Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent

We live in a world where most things in life are no longer free. For example, food, clothing and many other essential things we need to survive are not free. Education, especially if we want to attain higher education, is not free. Even in our relationships, many of us love or like another because of some reason, such as the other is good or kind to us, or the other has certain attributes we like, or even because the other is useful in one way or another. We seem to expect and give at some cost, but as Christians, what sort of way of living should we strive to follow?

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us: “Without cost, you have received; without cost you are to give.” Jesus lives this teaching because He did many things; including curing the sick, letting the blind see, expelling demons, feeding the hungry with His words and material food; restoring the dead to life; cleansing the lepers and so on; all these without asking for any payment. Some of us may think that Jesus could do all these things and much more since He is God; but if we think about it for a moment, could we not do the same? After all, we call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, and so we should follow His example in the way He lived. Are we willing to receive and give without cost; and for all things give God the glory?

Friday of the 1st Week of Advent

I once sat next to a blind beggar and observed him as he was trying to beg for a few ringgit. I was quite amazed at how this blind beggar had developed a heightened sense of touch, hearing and smell, even though he could not see. Just by the sound of a coin dropping onto his bowl, he could decipher correctly how much it was. By feeling the paper money, he could tell a RM1 note from a RM5, RM10 or RM100.

Today’s Gospel tells us about two blind men following Jesus and crying out. They might not see Jesus, but their heightened sense of hearing led them to Jesus. When Jesus entered a house, they approached him there, since their heightened sense of hearing and smell helped them encounter Jesus directly. Not only that, when Jesus asked if they had faith in him to heal them, they responded positively. Because the blind men had complete trust and faith in Jesus, they were healed of their blindness and their sight returned.

What about us? Would we have faith and trust in Jesus to heal us, especially from our spiritual blindness? Even though we may be able to see clearly, we may be spiritually blind, especially when we sin, when we have ego and pride in our hearts. May we, like the beggars in today's Gospel, have complete faith and trust in Jesus, and be regular in going for confession and receiving Him daily at Mass, so that Jesus can heal us and enable us to physically and spiritually see clearly once again.

Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent

We often take for granted the many things that God has given us. Sometimes, we even forget to say thank you to God, or pray before a meal, giving thanks for the food we are about to receive. But just imagine for a moment... if God were to start charging us for each and every blessing or gift He gives us... would we be just as grateful or thankful, since we are paying instead of getting it free? Fortunately for us, the God we know is a loving and generous One. He does not need all these material things and money. He even created us out of nothing.

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us: “Without cost, you have received; without cost you are to give.” Jesus lives this teaching because He himself cures the sick; lets the blind see, expels demons, feeds the hungry with His words and material food; restores the dead to life; cleanses the lepers and so on  without asking for any payment. Jesus shows us that the very nature of God is to give. God is a Giver. Because He is a Giver, we have received many things. Likewise, we too ought to follow God's example and be givers, instead of hoarding things only for ourselves. May we receive without cost, and also give without cost, and give God the glory.

Saturday of the 1st Week of Advent

When we were young and we did something wrong, our parents may punish us or scold us. Some of us may have even received a caning or a whack on the hand or butt. When our parents punish or scold us in this way, does that mean they hate us? Of course not! They punish or scold us because they love us, and in some cases use disciplinary actions to teach us the consequence of what we did. In this way, we would learn not to repeat the same wrong doing again, since we know what the outcome could be.

Likewise, when God punished His people, and us too, He is doing so not because of hate. He does so because He loves us and disciplines us so that we would walk in His ways. In today's reading, we see the kind of God we have, who "On that day the Lord dresses the wound of His people and heals the bruises His blows have left." Even though God had dealt blows to His people, He was kind and compassionate in dressing the wounds and healing the bruises inflicted. So what does this mean to us? It means that God is a loving God, who disciplines us so that we may become better persons. May we make every effort to walk in His ways, and let Him be our help and guide.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent

Every once in a while, we come across people who know how to talk a lot. Such persons know how to sound as if they know a lot about a certain topic, or that they are able to do many things, or that they have quite a bit of wealth, property and power in society, and they claim that they would be willing to use their wealth, property or power to help others. But how many of such persons would be willing to "walk the talk" or be willing to put into practice what they say and show that action speaks louder than words? Or are such persons only saying such things to sound good, but their words and promises are empty and meaningless?

