Saturday of Week 26 Year 2

Nowadays I notice more and more people becoming proud and arrogant in their attitude and behaviour. For example, I see people driving on the road as if the road belongs to them, or they think they can weave in and out of traffic to get to where they want, with little regard for the safety of others. Some drive big vehicles or four wheel drive vehicles, and think that the size of their vehicle entitles them to bully other vehicles or cut into other people's lane. All these incidences and attitude make me wonder... have some people lost their sense of politeness, courtesy and especially humility? Humility is the quality of having a modest or low view of one's importance, and it seems as if more and more people are forgetting their humble beginnings, as they become more affluent, or are supposingly having higher education, or they think they have better standing in society.

In contrast, today's reading tells us of Job's humility. The reading tells us: "This was the answer Job gave to the Lord: I know that you are all-powerful what you conceive, you can perform. I am the man who obscured your designs with my empty-headed words. I have been holding forth on matters I cannot understand, on marvels beyond me and my knowledge. I knew you then only by hearsay; but now, having seen you with my own eyes, I retract all I have said, and in dust and ashes I repent." Job was willing to remain humble and seek forgiveness from God, instead of sticking to his pride and ego. As a result, the reading tells us that God blessed Job with wealth, property, offspring and other things, much more than Job could ever imagine.

What about us? Are some of us still holding on to our pride and ego, with a sense of entitlement? Or have we learnt to become more like Job, willing to humble ourselves and let God be our help and guide? May we be willing to walk humbly in God's ways, and glorify God in all we say and do.

Thursday of Week 26 Year 2

One reality of doing God's work or preaching the Good News is that we may face much opposition and persecution, even the possibility of being put to death. When we are faced with such opposition and persecution, what do we do? Do we slowly lose our zeal or even give up in our efforts? Do we run away and go only to places which seem safe or where we feel accepted? Do we pick and choose where we want to serve? Or are we willing to serve fervently and with much zeal, come what may?

In today's reading, Job’s friends had initially come to console him but they ended up telling him that he was being punished by God for doing wrong. Instead of being consoled by his friends, his friends persecuted him. When faced with such friends, what did Job do? Job responded to them by these words: "I know that my vindicator lives." Even though there seemed to be no sign that God cared for Job, yet Job had a spirit of abandonment to God, and had absolute confidence and trust in God.

What about us? When we are faced with difficulties or even persecutions in our lives as Christians, would we be willing to follow Job's example in having a spirit of abandonment to God, letting God take control? May we continue to do God's will with zeal and trust, and glorify Him with our efforts and with our lives.

Wednesday of Week 25 Year 2

We sometimes bring more than what is necessary when it comes to a holiday or a trip. I remember many years ago when my grandmother was younger and able to travel, and she planned to visit and stay with an uncle and his family in Singapore for a few weeks. We were at the train station in Kuala Lumpur to send her off and I was quite perplexed to see so many bags being loaded onto the train. My dad remarked: "Wow! Are you moving house or something?" Altogether, she had about 5 big bags and they were quite heavy, and I wondered how my grandmother, who was quite small sized, would be able to managed all that luggage during the trip.

In contrast to the number of luggage brought by my grandmother, Jesus in today's Gospel "called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there."

By not carrying additional or unnecessary luggage or burdens, the apostles were freer to go about doing their duty in preaching, teaching and healing, instead of being saddled or slowed down by such baggage, while being dependent on God's providence and care to keep going. When we get our priorities right and focus on what we are called to do, God would surely take care of us, and often times we may even get more than we need. Are we willing to trust and let God be in control, while we glorify Him in all we say and do?

Saturday of Week 24 Year 2

I recall reading an article about the burning of paper gifts, paper houses with what seems to be lots of servants in them, even paper modern products such as computer, car and hand-phone, as if such products and facilities would still be needed when one dies and is in what some believe to be the afterworld. In the article, I learnt that the original intention for the burning of such items was not for the afterworld, as some seem to believe, but to remind one of impermanence and detachment from such things, since such things cannot be physically brought with us when we die.

In today's reading, we see a similar situation about not being too concerned with things on earth, as such things are also impermanent and one should be detached. The reading tells us: "Someone may ask, ‘How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come back?’ They are stupid questions. Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that you sow is not what is going to come; you sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that, It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit."

Just as a seed dies and transforms into something better, our bodies too will die, decay and eventually turn to dust, but our souls will become better and glorious, especially if we have been maintaining a good relationship with God. This is why we should make more effort in growing in relationship with God, and not be too concerned with worldly wealth and power, since such things won't last. Are we putting our priorities right, and letting God be our guide and happiness?

Thursday of Week 24 Year 2

It is easy for some of us to become attracted and distracted by so called church teaching from various other sources. We sometimes lose focus on what is true, genuine church teaching, because the teaching we read or hear from such other sources appears to come from some so-called authoritative figure, or the teaching itself seems appealing to us, or such teaching seems to satisfiy our interpretation of what being church and being a follower of Christ means. But how do we know for certain whether such teaching is genuine or bona fide?

One way of ensuring that such church teaching is genuine is to read or hear such teaching from certified or official sources, and such teaching should jive or flow from the apostles, as St. Paul reminds us in today's reading: "Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything." As we can read, St. Paul is telling us that he is the genuine authoritative figure, instead of listening to so called other authoritative figures who may only lead us astray.

So what does this mean to us? It means that we must be prudent and discern what we read or hear, and scrutinise the source of such teaching. This is to ensure that we do not lose our way in our faith, and we should also guide others so that they too will not lose their way. May we make every effort to ensure we read and hear only true and genuine teaching, and share such genuine teaching to all.

Wednesday of Week 24 Year 2

It is inevitable that no matter where one serves, no matter what one does, one would somehow have one's share of critics or people who cannot accept or agree with almost everything or even to the point of everything of what one says ot does. This is because there are people who only want things done in a certain way, or they cannot accept what another does no matter how good and just it may be, or they only accept things which meet or surpass their requirements and expectations. Anything else would only encounter the displeasure or wrath of such persons.

In today's Gospel, we see examples of how we can never satisfy or please everyone, especially when it comes to service and mission. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us: "‘For John the Baptist comes, not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.”'The Son of Man comes, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet Wisdom has been proved right by all her children.'"

At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves sincerely: are we performing service and mission to please and satisfy others, or are we doing so for the Glory of God? Are we more concerned about getting praise, acceptance and recognition from others; or are we more concerned about doing God's will? May we put our priorities right, and ultimately in all we say and do, give God the greater glory.

Thursday of Week 23 Year 2

What is a scandal? A scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Scandals come in many forms, including embezzlements that have ruined the good name or good reputation of banks; politicians having affairs; aid for the poor and hungry being siphoned off by the rich and those in power; even wealth of certain nations being robbed by those in power, causing such nations to end up in serious debt and poverty. Even the church has seen its share of scandals, including sex abuse cases, power struggles, schisms, heresies, certain corrupted practices for material or temporal gain, and so on. When a scandal happens, the trust and confidence of those affected could be reduced, or even to the point of being lost completely.

In today's reading, St. Paul talked about a different kind of scandal. He warned about eating foods that are sacrificed to idols, which could cause a scandal among the faithful, especially those who are weak in their faith. Some of us may think that it seems hardly a scandal, but in those times and even today, it would be enough to cause another's downfall in the faith. This is why we must always remember that whatever we do or say is not a private affair, especially when it comes to witnessing as Christians. The consequences of our unwise and imprudent words and actions could spread farther and wider than we think. May we be alert and discern what we say and do, so that we say and do what is just and right, for the glory of God.