11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

When we look at our identity, what comes to mind? Some think that identity means the name given to us. Others think that identity refers to our status or popularity. But what is our identity? Who are we really? We are, as the First Reading reminds us, “a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation.” Such an identity may make us feel great or even proud. But the reality is that this identity is given to us not merely as an honour, or to “syiok sendiri” or a privilege. This identity is given to us with terms and conditions: it comes with responsibility and mission. In today’s Gospel, we are called by Jesus to take up responsibility and mission and become the labourers in his vineyard: “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” Notice that we are called to become labourers in his vineyard, and this means each and every one of us are called, not just the priests and the religious.

When it comes to receiving titles and positions such as a Datuk, or Tan Sri, or even Tun, many of us are more than happy to do so. Many of us are also more than happy to receive other peoples’ respect and honour. But how many of us are actually prepared and willing to volunteer ourselves for the work that needs to be done? When the parish or the priests ask for volunteers; when we ask for support from parishioners, how many of us are willing to come forward and help? It seems as if many of us may be proud to be called a Catholic, or proud to be known as a son or daughter of God. But how many of us are prepared and willing to take up the challenge and responsibility of the mission, to be sent as labourers to his harvest? There are people who are always ready to complain and criticise, saying: this is bad; or that is bad, or this is how it ought to be done. There are people who easily give all sorts of suggestions: why don’t we do this or that? But how many people are prepared to do the carry out the tasks or mission, seeing it through with gusto and enthusiasm?

Jesus in today’s Gospel challenges us to participate in his mission to build up God’s kingdom: “to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” When we work for Christ, we should not expect anything in return, such as praise, honour, or even benefits. In fact, we often receive criticism and some of us may even face persecution or even be put to death. Jesus in today’s Gospel also tells us: “You received without charge, give without charge.” Are we prepared to take up this challenge? Are we willing to be sent as labourers to his harvest?

Saturday of Week 11 Year 2

Once upon a time, watches were generally marvels of mechanical engineering, especially those watches which are made to tick manually, one tick at a time. Back in the day, such watches were usually not cheap, yet they lasted quite long and did not need much maintenance. Occasionally, one would need to wind the watch so that the mechanism would continue functioning, but other than that, there was no need to meddle with the insides of the watch, unless absolutely necessary. Later, other ways of enabling such mechanism to function were introduced, but the basic concept of such watches remained manual.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is telling something related to such watches. What is He trying to tell us? Don't worry, be happy, take one tick at a time. You may not solve everything one shot, but given time and patience, and with God's help and providence, you will get there according to His will and His purposes. Even our heartbeat cannot be accelerated, otherwise we would get into serious trouble with our health. So let us tarry on one tick at a time, knowing that God knows what is best for us, and in all we say and do, let us give God the glory.

Saturday of Week 11 Year 1

Today's Gospel tells us not to worry, since worry would not solve anything. Instead, worry could cause us to do things in a rash manner or in a way which could make things worse. The problem with some of us is we worry and fret about so many things in life, that we neglect to trust in God and walk in His ways. We fail to realise or even admit that many things in life are beyond our control and worrying and fretting will not solve anything.

Instead of worrying or fretting, let us leave it in the hands of God, be grateful and thankful for the many things God grants us, and remain in His care. Let us not one day end up with regrets later for not taking things as they come and letting God take care of things. After all, if God can provide the many things around us with what they need, surely He would provide us with what we need at the right time and at the right place, according to His plan.

Saturday of Week 11 Year 1

What do we look for when it comes to strength or being strong? Is strength or being strong a physical thing, where one is able to use one's muscles or energy to accomplish feats? Or is strength something to do with one's talents and abilities? When we focus on such strength, some of us begin to feel very proud, boastful and egoistic of such strength. But as Christians, what sort of strength should we really be focusing on?

In today's reading, we are reminded: "In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness.’ So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong."

The reading reminds us that ultimately, we should not be depending or focusing on our own strengths. Instead, we should be focusing on God's grace and power, since it is God who can give us strength which far surpasses anything which we could ever have or what we think we have. May we give thanks to God even in our weaknesses, and let Him use us for His glory.