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples: "It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven." Jesus is emphasising that one not only needs to listens to His Words, but also needs to act on them. If we examine our lives, are we merely wasting our words frivolously and saying things only to sound good? Or are we practicing what we preach, for the good of all and for His glory?

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent

When we see a beggar or some poor people coming to us and asking us for some food or money, what do we do? Do we help them, or do we ignore them completely? If we do help them, do we give them some money just to shoo them away or get rid of them, thinking that we have done our part, or do we go that extra mile and make effort to help them for a longer period, perhaps even helping them come out of their poverty?

In today's Gospel, we see a contrast between Jesus and His disciples. The disciples seemed to be more concerned about their needs, but Jesus was more concerned about the crowd, not only by teaching and healing them, but also in seeing to their welfare by giving them something to eat. Logistically speaking, the disciples seemed worried and concerned about their situation, since realistically, it seemed impossible to feed so many. But Jesus is not just any ordinary preacher, and He showed them the true meaning of love and compassion by willing to give until it hurts, and taking that extra step in giving the crowd something to eat.

What about us? Would we be willing to go that extra mile and help those in need, even if it means giving till it hurts? Or have we become so concerned only about the costs and about ourselves? May we learn to be like Jesus in the way He loved and served the crowd, so that in all we say and do, may His Name be glorified.

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent

It is interesting to observe how some people behave or react or respond when certain situations or circumstances occur. Some people may think themselves as adults or mature, but in some of such situations or circumstances, such persons may be quite childish in their attitude or behaviour. Likewise, there are people who have learnt to be humble and dependent on God's providence, being childlike in their relationship with God, when such situations or circumstances occur. Where do you stand? Have you become childish when certain situations or circumstances happen? Or have you become more childlike?

In today's Gospel, we are reminded that there are things which are revealed to mere children and not to the learned or clever. Some may initially think that God is being unfair or discriminating towards the learned or clever. But if we read between the lines, we could discover that there are the learned or clever who have become quite full of themselves, thinking that they know it all. Such persons are unable to listen to the promptings of God, and they would not experience things which are revealed, because they have closed or shut their minds to God's care and providence.

What about us? Are we making effort to be more childlike in our relationship with God? Or have we allowed our minds and hearts to be closed or shut, thinking that we are learned and clever, and do not need God?

Monday of the 1st Week of Advent

Nowadays, we seem to see more and more conflicts and wars happening around the world. Conflicts and wars happen due to a number reasons. One could be because of pride, where persons of one nation react due to what persons of another nation have said or done. Even though at times what was said or done was not as serious as it seems, pride blinds and distorts the minds of persons into reacting unwisely. Another reason could be because of greed. A nation has resources that another does not, and the other nation goes to war to try and plunder such resources. Also, some nations or corporations promote (in a discreet way) conflicts and wars because it benefits them financially, since weapons from such nations could be sold to nations involved in the conflicts and wars, for a handsome profit.

Seeing such conflicts and wars happening around us, could we ever experience the peace that is given in the vision of Isaiah in today's reading: "peoples will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles; nation will not lift up sword against nation, there will be no more training for war."? I believe we can, if we humbly, genuinely, perseveringly and consistently "walk in the light of the Lord." Let us free ourselves from our pride, ego, greed and prejudice, and turn to Jesus who can heal the world and grant us peace.

Friday of the 1st Week of Advent

How confident and trusting are we towards God, when we ask Him to grant us our wants and needs? Some of us say we are confident, but we get disappointed so easily when our prayers are not answered quickly. Some of us do not even bother to ask, and go looking elsewhere for help, only to find that these other means are really no help at all. How many of us sincerely and persistently ask, and then wait patiently for God's response?

In today's Gospel. two blind men followed Jesus shouting, "Take pity on us, Son of David." These blind men did not just sit around and expect Jesus to heal them, they took effort to follow Jesus till He reached the house.The Gospel also tells us: "Jesus asked them: 'Do you believe I can do this?' They said, ‘Sir, we do.’ Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you.’ And their sight returned." These two blind men were cured because they had complete confidence and trust in Jesus. What about us? Would we have the same confidence like these two blind men, when we ask Jesus for something? May we doubt no longer, and let Jesus be in control, knowing that He will grant us what is best for us.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent

How many of us are true to our word and practise what we preach? It is easy for us to say many things, make many promises, assure others of this or that; but it is a different thing altogether in fulfilling such promises and assurance. For example, we come across certain politicians who make all sorts of promises before an election. After the election is over and the politician has won, what happens? Would the politician fulfil his or her promises, or make plenty of excuses or drag his or her feet? Even in other professions, we come across certain people who know how to talk and make all sorts of promises, only to break their word when the going gets tough, or when the situation poses no significant advantages to them.

