Saturday of Week 33 Year 2

We sometimes here people saying words like: "you can't put a good person down" or "justice will prevail." Such sayings give us hope and encouragement that, no matter what, a wrong will eventually be made right, though not necessarily the way we expect, but it would be made right by God in His time and according to His plan. We do not know exactly when and how this will happen, so we can only leave it in the hands of the Lord instead of worrying or fretting about it.

In today's reading, we come across an example of how "you can't put a good person down" or "justice will prevail." In the reading, two prophets who have been a plague to the world, were finally killed by the beast that comes out of the Abyss. The people of the world were glad about it, since they thought that they have been finally gotten rid of the prophets. But God had other plans, and "after three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up, and everybody who saw it happen was terrified; then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud." Indeed, "you can't put a good person down" or "justice will prevail", since the prophets could not be silenced or stopped, since God is with them.

What does this mean to us? As Christians, when it comes to doing what is right and just, are we willing to stick with it, knowing that eventually, "you can't put a good person down" or "justice will prevail?" We may face troubles or persecution, or even put to death, but we should not be worried or concerned, and continue doing what is right and just, since what we are doing is not for our own gratification or glory, but for the glory of God.

Saturday of Week 33 Year 1

What sort of expectations do we have in life? Are our expectations only concerning wants and needs of this world? What if our expectations are not met, either partially or entirely? Some of us may just shrug off such unmet expectations and carry on our merry way, thinking that it is not that big a deal. Some of us may complain or get angry since what we expect is not fulfilled. Some of us may even end up bitterly disappointed, like what happened to king Antiochus in today's reading.

In the reading, we are told that king Antiochus threw himself on his bed and fell into a lethargy from acute disappointment, because things had not turned out as he had planned. He had planned and achieved many things, and even planned to conquer the city of Elymais and sack its renowned riches. Unfortunately for king Anthiochus, his plans failed, and he suffered from deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he understood that life was slipping away from him, in other words, he was dying. King Anthiochus' life of worldly expectations, ended up in disappointment.

What about us? Have some of us become like king Anthiochus, when our expectations are not met? As Christians, our expectations ought to be eventually be in God's presence. If we focus only in fulfilling our expectations in this world, we may find ourselves quite disappointed, since our expectations may never be satisfied. May we strive more towards expectations which would guide us closer to God and be with Him, instead of just focusing on expectations which are merely temporary and may end up in disappointment.

Tuesday of Week 33 Year 1

How many of us are willing to have courage and willingness to sacrifice one's life to glorify God? Some of us may say that we are willing and ready to do so, but if we are really and actually put to the test or face a real possibility of being put to death, would we remain steadfast in our faith, and give glory to God? Would we be willing to lose our lives and even the lives of our families by remaining faithful? Or would we abandon our faith to save our skin or to save our families from annihilation?

Today's reading shows us an excellent example of courage and willingness to sacrifice ones life to glorify God. The reading tells us that "Eleazar, one of the foremost teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth wide to swallow pig’s flesh. But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, went to the block of his own accord, spitting the stuff out, the plain duty of anyone with the courage to reject what it is not lawful to taste, even from a natural tenderness for his own life."

What about us? Would we be willing to follow the example of Eleazar in today's reading, preferring to die than to commit sin? While it is easy to say that we would remain faithful, it is certainly not easy to do so, especially when it involves our families. Let us pray and continue to depend on God's help to stay true, just and faithful to our duty as Catholics.

Saturday of Week 33 Year 2

We sometimes here people saying words like: "a thorn in my side."  What they basically mean is that someone or something has been continually causing problems for them, and the sooner they are able to get rid of such problems, the better. For example, some couples may have had money problems as a thorn in their side since the day they got married; or health inspectors are a thorn in the side of most restaurants; or custom officers have been a thorn in the side of crminals involved in smuggling activities due to raids and confiscation of smuggled goods.

In today's reading, we come across another example of a "thorn in my side." In the reading, two prophets who have been a plague to the world, were finally killed by the beast that comes out of the Abyss. This caused the people of the world to be glad about it, since they thought that the "thorn in their sides" have been finally gotten rid of. But God had other plans, and "after three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up, and everybody who saw it happen was terrified; then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud." The thorn in the sides of the people of the world could not be silenced or stopped, since God is with them.

