to repent and seek forgiveness from God and grow closer to Him. If we have the audacity to think that we are already perfect, then we don’t need repentance, which inadvertently means that we don’t need God.

Today’s readings give us a message of hope and consolation, sort of like a big vitamin C boost (C for confidence and consolation). In the first reading, we hear the story of the prophet Elijah and how he felt like ending his life out of despair. But God gives him the strength by giving him food so that he could continue his mission. This shows that God will never abandon us just as he did not abandon Elijah when he felt as if he was really ‘down and out’ or ‘down in the doldrums.’ God gives us the strength to carry on and will help us pick ourselves up when we are down. St. Paul in the second reading also reminds us: “Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.” This means that we should never despair on others, for God can also strengthen them and help them pick themselves up, just as He could do so for us.

Some of you may be wondering: Are all these possible? Or are we only trying to fool or kid ourselves, since we are merely human? Humanly speaking, it appears impossible, but with God everything is possible. God will give us the grace to bounce back when we feel like giving up and carry on or press on; as well as the courage and strength to forgive others and accept their limitations. This is why it is so important for us to come regularly for Mass, better still if we can come for daily Mass. At the Mass, we receive physical and spiritual nourishment when we listen to God’s word in scripture and we receive the life-giving bread of Jesus, his own body, as Jesus reminds us in the Gospel: “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’. It is at the Mass that we will receive new life and a boost of energy to cope as we journey along as pilgrims on this earth. So, why are we not taking the many opportunities given to us to come for Mass and be nourished by our loving God? Why are we not accepting His invitation to banquet with the King of kings? It is Free of Charge (FOC) and the benefits are certainly out of this world!

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Saturday, April 4, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 18th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

Some people go through life without knowing exactly what they really want, what they really desire. Some people think what they really want is happiness, some think what they really want is peace and prosperity, others think what they really want is to marry a girl or a boy who would be a lifelong companion. The list could go on and on, and there may be so many things we want or desire. But do we really want or desire these things? More often than not, the things that we want or desire may change according to the circumstances we are in. Even though we may have gotten what we wanted or desired, quite likely it would only be a temporary thing or short-lived experience, since there will always be something else that would catch our attention. No matter how hard we try to fulfil our wants, we would only attain temporary gratification and satisfaction.

In the first reading, the Israelites had already been rescued from slavery in Egypt by God. Not only that, they had Moses to lead them. But were the Israelites satisfied and grateful for what God had done for them? No. They complained and complained. When in Egypt, they complained about being enslaved. When brought out of Egypt, they complained that they had no food in the desert. God still provided the Israelites with bread from heaven, even though they had been constantly unsatisfied and ungrateful. Even with bread from heaven, the Israelites still complained and complained. Such difficult people to please indeed.

What about us? Are some of us like the Israelites in some way? If our lives are constantly dictated or enslaved by our wants and desires, there will never be an end to our dissatisfaction, unhappiness and complaints.We will always be dissatisfied, unhappy, and unfulfilled even if we have supposingly attained all our wants and desires, because it is never enough, and even all is not enough. That is why St. Paul reminds us in the second reading: “You must give up your old way of life; you must put aside your old self, which gets corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of truth.” What is this new self all about? It is a new self in Jesus, as Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” If our lives undergo a “spiritual revolution,” if we are able to allow Jesus to be at the heart and centre of our lives, then there is no need for us to crave for anything else. There is no need for us to run after riches, wealth, happiness, recognition, success and fame, since we have Jesus, and Jesus is enough.

Today, let us look at the kind of lives we are living. Some of us call ourselves Christians, but in spite of receiving Jesus, some of us still want more. If we believe that Jesus is the bread of life who satisfies our every want and need, then why do we still look for other things? Is Jesus not enough for us? This does not mean we should not do our part to survive in this world, but it means we should consider what is it we ultimately want and desire. May we choose wisely what is it we really want and desire, for the betterment of our eternal future.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Thursday, April 2, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 17th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

What sort of world do we live in these days? Is the wealth of the world fairly and evenly distributed? Most likely, the wealth of the world is controlled by a few, maybe about less than ten percent of the entire world’s population. Some countries have got lots of resources, but these countries are often unwilling to share such resources with poorer countries, unless there is some benefit or advantage in it for them. For example, certain countries produces more than enough grain or other foodstuff to feed many of the poor in the world, but how much of these is shared? What is the problem here? It is basically greed and selfishness. Some people only think of themselves, are unwilling to share with others, are more concerned about protecting what is theirs, and in some cases even to the point of trying to increase what they have at the expense of others. Likewise, we see the same matter in our churches. There are many people who are skilled or talented in one way or another, but some people seem to be interested in using their skill or talent only if there is some sort of benefit, advantage or perk attached. It is like as if “what’s in it for me” is more important than “how can I be of service to glorify God.” It seems quite difficult to get some people to volunteer their talent or offer their help happily and willingly, since such people rather spend time shopping, going to the movies, making holiday trips, and sleeping, than spend that time serving in the church or helping someone else. Such people prefer to take care of their own needs and have time only for themselves and not for others. But as Christians, what sort of stance or attitude should we be having?