Friday of Week 11 Year 1

What do we look for in life? Do we look for wealth and property? Do we look for fame and popularity? Do we look for titles and admiration from others, especially our peers? While it is true that we need to have some of these worldly things to survive, how long would we be able to cling on to such things? When we return to the Lord, would we be able to bring such worldly things with us? Of course not! Such worldly things would need to be left behind, and would no longer mean anything to us. Then what is to become of us then?

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

The Gospel cautions us that treasures on earth are only temporary, whereas treasures in heaven are permanent. The strange thing is that some of us are making so much effort to store up that which is temporary, to the detriment of that which is permanent. Are we willing to have a change of heart, and make more effort to focus on that which is permanent, without neglecting our living needs while here on earth?

Saturday of Week 11 Year 2

When we look at time, we know that time is divided into hours, minutes and seconds. Each second passes by one moment at a time, not too fast, not too slow, just right. Eventually, the seconds reach a point where it completes a circle, making it 60 seconds, which then becomes a minute. Likewise, each minute eventually completes a circle, making it 60 minutes, which then becomes an hour. So, as we can see, time is in no hurry and does not need to worry about completing the circle, since it eventually completes it anyway.

Today's Gospel tells us not to worry. Just as time goes through a circle, each of us go through a circle of life; and whether our circle is big, and we hope to live a long life with few problems; or the circle is small and our life is shorter due to one reason or another; it does not matter, since the circle will one day be completed according to God’s plan and providence.

The problem with some of us is we begin to worry and fret about so many things in life, that we neglect to trust in God and walk in His ways, and we do not fully enjoy the circle of life that God grants us. But the reality is, our circle in life is not in our control, and worrying and fretting will not solve anything. What's more, if we do not enjoy the many things God grants us as we move on throughout our circle of life, we may one day end up with regrets later. So instead of worrying or fretting, let us leave it in the hands of God, be grateful and thankful for the many things God grants us, and remain in His care.

Thursday of Week 11 Year 1

Before we became Christians, many of us who are adults would have gone through the RCIA or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. This RCIA is a gradual process, usually one year or even two years, to enable us to have some understanding of the Christian faith before we make a decision to be baptised or not. For those among us who were baptised as infants, we would have gone through catechism classes, to gain some understanding of the Christian faith in stages, from childhood to teenage to confirmation. However, what we learnt in RCIA or catechism is only basic stuff. If we want to gain a better understanding of our faith, we need to make effort to attend courses, seminars, sessions, bible study and other activities organised at the parish or diocese level. In some cases, some of us may even be sent to universities or Catholic institutes overseas, to study for a diploma, degree, masters degree or even a doctorate.

Some of us may be wondering: Why do we need to learn more about our faith? It is because we need to be well grounded and learned about our faith, so that we would know what is real Christian truth. Christian principles, Christian living, and not be so easily swayed into changing our faith. In today's reading, St. Paul admonished the Corinthians, because they had become slack or complacent about their faith. In the reading, St Paul said: "But the serpent, with his cunning, seduced Eve, and I am afraid that in the same way your ideas may get corrupted and turned away from simple devotion to Christ. Because any new-comer has only to proclaim a new Jesus, different from the one that we preached, or you have only to receive a new spirit, different from the one you have already received, or a new gospel, different from the one you have already accepted – and you welcome it with open arms." When we are not clear about our faith, we may fall into the trap which the Corinthians faced.

What about us? Are we complacent about our faith also? It is one thing to attend Mass and be devotional to some form of prayer. It is another thing to be steadfast and clear about our faith. May we not be caught off-guard and make effort to know our faith well, so that we would be able to share it well and defend it well, for the glory of God.

Wednesday of Week 11 Year 1

Some people can be quite tight fisted or stingy or calculative with their wealth and time. Such people have no qualms about demanding and expecting the church to give them all kinds of things, or offer them all sorts of services, but they themselves are quite reluctant to give or offer their services in return. Some even put on a monkey face or sour face when giving or offering their services. I recall one incident where a group of people kept on insisting that the church be air-conditioned, since the weather is quite hot and they felt entitled to better facilities in church. When I asked whether they would be willing to sponsor some aircons and even help pay for the electricity bill, they quickly backed down and tried to change the subject. Easy to demand and suggest indeed, but not easy to help or contribute.