What does this mean to us? As Christians, we are called to be "a thorn in the side" of others, especially when it comes to doing what is right and just. We may face troubles or presecution, or even put to death, but we should not be worried or concerned, and continue being "a thorn in the side," since what we are doing is not for our own gratification or glory, but for the glory of God.

Saturday of Week 33 Year 1

In life, we all have expectations. Some of us may have great expectations, some of us may have smaller expectations. But no matter what, we would have some form of expectation, according to the present situation. For example, as babies, we would have expectations of love, food and comfort from our parents, especially from our mother. When we do not seem to get such expectations, what do we do? We cry, hoping that our mother would meet our expectations by feeding or comforting us.

But sometimes, our expectations are not met, either partially or entirely. When that happens, what do we do? Some of us may just shrug off such unmet expectations and carry on our merry way, thinking that it is not that big a deal. Some of us may pout or throw a tantrum, hoping to get what we expect. On the other extreme, some of us may end up bitterly disappointed, like what happened to king Antiochus in today's reading. In the reading, we are told that king Antiochus threw himself on his bed and fell into a lethargy from acute disappointment, because things had not turned out as he had planned. He had planned and achieved many things, and even planned to conquer the city of Elymais and sack its renowned riches. He had high expectations that all his plans would be fulfilled and that nothing could stop him. Unfortunately for king Anthiochus, his plans failed, and he suffered from deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he understood that life was slipping away from him, in other words, he was dying. King Anthiochus' life of great worldly expectations, ended up in great disappointment.

As Christians, our expectations ought to be not of this world, but of the other world, in God's presence. If we focus only in fulfilling our expectations in this world, we may find ourselves bitterly disappointed, since we may never satisfy our expectations. May we come to realise what is true, lasting and worthwhile expectations, and strive to move towards such expectations, which won't result in a disappointment.

Friday of Week 33 Year 1

In the reading, the temple was rededicated with so much reverence and rejoicing after the pagans had desecrated it. The people prostrated in adoration and praised God for being with them again, because the Temple symbolised the God presence among them. Yet, at the time of Jesus, the Temple had become a "den of thieves," as mentioned in the Gospel, because of the selling that was going on, and in the hustle and bustle of selling, there would have been much noise and cheating going on, causing the Temple to be desecrated once again. Naturally, Jesus would not tolerate such nonsense going on in the Temple, and He drove out those who were selling, to restore the Temple to its sacred dignity as the dwelling place of God, a refuge for those in trouble and in need, and a sanctuary of life and love.

Just as Jesus drove out the sellers to restore the Temple to its sacred dignity, Jesus wants to cleanse the temple in our hearts, by driving out the sin which is desecrating it. Are we willing to let Jesus cleanse our hearts, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation, so that it would become a dwelling place of God once again? Or are we remaining stubborn and obstinate, preferring to let our hearts remain as a "den of thieves?"

Thursday of Week 33 Year 1

Supposing you are the mayor of a city and you are known to be an impartial, fair, just and efficient leader. Then one day, you receive instructions from the higher ups in the government that all newborns are to be examined, and any newborn is found to have some defect, that newborn is to be exterminated without delay. Would you obey such an instruction? Or supposing the instruction says that all old people above 70 are no longer productive, and they are to be exterminated without delay. Would you obey such an instruction to protect your livelihood and avoid being persecuted or even put to death? Or would you rather go against the government, even if it means losing your job, your status, or even your life?

In today's reading, we see how Mattathias and his sons chose to do what is right and just and obey God's orders. The reading tells us that, "In his zeal for the Law, Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘Let everyone who has a fervour for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.’ Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town. At this, many who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there."

Such leadership by Mattathias and his sons inspired many others to follow their example and remain faithful to God. As leaders, are we showing fervour and good example, encouraging others to do the same? Or have we misused our leadership for our own gain, and caused others to go astray? Are we leaders only for our own interests, even if it mean committing evil? Or are we being leaders for the good of all and for the glory of God?

Wednesday of Week 33 Year 1

I believe most parents would want their children to succeed in life. To achieve this, most parents would make much effort to see that their children have got a good and comfortable home, good nutrition, the best education that they can afford, access to good learning facilities and equipment and much more. All these efforts and sacrifices are made in the hope that their children would gain an edge in the world.