In today’s second reading, St. Paul reminds us to “bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience.” Today’s Gospel goes further by giving us a wonderful example of the kind of miracles that may happen when one is generous to share what little we possess. Many people think that the gospel story is merely a miracle where Jesus took five barley loaves and two fish and performed a miracle so that all five thousand men (not counting the women and children) could have enough to eat. But if we look closer, we would discover that the Gospel is more than that. It is about the generosity of the small boy who offered all that he had, five loaves and two fish. The disciples were not prepared to share. They felt that they had only enough for themselves to eat. But the boy was prepared to give up his food for others. He was not embarrassed about the amount that he had. He was prepared to give all that he had, although it may seem little to others. And what did Jesus do? He did what others thought was impossible, He fed so many with so few. Miracles happen when people are willing and happy to share what they have with others. When people are willing and happy to do so, there will always be enough. When we are prepared to share, God blesses us with much more. But for those who are not willing to share because they feel as if there is not enough to go around, no matter how much they try to amass and protect their resources, there will never be enough. They will never be satisfied, even if all has been given to them.

As Christians, we are supposed to be examples to others in our families, our community and our country. We are supposed to “bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience.” But if we take a good hard look at our lives, our behaviour, our attitude, and our conduct, are we living good Christian lives and practising Christian virtues? Are we following the example of Christ? Or have we become more and more immersed with the ways of the world, where greed, power, ego, ruthlessness, selfishness, impatience, intolerance and other kinds of vices seem to be more and more dominant? What is it that ultimately matters to us: the ways of Christ, or the ways of the world? May we be wise, careful and prudent with our choice, for our eternal future and happiness is at stake.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Posted on Monday, March 30, 2015 by Andrew Kooi Posted in 16th, Ordinary Time, Sunday, Year B Leave a comment

Family members these days seem to be getting busier and busier with their own thing. Parents are busy with work, socialising with their friends, doing all sorts of errands, and other matters to attend to. Children are busy with school, college or university, socialising with their friends, doing errands entrusted to them, and other matters that crop up. Work, study and personal interests have become more and more important, at the expense of family life, family bonding and couple bonding. If left unchecked, family relationships suffer. We hear of more and more cases of couples divorcing, children developing social problems, and when these children grow up, they move away and abandon their aging parents, or even become misfits in society. The reason for these problems is that family members just do not seem to have time for each other, they have lost that bonding or loving feeling, they drift apart.

When it comes to our relationship with God, we too could be drifting away from Him when we pray less, when we seldom come to church, when we don’t hear His word in the bible, when we do not spend much time listening to Him in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and when we do not get involved in the various church activities. We become more and more engrossed with the ways of the world, while becoming less and less connected to God. We begin to lose our ability to listen to His voice, until one day, we may find that we have become alienated from Him. Why? Because we have, through our actions, attitude and behaviour, chosen to abandon Him, even though we may not always realise it until it is too late. On the other hand, God has not abandoned us. In fact, He is constantly looking out for us, earnestly and tenderly calling us to return to Him, but we have neglected or have become less and less sensitive to listen to His voice.

In today’s gospel reading, we see how the apostles themselves were so enthusiastically caught up with their work that they had forgotten the need to spend time with one another and with Jesus. Work is good and important, but spending time with one another and with God in prayer and reflection is more important. We sometimes forget that we are not superman or superwoman, since without prayer, we will not have the spiritual strength, stamina and energy to face the many challenges of life which come our way. We will soon experience burnout, fatigue and frustration.

In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah has issued a stern warning to all of us, clergy, religious and laity alike: “Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered… You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them. Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds…” Each and every one of us have been called and chosen to be shepherds in our own situations, and we have been entrusted to the moral, educational and spiritual development of not only ourselves, but also of those under our care. If we fail or neglect to take care of the pastoral needs of all under our care, then God will “raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them.” We will face the consequences of our neglect. Are we aware of this? Have we taken the necessary steps to address this before it is too late?

Being a shepherd caring for God’s flock is certainly no easy task. Moreover, the shepherd is not only the clergy, since each and every one of us are called to be shepherds in our own way and in our own circumstances. We must follow the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, but if we have been so caught up with our own busy schedule that we have no time for God, for our families or others, then how are we going to be effective shepherds and effective witnesses of the Gospel? No. We cannot nourish others if we ourselves are malnourished or stressed out. That is why we must heed Jesus’ voice, beckoning us in today’s Gospel to “come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while.” Let us not take lightly or play play with Jesus’ invitation. Rather, let us seize the opportunity to rest a while with the Lord and with each other, so that we will be rejuvenated and recharged to become effective shepherds in our different situations, following after the example of Jesus, our loving and Good Shepherd.

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