Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

Are we willing to take risks when it comes to doing God's will? Some of us may be content on just being nominal Christians, thinking that attending Sunday Mass and perhaps getting involved in some church activities is more than enough. But how many of us are willing to go all out and do God's will, even when there are serious risks involved? How many of us are willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel? It is easy to do the barest minimum as Christians, but are we willing to do more?

In today's Gospel, Jesus retreated to the countryside with His disciples, He could have decided to remain there. He could have gone on with His work of healing and teaching in a quiet way, and quite likely many people would have supported Him and kept Him safe. But Jesus knew that that was not the Father's will, so He moved out of His safety zone and comfort zone, and it is a move that will cost Him His life. Jesus was willing to give it His all in bringing salvation to all.

What does this mean to us? It means that whenever we intend to do God's will, we need to remember and be aware that it involves risk. It involves moving out of our safety zone and our comfort zone just as Jesus did, and do things which may cause us to be ridiculed, persecuted or even put to death. That is the reality of doing God's will, which quite often goes against the ways of the world. But it is only when we choose to move out that God moves in and becomes our help and guide, and we know that God will never abandon us.

Saturday of the 4th Week of Lent

Some of us seem to assume that we know it all. For example, by just getting some information about a certain person, some of us form all sorts of conclusions about the person, and think that we know everything about the person. One situation where this may happen is when a priest is posted to his home parish as parish priest. Some may assume that they know him well, since they have seen him grow up from a child, and they assume that they know his background, character and so on. But can we really assume that we know a person completely? Could we ever admit that we have been wrong about some or even all of our assumptions?

In today's Gospel, a lot of assumptions had been made about Jesus, especially about His identity. The Pharisees thought they knew everything about Jesus, and assumed that Jesus could not possibly be a prophet, since they assumed that He came from Galilee. Also, the Pharisees condemned the crowd for following Jesus,  and said about them: "This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned." since they assumed they knew best about the Law and who Jesus was. In the midst of these assumptions, an unexpected challenge came from Nicodemus, who challenged the people to give Jesus a hearing and to discover for themselves who Jesus really was. But the assumptions far outnumbered and drowned out the challenge.

What does this mean to us? It means that when our minds are closed, and we choose to stick stubbornly to our assumptions, we can never grow or change. We begin to think that our ways are exactly what God expects of us, even though in reality, we could be quite wrong. This smacks of pride, prejudice and ego. Would we be really and ever willing to humble ourselves, and discover Jesus as He really is, and walk in His ways, not according to what we think are His ways?

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Some of us claim that we have not committed any serious or even mortal sins, but when we claim as such, are we claiming so with pride? It is easy to make such claims, and yet fall into sin by feeling proud about it, or putting others down or looking down on others, thinking that they are not on par with us. When we are like this, we have a problem of spiritual pride. We begin to think that we are ok and everyone else is hopeless or condemned.

In today's Gospel, the Pharisee was proud that he did not commit any grave sin; and he claims to have done credible deeds, but he was not at rights with God. Why so? His problem was spiritual pride: he called another person a sinner without acknowledging or admitting to be one himself. He propped himself up, at the expense of another person. He considered himself virtuous, and in doing so began to become more and more self-righteous. But what the Pharisee failed to realise and understand is that what God wants is not sacrifice, but love for Him and for others.

What about us? Are we like the Pharisee, full of pride and ego, thinking that we are on the right track or supposingly in God's good books? Or have we learnt to humble ourselves and say: God, be merciful to me, a sinner? Let us not be blinded by pride, even to the point of losing our awareness of sins we may have committed, no matter how small such sins may be. Instead, let us walk humbly in God's ways, and let Him be our help and guide.

Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The black sheep is the odd one out, whether he's a disgrace to the family or just doesn't seem to belong. The origin of the phrase comes from the rare presence in a flock of white sheep of a sheep with black fleece. For some families, a child who is a black sheep is seen as a bane and a burden of parents. Some parents may even resort to renouncing relationship with that child; while others may resort to punishment which may actually be just a way of venting out their frustrations on the child.