But when it comes to matters concerning faith, what do parents do? Do they make much effort to ensure that their children receive good grounding in the faith? Also, if the faith is being challenged, there is persecution and the entire family could be wiped out, how would parents advice or teach our kids? Would we tell them to make a run for it and save themselves, reasoning that they are young and have got lots of life ahead of them? Or would we be like that mother in today's reading, who "was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and endured it resolutely because of her hopes in the Lord."

At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves this: Is faith in God so precious, so valuable, so important, that we are willing to let our children and ourselves lose our lives so that we may gain eternal life? Or have we become so attached to the ways of the world that we are willing to compromise or abandon our faith, just for the sake of temporary riches and fame?

Monday of Week 33 Year 1

As children, some of us were known to be champion pesterers. We would whine and beg our parents for something, and sometimes we could go on and on for hours or even days. After a while, our parents may give in to our whining, though sometimes they may not give us what we want. When we grew up and were pursuing our degree, many of us would "pester" our tutors and professors for help or better grades. Once again, we may get what we want, sometimes we may not get what we want. If you notice, whether you get what you want or not is not the main point. The main point is that you would have pestered for it patiently, persistently and consistently, hoping that you get it in the end. But when it comes to asking God for something, how many of us are willing to be just as patient, persistent and consistent in asking for it?

In today's Gospel, we come across the blind man who wanted Jesus to heal him. The blind man said: "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me." Even though people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, he shouted all the louder, "Son of David, have pity on me." Eventually, the blind man was healed, because he had faith in Jesus. What about us? Do we have faith in Jesus like the blind man has? Are we willing to be patient, persistent and consistent in asking Jesus for help? May we not be so easily defeated but persevere and trust in God, knowing that He will do what is best for us.

Friday of Week 33 Year 2

What sort of lives do we want to live? Do we want to live good and holy lives? Or do we want to live according to the ways of the world? Sometimes, we come across people who try to live good and holy lives, but they begin to be influenced with what others think, or what is the latest fashion or style, or they try to fit into the crowd instead of standing out and being oneself. When such persons try to fit in, they have allowed themselves to succumb to peer pressure, since they want to stay in with the crowd, they want to be accepted, they don't want to be the odd-one out. But is this right Christian living, especially if by succumbing to peer pressure, it might mean keeping silent and not doing anything even when we see injustice, oppression and corruption happening?

In today's Gospel, Jesus chose to not fit in. He could have easily closed one eye, played safe, keep cool and look away from the injustice and corruption happening in the Temple. But Jesus would not put up with such nonsense in the Temple. He drove out the injustice and corruption from the holy place, and restored the Temple to its dignity. As a result, Jesus incurred the wrath of those who were already against Him.

What about us? Are we going to ignore the injustice, oppression and corruption happening around us? Are we going to mind our own business and let others do the fighting? May we follow the example of our loving Saviour, who showed us what being a Christian is all about, by doing what is right and just, for the glory of God.

Thursday of Week 33 Year 2

Do you have any regrets in your life? Do you feel as if there are some unfinished business? Opportunities come and go. We can choose to seize such opportunities, or we can choose to ignore them and let them go by. At the end of the day, whether we end up with regrets or unfinished business or not depends on us. It is the same when it comes to our relationship with God. God gives us many opportunities to grow closer in relationship with Him, and it is up to us to seize such opportunities, or end up being left behind.

In today's Gospel, Jesus shed tears over Jerusalem because the Jews had heard His message but His message of peace did not sink into their hearts. The Jews did not heed the signs that God gave them because of their stubbornness and refusal to change. As a result, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, and the Jews who attempted to revolt against the Romans were destroyed and crushed.

We too may suffer a similar fate, if we procrastinate or remain obstinate in our ways, if we do not hear Jesus' message and let His message of peace sink into their hearts. God is patient and loving to all of us, and He gives us many opportunities to build a deeper and closer relationship with Him. We can choose to walk humbly in His ways, or choose to do things our way. Let us be mindful of the consequences of our actions.

Wednesday of Week 33 Year 2

How are we making use of the gifts, talents and capabilities that God has given us? Are we using our gifts, talents and capabilities as our own, to be used as we please, and perhaps to glorify ourselves? Or are we using such gifts, talents and capabilities for the greater glory of God? In today's Gospel, we read of a man of noble birth who gave ten servants one pound each to do business with. Most of the servants used their gifts, talents and capabilities to make more money for their master, and they were amply rewarded. But one servant, knowing fully well what sort of person his master was, still had the gall and the cheek to hand back the one pound to his master without doing anything to it. Such arrogance and refusal to use his gifts, talents and capabilities for the benefit of his master only led him to be condemned.