In today's reading, St. Paul cautions us: "Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works."

Are we giving because we are being pressured or forced or coerced to? Or are we giving happily and willingly? God is generous to each and every one of us by being our providence and guide, and what He grants us is far more substantial than what we could ever give. If that is the case, why do some of us still give so culculatively, or grudgingly? Are we not willing to be as generous as God is to us?

Tuesday of Week 11 Year 1

It is interesting to observe how generous some people are with their wealth and time. We sometimes come across people who do not seem to have much, but they are willing to offer as much of the wealth as they can, or as much time as they can to serve the church and the Christian community. On the other hand, we also come across some people who seem to be quite well off, possibly owning a big house and a big car, but quite unwilling to be generous with their wealth and their time. What sort of person are you when it comes to generosity?

In today's reading, we come across the churches in Macedonia that were facing great trials, and yet they were still willing to remain cheerful, and even though they faced tremendous poverty, they were overflowing with generosity. The reading tells us: "Now here, brothers, is the news of the grace of God which was given in the churches in Macedonia; and of how, throughout great trials by suffering, their constant cheerfulness and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. I can swear that they gave not only as much as they could afford, but far more, and quite spontaneously..."

If the churches in Macedonia were so generous in their wealth and time, even in the midst of great challenges and trials, what about us? Are we willing to be just as generous with our wealth and time? Or are we more interested in accumulating more wealth, and remain indifferent to the needs of the church and the Christian community?

Monday of Week 11 Year 1

Many times in our lives, we may have heard anecdotes like "walk the talk" or "practice what you preach" or "show by example." It is not enough to just say nice words or give advice, we also need to show what we mean or believe in. For example, if we call ourselves kind and generous, then we should show our kindness and generosity to all, not just to only certain persons or communities. This is because our kindness and generosity ought to be for the benefit of all, not for us to demonstrate our prejudice or biasedness. This is why it may seem easy to say things, but it is not so easy for us to follow through and do as we say.

In today's reading, we are reminded: "We prove we are servants of God by great fortitude in times of suffering: in times of hardship and distress; when we are flogged, or sent to prison, or mobbed; labouring, sleepless, starving. We prove we are God’s servants by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by a spirit of holiness, by a love free from affectation; by the word of truth and by the power of God; by being armed with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left, prepared for honour or disgrace, for blame or praise; taken for impostors while we are genuine; obscure yet famous; said to be dying and here are we alive; rumoured to be executed before we are sentenced; thought most miserable and yet we are always rejoicing; taken for paupers though we make others rich, for people having nothing though we have everything."

Ultimately, all that we do, all that we say, is for what purpose? It is for the glory of God. Being a disciple of Christ means there is no place for personal glory or personal gratification. May we be genuine and humble in who we are and all we do, and may we do it happily and willingly, so that all may know we are Christians by our love.

Friday of Week 11 Year 2

From a young age, we are taught to take care of our bodies. We learn about personal hygiene, and we are reminded to pay attention to certain parts of our bodies which would quite likely smell. We make effort to eat well, so that our bodies would get proper nutrition, and bathe once, twice or even three times a day. All these are good, since neglecting our bodies could lead to medical problems or even relational problems, since people would find it challenging being near to us because of the smell and to some extent, also because of our appearance. But what about our soul? How well do we keep our soul clean? Do we bother about our soul at all?

In today's Gospel, we are cautioned: "The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!" This eye refers to our soul, and when our soul is soiled with sin, our whole being will eventually be engulfed in darkness, causing us to lose contact with God. Are we going to allow ourselves to be consumed with the stench of sin, and tragically lose our eternal inheritance?

Thursday of Week 11 Year 2

If you observe the way young children play and interact, you would find that, in many cases, such children find it easier to forgive among themselves and move on. From time to time, such children may encounter wrongdoings or misbehaviour, but rather than holding a grudge or getting angry over words and deeds, sometimes for a certain period of time, we could notice that after a while, they would continue playing and having fun, as if nothing had happened. Why is this so? It is because of pride and ego. Such children have not yet developed the level of pride and ego which some of us adults may have.