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples: "It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven." It is not enough to just listens to Jesus' words, but we also need to act on them. When we look at our lives, are we merely wasting our words frivolously? Are we people of integrity, meaning what we say? Let us examine ourselves closely and say what we mean, for the betterment of our eternal future.

Monday of the 1st Week of Advent

Words can kill and words can heal, depending on how one uses words. When one uses words in a derogatory way, or one uses bad words (in other words, foul language), or one uses words with negative tones and meanings, the recipient of such words may begin to slowly feel uncomfortable and uneasy, and given a period of time, the recipient of such words may lose some self-esteem or self-worth. Some of us may have experienced being bullied with such words, and the feeling could be quite unpleasant and degrading. On the other hand, when one uses words in a positive manner, or in an affirmative manner, the recipient of such words may eventually feel good about himself or herself, and some boost in self-esteem and self-worth may be experienced.

In today's Gospel, we come across a centurion in Capernaum who came up and pleaded with Jesus to heal his paralysed servant. This centurion not only went to see Jesus, he even pleaded with Him for help. What is even more astonishing is the humility and complete confidence of the centurion in Jesus, so much so that he had full trust that all Jesus needed to do was to issue the order, and his servant would be healed. This centurion was sure that Jesus' words were enough to heal his servant, and Jesus did not have to be physically present for the healing to take place. Because of this, the centurion's servant was healed.

What about us? Do we use words wisely to heal and to build people up? Do we have confidence in Jesus' words? May we be careful with what we say, and may what we say bring healing and happiness to all around us, for the glory of God.

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent

How much do we really care about others? Do we care about the people around us? Do we care about the people in our neighbourhood? Do we care about what is going on in our country? Many of us may say we care, but how much do we care? Just a little? A bit more? A lot? Saying that we care is easy, since words are cheap. But what have we done or are doing to show we care? Sometimes, some of us may just give a few Malaysian ringgit or dollars for the needs of people around us, but is that all we are willing to do? Or are we willing to do much more than that? How many of us are willing to give not only financial help, but also our time and talents so that others may learn to grow and change? Are we willing to even give all that we have, for the glory of God?

In today's Gospel, Jesus not only cured the lame, blind, crippled, dumb and many others, He also fed them. Jesus shows us what it means to go that extra mile for another person, instead of just dealing with the person's immediate needs and be done with it. May we be willing to learn from our loving Lord, and be loving and caring to others, just as He is loving and caring to all of us.

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent

Nowadays, we are seeing more and more people becoming more and more concerned only about themselves. It seems as if "the survival of the fittest" is becoming more and more important than being in community or even being in family. In certain countries, the situation has come to such a state where even the parents are given a legislation where they could sue their children for maintenance and upkeep, as some of such countries have seen an increasing number of people abandoning or ignoring their parents. What is happening to such countries? Have people forgotten about being human, being a family, or even being a community? Has the attitude of "me, myself and I" become more important?

In today's Gospel, we see a contrast between Jesus and His disciples. The disciples seemed to be more concerned about their needs, but Jesus was more concerned about the crowd, not only by teaching and healing them, but also in seeing to their welfare by giving them something to eat. Logistically speaking, the disciples seemed to be in a nightmarish situation, since realistically, it seemed impossible to feed so many. But what the disciples failed to realise is that Jesus is not just any ordinary preacher, and He showed them the true meaning of love and compassion by taking that extra step in giving the crowd something to eat.

What about us? Would we be willing to take that extra step and feed the multitude, not only spiritual food, but also physical food? Or have we become so concerned only about the costs and about ourselves? May we do our best to be like Jesus in the way He loved and served the crowd, so that others would know we are Christians by our love.

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent

Some of us may have grown up entertained in a world of make believe, especially when we were children. We may have fantasised about fairy tales, imaginative heroes and imaginative villians, imaginative friends, and many other forms to keep ourselves happy, occupied and entertained. But what happens when we grow up, when we grow older? Quite possibly, we may come face to face with reality, that what we imagine or fantasise is not likely to happen, or we may begin to become more and more realistic about life, and set aside the many forms of imagination which we once had.