What about us? Are we using our gifts, talents and capabilities wisely for the greater glory of God? Or have we become selfish, complacent or arrogant, like that one servant, refusing to use our gifts, talents and capabilities in a righful way? Just as that one servant lost his one pound and was condemned, we too may lose our gifts, talents and capabilities if we are not careful.

Tuesday of Week 33 Year 2

What sort of state is your soul today in life? Are you consistently making effort to grow closer to God; or have you become lukewarm, paying more attention to what this world has to offer and losing focus in your faith and dependence in God's providence? In today's reading, the church in Sardis was once eager in faith for God but over time, it became more dead than alive in relationship with God. The reading also speaks of the church in Laodecia which was neither cold or hot in its zeal for God, but instead had also become lukewarm in faith. These churches in Sardis and Laodecia were warned by the Lord to wake up and change their ways and return to the Lord's fold.

What about us? Where do we stand? Have we become more dead than alive in our relationship with God? Have we become lukewarm in faith? God is inviting us to repent and turn back to Him, and dwell in His love and presence. It is up to us to take the initiative and make effort to change, open the door to our heart and soul, and let Him in.

Monday of Week 33 Year 2

When some of us first fell in love, we would have gone through a lot of effort to make our girlfriend or boyfriend special. We would note what he or she likes, his or her birthday, the first time we started going steady, and other significant events. We do all these because, we love being with the person, we want to make the person happy, we care about the person, and hopefully we would one day get married to the person. In other words, we make so much effort and spend much time trying hard to eventually earn a "degree in paktorlogy" ("paktor" is roughly translated as to date, with the intention and hope of marriage). But supposing one has gotten married already to the person for several years; is the love, determination and effort still vibrant? Are we making as much effort to stay married and to keep the flame of love alive?

In the first reading, John speaks of the church of Ephesus and the admonishment it received: "Nevertheless, I have this complaint to make; you have less love now than you used to. Think where you were before you fell; repent, and do as you used to at first." Just as a marriage needs constant effort, work and great doses of love, care and concern to stay vibrant, alive and exciting, members of the church too need to do their part with enthusiasm and vigour to keep the church vibrant, alive and exciting. We cannot let things wane, take things for granted or slack in our efforts. Our love must be consistent and strong. May we not lose or lessen our love, but keep it strong throughout the years, and give glory God in all we do.

Housekeeping - Week 33 Year 2

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

13 Nov 2016 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
14 Nov 2016 - Monday of Week 33 Year 2
15 Nov 2016 - Tuesday of Week 33 Year 2
16 Nov 2016 - Wednesday of Week 33 Year 2
17 Nov 2016 - Thursday of Week 33 Year 2
18 Nov 2016 - Friday of Week 33 Year 2

Friday of Week 33 Year 2

Truth can be sweet and sour or even bitter at the same time. How so? For those who seek truth, it can be sweet, especially if the truth is what liberates them or exposes the injustice which they have gone through. On the other hand, truth can be sour or even bitter, especially for those who are the guilty party or those who have been doing the persecuting or being unjust. So, truth can affect people in different ways, depending on which side of the truth one is in.

In today's Gospel, Jesus "taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words." The chief priests and the scribes time and again were unable to get rid of Jesus, since He was on the side of truth, and the people around Him wanted to cling on to the truth. Later, these people managed to get rid of Jesus, or so they thought, but the means used to get rid of Jesus was once again through deception and lies. But Jesus rose again and showed these people that He could not be silenced or disposed of, since the truth will prevail, no matter how hard one tries to hide it or sweep it under the carpet.

In our lives, have we been tasting the sweetness of truth, or have we been tasting its sourness or even its bitterness? Whatever we taste, it all depends on whether we are striving to live the truth, or to continue kidding ourselves and living a lie.