In today's Gospel, we come across another black sheep, the younger son. In the Gospel, the father gave in to his younger son's request for his share of the inheritance, but yet further on in the parable, we hear of the father waiting and looking out for him to return. The younger son came to his senses because he recalled how kindly his father treated his servants, and that was enough for him to return home to his father. Instead of seeing the younger son as a bane or a burden, the father was so happy to see his younger son again, and took him back to the household.

What does this mean for us? It means that even a black sheep is still welcomed back when he or she comes to his or her senses and wants to return. It also means that when we come across the odd one, the black sheep, the sinner, let us be the reflection of God's love to that person. May we be merciful, loving and forgiving to others, even when it comes to black sheep, just as God is merciful, loving and forgiving towards us.

Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent

Are we able to forgive our enemies and those who have hurt us in one way or another? Jesus taught us to forgive in different parts of the Gospel, including today's Gospel. If we ponder on what it means to forgive, we would realise that forgiving is an act of our will, not our emotions. In the Our Father, we pray: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive others who sin against us.” When we pray in this way,  we are asking God to forgive us to the degree by which we forgive others; and it is the sign that we have received God’s forgiveness by our willingness to forgive others.

If we are able to forgive, we would save ourselves from restless nights and unnecessary anger and anxiety. Instead, we could channel our energies to more constructive things. If we find ourselves unable to forgive, it could be that God is not good enough for us. It could also be that God and His words do not occupy the first priority in our lives. Thus, let us set aside our pride and ego, and continuously choose to forgive, just as God forgives us.

Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

As humans, we are the same in body parts and composition. We may not necessarily look the same, since we have different skin colour; different body shape and hair style; but deep down inside, we belong to one humanity. Our problem is we tend to distinguish ourselves from others based on language, social status, religion, ethnic group and much more, and we stubbornly hold on to such criteria. But is this the way God intends us to live from the beginning? Of course not! We are all part of humankind, and we should be united and loving with one another, not divisive and conceited.

In today's reading, Ezekiel tells us of how God will reunite His people who had been scattered, exiled and divided, into one people, and He would be their God and they would be His people. This reading reminds us, that ultimately, we should be one people under God. The question is: are we able to let go of our pride and ego; our divisiveness; and our prejudices; and strive towards being one people of God? It may seem difficult or impossible to achieve, but God can make straight out of crooked lines, and we should continue to trust in Him and walk in His ways, as we strive to remain as one.

Saturday of the 4th Week of Lent

Who can we trust in this world? Some of us think that we can trust our parents; some think we can trust our spouse; some think we can trust our children; some think we can trust our brothers, sisters or other relatives; some even think we can trust our friends; but how much can we really trust such persons? Can we find a person we can trust completely, without any shadow of doubt? The challenge that we face is that we may be able to trust persons to a certain extent, but how many of us can claim to have absolute trust in certain persons?

In today's reading, Jeremiah is trusting of others until the Lord shows him the truth, and then he realises that they were plotting against him, even ready to kill him, and he was unaware of the deception. He would have gone on innocently, not knowing the danger, except that the Lord was looking out for him and showed him the way. We may think others are trustworthy, but they are at best human and at worst dangerous. Jeremiah was trusting of others, and they would have killed him. But he can trust in the Lord. In the same way, we too should be mindful whom we trust, and ultimately put full trust and confidence in the Lord.

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Some of us take for granted and not feel real contrition, remorse, and sorrow for our sins. Some think that God would forgive us anyhow, and we neglect going for confession to seek forgiveness for our sins. Some even assume that being a Christian means merely accepting Jesus as Lord and saviour, and that is all enough for them to be guaranteed access to heaven. But what sort of attitude should a Christian have towards God's mercy and forgiveness, especially when it comes to the sins one has committed? Is God's mercy and forgiveness so easily accessed?