In today's reading, what we hear from the prophet Isaiah seem to be like a fairy tale or figments of our imagination. The wolf lives with the lamb, the lion eats straw like the ox, the infant plays over the cobra's hole: all these seem to portray a picture of serenity, peace and harmony. But could such things ever happen in the real world? Those of us who remain sceptical or realist in our thinking may say that such things are mere fairy tales or imagination. But God can make the impossible possible, and His ways are not our ways. What we thought to be imagination could be made real by God. So let us not remain doubtful or sceptical, but become like mere children as mentioned in the Gospel, knowing that our God can do wonders beyond our imagination and expectation. Let us learn to be more dependent in Him, and walk in His ways, while doing our part in promoting peace and harmony.

1st Sunday of Advent Year C

Every year, many of us would celebrate the new year to remember and give thanks to God for all the blessings of the past year and also take the opportunity to pray for a good year ahead. But today's readings and Gospel seems to give us a different way of how Christians should celebrate the new year. What is this different way all about? This different way is that we celebrate the new year not by looking to the past or to the following year but to focus on the end of time or on the end of the world. It seems strange for us to focus on the end of time, so why should we do so, since some may find the end of time a not-so-pleasant topic?

Today's Gospel appears to give us a frightening picture of the end of the world: "There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken." For some, such natural disasters may seem scary or frightening, but science has shown us that such natural disasters mean that the earth is growing and evolving, which are signs of life instead of death. Planets that no longer have such natural disasters like earthquakes, storms, or volcanoes have no life, in other words, they are dead. Jesus gives us examples of such natural disasters to describe the end of the world and tell us that something new is about to take place. This means that, from this point of view, we should see the end of the world as a celebration of hope instead of fear.

Some of us may be wondering: when and how will all these take place? When and how is not important, but what we should do in preparation for such an event should be our focus. To begin with, even if there is confusion in our lives, even if things don't go according to plan, nobody should lose heart, as Jesus reminds us: “When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” Also, we may be tempted to run away or look for excuses or other solutions when faced with problems and challenges in the world, but we should instead watch ourselves and stay alert and ready, as Jesus reminds us: "Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap." Moreover, we must "stay awake and pray." This means that we must take our spiritual growth seriously, as St. Paul in the second reading urges each and every one of us to continue growing in our faith life.

So what does this mean to us? It means that we cannot rest on our laurels and think that we have plenty of time to grow closer to God. Instead, we should be consistent and persistent in our efforts to grow in our spiritual life and in our relationship with God and with others, as St. Paul advises us in the second reading: "We urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it." May we do our best and stay alert and prepared, with hope and confidence that God will be our providence and guide.

Friday of the 1st Week of Advent

How much faith do we really have in God? Some of us say we have faith but at the back of our mind some may be doubting whether God really listens to our prayers or cares for us. Some look for other sources for help, thinking that it is better to have a backup plan, in case they do not get any response from God. Some may have given up on God altogether. What about you? What sort of faith do you have in God? Is your faith a convenient faith, where you pick and choose when to trust in God's providence?

In today's Gospel. two blind men followed Jesus shouting, "Take pity on us, Son of David." These blind men did not just sit around and expect Jesus to heal them, they took effort to follow Jesus till He reached the house. They had total faith that Jesus would heal them and due to their faith in Him, their sight was returned to them. From this Gospel reading, we too can learn from these blind men. Our faith cannot be an armchair or stagnant one. We need to show our faith earnestly, with hope that God would grant our requests. Let us remain in faith in God, for He knows what is best for us and would help and guide us in His time.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent

Words can sometimes be empty or useless, if such words are uttered without conviction and action. For example, we can say to our partner, spouse, loved ones or friends "I love you," but if we do not do anything, then we may be guilty of not meaning what we say. Sometimes we come across people who say things just to curry favour others, or just to flatter them, or just to sound good, but these people do not "walk the talk" or in Bahasa Malaysia: "cakap tak serupa bikin" (which is roughly translated as "saying one thing, but doing another (if one is doing anything at all)." Basically, action speaks louder than words.

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples: "It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven." Here Jesus is emphasising that one not only needs to listens to these words of His, but also needs to act on them. When we look at our lives, are we merely wasting our words frivolously? Are we people of integrity, meaning what we say? Let us examine ourselves closely and say what we mean, for the betterment of our eternal future.