Friday of Week 33 Year 1

Is it wrong to sell things in the church compound? If items such as religious items like rosaries, prayer books, statues of saints and other relevant items are being sold at a reasonable price to promote faith and prayer; or if food stuff is sold at a reasonable price to promote fellowship and friendship, then such items and food stuff may be tolerated, provided that the parish priest is in agreement with such an activity, and he has given proper permission. This is necessary to prevent abuses, as there are people who claim to be selling things, but with the intention of making money for themselves. This is where parishioners should notify and clarify with the parish priest, especially if they notice someone unknown or unfamiliar selling items. Otherwise, our church compound and in some cases, even within our church, may become a "robbers den," since what is supposed to be sacred space and treated with proper reverence has become another marketplace or supermarket, where there is always a possibility of cheating and swindling going on.

In today's Gospel, "Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. 'According to scripture,' he said 'my house will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robber's den.'" The Temple was becoming a place where cheating and swindling was going on, and to make matters worse, the chief priests and the scribes were the ones permitting such acts to happen. How do we know this? The Gospel also tells us that "the chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out..." If the chief priests and the scribes were sincere in maintaining the Temple as a sacred space and to be treated with proper reverence, they would have not gotten so worked up when Jesus chased those sellers away. The fact that they tried to do away with Jesus shows that they have got something to hide and do not want to lose the seller's business.

What about us? Are we just as guilty like the chief priests and the scribes? Have we treated our church as a place where business could be done and sellers could do whatever they please, as long as we get a "cut" from such activities? May we come to realise and appreciate the sacredness and significance of the church, and treat it properly.

Thursday of Week 33 Year 1

Some of us may have experienced some form of regret in our lives. For example, there are people who have regretted not being hard working enough in their studies or at work, and as a result, they did not do so well in their examinations or they missed opportunities for career advancement or an increase in salary. There are people who may also have regretted not being bold enough or have not made enough effort in a relationship, and they lost a good opportunity to marry and settle down. Do you have a regret haunting you?

In today's Gospel, Jesus said: "and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!" God had given many chances and opportunities for the Jews to change their ways, but all these chances and opportunities were lost as the Jews were stubborn and obstinate, preferring to remain as they are. We too could be in the same situation, if we refuse to change our ways and grow closer to God. May we not end up with regret, with lost opportunity to grow closer to God, because when death comes, it may be too late.

Wednesday of Week 33 Year 1

Some of us seem to take for granted the gifts and talents that God has given us. Sometimes, some of us may begin to think that our talents or gifts are for ourselves or for our benefit, and some of us are unwilling to share our talents or use our talents to help in church and for the glory of God. But what happens if we try to keep our talents to ourselves? If we neglect to use our talents or to practise them, we may lose such talents eventually. Is this what is expected of us as Christians?

In today's Gospel, ten servants were given one pound each. The first two servants promptly went and invested the money entrusted to them, benefiting their master with even more talents. The third servant claimed to be afraid of the master, but from the way he tried to explain himself, he was actually not interested in using his talents for his master's benefit after all, and in the end, he was condemned and even lost the pound he had. This is why Jesus said: "I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

What can we learn from this? Remember that all that we have: our wealth, our talents, our abilities and our gifts are from God. What God has given us, He can easily take away. That being said, shouldn't we be using what we have for the good of all and for His glory? Why are some of us being so stingy or selfish with what we have? May we realise we are merely stewards of what we have, and may we be prudent and generous in how we use them.

Tuesday of Week 33 Year 1

How excited are we to see Jesus? Some of us say we are excited, but we do not seem to make much effort to see Jesus, especially each day at Mass or in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Some of us do not seem to see Jesus in others, especially with the way we treat others or how behave towards them. This begs the question: are we really excited to see Jesus? Do we acknowledge His presence? Do we want to become closer with Him and walk in His ways? We say we do, but do our words and actions show what we say?

In today's Gospel, we come across Zacchaeus who wanted to see Jesus. Despite his height, He made much effort to even "climb a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way." When Jesus asked to stay at Zacchaeus' house, Zacchaeus was so happy, that he was even willing to change his ways and made amends if he had cheated anyone. This led Jesus to say: "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost."

What about us? Are we like Zacchaeus, so excited and enthusiastic to see Jesus, that he even made a firm decision to change his ways? Do we value a relationship with Jesus like Zacchaeus did? Or have we become complacent with our relationship with Jesus, thinking that we are okay and there is nothing else for us to improve on? May we be humble enough to realise that, like Zacchaeus, we need Jesus to be our constant guide and help.