In today's reading, the people said: "Come let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wound; on the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his presence." The Lord responded: "What am I to do with you? This love of yours is like a morning cloud, like the dew that quickly disappears." It seems like the people prayed to God in their misery but they prayed with a certain arrogance and self-interest. They were not repentant and did not ask why such misery fell on them. Instead, they took for granted that God would heal them and help them, and they felt entitled to His mercy and forgiveness.

What about us? Have we become like the people in today's reading, where we end up taking for granted His mercy and forgiveness? Have we become presumptuous, thinking that we are entitled to God's help and care, instead of walking humbly before Him? May we come to realise such attitude, and walk humbly in His ways.

Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

What is so different and unique about God that we Christians believe in? Unlike other so-called deities, who were often viewed as gods who are fierce-looking and who inflict judgement and punishment whenever people were unfaithful and do not offer them sacrifice from time to time, we believe in God who loves and forgives.

In today's reading we are told: "What god can compare with you: taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy?" Other so-called deities may be seen as fierce, vengeful and prone to meting out punishment, but our God takes fault away, pardons crime, does not cherish anger, and even delights in showing mercy. Since we have God who is merciful and who loves and forgives, what about us? Are we able to be just as merciful and love and forgive others, just as God is merciful and loves and forgives us?

Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent

I believe many of us like to pick and choose things in our lives. As children, our parents would pick and choose a kindergarten and primary school which they think and feel is best for us. When we look for clothing, we pick and choose something which fits us, and the colour and pattern of the clothing is something we like. Some of us are even particular about the food we eat, and we pick and choose certain types, flavour and quality of food.

One thing which we cannot pick and choose is when it comes to God's laws and customs. Today's reading reminds us: "Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul." When it comes to God, we cannot pick and choose only that which is pleasant or easy to observe. God expects us to observe His laws and customs wholeheartedly, in fact, we are to do so with all your heart and all your soul.

Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

Throughout history, humankind has been divisive in many ways. People divide themselves according to ethnic group, according to the colour of one's skin, according to the amount of wealth one has by differentiating the rich from the poor, according to the level of education or status in society, and much more. Such divisions lead to prejudice, discrimination, and unfair policies and practices, which often support one group at the expense of the other. However, this is not the way God intends us to live from the beginning. We are all part of humankind, and we should be united and loving with one another, not divisive and conceited.

In today's reading, Ezekiel tells us of how God will reunite His people who had been scattered, exiled and divided, into one people, and He would be their God and they would be His people. This reading reminded the Israelites and us too, that ultimately, we should be one people under God. We should be children of God, instead of being divisive and prejudiced against each other. But the question is, are we united as one people under God? To some extent we are, but we are not entirely united yet. In fact, at times, it seems as if we have become even more divided. Yet we should not give up hope or despair, since God will eventually unite us completely. We just need to have faith, trust in God's help and providence, and wait patiently for the Lord to gather us together into one.

Saturday of the 4th Week of Lent

It is easy for some of us to seek revenge towards those who have cause us harm or grief. We feel that we have been wronged greatly, and we want the person or persons who wronged us to suffer. But if we consider for a moment, what is the motivation behind wanting revenge? Isn't it because our pride and ego has been hurt, and we want to supposingly heal our pride and ego by causing hurt to the other? But the reality is that, revenge is never justified, no matter how grievous the original harm may have been. In fact, seeking revenge is only for one's personal gratification and to puff up one's ego. So what's a Christian to do when one has been wronged?

Perhaps a solution could be seen on how Jeremiah in today's reading dealt with people who have wronged him. The reading tells us: "But you, the Lord of Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence, who probe the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to you." Instead of giving in to revenge, Jeremiah chose to leave it to God to do the judging. Instead of trying to salvage his pride and ego, Jeremiah chose to remain humble and let God be in control, knowing and trusting that God would not abandon him. It is wise for us to do the same.