Today we come across the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father in the Gospel. I suppose the hardest line to follow is: "And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us." Moreover, the Gospel cautions us: "Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either." If children can and are willing to forgive others quite easily, why do some of us find it so difficult to forgive? When we do wrong or said some unkind words, do we seek forgiveness too, or do we hold on to our pride and ego? Why do we allow our pride and ego to take control of us completely? May we come to realise that forgiveness is not just a one way street, where we expect to be forgiven but we refuse to forgive. Instead, may we learn to forgive others, and be humble enough to seek forgiveness from others. Like children, let us set aside our pride and ego, and learn to be more like our loving God.

Wednesday of Week 11 Year 2

When we do good things, what is the purpose of us doing so? Do we do good things to show how good we are, or how wonderful or kind we are? Do we do good things to win the admiration of others? Do we expect praise and honour for the good things we do? Or do we do good things to glorify God? What sort of attitude should we have as Christians, when it comes to doing good?

In today's Gospel, we are reminded: "Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven." Also, when we are doing good, we should do so in secret, since the Gospel tells us: "...and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you." By doing good deeds in secret, we are not bringing attention to ourselves, but giving God the glory. May we check our motives when doing good, and in all we do, may we give God the greater glory.

Tuesday of Week 11 Year 2

As Christians, we are often reminded to conduct ourselves or behave or do things in ways very different or totally the opposite of what the world does. For example, we have seen how some people of the world would find ways and means, by hook or by crook, to gain an advantage over others; but as Christians, our goal ought to be towards being with the Lord. Being somebody or successful in the world ought to be not our main concern, but growing in relationship with God is.

Another example of how we Christians ought to be different is when it comes to enemies. No matter how kind or caring we are, no matter how much we have done, we are bound to have people who are not happy with what we say or do, for one reason or another. Some of such persons may even go to the extent of becoming our enemy, bending in finding ways and means to put us down or belittle us. But how do we respond to such persons?

The answer can be found in today's Gospel: we are to love them just as God loves all of us, regardless of who we are and whether we have been good or bad. Not only that, we are also to pray for our enemies. Can you imagine loving and praying for them, especially when they have said and done so many nasty things towards us? Of course it is not easy, but Jesus is asking us to transcend from the ways of the world, where an eye for an eye and revenge is often used. Instead, we are to be loving, prayerful and merciful; just as God has been to us in many ways. May we learn to follow the ways of Christ, and love all just as God loves us all. Sometimes by doing so, we could cause our enemies to become friends, and show others what it really means to be a Christian.

Monday of Week 11 Year 2

Are we content with what we have or what we achieved? Or have we become accustomed to looking for more and more? When we want more and more, what happens? We begin to work hard to try and achieve or attain more and more. But what if what we want to achieve or attain is beyond our reach because it belongs to someone else and cannot be given away or sold? Some of us may just let it be, but some of us may resort to doing something unthinkable, even to the point of committing sin, to get what we want. Would you go to the extent of sinning to get what you want, come what may?

In today's reading, king Ahab wanted Naboth of Jezreel's vineyard. Naboth had no intention of giving away, or exchanging or selling his vineyard, since the vineyard was ancestral land. So what did Ahab do? He, with the help of his wife Jezebel, had Naboth killed, so that he could take possession of Naboth's vineyard. What do we see here? We see a classic example of several mortal sins being committed, such as: committing murder, coveting neighbour's goods, and bearing false witness. Is obtaining such land that important? To some of us, it may not be a big deal, but to Ahab, he had allowed his heart to become poisoned and enslaved with greed, envy, wrath, passion, pride, ego and many other vices.

What about us? Where do we stand? Could some of us already have become like Ahab? Do we value only what we can get or gain here on earth, at the expense of our eternal reward? Would we be in danger of gaining the whole world, but losing our soul?