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Advent

What does it mean to be childish? What does it mean to childlike? To be childish is "to be like a child" or "to be silly and immature." To be childlike, on the other hand, is "to have the good qualities, such as innocence, associated with a child." Some people may think themselves as adults or mature, but in some situations or circumstances, such persons may be quite childish in their attitude or behaviour. Likewise, there are people who have learnt to be humble and dependent on God's providence, being childlike in their relationship with God. What sort of person have you become?

In today's Gospel, we are reminded that there are things which are revealed to mere children and not to the learned or clever. This is not to imply that God is being unfair or discriminating towards the learned or clever. But what is happening here is that there are the learned or clever who have become quite full of themselves, thinking that they know it all. Such persons are unable to listen to the promptings of God, because they are unable to be childlike and depend on God's care and providence. Pride, prejudice and a bloated ego are some obstacles which prevent some of these learned or clever from becoming closer to God.

What about us? Are we making effort to be more childlike in our relationship with God? God is prompting and inviting us to learn from Him. It is up to us to change our attitude and behaviour, nd open ourselves to His care.

Monday of the 1st Week of Advent

Every once in a while, we come across people demonstrating great faith despite facing great odds or great difficulties. Some of these people may be in your neighbourhood or even within your family and relations. When we are facing similar difficulties, problems or dangers, would we have great faith that God would help us?

In today's Gospel, we come across a centurion in Capernaum who came up and pleaded with Jesus to heal his paralysed servant. Romans citizens and Roman officers such as centurions do not normally have anything to do with Jews, especially when it comes to what some may consider an itinerant preacher or rabbi like Jesus. But this centurion not only went to see Jesus, he even pleaded with Him for help. What is even more astonishing is the humility and complete confidence of the centurion in Jesus, so much so that he had full trust that all Jesus needed to do was to issue the order, and his servant would be healed. Such trust, such confidence, such faith this centurion had on Jesus!

What about us? Some of us say we trust and have faith in Jesus, but do we mean what we say or are we going to start looking elsewhere when we are faced with problems, persecution, or difficulties which seem quite unbearable? Let us take after the example of this centurion, and with full faith and confidence let Jesus be our help and guide.

1st Sunday of Advent Year B

Throughout our lives, we may have been concentrating on building a better life here on earth. As children, we studied hard, hoping to do well in school, in exams and striving to get into a good university. Then we spend much effort earning our Bachelor's degree and perhaps going on to a Master's degree or even a Doctorate. We may then look for work either in academic circles or in the corporate world, hoping to make a decent living and perhaps make a name for ourselves. All these things and efforts are certainly not wrong, since we do need to survive and prosper in this world. However, as we may have noticed, all these things and efforts only refer to life here on earth. As Christians, we believe that there is life after our time here on earth ceases. What would happen to us after we leave this life here on earth? Would we be with God? Would we be away from God?

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, "Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come." What does Jesus mean by "stay awake?" In this season of Advent, we are not only preparing ourselves to celebrate Christmas, we ought to also be preparing ourselves for the eventuality of death where we would meet the Lord, and also for His second coming, which is the end of the world. Death and the second coming of Jesus could be frightening to some, because of the unknown before us. Many passages in scripture have painted us fearful images of death and the second coming of Christ, but today's readings give us a different image.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the Lord’s Day as a day of happiness and expectation. The Lord is our redeemer and He “would tear the heavens open and come down.” For those of us who have prepared for death and His second coming, there would be no need to fear, since the Lord would be like a father to us. There would be no need for us to be anxious or frightened, if we have allowed ourselves to be formed by the Lord, as we are the clay and God is the potter. But if we are not prepared, if we have been neglecting our spiritual life and our relationship with God, if we have refused to change our ways, then we would have every reason to fear. We could be awake physically, but asleep spiritually, and we could be caught off guard or unaware or unprepared. In the Gospel, Jesus warns us to "stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!’

Are we spiritually awake, or are we spiritually in slumber. Over the years, we may have slackened or neglected our spiritual life. The attractions of this world, the choices and priorities we make and our attitudes towards sin, confession, and repentance are some factors which could have contributed to our spiritual slumber. Instead of making excuses; instead of pointing the blame towards others; instead of stubbornly continuing as we are; instead of procrastinating until it is too late; let us ponder the consequences of our actions. Do we want to be joyful and at peace with the Lord? If we do, then let us stay awake, and be prepared and ready at all times.