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent

It is easy for us to take God for granted, especially when we have received so much from Him in different ways. Some of us forget to say grace before meals or even grace after meals, and we do not thank God enough for the good things we have and the many blessings He has given us. Some of us may have even become presumptuous about God's mercy and forgiveness, that we take it for granted and not feel real contrition, remorse, and sorrow for our sins. Some think that God would forgive us anyhow, and we neglect going for confession, which is required for our sins to be forgiven.

When we take things for granted and become presumptuous towards God, we begin to take God's mercy and forgiveness too lightly. Such attitude of taking things for granted and being presumptuous can be found in today's reading, where the people said: "Come let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wound; on the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his presence." The Lord responded: "What am I to do with you? This love of yours is like a morning cloud, like the dew that quickly disappears." It seems like the people were only giving lip service, instead of practising true love and knowledge of God.

What about us? Have we become like the people in today's reading, where we end up saying and doing things only to puff our ego and swell our pride? Have we become presumptuous, taking God for granted, instead of walking humbly before Him? May we come to realise such attitude, and change our ways while we have the opportunity to do so.

Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

In certain ethnic groups, traditions and customs, the deity is seen as a being to be feared. Persons belonging to such ethnic groups or adhere to such traditions and customs would do all they can to appease the deity, by offering the best of their produce, or offer money, hoping that the deity could be "bribed" into leaving them in peace and harmony. Some such ethnic groups, traditions and customs may even have a practice of sacrificing an animal, or even to the extent of offering human sacrifices, hoping that the deity would be appeased.

However, today's reading paints us quite a different picture of God. In the reading, we are told: "What god can compare with you: taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy?" Unlike a deity that is fierce, vengeful and prone to meting out punishment, we have a God who takes fault away, pardons crime, does not cherish anger, and even delights in showing mercy. Thus, let us not be afraid of God, rather let us go to Him with humility and docility for forgiveness, comfort and guidance, knowing that He will not abandon us. Let us also delight in showing mercy towards others, just as God is continuously showing mercy to us.

Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent

Every once in a while, I come across people who seem to do things half-heartedly. It is as if the task is too difficult or complicated to do, even though in reality, the task is actually so simple that even a small child could have done it well. Such persons seem to drag their feet, or take their sweet time to get it done, but when their boss or superior comes along, they suddenly appear to be hard working or diligent, only to go back to their half-hearted routine once the boss or superior has left. Could some of us be guilty of such half-hearted attitude and behaviour?

In today's reading, "Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul." While some of us could play games in front of authority, and then return to half-hearted ways, we cannot play games or behave half-heartedly when it comes to God. God expects us to observe His laws and customs wholeheartedly, in fact, we are to do so with all your heart and all your soul. Failing to observe such laws and customs wholeheartedly could lead to undesirable or even disastrous consequences. Are we willing to be humble and docile, and follow God's laws and customs, for our good and for His glory?

Saturday After Ash Wednesday

At some point of our lives, we may have come across persons who seem difficult to love or to be with. The easiest thing for us to do is to just ignore such persons completely, or shun them, or have nothing to do with them, or ostracise them. Some of us may begin to think that such persons are not worth our time, or that they are probably condemned or beyond redemption. But how many of us are willing to accept such persons, and journey with them, depending on God's grace and mercy to help them change and grow closer to God?

In today's Gospel, Jesus called Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him. Not only that, Jesus even had a meal at Levi's house, where with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. If Jesus was willing to reach out to such persons, who society despises, shuns or considers repugnant or as some may say, "bad company," what about us? Are we willing to follow Jesus' example and reach out to such persons too? Who knows, God has His ways, and by doing our part in showing care and love to such persons, they may return to the ways of the Lord. Let us not let our pride, prejudice and ego get the better of us, and learn to be loving and compassionate, just as God is loving and compassionate to us.

Saturday After Ash Wednesday

One reality in life that most of us would need to come to terms with is that, the older we get, the more often we find ourselves visiting the doctor. As we grow older, we may even need to visit different types of doctors, for ailments of different parts of our bodies. Some of us may try to delay or put off seeing the doctor for as long as possible, but we may suffer the consequences of doing so. So whether we like it or not, we would need to accept the fact that we may eventually need to see different doctors for different kinds of ailments, especially if we need medical care from a specialist.