Housekeeping - Week 11 Year 2

For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

12 June 2016 - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
13 June 2016 - Monday of Week 11 Year 2
14 June 2016 - Tuesday of Week 11 Year 2
15 June 2016 - Wednesday of Week 11 Year 2
16 June 2016 - Thursday of Week 11 Year 2
17 June 2016 - Friday of Week 11 Year 2

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

We sometimes come across people who think they are good Christians because they observe and keep God's laws and the laws of the church faithfully. They think that being a Christian or having a Christian faith means keeping such laws. The problem with such thinking is that when we begin to think of our religion as merely a set of laws, our faith is then based on fear of judgment and punishment from God. Some of us begin to think that if we obey these laws we will be blessed and nothing bad will happen to us, but if we break these laws then we will be punished and cursed. When religion is based on fear, we become judgmental. We begin to judge others by external appearances and behaviour, and we are ready to catch people when they make a mistake and are quick to condemn them or even ostracise them from the community. But is this what Christianity really all about? As Christians, how do we see others? Do we often judge others by appearance, remember their mistakes and use it against them?

In today’s readings, we are reminded of what it really means to be a Christian. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that "what makes a man righteous is not obedience to the law, but faith in Jesus Christ." This means that it is not enough to just follow a set of rules and laws, as our faith is based on relationship with God and the heart of our faith must be love. God relates to us not as a judge waiting to punish us when we have done wrong but as a God who loves us, as St. Paul tells us of his faith: "The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake."

Moreover, we are also called to mercy instead of judgment. Today's gospel gives us the beautiful story of Jesus and the sinful woman. In the Gospel, the Pharisee who invited Jesus to his house only saw a sinful woman. This woman is described as one who had "a bad name in town." For the Pharisee, this woman's sin was too great and cannot be forgiven, and that she was already condemned and doomed. But Jesus saw the woman differently. He knew that she was a sinner but he also knew she could change if given the opportunity. Mercy and forgiveness creates the opportunity for change, and allows us to leave the past behind. Mercy and forgiveness is how God relates with us and challenges us to also show mercy and forgiveness to others.

Today, may we begin to show mercy, understanding and forgiveness to one another. May we recognise that we are all sinners and acknowledge that we are not perfect. May we admit that we have hurt one another by our pride, ego, and selfishness. But let us not remain trapped by our failings, because God has shown us a way forward through forgiveness and mercy. May we press on in our journey, as we learn to forgive and be forgiven, and let our loving God be our help and guide.

Friday of Week 11 Year 1

As Christians, we are often tempted to be attracted to wealth, riches and property. The advertisements that we see on television or hear on the radio, the various posters and billboards that we see next to the road, all seem to bombard us with the message that wealth ought to be our ultimate purpose and goal in life. How do we survive and avoid such constant attacks and temptations?

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Jesus reminds us that all the wealth, riches and property in the world are temporary, can be corrupted, can be stolen, and merely illusions. Such riches do not satisfy or bring us happiness, since we will never have enough of it. Instead, we should be focusing more on building a good relationship with God, since being with Him should be our ultimate goal. The question is: are we merely looking for that which is temporary, or are we looking for that which is eternal?

Thursday of Week 11 Year 1

Whenever we do something wrong, it seems easy for us to ask God for forgiveness. After all, we do not actually see God, but we trust that God would be loving and merciful to us, and forgive us. But forgiveness is not just a one way street or one-sided. The forgiveness we ask from God has got a clause in the fine-print, something which some of us may overlook, ignore or fail to observe.

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us: "And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us... 'Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.'" We ask for forgiveness from God, but some of us find it so difficult or so hard to forgive others, due to our pride, prejudice, ego, or even our arrogance. Let us be humble and willing to forgive others, since God is loving and forgiving to all of us, regardless of who or what we are.

Wednesday of Week 11 Year 1

Every once in a while, we come across people who are quite tight fisted or stingy or calculative with their wealth and time. Such people expect the church to give them all kinds of things, but they themselves are quite reluctant to give in return. Some even put on a monkey face or sour face when giving, as if they are having their teeth pulled or they are undergoing some sort of extremely painful procedure. I recall with amusement a person asking for a tax-exemption receipt for a small donation, even though the sum donated was quite small and most people would have been embarrassed to ask for such a receipt in the first place.

In today's reading, St. Paul cautions us: "Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works."

Are we giving because we are being pressured or forced or coerced to? Or are we giving happily and willingly? Are we giving because we want to show off how wealthy, supposingly generous or how great we are? Or are we giving to glorify God? Let us be reminded that God is generous to each and every one of us by being our providence and guide, and what He grants us is far more substantial than what we could ever give.