In today’s Gospel Jesus says that "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do." What sort of physician is Jesus referring to? Jesus is referring to a physician who heals the soul. The irony of today's Gospel is that the self-righteous likely need Jesus more than those they accuse of sinfulness. But more often than not, the self-righteous fail to acknowledge their need for a spiritual physician, due to their pride and ego.

What about us? Have we come to realise that we need a spiritual physician to heal our soul and restore our relationship with God? Are we willing to let Jesus heal us and shepherd us? May we be humble and docile, and confess our sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and let Jesus, our eternal physician, heal us and guide us.

Saturday After Ash Wednesday

Life is such that if we want to achieve something, we need to persevere and be persistent. For example, a couple who wants to conceive may need to watch out for the signs where the woman may be most fertile, make several attempts, and pray to God that they may be granted a "bun in the oven." To do well in exams, one may need to make sacrifices, and persevere and be persistent in one's studies and preparations. To get a job, one may need to persevere and be persistent in applying to several companies, attend interviews, and hope to receive a favourable response. But if you ponder for a moment, how many of us are just as persevering and persistent in our spiritual life?

In today's reading, the Lord is telling His people to do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, the wicked word, giving bread to the hungry, and relief to the oppressed. In return, what they will receive from the Lord is far more than they could ever imagine - The Lord will always guide them and give them relief in desert places, they will be like a watered garden, a spring of water, called "Breach-mender" and "Restorer of ruined houses." What the Lord is basically telling His people is this: persevere and be persistent in following the Lord's ways, and they will continue to live and prosper.

What about us? Are we willing to make more effort in persevering and persisting in growing in our spiritual life? May we not waste the many opportunities God gives us to grow closer to Him, and remain steadfast in our efforts, knowing with confidence that He will help and guide us.

Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent

When we sin, we would seek forgiveness from God and go for confession to clean our soul from the sin which clings to us. But when someone else has sinned against us, or hurt us, or has done something terrible or mean towards us, how do we respond? Do we show love, compassion and mercy towards the other person, regardless of how bad the person has wronged us? Or do we seek retribution or revenge, or even avoid or shun the person?

In today's Gospel, we are reminded: "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned." It seems so easy for us to ask God for forgiveness and compassion towards us, but how easy it is for us to forgive and show others compasssion, just as God has done so for us? Are we willing to let go of our pride, hurt, ego and self-righteousness, and learn to forgive and love others, just as God loves and forgives us?

Friday of the 5th Week of Lent

As Christians, doing good in this world is becoming more and more challenging and difficult to accomplish. This is because we are bound to stumble upon certain people who will criticise, find fault, belittle, or even persecute us no matter how big or small the good deed, gesture or task may be. Some people may even accuse us of trying to convert others or cause others to weaken their faith, just because we are doing some charitable task or work of mercy under the church. Perhaps in the past, the church may have had certain so-called Christians who caused Christianity to develop a bad name due to the counter-witnessing of such Christians. But as we know, every religion has had its share of good and bad followers. The question is: how do we help others to see our real purpose and good intention, so that they would come to know what being a Christian really means?

In today's reading, we see how the prophet Jeremiah was persecuted by his enemies just because he was speaking the truth. Likewise, in the Gospel, Jesus was persecuted because of certain words He said and for some, even the things He did were rejected. But did the prophet Jeremiah or Jesus back down from what they did or said? Did they stop what they were doing so as to pacify their enemies? No. Instead, they continued what they said and did, because they were trying to help others see and understand their real purpose and good intention, so that the world would come to know God who really loves us and God who invites us to remain in His love. Though we too may face trials and persecution, may we not give up or give in, but remain faithful in our witnessing, so that others may come to know what it really means to be a Christian, and give glory to God.